5 minutes with... vanilla pixie

unique hair accessories

Tell us a bit about yourself?
I am a wife & stay-at-home mum to three. I enjoy reading (there is always a book on the go), shopping, hanging out with friends & family.

I am organized, structured & under control (ok, most of the time). My background is in administration – in my pre-children life I was Administration Manager to a top Australian hairdressing salon.

My retail obsession is bags (in any form), I am easily annoyed by anyone who doesn’t respect my personal space & I have a sweet tooth… mmmm, donuts.

Tell us a bit about your business?
I went looking for something & couldn’t find what I was after. As it turns out, I wasn’t the only one in this situation. For me, Vanilla Pixie was born out of necessity.

I wanted beautiful, stylish, well-made & hard-to-lose hair accessories for my girls. Having worked in the hairdressing industry for 7 years, I had inside information that told me they just weren’t available. So, with nothing to lose, I made them myself.

Now, 12 months down the track, Vanilla Pixie has achieved over 300 Etsy sales, has stock in 3 different children’s boutiques across Sydney & continues to grow!!

Where did your business name come from?
I wanted something that was fun, sweet & obviously, new. And I didn’t want to give the name any personal attachment.

So, I visited my friends at Wikipedia & looked up words that were evocative for me (food is always a good place to start). Eventually, after much trial & error – and lots of visits to ASIC making sure it wasn’t already taken – voila, Vanilla Pixie.

Along the way I toyed with pomegranates, lavender & thimbleberries :)

My creative process in 5 easy steps…
1. Sit in front of my HUGE ribbon stash
2. Reach for the ribbon that catches my eye today
3. Cut it up (eeek!)
4. Quick finger movements, dab of glue & hold for 5 seconds
5. And there you have it – a Vanilla Pixie original

Where can we find you?
http://www.vanillapixie.etsy.com/
http://www.vanillapixie.blogspot.com/

Retrospections
498a Miller Street, Cammeray NSW

Sweet Thing Boutique
Shop 16a/2 Sentry Drive, Stanhope Gardens NSW

What are you looking forward to showing off at Mountain Makers?
I’ve just ordered a stack of new ribbons from a new supplier in the USA. Can’t wait to see what gorgeous little things they will be made into…

5 minutes with… Button Bower Bird

Button flower bouquet


Who are you & what do you do?
Liz. Scientist (microscopist) working at a University in Sydney. In my spare time I collect vintage buttons, and craft things using buttons.

How did you come up with your business name?
I collect vintage buttons, and my website is called the Button Bower. Being female, and an avid hoarder of vintage buttons, Buttonbowerbird seemed appropriate!

Where can we find you?
Website: http://www.thebuttonbower.com/
Blog: http://bowerbirdz.wordpress.com/
Etsy shop: http://www.buttonbowerbird.etsy.com

What are you looking forward to showing off at Mountain Makers?
Button bouquets, hair accessories, charm bracelets.

5 minutes with... sami bop

Sami Bop ~ vintage & recycled fabric kids creations

Who are you & what do you do?
My name's Danette. I have been sewing for over 30 years and have created my own children's vintage and recycled fabric range, named Sami Bop which I started in early 2006. I studied fashion design and worked in the industry for quite a while so it was a natural progression for me to be doing this from home when I started my own family. I have been recycling fabrics since I can remember and the fabrics I use date from the 1950s onwards so there is large variety of prints and patterns to choose from.

How did you come up with your business name?
Sami Bop was the actual name my son Jasper nicknamed his little sister (Samara) when she was born.

Can you please walk us through making one of your products, from conception through completion, in 5 steps?
1. Starting from a sketch, a prototype, or a combination of ideas and adding or omitting certain details I then draft a pattern.

2. Create a first sample for fit and style.

3. I then grade (or size) the pattern. Generally from a 00 to 5.

4. Then the fun begins with the fabric and print combinations. Pre-shrinking and washing fabrics is an integral part of this process too. I individually make each and every unique item myself, and spend a lot of my time sourcing fabrics and sewing.

Where can we find you?
You can find Sami Bop garments at:www.samibop.etsy.com
The Nook Art and Craft Gallery. Upstairs, 133a The Mall, Leura, NSW.
Glenbrook Market (Glenbrook Infants School, Ross St) 3rd Saturday of the month.
Magpie Market (Lawson Public School, Great Western Hwy, Lawson) 3rd Sunday of the month.
Blue Gum Rotary Market (Faulconbridge Public School, Cnr Grose Rd & Great Western Hwy) 4th Saturday of the month.

What are you looking forward to showing off at Mountain Makers?
I'm really looking forward to presenting my new Sami Bop spring/summer '09 range of dresses, pants, skirts and boys boardshorts at the Mountain Makers exhibition! Hope to see you all there...

5 minutes with... Beadsme / Radicalglass

Radical Glass ~ A Pink Sky - Glass Pendant

Beadsme ~ Bright Blue Skies - Earrings


Who are you & what do you do?
My name is Mandy Harvey and I live in Grose Wold. I am a jewellery creator and a new addition to glass pendant designers.

How did you come up with your business name?
Beadsme - jewellery store - that I cannot remember. I do recall trying for a name and found that someone else already had it (what that was is a mystery) but ended up chopping it about and came up with beadsme.

Radicalglass - glass store - obvious!!! Radical and hopefully unusual designs.

Can you please walk us through making one of your products, from conception through completion, in 5 steps?
Glass pendant - Firstly glass needs to be cut in various shapes. Cleaned thoroughly (or your fingerprints show) and different shapes put together to make different patterns. The glass then needs to go in to a kiln for firing, this can take between 4-5 hours. I then anneal and, usually, leave over night to cool. You never know how they will come out and it is so tempting to peek but you could crack the glass if you do. Pendants are then attached to a bail for hanging on a necklace. Voila!!!! Not too many secrets let out there LOL.

Where can we find you?
I can be found at
beadsme.etsy.com
radicalglass.etsy.com
beadsmeonline.com
beadsme-mandyharvey.blogspot.com
beadsme.silkfair.com

What are you looking forward to showing off at Mountain Makers?
Looking forward to - meeting more local artists and people. I really want to show off the new Radicalglass.

5 minutes with... Journeymoon Art

On the hill 3, original pochoir painting, on paper

Who are you & what do you do?
I'm Mel Jones "Journeymoon Art", I do Pochoir, a french stencil technique of creating and Painting. I also make recycled journals from old books.

How did you come up with your business name?
I love the Moon, and philosophy on life is about life as a journey not just a destination to work towards, and I create art = Journeymoon Art.

Can you please walk us through making one of your products, from conception through completion?
1.The Stencil is hand drawn and hand cut, then placed upon the painting surface. I use paper, canvas, and board to paint upon.

2. Then I begin painting through the stencil onto the surface. I use different textures to create different effects, brush, sponge, cloth etc.

3. The finished painting created after several painting sequences I may need to return to cutting out parts of the stencil as the painting goes along, then paint through again. This usually depends upon the size.

4. When the painting is finished it is "fixed" and lightly varnished.

Where can we find you?
www.journeymoonart.com, there is a list of exhibitions available on my web site, I also sell work through my web site.

I am also at The Nook Arts and Crafts Gallery in Leura NSW, and The Event Horizon Gallery on Bathurst Road Katoomba.

What are you looking forward to showing off at Mountain Makers?
A beautiful range of new paintings large and small, Pochoir covered original art journals, journaling packs, and a large range of groovy retro, vintage and classic recycled journals or diaries.

5 minutes with… Pam de Groot Fibre & Textile art

small bowls & vessels of promise

What do you do?
I work with the ancient craft of felting in new and innovative ways. Felting is everything you should never do to a jumper and a little bit more. This medium is able to be as gossamer as fairies wings, or firm as a rock.

Can you please walk us through making one of your products, from conception through completion, in 5 steps?
Step one. Take the wool fleece and lay out as many layers as is required for the project.
Step two. Add warm soapy water
Step three. Rub gently to entangle the fibres
Step four. Roll the fibres to entangle the fibres more to create a fabric.
Step five. Rinse and allow to dry.
Obviously there is more to it than that, but those steps are the general basis of all feltmaking and the rest is all MAGIC!

Where can we find you?
I can be found at www.pamdegroot.blogspot.com or email at pamdegroot.fibre[at]gmail.com

What are you looking forward to showing off at Mountain Makers?
I will be exhibiting a range of items from wearable art cloth, bags and hats to felted soap.