Posts Tagged ‘gift ideas’

Harlewood Studio

How did Harlewood studio begin?

Harlewood Studio evolved when Sue Harle and life partner Brian Wood had completed a full time jewellery and silversmithing course at the “Jam Factory Workshops” in Adelaide.

They decided to combine surnames and creative talents and move to Queensland where their studio was born with our motto “Designed to be Different”

Sue: what led you to glass bead weaving ?

My love of colour and background in silversmithing and jewellery as well as in fashion, inevitably led to my passion for beading.

Sue: what are your favourite pieces ?

I love to create objects and jewellery with small, glass, Japanese cylinder and seed beads using ancient stitches such as peyote and brickstitch. They allow me to design and execute with precision the clean, abstract pieces with spirals and zig –zags often taking dimensional shapes . I am inspired by the Art- Deco period in particular and prefer a strong or monochromatic colour palette. The colours and finishes of the beads vary everytime they catch the light whether it be in sunlight or candlelight.

My beaded jewellery is designed to become “Your favourite pieces” to be worn everyday but special enough to take you through to the evening.

Brian: what is the inspiration behind your jewellery?

My love of music, science fiction and the quirky aspects of life combined with a dark sense of humour are representative of my individual style of jewellery.

I am passionate about the truly handmade, it makes the difference between Art and mass production and has an intrinsic value to most of us. Simply a creative gesture which gives shape to the imagination.

Brian: what type of materials do you prefer to use?

My main medium is sterling silver for its intrinsic properties. Where possible I like to combine it with recycled materials, circuit boards, LP records, vintage lino, and pretty much anything that speaks to me.

The jewellery I like to make usually has a message, either in the honesty and integrity of materials chosen or the form of the piece itself.

coolest item of the week

journals made out of old records!

record attempts by mark farrell

each of these journals has the old vinyl sleeve as inside front page.
from USHER to STREISAND, they are awesomely kitsch and at $30.00 a pop, they don’t hang around for long!

got someone impossible to buy for? this is the perfect gift!

some journals are musical score and some lined note paper.

iggle & boo

How did iggle & boo get started?

We officially launched the venture in February this year… it’s a pretty funny story how it got started actually…Tara and I are neighbours and our eldest children are 4 months apart in age. We didn’t know each other prior to our children being born, but soon after the birth of our first children we bought houses right next door to each other and our families all became great friends. The children have all grown up together and have been the inspiration for our children’s clothing label – their nicknames are iggle & boo which is how Tara came up with the name! I guess it really all started when I was pregnant with my eldest child. I started nesting a little and asked my husband for a sewing machine for my birthday. Tara was working in a children’s clothing store in Sydney Rd Brunswick – Kid’s Cargo. Mel and Tan (the owners of Kid’s Cargo) are great for supporting local designers and asked if I could make a few dresses. We knocked on doors, we rang people we knew who may be able to help us get started, we put our creative hats on and designed some prints to get screen printed and all of a sudden we had a range together! We borrowed props, mannequins, marquees and headed to the Shirt and Skirt market at Abbotsford Convent to launch the range (on every 3rd Sunday of each month), which is one of our favourite markets and home to many emerging designers. It was a great success.

What does your designer children’s clothing range consist of?

We know that kids love to feel comfortable in what they are wearing, so we wanted to create a range of practical clothes with funky prints that kids can play and have fun in. Our base colours are navy, red, white, grey and denim. Our initial range has had a bit of a vintage feel with classic car prints for the boys, and a dressmakers bodice and a chandelier print for the girls. We also have a signature elephant design which is used on many of the baby rompers, the play mat and the pram blanket. We have just finished all the designs for the summer range which we will launch around September. There are lots more fun prints coming including a moose, birdcage, carousel & helicopter. The items we have include baby jumpsuits, t-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, hoodies, dresses, skirts, great unisex designer jeans, blankets and cushions. We love creating gorgeous clothing and homewares for little people! The classic styles and colours are perfect for children to wear every day. They are a great addition to any wardrobe.

What are your future plans for your label?

We love that we can work around being home with our children. We have very grand plans for the label, kicking off with a number of events from September onwards this year, once our jeans and full new Summer range are available. We will also be doing a number of charity events to support local charities. Tara and I have put successful finance careers on hold for family and this business venture, so we are really excited to be working on it and watching it grow. We live in a street with many other families and they have all been fantastic in supporting our growth. We attend markets regularly where we have stalls and are often surrounded by other very talented designers with their divine creations. Check our website for more info on where we are popping up next. www.iggleandboo.com.au

Has it been easy to begin a creative business?

There have been many, many hurdles to jump so far and I’m sure there will be many more but we are also having a lot of fun. And while it’s fun, we’ll be continuing to move and groove with iggle and boo – where elephants say mooo! We have an incredible support network of friends and family who have been sending off our marketing emails to their friends and family, and also buying gifts for their own families and friends, so we are getting a great following that way too. We are both very determined by nature, we are following a dream which we are passionate about so things have fallen into place nicely so far.

most unusual new item this week?

hand painted plaster kewpie dolls of course!!

each of these is a unique one-off hand painted collectible master piece.

come and check these babies out at the melbourne in.cube8r®! @ $150.00 they won’t hang around for long :)

mother’s day is EASY at in.cube8r

mum’s special day is about love, what represents love as well as something handmade!!

come in and see the most eclectic mix of handmade skincare, purses, pictures, lamps, cushions, jewelery and so much more – remember mum this special mother’s day by giving her something locally made.

in.cube8r takes no commission on sales :: 100% of what you spend goes back to the maker!!

Hand.Hook.Yarn

Is there a particular theme, style or ethic behind your current collection?
My collars are inspired by vintage fashion, and it shows, iv been going to op shops since i was a little tacker with mum and i dont think i’ll ever stop. It’s when im happiest going through racks of random stuff and the smell, it’s like a treasure hunt. I think it’s taught me to really appreciate the styles of old, the thought and skill that goes into garments, and quality of materials, and above all it’s just an aesthetic i resonate with the most.

How long has your label been an ongoing project for you?
I came up with the label early last winter, after thinking about it for a while it just came to me. Hand Hook Yarn seemed so fitting, it describes the organic process of what i do, my hand controls the hook which weaves the yarn. It’s all i need and i can do it anywhere, sometimes i jump on the train and crochet to the end of the line and back, or i go to the park, it’s better than staying home.

Who taught you how to crochet?
In 2006 i volunteered in a program which was based in a remote aboriginal community called Papunya, another volunteer ‘Zowie’ was crocheting on the bus as we headed out from Alice, it looked interesting and i asked her to teach me. I really enjoyed it and i think being a knitter had helped me understand the concept, i picked it up pretty easily and after a while i started to experiment and come up with my own designs.

Tell us a bit about your favorite piece, if you can pick one as they’re all so adorable!
My collars are my baby’s now, since i started them i haven’t paid much attention to any other projects, i like them because they’re smaller and more interesting, i don’t get bored because i can constantly challenge myself with formulating new designs.

What are your future plans for your label?
i have no idea! its crazy and exiting and so satisfying to have my talents recognized. I take everyday as it comes, but i’d be lying if i said it wasn’t the unlimited dream to make a living off my art, i know a lot of people agree with me on that one.

Any advice for others wanting to follow a creative career?
Do it! don’t delay, don’t procrastinate, make a plan, break it up into small achievable tasks and do one of them right away. It feels good.

we are not a jewellery shop!!

in.cube8r welcomes in some new goodies… and there’s lots for the little ones…
there’s lots for everyone!!

in the quest to find balance and represent all things handmade,
we have closed off to almost all jewellery over the last 6 months… come and see!!
… and remember us for christmas,

we have over 4,000 handmade items covering all the glory ‘handmade’
has to offer!!