Get to know the stallholders!

With the Made on the Left markets at the Perth Concert Hall happening tomorrow we thought it would be a good idea to meet a couple of the stallholders that will be there so, get to know...

RED COPPER FOX

My name is Georgina Drury and I'm a New Zealander living in Perth (don't hold it against me). I have been here now for four years and I've always been interested in anything crafty whether it be painting or jewellery making. The items I have been creating for Red Copper Fox are wooden geometric necklaces, they are all hand painted with my own colour combinations. Recently I have gotten into making geometric concrete pots that my partner designed and made the mold for and taught me how to pour the concrete. I have just started making concrete pendants too- these are a work in progress, but I should have a limited number available at the upcoming market.

Red Copper Fox is fairly new, I only created the etsy page in May, but I have been making Jewellery for myself for over 5 years if not longer. I started making jewellery for myself after seeing a particular colour combination of a necklace and discovering my love for geometric beads. People started asking me for them so it grew from there. The concrete pot side of it was because I wanted one for our house, but couldn't find them anywhere so my partner made me one and from there we just kept making them.

Although I love the necklaces so much I think my favourite thing I'll be selling this weekend at the markets will be the geometric pots- I think they are very special, especially the ones I have hand painted on.

I wish I could do this full time but not yet so I have a full time job as a Merchandiser for a greeting card company in Perth. I have a huge love of painting and have done so ever since I was a kid so on the weekend you would probably find me with a paint brush in my hand trying to create something. 

You can find me at:

www.etsy.com/shop/RedCopperFox

www.facebook.com/RedCopperFox

instagram.com/red.copper.fox

RUGGED AND REFINED

I'm Jenna Love, a metalsmith and jewellery designer from New Zealand. My current work often features faceted geometric forms made from sterling silver that have been embellished with random, spontaneous layers of fine gold. The result is jewellery that is angular and bold to wear, whilst being warm with a rich palette. 

Rugged and refined is my new brand name, but I've been making jewellery since 2008. My best performing subject in school was sculpture- I surprised myself and tutors by having an eye for detail and having a knack for putting interesting materials together. I also spent time years living in Nelson, a well known town for many talented jewellers and artists. On returning to New Zealand after a handful of years in the States, I was inspired to give Silversmithing a go after seeing lots of beautiful work in galleries around the country. After my first class, I was well and truly hooked! 

My current favourites are geometric shaped earrings, adorned with splatters of gold, also my oxidised domed round studs are sweet. 

Being a mother to my three year old daughter is my other gig. The jewellery fits in alongside that perfectly and I have some exciting plans for building my jewellery business over the coming months. Please check back in!

Instagram: @ruggedandrefined

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RuggedandRefinedJewellery

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/RuggedandRefined?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Melbourne Collective: http://www.ikeandflycollective.com.au/

New website coming soon and online shop. 

ONE HAPPY LEAF

I established One Happy Leaf in 2013 to inspire people to reconnect with their authentic selves. In a fast paced and sometimes stressful world we often lose touch with ourselves and how we used to be. For some of us, that means spending less time in nature and fewer moments experiencing the richness of the world. I create jewellery to remind the wearer to live true to their individual selves, because living authentically is when we are at our happiest. We can see joy in the simple things in life and we find the courage to follow our passions. We experience all the wonder of the world while being true to ourselves. 

My favourite jewellery piece is my "bubble necklace". It's my number one seller and a personal favourite of mine. (See picture)

I quit my day job in 2014, so One Happy Leaf is now my full-time job. I am an environmental scientist by education and was working in a government job previous to working full-time on the jewellery business. By starting One Happy Leaf I found a new passion in creating beautiful, simplistic jewellery that is designed for authentic women to be their happy, natural selves. I love my new day job and am happy I took the leap to working full-time on what was my "creative hobby".

W: onehappyleaf.com

F: www.facebook.com/onehappyleaf

I: www.instagram.com/onehappyleaf

Stores in Perth - Common Ground Collective (82 Hight Street Fremantle)

You can find these amazing creators and a whole bunch of others at the markets this weekend- Perth Concert Hall, Sunday 26th July, 10am - 4pm, see you there!

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Name our mascots!

Name our market mascots and win! Our kingfisher friends need a name. If you come up with our favourite names, you will win a print of the poster artwork by Sally Ridge Illustration. We'll be taking entries here on the blog, on our Facebook page and on Instagram (@madeontheleft). Please get your suggestions in by Wednesday 22nd July, 2015. We look forward to hearing your name choices!

Sponthanaeity - KickstART best stall winner

Each year at the Propel KickstART Youth Markets, we choose one of the stallholders to have a free place at our winter market. This year, the judges chose Sponthanaeity by Hanaé Myer. Here is an interview with Hanaé and make sure you come along to our market on Sunday 26th July at the Perth Concert Hall to check out her work in person!

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Hi there! My name's Hanaé Meyer, I'm 23, and I started the Sponthanaeity stall in early 2015. I have a background in fine art, a BA in Creative Writing (yes, not only is that a real degree, but it's also one I'm very passionate about), and presently I'm undertaking honours at Curtin. I grew up in a very arty household, and have helped out with my parents' market stall, mthreeidea, for the past five years. I've lived in most of the states at some point, but for the past thirteen years I've called Perth home, and I absolutely love it. 

Where did your business name come from?
Clearly I put my degree in creative writing to good use when I decided on my business name, combining my first name with the word "spontaneity."
I'm always having new ideas pop into my head at the most inconvenient of moments (you wouldn't believe the number of times I've left a room mid-sentence to find a scrap of paper to write some of them down), so that's where the spontaneity part comes from! There's a bit of irony in the name though, as most of my art actually takes a really long time to produce.

What sort of items do you make and sell?
I do a bit of everything really, but I love to work with paper and books. Most of my work will either be about books or made from books.



The collage pieces are a labour of love. I love old books, reading, and collecting novels to add to the ever-growing "to-read" pile, so when I see a beautiful antique or vintage book that has been battered about and damaged, I love giving it a new life as a work of art when it can no longer be enjoyed or appreciated for its intended purpose. I particularly enjoy working with paper from the 1800's and early 1900's. The paper is so thick and textured, and the golds and browns which evolve as the paper ages look beautiful against the white backgrounds. If I have some gold gilt-edged pages to play with, even better! The gilt will just glow when light hits it.

I use vintage atlases to create fun pinwheels (even if there's no breeze, they're an interesting abstract geography lesson).

I also create what I call Literary Prints. These are designs which look like the covers of popular book titles from a distance, but up close, you'll see they're composed of quotes and lines from that particular title.

At the moment I'm creating a series of watercolour drawings of vintage typewriters, cameras, and various objects that have captured my attention.

What do you find is the biggest challenge when starting to sell your art?
The biggest challenge has been trying to value my time and work! I'm so used to creating art just for myself, my parents, or giving things away to friends, so when it comes to markets I have complete strangers tell me to value my time and skills more! I've got my head around it now, but it's something I have to keep reminding myself because I really enjoy what I do and sometimes forget that it's also my only income!

What do you find is the best form of marketing for your business?
Meeting people face to face at markets is fantastic, and I enjoy being able to communicate my ideas on the spot and actually have a conversation with customers or get feedback.
As for marketing my business from home, even though I was late to the party, and only joined this year, I love Instagram! I really enjoy photographing close-up details of the antique and vintage paper pieces, so it's a great way for me to share the joy of these beautiful old books. I'm also on Facebook, which works really well for connecting with customers, taking orders from all over the place, and sharing market details with Perth locals.

What are your hopes for Sponthanaeity in the future?
I want to create large-scale works using the salvaged book paper and hopefully have a small exhibition, but until then, I hope to get out to lots of markets around Perth and continue meeting fellow book/art/typewriter lovers! A long-term goal is to take a working holiday adventure on the high seas with a sketch pad, water colours, and a camera, combining my art and writing to document my journey, turning it into a big creative project!

Where can we find you on the net?
You can follow me on Instagram, I'm @sponthanaeity
I can be contacted for orders, market details, or just to say hi on the Sponthanaeity Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sponthanaeity

Top five tips for young artists who are thinking of starting to sell their art:
1. Embrace your individuality! Trends will come and go, and you might feel really, really, REALLY tempted to join the bandwagon, but just remember that no one will draw, paint, sculpt, build, write, or create in the exact same way as you, so use that to your advantage. 
2. If you're going to join the market scene, be prepared for late nights, early mornings, and minimal sleep. And never run your market stall on an empty stomach... you will get cranky. 
3. Value your talent! Some days it will seem like no one you know appreciates the effort you put into your work, then a stranger will come along and say the most lovely things about your art, and you'll be on cloud nine all day.
4. Engage with your customers/audience. I find it so disappointing if I'm looking at a stall and the person there is more interested in their phone than telling me about their awesome artwork!
5. Keep track of your ideas, notes, and plans as you go (even if it's on little scraps of paper!). There's nothing worse than having a great idea get away from you!

Thanks, Hanaé, and congratulations on winning a place at the Made on the Left July market!

Collective Treasures Suitcase Market

Vic Park Collective are excited to present Collective Treasures! A monthly suitcase market happening in Vic Park, in the IGA laneway.

The next one is coming up on Sunday 18 July, 11am-2pm. Grab a coffee from a nearby cafe and browse to your heart's content. There will be one each season with next one after this on Saturday 24 October - Garage Sale Trail day! 

Stallholder spots are $10 but the fee is waived if you can BYO marquee.
To be a stallholder please contact collectivetreasuresvicpark@gmail.com