The Craft & Quilt Fair is on now with displays, exhibitions, workshops, make-and-take classes and retailers selling thousands of unique craft supplies.
Tickets includes entry to the QuiltWest Exhibition with quilts designed and made by members of the West Australian Quilters Association Inc.

When: Wednesday 22 May 22 to Sunday 26 May, 2013
Open 9am – 4:30pm daily

Where: Perth Convention Exhibition Centre, 21 Mounts Bay Road

How much: Adults $16
Seniors Card holders $14
Children (from 5 to 16 years) $9, under 5 years free
Family – 2 adults & 2 children $40

Common Ground

Common Ground is a retail concept and gallery pop up space that allows young and small local businesses and artists the opportunity to enter the retail and gallery market with two locations in Northbridge and Perth. There are still a few spots available so if you are interested, contact them asap!

Drawing in a Day: Beginner's class

Learn basic drawing skills in an intensive one day workshop at Central tafe. Find out about the language of drawing and how it can better inform you through your drawing practice, how to get your tool box started and what each medium is useful for. The morning will be still life drawing and the afternoon will be figure drawing with a life model. Cost includes all materials.

When: Saturday, 8 June, 9:30am - 4:00pm

Where: Central Institute of Technology, Perth campus - Building 512 Aberdeen Street, Northbridge.

Fee: $119

Further information: Email enquiry.art@central.wa.edu.au or phone 94271127 or 94271905 for more details. You can also enrol online directly.

Q & A with Lucie from "Magpie House"

Tell us a bit about your business.Magpie House is an eclectic mix of jewellery made by me, Lucie Basinger, using new and recycled pieces. The name Magpie House came about as I have always had a fascination with Magpies after being told as a child that if you see one alone you must greet it by saying “Good afternoon your Lordship”. Also they are cheeky and like to collect shiny things, which I think is great!

What inspires you?I am often inspired by my friends and by travel. I find odd combinations of shapes and textures intriguing and love animals and the outdoors.

What do you love most about selling at markets?I love the atmosphere; right from the set up it is an exciting energy. I love seeing all the other stalls and the fantastic outfits of all the shoppers!

What materials do you use?I use brass, copper, plastic, recycled bits and bobs found in op shops, all sorts really. I also use paper, card, old books and felt for my card making

What is your favourite part of the creative process?I love coming up with an idea and getting lost in doing trials and making mistakes, making mistakes often takes the idea on a totally new track. I like making a mess and the whole practical element. And then of course the feeling of selling something that you have made for someone else to enjoy is just awesome.

What’s been your most popular item or line to date?My brass triangle necklace or my mint green bead necklace has probably been the most popular.

What new products are you working on?I am working on a few new necklaces and bracelets using a lot of geometric shapes and bright beads. I am also making a lot of collaged postcards and gift tags, using old travel books and cat pictures. I really like to manipulate the old images using patterns, and painting back into them.

Where can we find you? www.etsy.com/shop/lucie2427

www.magpiehouse.tumblr.com
housemagpie@gmail.com

Re-love project: the finished item!

We can now reveal to you our finished old school desk which we have reinvigorated as part of the Feast Watson Re-love Project! 

We are really happy with how it turned out and don't want to part with it! However, it's for a good cause as proceeds go towards the Salvos. The auction is on now and you can bid on our desk here and the other participants' pieces here.

Re-Love Project Update 4

We've been working hard on our desk for the Feast Watson Re-love Project.

We applied the Feast Watson Sanding Sealer and then after it had dried, sanded it back. The wood was then so smooth! A great surface to start work on. Our idea was to have a nautical theme with a sailing ship on one desk lid and a whale on the other. The waves would go across the bottom of both desks. We started off by drawing the designs in pencil directly onto the desk lid.

We then started painting. We needed to keep a steady hand as we would not be able to cover up any mistakes. The paint we used was a new Feast Watson product to create a crackle effect. If you want a crackle effect, you paint over a layer of the crackle lacquer but it can be used as a normal paint as well and comes in a range of pastel colours. We also selected a Dulux Minted Gold metallic colour for something a bit special.

We ended up changing our minds about the whale and ship and went with a rainbow instead. Surprise! We kept the waves though as they were looking good.

Next we added a bottom to the inkwells so they could be used as pencil holders and painted the insides black. And now for the varnishing - as soon as we applied the varnish, the wood looked amazing! We used Feast Watson Satinproof varnish.

We are really happy with the desk lid and love how the varnish has brought out the warmth of the wood. We did a few coats so it would protect it.

On the inside of the desk lid, we wanted to have a chalkboard surface in the shape of a cloud and here it is, freshly applied (and still wet!). We did a few coats in Dulux Chalkboard paint and left it to harden.

Now we just have to attach the lid to the desk body and it will be done!

http://www.relove.feastwatson.com.au/designers-auctions.aspx

Mother's Day gift guide

Today we have a guest post by Brittany du Boulay of Captured by a Girl. Here are her picks for some great locally made Mother's Day presents.

Clay & Clasp Teacup and Teapot Necklace $35

Captured by a girl Mothers Day Framed Print and Card Pack $28

Carpets for Communities Small Mats 40x50cm $30

Cleanse with Benefits Mothers Day Gift Soap Collection $35

Xquisit Organics Macadamia and Calendula Hand Cream $25

Starzyia Tree of Life Pendant $16.50

(Costs do not include shipping charges)

Last minute stallholder callout: Pink in the Park

HMS PopUp Productions are looking for talented artists, craftspeople and stall holders to contribute and be a part of the Pink in the Park community charity event to be held on Saturday 11th of May at Victoria Park Hockey Club, Weston Street, Carlisle. 

Stalls will be charged at a nominal fee of $40 for the full day, from 9.30am until 4pm, with stall fees being treated as a donation to the Pink in the Park day. Stalls will be under shady trees and a limited number of marquees can be provided (first in, first served). 

For more information or to register, contact HMS PopUp Productions at productions@hmspopup.com or 0419 679 579 but be quick!

Q&A with "Marina's Ambrosia"

Tell us a bit about your business?

My name is Marina Herlihy and my business is Marina's Ambrosia. Marina's Ambrosia started out in 2002. I had been suffering for a long while with bad skin. Irritation, break outs, blotchy skin and small rashes and burning on the skin and it was very upsetting having to go to different doctors and trying different types of prescription creams. By accident when I was studying my Natural Therapies certificate I realized that it must of been one of the 100 different things i had been trying and using over the past 2 years. I made the primrose moisturizer in my determination to do it myself and create something that was comletely non toxic. Within a year the range grew and the customers came.

Since then the range has expanded to include 100% pure mineral make up and close to 100 eye shadow colours using the purest of mineral powders mined in Europe without titanium dioxide. Raw shampoo, conditioner and body wash are manufacturered by hand and sold in large 1 litre pump packs, 100% herbal hair colours and hair treatments have also been put together and we are now exporting these to the USA and Canada. The Cancer Support Assocation in Cottesloe have since gone through the products and approved them for use on people with Cancer and those whom are chemical sensitive. We also are very proud to have a 24K gold range also which is only avaliable to salons.

What inspires you?
What inspires me are the people that come to me in desperation and as a last resort and follow up with me a week later telling me how grateful they are to have found me. Helping people to get off the chemical roller coaster gives me a tremendous sense of achievement. I have parents whom bring their teenage daughters to me saying “if you want to wear makeup this is the only type of makeup you are allowed to wear” and the teenagers are so grateful that they can safely use the products with mums blessing because it is good for their skin and isn’t going to harm their skin.

As I am also a mum of 4 children and 3 of them happen to be girls, I can relax with the fact that when they are in at the age where they want to wear makeup and are starting to take a little interest in what they put on their faces, I have peace of mind that I have that covered and I am not challenged like a lot of other mothers whom are at their wits ends and cant find what they need unless they research for a long time.

What do you love most about selling at markets?
I am very much a people person and the one on one contact with customers is what I thrive on. Selling at the markets is a real buzz for me because I am taking my products directly to the people and they can get up close and personal with the products and speak directly with the manufacturer (being me) and I can answer all the questions that they have.

What new products are you working on?

I am always working on new product development. For the past 7 years I had been doing private manufacturing for many private labels and people wanting to start their own business label and they have a recipe without the knowhow of product making and I have been responsible for starting up over 20 new brands and many of which are now bigger brands and I have since moved them on.

The new product that I am currently working on is MR. Natural. Which is a mens range of products and I am aiming to make it a 3 step system so that it is quick, no fuss and easy to use.



What is your favourite product and why?

My favourite product has to be the primrose moisturizer because it was the first product in the range. The very first product which still is made using the original recipe from all those years ago. When I first made it and used it, I went to bed that night without the itchy feeling on my cheeks and that was when I knew I was onto a good thing. After a week of using my primrose moisturizer which I also used it as a cleanser too and added walnut shell to it to exfoliate and also used it again as a moisturizer, my skin started clearing up so very quickly that 2 weeks later I had perfect skin and you wouldn’t have thought I had any problems at all with my skin.

So for this reason I love my primrose moisturizer. It’s my baby and my favourite!

Re-Love Project Update 3

We're working hard to make our old school desk look new again, ready to be auctioned on 9th May in the Feast Watson Re-love Project! 

Here's where we got up to last time – the desk top has been detached from the base and all the surfaces have been prepped. 



In the last post we did glueing and clamping and lots of sanding. Let's look at the results! 

We glued and clamped the veneer that was lifting off the desk lid. Now the glue has dried, we have to sand back this area to make it smooth. We also have to fill the damaged edge areas using putty in a matching colour.



For the legs and body of the desk, we used an undercoat of Dulux 1 Step Acrylic Primer, Sealer & Undercoat which is rust resistant then gave it numerous coats of Dulux Spraypak Quick Dry in black over a few days, letting it dry between each coat. We chose this product as it would give a hardwearing glossy even finish and was quick (and fun!) to apply.



The next step will be for us to finish the wooden desk top and prepare for artwork and final paint finish.

We are all excited to see this desk start to come to life!