Meet the Seller: Ingrid from BookBeads & Felted Fellows

Meet Ingrid from BookBeads and Felted Fellows

Where did you come up with your brand name?

I needed something self explanatory for the book markers that wasn’t already taken and found BookBeads fit the bill.  Felted Fellows came later, I was brainstorming a name for the line of felted dogs I had started , only I didn’t want to be committed to just dogs as I knew in the future that may change. My neice came up with Felted Fellows and I realised it was a perfect fit for all manner of felted animals!

When did you begin making and what was your inspiration?

A good five years ago my sister saw some beaded bookmarks in Australia and suggested I try them out here. Searching online and through other markets I couldn’t find anyone doing any similar so began my version. The choice of glass beads most definitely inspired me with their vibrant colours and shapes and I find every marker differs from the other as a consequence.

Felted Fellows started with an article in the UK interiors magazine that a friend at work pointed out. After going to the library and finding book after book on how to needle felt, the little dogs found their way into my heart!

What do you make?

The beaded bookmarks differ from most as they are secured to an elasticated band that is wrapped around the book, with the bling of beads resting on the outside.

Felted fellows started out as only dogs. I found the wire haired terriers, and schnauzers the most fun and popular to make, but make a range of other breeds too. Every now and then I will branch out to an Afghan Hound or a Great Dane to spice things up. Am often asked to make cats, but despite having my own cat as a model have yet to take that on! 

Just recently I have started a range of birds in bauble shape, with the mind to have a range of christmas tree decorations up and running soon.

Who has been the most influential in your craft?

I think it all stems from growing up with a pretty artistic and creative family. I was always encouraged and as a consequence have never come across something I thought I coudn't do. That drive meant I always tried a new skill, sometimes that wouldnt work out as well as I hoped, but I knew there would be something that I would try next that I would be happy with. 

What inspires you?

I am constantly in awe of the talent of those around me, in markets and online. I work at Auckland Art Gallery and I find in my line of work inspiration is always around the corner with the next exhibition.

What is your most treasured handmade possession?

My Dad is a photographer and I have a number of his earlier black and white photos that I particularly love. My sister does splendid ceramic sculptures, I only have a few smaller ones though as her larger pieces (of which I would love to have!) are just too heavy for me to bring over from Australia! 

I did a course way back when, of bronze sculptures in the lost wax process, which I am proud of and wish I had the time and money to start up again.

When you are not making what do you do?

I am a paintings conservator at Auckland Art Gallery.  The gallery has 5 conservators overall, and we all specialise in specific areas, Works on paper, Objects and Paintings. Our primary role is to care for the collection but we also have private service available to members of the public.

What is your favourite book?

Hard call, possibly 'Its all Fun and Games until Someone loses an Eye' by Christopher Brookmyer.         

And your favourie food?

Any Thai food

Where do you get your online inspiration from?

 I don’t really follow any blogs or specific sites, I find I am a bit of a google fiend though and will follow where any search takes me.

What music is on high rotate on your ipod?

I’m pretty eclectic when it comes to music, but I find I’m going through an extended phase of listening to my older stuff, so a lot of Billy Joel, Pink Floyd, James Taylor and Elkie Brooks.                                

When you are not at the Devonport Craft Market, where can people buy your work?

I have the Felted Dogs on Felt.co.nz under FeltedFellows,

I also sell them at Tessuti on Jervois Rd, Ponsonby and in Newmarket.

I can also be found at Craft Harvest in Parnell, but all my works have email addresses and people can find me at them too.

Meet the Seller: Debbie from Sew in Joy

Meet Debbie from Sew In Joy!

Where did you come up with your brand name?

My middle name is Joy and it is such a happy uplifting word and I just love to sew so Sew In Joy was an easy choice.

When did you begin making and what was your inspiration?

I was lucky that my Mum had endless patience and taught me to sew when I was a young girl and as a teenager I would rummage through her stash looking for the right fabric to whip something up for the next mufti day or "big night out" on Saturday. Sewing class was my favourite at school and was the only thing I consistently came first at!  During my second pregnancy my emotions went totally haywire so during my third pregnancy (due in five weeks time) I wanted to make sure I had a wonderfully calm time and what was just sewing for a hobby has become a wonderful home based business around my family.  I'm totally inspired by fabrics and love sourcing fabrics - the pile grows daily!  I have a very supportive partner who has never once asked me to tidy up my untidy stash of fabric which overflows into our everyday living space.

What do you make?

I love to sew and my range continues to evolve.  At the moment it includes funky four-panelled skirts for women, fun tunics for young girls, bandana bibs, aprons, cushions, bags, cool boys trousers, hottie covers and I'm looking to extend my range for women in the spring and adding a couple of fun and functional dresses. I make a lot of custom orders and I really enjoy that as you are interpreting peoples design concepts as well.           

Who is the most influential in your craft?

I have an awesome group of family and friends who are not only customers now but are also fantastic at giving me feedback on my range. Their feedback, along with feedback from my customer base, help to guide me on what people are wanting.  I have two young boys so am always checking in with my friends little girls as to what colours they love and what styles etc they want to wear.  So a lot of influencers really.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by seeing people wearing my creations and as I can see they are fantastic fits, styles and fun to wear it makes me feel good inside.  I always wanted a home based business that could work in with my family and to provide something that would be affordable and fun for my customers.  I have the most gorgeous space to sew in and look down over our garden which has banana palms, laden fruit trees and happy chickens.  And I am definitely inspired by fabric!

What is your favourite book?

I loved the Sara Donati series and was sad when they were over.  The main character is strong and courageous in a harsh environment yet maintains her femininity throughout.           

And your favourite food?

Wow!  That is a difficult question.  My partner is a chef by trade so anything he makes is awesome and full of flavour.  He would probably tell you it is "MEAT"!  I was brought up on a farm so meat was definitely big in our diets and when I've had a rough day he brings home the best steak to make all things better.  And chocolate could certainly be served to me for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Where do you get your online inspiration?

I'm definitely a Pinterest girl - it always astounds me how clever people are.          

When you are not at the Devonport Craft Market, where can people buy your work?

I work from our home in Red Beach/Orewa and welcome people to come and visit to choose their next item or be involved with the selection of their fabrics.  Our home is a big old beast with "lots of potential" and a wonderful view of the Estuary.  We have a big back yard which is great for two busy children (soon to be three) and a partner who loves to grow as much food as possible.  I'm a real home body and you will generally find me at home or out looking for fabrics.

 

What is your most treasured handmade possession?

Most definitely a card my oldest son made for me on Mothers Day last year.  He made a gorgeous big cardboard sign which tells me how much he loves me and spent quite some time gluing individual pieces of rice on to make the letters.  I had to pretend I didn't know what was going on and when I saw what he had done with such patience and love I was super stoked!   

When you are not making, what do you do?

What do I do?  I ignore housework as much as possible and play with my two boys (nearly seven and 18 months old).  My partner loves the outdoors and living near so many beautiful places we like to take the children to the beach, for bush walks and enjoy the free things that life has on offer.     

What music is on high rotate on your ipod?

I very rarely put music on as our home is either noisy with children or when they are asleep I totally enjoy the quite time.  Sunday mornings is filled with Bad Jelly the Witch and other old radio favourites from our childhood.                   

Debbie has a special offer for anyone who mentions they read her profile:

I feel very lucky to be able to do something that I love and share with other people.  For anyone who reads my profile and would like to purchase one of my fun creations I am offering a 10% discount on any full priced item. I upload my creations at www.facebook.com/sewinjoy and just remember to mention this offer when you contact me.  This discount is valid for custom orders as well.     

      

Meet the Seller - Celena Sinclair from Oak Tree Mama

Tell us where the name Oaktree Mama came from?

Oaktreemama is a simple combination of where I live (Oaktree) and what I do (Mum of two) ~ but I like the reference to nature because it makes sense for my love of upcycling.

How did you get into crafting?

I have always made things - sewing and knitting, but when my youngest started school mid 2012 I was able to indulge more seriously.  My inspiration is almost always something my children or I need and I'd much rather recycle, hand-make and/or tailor-make.  I also love Op-shopping and looking for treasure that other people have discarded.  Re-use and recycling are so important for our environment and I love getting back to the skills and attitude for thrift that my grandmothers and greatmothers had.         

 

What do you make?

I make a wide variety of treasures by recycling vintage fabrics, fabric samples and fabrics from stashes long forgotten about.  At the moment I am making mens ties into fabulous bead necklaces, turning fabric samples into Newsboy style hats and upcycling vintage fabrics into purses, wallets, jewellery and coffee cosies.  I also make Beach Treasure Bags (fabulous for shell collectors big and small) and little bags containing the games we enjoyed as children - knucklebones, marbles and elastic skipping.

Who or what has been the most influential in your craft?

My two Grandmothers are enormous huge inspiration - both were enormously talented creative women - floristry, gardening, wool crafts and just about every craft fad in the 1960s and 70s.

 

What handmade possession do you most treasure?

I am surrounded by the most beautiful artwork done by my children every day - my daughter draws pictures almost daily and our doors and fridge are always covered!

What inspires you?

I just love the homewares and furniture from the 1950s and 1960s, especially Scandinavian design.  We furnished our first home with light oak and beech furniture because it was cheap and now people covet it when they visit!  I also love the thrill of the second-hand hunt and digging in junk shops.  I would much rather relove something than have more go into landfill unnecessarily.  Being environmentally responsible is more and more important.      

Where do you find your online inspiration?

For a belly laugh when things go wrong Craftfail

Stella's blog

Max's blog

Pinterest

Upcycling websites - there are heaps!

What is your favourite book?

My latest - over summer I read two by Jojo Moyes and they were both fabulous and hard to put down - Me Before You and The Girl You Left Behind. 

And your favourite food?

I'd probably say a good roast chicken and all the trimmings - yum!   

What music is on ‘high rotate’ on your stereo or ipod at the moment?

I'm going through a David Bowie revival at the moment - classic!

 

Apart from making and creating – what fills up the rest of your life?

 I am a stay at home Mum, keeping the family ticking along.  I also facilitate adult education programmes and am working for the North Shore's Playcentre organisation with early childhood education.

  

When you are not at the Devonport Craft Market where can people find your work?

My Felt Store or Facebook

Meet the seller: Emma from Mademoiselle M

Meet Emma from Mademoiselle M -
 new to our market but already making an impression!   

Where did you get your brand name from?

Being French I wanted to have a nice connotation about France in my brand name.

For the letter “M”, this one comes from my nick name “Manou”.

I am really sentimental about this nickname as only my family or close friends are using it.

When and how did you begin creating?

I started making necklaces when I was in France, 5 years ago now. 

One day, I was doing some shopping at the department store “Galeries Lafayette” in Paris and I saw a lot of necklaces made by a woman. She was making these beautiful handmade necklaces and it became clear in my mind that I wanted to do the same.

At the beginning, I started to create jewellery for myself and then, as I was enjoying it a lot, I started to make some for my friends and family too.

When I moved to New Zealand, I decided that it was the right time and place to share my creations so here I am with Mademoiselle M.

What do you make?

I make necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings.

To create my jewelleries, I can use paint, handmade and hand colored resin, semi- precious stones or vintage metals pieces. It really depends on my inspirations at the time of the creation.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I would say my family:

-My mother and father because they always dress so nicely ;-)

-My sisters because we are always sharing ideas and doing craft together

  

What also inspires me is actually having a look at what the homes designers are doing in New Zealand or in France. I always buy some design magazines or go in design shops to find some ideas of colours or textures. I find that most of the time the trend for Home Design is not so far from the jewellery trend.

Tell us what your favourite book and food are

My favorite book is: “Hunting and Gathering” from Anna Gavalda. This book is just amazing and I think I’ve already read it 4 times. I truly recommend it.

My favourite food would have to be my mum’s Beef Bourguignon ;-)

When you are not creating what do you like to do?

I love doing a lot of different things with my Fiancé and friends like going away for the weekend, having nice dinner at home or in a restaurant.

I also do a lot of yoga, it helps me to de-stress from work or from any type of stress in my life.

What music do you have on high-rotate?

I think it will be the one from Rihanna, Stay. Each time I hear this song I can’t help myself I need to sing, and believe me, this is just terrible for the people around!!

Aside from the Devonport Craft Market, where can people find your lovely jewellery?

People can find my stock:

On my own website: www.mademoisellem.co.nz

On Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/mademoisellemjewellery

Or on Felt at: http://felt.co.nz/shop/mademoiselle

Mademoiselle M has a wonderful promotion to offer readers of this interview - see below: 

Be in to win this bracelet or this ring from Mademoiselle M.

To participate you have 2 options:

Like my Facebook page and share this promotion on your wall.

Or

Come to Mademoiselle M stall on April 7th at the Devonport Craft Market and let us take a picture of you with the bracelet or the ring to share on our Facebook page.

Either way you will go in the draw to win this lovely bracelet or this amazing ring ;-)

Please note the draw will take place on Monday 15th April, 2013 and posted on Mademoiselle M Facebook page the same day.