Find, Make, Do

Out of Frying Pan into the Fire!

2011-07-06T09:50:00.005+10:00

The mystery items from the "What am I' competition were the bottom of frying pans! These magical images were via one of my favorite blogs Junkculture. The clue was a link to Junkculture in my side bar!
The photographer responsible is Christopher Jonasson, whose investigation of worn out frying pans is titled Devour. Christopher says, "Devour is a poetic comment on the downfall of the world as we know it. The photographs investigate a series of frying-pans and the wear and tear they have encountered over the course of their lives."

The winner is Julianne from Sister Outlaws who, after having a few stabs including door knobs and darning mushrooms finally deduced the correct answer.Julianne has chosen this Colour Kitten brooch as her prize. Yay !

It's Getting HOT In Here!

2011-07-02T09:21:00.012+10:00

Craft and Philanthropy collide in this fantastic exhibition at Open Draw Art Textiles and Learning Centre.
The Hottie Cover Challenge Exhibition opened last night and there was two rooms FULL of amazing hand made Hot Water Bottle Covers for sale , with all money raised going to The Margaret Pratt Foundation.
There are lots of red dots and donations already which is excellent. I know there will be some very grateful cold toes in the coming weeks!
Here are some Hotties from the show. It's running till July 24th and well worth a visit if you live in Melbourne.

My purchase for the night was the fantastic Test Pattern Hottie Cover by Lynne Coleman of Sister Outlaws.

"What am I" Competition

2011-06-26T08:57:00.004+10:00

It's been a while since we've had a giveaway on Find, Make, Do. So today I am having a bit of a competition.
Firstly, have a look at these spectacular images. Secondly, have a guess what they are .
And thirdly, leave your guess in the comments section of this post.The prize for the correct guess (if there is more than one I'll randomly choose) will be a Betty Jo brooch or pendant of your choice.
A few conditions: "Follow" this blog if you don't already, "Like" the Find, Make, Do Facebook page ( if you can't stand FB that's ok, I'm cool with that) and have a look at Betty Jo's products page and tell me which design you would like.
I will reveal the answer and the source in a week or so. If you are clever detectives you may be able to hunt down the answer in internet land! And there is a clue on this blog page!
Happy guessing.

Bag It.

2011-05-28T09:21:00.049+10:00

Plastic bags are the bane of my life. I avoid them like the plague, but in their insidious way they appear in our lives and breed. Lets look at some creative ways to use up these plastic bags that otherwise would end up in land fill.
Ruby Re-Usable from Washington USA is famous for her sculptured dolls using bread bags stuffed with used bubble wrap.I wish I could have made it up to GOMA for the recent "Art in the First Century" exhibition. Look at the amazing installation by Cameroon artist Pascale Marthine Tayou, using thousands of plastic bags. Helle Jorgensen from Gooseflesh has provided a useful tutorial on how to make Plastic Bag yarn....

which she has crocheted into these aquatic forms,and this many stranded sculpture entitled Rubbish Vortex.I think I really need to see a screening of this doco...."

Chain, Chain, Chain....

2011-04-20T10:37:00.011+10:00

Once again the Sister Outlaws have come up with another Crafty Triumph.....

The Re-Sew-Cool Paper Chain Scarf Kit!

Described as "A playful scarf for kids and teenagers which should appeal to the fun in all of us", the scarf can be looped in various ways and can even be used to place hands in for extra warmth. The kit has all the materials to create your own colourful scarf, or if you prefer a tonal accessory, it can be ordered in colour matched hues. The kit is full of lovely hand dyed and felted strips of recycled knitwear (21 pieces to be exact), instructions, a needle and wool yarn for a distinctive decorative running or blanket stitch finish to each chain link.
The felted wool comes in random textures and thicknesses, you just stitch up the loops and Voila!
A cosy, snuggly scarf that will be a godsend on these chilly Autumn mornings.
Julianne, one of the Sister Outlaws team invites us all to get scarf stitching and join the Chain Gang! Here is one of Julianne's gorgeous twins Pepper modelling the toddler version Paper Chain Scarf in rainbow hues. It's a mini "wee-sew-cool" scarf for the rug rats!

Feet of (Coloured) Clay

2011-04-11T07:47:00.016+10:00

Ah Fimo, We had a lot going on way back in the good old days. You helped me with my final year jewellery folio, and made me money when I was just starting out in the world .
I worked with you to make pretty things for a nice lady jeweller in a studio in down town Paddington in the 90's.
And now you are here on my blog. Being sculptured into new and stylish wearable treasures. I still love your bright colours and versatility . And the way you can be re-invented to fit with the times!
Leonie Simpson is a Sydney based jeweller who has fashioned polymer clay into smooth discs, wedges and knuckle shaped beads strung on leather They have a definite 80's aesthetic. Bold and distinctive with colour layered on colour!

No Milk Today by Athens based Eva.Awesome layered and textured geometric shapes.

So intricate, and reasonably priced.

Melbourne jeweller Emily Green also utilizes the bright colour palette of polymer clay to fashion beads in lolly shop brights. Simple and pretty and almost edible!.Emily strings her beads on a fine silver chain and can be worn by stylish girls of all ages.

Shopping by Colour

2011-04-07T22:23:00.007+10:00

I love this series of photographs by Marco Ugolini and Pedro Motta displaying supermarket products divided by color. They are currently part of a group exhibition called Food For Thought.
There is no doubt the colour of food packaging can evoke a response in the consumer. Which raises the question. Are we being influenced by food companies to purchase their products according to the colour of the packet?

Artist Marco Ugolini says "I see the supermarket as a space of manipulation. The attempt, in this action, is to subvert this structure of power. The pictures have been taken in a supermarket in the same neighbourhood of the art center. None of the products have been bought after the shooting."
I can imagine the supermarket wasn't too impressed that all these products had to be returned to the shelves.
To bring a bit of fun to the normally drab chore of supermarket shopping, I aim to divide my shopping up into rainbow coded collections of products next time I visit Coles......shopping will never be the same again!
via Junk Culture

One Plastic Beach

2011-03-28T20:05:00.004+11:00

One Plastic Beach from Tess Thackara on Vimeo.

This is a facinating video featuring Judith Selby Lang and Richard Lang . This couple is well-known for collecting plastic washed up on Kehoe beach.They have been doing it for 12 years and creating fantastic art from their collections.

P.S.I have a handy little collection of Kraft Cheese spreaders from local Melbourne beaches too.

Wear It

2011-03-04T19:47:00.005+11:00

"Young Melbourne designers, Emma Grace and Ellie Mücke (who was featured on Find, Make Do last year), invite you to be inspired by their novel approaches to making new from old. Through the Wearit exhibition and workshops, the designers aim to facilitate a shift in the way that we consume fashion items.
The general public is invited to participate in a workshop, bringing along broken, un-loved and out of date jewellery ( everyone's got some in the bottom of their jewellery box!),and pre loved shirts, (you know, the ones that your boyfriend has had stuffed into the back of the cupboard and is never going to wear again. Or that shirt your bought at the op shop that just hasn't managed fit in with the rest of your wardrobe. In any case a shirt, a 'biggish' one, an old one, a mens one ideally, one that definitely doesn't fit you as it is, but one you can see would be just right with a bit of a makeover) to fix or re-create into something new and unique.
Simultaneously an exhibition of new works by Grace and Mücke will provide inspiration, challenge conventions and offer new perspectives.
Wearit is an opportunity to re-connect with community in a regional location and a forum to exchange skills, materials,thoughts and inspiration. Together we can begin a mental and physical shift away from a ‘throw-away culture’.
Come and visit Stockroom in Kyneton this March, and see how wearing the consequences of this shift can be truly inspirational."
Bookings for either a Jewellery or a Shirt workshop are essential and can be made via the Wearit Blog.
via the Wearit MediaRelease

Pin Pals

2011-02-01T10:04:00.002+11:00

While shopping in my favorite precinct of King St. Newtown while on holiday in Sydney, I finally got to visit Made590 and was very taken with these Pin Pal earrings. They kind of summed up me and my moods when on a holiday with two kids and no Mr BJ!

I now want the matching hair clip.

I have been a fan of Pin Pals on Etsy and Flickr for ages, and love their cute blog.

The Pin Pals are Samantha Purdy and Sara Guindon. They are two self-taught crafters working and living in Montreal, Canada.
Samantha and Sara met in 2006 and decided to combine efforts to establish a small business called Pin Pals. Sam works with vintage textiles and cross stitches her own designs on to handmade brooches and earrings.Sara is an illustrator and designs paper toys and T-shirts.

All I can say is...what an ACE combination of talents!

The talented Sara collaborated with fashion designer Supayana on these gorgeous dresses.The illustrations were done specifically for these designs with the drawings digitally printed on cotton. Sweet!

Plastic Fantasic

2010-12-30T10:16:00.017+11:00

Summer days mean swimming and relaxing, but they also means extra litter on our beautiful beaches. Today I am celebrating some more eco-conscious designers that have given salvaged beach plastic a new life as interesting and colourful jewellery. from top left 1.Rainbow Warrior Lei by Rebecca Ward

2. Aquamarine bracelet by It's a Man Made World
3.Save our Oceans armband by Illicitly Beautiful
4. Beach Plastic Necklaces by Judith Selby Lang Disc Necklace cut from plastic bottles from the beaches of Cornwall by Spacefruit Chunky necklace from Salvaged plastic found on Kehoe Beach by Beach Plastic jewellery.

Ball and Circle Neckpiece from plastic salvaged from the Bahamas by It's a Man Made World
Save our Oceans Charm bracelet from salvaged plastic collected on the Atlantic coast by Rauschmittel

And a quick look at the Recovered Beach Plastic pieces I made for Markit .Plastic collected from an assortment of Victorian beaches.

Hanging by a Thread!

2010-12-19T16:27:00.014+11:00

I featured this gorgeous Robin tree Decoration by London based paper cut & collage illustrater Kate Slater on Lino Forest, but I just had to show you all the others in Kate's etsy shop.
They are handcrafted from prints of Kate's original illustrations, mounted onto thick card and varnished. Kate loves paper and hoards magazines, envelopes and paper scraps. She says "I am usually covered in bits of paper. Sometimes I even rustle."
The original birds were part of this amazing window display at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, in the English summer of 2010.
The designs also come as beautiful brooches!

These are only a tiny part of the beautiful work by Kate. Check out her website and blog for loads more colourful paper cut and collage illustrations , prints and cards.

Kate has also written and illustrated a book called Magpie's Treasure So totally affordable from The Book Depository I'm thinking I may just be getting a copy for me (if a book features a button factory. I'm sold!)
Kate's 3D artwork is amazing too! Bear and Birds

BUMPER Christmas Giveaway Winners!

2010-12-17T09:08:00.002+11:00

Congratulations to the winners of the Find, Make, Do BUMPER Christmas Giveaway!

Miss Milla's Glass Pendant Kit- Bron66

Shara Lambeth Fawn brooch- Coco Jackson

Focus on Art Kitchen Owl- Little Cooties
Cocos Closet Bunting -Rebecca McClymont
Leigh Wagner Kookaburra brooch- Michelle- Button Tree lane
Betty Jo Designs Rainbow Orb brooch-Robyn Stewardson.

Mixtape Zine- Miss Milla, Robyn -Crafty Box, Leonie- Dr. Bones knits,
Jo- Joe bloggs, Black Eyed Susie.

Please email me with your addresses so we can get your goodies to you !
Thanks to everyone who entered and to all the readers of Find, Make, Do.
Warmest holiday wishes to you and yours.xxxx

Christmas Memo

2010-12-08T16:13:00.002+11:00

Just a reminder, the cool and crafty BUMPER Christmas Giveaway is running till the 17th Dec. Here are the goodies on offer so just leave a comment here and maybe you'll win yourself a little Christmas cheer!

Handmade Living: Little Miss Doily

2010-12-03T07:09:00.004+11:00

There is a fantastic new book being launched on the 4th of December bursting with crafty goodness.
Handmade Living has been lovingly created by a dedicated team of Canberra women who believe strongly in promoting handmade, small business and local designers.According to one of the books creators, Tania McCarthy ,"Handmade Living is not about elaborate, complicated or exclusive design. It's essence is centered in whimsy, simplicity and style, and its greatest gift will be in the inspiration to create"
Find, Make, Do has hitched a ride on the Handmade Living blog tour and I am happy to introduce you to one of the many designers featured in the book: Caleena Edkins. Caleena got in touch with me earlier in the year after my post about Recycled Doily Craft, and I discovered the sweet and ethereal dresses she creates from vintage doilies.

And you can make one yourself ! Handmade Living is chock full of crafty tutorials and there are clear instuctions and "how to" pictures to help you make your own divine doily dress .

Being a doily re-purposer myself, I was drawn to her beautiful creations and am only thankful that we don't live in the same city and scour the same second hand shops!

I asked Caleena where she sources her doilies "Most of my doilies initially were from second hand shops and garage sales but as the word spreads alot of people actually give me their family heirlooms and I usually make their child a dress as a contra deal.I also have got some great ones on ebay,the secret is to try to buy in bulk as people ask alot for individual doilies. From there, if they are stained, I dye them beautiful colours!"

It's not hard to tell that Caleena is totally in love with vintage doilies "I love the fact that someone took hours embroidering or crocheting that special piece and that is was probably made with lots of love.I want to honor that by giving it a new life in the form of a beautiful dress.I am inspired by the sheer beauty of them and sometimes I wait for a few doily's that match to appear and then magic happens and they seem to merge together beautifully for a dress.

You can read about Caleena's creative life as a maker and busy Mum on her blog Little Miss Doily. And visit her "bursting at the seams" online stores :Little People Clothing Made It Shop and Little Miss Doily on Blue Caravan.

"Handmade Living" would be an excellent Chrissy gift for the crafty people in your world. It is available to buy here!

The Find, Make, Do BUMPER Christmas Giveaway is still running here.
Enter for a chance to win some cool and crafty goodies!

BUMPER Christmas Giveaway!

2010-11-26T16:36:00.008+11:00

Since starting Find, Make, Do in March, I have found dozens of amazing, creative, local and international artists and designers.
So here's a big thank you to all the readers and followers who have joined in ..... you deserve some presents.
As it's been such a busy, productive, Findin', Makin' and Doin' year, some kind and crafty folks and I have offered up a selection of cool handmade and locally produced goodies for the Find, Make, Do BUMPER Christmas Giveaway!
So ring the bells, pull the crackers and stuff the turkey...... it's getting to be alot like CHRISTMAS !

First up is a Betty Jo Designs Rainbow Orb brooch. There's a green and red one pictured in the Xmas collage, but you get to choose your own colour!

These colourful rainbow hued brooches are crafted from recycled Linoleum and laminex discs and a mixture of pre-loved buttons.

Robyn Stewardson from Focus on Art makes adorable owls from salvaged household bric-a-brac ( I should know, I am the proud ownwer of a Kitchen Owl called "Big Night Out"). You might remember Robyn"s individually named and numbered handmade owls from an earlier post on Find, Make, Do. We are lucky enough to have this cute little fellow called "Hoyt's" to giveaway. He would be perfect hanging in your garden or kitchen to keep an eye on things. Make him sleepy or awake!Thanks Robyn. If you would like to find out about all the cool products from Focus on Art check out the blog.

Crafty lady Shara Lambeth makes the sweetest lasercut wooden brooches and you could win this cutie.The sweet little Fawn will love to sit upon your shirt and keep you company all day long :-)
This brooch is laser cut from sustainable Rimu wood and has a silver tone brooch pin at the back. See Sharas other gorgeous creations on etsy and check out her blog.

The extra generous Justine from Mixtape Zine has provided us with some copies of the latest issue (and the 2nd last ever) to give away.
Issue 14 has double cover action, Christina Gordon & Amy Karol !
Mixtape is a craft maga(ZINE) about making time for the small things! A collision of craft, eco-cool and pop culture kitsch. If you already have yours, this would be perfect to give to an uninitiated friend!

Leigh Wagner is a Brisbane based Visual Art & Design teacher who, in recent years, has turned her attention to jewellery making. Leigh uses recycled kitchen laminate in her jewellery, and we are lucky enought to have this very snappy Kookaburra brooch as a giveaway.The brooch has been cut from two sturdy layers of laminate and has a sprung pin attached at the back. He’s been cut from a decorative charcoal and blue patterned laminate in keeping with his natural Kingfisher coloring. Go and visit Leighs etsy shop for more broochy goodness!
Kristie from Rouke and Henry and Coco's Closet has given us this cute "Live Your Life Bunting".Consisting of three cool hand drawn images and inspirational words, laminated and sewn onto ribbon, this is totally one of a kind! Kristie uses old books to draw on, giving them new life and creating a great decorating item for a kids (or a kid at heart's) room!
The lovely Kirsten from the brilliant crafty online store Miss Milla's has donated a wonderful square glass pendant kit for crafty readers that like to DIY!You can make these gorgeous glass tile pendants yourself! This Glass Pendant Kit has everything you need including a professionally prepared tutorial with photos and tips to make 6 pretty pendants like this. Wow!Go and check out Miss Milla's for lots of crafty goodies.

To enter the Find, Make, Do BUMPER Christmas Giveaway just leave a comment.
I will choose a winner for each prize in three weeks! So spread the word!

Beach Combing

2010-11-12T18:14:00.011+11:00

I'm a bit in love with these cute beach plastic collages by Athens designer Psarokokalo (meaning fishbone in greek). It's great to find a beach combing kindred spirit across the sea.

They can be found on flickr in the set "heady and me" and made up as cards in the yourdoll esty shop,BUT WAIT....Psarokokalo also creates fantasic jewellery made from beach plastic "gathered from a deserted beach in Rhodes island the summer of 2008, the edges are beautifully smoothed by the sea." These can be found in la.trap. A sweet crafty gallery/shop in Athens.

Loving the "cool" fridge display .

Sugar Skull Winners!

2010-11-02T09:09:00.001+11:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the Sweet Sugar Skulls Giveaway.
We have three winners:
Raw Bone Studio Sardine Tin Skull- Lyndsay from Made by White
Sister Outlaws Sugar Skull Coin Purse Kit- Shara from Shara Lambeth Designs
Betty Jo Day of the Dead Brooch- Vic from Punky & Me
Congratulations! Can you email me your mailing addresses so we can get you your prizes!

Sweet Sugar Skulls

2010-10-21T07:42:00.017+11:00

As I'm a bit skull crazy at the moment, and Halloween and The Mexican Day of the Dead festivities are just around the corner, I thought it was high time I did a feature on fancy decorated Skulls.
First up is the colourful and detailed felt and wire skulls from RawBone Studio's Halloween and Day of the Dead folk art shop! Robin's whimsical and playful decor is perfect for your own altar of the dead or spooky October home. Robin loves primitive, naive and colorful folk art with a little humor slipped in. And where did the name RawBone come from? According to Robin " my nickname is Rawbone... and it stuck."

RawBone's fancy skull garlands.

plush skulls and brooches,

and these fantastic bent wire skulls. Love these!!

There are also some clever recycled sardine can skulls in the RawBone Shop made by an artist high on omega3 fish oil. Why? Because Joe (Robin's friend and schoolmate who’s art she adores) had to eat all the sardines to get the can!As a special treat there will be one of these most excellent tin can skulls up for grabs to one lucky commenter. But wait...there's more giveaways to come!

Next up are the craftiest gals in town...the Sister Outlaws and a selection of their cool sugar skull kits. They have very fancy and decorative sugar skull bag tag kits available to buy full of buttons, doily bits, lace, ric rac and felt, not to mention a pattern, instructions and a needle and yarn. And just about to be released are the sugar skull coin purse kits. How cool are these!
Re-Sew- Cool! And we are lucky enough to have a kit to giveaway. So that's two great giveaways so far.

And finally, because it's my blog and I'm feeling all inspired by these generous giveaways, I am throwing in a Betty Jo skull brooch as a final giveaway item.So just leave a comment if you want to be in the running. I will choose three winners.
The giveaway will run till November the 1st....when the official Day of the Dead festivities begin.
Good luck and tell your friends!

Snail Mail

2010-10-02T18:21:00.016+10:00

After much consideration and tireless research*, I declare SNAILS to be the new critter trend for 2011. I can back this prediction up with these cute and clever snail goodies I've found poking their heads out of their shells around craftyland.Jodie from RicRac's cheeky racing snail made from recycled jumpers. Tutorial here.

This amazing snail shaped ukulele is hand made to order. And check out the other cool ukuleles in this very talented craftsmans shop.
Cute amigurumi garden snail by Hansi Singh Snail hand Shadow t-shirt by Zazzle
Shelby Lino Snail

*Research based on the fact that I was asked to make a snail brooch and figured that is a good enough reason for them to be trendy......and foxes are so last week!

It's about Time!

2010-09-11T07:13:00.013+10:00

As I seem to be totally engrossed in assembling clocks, I have collected a few of my favorite time pieces assembled from recycled materials from flickr. From the simple vintage plate to the tin robot assemblage, adding a clock movement takes the item from decorative to functional.

1.Spork the Clock 2.Atomic Eggbeater Clock
3. Willow Clock 4. Scottie Clock

I love Kim from the Sassy Crafter's fantastic repurposing of egg beaters to make her version of the Atomic Clock.

Vintage trays also get a makeover in the Sassy Crafter's etsy shop.
Kim says "The trays in my projects are hand collected by yours truly from estate sales, flea markets, and other dusty treasure troves. I take them home, clean them up, and turn them into clocks. You can feel good knowing that this is an upcycled product!"...........

Upcycling=saving stuff from landfill = warm fuzzy feelings!

And for all you Recyclers, Re-users and Re-purposers out there, you might be interested in checking out this website called ReTrash
They are compiling a database from all around the world of ways in which different people are reusing waste and reducing landfill. This database will be converted into a comprehensive book “retrash” which will categorically list all of the different materials that have been given a second life and turned into something of value. Submissions are now open.

Watch the Birdie!

2010-09-04T11:31:00.006+10:00

As I'm still embracing the bird motif over at Lino Forest I thought I would share some more pretty birdies made with recycled or repurposed materials.
Bird brooch made from recycled vintage biscuit tin by Adelaide based Lolalayla.Saw pierced by hand, not laser cut - totally old school & cool. Yay for saw piercing, it's the true crafty production method that is done by the hand of the jeweller and not a machine!
These bird brooches are cut from recycled biscuit tins & riveted onto perspex for strength. Unique to you, no two are the same!New Birds 3 deluxe recycled paper postcard pack by Inalux. All printed on gorgeous matt 100% recycled card. It doesn't matter what Kristina Sostarko draws, it is all totally stunning and just throbs with beautiful hues and dynamic graphics! Female Huia Bird cut from a recycled Little River Band Greatest Hits Record by Record Breaker. Claimed by many to be one of New Zealands' most beautiful native birds,the now extinct Huia is being brought back to life with the 'endangered' vinyl LP record in the form of wall art.
What a blessing this Little River Band record will never be heard by human ears again!
Deep Cherry Red Bird Bag Made of Recycled Leather by Bonspiel .This is a one-of-a-kind shoulder bag made from beautiful deep cherry red leather that used to be a coat. I am seriously coveting this bag, and I defy you not to be tempted by all the baggage at Bonspiel.

Focus on Art

2010-08-29T08:40:00.014+10:00

I wandered past Robyn Stewardson's owlie assemblages at the last Abbotsford Makers Market, and had to immediately backtrack to have a better look. Robyn constructs her Kitchen Owls from all manner of discarded metal kitchen bric-a-brac. If you ever invite Robyn over for tea, I'd keep a close watch on your strainers and saucepan lids!
Every owl has it's own name and personality as well as the scratches, scrapes, dents and other marks that serve as signs of the earlier use of the recycled parts.
According to Robyn "as well as being ultra cute, these owls could serve to scare away any unwelcome avian thieves in your fruit trees until you're ready to pick them."
And it's not hard to tell Robyn's other love- photography. She has recorded every owl she has made in a fantastic photo gallery, and is soon to release a range of 2011 calendars with her snappy images.

Robyn says "I have many loves, but the most all-consuming at the moment are these quirky little assemblage sculpture owls. They manage to fulfill a number of needs that I have: a creative urge and something to do for ME (I'm a stay at home mum of two gorgeous girls) as well as providing a new lease on life for numerous metal objects that have outlived their original purpose. I LOVE saving things from landfill!"

Due to their popularity Robyn's parliament of assemblage sculpture owls is fast taking over her time.

Find them for sale on Etsy and Madeit, or at The Very Curious Kitten , In.cube8r and the Rose St. Markets.
For updates and information visit the Focus on Art Facebook page and Robyn's blog.

Map 29

2010-08-20T18:47:00.005+10:00

Ann Marie Holt is the creative woman behind Map 29. The business was born when she was looking for a quirky, one off gift to give a friend in memory of their childhood friendship and where they lived. Her friend loved it and told her friends who told theirs…….....Ann Marie's customers can nominate a Street or Map Number and she will turn it into a custom made fabulous fashion accessory using Ausway and UBD Maps. That's right, you can get your own street from the Melways or other cities, on your very own purse.

Ann Marie has signed a licensing agreement with Ausway and UBD publishing who produce the Australian Street Directories and is free to use their maps as she chooses. This avoids any copyright issues and allows her access to all their maps.

Getting nostalgic for that romantic trip you made to Paris or that exciting cultural experience you had in New York? These purses will help you remember every moment!

And for the fellas, there is "Garth the GPS case who is a very well padded gentleman. He is very protective of his precious GPS cargo and likes to keep it safe."

As well as the awesome map fabrics, Map 29 sells gorgeous decorative fabric purses.
You won't find this "Foxy Loxy" fabric (or purse for that matter) anywhere else because the fabric was designed by Ann Marie.
All these goodies are available from the Map 29 shop or check out all the stockists here.
Keep up with the Map 29 goings on at Facebook and now in blogland!
A little bird told me Ann Marie is busily expanding and designing a new generic map range which will be available in her shop as of the 1st September. So stay tuned.

Tea Cups Ahoy!

2010-07-31T08:16:00.011+10:00

It's all about Tea Parties at the moment.
There's a Teaparty inspired window installation happening in a few days at Curious Oyster Shoppe ( invitation below). It's a satellite event of Craft Victoria's Craft Cubed festival .The 2010 festival theme of ‘childhood’ is intended to inspire people of all ages, especially the young at heart!
If you mention you read about the Timeless Teaparty on Find, Make, Do you will get 10% discount on all Betty Jo Jewellery for sale at Curious Oyster from the 5th-26th August!

To celebrate the teaparty I have found some teacup coolness for your viewing pleasure.

1. China teacup soycandle by Little Delight 2. Cute tin toy Teacups by Sushi Pot Parts

3. Knitted Teacup coasters by The Knitted Duck

4. Vintage Vandalized Teacups by Trixie Delicious 5. Repurposed China Teacup birdfeeder by Oh the Pollybilities.

Off Road

2010-07-24T08:33:00.024+10:00

Most of us are familiar with the iconic Road Sign assemblages by Rosalie Gascoigne . Created from salvaged old and discarded reflective metal street signage, transformed into eyecatching collages and now worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Just think, there's a wealth of designer opportunities laying around in the Vicroads traffic sign graveyard!

At Design Made Trade last week I came across Trent Jansen who was showing and selling his famous Sign Stools (above, via Design Files) and a brand new series of reflective bicycle components designed to make use of the off-cuts created in the production of the stools.

Available in a multitude of colours, these reflective components are called Cycle Signs.(images via here ) He uses a water jet cutting method to fashion circles from old reflective road signs salvaged from scrap metal yards. Great for fancying up your bike while being safe and visible on the road !

Across the world, giant truckloads of red, yellow, and green lenses from old Traffic Lights are tossed into land-fills as cities upgrade to more efficient lighting technology. Designers have reclaimed these glass lenses to produce a stylish range of home decor.
Lamps from recycled Traffic lights from Greenlight Concepts (above), and eco-friendly Bird Feeders from Red, Yellow and Blue Ink (below)

Kearnsie

2010-07-17T07:04:00.024+10:00

I have featured a selection of goodies from Lisa Kearns label Kearnsie on my blogs before, but after seeing her at Craft Victoria's stand at Design Made Trade yesterday, I thought a whole blog post was in order. Lisa's jewellery has been described as eclectic, witty and well crafted. Wearable conversation starters, that evoke a giggle and a memory.
Castlemaine based Lisa is probably most famous for her "Hello" badges.
According to Lisa,"I have worked in many customer service positions and always wished I could tell the irritable customer what I was really thinking! The badges have been edited from that initial process, however “Hello, I’m doing my best” was always in the mix. It actually makes me feel a little sad how popular this product is, I’m sure everyone is doing their best."
These repurposed Eyewear Scarf toggles are of course made from old remodelled sunnies.

They look pretty spiffy holding a scarf or neckerchief in place.Lisa has just started using the left over fancy arms of the sunnies to make earrings.I think I saw the very first few pairs at her stall. Old souveneir teaspoons get a makeover as cufflinks.Anodised Knitting needle bangles.

Sweet and juicy apple earrings and matching necklaces. Made from sterling silver and a painted wooden bead. Available in four colours depending on your favourite apple. Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious or the Black "Bad Apple". After umming and ahhing for a short while over apple varieties, I am now the proud owner of the Granny Smith earrings.
To buy some Kearnsie jewellery for yourself, check out these Aussie stockists or go online and find them at Moose and Craft Victoria.

Russian Doll parade.

2010-07-07T19:59:00.002+10:00

I was all inspired by Morgan Wills babushkas, and I knew I would find some other lovely babushka makers if I looked hard enough...so I did, and I did!

Each one of these sweet hand screen printed babushka brooches by English designer Carolyn Dulko is a bit different. You can buy them here and I do declare they would be the most affordable little goodies on all of etsy. I must admit I only remembered these brooches were in Frankie magazine after reading Carolyn's blog. .....off I run to get issue 35 of Frankie, oh yes sure enough, there is one on page 24.
I was alerted to these hand painted"Adam and Eve" babushka dolls by hole in my pocket, via Pamela at Thatch and Burrow.The set includes Adam, Eve, Cain, Able, Seth, and my favorites, the Snake and the Apple.
They are painted by Allistair J Burt , one half of Scottish duo Hole in my Pocket, who have been working together on a range of projects in the realms of art and architecture since 2002.
I am a big fan of Schmooks (aka Claire Cimbora) fantastic illustrations. These fancy Babushkas capture the signature big eyed innocence of all Schmooks characters.
I met Claire at the Handmade Market in Canberra (her home town) and as well as drooling over her prints, I was very tempted by her wonderful jewellery. I think she's having a giveaway on Facebook right now! Who could not want one of these.....

Morgan Wills

2010-07-02T08:03:00.003+10:00

Morgan Wills is a Melbourne based designer who is passionate about colour, has a love of recycling and fashions her gorgeous products from pre-loved fabrics, linens and woollen jumpers.Morgan and Betty Jo share shelf space at a lot of lovely stockists around the traps and as you can see, like me, Morgan fancies a bit of Babushka Craft action!
Morgan loves the thrill of a good op shop score and says "My idea of heaven is to have a WHOLE day fossicking around in lots of different op shops". Hallelujah to that!
This goes someway to explain the dwindling number of teatowels and knits in suburban op-shops. It seems that all us crafty chicks of Melbourne are for ever hovering and when some fab tablecloths or big jars of buttons are spied we swoop down and gather them up by the basket load.
Back in her studio Morgan creates warm and cosy rainbowed hued "Cast Offs" scarves, and hats, cute accessories, and my favorites, these colourful one of a kind babushkas made from bright vintage fabrics and jumpers. They are called Mumma Bushkas as they each have a wee little bubba Babushka in their pockets. These Ear Hats are perfect for chilly winter outings (good for heads of all shapes and sizes) and the Bushka Babies rattles have a folley bell inside which makes a soft rattle. They would be the perfect gift for a newborn or little girl.

If you are interested in seeing these goodies in the flesh, you can regularly find Morgan at many a Craft market, or check out a stockist near you.
Morgans blog is called "Things that Make my Heart Sing", and it's full of girly, crafty, vintagey goodness.

Find, Make, Do needs YOU!

2010-06-30T13:07:00.002+10:00

Attention all you Finders, Makers and Doers.
Have you found, made or done something crafty that is not only unique and innovative, but also has an eco-conscience?
Drop me a line at findmakedo@gmail.com or leave a comment on the blog if you would like to be featured on Find, Make, Do or if you know some great Crafty goodness that will make us go WOW!
Guest bloggers, photographers and giveaway products welcome!

Let the Games Begin

2010-06-26T08:04:00.003+10:00

Vintage board games are like time capsules from our childhood. I have fond memories of the games I played as a girl. Here are some I've bought as a BIG girl, not so much to play , but for the graphics and the recycling potential.

Look at these recycled board game crafts.....better to give things a new life than to leave them sitting on a dark and dusty op shop shelf.

Spiral bound note books from Another Work in Progress.

Get yourself a book binder and almost anything can be turned into a note book......but wait till the kids have finished playing the game before you start recycling.

Operation Game bag from Emotional Baggage.

I regularly play Operation with my son Charlie. As a kid I always avoided playing this game as I honestly thought it gave you a real electric shock!

Twister Rain Coat from Craftster.

As a kid I loved the thrill of being tangled up with the opposite sex in innocent games of Twister......now you're older you can still do it in a crowded bus wearing this fancy coat!

Gorgeous idea from the Sassy Crafter.

Both the table and the Chinese Checkers board were separate Flea Market finds. And as Kim Taylor aka The Sassy Crafter notes " it was totally amazing that the existing table top fit perfectly inside the frame of the board game. It's like it was meant to be!"
Don't you love it when creative upcycling has that special synchronicity.

Bench Marks!

2010-06-20T19:14:00.013+10:00

I'm a big fan of using ordinary, everyday materials and giving them a fresh new twist.

My second favorite materials of choice (after Lino of course) is cut up bits of Laminex and Formica (the brand names of bench and table top laminate).

I have blogged about my Laminex scores at Lino Forest numerous times, but I'm not alone in my love of Laminex. Here are three jewellers who utilize the colourful and functional material and refashion it to create a small celebratory ornaments and amazing wearable artwork!

Alice Potter is an Adelaide based jeweller who works out of the Gray Street Workshop.
Laminex sample chips are one of her materials of choice, and she shapes, layers and rivets them to form cool abstract designs and super sweet "Bye Bye birdie" brooches.

Stored Laminex off cuts on Alices workbench.
It's great to find a jeweller who is passionate about recycling and doesn't like to waste anything. When asked about her creative process here Alice says "I reuse all of the waste product anyway (rework and refine the metals, keep all small scraps of paper and plastics for future projects, etc), so I am not fussed about getting my hands straight into the making side of things."

Alice Potter's simple, but effective Laminex disc earrings.

Victoria Matthew's 2008 exhibition entitled "The Tingate Family Caravan Holiday" at Studio Ingot was an ode to 50's nostalgia, family jaunts in the caravan with the kids and pets, and the fancy modern material of the time-Laminex!
Victoria's cut out silhouettes of housewives, working dads and well behaved kids remind us of the dated social mores and defined gender roles of the 50's.

Gorgeous sparkly and swirly Laminex caravan pins and pendants complete with matching poodle and family sedan/van combo earrings.

Victoria's perfect 50's cookie cutter family intricately cut from the popular bench top material of the era, Laminex.

Rebecca Hannon is an American born jeweller, living in Ithica, New York.
No prizes for guessing why her silver and laminate range of jewellery made my heart flutter. The bold colour palette ( the main reason I love using Laminex and Formica chips), the patterning, the layering and the general gorgeousnes of these pieces.

Rebecca says this about her creative process; " I work in a series and find each new grouping a challenge to create a tension between the story and the medium to evoke meaning. materials are endless; one must search and then concentrate to find the subtle message found in an object"

Betty Love

2010-06-14T08:28:00.009+10:00

Today my son woke up and said "I don't have to go to school today because it's Betty's Birthday!"
So here's to Betty Windsor (Queen Elizabeth) and her non-birthday day public holiday.
To celebrate Betty's day, here are some Crafty Bettys that are far from pompous and regal.

Betty the Robot kitchenware assemblage by Artsy and Betty Babushka Lino brooch.

Betty Tee from Twisted Twee and Betty Sue softie from Two Peas in a Pod designs.

With this Ring....

2010-06-11T19:10:00.004+10:00

A bit of ring eye candy today. I love the look of gorgeous rings, but sometimes chunky rings can drive me bananas. I have lost count the number of rings I have taken off when I start working and have kind of "misplaced" .....wedding ring included!Check out these amazing recycled bakelite and timber "mini sculptures" by Kyyote. L.A. based designer Amanda Loos strives to utilize materials and methods of production that are kind to the environment. She reuses and recycled materials that would otherwise be put to waste.Amanda's rings are made from pieces of exotic hardwoods left over from furniture manufacture and vintage plastic. And two trees are planted for every Kyyote piece sold.

Knitted rings by London designer Suzi Warren of Twisted Twee. They look so woolly and cosy, like a mini nana rug on your finger. While your visiting the Twisted Twee site have a look at all the "sometimes wrong but oh so right" cool, edgy and slightly twisted products .If you have knitted rings it's logical that you HAVE to have a knitting needle ring from the "Plastic Girl" herself Liana Kabel. What do you do when you have a big collection of vintage plastic knitting needles? Make them into cool knotted needle rings (above ), needle nobs with stirling silver rings (below left) and twisted Knitwit needle rings (below right)

If you are mad about rings, a visit to The Carrotbox is highly recommended!

Crafty Ducks

2010-06-06T09:07:00.013+10:00

Do you like flying ducks? Or do think they fall right at the end of the too kitsch spectrum?
I love me a retro ceramic flying duck or three. And crafty flying ducks made with recycled materials or with a quirky twist are even better. Here are a selection from flickr and etsy.

1. Flying duck brooch- REread 2. Lino Flying Duck brooches- Betty Jo Designs
3. Wallpaper flying ducks-Deborah French 4.Fabric Flying Ducks -Art Decadance
5. Embroidered Flying Duck brooch- Betty Jo Designs 6.Wallpaper Flying ducks-DeliaDivine
7.Painted China Duck- Trixie Delicious 8. Lino Flying ducks- Betty Jo Designs
9.Flying duck embroidery-Amanda JeanWalker

I particularly like this felted wool bag made from recycled sweaters made by Tasha Miller Griffith from Arizona. This bag is soft and cuddly, yet tough and washable. Tasha designs each bag one at a time based on what she can find.
According to Tasha "Each bag is truly one-of-a-kind. This keeps the process fresh and interesting for me, as I design each bag one by one to make the most interesting use of limited materials, instead of making several from a single pattern. Reclaimed belts, buttons, and vintage zippers also get a new life as handles and closures for these bags."
This series of three hand-embroidered pieces "fly away home" by Amanda Jean Walker are stitched on vintage cross-stitched fabric Each hoop has a minor variation in size and are ready to hang in whatever flight pattern you see fit. Amanda says"Embroidery is special to me because it is something that takes time and patience, and is a medium that requires slow, methodical work, something I enjoy immensely. I buy most of my hoops second-hand and everything I stitch is on vintage and thrifted fabrics."

Melbourne designer Mark from Record Attemps cuts flying ducks from recycled Vinyl LP records. "Mark had too many records. He decided he had to stop buying them or do something with them. He knew he couldn't stop buying them so he thought he would do something useful with them. Now people give Mark records they are going to throw out and he turns them into things."Prince Design UK ceramic Flying ducks

Earlier this year I started A flickr group for readers to upload pics of flying ducks.
If you have a set of decorative flying ducks (maybe inherited from your granny) or have made or found something crafty with the flying ducks image post them here.The more kitsch and/or retro the better........but please refrain from taxidermy (you know, stuffed ducks).

Tea Lights

2010-05-29T08:52:00.001+10:00

I'm extremely partial to lovely old china teacups and have always fancied quirky lighting, so what could be better than combining the two. Here are some fancy up-cycled lighting ideas bringing Nana style crockery out of the cabinet. Very illuminating!

Melbourne designer Gregory Bonasera wins the "I wish I'd thought of that" award for his Electric Mavis pedant lights. His whimsical lights are a quirky and inventive re-purposing of Nana's vintage teacups giving them a modern twist.

"Electric Mavis is a cheeky take on discarded domestic crockery. With minimal modification, these fine porcelain objects are transformed from op shop clutter or potential landfill into chic contemporary light fittings using one low voltage halogen bulb."Hervé Matejewski , a French lighting designer, creates jumbled crockery lampshades made from discarded teacups and secondhand china rescued from the flea markets and junk shops of Paris. His Lampe Porcelaine collection are assembled from porcelain cups, saucers, bowls, ramekins and cake plates, each in a slightly different configuration.

German born Design student Louisa Köber created these delightful "Tealights" for an installation as part of an exhibition hosted by a power company in Stuttgart. The pieces play with the translucency of porcelain and the natural cupped shapes are a perfect receptacle for a light source.

These sweet nightlights by micah 7 are made with a selection of sliced teacups attached to a base especially made for nightlights. Great for a dark hall way or a childs room.

Biddy Bags and more!

2010-05-22T11:28:00.010+10:00

Biddy Bags is a now famous enterprise initiated by Samantha Jockel that connects socially isolated Nana's and mature-aged ladies through craft, economic participation and social networking. These ladies get their crafty fingers hooking to create cool crotcheted bags and home wares.

Each Biddy Bag is unique and is both a fashion and a social statement, providing retired women with a purpose and an income (and we all need both of those).
The fabrics and yarn in the bags are all vintage/pre-loved, and come in every conceivable hue and colour combo!

The business has now branched out into gorgeous tea cosies,

As well as cute i-phone pouches and facewashers.

In 2007 Sally from Georgie Love introduced me to Biddy bags. She had given them a brilliant spiel, so in the blink of an eye (and the click of the mouse) I had bought one for myself.

The fun begins when you have to decide which Biddy Bag you want, there are so many colour combinations to choose from.Go and check out the website to see all the products.
So here is the gorgeous bag I chose, made by a very clever crocheting grandma Jan Mc Coombes.I lurve it!

Tamsin Howells

2010-05-16T08:40:00.010+10:00

Over three years ago I discovered the work of British jeweller Tamsin Howells, while browsing in the uber cool "Husk" in Collins St. Her beautiful shiny birdie brooches caught my eye. Inspired by 1930-1940s foil pictures, these brooches depict various breeds of birds, each brightly coloured using patterned and textured foils from chocolate and lolly wrappers.

According to Tamsin "The process I use is a lamination technique that uses resin to sandwich together two sheets of plastic with the foil trapped in the centre.She describes her work as "individual, contemporary, stylish and unique. My jewellery is fun and easy to wear and very striking when worn"

On Tamsins web site she offers a cool feather preservation service"If you have a pet bird why not get a commission made which could include some of its fallen feathers?"

As well as the foil birdies, Tamsin makes matching earrings and gorgeous butterfly brooches.
If foil isn't your thing there are also fantasic pieces made from vintage fabric and old school ties.

A Stitch in Time

2010-05-08T09:24:00.011+10:00

While meandering around cyberspace I found two jewellers who have combined the traditional art of cross stitch with the crispness and shine of silver to create stunning jerwellery.
Netherlands based Corina Rietveld's pieces are both beautiful and unconventional takes on the age old art of needlepoint, combined with contemporary silversmithing.

From Corina Rietveld's website," The traditional technique of embroidery is a source of inspiration for the jewels of this collection. Traditional handwork and modern material meet in these designs. By using the particular combination of silver with embroidery silk, I want to give a different look at the traditional embroidery which you already know."

German born, Australian based Caro Baertling's jewellery is also a combination of stitching and silver. "Needlework for instance is as good as gold to her, because it costs a lot of time and patience. When combined with silver, wearable treasures are created."

On Caro Baertling's website you can decide on the design of your piece by selecting from the embroidery patterns below.
Read an online interview with her here. If you live in Sydney you can see her work at Koskela in Surry Hills.
I wonder if both these jewellers have crossed paths in their creative lives. Their ideas are too similar not to have been influenced by each other somewhere along the track!

Autumn Chill Busters Winners!

2010-05-04T11:36:00.001+10:00

The five winners of the great Body Parts/Textile Allsorts products are:
1. Purple Tubeway Armies- Bec from Beccasaurus
2. Grey Tubeway Armies-Ejay
3. Orange tights-Tracy from Boutifully
4. Burgundy Tights- Lynne from Sister Outlaws
5. Woolly Purse-Zofia
Please send me your details so we can get your goodies off in the mail.

This Bower my Prison.

2010-05-04T07:40:00.006+10:00

"This Bower my Prison" is the blog name of the multi talented Sydney artist and sculptor Jane Gillings.
I found out about Jane when I received an email from her about 3 years ago. She had some great lino to give me if I wanted it. In an absolutely wonderful stroke of luck and perfect timing, I was up in the Blue Mountains on holiday at the time and was going to be passing right by her house the next day! And I'm still using the excellent primary coloured lino she gave me!
Jane is a classic bower bird, collecting discarded plastics and transforming them into amazing 3 dimensional artwork.

This intricate owl and wren are made from packing tape and other scavenged plastic.
In 2008 Jane had an exhibition titled "Found Feathered Friends" featuring sculptured life size native birds all totally created with recycled plastic from Jane's huge collection. Check out this short film where Jane talks about her inspiration and production processes behind this show.

Jane regularly exhibits in the annual "Sculpture by the Sea", Australia's largest free outdoor exhibition of sculpture located along the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk.

In 2008 Jane created dozens of plastic blooms in a installation titled "Wreath". Jane said this about her creation "Hopefully for some, it made them think about the underlying message of waste and loss of precious resources. On the whole though, my aim is primarily to create something of beauty. For me, art is as much about beauty as it is about creating meaning without words."

Her 2009 piece was "Dream Home", a cubby like constuction mosaiced with those rainbow hued plastic toys we all know and love/hate! This piece won the Kids Choice Award .
"What I love about the piece is that it brings out the kid in everyone and I probably had more fun making it than the thousands of kids had playing in the piece during the exhibit. Winning this prize is a great reward for a lot of hard work," said Jane

Look at the brilliant detail in Jane's tribute to famous masterpieces .

According to Jane "As family and friends will attest, I never throw anything out. It's a sickness that runs through my family. So rather than keep things boxed up under the house, I am compelled to turn them into works of art. I am slowly being suffocated by these pieces, my studio is getting smaller and smaller. The funny thing is that the sickness is also the cure."At the moment Jane is madly preparing for another solo show. I 'm hoping one day she will exhibit in Melbourne...gallery owners- hint,hint!
Visit Jane Gilling's website and read a great interview here.Pics. from This Bower my Prison , or click on images for source.

One flew over.......

2010-04-30T12:23:00.003+10:00

I'm starting to feel a like I'm living in a cuckoo's nest this week. There's been a lot of Lino Cuckoo Clock crafting at Betty Jo headquarters of late along with the obligatory juggling of far too many balls!
But right now I have a hankering to check out some alternative designs and materials that have been utilized by fellow cuckoo clock creators.
Andrea Williamson who hails from the Shetland Islands designs and makes colourful knitted accesories and interior pieces.

Andrea finds something appealing about the colourful motifs and little house shape of cuckoo clocks and wanted to combine the softness and texture of a knitted textile with the hard mechanical structure of a traditional cuckoo clock.

This clock is based on the game "Whats the Time Mr. Wolf" with knife, fork and wolf pendulums.
Andrea says " I like it when objects can reflect a story or have the potential to become part of a new one."
Check out her website for other gorgeous knitted wearables and homewares.

Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa ,in a collaboration between Japanese department store Isetan developed a cuckoo clock using timber removed from over-planted forests.

The living exhibition consisted of 50 customized interpretations of the clock, by 50 artists and designers from Japan. 5% of all sales were donated to forest preservation.

The show was part of the designtide program at Tokyo design week 2009.

I can really see something like this happening here. If any department stores are reading and would like to sponser a similar project, just give me a call!

Love this image from Lorbus. A nice twist on the cuckoo idea!

*Don't forget to enter the Autumn Chill Giveaway : lovely chill busting accessories from the ladies at Body Parts.Winners drawn on Monday night 3rd May!

Autumn Chill GIVEAWAY!!

2010-04-26T16:30:00.014+10:00

I recently posted a feature on the Melbourne accessories label Body Parts.
Well now the fabulous Gaye and Melanie, the talented craftswomen behind this label ,have generously provided some wonderful Chilly Autumn products for another Find, Make Do Giveaway!
Just leave a comment telling us which product you would like to win (although we can't guarantee it will be the one you get, but we will try hard).
First up are two pairs of children's Tubeway Armies.Made from up-cycled jumpers with cute flower and buckle detailing . Just the right size for smallish/medium bodies to keep their hands warm on the way to school or at the park walking the dog!

Next we have two pairs of amazing Textile Allsorts hand printed tights in burnt orange roses and burgundy paisley.In extra tall so they will be comfy and snug. (no wonky crotches on these babies!) I own a pair of Melanie's tights and they are fantastic quality.

And finally we have a cute Woolly Pocket Purse by Gaye Abandon.A totally one-off coin purse made from an up- cycled, thickly felted, wool jumper.
So go on , enter this great giveaway and win yourself or your kids a warm and very Autumny prize!

MüCKE

2010-04-23T12:09:00.001+10:00

MüCKE is a local clothing and accessories label established in 2006 by Ellie Mücke.
What makes MüCKE designs so appealing is that all the clothing and adornments are made from recycled garments such as men's shirts ,trousers, jumpers and t-shirts.
These pre-loved clothes are rescued and transformed into new, innovative and edgy garments. Ellie often has to tell her customers that her materials once had another life. “It is actually what I strive for - I want them to buy it for design, not just because it is recycled.”

Ellie's strong focus on sustainability and the maintaining of ethical production methods represents her holistic approach to the fashion business .

MüCKE's mission is simple "Inspire creativity and positive action in people, have a beneficial ecological impact and keep the integrity of design by engaging holistically in the process."

A while ago , while clearing out our wardrobes for a garage sale, I invited Ellie to come round and get first dibs on the huge pile of my partners shirts. It was cool to spot them transformed into MüCKE's signature shirt dresses, hanging on racks ready to be snapped up by eco savvy fashionistas! And lucky me was the recipient of one of my partners old western shirts given a crafty new twist.

I love this three-sleeve top made from recycled cotton/elastane tops. The pants are made from recycled men's woolen trousers.
Ladies vest made from a recycled pair of men's pants.

The T-lace is made from recycled T-shirt scraps.T-lace's are individually hand cut and knotted and arranged. They come with a small illustrated list of ways to wear them. But you can always come up with your own unique way to wear it- twist it, knot it, wrap it, drape it- they're STRETCHY! Look for these on Etsy Other MüCKE stockists include Milly Sleeping, Pussycat Black, Craft Victoria and InspirASIA.

Anodised and Energised.

2010-04-19T10:31:00.020+10:00

I love me a bit of anodised metal. I have a few sets of canisters, an ice bucket or two,teapots, soda syphons and an ever evolving selection of anodised picnic cups that I diligently keep out of the dishwasher.
Dishwasher = Death to anodised goodies.
For my last birthday I received a red anodised 50's TV lamp. Definitely a thing of beauty!
Yesterday I saw the amazing installation titled Re-Entry by Donna Marcus in the Federation Square Atrium.
Thanks to Lucy from the Design Files for the heads up on this!

Dozens of recycled anodised kitchenware items like saucepan lids, colanders and ice buckets connected into spacey, alien craft type sculpture.It runs till the 29th of May.
I first saw Donna Marcus' work at the Dianne Tanzer Gallery in Fitzroy in 2001.I was absolutely taken with her fantastic use of those three corner saucepan lids. Ever since that first show I always think of her when I see them in op shops.
Same with teapots......
and planters!
As we can't realistically all have a Donna Marcus original in our homes, I figured the next best thing is to own some anodised metal jewellery.

Lisa Kearns aka Kearnsie, makes rings, bracelets and ear hoops from anodised knitting needles. Find them at Moose, Craft Victoria,and Little Shop of Handmade.

Or these rainbow hued sliced up needle creations by Sassafrass Creations would be fun to wear.

Now I want to go and balance all my anodised stuff in a sculptural formation ala Donna Marcus......thanks for indulging me!

You say Doyley, I say Doily

2010-04-16T06:39:00.001+10:00

However you spell it, doilies have risen through the crafty ranks, shaken off their fuddy duddy image and are now the height of Granny Chic. I, amongst numerous other crafty individuals, have embraced the doily. My usage requires scissors and chopping and adhering.
These creative people fashion items from the whole doily, utilising it's lacy, web like beauty.

Caitlin Holcomb from "Nice" makes eerily beautiful light shades created with vintage and found handmade doilies.I like the combination of patterns and textures. Imagine how many Nana's it took to crotchet all this doily goodness.
Here's Caitlin's worktable. Serious doily envy here! I've heard the shades have been available to buy right here in Melbourne at Douglas and Hope.
The Queen of Nana crafting, Tif Fussel from Dottie Angel, is also a huge fan of doilies. All her work incorporates some lacy loveliness of some kind. These moulded doily dishes are delicately pretty, but take note, they are all purely decorative .

Here Tif responds to customer inquiries at her etsy store "what could this little dish be used for?" and I say, that is a very good question. I have pondered this very thought myself and come up with "not a lot".For this sweet 'doily whatnot' is a decorative little soul, looking for a spot to rest and look 'pretty'. do not ask it to carry apples, remote controls or other such things for it will surely 'cave'..... But ask of it, to look 'splendidly granny chic like' and it will surely do the job..."

Here's a doily creation on a larger scale . A magnolia tree out side Pen Durston's shop "Cottage Industry" was adorned with hand stitched recycled doilies in 2008. Pics from here too.

Around this time there must have been a noticeable lack of doilies available at Northern suburbs op shops! It was a truly beautiful addition to the Gertrude St.streetcape.

Finally, I wanted to share this beautiful work by Shane Walter, a Brussels-born, London-based artist.

His installation titled "Aunty Peggy has Departed" was on show in Aldwych Tube Station in London.The cobweb like doilies are crotcheted with mercerised cotton and hang in disused phone booths, not unlike the fancy work of exotic spiders.
According to Shane "Doilies are like dreamcatchers, each knot holding a thought, a memory. The sum of these make up the history of a place.The piece was dedicated to Peggy, and her lifelong enthusiasm for crochet work and needlecraft."
Hooray for the Peggy's of this world!

Bill Miller

2010-04-13T07:34:00.007+10:00

A few years ago I posted about Pittsburg artist Bill Miller at Lino Forest. There I gave him the award for the most amazing and inspiring use of salvaged vintage lino in the creative field .

So I think it's high time to re-introduce Bill Miller and his breathtakingly beautiful collages. And yes, it's all done with vintage lino!According to the artists profile, "Miller's work has been recognized for rendering narrative moods and a sense of common memory. His unexpected use of patterns taps into the mediums nostalgic familiarity striving to impart a sense of history and story within each piece. Creating an effect that lies somewhere between collage and stained glass, Miller's innovative use of the linoleum's pattern and color is his signature style."

I certainly can't do him justice on this blog. You'll have to visit the website to see the breadth and depth of his work.

Look at the star burst patterned lino in this piece titled"Portrait of a Tree".

And the complex layering of stunning autumn toned lino in "Sweenyburg Farm"I can't even begin to express how taken I am with this snapshot of John and Yoko titled "Paper or Plastic".

How perfect is the lino for John's jim jams! I could look at all the detail for ever.

I noticed there is a contact on the artists website where people can donate lino.I'm sure one person could not source this much by themselves.
Now I think I need a lie down to rest my senses from this visual overload.

But first I'm going to announce the winner of the Little Golden Book Journal donated by Megan from The Byron Life. Congrats to Sue from Divajools. Your journal will soon be on it's way!

Pencil It In!

2010-04-09T23:13:00.001+10:00

Coloured Pencils...ahhhhh.
I have been smitten with my boxed set of 72 Derwents for many years. It was the first gift my beloved ever gave me.( A good enough reason to stick with him I reckon!)
Coloured pencils were like currency when I was at primary school. And Derwents were the Rolls Royces of the pencil world!
You can imagine then how taken I am with these colourful creations by three jewellers who fashion off-beat pieces from the humble coloured pencil.

Italian designer Maria Cristina Belluci has a background in theatre and costume design. Her bold,sculptural jewellery is almost organic in form. I am totally enamoured with her creations.
I would almost be willing to donate some of my beloved Derwents just to own a piece!Another talented sculptor/jeweller who also uses pencils in her work is Jennifer Maestro from Massechusettes. She produces a range of pendants, earrings and brooches which also contain smooth and sanded pencil pieces, some even retaining the brand lettering.

But she is most well know for her pieces that utilizes the pointy end of the coloured pencil. Brooches and larger works reminiscent of sea urchins and anemones, similtaneously appearing sharp and dangerous, but also beautiful and eye catchingly fluid.
Jennifer writes "Hullo pencil fans! All these pencil items are handmade by me, Jen, and I have the fingernails (or lack thereof) to prove it!
I am a sculptor with a particular fascination for pencils. I find them extremely inspiring, probably because I have a million of them in my studio. The big joke in my studio- I can never find anything to write with."
According to Jennifer March 30th was Pencil Day!! Drats I missed it.A divine shot of Jennifers workbench with zillions of colour coded pencils on hand. Bliss.
At her Etsy shop Jennifer introduces us to another pencil crafter, Stacey Dawn from Texas.
Stacey 's bracelets, pendants and necklaces are sweet and simple. Delicate transformed pieces of sawed up pencils create bead like components. The colour combinations are wonderful and appeal to my rainbow hued sense of design.

Stacey uses pre-loved pencils in her jewelery still retaining the marks and bumps of their previous life.She says "I make them from real pencils so they aren't perfect but that's one of the things that I happen to like best about them."

Twiglet

2010-04-07T08:21:00.002+10:00

Last year I met Dana Levistone from Twiglet ( a Melbourne designer and mother of two) and immediately fell in love with her Sleepy-Smiley Lion softies. This orange guy came home with me and now sits on my daughters bed. Initially he was taking pride of place in the lounge room, but my Jack Russel Chester became somewhat enamoured with lion, and started smothering him with too much "affection"!

According to Dana "Sleepy-Smiley Lions were dreamed up whilst my koo-koo baby brain waited for the birth of my first child whose sex was unknown. (It was a girl!) Their faces and colours were inspired by our retro home-decor and log cabin style playroom. They made a public appearance in a Melbourne newspaper and soon became a Twiglet product available to peeps of all ages worldwide! They make a lovely cuddle toy or cushion."
Here's Orange Sleepy- Smiley lion appearing in the latest issue of small magazine.
Get your own from etsy or find Twiglet at numerous markets and lovely stockists around town. See Dana's blog Acoustitch for details.

Dana also makes adorable kids clothes and accesories under the Twiglet label. She recycles vintage linen like tea towels, sheets and tableclothes to create the hippest kids wearables in Melbourne. I bumped into Dana at a second hand shop last week and her arms were bulging with retro materials, curtains and tablecloths.I can just imagine the cuteness to emerge from these finds!
Seeing these gorgeous clothes makes me wish my kids were still little enough to wear them.

Twiglet is just another example of the creativity, resourcefulness and innovation that often washes over new mothers when faced with the prospect of being at home with your bubbas and still making an income. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention.
The traditional thought that mothers brains go to mush when they are pregnant or kid wrangling is regularly proven wrong when you unearth the creative force of loads of mothers starting craft businesses and shunning the nine to five !
Speaking of crafty Mummas, Megan from "The Byron Life" has kindly given Find,Make,Do a sweet Little Golden Book Journal to GIVEAWAY. There's still time to enter!

Little Pots O' Gold!

2010-04-03T08:26:00.002+11:00

It's no surprise I love Little Golden Books. If I find a particularly special pre-loved one at an opshop or fete I have to bring it home, often with plans to give it a new life.

My recycling sensibilities kick in but all I need is some inspiration.
Here's some crafty creations made from recycled Little Golden books.....

A Jungle Book bird house. For the bird who has every thing!Decorative bunting from Natalie at Arthurs Circus. Great idea!

Blocks a la Martha Stewart. From here. I spy Scuffy!

Even if your not into "transforming" your books you could frame the often stunning illustrations(especially if your Little Golden books have been overly loved by the toddler!)

And finally, here are some useful and decorative Little Golden Book products created by Megan from The Byron Life. Journals ,collages and handy tins.Like me, Megan loves the emotion that sweeps over her when she discovers a book she recognises from her childhood. Megan's products are designed to be as green as possible: recycled covers, 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper inside, plant-based varnish used on artworks and recycled packaging for sending orders. Now that ticks all the three R's boxes.Find The Byron Life goodies at Big Cartel or at the Bangalow Craft Market (4th Sunday of each month) and Byron Bay Craft Market (1st Sunday of each month).
Megan has nicely given Find, Make, Do this sweet Golden Book journal to Giveaway.Just leave a comment and you will be in the running.

Giveaway Winners.

2010-04-02T08:55:00.006+11:00

I'm happy to announce that the lovely girls at Sisteroutlaws have decided to provide not two, but twelve kits to give away! So congrats to the winners.
I'll contact you after Easter so we can get you your Re*Sew*Cool kits! (or shoot me an email with your address if you are a winner!)
1.Black Eyed Susie
2.Nick-Collecting Feathers
3.Zofia
4.Gina-Clutter Punk
5.Kirsteene-Scrumptious Productions
6.Allison-Lark
7.Susan-It's the things that make you go mmmm
8.Michelle-Button Tree Lane
9.Laurel- Miss Muggins
10.Lara- Thornberry
11.Ann Bartlett
12.Maureen-Twig and Toadstool

Body Parts

2010-03-30T18:06:00.014+11:00

I have just recently felt the first Autumn nip in the air. The perfect time to ready yourself for the chilly winter days and nights to come. So here are some super cosy products to keep your exposed body parts warm.Body Parts is collaboration between Gaye Naismith (Gaye Abandon) and Melanie Hill (Textile Allsorts) The Body Parts range transforms recycled, felted wool jumpers into snug and funky winter accessories.

The original Tubeway Armies arm warmers feature unique ‘two-of-a-kind‘ combinations of stripes and textures with stitch, button, and applique detailing. I'm liking the vintage buckle adornment! They are perfect for those times your hands need warming, but you need free fingers to grip!

The beautiful recycled wool circle scarves are colourful and as warm as toast.

I love the Hottie Jumpers. One-off hot water bottle covers with fold up collar made entirely from upcycled, thickly felted, wool jumpers and finished with repurposed buttons.

Body Parts midriff warmers keep your midsection warm and toasty and boost blood circulation to the whole body. Gaye and Melanie's take on the Haramaki - an item of clothing commonly worn in Japan for health and comfort. Remember: belly warm = body warm.The woolly pocket purses are one-off coin purses with a magnetic clasp closure to holds coins safely(and warmly!) Look at all the gorgeous colours!

Find Body Parts on Etsy , Made it and Indie Art & design store.

If your heading up to Daylesford on Easter Saturday,
Body Parts will be having a stall at the Makers' Market in the Town Hall.

I'll be there (shopping,not selling) wearing my own cosy, colourful Body Parts accesories!

Off the Wall

2010-03-26T06:46:00.005+11:00

I LOVE vintage wallpaper. I have rolls of the stuff at home! Some I've shared with other crafty people, and for a while I even played around with some jewellery designs incorporating wallpaper. But after finding these designers work, I'll leave the wallpaper crafting to them!I first saw the work of Claire Coles way back when Betty Jo designs was just a baby.
I loved the way she lets the patterns of the wallpaper dictate the feel of the finished pieces. Pretty, and delicate. Or Bold and striking."Stitching vintage wallpapers together of various textures and patterns Claire creates one off intricate accessories."Have a look at her website and online store to see these other beautiful wallpapery products.
Next is Italian designer Francesca who has one of the best business names I have come across..."When in Doubt Draw Flowers".
Using the most desirable original ’60 & ’70s wallpaper, Draw Flowers creates beautiful floral neck pieces, earrings and vintage inspired accessories.Francesca says "Vintage materials, objects of diverse nature (i.e. furniture, lamps, carpets etc.) found on flea markets in the course of years, and gathered and archived are an unlimited source of inspiration. I want to express the old and already made in a new and actual way. The key to it are the colours, that – drawn close to each other in different tonalities – make the design modern."
Have a browse at Etsy or DaWanda or drool at the amazing prints and products on the website.
I just want to say here, how good is the blogging world! As you are getting inspired by a particular designers beautiful work, Bing!, up pops a post that leads you to another cool designer, and then another......
So thanks to Lucy from The Bowerbird, I found Deliah devine, an Adelaide designer who creates delightful brooches adorned with vintage wallpaper.
According to the creator, Linda Marek "I am a collector and constant observer of surface pattern. I have cupboards full of old wallpaper and fabrics. Delilah devine is a happy little label. I hope you feel it."Linda also has a "seemingly endless fascination with scavenging the hard rubbish collection".
A girl after my own heart!Visit Deliah devine's website and blog, and buy her goodies on Etsy and Madeit .

I just discovered that as well as brooches, Linda is making flying ducks !
And you know how I feel about Flying Ducks.

Yasmin Ellis

2010-03-23T08:31:00.004+11:00

Everytime I pop into Craft Victoria to deliver some stock, I always spend time checking out the jewellery and getting excited by the cool new work for sale at Counter.
Last time the amazing pieces by Mornington jeweller Yasmin Ellis caught my eye.Yasmin uses the humble tape measure and sculpts it into beautiful swirly designs.

Bluebirds, owls, berries, fish, deer, stormy clouds. All these gorgeous brooches, necklaces and earrings come presented on a handtyped notecard for that personal touch.Yasmin has a cute blog too, with all her posts also presented as handtyped notes.As well as Craft Victoria, Yasmin's work can be found at Arbour, Queen, Pomme , Design a Space and Etsy.

Yasmin also makes colourful rings , perfect for the crafty person in your life!
And my Favorite?..........this sweet Bluebird of Happiness necklace.

Sister Outlaws

2010-03-20T07:23:00.003+11:00

Sister Outlaws are three crafty Melbourne women (actually three Sister Inlaws!) who have put their heads, hands, and massively bulging stash of crafty materials of the textile persuasion together to come up with these great DIY kits for people of all ages (crafty kids through to crafty Nanas).
Going by the name of Re* Sew* Cool, these "environmentally sane kits for the craft crazy" contain 99% recycled materials. Cute, eco-friendly and crafty.

According to Sister Outlaws,"between us we have over one hundred combined years (never you mind the details),we love to fossick for second hand, vintage and post-industrial materials, we hate the idea of waste,and we love to make things".

Visit the website to buy a selection of bag-tag and brooch kits, in sweet designs like lovebirds, owls, donkeys and toadstools. Each kit comes brimming with recycled materials like felted wool, pre-loved trims and buttons, and clear instructions. Look, there's even a needle and thread!

If you need some directions with stitching, Sisteroutlaws have kindly added tutorial diagrams on the website to instruct you.

At the Stitches and Craft Show in 2009 we all wore our "Craft is the new Black" badges.
In 2010 I'd like to propose "Kits are the new Craft"!

We are lucky enough to have two Re*Sew*Cool kits to Giveaway on Find, Make, Do.
A donkey bag-tag and a lovebird brooch. Our first Giveaway ...yippee!!!!!!
Just leave a message on this post to be in the running.

The Great Wall of China

2010-03-17T18:53:00.001+11:00

Segueing seamlessly from my last post about Trixie Delicious, I've found three other creative women who transform vintage, recycled china into desirable jewellery and wall art.
There was a time I madly hunted for old china in opshops, something akin to my present lino hunting crusades!
I would smash em' up for mosaics...luckily those days are long gone, along with numerous sliced fingers and too many boxes of broken plates in my shed.
Now I"ll happily leave the china for these creative people ........
First up we have another New Zealander, Lindsay Pemberton of Rekindled.
Lindsay creates delicious jewellery from pre-loved teacups. The sliced rims become bangles, the handles become heart shaped pendants and the bases become brooches. Nothing is wasted.How's that for recycling efficiency !
Lindsay wanted to " find a new use for all the abandoned teacups collecting dust in the Salvation shops? After exploring various concepts around the teacup, I discovered that by slicing the teacup up into rings using a diamond cutter, it could be transformed into an elegant bangle."

Find Rekindled jewellery for sale online at cleverbastards and Biome in Qld.

Next up is the beautiful work by Lightly. Cindy-Lee Davies is the designer behind Melbourne based design house Lightly, and among other beautiful items, they produce these delicate cut butterflies and swallows.All made from recycled china plates and saucers.

Last year I acquired my own Lightly butterfly. This pretty nasturtium saucer butterfly spoke to me at Craft Victoria, and was bought home as an early birthday present for me from myself!
Just a few weeks ago the swallows were on my birthday wish list for this year.
Go here to find other Lightly stockists if these are on your wish list too!

Finally we have another talented Melbourne designer Lucy King, who's products go by the name "Me Old China". All the jewellery and wall art from ‘Me Old China’ is made from second-hand, retro and vintage china plates. Cut and shaped into quirky domestic items and simple circles, "The ranges showcase the beauty of the old plates and patterns, with the opportunity to give a mundane discarded plate a new lease of life by recycling and restyling into new creations".

You can find "Me Old China" on Etsy ,or visit Lucy's lovely blog The Bowerbird.

And just announced, "Me Old China is now available from Moose.

Trixie Delicious

2010-03-15T10:10:00.008+11:00

You know what? I'm crazy about the work of New Zealand based Trixie Delicious.
Her Vintage Vandalized reworked china appeals to me on several levels. The pretty, recycled, vintage china becomes a canvas for an abundance of cheeky,twisted messages. Girly sweet plates with contemporary observations, words and phrases.
I've featured her here and there on Lino Forest, and have been patiently waiting for the "perfect" Trixie Delicious creation before I lashed out and bought a piece.
I thought I had come close here,and here, and even here,and would have died and gone to heaven if I could have received these for a Wedding gift (but they weren't on the radar in 1993).But today I found this. And it's mine!Duckie fell off the wagon...at least he can still fly!
All Trixie Delicious items are one-off hand selected vintage china pieces with text and drawings hand painted in French Porcelain paint and heat fused for use.
According to Karen Dennis, the creator behind Trixie Delicious, "I love to create art for people with a sense of humour. I have had many years experience as an exhibiting artist and designer and have a BFA in sculpture.
I am interested in design, art and craft and my work straddles the boundaries of all three categories.
Taking vintage plates as a canvas for text and portraits, I bring a new twist to an old tradition, and recycle those discarded left-over plates, giving them a modern make-over in the process."You can buy Trixie Delicious on Etsy, Big Cartel , and catch up on the new creations on the Trixie Delicious blog and Facebook page.

Tin Pan Alley

2010-03-13T08:43:00.000+11:00

As well as featuring crafters here at Find, Make, Do, I will be looking at the myriad of recycled materials used by these talented and innovative makers.
Being passionate about giving life and beauty to peoples unwanted and discarded bric-a-brac and saving it from heading to landfill, I will be featuring the wonderful array of recycled, repurposed, reclaimed, and reworked materials that have been utilised by craftspeople, and their finished results!
Today I am looking at three jewellers who use recycled tin.
I found the Michigan based Shixie on etsy one day and was immediately taken with her pieces.
I chose these delicate pair of recycled tin earrings and when I commenced wearing them, immediately dubbed them the conversation stoppers! While chatting to people, their eyes would be slowely drawn to my ears, and then, without fail, all talking would stop and the earring would become the focus of attention!
I love the summery dress shape of them, the bits of wear on the edges, and how the "hangers" are actually ear posts.I now own the red and pink hearts earrings aswell , bought recently from the Hearts for Haiti Etsy shop.Jane Harrison's Fofum jewelery is created from layered and riveted vintage tin. "I use vintage tin which often bears marks showing its past life which I find simply charming .... because I like old things. I use a patina on the finished pieces to further darken edges and bright metals - and also this darkened quality unifies and accents the antiquish aspect of this jewelry. Making these metal collage pieces creates an object rich with pattern, color; and asking the questions…..’What were you? where have you been?, and look at you now!’ "Her work can also be found at Quirk Gallery.
Anna Davern is a Fine jeweller from Melbourne who's CV is as long as your arm. She is represented by a number of major galleries, exhibits around the world, and is practically Jewellery Royalty. Move over Queen Liz!
Among other precious and recycled materials, Anna uses pre-loved biscuit tins and tin trays in her work, skillfully hand cutting the images to create brooches and neckpieces.Anna sources pre-loved materials from opshops, garage sales and fetes, and for a while had a blog dedicated to documenting her scores called "Garage Sailor". I have even been the lucky recipient of one of her finds! Read more about her here.

Little Black Crow

2010-03-10T17:04:00.000+11:00

For my first post I would like to introduce you to Little Black Crow, the brain child of Grace Garton, a self confessed "discombobulated arty, crafty gal"!
According to Grace " Little Black Crow's Studio is a strange little place made up of odd little animals and characters."
All Little Black Crow dolls are made to look frayed worn and a little dusty as if they had once been much loved and played with by children long ago. No two dolls are alike!
A little while ago, Grace put the call out for some vintage brown buttons for her doll's eyes on her blog "Little Arty Crafty Crow".
As my studio is overflowing with buttons, I spent a pleasant half an hour sorting out the brown and grey "pants" buttons I never use and then posted them over to Little Black Crow's Studio in Hobart, Tasmania.
It makes me happy to know they are being used on Little Black Crow's whimsical critters, as I have been a huge fan since the first time I saw them.
In her most recent email Grace ends by saying " Off to sew eye's onto my bunnies. I've made over thirty in 2 weeks!!"
That spells dedication and a love of creating, as well as the mad rush to get work made for the up and coming market Handmade Hobart.
If you can't get to Hobart, you can buy Betsy on Etsy! Betsy the Donkey and her friends are available from The Little Black Crow Studios etsy shop.The sailor suit is as cute as you could get!!A gorgeous selection of Grace's dolls can be found on Georgie Love too. Like Fred the Elephant.The best place to see all the amazing creations from The Little Black Crow Studios is on Flickr.
The photo set entitled My miss-adventurous creatures is chockablock with sweetness. All the dolls are photographed in cute miniature dioramas with vintage props and old timey hues.
Check out Grace's art work while you're there . She is also a talented artist with a background in animation.

Welcome

2010-03-10T10:47:00.000+11:00

Welcome to Find, Make, Do!
A place to celebrate the wonderful, the creative, the repurposed, the pre-loved, and the age old tradition of making do.
Showcasing crafty, innovative and unique products and the creators behind them.
If you know a great product you would like to see featured on Find, Make, Do, just drop me a line.