Sell Your Wares workshop

Come along to the "Sell Your Wares" workshop on Thursday to get some hot tips for starting out in markets.
This workshop is targeted at emerging creatives looking to sell their wares and develop their businesses. It will cover: pricing, marketing, displaying your wares, attracting visitors to your stall, generating further business, target markets and more! Past stallholders have found this workshop incredibly useful to their business and arts practice, so we highly recommend that you attend if you can make it.

WHERE The Blue Room Theatre (53 James Street, Northbridge)
WHEN 12 March 2015
TIME 6:00pm – 8:30pm 
WHO Presented by Made on the Left. Speakers include Little L, Delish Ice, Jacquie Hughes and other special guests!

SIGN UP TODAY! You must register here  to confirm your seat. 

Update: If you couldn't make it on the night, Katie from Delish Ice has shared her talk on her blog: http://delishice.com.au/my-own-experiences-for-your-own-journey/ 

Made on the Left Christmas market

We are pleased to present the artwork for our 2014 Christmas market!
It is by Rebecca Antos and we hope you like it as much as we do :)

The Team Hearts Mel P :)

Just thought I'd share this funny photo of Sarah G and Dara from the team behind their stall on Saturday, with their fresh new purchases from Mel P.




They look like handmade superheros dont they? Saving the world one awesome handmade item at a time :)

xx

Faces Behind Made On The Left - Part 6 - Beth Wachla

We wanted to introduce to you our newest committee member of Made On The Left - Beth Wachla. Beth is an up and coming Perth designer who has been getting a lot of interest with her cool fabric skull brooches, and we are so excited to have her on board. On an official level Beth will take creative control of some future projects which we will release info about at a later date. It may include a spot of shopping and some informative reading. :)

Enough about that... for now I will introduce you to Beth!

Tell us a bit about you & your business.Hi, my name is Beth, I’m 27 and I create beaded jewellery and felt accessories under the label “the tiny little girl” whilst living in my tiny Perth flat with a houseplant named Herbert Greenleaf.I’m currently selling through Etsy, and have a couple of markets lined up (including the November Made on the Left of course!). Some of my skully brooches are soon to appear on www.shopmoose.com.au and I’m pretty excited about that. It’s one step at a time at the moment.What made you want to get involved with Made on the Left?

I wanted to get involved when I saw how hard the Made on the Left team were working to support West Australian design. I think it’s so important to be proud of where you come from, why should we have to move interstate or overseas when, if we work hard at it, we can find the recognition we want for our work right here in WA? I’m so happy to have been accepted into the team, and I plan to work my butt off to help achieve our goals.

What are your plans for the future?

Long long term I’d love to be able to quit my admin job and create and sell my crafts full time under the “the tiny little girl” label. In terms of Made on the Left I feel like I have a lot to learn as I’m jumping in later on in the game and the other members of the team are so much further along than me.I really want to help to make Made on the Left into something truly great. An organization that is able to support all West Aussie designers in a lot of different ways.What was the first thing you ever created?

I believe one of the first things I ever made was probably a tiny jacket for one of my monster finger puppet toys. My brother and I loved playing with them when we were kids and used to make tiny books for them to read and clothes for them to wear. Such fun!What inspires you?Embarrassingly I’m inspired by buying supplies! Scouring online stores for items I can use seems to bring the ideas forth. I try to buy the majority of my supplies on Etsy so that I can support little shop owners like myself.What do you think of Australian design?

I think Australian design is definitely on par with international design. We have some amazing artists in this country and I think that they’re starting to gain the recognition they deserve on the international market. Go Aussies!

What is the most important thing to you when you create your work?I love colour so it’s really important to me to include loads of colour in any piece I create. My flat looks like a rainbow exploded in it and I’d love for my work to reflect that feeling.Where do you see yourself in a years time?

In a years time I hope to be well on my way to supporting myself through my crafty endeavors. At the moment I work full time in an admin role, and then craft full time in the evenings and on weekends, and it’s quite exhausting! I’d love to be selling my work in stores all over the world, and to still feel as passionate about it all as I do right this second.

So, thankyou Beth for introducing yourself & coming on board with Made On The Left. I know it will be tough at first taking on your new role, but we are very excited to have another voice that will help us take our organization to the next level. We can't wait to tell everyone about our plans for 2009 and beyond!

Faces behind Made on the Left - Part 4 - Odd Girl Out

I've introduced you to Dara, Jacquie, Ali and now, it's my pleasure to introduce you to the talented Sarah Gazia - the face behind Odd Girl Out.




Tell us a bit about yourself & your craft.

• I am a marketer by ‘real’ job and usually have a good way with words...except maybe when it comes to talking about myself.
• I returned to Perth at the beginning of the year after a couple of years living within the shadow of Tower Bridge in London.
• I’m a polymer clay queen at present...but I love to learn how to work in different media.
• In my previous crafting life I did a lot of silk painting...examples of which may still crop up in my etsy store in the future...you just never know.
• My partner and I started our own marketing and design business this year as well as getting Odd Girl Out off the ground – there’s no doing things by halves!

What is Made on the Left?Made on the Left is a celebration of Western Australian ingenuity and craftiness and a central source for information on local creative opportunties.

What made you want to get involved with organising a craft fair?I don’t really think of myself as an organiser (leaving that up to the more naturally organised members of the group!) but I do know a bit about marketing and promotion and thought I could lend a hand. I have a background in arts and tourism promotion so I guess I had a head start on promoting the arty attributes of WA and this plan seemed to fall naturally into place.

What can we expect to see there?A wonderful array of handmade goodies with a particular emphasis on fresh talent – we have a great proportion of stallholders for whom this is their first market, and I think that’s really exciting. It definitely won’t be same old, same old...About two thirds of the sellers are from Etsy, so although they may have had an online presence for a while, this is the first time you’ll see them all in a ‘brick and mortar’ room together.

What are your plans for the future?
Just looking ahead for the next year, I hope to really establish our marketing and design business and get more accustomed to the ins and outs of being a small business owner. With Odd Girl Out, I would like to raise the brand profile, achieve some exposure in fashion media and distribute/sell more widely through wholesaling or direct selling (like more markets!). I’m going to be seeking some advice from people who have a lot more experience than I do in jewellery retailing and setting some realistic goals.

What do you cherish most in your life?My partner Moz, who I am hoping to convince to have his own stall (as an illustrator) at the next market. At the moment his can be seen as my lovely assistant on the Odd Girl Out stalls.

What could you not live without?Gelato. Well, actually many foods. Mmmmmm. And travel.


What was the first thing you ever created?
With an art teacher for a mum, I think my creating dates back to before I could stand and probably involved poster paints and my fingers.

What inspires you?
I love visiting museums of modern art, galleries and funky shops (preferably in far off cities to get the travel angle in too!) and seeing what’s happening out there in the world. When I was travelling through Europe for three months last year I carried a small sketch book with me all the time and I have lots of inspiration to draw from now.




What do you think of Australian design?I think Australian design is definitely well regarded, but these days no one is going to get a gold star just for being Australian – there is a whole world of creative people out there and the bar is continually being raised, so there’s no room for complacency.
Do you think being in Perth affects your craft in a negative way?
I would say being based in Perth has both positives and negatives. Truly, with travel, the internet etc as developed as they are now, the ‘isolation’ issue is really not as significant as it once might have been and there is a strong, although not massive, pool of creative people to take inspiration form. The most frustrating thing is the cost of supplies and not being able to get things quickly

What is the most important thing to you when you create your work?
I’m pretty critical of my work so when I can look at something I made and think – I really like that – I’m pretty happy!

Where do you see yourself in a year’s time?Hopefully more well known, established and regarded in both of my businesses!

Faces behind Made on the Left - Part 3 - Aussiepatches

You've already met Dara and Jacquie, now it's time to meet Alicia Rosam - the face behind Aussiepatches.




Tell us a bit about yourself & your craft.I’m a total geek who loves to play computer games, read fashion magazines and watch Star Trek. I’m a total fitness junkie and live in a house surrounded by pets – including a dog, cat, rabbit, guinea pigs and fish. All are named after forms of money.

I don’t know if I would consider what I create as a craft. In reality I draw things, and make things that I think look right, then have the bonus of having people go ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ when they see them. I’m obsessed with fashion, shopping, makeup and capturing emotions within the figures I draw. I have a tendency to focus on portraiture and really drawing the viewer into the work, and making them feel what the character feels. My creating tends to make its own path, and it really depends on the character that I draw to what they’d like to do next. Some of them want to become badges, others magnets, some address books and others fabric dolls. I guess I just love to give life to my wild and crazy imagination in any form that I can.




What is Made on the Left?Made on the Left revolves around the idea that we make things in Western Australia. So many people travel interstate to hit ‘celebrity’ status in the design world, but the reality is that Perth is the next big thing and just because we are on the ‘left’ of Australia doesn’t mean we have any less talent. We want to keep that talent here and focus on the thriving arts and crafts community beginning to rise.

What made you want to get involved with organising a craft fair?I learn very quickly and have a vast amount of knowledge that I want to put into action. I guess organising a craft fair was just another step towards the goals I want to achieve as an illustrator / designer. I love the ability to network, to face obstacles and overcome them as well as the pride in just being able to be part of something that will really help other designers trying to make their mark in Western Australia.



Is this your fulltime profession?Yep, everyday of the week! I get up at around 7am and work all the way through to 11pm. Sometimes my hours get knocked around when I’m working for international clients. Recently my commission from Sony/BMG meant that I was up at 3am to do conference calls or answer urgent e-mails, and then I’d go back to bed for an hour or so, then get up and do it again. Sometimes the work has to be done and sleep gets pushed aside for later. It can be tough.

What inspires you?Fashion, Celebrities and shopping – exactly in that order. I am also inspired the most when I am stressed, depressed and lonely. My best hours for working are 11pm – 5am. I guess that at these times I am the least critical about what I create and I allow the passion for what I do to flow through the work. Creating my work and being inspired to be able to create it is one of the most painful parts of the process for me.



Do you think being in Perth affects your craft in a negative way?
Yes I do. I always get asked why I’m not in Melbourne. That if I was in Melbourne or Sydney I’d be a superstar celebrity by now. That I don’t get the press attention I deserve because no-one knows enough about me over here.

I think it is more that I don’t get the opportunity to network with as many people as I would interstate. There aren’t a lot of opportunities to network here in Western Australia, and quite often you only get the chance by knowing someone and being brought along to the event by them.

What do you think of Australian design?
I think Australian design stands in the forefront within the international market. I see a lot of designers that impact the design world very strongly and turn it on its head. I see Australian design as a force that is to be reckoned with. Watch out world.



What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future. World domination? Just kidding. In five years time I want to still be able to keep doing what I’m doing. I can’t really predict though what I want to happen, as I have no idea. A year ago when I started I would never have imagined that I would be where I am today. A year ago I didn’t even draw portraits. Now I have a fan club and my work not only lives all over the world but is also used to teach art students from Australia to America and even Spain. I’ve had university papers written about me and used as an example for research papers. It is a little freaky and kind of intimidating to suddenly be considered so ‘high’ in the illustration world. I’m just me. I live in a big house with a dining room that has bright canary yellow walls which I can’t stand. I don’t see myself in the way that others may perceive me. I just create when I feel I need to, and draw what I think is right. I guess in the future I’d just like to find my feet and keep having new avenues on where I can present my work. I’ll soon have illustrations on clothing in department stores across America as well as secondary school textbooks across Australia – and that is only the tip of the iceberg in what will be happening in the next few months. Tomorrow brings excitement, joy and a surprise. As long as I keep being surprised, I’m happy to have no plan at all.

Faces behind Made on the Left - Part 2 - Ramsden Designs

Okay back to getting to know us! There are five of us behind the scenes - we met in the Etsy forums! Last time you all got to meet Dara...


Next in line, is the talented Jacquie Ramsden - the face behind Ramsden Designs.



Tell us a bit about yourself & your craft.
I’m a mum of two, a uni student and a huge daydreamer. After having daughters I went on a huge pink, girly crafting spree that hasn’t stopped yet. I’d love to be an illustrator but am so painfully shy about getting my work out there I wonder if it’ll ever happen. Funny enough I just did the poster for our first craft fair with Ali J, which is about to be all over Perth.

I’ve always been really creative and have so many ideas all the time it’s impossible to do even a fraction of them. I also can’t stick to one idea or style of art for long because I’ve just thought of something else I’d like to try.

I really love the mundane realities of my everyday life but I don’t think I could ever be happy if I wasn’t doing something creative every day, even if it’s just thinking of a new idea.


What do you cherish most in your life?
My boyfriend and two daughters. Honestly I’d rather live in a cardboard box with them than in a mansion without them. After them I’d have to say my good fortune in life, I am seriously one lucky girl, I wouldn’t say all, but most of my dreams in life have come true. Even ones I didn’t know I wanted.

What could you not live without?
See question above...and chocolate. I’m pretty sure I’d curl up into a ball and die without it.


What was the first thing you ever created?
When I was young, around 9ish I cut up my mother’s good quilting fabric and hand sewed a dress for my Barbie. She was not impressed to say the least. I totally did her a favour though; looking back that material was a terrible 80’s floral print and would look awful on a quilt now.


What inspires you?
I’m inspired by anyone who makes beautiful art, especially colourful work or portraits. Contemporary art is pretty much a major love of my life and I’ve always liked Art Nouveau. Artists who I literally worship include Fernanda Guedes, Robert Ryan, Kurt Halsey, Liselotte Watkins and Aaron Jasinsky. But my biggest inspirations are my daydreams, I generally draw all the things I want to be or wish was around me. How that translates into conjoined twins I don’t know but they do have cool hair and are wearing haute couture.


What is the most important thing to you when you create your work?
To make something I’ll still like in a year. It happens all the time, I make something, think it’s pretty good and the next week think it’s total crap and no one ever sees it. I’ve got loads of stuff that never gets seen or is only out there for a little while before I pull it. I’m having this problem now, all my illustrations of girls I’m looking at and thinking ‘meh’ and wanting to pull them off my website and Etsy shop so I can do something else.

Is this your fulltime profession?
It will be one day. At the moment my full time profession is housewife/mother/student/creator and cleaner of mess/procrastinator. If I ever get a full time job again I’ll be so proud of myself, I’m in total awe of anyone with kids who works or fulfils their creative dreams. How do they do it?


What do you think of Australian design?
As good as anywhere else. I’m not very pro Australia because seriously good artists come from all over the globe. I don’t look at it as an us versus them kind of thing, I think we’re just as good as anywhere else.


What made you want to get involved with organising a craft fair?
Dara did. I wanted to be a part of Made on the Left website and concept but the thought of organising a craft fair terrified me. Dara just stepped up to the plate and started the ball rolling and it was either sink or swim for me. Everything is much less painful because the team is so awesome. I’m awestruck by how great they are and every day I look forward to doing something else to help make our dreams a reality.

Faces behind Made on the Left - Part 1 - Dara Art

You are all probably wondering who we are and what Made on the Left is all about, so we've decided to reveal all! There are five of us behind the scenes, we all met through Etsy and have found that it is hard being an aspiring artist/designer in the almost forgotten state of Western Australia. We want to help others in the same situation and provide the resources to make it happen for you.

Now...who are we, and what do we do?!

First up is Dara Clemens, the face behind Dara Art.

Tell us a bit about yourself & your art.
Hi, I’m Dara.
30 years old. 1 partner. 2 children. 1 cat. 1 small part time job as an Administrator. 1 Etsy shop. 1 Bachelor of Arts, majoring in both Fine Arts and Classics/Ancient History. 1 Certificate IV in Furniture Design. 1 house that needs a vegetable patch. 0 love for house cleaning (but I do it). 1 studio. 1000+ bits of art stuff. Excellent sense of direction. Really don’t like flies.
I have always drawn and painted. But I have gradually come to realise that even when I am using the medium of paint, I still draw with it. The plastic qualities are amazing and I actually get very interested in what happens when paint gets old. It gives a great texture.
My subjects tend to be abstracted landscapes from urban to suburban to rural and beyond. And the main themes that always seem to return are time (age, decay, cycles), memory and mark making (as in signs, symbols, text and its precursors). My works tend to start from a personal story or memory and move towards a public consciousness.
The process and texture are important to me and how I create my works. I have been doing most of my drawings on recycled paper over the last year. At the moment I buy it, but aim to make my own very soon. It provides me with a roughly textured surface that I love. I work quite intuitively and for the moment so seeing what happens when the line I try to make is disturbed, hindered, changed by the surface I am working on excites me.
I am really interested in conserving and reusing materials. The amount of stuff that just gets thrown away concerns me. Yes, ultimately things have to be thrown away but I always try and reuse them a least once. I must admit this is something that really developed once I had my children. Over the years we have made so many box buildings and cars, toilet roll people, bottle shakers and bug catchers. I guess what I find fascinating is that very simple shapes and forms can be recognisable symbols for more complicated objects.
I resolved the question of how I was going to present my drawings at the Made On The Left market by using the reuse and recycle idea. Plastic sleeves, cardboard boxes and old franking machine labels, all otherwise being thrown out. The labels hold the plastic together and have the drawing’s title, year and price details as well as my name and Etsy shop printed onto them.
What inspires you?
Archaeological digs, philosophical discussions about time and mythological symbols, architecture – both the actual buildings and the way they intersect the sky, the writing of ancient civilisations, geometric shapes, mathematics and experimentation
What was the first thing you ever created and do you have a favourite?
My mum has this little ceramic pinch bowl with a luscious green and brown glaze that I did in grade 1 (I think). It’s amazing she still has it; actually she has quite a few things I created over the years. Some of them I look at and wonder why? But that little bowl is actually quite aesthetic.

An artwork that is very dear to me is the one I am standing in front of in this photo. At one point it was a Mondrian inspired painting that actually got into the Year 12 Perspectives exhibition at the Art Gallery. It is made up of 9 squarish canvases that were on a welded metal frame. The frame was ditched year ago and the canvases sat in a box for many years too, until we moved into our first house and needed art on the walls (I have to have art up in a house). So I got out them out and repainted the surfaces. Then I put them on the floor and let my 15 month old daughter have a paint brush. My input was a few marks and to pick her up in time so the works didn’t become mush! Many layers of memory at work on this piece.
Do you think being in Perth affects your craft in a negative way?
I feel I am at the very beginning of my craft journey in Perth. But I have travelled a bit over the years both within Australia and overseas and I really love living in Perth. In fact when I think about it I have a bit of a nomadic existence around Perth suburbs too, many different family houses over the years! I see my art as a reflection of growing up in the West Australian environment.
What do you think of Australian design?
Fabulous! I mainly rely on my subscription to belle magazine to find out what going on out there.
What is Made on the Left?
I envision it as a place where artists, crafters and designers can combine a physical presence and an online way to access and join the Western Australian creative community.
What made you want to get involved with organising a craft fair?
I felt there were a lot of people in my situation wanting to showcase their art and craft and not necessarily a lot of avenues in which to do so. What I mean are people who make and create as a hobby or are just beginning their career, who do not necessarily have heaps of money to pay high vendor fees, are just a bit hesitant about showing their work in the real world and just need a place to start. Also working in hospitality I have had a lot of exposure to function rooms and large areas with lots of tables and chairs. Basically my mind put 2 and 2 together. Luckily there is such a supportive group of Perth people on the Etsy forums so when I tentatively pitched the idea they didn’t laugh. In fact we are making it happen! I feel really lucky and privileged to have met such a wonderful group, each with different skills and information and all willing to come together to make it happen.
What can we expect to see there?
From me? Well I will be bringing a range of works. Bookmarks, drawings on paper and small to medium canvases and boards. Maybe even a few random sculptural efforts!
What do I want to see there? Amazing Perth people have a fun time. Heaps of sellers with their fabulous works, networking and nurturing a community environment. Also hundreds of those that want to come along buy a unique and handcrafted product and support local creative efforts.
What are your plans for the future?
Small and steady at the moment. My children are still young and I need to be around for them (i.e. I can’t go into my studio and shut the door for 8 straight hours), so my art will remain a part time venture for a little while. But I am committed to achieving a steady income from selling my works, so when opportunities arise I will give them my all and see where they lead. I would never knock back artistic work! I would also like to participate in more art markets and would definitely like to grow Made On The Left as a business. I could definitely see it as a biannual market day as well as a consultancy and collaboration business for other events.
My long term fantasy plans include holding my own exhibition (and every single one of the works selling), returning to TAFE and completing the diplomas in product/furniture design. At some point down the road do a higher level at university in the area of Drawing. And I would love to be involved in designing hospitality interiors and products.