Victorian Craft Award

Hello there!

I'm thrilled to announce that I am a finalist in the inaugural Victorian Craft Award.

The Victorian Craft Award is Victoria’s largest exhibition of craft artists, showcasing excellence and innovation across all mediums. The exhibition will run across four venues, from 1-15 August, 2015.

EXHIBITED WORK

Queens

leather, EVA foam, polyester thread
300 x 240 x 130mm
$3,300 (calculated to retail)

ARTIST STATEMENTEmma Greenwood’s younger years were influenced by healthy doses of hiphop and bike messengering, which gave her a huge love of sneakers.  A handmade sneaker is a rare and coveted item, and Emma’s intention as a craftsperson has always been to elevate the sneaker from a mass-produced, disposable fashion trend to that of the handcrafted, customised and precious.  There are very few makers of handmade sneakers in the world, most shoemakers veer to the purer menswear staples of hand-welts, but Emma sees no reason why traditional techniques can’t be used to produce a sleekly futuristic feel.  Queens is both a reference to the borough of New York City, which played a major role in the birth of hiphop, and a nod to the artists who collaborated on this piece, Emma Greenwood and Nish Cash.  Nish is one of Australia’s best aerosol artists; she is also a workshop facilitator and arts officer who has had a prolific output over the last 20 years. Nish’s graffiti moniker is ‘Ishk’, and she has lent a classic outline for Emma to use in the design of these sneakers.

Pinwheel Earrings

Just in time for Christmas, the lovely folk at Craft are stocking my Pinwheel Earrings. Made from kid leather and surgical steel hooks, they are so light and are really gorgeous to wear. Available in black, silver and Tiffany blue.

Summer Workshops

Hi gang!

I am coming out of the woodwork in 2015, and the first event is the Summer Workshop Series run by Craft Victoria.

All the workshops are at Art Play in Birrarung Marr, just behind Fed Square.

My workshop in leatherwork skills runs for three Tuesday evenings starting Feb 3rd, from 5:30 - 8:30pm.

Here is the course description -

An introduction to leatherwork using leather from three different animals over three weeks: cow, goat and sheep. Learn innovative and interesting ways to work with these distinctly different materials via range of simple projects including a tassel keychain, a covered journal, a folded pencil case and a hand-tooled belt.  Participants will be guided through these projects, which showcase key leatherworking techniques and specific tools.

Each week will include examples and images of makers using these hides in a variety of ways, beginning with a history of shoemaking and leatherwork, and an overview of the tools, techniques and processes used in both conventional and contemporary practice.

Students are required to have dexterous hand skills, confidence to handle sharp tools and be ready to embrace the physical nature of working with leather.

There are 9 workshops in total, lead by some amazing tutors, and organised by the fabulous folk at Craft. I'm really looking forward to teaching, maybe I will see you there?!

Deck the Halls

Without filling this already image-heavy post with too many words, let me finally introduce my Christmas goodies for 2013. As many of you on Instagram will know, I have been cutting, stitching, attaching, painting and crocheting these beauties for a little while now, and I think that finally people are ready to hear about them!

I've taken many studio shots on the iphone, but also got some great photos taken by Natalie Jeffcott, and you can tell she is super talented and knows her schizz. Thanks Nat!

I have both an Etsy store, and one over at Bigcartel, possibly confusing but best to spread the eggs into many baskets. The entire range is also available at Craft Victoria, they have the wreaths, as do Klopper in South Melbourne Market. I am not selling wreaths online as the postage is a bit crazy, plus they are rather fragile.

 Christmas Bunting is my version of tinsel, a generous 3metres of red satin bias binding, with either gold or silver leather flags. Drape it around your Christmas tree, or pin to a mantelpiece or wall, to bring instant joy to your home.

 The Gift Cards feature festive postage stamps from all over the world, and are a gorgeous decorative touch to add to any gift. They are sold in packs of 10. I have been making these since January!

 

The wreaths are 30mtrs of rope, crocheted around a polystyrene core. They measure approx 45cm across, so are rather large, and have been a lot of fun to make! Instore at Craft and Klopper.

Finally the decorations, in four designs: bird, snowflake, present and Christmas stocking. These are made from robust kid leather, in the traditional colours of red and white, and feature a silver charm on satin ribbon. These decorations are set to become modern heirlooms, to be cherished by generations and remembered fondly each festive season.

I'm also doing the next Craft Hatch market from 11-4 this Saturday 30th November, at 1000 Pound Bend, 361 Little Lonsdale St in the city, all these goodies will be there, and a whole lot more!

And if that wasn't enough, Craft Vic will be selling this range at their stall at the Big Design Market Dec 6, 7 and 8, at the REB in Carlton.

Go forth!

All to be found....

...at Craft Vic. Poor Carmel, I took in the stamp tags today and she just couldn't choose, so she took them all!

Luggage

Well these have been on my list for a very long time.

I prototyped one a few months ago, it was way too detailed and there was no way I could have made them in bulk or for a reasonable price. Seeing as I am not Hermes yet, I cannot charge $1500 for a luggage tag!

So here is the new, basic version, I made them in red, black and dark chocolate. The darker colours don't photograph well, but the red is resplendent!

All available at Craft Vic, and soon in the online shoppe.

Pinwheels are Pleasing

I am taking credit for this amazingly crappy photo, taken on the bench at Craft Victoria, where these cute Pinwheels have taken up residence.

From this flat piece...

... to this flower...

...you need a split-pin...

...some interference from the studio mascot...

...and a whole lotta colour!

Bits and pieces

 A lot going on in the studio these past weeks, retailers needing their Xmas stock, coinciding with a craft stall at school this past Saturday, finished off with a BIG sewing job for Steve.

These Xmas Owls have been sent off to Craft Vic and Artisan.

Likewise these Xmas gift tags, using old postage stamps from all over the world. I love seeing all the different imagery, there are some great Xmas stamps out there, mostly from Europe and the US.

Recycled plastic mayhem! I have got all my school pals scavenging through their cupboards etc for colourful plastic. None of us can go to the supermarket again without closely examining the colours of the bottles, lids and containers.

We have been assembling components into rings and bracelets with a flower motif, using a split pin to hold everything together. The bracelets have press studs set into the ends.

This was loads of fun, and we will be making more in different designs for boys. I really enjoyed cutting the components and getting everyone to assemble them, I seem to have a compulsion to poke holes into things and join them to other things!

Take this keyring, for example.
Old circuit boards from electrical goods, use a heat gun to knock off all the resistors etc, cut into smaller pieces on the bandsaw, sand the corners off, drill a hole, attach a split ring and keyring clasp - too easy!

 My beautiful studio helper. Holy crap she has grown! She is very chatty, and good at using scissors.

Fancy some fluoro?

Brickies' string, a crochet hook, brooch backs and some Boardwalk Empire results in the above riotous botanical display.

Available at Craft Victoria.

Here I am!

Lovely to drop in and visit Craft Vic, my home away from home.

Beautiful exhibitions on at the moment, and the shop is well stocked in the lead up to Christmas.

The new Craft Vic brochure has some surprises too, yours truly gracing three different pages.


Playing show & tell with Maryann. My sis is standing right next to me!


My beloved shoemaking tools; two pairs of pincers, a tack lifter and some sharp-ass tacks!


Bottom right is my Florentine stitched pincushion, amongst other things in a box of tricks.

These images were taken at our Gallery Three residency by Jorge de Araujo. Thanks Jorge!

Kokonuti

I have slowly unpacked my bags from Craft Vic, everything is back in it's place and I have a Queen in my studio, standing proudly in the finery which Maryann and I made. It's strange to go from seeing Maryann everyday to not seeing her at all - I MISS YOU LADY!

So here are the finished wedges, called Kokonuti, pronounced similarly to Coconut Tea, which is the ceremony our Queen was dressing up for. The wedge cover is woven pandanus, commonly used throughout the Pacific, with ribbon stars threaded into the weave. The insole is covered with pigskin suede, soooo soft, the strap is woven from leather strips and green satin ribbon, with studs made from a shiny red seed that I will find out the name of. The toe stars are also leather, and the sock has a cute detail of some Samoan shell stamps. How's that for an alliterative sentence?!

For more amazing pics of our final days at CV, including one of me looking angelic wearing a flower wreath go here. Thanks to Kim for all the pics and to all at CV for their support and giggles.

Phew!

Out of the frying pan into the fire - that's how we roll.

From one busy artist parent to another, our family deadline for Sam's show is tomorrow! He's been up all night for days, weeks, months, and is flying to Sydney in the morn to install his show at New Albion Gallery.

I have been kidwrangling with the help of my awesome Mum, they are off at the Museum as I type. It's so much easier with an extra adult around, we don't want Granny to go back to Adelaide but I fear that this weekend she is departing :(

More projects simmering away, I'll tell you more soon, now I need to go and monitor some media to bring in a bit of much needed $$.

New Week, New Work

Today was busy for Maryann and I, we both got into our separate grooves and for a while there was no chat, just concentration and crafting. Here are Maryann's manicured hands getting busy on the sash for our Queen.

May I just say that we have been discussing this sash for so long, and it's fantastic to see it taking shape. The weave is quite complex, the materials are all different, so Maryann has her work cut out for her, keeping it all neat and even. That's her specialty.

I found my groove out on the freezing fire escape, where I choose to do my glue sniffing, and accidental peeking into the neighbouring apartments. I love love love covering insoles, wedges and heels, it's like wrapping up a present.

Maryann's homework over the weekend was to weave these tiny ribbon stars into the wedge cover. Gorgeous. Now my homework is to prepare and attach the sole, insole, sock etc.

Tomorrow and Weds I shall be in for a short day, Miss Hazel will be coming with me as I am sans babysitter. Big thanks to Granny Col for helping so far.

I am hoping that Hazie will sleep in the pram, tucked away in the store room behind our studio, although the music from Adele Varcoe's tent is fairly overpowering, it's sending us bonkers!