Weekend markets........

Hello everyone,
Sorry about the late post, I have been on holiday this week, for a much needed break.
Now I know it is Grand Final Day tomorrow.........AND the weather could be a bit dodgy, but if you want to get out and about in your gumboots, I have some markets for you!

Eastbourne Primary School market is running tomorrow from 10am to 2pm (I hope those times are correct.......that is the info I got from the Facebook page).  This market features Arts and Crafts, Homemade, Homegrown, Fresh fruit and vegies, Gifts, Plants and much more.  The market is located on Allambi Avenue, Rosebud West.....just off Boneo Road  (Melways 170 A5)

And the fabulous Red Hill Market is running from 8am to 1pm.  A fantastic mix of homemade, homegrown and handmade goodies.  Take your raincoat as it can be a bit damp up on the hill!  Red Hill Recreation Reserve, Arthurs Seat Road ( Melways 190 J3 ) Red Hill.

 

Wishing everyone a great weekend.........and for those footy buffs, may the best team win!

 

Oh and don't forget.....DAYLIGHT SAVINGS starts at 2am on Sunday morning, so put your clocks forward one hour before you snooze on Saturday night!

 

Cheers,

MPH xx

Meet the Maker.........Wendy from "From My Hearth"

Name:  Wendy Bishop

Business Name:  From My Hearth

Rose soaps

Website:  www.frommyhearth.com.au

Online storefronts/s: From My Hearth Madeit store

Facebook:  From My Hearth's Facebook page

Twitter:

Questions:

1. So, tell us about yourself......

I am a Navy wife with four children, aged 29 to 13.  After two years away, we have happily returned to the Peninsula where we try to lead a more simplified and sustainable life.

2.  Why handmade?

I have always loved handmade treasures.  They are often so much better for us and the environment.....There are some amazing crafters out there, etching out a living and putting a lot of themselves into their products.  Who better to support than them.

3.  What influenced you to start your business?

I have always wanted to have a cottage industry and travelling around Australia, I had seen and been inspired by others.  It took a long time to make the decision to take the plunge, to finally register with NICNAS and start to sell what my family and friends had been happily using.

4. What type of products do you sell?

I sell a selection of handmade vegetable oil soaps with essential oils or fragrant oils, felted soap, herbal salves, baby balms, skin care lotions, hand knitted eco wash cloths and dish cloths.  This month I am increasing my range with some eco cleaners, baby massage oils and something to soothe the skin on expectant Mums tums.

Felted soaps

5.  What are your inspirations for making your products?

Our well-being inspires me, in a world full of harsh chemicals; I think it is nice to be able to use a product that is not only good for you and mild on the skin, but gentle on the environment.

6.  Where do you sell your products?

I sell on my Madeit store and I have just started selling on my own website Soaps from My Hearth

7.  How much time do you spend making your products each week?

I make several batches a week.  I am always thinking about soap and skincare, different oils, working scent blends of essential oils, turning soaps that are curing, labelling or felting.

8.  Do you have a dedicated craft area or studio in your home?

I have commandeered the garage, and have numerous soap drying racks, work benches for measuring oils etc, but when I am actually making the soap I move into the kitchen, where there is running water and the stove.  It is my dream to one day have a house where I can have it all in one place.

Wendy and her gorgeous handmade soaps

9.  Are you self taught or have you had a good teacher?

I am self-taught to a degree, however I am blessed to have had other soapers who have openly shared their experience and knowledge with me, via forums, e-groups, etc.  Making soap is one of those things that you never stop learning.

Handmade stockist

Good morning!
I am pleased to tell you that Coloured Girl Dromana, is stocking some local handmade items.  Coloured Girl is a gem of a shop, located at 285 Point Nepean Rd in Dromana, just near the Post Office.  Last week I met with Helen, the owner of Coloured Girl and I think it is fantastic that the shop is helping to support handmade.  Thank you Helen!  I was pleased to discover many handmade products from different makers, amongst the brightly coloured displays.  If you are looking for a special gift, stop by and have a browse.  The shop is jam packed with an array of wonderful gifts and clothing.

Designery kids belts at Coloured Girl

Find products from My Sweet Florence at Coloured Girl

Rafi and Hannah, now available at Coloured Girl

Say hello to..........

Hello and good morning all,
I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing weekend!
I didn't get down to the Tootgarook market on Saturday, but I did pop up and check out the delightful new market on the Peninsula, the Fairy Floss Market at the Peninsula School in Mt Eliza.
The gorgeous stall from Sam at Magnolia Nursery Decor was looking great as usual and I discovered some lovely new handmade businesses from the Peninsula too.

If you are looking for stunning pendants, earrings or bracelets, then head over to My Sweet Florence.  I had a great chat with Julie and her stall looked amazing! I was loving the interesting platter of beautiful new bracelets on display.  Her handmade glass jewellery is pictured below:

Pendant by.....My Sweet Florence

I found the most beautiful baby and children's products at Maisy Dee, in particular the bibs Sam makes are not only very cute, but eco-friendly too.  The bamboo backing is super absorbent, hypoallergenic (better for allergy sufferers) and is so so soft!  Sam also makes toy and cup holder straps, softie toys and much more.....

Bib by....Maisy and Dee

Before leaving the market I couldn't help but notice the beautifully presented photographic stall by Nada at  Red Mango Design and Photography.  Nada is a graphic designer and photographer specialising in portrait and wedding photography.  Her products include canvas photography, framed prints and albums.

Photograph by.....Red Mango

Well I hope you loved the new treasures I found on the weekend!  I certainly enjoyed finding some new and gorgeous goodies to share with you all.

Cheers,

MPH xx

Markets, markets, markets

A big hello to you all,
Friday at last and the school holidays are upon us once again!  That means relaxing mornings with no mad school rush!

This weekend should be a good one.........starting off with the Tootgarook Primary School market on Saturday morning!
The Tootgarook Primary School Market is held the 4th Saturday of the month from 7.30am - 12.30pm.
The market is held as a fundraising event for the Primary School and there are around 250 stalls with something for everyone.
The market is located in Carmichael Street, Tootgarook (Melways Ref. 169 D3) and is held all year round.
For information about the market please email: tootmarket@hotmail.com or telephone:   0418 0360919.


Another event for Peninsula marketgoers this weekend is the Fairy Floss Markets, held for the first time this Sunday at the Peninsula School, Cnr of Wooralla Drive and Nepean Highway, Mt Eliza.  This is a handmade babies and children's product market which, according the website, also has great coffee and cupcakes.  Great news for worn out marketgoers needing a break from browsing!  The market is open from 9am - 2pm and entry is by gold coin donation, all proceeds going to the Very Special Kids charity.
Now I haven't attended one of these markets before, but I am hoping to make it up there to have a good peek around and meet some new local handmaders!
I hope you all have a great weekend and that the weather is kind to us......

Cheers,

MPH xx

Make your own labels

Hi!
To my fellow handmaders...
Here is something I have been trying to get my head around since starting my own handmade business..........Labels! 
What sort will I get?  How much are they? etc, etc, etc.  I have now started making my own fabric labels and printing my own business card tags, which is much more cost effective than getting them made by someone else.  It just takes a bit of time.....so if you can turn your hand to doing up a simple design on your computer......you are on your way!  I use Microsoft Publisher for basic stuff and Photoshop for more complicated work.

Now the business cards are fairly basic, do the design and print them. 
Fabric labels???  A bit more tricky I think!!  But, I was lucky enough to stumble across a brilliant tutorial by - BIRCHseed - printed by hand -

BIRCHseed have put up an easy to follow tutorial  HERE
It is almost exactly how I do my own labels, except I print mine onto white Bias tape, so the top and bottom edges are neat and you just fold the ends under and sew them on!  Simple!

While you are over at BIRCHseed, take a look at the beautiful fabric products they make!  (They are not based on the Mornington Peninsula, but I thought the tutorial would benefit anyone looking at label making) 

 I hope you like the idea of some tutorials, there will be more to come on each Thursday!

Cheers,

MPH xx

Meet the Maker........Amanda and Paul from "Mornington Sea Glass"

Name:  Amanda and Paul

Business Name:  Mornington Sea Glass

Website:  www.morningtonseaglass.com.au
Online storefront/s:  Mornington Sea Glass madeit store
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/morningtonseaglass

Questions:

1. So, tell us about yourself......

Paul and I live in Mt Martha on the Mornington Peninsula and have two children.  Our sea glass business is a shared passion and very much a family affair.  This is something we can work on together and the kids and even our parents help look for sea glass.  It can get a little competitive at times down on the beach with everyone trying to find the rarest piece!

2. Why handmade?

Handmade means a lot of love, time and passion has gone into creating something.  A lot of the sea glass we find is very old and often originally hand blown by glassmakers in the 1800's - early 1900's.  Our sea glass designs are definitely made in partnership with the Bays of Port Phillip and Westernport - the glass is firstly reshaped by the Bay over time and then we use the glass the way it rolls up along the shorelines.  We like to think both nature and we have worked towards giving the glass new life!

What we love about sea glass is each piece is different so no two designs will ever look identical.  The challenge of finding the right shapes and colours for designs means we can never make anything in large quantities.  The Bay doesn't take orders so sometimes we have to wait patiently for months, especially to find two pieces slightly similar to make earrings!

3.  What influenced you to start your business?

When our daughter was younger, she believed mermaids in the Bay used to leave her little piles of treasure for her to find.  We initially got caught up in her excitement and then the more we researched the glass, the more we discovered how old some of the glass was and how huge sea glass collecting is overseas.  Our business defining moment was finding a beautiful tear shaped drop of white glass that I knew I just had to wear somehow...

4.  What type of products do you sell?

We like to showcase the sea glass we find in our art, jewellery, photography and home decor designs.

5.  What are your inspirations for making your products?

We are inspired by everything we love about life on the Mornington Peninsula, especially the incredible marine life.  We donate a percentage of our Marine Collection sales to the Dolphin Research Institute as they do amazing work to give Victoria's marine treasures a voice.

6.  Where do you sell your products?

Online via our website, Facebook and our madeit store.  Locally we sell a range of designs at the Frankston Visitor Information Centre, Mt Eliza Health and Gifts, Red Hill Market and local art shows.  Interstate our glass can be found at Drift, on North Stradbroke Island in Queensland.

7.  How much time do you spend making your products each week?

It take a long time to find the glass.  We spend many, many hours beachcombing for sea glass each week.  My parents spend a lot of time looking locally, interstate and even overseas.  We also have friends who keep an eye out for us.  Their support has been fabulous.  Sometimes it is hard to get a true idea of the number of hours we spend collecting and making our designs - there are a lot of late nights and hours snatched between the kid's school and sporting commitments.

8.  Do you have a dedicated craft area or studio in your home?

Yes, we have just built our house and a dedicated studio was at the top of our list as sea glass was beginning to take over every room of our last house...!

9.  Are you self taught or have you had a good teacher?

I am self taught as I prefer learning by trial and error.  It is fun to see past designs around the house - some that have worked really well and others, lets just say bring a smile to my face....they are good reminders of how far you have come!!  My only regret is in some cases we have used really beautiful sea glass shards in designs early on and we didn't realise just how old and rare they were at the time....  Paul can turn his hand to anything and is incredibly creative.  He has recently joined our local lapidary club, where he has learnt to silversmith.  We are very excited about the range of designs that can now go from the sketchpad to reality!!

Kid's room inspirations

 Hello,
Today I thought it would be nice to showcase some handmade items to decorate the kid's headquarters.

1. Cath Kidston Print Junior Vintage Chair from Fred and Doll

2. "Greta" range paper art from Cheeky Pickle

3.  Fabric initial wall art from Designery

Don't forget to check in for tomorrow's "Meet the Maker"!
It is a great interview and I can't wait to post it.....

Cheers,

MPH xx

Boneo market brings out the best.........!

Hello there....
I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend, how nice to have the sunshine back!
Saturday morning found us wandering around the very busy Boneo Primary School market......with so much to do and see, we had such a lovely time!
I would like to mention some of the new handmade discoveries I found..........

Now if you are into fresh pasta and delicious sorbet, then look no further!  Bella Pasta e Dolci is a local company, run by Karl and Jenny and based in St Andrew's Beach. They make a range of delicious pasta, sauces, pesto, sorbets and icecreams, using locally sourced and home grown produce.  If you are in the Rye Back Beach area, they have a groovy little honesty box system, alongside a fridge and freezer at their property.....14 Bass Close, St Andrew's Beach Melway Ref: 251 H5.  For enquiries telephone: 0408 608 858 or email: markets@bellapasta.com.au

The best quality jams, relishes, sauces and mustards....to name a few!.....can be found at Cazan's Gourmet Foods 
Carol at Cazan's has a small commercial kitchen at her home in Rosebud and she sells her products at local markets and also supplies to local, Victorian and interstate businesses.  Her onion marmalade is especially delicious and fantastic for a cheese platter or for something different on a gourmet burger.  Hot scones are so yummy with her Raspberry Jam or Blueberry Conserve and a dollop of cream on top.
You can buy direct from Carol at her home: 4 Pearson Crt, Rosebud  03 5986 1483 or enquire by email: sales@cazans.com.au

It was lovely to meet Nicole from Nikki-Lee Designs and look through her beautiful stall. She makes delightful handmade products for toddlers and children from her home in Mornington.  I found some very cute soft toys, puppets, headbands and clothing.  Contact Nicole: nicoleburdett74@hotmail.com

We found the most incredible warm and delicious scones, straight from the oven and made by Araminta at Fire and Stone
Sensational savoury scones plus the traditional sultana, date and plain scones.  Fire and Stone also make stone fired pizzas and can cater for functions with their mobile Pizza Oven.  Contact details: richard@tastematters.com.au

And finally, the wonderful Driftwood Designs create unique and beautiful handcrafted driftwood sculptures in the form of mobiles and hanging decorations.  Cathy collects much of the driftwood from the Ninety-Mile Beach and uses it to create her lovely coastal creations.  Perfect to decorate a deck or verandah, giving that lovely beach feel to your home.  Contact Cathy Grant: 03 9787 7131.

Ok, that wraps the weekend market scene..........see you all tomorrow!

Cheers,

MPH xx

Friday at last! Boneo market and coming up Frankston Undercover Super October Market

Hi everyone,
Wow, what a busy week!  Now for the weekend at last.
This weekend the famous Boneo Market is on, Boneo Primary School, Boneo Rd, Boneo.  Wow, that is a lot of Boneo in one sentence!!  In case you haven't been there before, it is a delightful mix of handmade, home cooked and home grown, with a few other bits and pieces sold there too.

Now speaking of local markets..........The Frankston Undercover Market is having a Super October market on the 8th of October, to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Heart Arcade.  Frankston Council is allowing extra curb side stalls plus stalls in the arcade.  They are looking for stall holders with their own awnings/marquees - space size 3 x 3m for street spots.  The cost for stalls is so reasonable..... 
October stalls are half price if you have your own insurance $5 (usually $10) If you don't have insurance $10 (usually $20) also $5 trestle table hire if you need one.

There will be also be street performers and musical acts to add to the atmosphere! 



If you are interested in becoming a stallholder, please contact: market@frankstonundercovermarket.com.au
or go to their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/FrankstonUndercoverMarket

Thanks for stopping by this week and have a great weekend!

Cheers,

MPH xx

Introducing ....... Huckleberry Market!

Welcome to Huckleberry Market!

Huckleberry Market is the new kid on the Melbourne market scene, specialising in boutique and hand made items for babies and children!

Huckleberry Market originally began as a once off fundraiser market for a little girl named Holly. You can find more details about Holly at www.hollyswheels.com

Our first market was such a success for Holly and her family and stallholders alike that the words on everyone's lips were, "When is the next one?.  We really had no choice but to make Huckleberry Market a regular event! Although no longer purely a fundraiser, Holly and her cause will always receive a portion of the proceeds of each HBM.

Our aim is simple:

Collect the best in boutique and handmade items for babies and children under one roof,  have fun doing it and lend a helping hand at the same time.

Our stallholders offer handcrafted goodies that range from T-shirts to softies, play rugs to beautiful quilts; almost anything you can dream of (and even things you didn't know you wanted) for your little one you will find at Huckleberry Market. We also have a select few that sell designer items from small manufacture lines, be it jewellery for all ages or art of all sorts.

And the shopping experience is just as much about the kids as it is the adults pushing them around in prams! Every Huckleberry Market will have some form of entertainment for the kids be it a face painting fairy, balloon twisting clown, gardening activities or craft.  It's all about the littlies!

We pride ourselves on listening to what both the stallholders and customers would like to see in a market and aim to better every Huckleberry Market based on this feedback – after all you are the people we aim to please! If you've been to one of our markets, let us know what you think - we can only get better at what we do by listening to your opinion!

We'd love to meet you face to face so come down and say hello to our stallholders at the next market.  And of course, you can contact us any time if you have a comment or question.

The next market will be held at the Chelsea Town Hall, Sunday November 6th 2011.

Contact details for Huckleberry Market:  info@huckleberrymarket.com.au

Meet the Maker.....Nicole from "CheekyWheez Creations"

Name:  Nicole Morrow

Business Name: CheekyWheez Creations

Website:

Online storefront/s:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CheekyWheezCreations

Twitter:

Questions:

1. So, tell us about yourself.....

Hi, my name is Nicole Morrow and I am a SAHM with two little girls, aged 2 years old and 5 months old.

2. Why handmade?

I enjoy putting my creative mind to work.  My products are something a little bit more unique than what you can buy in the shops.

3. What influenced you to start your business?

 I started out making my own birthday invitations and birth announcement thank yous.  I got great feedback about them from everyone.  That encouragement gave me the confidence to try some new ideas and start my business

.

4. What type of products do you sell?

I started out with Birth Prints...personalised with all the little bits of information from when bubs was born.  I have now expanded out to Alphabet Is For prints, Prints for Kids and now a photographic range of Birth Prints and  Announcements.  The images are available in two formats:  in a PDF form, sent via email or professionally printed and posted out to customers.

5. What are your inspirations for making your products?

The sometimes forgotten information from the birth of the most precious little beings in our life.....My girls.

 

6. Where do you sell your products?  

I sell my Prints mainly through my Facebook page www.facebook.com/CheekyWheezCreations and my friends buy them as gifts too.

7. How much time do you spend making your products each week?

I probably spend around 5-6 hours per week making custom prints and then 10 or more hours playing around with new ideas.

8. Do you have a dedicated craft area or studio in your home?

No, not yet.  Unfortunately my couch in the toy room is my workspace.  But given that, it does allow me to do things with my kids at the same time!

9..Are you self taught or have you had a good teacher?

I am pretty much self taught.  Sometimes my brother-in-law and my partner's aunt help out with some of my crazy ideas I can't quite figure out on my own :)  But I usually just fiddle around until I make the design come together.

Handmade......at the Broadway Bazaar in Rosebud

Howdy......
Sorry about the late afternoon post........it has been a busy day!
Just a quick note letting you know there could possibly be some stall space for handmade/vintage products at the Broadway Bazaar, Rosebud Parade, Rosebud.  It is a lovely old building and used to be a picture theatre back in our parents younger years.  It has new & used furniture and a permanent funky vintage market too, plus a cafe opening in approximately 6 weeks time.  I have secured a space for my handmade/vintage stall, so I am hoping maybe others might be interested too?
Don't forget to tune in tomorrow for the weekly "Meet the Maker" post!!  Who will it be???

Cheers,

MPH xx

Wild time at market........

Hello and good morning...
How was your weekend? We hope everyone enjoyed it despite some very wild and chilly Spring weather down here on the Peninsula yesterday.  We decided to head on up to the Mornington Racecourse Market, which was in full swing when we got there around 11am.  After browsing through the undercover craft section and finding some very cute handmade treasures there, we headed for the outdoor stalls.  We were very pleased to get around and catch up on a few gorgeous stalls, before the heavens opened up and gave us a hefty dose of Spring rain.  It was lovely to meet Lisa from Elefunk, who makes delightful kids softies and clothes.........

Elefunk's gorgeous goodies

Next it was a pleasure to meet and chat with the lovely Lynne and Amy from Life is Like a Blanket.  We loved the beautiful handcrafted quilts and blankets, which can be personalised with the name of your choice....

Life is Like a Blanket's beautiful quilts

 And last of all and certainly not least, before we got drenched by the downpour........we discovered Magnolia Nursery Decor, which was filled with all sorts of delights for kid's rooms.  It was nice to meet Sam, the owner of Magnolia and chat about her very cute products....

So cute!  Owl mobile from Magnolia

It was a great market as always and we managed to come home with some yummy bits and pieces to have for dinner and dessert.

Next time we hope to meet another handful of makers and find some more gorgeous goodies to showcase.  Have to say, this is fun, fun, fun............


Cheers,

MPH xx

Weekend activities

Hi all,
Hope you are enjoying your Friday!
Don't forget this weekend's local markets:
Mornington Racecourse, Sunday 11th September, Racecourse Rd, Mornington 9am - 2pm
and my local market, every second Saturday of each month, Rosebud Primary School Market,
Cnr of Jetty Rd and Point Nepean Rd, Rosebud 8am -12noon.

Cheers and have a great weekend,

MPH xx

Handmade love

Hi all,
We had good feedback from the first of our "Meet the Maker" interviews, so very happy about that!!
We will be aiming to have one interview each week........so stay tuned!

Writing a blog takes some thought and preparation........and so, I found this quote whilst pottering around online last night and thought it was appropriate and pretty cool:

"Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish. The time will pass anyway.”

H. Jackson Brown

Handmade items take longer to make than production-line and sweat-shop products, that is what makes them special.  You will not find these things in large department stores or supermarkets, thank goodness!  Plus handmade is hugely popular at the moment, which is a great thing!  It is sold at markets, online, in specialty stores and some boutiques......to name a few.  Two of the biggest online marketplaces for handmade are Madeit and Etsy.  Madeit is our own Australian online handmade marketplace and Etsy is the American equivalent.  Madeit features only Australian makers and is a lot easier to navigate than Etsy, which tends to have so many items, it is easy to get lost for hours!!  The Mornington Peninsula is home to quite a few Madeit sellers and I am endeavouring to compile a list of them and publish it the near future.  If you have a Madeit store and live on the Peninsula, please contact us. 
Have a great day!

Cheers,

MPH xx

Meet the Maker .... Lisa from "Rafi & Hannah"

Name: Lisa Cass

Business Name:  Rafi & Hannah

Website:

Online storefront/s: Rafi & Hannah's Madeit store

Facebook:  Rafi & Hannah's Facebook page 

Twitter:

Questions:

       1. So, tell us about yourself....

I'm a stay at home Mum with two little girls under three.  I am also a Senior Dental Assistant and I work two days a month.

        2. Why handmade?

             I love to create, to explore & to have something different to focus on other 
                 than being a Mummy.
                 Handmade supports each others creativity & diversity and I love that!

        3. What influenced you to start your business?

I started sewing seriously when I was 16 years old and had always dreamt of 'whipping' up clothes for my children someday.  Just over a year ago I met one of my greatest friends Melanie, by chance and she told me of her business ventures, also sewing.  This inspired me to get back into sewing and to finally start making things for my little girls.  I rediscovered my absolute love for design and decided  to expand it to a business.  My Mum is also extremely creative and it is becoming a great way not just to showcase my talents, but also hers through our range of buntings.

        4. What type of products do you sell?

We like to try to offer a range of products to our clients.  Currently we offer a range of little girls dresses, some with appliqué on them, skirt & tee sets, bloomers, singlets, headbands, little boys pyjamas,  short & tee/singlet sets.  We also have lovely large muslin wraps for babies.  Coming closer to Christmas we will also be releasing a Christmas range.....Not to mention 'Buntings by Grandma'.

        5. What are your inspirations for making your products

My girls.   What they love.  What makes them happy.   I also LOVE shabby chic.  Anything that can incorporate shabby chic I will try to do!
   
6. Where do you sell your products?

Currently on Facebook & my Madeit store.  I also feature items in the Bluebay Café, in McCrae.

        7. How much time do you spend making your products each week?

Its very very hard to be exact with my girls running around!!  However I would estimate 10 hours a week.

 8. And do you have a dedicated craft area or studio in your home?

I have a studio in the making, we're just waiting for the carpet!! In the meantime, its our lovely big square dining table!!  There are things everywhere so I cant wait for my studio to be ready : )

        9.  Are you self taught or have you had a good teacher?

I've been lucky enough to have had the most amazing teacher, not just in sewing but in life - my Mum.  She's always prepared to give me a quick lesson in anything!!  Last week it was bias binding!!  I have also had professional private lessons while I was going through school with a lovely lady called Anita in Red Hill.

Thanks so much to Lisa for our first "Meet the Maker" interview.......!  Your answers were honest and heartfelt xx

These interviews give us a lovely peek at who is behind the business and an insight into how it came to be.  I love reading each maker's story!

Cheers,

MPH xx

Weekend stamping workshop

Hi all,

Black embossing on cardstock

On Father's Day, I attended my regular 1st Sunday of each month Stamping Workshop, along with 6 other keen handmaders.  It is our second workshop and as always, we had a great time creating new treasures.  Sunday's workshop focused on Embossing, a technique using powders and heat onto paper.  We also did some dry embossing, using an embossing machine (which basically presses raised designs onto paper!).
The silver design below looks amazing on the black cardstock.  I always thought this technique looked super tricky and fiddly, but not so!  It is really quite easy and effective.   If I can do it, anyone can!!

Silver embossing on black cardstock

If you are interested in learning this technique plus many more....or starting your own workshop group, you can contact the very talented Teena Pillar at this email address:  teepillar@gmail.com
Teena lives locally on the Peninsula and would love to hear from any new customers.  I will be interviewing Teena in the near future for one of our Meet the Maker specials.

Cheers,

MPH xx

Spring is here...........!

Good morning all,
Well we thought Spring was here?  Down on the Peninsula this morning, the fog has rolled in and it is so chilly! Lets hope the weather is better for the Red Hill market tomorrow.  Next week we will have the first of our interviews with local handmaders..........and are looking forward to posting the different stories from each person.  Plus some gorgeous pictures of their work too!  I hope your day is brilliant and have a great weekend too!

Cheers,

MPH xx