VPHG Crafternoon - Softies for Mirabel

'Softies for Mirabel' is an annual handmade toy drive for families dealing with parental substance abuse.
View Point Handmade Gallery, along with Mayhem and Chaos, are hosting a crafternoon to bring softie makers together for the cause!

When? 24th November, Noon until 4pm (come when you can!)
Where? Upstairs Gallery @ VPHG (13 View Point, Bendigo)

What should I bring? supplies to make your softie & a plate of goodies to share, coffee and tea facilities will be available.

As we are asking you to donate what you create, there is no ticket charge for this event - if you can't make it along but would like to donate a softie please drop it into VPHG no later than 28th of Nov, as we will be posting them off after this!

here's a link to details about the drive from coordinator Pip @ Meet Me At Mike's: http://meetmeatmikes.com/2012/10/our-handmade-toy-drive-softies-for-mirabel/

here's a LONG list of free softie patterns: http://www.hillcrestcf.org/crafting/150-free-animal-softie-patterns-tutorials/

 

Meet Me At Mikes Softies For Mirabel Toy Drive

 

Jess @ VPHG Online

I've just finished setting up the Jess @ VPHG web version of our instagram profile and in the process I realised just how many accounts we have for View Point Handmade Gallery on various social media and sharing sites.

I'm definitely an early adopter; I love discovering something new and learning the tricks to make it work for me. I'm always searching for new ways to share View Point with people and create meaningful connections with creative, talented and inspiring people.
 
I've been dipping my toe in a few new ones that I won't share yet, but here's a list of the other places you can find View Point Handmade Gallery and Jess@VPHG (that's me!) online:

VPHG Website :  Our website is a great starting point - it has links to most of our online activities, photo galleries, current and past exhibition details, an events calendar and additional information about the gallery.

Jess @ VPHG on Pinterest  :  I love this visual bookmarking site - I use it to collect ideas for visual merchandising the store, finding new makers I'd like to stock, showcasing the store, keeping track of DIYs I want to try (both personally and at VPHG) and all of the other wonderful, inspiring things that I stumble upon on the internet.

Jess @ VPHG on Instagram  : This is where I share more of our day-to-day visual updates - this can be everything from new stock deliveries to my daughter's first day at school. It's a mini visual blog gives a little insight into the daily happenings both in the world of VPHG and the person behind the counter.

Jess @ VPHG on Twitter  : Similar to the Instagram profile, the Jess @ VPHG is an insight into the going-ons at the gallery and personally. I also like to share info about what's on in and around Bendigo, such as community events and other local businesses that I'm loving.

VPHG on Facebook:  We share a lot of photos and details of instore events on our facebook page - it allows for lots of interaction between View Point Handmade Gallery customers and the makers/artists we represent. It's also one of the places we regularly ask for opinions and ideas for new stock, creative events and general feedback.

VPHG Newsletter:  Finally we have our newsletter - this is VPHG delivered straight to your inbox! We share news and event details, sales and all manner of subscriber only goodies. With only 2-3 emails each month, we try not to overwhelm our fans, but to keep them up-to-date with all that is on the horizon at the gallery.

What online communities are you a part of? Are there any that you recommend VPHG jump on board with?

VPHG Crafternoon 3: Softies For Mirabel

Lock in November 24th 2012 for View Point Handmade Gallery's third craft for a cause crafternoon! This month, in conjunction with Mayhem & Chaos we'll be supporting Meet Me At Mikes's - Softies for Mirabel handmade toy drive. We're still nutting out the details but the basic premise will be the same; spend an afternoon crafting in fabulous company for a good cause.

The Mirabel Foundation are a fantastic organisation, they provide support for children and families affected by parental substance abuse. This will be the sixth year that the Softies For Mirabel campaign has run - toys are handmade with love, sent to be displayed in Meet Me At Mike's shop window from the 1st - 20th of December and then matched to one of the Mirabel kids.

We will be sharing more confirmation details as they are arranged, but for now keep the 24th free!

Stockist Spotlight - Amor Amor

Today in our Stockist Spotlight we're featuring the creative talents of the Colombian trio Amor Amor, enjoy!

 

Who are you?

We are 3 Colombian friends (2 sisters and a best friend) who all left there homeland at different times to follow dreams of building a new life in Australia. We fell in love with the country and of course the people. The way of life here suits us and we now can't imagine leaving this amazing place.

The team comprises of Luisa (Graphic designer) Viviana (fashion designer & psychologist) and Juliana (Scientist with a big passion for craft and design).

We all went to the same high school but reunited here in Melbourne in 2004. 

 What do you make?

We specialize in kids clothing and stationary with a big emphasis on hand drawn illustrations of Monsters. We create an imaginary world with stories behind them for little people.

 When did you get started? and Why do you make your 'thing'?

Actually the initial idea started a few years ago when Viviana was studying fashion design at University. She was asked to do a project on kids clothing ’inspired by monsters’. Once Luisa heard about the project she was extremely excited to do some sketchbook drawings to help Viviana with her character design. The concept of the sisters lending a hand through school was not new. Luisa and Viviana often shared their ideas and drawings through many school terms at University. Looking back at that project we remember how much fun it was and at that time we actually said, “One day we should bring these characters to life as a business”.

A few years later when Luisa had her first baby, the two sisters had the courage to fulfil their crazy idea and they took the collection of Monsters to Juliana (an old friend from high school who they made a promise to start a business with as teenagers). The three fell in love with the idea and of course the monster characters. Shortly after (in 2011) Amor Amor the business was born. This is the how our cute monsters came to life! 

Above Vivi's university project before we started.

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

We still have a large archive of monster illustrations that we haven’t yet associated products with.  In addition to the illustrations we have many more stories that are just waiting to be connected to each little character. We are so excited about the potential here and what the stories may evolve to. Our imaginations are constantly on the go thinking about what new fantasy worlds and pretty images we can create. 

Stockist Spotlight - Emma Kidd (benconservato)

Who are you?
Emma Kidd is my name, I go frequently by the name of benconservato.

What do you make?
I create works on paper mainly. I like to create dreamscapes and imaginary animals. I like to monoprint and add to them from the skeleton of that with gouache (paint) and give them more detail and colour. I also make a lot of articulated creatures. Some I have reproductions of, some I create hand painted decorations.... some are just originals.

When did you get started?

I have, it seems, always been doing something creative, I am told.

 

 

Why do you make your thing??

I think if I couldn't create things, or paint or draw, I actually get kind of frustrated. I don't like drawing in front of other people, so if I am trapped in a situation where this is the case, I tend to take analogue photos.

 

Whats in store for you?

I actually can't say where it is heading. It has changed a lot in the past year, I think, It is a constantly evolving thing (even though I am sure people could possibly still see it is my work).

New makers, new exhibitions and newsy news!

 

We're presenting our first annual, affordable, rotating art show - the premise is that, unlike a traditional art show, as each piece sells it will be sent home with the buyer and be replaced with a fresh piece. With works starting at $50 and nothing over $500, it's the perfect chance start or to add to your art collection, or to give the gift of art this Christmas!

 New makers abound this month in the retail section, this is a snapshot from The Tea Children - pop in to have a look at all of the new goodies we've got in store! 

If you're at View Point in October, don't be alarmed if you're served by an oversized school girl; Team VPHG are participating in the Do It In A Dress campaign, raising funds and awareness to educate the girls of Sierra Leone.If you’d like to support Jess and the View Point team just head to http://doitinadress.com/jessVPHG

 

The Bendigo Advertiser ran an article on Team VPHG's campaign, this is one of the images for it and the full article can be found here.

We also hosted our first crafternoon as a fundraiser to raise additional money for Do it in a Dress - the afternoon was such a success that we've decided to make it a regular event, focusing on a different charity each time. Now we just need a name for the crafternoon group and some charities - do you have any suggestions?

View Point Handmade Gallery Do It In A Dress

The team at View Point Handmade Gallery will be donning school dresses to send girls in Sierra Leone, West Africa to school.

For the month of October View Point Handmade Gallery staff will serve customers, meet artists and attend openings in school uniform. Their mission is to raise $2000 which will give girls in Sierra Leone, West Africa access to education through scholarships, school rehabilitation projects and access to sanitary pads.

Inspired by the quirky nature of the challenge and the cause behind it Jess Cola, the owner and manger at View Point, said “the gallery is always keen to support good organizations that are engaging people in a fun and unique way. We all appreciate the work that One Girl is doing in Africa, and that they are inspiring people to do more.” View Point is also putting the challenge out there to other people in Bendigo – “Join our team, pick your own challenge and Do It in a Dress!”

Do it in a Dress is global movement where individuals and teams sign up to wear a school dress, so that girls in Africa can go to school. In 2011, it’s inaugural year, 77 people from six countries wore a school dress, so that girls in Sierra Leone could wear one too. In 30 days, participants raised an incredible $43,000, which will sent 100 girls in Sierra Leone to school, and provided access to sanitary pads to 147 women. “60 million young girls around the world are not getting an education,” explains Jess Cola. “We can change that by having some fun in a school dress.”

In Sierra Leone, only 1 in 6 girls has the chance to attend high school, and almost one third of the girls born there will be married and pregnant before their 15^th birthday. However, when a girl is educated, everything changes. She will marry later and have a smaller, healthier family. For every year she stays in school, she increases her income by 10% and invests 90% of that in her family. “Educating a girl improves the local economy more than any other type of investment.” says Jess.

Last year, Do it in a dress participants wore dresses to run half marathons, perform on the streets, bungee jump and surf the waves. Others simply wore their school dresses for an entire week. View Point plan to serve customers for the month of October in school attire, but they are encouraging others to participate in whatever way they can, Jess says “It doesn’t matter what activity you do, just as long as you do it in a school dress.”

Do it in a dress participants develop their own challenges, publicise them and collect donations by creating a personalised page at doitinadress.com. The Do it in a dress campaign will officially run for them month of October, with people taking part all over the world, including USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy and more! “It’s a really fun way to raise money to give a girl the opportunity to go to school. I would challenge everyone to give it a go! Men AND women can put on a school dress, raise $240 and send a girl in Africa to school, it’s THAT easy. And when you educate a girl, she can change her world” Jess says.

If you’d like to support Jess and the View Point team just head to http://doitinadress.com/jessVPHG

The boss lady serving customers on the 1st day of the challenge