Mother's Day Gifts - Under $50!

Stockist Spotlight - Clay & Clasp

Who are you?

My name is Lucy, I am from the UK originally but now live in Perth with my husband Jake, dog Archie and cat George!  

What do you make?

I make jewellery and homewares from clay!  

When did you get started?

I started in September 2012 as I was feeling a little frustrated in that my job was not creative enough. So I started making jewellery to keep my design brain ticking, and do something really visual at the same time. 

I am a Heritage Architect by trade so come from a design background. I’ve been using clay since I was a child and I never gave it up. Even whilst studying I was always trying to sneak something made out of clay into my architectural models!

Why do you make your 'thing'? 

I have an obsession with tea and cake and have always been a really keen baker.  I tasted my first macaron at Laduree in London (not Paris unfortunately) and think I probably became obsessed with the look of them rather than the taste. I spent hours slaving in the kitchen trying to perfect the art of making them look perfect! Several thousand hours later (er, and several thousand kilos heavier), I still can’t get it right every time so it got me thinking if I’m doing this for looks over taste, maybe I should make some in clay!

I am also a big animal lover and hence many of my pieces feature birds, bunnies, owls and foxes!

Most other things I make stem from a piece I've wanted to make for myself, usually to go with a certain outfit or for a specific occasion.  

Where to next for you? (what direction do you see your work heading in?)

I would like to develop my custom pieces so that I can make pieces for families or individuals that are truly unique to them.  I am forever thinking up new designs, inspired by something I've seen (or eaten) and so who knows what I'll make next!

Jubly-Umph Jewellery Sale

We have a lot of Jubly-Umph fans amongst View Point customers, so I'm sure this sale will interest a lot of you!

I want to clear out the Jubly stock we have in currently so that I can bring in a whole fresh batch - so we've marked it all down!!

Sale is while stocks last and I don't think they'll last long, so you'd better get in quick!!

Stockist Spotlight - Cinders

Today on the blog we're shining the Stockist Spotlight on Lucinda of Cinders Jewelry, here's what she had to say about her beautiful pieces:

Cinders Jewelry is all about mystery, seduction and beauty. 
I started Cinders Jewelry Design in early June 2012, as a hobby because I have always loved being creative and I have been a painter my whole life.

I am a huge animal lover and the only animal products I use are naturally shed feathers. My items are 100% cruelty free, and I only source the highest quality materials for my work.

I love experimenting with different colours, textures, themes and mythologies to create intricate and beautiful wearable art.

I have always adored the allure and mystery of Bohemian and Gypsy cultures and I also love the gorgeous femininity of the Victorian era. 
I have always loved quantum physics and studying the inner working of things, hence my love for Steampunk. 

I adore making custom designs and collaborating with someone  to create something truly unique for them to love and cherish. 

All of my items are one of a kind, and a lot of care goes into every single piece.

Every day I work with beautiful crystals, tiny watch parts, lots of lace and feathers. I am always surrounded by sparkle. :-)

Fresh stock

Here's just a snippet of the awesome new stock we've got in at View Point. I will be running a giveaway on the mailing list for one of the Badger & Coyote 3-bead necklaces, so make sure you're signed up to be in the running! Just add your email to the sign up form in the right side bar -->

(side note: the purse pictured is by Little Lee Designs, our purse workshop presenter. There's still a few spots left in this weekend's class, get in touch if you're keen to book in!)

A Week of Crafternoons

We're opening the upstairs gallery as an escape from the hectic nature of the festive season.

BYO craft project and enjoy the serenity of the gallery while getting your creative on.

from the 13th of Dec - the 19th of Dec, between noon and 4pm.

Entry by donation, all proceeds will go to the Mirabel Foundation!

Contact us for more info

Exciting times ahead!

It's hard to believe that next month we will be celebrating View Point's 1st birthday! This past year has been incredible - we have met so many wonderful people, seen so many amazing things and been a part of so many exciting projects!

To celebrate this momentous occasion we are throwing a birthday party! A group art exhibition centred around the theme of 'time'. There have been some fabulous submissions and we can't wait to share these pieces with you.

The opening night is Friday the 7th of September from 7pm in the upstairs gallery at View Point Handmade Gallery, 13 View Point Bendigo. We would love to see you there!

The first 50 people through the door will receive a goodie bag (some will contain extra surprises!), so make sure you get along early. We're still in the final planning stages of the event, so be sure to RSVP on the facebook event for more details.

The exhibition runs from the 8th of September - 20th of September, so if you can't make the opening you can still catch a fantastic show!


Keeping with the theme of Art Parties (how ALL good exhibition openings should feel!) we're calling for submissions to our end of year show, here's the details:

I'm always astounded by the talent and creativity of our handmade stockists, they have a knack for creating the most devine 'wantables'! These are just a small sample of some of the recent stock additions/restocks - click through to the facebook album for more photos of the new things in store this month!

August Stock

 

 

 

 

With spring just around the corner we're putting out the call again for skilled makers interested in hosting workshops at the gallery. If you've got a skill you'd be keen to share we want to hear from you!

Speaking of making things - we're also looking to take on extra handmade stockists over the festive period (Oct-Dec), if you're making rad things please get in touch so we can talk 'shop'!

I think we've covered enough ways to get involved at View Point for one blog post!
Take care and we will see you soon!
Jess from VPHG

Beating those mid-winter blues, Bendigo style!

Oh Bendigo, how I love thee!! 

I have been a super proud citizen of my town recently - there have been pockets of sweetness to add a little light to the mid-winter 'blah'.

Our town has it's very own yarn bombers! Under the cover of night some wonderful locals have been helping the town rug up against the chill - trees and poles now wear scarves,  bicycle racks are now snuggly and the trees are decked out with pom-poms and assorted colourful woolen creations. I took the above snaps of the most recent additions to Bendigo's Hargreaves Mall, but here are some links to some other local delights:

 House of Humble - Post Cosies and the Snuggliest Tree

Bendigo Advertiser - Yarn bombers blanket Bendigo

Bendigo Advertiser - Bombers Knit Hargreaves Mall

It seems to have had a massively popular response, I posted the photo above to our facebook page to thank the anonymous yarn-bombers for brightening up the place and our fans have been very vocal about how fantastic they think it is. I have to agree, it has added warmth and run to a space that (since refurbishment) has been criticized for being a bit of a 'concrete jungle'.

I spotted these most recent yarn bombs Tuesday morning, on my walk to work, only to be greeted by this adorable welcome when I arrived. Thank you to whoever was responsible for the phantom flower delivery - it was the perfect way to start my morning!

 

These two moments have given me a much needed boost this winter! Perking me up by filling mundane daily events with joy - I still can't help but smile each time I look at either of these images.

Yarn Bombers and Phantom Flower Deliver-er, I salute you!

A few quick notes...

While the blog has been rather quiet, it would be safe to say that View Point has been a hive of activity lately!

We've welcomed many new and exciting stockists over the last few weeks, stay tuned for stockist spotlights in the coming weeks.

Bendigo was featured in the latest Peppermint Mag, including a mention of us in the shopping section! This issue is available in store (only a handful of copies left, so get in quick to secure yourself one).

We've also been in the local paper: Pleased with the progress by Rosemary Sorensen

We had a stall at the Peppergreen Farm Community Festival and spent the day spreading the View Point word far and wide!

We've been hosting an exhibition by Djonn Cosgriff in the gallery space upstairs, have you checked it out yet? With only a few days left before the exhibition ends, pop in and have a look through our gallery space at some incredible esoteric works by the Visual ENdjinnEER.

And finally we'll be altering our trading hours slightly over the Easter period, with extended trading hours over the Easter Saturday and Sunday.

Stockist Spotlight - Naomi of Calumma Images

Who are you?
I grew up in Elmore and Bendigo before heading off to North Queensland to study Marine Biology and Zoology. Since finishing my studies I have worked in a number of countries around the world, mostly on the conservation of endangered species. My job as a Marine Biologist and Zoologist has meant I have been able to travel to some of the world’s most amazing places and see firsthand many of its amazing wild creatures. My family still live in Bendigo and so I am home as often as I can be and always look forward to spending time back in Central Victoria.


What do you make?

I make handmade cards and bookmarks that feature original photographs. I focus on wildlife, especially endangered animals, and landscapes from around the world. Many of the handmade photo cards I make use recycled or handmade card or envelopes. I can’t always control this so I ensure a percentage of the profits from my products support conservation work and projects around the world. I have also started to print and mount larger versions of a number of the photos.

When did you get started?

I have been carrying my camera around with me on adventures, above and below the water, for many years now and making handcrafted and designed photographic cards from my favorite wildlife images for a while. I had mostly just by printing the photos and sticking them on handmade cards and initially I made them just for friends and family. With everyone spending more and more time using email and computers to stay in touch I made an effort to send postcards to my friends from places I was visiting from work and so also started using my images to make postcards. I have recently branched out a bit after some encouragement to share some of the images a bit wider and a friend helped me set up a photo blog website.

Why do you make your 'thing'?

I have always been fascinated by animals and landscapes and often got frustrated by the lack of postcards and greeting cards available in locations around the world that feature images of the amazing wildlife I was seeing, especially the endangered ones and the smaller little known ones. So I started to make my own to send to friends and family. I always try and include information on the animals featured on the cards and bookmarks as time permits.

Where to next for you? (what direction do you see your work heading in?)

I want to continue to take images of wildlife from all over the world. With a new position working in South East Asia combating illegal wildlife trade I want to try and use my work to raise awareness of some of the unique, threatened and little known animals from around the world.

Stockist Spotlight - Your Organ Grinder

Who are you?  Simmone Spring, the creator of Your Organ Grinder

What do you make?  Anatomical, Biological and Medical Art and Accessories, made from Wool Felt and Fleece, sewn and needlefelted.

When did you get started?  I started making my "specimens" about 4-5 years ago (2007), but have always been a "maker" and before Your Organ Grinder I was only doing my other label The Little Orchard (cute and quirky felt and fabric goodies).

Why do you make your 'thing'?  I ask myself this a lot, and cannot say for sure why I am interested in Body parts and medical oddities.  I have always liked things that are "interesting" and "detailed."  I used to collect bugs as a kid, had a microscope and wanted a telescope, and have wanted to be a taxidermist since I was about 12.  I also really love the learning that goes along with making Body parts.

Where to next for you? (what direction do you see your work heading in?)  After finding some very awesome anatomy books and making more and more specific and odd things for people I really want to continue in making more medical anomalies, as well as studies of how parts intereact and work, such as the links between the liver,pancreas and spleen.  I also want to do more bones that really look like bones and joints. I also want to do more and more large pieces.  I've made a life sized Spine and a Anatomical Woman (5ft tall), and really want to keep working on large displays.  I also want to make Zombie Marionettes!  

 

 

Stockist Spotlight - *bespoke* zine

Who are you?

My name is Jess Van Den, and I'm a full-time creative entrepreneur.

What do you make?

I'm the publisher and editor of *bespoke* zine - a magazine made for, and by, the creative and craft community. It's full of inspirational stories, interviews, features, tutorials, recipes, reviews and much more.

When did you get started?

*bespoke* Issue 1 launched in October 2010, and we're now up to Issue 5 (out in early December).

Why do you make your 'thing'?

I started *bespoke* because I decided that I wanted to create something inspirational and tangible for the creative community. I already had a blog, so I didn't want to make an ezine - I wanted to make a paper magazine that you could hold, flick through, and enjoy in a quiet moment with a cup of tea.

Where to next for you? (what direction do you see your work heading in?)

I'd love to see *bespoke*'s readership grow over the next year, to the point where I have to start hiring some more helpers!

Stockist Spotlight - Neekie Noo

Today's Stockist Spotlight is Amanda from Neekie Noo - she makes beautiful accessories with a floral, whimsical style.

Don't forget to enter our giveaway, you have until the 24th of November to get your entries in!

Who are you?

My name is Amanda and I live in Melbourne with my husband, 3 yr old girl and little boy on the way. At the moment I divide my time into being a mother, casual teacher and estimator but my passion (the thing I spend a lot of time thinking about but not enough time doing!) is designing and making accessories.

What do you make?

I make accessories i.e. neckpieces, cuffs, purses, brooches. I love materials such as felt and fabric, ribbons, twine and beads both new and re-purposed and I am particularly drawn to vintage materials, fabrics and craft techniques. Hence, my latest addiction to the flower loom from the 1960’s which I have used to make my accessories for spring. I strive to create beautiful things out of inexpensive materials and I enjoy for example, breathing new life into an old vintage floral sheet or using something unusual like pink builders string in one of my designs. I must also mention I am addicted to daisies and any flowers really!!

When did you get started?

I have always loved textiles a spin off from many years working as a commercial interior designer. It all started however, with designing & making a dove and daisy mobile for my little girl after she was born- we had doves nesting in our courtyard trees at the time and well the daisy motif I’ve already explained! That led to sewing felt purses and learning the craft of needle-felting which expanded into brooches and led to the exploration of different crafts and designing accessories such as cuffs, neckpieces etc. I really enjoyed the hands on activity of making things after many years of designing interiors and drafting on the computer. My love of vintage has always been there also, I just love objects that have a history and I would rather spend money on an object that has a history and a bit of character (a crack or imperfection tells a story) I also remember as a child I loved spending time with my Nana looking at her jewels, mainly the costume pieces form the 1960’s and being delighted by all of her treasures! Exploring vintage crafts now and giving them a new spin is all just an extension of this.

Where to next for you? (what direction do you see your work heading in?)

I don’t really have a major plan for my craft, I am really just enjoying living in the moment with it and going with the flow of wherever this takes me. I am starting to teach myself macramé at the moment so who knows what will be next!

 

Celebratory Giveaway

View Point celebrated it's 2 month birthday yesterday, with cake (well, tart... but cake is more traditional) Since opening we've been overwhelmed by the amount of support we've received from the Bendigo community and the Art and Craft community both locally and further afield.

We don't just have a successful first 2 months of trading to be excited about - we're also making progress on the renovation of the rest of the building, the eventual arrival of our EFTPOS terminal (we have entered a new age!) and we're creeping up to a milestone 350 fans on facebook.

We'd love to celebrate with all of you by doing what we do best, sharing a little handmade love around!

We've decided to host a giveaway, with some gracious donations from some of our wonderful stockists, here's more about the prizes and details on how you can enter.

The Prizes:
I couldn't decide what to pick for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize, so instead have opted for THREE prize packs of equal awesomeness. More prizes are likely to be added over the course of the competition, but here is a terrible photo (I really must remember to bring my camera in to the store) of one of the prize packs as they stand currently. (as a side note, how adorable is our christmas fabric in the background??)

Each pack is worth around $40 (currently) and contains:
- a vanilla chocolate cupcake soap from Urthly Organics
- a metal or cord bookmark from Mrs Monkei Jewellery
- a badge pack from Badger & Coyote
- a blank card from Able & Game

Stay tuned to our facebook for details of the additions to the prize packs!


How to Enter:
Perform one of the following to earn an entry into the competition. You can enter as many times as you like, but please leave a separate comment below this post for each of the following actions:

• Like our facebook and leave a friendly message! (Note that only likes from your personal page count!)
• Publicise View Point in some way- and let us know how (Tweet, blog, shout-out…whatever!)
• Follow our blog (that's where you are now!) and comment on one of the other posts.
• Tell us about something you’ve already bought from View Point, customer appreciation photos earn extra points - upload a photo to our facebook or email us a copy.
•  Follow this blog (or say hello if you already are!).

The competition will run until the 1st of December, 2011 and the winners will be drawn randomly from the comments below. Good luck!

Stockist Spotlight - Gretchen Mist

Today's Stockist Spotlight is Belinda Kemp, who creates under the pseudonym Gretchen Mist - View Point stocks a selection of her stunning prints.

who
belinda kemp

i'm an artist and a mum. i live in melbourne. 

what

art: painting, drawing, collage, mixed media

fabric and pattern design

paper garlands out of recycled fine art print proofs

when

i started painting roughly seven years ago ~ when left my full time graphic design job to have our first son. i really allowed myself to paint for the sake of it for a couple of months. the free time with an 'end' in sight allowed me to get right into making work i liked. 

why

it feels right. and i love it. i go a bit crazy if i don't work :)

where to next

i'm hoping to develop my painting/fine art work and also make more fabric design. i like to have a few things happening along side each other!

Stockist Spotlight - Pollyanna by Belinda

 

 WHO ARE YOU?

My name is Belinda Smith. I'm currently a stay at home mum to 2 beautiful kids - Cooper & Piper, & married to a Bendigo local, Matt Smith. I was born in Seymour in 1971 & moved throughout Vicoria during my childhood, attending Matthew Flinders Girls High School in Geelong. After meeting Matt in 1996 whilst living & working in Melbourne, we decided to relocate to his hometown, Bendigo, after I had fallen in love with the place! We married in 2001 then along came Cooper in 2002 followed by Piper in 2004.

I have a love of all things creative, particularly sewing, thanks to my mum & the Holly hobby sewing machine she gave me in primary school.

WHAT DO YOU MAKE?
Unique, retro & OOAK kids clothing using vintage, recycled & new fabrics & embellishments.
I have also been desiging & making headwear during the Spring Carnival season for the last 5 years - currently stocked in Mona Lisa or by custom order.

WHEN STARTED?
I have sewn since primary school & have always created "things" for as long as I can remember.

WHY?
After having touble finding funky boardshorts for boys, I began to sew shorts for Cooper around 2005, followed soon after by little girls dreamy creations.
I love sourcing all of the gorgeous fabrics & bits & bobs, particularly vintage items, & recreating them into something wonderful again. Generally no two items are alike, so I'm never getting bored!

WHERE  TO?
I am currently smack bang in the middle of the Spring Racing Carnival, and am thoroughly enjoying working with lots of lovely ladies to design a special headpiece for their racing event, as well as keeping them stocked in Mona Lisa.
My kiddies clothing range is now on sale in the View Point Gallery - feel free to pop in & have a browse, or check out my website (though still being stocked!!) at pollyannabybelinda.com

Thanks for your interest....love Belinda

Stockist Spotlight - Little Wise Owl

Who are you?
I’m Beckie VandeHoef, I live in Mt Martha on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, and I run a little thing I call 'little wise owl'. Just after a had my first son Roy (who is now 4 and big brother to 6 month old Des) I found myself filling the day making fun little creations from the mountains of fabric and other things id collected along the way.
That’s when ‘little wise owl’ was born.

What do you make?
whatever takes my fancy at the time ;)
mainly handbags, shopping totes, purses, and other accessories, with some softies thrown in the mix too.

When did you get started?

Way back in the spring or 1992 when i got a sewing machine for my birthday, ah boy the time flies when your having fun.
I have studied fashion design and fine arts at uni and have always had an interest in ’making’ and re using anything I could find. I remember very well being about 9 and dad bringing home metres and metres of wiring in all different colours so I could plait bracelets for my friends, so ive always been a bit of a re-user.
I have always created for myself and friends, but found that I had far too many ideas I wanted to try, and materials to use to keep it all to ourselves. i opened a madeit.com.au store in august of 2007 and quickly got a couple of great stockists on board. And now I can happily feed my vintage fabric collecting fetish!

Why do you make your 'thing'?

I love finding vintage tablecloths, sheets, doilies, and remnant pieces of fabric, trim, buttons etc and making new exciting fun things from them. I have issues with buying new things, so if I can resurrect an unloved item into something fun and new then im happy!
plus the environment is extra happy with all the stuff i save from landfill.

Where to next for you? (what direction do you see your work heading in?)

i love trying new techniques, so im dabbling in a bit of crochet and embroidery at the moment, and hopefully working on some paintings too (all featuring vintage fabric of course)

Stockist Spotlight - Lulu's Lamps

Who are you? Hello my name is Kristen Smith and I am the creator of LuLu's Lamps. I live on the South Coast with my fabulous partner and our two children.

What do you make? I make a variety of different lamp shades, some are revamped old shades and others are made new, by myself.

When did you get started? I got started about 8 months ago after moving away from all our friends and family and going from working to full time stay at home mum I found my self with a little extra spare time. This is when I began creating my lamps and shades.

Why do you make your 'thing'?  I have always loved funky lamps but found that there really isn't to many of them around or any shades and lamps that I liked were outrageously expensive. I wanted to create unusual shades and lamps that you can't find any where else but are quite affordable. I get inspired every time I walk into a fabric shop or open up a decorating magazine and really enjoy creating individual pieces that are exactly what my customers want.

Where to next for you? (what direction do you see your work heading in?) For the time being I will just keep plodding along and doing what I am doing. I am so surprised at how far my little handmade business has come over the past few months and am excited to see what the future brings!

Stockist Spotlight - Woodpile Woodturning

My name is Rob Wood. My wife's maiden name was Pyle, hence our business is known as Woodpile.

I've always been interested in woodcraft. This, coupled with an interest in antiques, evolved into a restoration business. In those days if one needed to replace a broken knob on a chest of drawers one had to find a craftsman who could turn wood.This was such a frustrating experience that I bought a small lathe and taught myself to turn.Gradually I became proficient and other restorers started asking me to do small jobs for them.Eventually this developed into a full scale wood turning business specialising in custom table legs for cabinet makers, but alas, the world moves on - huge quantities of imported furniture put most of my trade customers out of business. I retired, but not being one to sit around watching the grass grow I set up a compact workshop in a fine new shed in my backyard - after all I still had the tools and equipment used in my previous business.

Nowadays instead of making wooden things for customers, I make what I like and sell my work through galleries, markets and the internet. I'm in the happy position of being able to pick and choose commissions.

Of all the different items I've made I discovered that wooden pens sell best. I use recycled Australian timber and try to link the timber to a local area. Because Bendigo is in the heart of Ironbark forest country I've produced Red Ironbark pens for ViewPoint Gallery.

My pens are often bought by people travelling overseas who want classy looking gifts which don't cost a fortune and take up little space. As an example just in the past few weeks my pens have gone to Japan, China, Ireland, Germany, Spouth America and the US.

What's next for Woodpile? Improve my woodcraft skills; learn more about timber and try to make sense of Facebook.

Stockist Spotlight - Sputnik Playwear

Who are you?

I am a WAHM (work at home mum) with 2 young children – my son just turned 5 and my daughter is nearly 2.  We live in a fab 1930s cottage with my husband and we’re working toward moving out to the country in the next couple of years.

What do you make? 

A range of vintage styled children’s clothing including shortie pyjama and bloomer sets, caped collar and retro pinafores, bonnets, boys shirts and boys briefs.  I use a mix of modern nostalgic and vintage fabrics with ric rac, ribbons, tucks and buttons.  The range is dynamic - limited run in terms of fabric but a standard style collection is maintained with some one-off pieces and lounge pants thrown into the collection.  My inspiration comes Australian movies and miniseries set in the 1940s and 1950s like ‘Smiley’ and The Shiralee. 

When did you get started?

I began making children’s clothing for my son, nieces and friends children in about 2007 using my 1956 Necchi Supernova sewing machine that my mum in law gave to me about 10 years ago.    I received so many lovely comments about the shirts and little girls clothes for my own daughter born in 2010 and friends daughters that I became confident enough to begin selling online and through word of mouth in 2010 – all still using my lovely Necchi.  Jess at View|Point has given me my first retail opportunity which I am loving so far.

 Why do you make your 'thing'?

Sewing and vintage are my passion so I enjoy combining the two and knowing some special little person is wearing something that was handmade just for them.   I love the process of taking a piece of fabric and turning it into something beautiful.  Inappropriately aged clothing is on the increase too so I love to offer parents unique ‘proper’ styled clothing.   

Where to next for you? (what direction do you see your work heading in?)

I see myself maintaining a small niche presence in the handmade industry (and at View Point!) behind looking after my children until they are older.  My final range is just developed so I’m just enjoying the stage my hobby business is at, at the moment.