Thank you!

Thanks to everyone who has visited Aprons and Hammers over the years, you can now find me at Emma Greenwood Makes

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.

In case you wanted to know more....

Craft Victoria have been running a series of interviews with all of the tutors for the Summer Workshops, and mine can be found here.

There is also a payment plan option for securing your place, in case the purse strings are tight over the Xmas period.

They really have thought of everything!

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?!

6 months of making

Sewing a leather purse for a 5 year-old's birthday

Potato stamping with Hazel

Fire building over winter

Many pots of tea

Almond meal cocoa biscuits for my peeps

Bread making a few times per week

A bit of painting in quiet moments

Monster magnets...

...star keyrings...

...and felt checkerboards  for the school Father's Day stall, these were a labour of love but a real crowd pleaser!

Art Fair excursions, wishing I had a few spare thousand $ to shell out

Helping Leo cast his hand in plaster to display his loom band mitten at the Royal Show

Learning circular knitting!

Growing broad beans...

...and beets

 

Making spinach pie

Did HEAPS of yoga, online at Yogaglo and at Dance of Life in Fitzroy

If you have been following me over on Instagram (@emmagreenwoodmakes) you would have seen all these pics already, but for those of you that I only stay in touch with via Blogger, here's what I've been up to!

I have been on domestic duties for most of the year, helping my family stay on track as Daddy/Sam works ridiculous hours making new sculptures. We have all been very busy, happy and healthy, and are looking forward to seeing Sam's work in new galleries over the next few months.

We also got married in May on a rainy day at the Registry Office...

...and I had a big haircut!

Hiatus

Hello all, I'm just letting you know that I'm having an extended break from blogging, as I have too much on my plate to keep up with everything at the moment.

As you know I am no longer a frequent blogger, and I prefer to keep the subject matter shoe related, but the honest truth is that I am not doing much making right now, and probably won't be till Hazel is at school, which is hopefully next year.

We are planning some home renovations, so I'm working at my desk job late into the night when the kids are asleep, to earn some extra coin.

My daily exploits are still visible on Instagram @emblueski, so do come over and say hi.

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

This recent addition to our book collection has Sam and I in a custody battle, it is absolutely brilliant and so inspiring. Makes me very teary that Mr McQueen is no longer with us. 

I'm going to let the (somewhat crappy iphone) images do all the talking.

Handmade Magazine

The new issue of Handmade Magazine hit my mailbox this week, with a couple of pages devoted to me and my crazy shenanigans!

Elizabeth organised this piece late last year, and in the intervening months it had slipped my mind, so it was a lovely surprise to see it all put together. I'm super-happy with the way it turned out, but just wanted to clarify that I am not, in fact, a part-time musician, I'm not sure where that obscure piece of info came from!?

Anyhow, you can click on these images to make them big enough to read, I hope that you enjoy it and gain some insight into my pedantic technique-driven world.

Happy Place = Happy Valley Shop

My current happy place is Happy Valley Shop on Smith St. I love it not just because they are my most recent stockist, and not just because a dear friend works there, but because it is so darn deluxe!

A lot of stores these days are too pretty, too visually busy, too colourful (never thought I would say that!), too girly, but Happy Valley Shop is the antidote to all of that. Best book selection, great mags, well considered gifts for guys and gals, it's a beautiful big space which is peaceful and airy, and always makes my savings card a little less full!

Happy Valley Shop are stocking my leather cases and luggage tags.

Fun times

 Went to the beach and pretended to be Old Gregg

 Rearranged my colour-coded books

 Did some mending

 My kids both made art with their Dad, this is Leo's...

 

...and this is Hazel's

 

 Scored some Villeroy&Boch at Savers

 Ate Bento Box 4 at Ito

 Went to the NGV

 Made festive beverages in glass jugs, this one is a strawberry basil margarita

Turned 40 and had a huge party!