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Featured Seller: Rosalind Craft Supplies

Monday, February 6th, 2012

Rosalind Craft Supplies is the creation of Kate Jordan – Auckland-based crafter, gardener and beer geek – whose designs demonstrate an elegant combination of form and function to help keep crafters organised.

What do you make?
Items to keep crafters organised: knitting needle and crochet hook cases, tool cases, and brewer’s wall organisers.

How did you get into your craft?
I’ve always been a sewer and a knitter. Then last year I was between jobs with a bit of spare time and I finally got to set up Rosalind Craft Supplies, something I’ve wanted to do for a quite while.

"I like my products to have a practical use: to store, carry or protect something."

Your favourite materials, tools and processes?
I love nearly anything made of natural fibres (cotton, wool, silk, etc.), whether it’s in yarn or material form. My favourite tool is my sewing machine; my Dad helped me buy a new one for my birthday and it does amazing things like automatic buttonholes! A close second is my sewing shears – a good pair of shears are essential and if you look after them, they’ll look after you. Mine are only for material – it’s one of the first things I teach new flatmates – don’t touch my scissors!

Is there a philosophy behind your work?
I like my products to have a practical use: to store, carry or protect something.

Describe your workspace:
A desk in my bedroom – which means my bedroom often looks like a haberdashery exploded in it.

A favourite quote:
“A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” – Thomas Mann. It can easily apply to anything else – a historian, a knitter or a painter.

What are you currently listening to? The Suburbs by Arcade Fire.

Recommend an album: High Violet by The National.

What was the last handmade item you bought?
Every Christmas and birthday, my sister and I exchange our Felt wishlists. Last Christmas I bought her matching earrings and a necklace from ladysoldier and she gave me some gorgeous little mugs from tinyhappy. It made Christmas so much easier!

Your favourite childhood book?
The Girls of St Olave’s by E L Haverfield – the book which Rosalind Aymes is from.

What are you reading now?
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Check out Kate’s full range of ready-made organisers in her Felt shop, Rosalind Craft Supplies, or contact her through Felt to arrange a custom design.

Tags: auckland, featured seller, handmade craft supplies
Posted in Featured Sellers | No Comments »

Featured Seller: Natale

Monday, November 28th, 2011

Dunedin is not the first place that springs to mind as a likely source of Scandinavian style Christmas decorations with a philosophy inspired by Italian food, but in fact it is exactly where you will find Natale. In between a full time job and bee keeping on the side, Mel Adams is creating decorations with heart, to bring a little more joy to your Christmas.

What do you make? Handmade Christmas ornaments.

How did you get into your craft?
Like most people who craft it all started when I was little. There are fond memories of holiday time at my grandparents farm, where my sister and I would cause havoc knitting and making things. Either my Mum or my Nana Mary taught us how to knit and I remember a phase of us making dolls out of old pantyhose and wool. It was a great way to spend the holidays. Over the years I have pottered away with various forms of crafting – fits of sewing, knitting, bookmaking. It has quietly evolved into making these lovely Christmas decorations.

Five words that describe your mind:
Excited, creative, happy, inspired, I have to add rather tired as well – it has been a busy month or two.

Do you have formal training or qualifications in your craft?
Not really, just the Nana Mary school of knitting. I love that how I knit is how Mum knits, my nana knits, my great grandmother knitted. I can’t wait to teach my little niece to do this. Aside from my family helping me out, I also have a rather large collection of craft books that I consult for advice from time to time. (more…)

Tags: christmas, dunedin, featured seller
Posted in Featured Sellers | 2 Comments »

Featured Seller: 11 Post Studio

Monday, November 14th, 2011

11 Post Studio is the collaborative venture of Katie and Mike Maahs, working from their home on Waiheke Island. Each an artist in their own right, Katie and Mike are inspired by the beauty, history and symbolism of New Zealand postage stamps and combine their skills to create distinctive artworks accentuating these aspects of the humble stamp.

What do you make?
We personally design, draw and hand cut stencils with vintage New Zealand stamps as a backdrop mounted to recycled flow core. We’ve also started grafting Indian ink into some new pieces as well.

How did you get into your craft?
We started by inheriting an old leather suitcase of unwanted stamps from a dear friend’s childhood collection. After poring over the thousands of stamps we fell in love with the artwork of the stamps themselves. The depth and breadth of the style and artistry contained in the kiwi stamps we thought was worth sharing in a new way. We thought about art that we would want in our house and designed from that perspective.

Is there a philosophy behind your work?
At first we were focused on designing something that felt authentic, bright and energetic. Once the stencil and stamp art got to a good place we started to look at the materials and what we could do to bring the final piece to as close to 100% recycled as possible. We eventually came across old real estate advert boards printed on plastic corrugate that replaced our need of foam core backing completely. We now can boast that our art is 90% recycled.

On a separate note we visited Christchurch just before the earthquake and now feel dutiful in helping anyway we can. We designed a Christchurch stencil and placed green stamps for the whole of New Zealand and a solitary red stamp marking the epicentre. 15% of all our sales of that piece go to CHCH Earthquake Appeal.

"New Zealand Tourism posters from the '50s, '60s and '70s are hands down some of the coolest art in NZ."

What inspires you?
Pop art, specifically Andy Warhol and his body of work. The way he was able to define life graphically and starkly is something that we hope to emulate to some degree. We are also obviously inspired by Kiwiana be it pop, modern or nostalgic. New Zealand Tourism posters from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s are hands down some of the coolest art in NZ. We also draw a lot from our experiences living on Waiheke Island, the green attitude, and the way people really get into upcycling. (more…)

Tags: art, featured seller, waiheke island
Posted in Featured Sellers | 5 Comments »

Featured Seller: Kinetic Craft

Monday, October 31st, 2011

While many crafters find time flies when they’re in the creative zone, Court Theatre set builder Richard van den Berg is more aware than most of the minutes ticking by – he spends his spare time in his Christchurch home studio designing and creating clocks, which he sells in his aptly named shop, Kinetic Craft.

What do you make?
I make handcrafted clocks in my spare time after my day job as a set builder and scenic artist at The Court Theatre in Christchurch.

How did you get into your craft?
Many years ago I made my first clock for a present for a friend, who wanted something a bit different to sit on his mantlepiece. I got such positive feedback from people that I decided to sell them at the Arts Centre Market and have expanded from there.

Do you have formal training or qualifications in your craft?
I have a diploma in visual communication, majoring in 3D studies. As a kid I also obsessively played with Lego for enough hours to earn an engineering degree.

"As a kid I also obsessively played with Lego for enough hours to earn an engineering degree."

Your favourite materials, tools and processes?
I really enjoy the process of casting, especially making silicone rubber molds. I like the idea that you can spend hours on the original piece, getting it just right and then having the ability to replicate it quickly and perfectly every time.

What inspires you?
Bridges and aircraft, along with so many other feats of engineering, seem to hold sculptural qualities that inspire me in their aesthetic.

(more…)

Tags: christchurch, clocks, home decor, homewares
Posted in Featured Sellers | 1 Comment »

Featured Seller: Jenny Keate

Monday, October 17th, 2011

Award-winning object designer Jenny Keate is blurring the lines between industrial design and handcraft in her Wellington studio, with her Luminant lamp paying tribute to a material central to craft.

What do you make?
I generally make lamps. I dabble in other areas but always come back to lighting and lamp design, because I love the way that light can transform materials. I’m also involved in an industrial design project to make a lumbar support for use in a car.

Where do your ideas come from?
With Luminant, I knew I wanted to shine light through the hooked wool and was trying to find a way to make it work as a conventional tapered cylinder lampshade. I had someone make up a couple of lamp shades for me, but they were expensive to make and didn’t look perfect, especially where the fabric edges joined. So I decided to design a light shade from a single piece of fabric with no joins. While I was playing around with different shapes, one of the models looked a bit like an animal. This was such a good match with the material that I decided to go with a stylised sheep form.

"I get pleasure from the making process, and find it a real challenge to design objects that are both functional and beautiful."

Do you have formal training or qualifications in your craft?
A Bachelor of Design, majoring in industrial design, from Victoria University.

What motivates you?
I get pleasure from the making process, and find it a real challenge to design objects that are both functional and beautiful. Another motivating factor is the satisfaction I get when I feel I’ve designed something that adds to the story of New Zealand object design.

Describe your workspace: A corner of a room overlooking a busy Wellington street.

What is your design philosophy?
I try to create objects that deliver pleasure at every stage of their life. This involves caring about every aspect of the product, not just how it looks. My early lamp designs were basically illuminated sculptures, but now I try to design lamps that are functional as well as beautiful. Care for the total product involves caring about: my own enjoyment as the designer/maker (satisfaction gained from designing; well crafted); the environment (material selection; manufacturing processes; waste material; disposal); and the user’s enjoyment of the product (beauty; functionality; ability to be maintained or repaired).

Your favourite materials, tools and processes?
My favourite material at the moment is wool. I love wool because it’s fantastically versatile and is linked in with New Zealand culture.

Your favourite childhood book? The Narnia books.

What are you reading now?
Alice Munroe – Too Much Happiness, Michael Smythe – New Zealand by Design

What are you currently listening to?
Gillian Welch – The Harrow and the Harvest, PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

Recommend an album: Elvis Perkins – Elvis Perkins in Dearland

The Luminant is available on Felt and makes a great Kiwi-flavoured Christmas gift if you’re looking for something different!

Tags: featured seller, homewares, industrial design, wellington
Posted in Featured Sellers | 1 Comment »

Featured Seller: Native Creative

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

From her studio overlooking stunning native bush in the beautiful Bay of Plenty, Aly Bennett has built up her craft business, Native Creative, from an original range of collages on plywood to a collection of innovative product designs inspired by New Zealand birdlife.

What do you make?
I make unique native creations out of printed plywood which are inspired by NZ’s wonderful bird life. I design my own patterns to print onto the plywood which are intended to reflect the personality of each bird. To date my range includes collages, prints, slot-togethers, mobiles, wall decals, brooches and a jewellery tree. I’m also soon to release my first piece of furniture which is very exciting!

How did you get into your craft?
I’ve always had a creative itch and with two preschool aged children I wanted to find something I could do from home where I could dictate my own hours. I started out with collages of native birds applied onto plywood blocks. Eventually, after really falling in love with plywood and all its possibilities, this led on to the creation of my other products.

Do you have formal training or qualifications in your craft?
No. In the past I’ve worked in many industries including advertising and web design (in non-design roles) so was often surrounded by creativity which I found inspiring. This meant I’ve always been proficient using a computer and am good at ‘organising’. It feels so great now to have found a medium that I LOVE which is becoming successful. I must add that the creative, technical and woodworking talents of my husband have been invaluable in helping to develop my ideas. (more…)

Tags: bay of plenty, home decor, homewares, jewellery, rotorua
Posted in Featured Sellers | 2 Comments »

Featured Seller: Sandra Waine

Monday, September 19th, 2011

Printmaker and crafter Sandra Waine hails from the seaside suburb of Devonport in Auckland, where she works from her home studio creating her bright and distinctive prints, stationery and gorgeous tea towels.

What do you make?
My craft is lino prints, screen-printing textiles, hand printed cards, hand carved rubber stamps.

How did you get into your craft?
Growing up my sister and I were always drawing and making things. We even ventured into making Fimo (polymer clay) brooches and selling them at our Auntie’s stall in Manurewa.

While living in Sydney in the ’90s, I made hand painted cushions and crafted photo frames which I sold at the North Sydney and Balmain markets, while also working fulltime. On our return to New Zealand my amazingly creative Auntie (also a printmaker and painter) encouraged me to enter the printmaking section of the Royal Easter Show. Being a mum it was great to get back into the swing of creating, so it’s been non-stop ever since.

"Whether I’m block printing or screen-printing I do love “inking up” and printing that first image."

Your favourite materials, tools and processes?
I love my lino tools! Cutting into a new block of lino or stamping rubber – what fun! Whether I’m block printing or screen-printing I do love “inking up” and printing that first image. And I do of course love printmaking inks, beautiful paper and fabrics.

Five words that describe your mind:
Busy, while trying to appear calm and organised. Constantly thinking about things I could make when I should be thinking about making dinner!

Do you have formal training or qualifications in your craft?
It was during our time in Australia (while I was working full-time), I attended night school at North Sydney TAFE completing a Fine Arts Certificate. Included in this course was printmaking which re-established my love for this craft.

Is there a philosophy behind your work?
I guess the reason I like to create is it is rewarding – soul food – part of who I am. I love the process from when something inspires me to the final piece. The real bonus is when other people find enjoyment from my creations. (more…)

Tags: art, featured seller, homewares, stationery
Posted in Featured Sellers | 2 Comments »

Featured Seller: Whalebird Jewellery

Monday, September 5th, 2011

Jewellery designer Hannah Clayton has been crafting her wares in a little house on the hill over looking Whitianga Bay for the last seven years. Already established selling under her own name through design stores and galleries throughout New Zealand, this year she launched Whalebird Jewellery, her own online shop on Felt.

What do you make? I handcraft jewellery in metals, mostly silver.

How did you get into your craft?
I began at a very young age, making woven friendship bracelets and polymer clay beads with a school friend. We sold our wares at the local Saturday craft market, off the end of her mum’s jumper stall. We usually made enough to keep us in penny chews for the rest of the weekend, so I thought perhaps a career in crafts could work.

Years later some broken travel plans led me to take a last minute place on a metalsmith course. Instantly a whole new universe opened up before me and I had found my perfect medium….. drawing, design, sculpture and craft all held within one tiny object.

whalebird.felt.co.nz

Is there a philosophy behind your work?
I try not to let my designs be dictated by changing fashions and instead just concentrate on making beautifully crafted pieces that can become real little treasures in the heart and mind of their wearer.

Do you have formal training or qualifications in your craft?
Two years study in Design Metals at Plymouth University (U.K)

Your favourite materials, tools and processes?
I love learning new tricks with metals, so this changes quite often. At the moment I’m working largely with lost wax casting. (more…)

Tags: featured seller, jewellery, silver, waikato, whitianga
Posted in Featured Sellers | 6 Comments »

Featured Seller: The Paperbird Society

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

Melissa Boardman is the creative force behind The Paperbird Society. Based in Wellington, Melissa was inspired by her love of birds to develop a range of bird-themed eco-friendly papergoods, which has evolved to include prints and tote bags featuring some of New Zealand’s favourite native birds.

What do you make?
I make native bird themed paper goods – greeting cards, hand stitched notebooks and notepads. The majority of the products I make are stationery items but more recently I have begun introducing things like tote bags and giclee prints to the range.

How did you get into your craft?
I have always collected notebooks and greeting cards and dreamed of one day designing my own stationery range. I had been doing a lot of bird photography and printmaking which I wanted to use for something practical, I wanted to find a medium that would allow me to combine my love of birds, photography and printmaking, stationery was that medium.

Do you have formal training or qualifications in your craft?
Not in my craft as such, but I took printmaking papers as part of my Bachelor of Design, which gave me the skills I use to create the prints that form the imagery of my stationery. I majored in photography, which plays a big role in my processes, as all my designs begin with a photograph.

Your favourite materials, tools and processes?
I love all kinds of printmaking processes, especially linocuts and drypoint etchings. I enjoy putting images on paper in ways that are completely hands on and personal. No two prints are exactly the same and I love this aspect of printmaking. (more…)

Tags: featured seller, paper goods, printmaking, stationery, wellington
Posted in Featured Sellers | 1 Comment »

Featured Seller: Plucky Sheilas

Monday, August 8th, 2011

Justine Fletcher’s craft celebrates the inspiring life stories of famous women, with New Zealand suffragists featuring prominently in her work. Her Felt shop, Plucky Sheilas, houses a collection of jewellery and clothing that pays tribute to our rich heritage of strong female role models.

What do you make?
I make a variety of jewellery, clothing and accessories. I have also just started making gift packs in the form of ‘Suffragist Kits’.

How did you get into your craft?
I have always enjoyed making things for myself. My mother very patiently and encouragingly taught me to knit and sew as a child and my parents gave me a sewing machine for my 16th birthday, which is the one I still use. My favourite subject at intermediate school was metalwork, and I have loved metal ever since. I have never been able to choose a favourite between fabric and metal.

pluckysheila.felt.co.nz

Do you have formal training or qualifications in your craft?
Not really. But when I was living in Milan in the early nineties I studied at the Scuola Orafa Ambrosiana, after finally admitting to myself that it was okay to be serious about making jewellery. So I spent time working through basic techniques in precious metals in a beautiful workshop – it was great, and consolidated lots of skills I had previously developed. (more…)

Tags: accessories, clothing, featured seller, wellington
Posted in Featured Sellers | 1 Comment »

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