Brisbane Finders Keepers Wrap Up

The Old Museum

Susan Simonini

Keep Resin

Smith and Others

Kijaro

Kim Wallace

Clara & Yema

vessel and vine

Zillpa

Patterson and Steele

Curiously Obsessed

 

Rabbit & The Duck

Zylo Design

Studio Cockatoo

   

Blouse Alice Nightingale, glitter earrings Each to Own, spoon Keep Resin, wooden rings Clarayyema and ceramic bowl Susan Simonini.

The Finders Keepers market is my very favourite way to discover new creative talent and meet many of the wonderful Brisbane makers and designers I follow on Instagram. I love the high quality handmade items, the unique designs, the interesting packaging and displays, I love meeting the makers and talking to them about their work, giving them positive feed back and expressing my admiration! I also love to support them as a fellow creative small business owner. Which means I can't help but purchase a few things... 

I didn't apply for Finders Keepers this time, so I thought I would have a much more leisurely look than I am used to. I am usually running around on my lunch break, or sneaking in a peek in the afternoon when the crowd thins out. However yesterday, with three children and a husband in tow, I didn't get quite as much time as I would have liked. Then again, I would have happily stayed there all day poking around and chatting. It is such a positive and charming community to be a part of after all.

I snapped these iPhone photos quickly, after seeking permission from all the lovely makers. If you didn't get a chance to go, I wanted to give you a little taste. Even if you were there, I hear that Saturday was so popular, you may have missed seeing a few of these stalls anyway.

Applications for the next Brisbane Finders Keepers have opened today, so if you have a handmade business and you want to share your pieces with like minded folk, get your application ready! Competition is tough, but stay positive. I will be applying again and hope to see you there once more in November! In the meantime, you will be able to find me and all my goodies at the Red Hill Fair in Brisbane in three weeks time.

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Zillpa & Yardage Design

Our next fabulous makers, whose work features in the Handmade Christmas Giveaway, are the lovely Clare and Nic - the creative forces behind Zillpa and Yardage Design. Both these creative ladies excel in their chosen crafts, and make unique gifts and home wares. I'm delighted to introduce them to you -

Zillpa was born out of a need to create and express. What began as a bit of fun, playing around with rope, soon developed into an exciting journey of discovery. I tried crocheting with the rope, braiding it, knotting it… But nothing seemed to ‘click’ with me. Until I came across an old technique for using up fabric scraps by wrapping them around pieces of rope and stitching them together. It sounded like an interesting idea, so I gave it a try and loved it! My mind suddenly opened up and I saw so many different possibilities that this technique could be used for. At the moment I prefer the raw aspect of keeping the rope plain and using the stitching thread as the decorative detail.
Zillpa’s current product range includes bowls, dishes, pot holders, coasters, bags and plant hangers – All made using 100% cotton rope, which I sew together on my industrial sewing machine. All my products are designed and created by me in my little studio on Brisbane’s south-side. You can find my products online and at various markets around Brisbane.

Web: http://www.zillpa.com/

Blog: http://www.zillpa.com/blog/

Instagram: @zillpa

Yardage Design is a Brisbane based textile label created by Nicole James who is a textile designer and print maker. Yardage Design produces a range of hand printed home wares and fabrics. Bold colours, typography, and nature feature strongly in Nicole’s designs. Yardage Design prints onto natural fiber fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp and linen. 

"My designs are inspired by shapes, lines and shadows from everyday life – both natural and urban elements. I am also greatly inspired by heritage and architecture – the idea of mixing old and new, soft and hard. Observation and photography play a large role in the development of design ideas. I am also addicted to Instagram!"

Yardage Design will be a stallholder at this Saturday's GOMA Christmas Design Market in Brisbane, 9 am to 4 pm in the GOMA forecourt.

Blog: http://yardagegirl.blogspot.com.au/
Shop: http://yardagedesign.bigcartel.com/
Instagram: @yardagedesign

Winter Design Market love

Bravo Juliet Designs

Zillpa

Sharon Muir Ceramics

Erin's Window

My dearest twin sister and myself. My super lovely treasures.

I am fit to bursting with inspiration after yesterdays City wanderings. The Winter Design Market was certainly a celebration of handmade, and full of temptation. Each stall was home to precious delights, lovingly crafted and displayed. Cushions, tea towels, baskets, jewellery, ceramics. I found it difficult to choose amongst all the loveliness. I am so pleased with my purchases though. A mint coloured resin vase from the lovely Bronwen Jones (which will be quite at home in my kitchen), and a hand painted ceramic brooch from the gifted Erin (because you can never have too many brooches). So many clever crafters.

The stalls, the displays, the lovely makers, all gave me such a great feeling about the handmade community and market place. I am inspired anew to create new pieces for my shop and eventually tackle my first market.

I shall pop back later with my 52 Portraits, and post about the Quilts exhibition tomorrow - another inspiration laden delight. 

Hope you are having a relaxing Sunday.