My Creative Addictions by Allure’s Editor, Susie Mills
A very warm, creative welcome back from Creative Addiction, with all the features you initially loved- only better- with more to follow. And our changes are not only visual, but have also taken on a character…if you can notice him!
He’s called ‘Meleon’- the embodiment of change. This creative little creature is very special since he not only changes colours, but textures, patterns and creative disciplines too!
Meleon is a metaphor for all those addicted to the creative bug. We make things which either blend in with our surroundings, or shout out loud from the roof tops. For some of us, our creative addiction is a means of socialising and communicating with the world around us and those who are seriously passionate about what they do, often end up earning a living from it.
Change is an integral part of our lives- often feared because it is so confronting. It shakes us from our comfort-zones and forces us to walk down unknown paths: namely the mastering of new skills and the potential for failure. But a Chameleon embraces change through his ability to adapt to his surroundings-walking with slow, deliberate movements from A-B, his sticky tongue lightening fast if something interesting and palatable alights in his path.
I’m a good example. I’ve been an illustrator, graphic designer, art director, a published author and a magazine editor. I love sewing, but simply cannot knit, crochet, bead, paint in watercolours or do a landscape. But just give me oil or acrylic paints, the human figure, any drawing medium, my airbrush and anything to do with mosaic or ceramics and my inner Chameleon will latch onto it: from his tongue right down to his tightly coiled tail! The process of making has always filled me with peace and fulfilment (unless I can’t get it right or run out of time) and I look forward to facilitating your processes by the exchange of ideas and valuable information, made so easy by this wonderful website.
Profile - Alischa Herman
LETTERPRESS BOUTIQUE, BESPOKE PRESS
Bespoke - a timeless word which means ‘to custom make,’
beautifully suited to the old world art form that is letterpress.
Having worked as a graphic designer for nearly 10 years Alischa has always loved illustration and design ...especially for beautiful events like weddings! After nearly four years of searching for all the antique printing equipment needed, her studio now houses an 1893 Chandler & Price Printing Press weighing 800kg, fondly named ‘Charlie.’ With him in place Bespoke Press, an artisan letterpress shop, was born in 2008.
“After making dear friendships with several old retired letterpress printers, they have adopted me as their apprentice and I learnt this old fashioned art form from the true masters. It is highly time consuming, frustrating and challenging – but this just makes it all the more appealing to me.” Alischa says. Her commitment to quality and attention to detail means your order is reproduced the old-fashioned way, using antique cast-iron presses, the best paper, time, patience, perfection and a whole lot of love, delivering a product which is unique today.
Very few people in Australia print with letterpress equipment. Apart from being rare and expensive, it is incredibly slow, hard work due to the fact the press is foot-pedalled, with each sheet of paper hand-fed through, colour at a time. This process leaves a deep impression in the soft cotton paper which is tactile, lush and intricately beautiful.
The Bespoke studio is eco-friendly, practicing this craft as sustainably as possible. All papers used are 100% tree- free cotton paper, carbon neutral and waste is recycled, “Thanks to our somewhat smelly worm farm, Alischa remarks. “We challenge ourselves to do better and are forever on the look out for old cast iron equipment which would otherwise be destined for the scrapheap.”
Letterpress has a beautiful tactile finish which is opulent and elegant. Each and every print is a true art form. The hours of hard work just make the end result enchantingly beautiful!
CRAFTY FACTS: PRODUCTS: One-of a kind special events announcements and invitations, hand-crafted business cards, high-end stationery for letter writers. CONTACT: Mob: 0438 229 992 Email: info@bespokepress.com.au WEB:www.bespokepress.com.au
The Bespoke blog is a hub for information on letterpress, graphic design, interior design and beautiful handmade things new and old which inspire us. http://bespokepress.blogspot.com/
Craft & Quilt Fair returns to Adelaide
with brand new features, superb displays
and a new guest artist
Australia’s favourite craft event, the Craft & Quilt Fair is returning in 2009 to the Adelaide Showground, November 5 - 8. In addition to great displays, fantastic shopping opportunities and non-stop classes and workshops; the Fair will bring with it a special guest artist as well as new attractions and features. Read the full article...
Planning an event we need to know about? Creative Addiction will be publishing a Calendar of Craft Events and Workshops on the website. If you are organising a craft-related seminar, market, workshop, trade show or any other event open to the public, let us know. Send your name and contact details, details of the event and a description of 50 words or less with the subject ‘Events’ to info@creativeaddiction.com.au.
Humbug to the Global Financial Crisis- a sewing machine is return on investment, second to none. Dust yours off, pull out the patterns and savour the independence of being able to have whatever you want.
A) KEEP IT COVERED: Dust, hair and even UV from exposure to sunlight can damage a machine- particularly the more sophisticated, computerised machines.
B) PUT IT AWAY: if you don’t have a dedicated sewing area, children or pets could get entangled in the cables and launch your machine off the table. They do not adapt well to flying, particularly the landing. Young children are terribly fascinated by sewing machines and will tie your threads, mechanisms (and stomach) into knots which are only rivalled by fishing line.
C) SWITCH IT OFF: Before you do any oiling or cleaning, do turn off the power. Remove any lint from beneath the stitch plate, then clean the top and bottom of the hook race. Lightly oil the hook race with one or two drops...if the men in your home haven’t already beaten you to your special sewing machine oil !
The cash outlay you make in purchasing your sewing machine is the largest amount you are ever going to spend for any sewing. Look after it well and it will serve you faithfully for decades.
Website Spotlight
Each month we throw a spotlight on a crafter’s website that we have randomly discovered, and love!
For those of you with a yen to record your memories for posterity, this website is a must-see for many of your scrapbooking needs. The bright and cheerful homepage is bound to lure you in to the ensuing pages. It’s success lies in the simplicity of design. What is really unique to this site are the lovely big square buttons on the left to navigate the site with cute icons for shopping, contact, terms etc.
One button to look for is - the ‘Ideas Gallery’ which is hidden away at the bottom right of the shopping page. This page encourages interaction with site visitors and creates visual interest by showcasing ideas. The main focus, however, is to cater for your scrapbooking needs at the click of a mouse, and this is adequately catered for.
The Australasian Quilt Convention (AQC) is proud to announce that the AP&Q AQC Challenge is on again. The theme is Remember and the winners will be announced during the 2010 Convention.
Held at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, Victoria (Australia) on April 29 to May 2, 2010, the Australasian Quilt Convention is a world class event and the largest of its kind in Australia.
“The theme Remember has been selected for the Challenge as we anticipate that it will allow quilters a great amount of scope to use their creativity in both imagination and technique, and allow for both traditional and contemporary styles”, said Judy Newman, craft consultant, Expertise Events, the Australasian Quilt Convention organisers. With prize money of AUD $7,500 up for grabs, entries are again expected to be generated from all parts of Australia as well as international entrants.
Entries for the Challenge are now open and close on February 10, 2010. There is a special category with a prize of AUD $500 for the best quilt from an entrant 18 years old or under. It is important to the quilting community that we encourage the quilt artists of the future. “We are expecting thousands of quilters from around the country and several from overseas to once again visit this fantastic event and with such a thought provoking theme: Remember, we also have high expectations of the quality and number of entries for the AP&Q AQC Challenge in 2010”, said Judy Newman.
The Challenge is proudly sponsored by Australian Patchwork & Quilting magazine in conjunction with Expertise Events. For further information on the Australasian Quilt Convention Challenge and Challenge Rules and Entry Form please go to www.aqc.com.au
Looking for New Products, Promotions and Projects. We are interested in receiving press releases featuring crafts news and information on product launches, promotions and industry updates. Please send your press release to info@creativeaddiction.com.au. In addition, we will be featuring monthly projects, including simple craft projects for children. We are looking for a variety of quality craft projects with easy to follow instructions and easily obtainable supplies that produce stunning results. Submit up to 2 photos with a brief description of your project to info@creativeaddiction.com.au.
Creative Juice
Here is a taste of the projects on the Creative Addiction Website.
Here’s a sample of the magic you can do with just a few pieces of paper. It’s all in the mix of how you combine the patterns, textures, colours and, most importantly, what you know about that special person you are addressing them to.
Here’s how to transform a modest flowerpot with some Christmas magic. Fill the pots with lollies or any treat you wish…or take the traditional ‘green’ of Christmas well into the New Year by filling your reindeer pot with flowers or herbs.
ARE YOU INVOLVED IN THE BUSINESS OF ART AND CRAFT?
Then list yourself in the Creative Addiction directory....and get a FREE Listing if you link back to our website, or pay for a Gold or Bronze Listing and get two years’ worth of exposure for the price of one! Events, artists, crafters, suppliers or wholesalers- why not register right now? Submit your projects to the website and be featured in our bi-monthly newsletter.
AQC Announces theme for 2010 Challenge
