We're Back from the Wilds of East Africa (and finally a new Post)

14 May 2012

Well, we're back from the wilds of East Africa (I can't believe we've been back some 5 weeks now) and we had a fantastic time.  We saw lots, did lots, drove lots, walked lots, sweated lots, met some great people and took lots of photos, some of which I plan to use in my future resin jewellery pieces.  We will go back again one day - hopefully sooner rather than later.

Two weeks ago I participated in the Made 'n' Thornbury Mother's Day market.  Thankfully I had made some pieces before we started our travels but I still had several late nights finishing off some new pieces.  I thought I'd try experimenting with some vintage wallpapers I had bought online at Etsy.  I had some good results but some wallpapers can be difficult to work with mainly due to the old glues used - sealing didn't seem to help much with resin staining - but I think I've now figured out a better way to work with them so I'll try some more out down the track.  Here's some pictures of my new pieces - I'm really pleased with them.

Some of my new vintage wallpaper range - ring, brooch and pendant

Vintage wallpaper brooch

Vintage wallpaper rings

 I sold a number of my pieces at the Mother's Day market which was great and also had some lovely feedback and comments - always such a positive for me even if people don't buy.

I'll be back at the October Made 'n' Thornbury market in the lead up to Christmas - no doubt that time of the year will come around quicker than we all think.  I'm also going to investigate doing a couple of other local/community markets.  The Made 'n' Thornbury market has been a great introduction for someone like me who is new to the whole market thing and producing something that people like to buy.

Until next time, happy creativity.

Ange

Better Late Than Never - Happy New Year!

18 February 2012

Happy (Belated) New Year!  I had every intention of updating my blog a month ago but somehow got sidetracked with our travel plans.  We (significant other half) and I are returning to East Africa - Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania - for six weeks.  We were last there in 2008 and we are so looking forward to returning and seeing something more of these fantastic countries.

So, my resin jewellery for the time being is sitting on the back burner.  I have half-made some pieces as I'll be participating in the Made 'n' Thornbury Mother's Day market in May.  I didn't want to come back from my hols and then be stressed out trying to get pieces made from scratch.  Somehow I think there will still be some stress and late nights involved in getting all my pieces finished before the market.

I'll be back blogging when we get back from our adventures.

Until then, happy creativity.

Ange

Getting Ready for the Made 'n' Thornbury Christmas Market

I can't believe Christmas is only weeks away.  Another year has passed by so quickly.  Maybe they just get quicker as we (I) get older.

For the past several weeks I've been making some new resin pieces for sale at the Made 'n' Thornbury Christmas Market (Leinster Grove Community Centre, 99 Leinster Grove, Thornbury) on Friday 2 December from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm.  Having sold at the October Made 'n' Thornbury Market, it's a little easier getting my "act" together for this upcoming market.

I've decided to include a small line of earrings at the December market (as well as my pendants and brooches) and I am also going to have some additional "boy" bling on sale in the way of some badges.  I already have a line of cufflinks.  Boys are so difficult to cater for with jewellery.  Can only see how it goes.

Here's a preview of some of the pieces I'll have on sale on the 2nd.


The Colours of Africa Pendants

The Colours of Australia Pedants



Captain Scarlet Boy Bling Badge

So if you can, please come and support this great local market.  You may just find that elusive Christmas present you've been looking for.

See you on the 2nd.

My First Market

Well, I've just participated in and sold at my first Made 'n' Thornbury Market last Saturday and what a great experience it was for me as a first-time seller.  I'll be honest, I was a little anxious about selling at a market (the closest I've ever come to selling at a market is a garage sale with my neighbours - not exactly the same sort of experience) but the relaxed atmosphere and being in the company of my fellow Make Craft Your Business workshop ladies helped to alleviate any nervousness I had.

I sold a number of my resin pieces which was an absolute morale booster for me - I was going to be happy if I sold just one resin piece.  I received some really nice positive feedback and that all really helped.  A big thank you to family and friends who came along and supported the Market.  Thanks also to Dee and Trisha of Thornbury Women's Neighbourhood House for their help and support.

All in all, a great positive start for me.  While I'm unsure what other markets I will do, I am going to see if there are spaces available for the Made 'n' Thornbury Christmas Market on Friday 2 December.  I still plan to get up and running on the MadeIt craft website so I am able to sell my wares to family and friends overseas.  I'll let you know when that all happens.

In the meantime enjoy the photo of happy stallholder Ange at her first market.



Ange enjoying her first Made 'n' Thornbury Market



Photos, photos, photos!!!

Well, it finally has happened - photos have been taken of my resin pieces - yay!  Unfortunately my "official" photographer is pretty flat out with work at the moment so I received a crash course over the weekend in how to use his digital SLR with a macro lense.  And, I think I did OK.

There are so many photographic combinations you can use especially when you have small pieces to photograph.  A few items around the house were pressed into service and were happy to oblige - Molly my 1930s dressmaker's dummy for close-ups of pendants, a beautiful African sculpture for more pendant shots, a 1930s silver plane ashtray for the cufflinks and a photographer's light box (which I made one afternoon - thank you again to the Internet).  The hardest part was setting up the shots and running back and forth to the camera for tweaking the pieces.

So, without any further ado, here they are.

Morocco Stamp Brooches



The Power of Flowers - UK Stamp Brooches



Going Postal Stamp Cufflinks




Masai Blanket Pendant

 

Ifni Stamp Pendant





A Tree Grows in Africa Pendant

I'll have a greater selection of my pieces available at the Made 'n' Thornbury Craft Market on Saturday 15 October.

Enjoy in the meantime!

 



A beautiful day for a spot of gardening

With a lovely warm day like today, summer can't be too far away - yay!  I am definitely not a winter person and as soon as I see the jasmine start to bloom, the blossom trees start to blossom and the daisy bushes putting on their display, I know (and hope) that winter is nearly in the past.  Bring on summer I say.

So, a spot of gardening I did.  I am no great shakes in the garden but do know the difference between a weed and a flower.

I've also spent some more time working on my resin pieces and plan to finish some off this week and then finally get my "official" photographer to work.

In the meantime, I thought I'd post a several of my flower photos, some taken in my garden.  The colours may look a little intense and that's because I've manipulated them through some photographic software which can make the most ordinary photo look pretty good.

So, enjoy the photos and the fact that we are heading towards some more warmer weather!

Spring has sprung and so has my first Blog!

It's a bit scary starting your first blog but here I go.  I've been a bit of a "craft dabbler" for a good part of my life - you know, finger painting and cut-outs at kindergarten, more painting, drawing and knitting at primary school, art at high school (no Picasso in the making), plus sewing classes, string art, more sewing in my 20s, then down the track a few soft toys, a bear and dolls, cross stitch samplers, hand-pieced and quilted patchwork quilts and now some resin jewellery that's a little different.

So why resin jewellery?  I'd been to a number of craft markets during the year and saw some great crafts (in particular costume jewellery) which left me wondering if I could make something in that line.  With a bit of trial and thankfully not a lot of error (and watching lots of YouTube videos), I started making some resin pieces, mainly for myself and as gifts for friends and family.  My first pendant pieces used old travel poster images.

Fast forward a couple of months.  An advertisement in our local paper caught my eye - it was a "Make Craft Your Business Workshop" being hosted by the Thornbury Women's Neighbourhood House.  The course was facilitated by several local ladies who had taken their craft/hobby to the next level.  What a great course it turned out to be - such a positive atmosphere with great presenters and topics.  Most of the workshop participants were in the same boat - is what we make as a hobby good enough to sell.  And, it definitely is!

After more thought of what I could use in my pieces, I started using old postage stamps (such great graphics) turning them into cufflinks as well as pendants and brooches.  Then, I thought of using some of our wonderful photos taken during our travels to Africa in 2002 and 2008.  More cufflinks, more pendants and more brooches were made!!!  My family and friends really liked them.  What about custom pieces such as wedding photo pendants (I've made one using my parent's wedding photo), pet photos and kid's drawings turned into fridge magnets.

Lo and behold, Made by a Mzungu was born.  A "mzungu" is a person of foreign descent and you hear it constantly when travelling in Africa.  As I am a person of foreign descent being a first-generation Australian, what name could be more appropriate!

As a result of the workshop, I have taken the opportunity to participate in the upcoming Made 'n' Thornbury Craft Market Made 'n Thornbury on Saturday 15 October from 10.00 am to 2.30 pm.  While it'll be a bit daunting having never sold any of my resin pieces before at least there will be safety in numbers!  I'm also going to look at selling through one of the craft websites a little further down the track.

So there endeth my first blog.  Where are the photos of your wonderful resin pieces you say?  I say, please bear with me.  I'm just in the process of finishing some new pieces so stay tuned while I get my "official" photographer to work in developing some shots that show my pieces off!  While it won't happen overnight it will happen!

Happy crafting and creativity!