Introducing... John Patterson of Sniffle Co.

Say hello to one of COUNTER's newest stockists, Sniffle Co. ! Founded by Brisbane-based John Patterson, Sniffle Co. features an array of etched timber brooches. Hand-painted and extremely detailed, each Sniffle Co. brooch comes pinned to a hanky - hence the name 'Sniffle Co'. Clever and talented, just the way we like 'em.

Our personal favourite - the 'Woody' brooch.

About Sniffle Co…
I made a couple of T-shirts as Sniffle Co. after I left high school, but other things started taking up all of my time, and I never really followed through with it. Late last year I found myself with a bit more free time than I'm used to, and decided to start making some new things, so I recycled the name and got to work!

Behind every interesting name there is an equally interesting story…
It's a bit gross but I've had terrible hay fever and sinus since I was a kid, and always have the sniffles. When I was trying to think of a way to package the brooches, a friend suggested using a handkerchief because I always carry one.

My favourite creation so far…
I like the Pinboy bowling pin brooch (pictured above, second from right). I worked in a bowling alley when I was in high school and have always drawn a bowling pin character, so I was excited to making him into something real.

My dream collaboration…
I love Gama-Go and all the limited edition things they make. I've got a great idea for a set of home stereo speakers that I would love to collaborate with them on! I also really love Lab Partners a couple from San Francisco that make beautiful 50's style prints. My friend Caitlin also does some beautiful paintings, and I would love to make some brooches with her some day.

What gets me in the mood to create…
Desperation? I don't feel useful unless I'm making something. I love the challenge of making something out of nothing, and following through with ideas that come to me on a whim.

When I’m not hard at work making stuff…
I write songs and play guitar in The Grates.

Tell us a secret...
At the moment I'm working on a leather baggage tag, and 2 new brooches, one of an Ice-Cream Cone (Sniffle Cone) and one of a Hula Girl, a design I made for the upcoming Grates tour.

Exhibition opening tonight!

Put on your best clothes and come join with us in welcoming our latest exhibition program featuring the work of Simon Lloyd, Natasha Dusenjko and Liz Low. Artist talks commence at 5.30pm, with the exhibition officially open from 6pm.

We have a few surprises up our sleeve with these exhibitions, including a daily (okay okay, it's really Tuesday to Saturday) visit by ceramacist Liz Low for the first few weeks of the exhibition. Liz will be crafting for several hours a day and CLOG will be faithfully recording the process via daily updates. More information on this will be available soon!


For now, here are some 'before' shots:

Simon Lloyd Gleaning Potential

Natasha Dusenjko Babel

Liz Low cycle

See you this evening for an evening of happy revelling and perhaps even a glass of wine or 5!

Craft Hatch deadline: Today!

Today is the last day for applications to participate in the June and July Craft Hatch markets. Visit our website for more information on how to apply, but be quick!

How You Make it @ Ararat Regional Gallery

If you're at a loose end over the next few days, why not make a trip down to the Ararat Regional Gallery and have a peek at travelling Craft Victoria exhibition, How You Make It. It's the penultimate destination for the exhibition that features work from a stable of established artists including Anthea Van Kopplen of envelope project fame and MATERIALBYPRODUCT who exhibited at enCOUNTER earlier this year and also held an in-house show to launch their SS/09 collection Template.

For information on the exhibition's previous destinations, click here to view the itinerary for How You Make It.

The last stop for How You Make It will be the Mildura Arts Centre and will run from 11 June to 15 July.

In stitches

As part of Viva La Craft!, the Chicks have included a special 'Girl Monster' quilt for visitors to embroider on. Over the course of the past 6 weeks, almost everyone has had pulled up a stool and contributed a knotted stitch, chain stitch, feather stitch or just a plain old running stitch. Some have sat there for hours while some spare no more than a few minutes. From time to time, we've also had students from RMIT's fashion course and Monash's jewellery course come in to work their magic by applying techniques learnt at school to the fabric.

These images are of the quilt about 3 weeks into Viva La Craft!. We're in the midst of de-installing the exhibition at the moment, but stay tuned for an upcoming post later this week where we'll show you how far along and beautifully decorated the quilt has become! We won't forget to post some all important close up shots too. The beauty lies in the detail after all...

But for now, have a look at these images to give you a taste of what's to come.

Introducing... Vicki Mason

This week CLOG sits down with long-time craft enthusiast and COUNTER stockist Vicki Mason to chat a bit about jewellery, plants and extraordinary moments in ordinary days.

'Making jewellery fulfils a need I have to create objects that hold special meanings. These objects can be worn and can potentially provoke in the wearer and viewer a need for a response or interaction of some kind. A dialogue is opened up - jewellery then acts as a tool for the communication of ideas.'

- Vicki

Now based in Melbourne, Vicki was originally from New Zealand. An accomplished craftsperson, Vicki has created work on commission by Absolut Vodka and the 2006 Commonwealth Games and has also been included in several publications including 500 brooches, 500 necklaces and 500 rings.

Vicki is a contemporary jeweller who draws inspiration from nature and its floral offerings and combines it with plastic - a material that she believes is significant and exemplary of her era:

'My work references my interest in botanical motifs. Historically these motifs have a long history within jewellery's imagery so are a rich source for reinterpretation and investigation. I'm also interested in notions of place, belonging and the life cycle. I use plants as metaphors to represent these ideas. These are sourced from native plants from the south (both exotic and indigenous) as well as from family ceramics (Mason's ironstone pottery).

'I have an affinity for plastic and use it for its inherent playful colourfulness, lucidity and formal versatility. Plastic for me is a valid material belonging to this age, my age. It is an accurate documentation of our time, perhaps a replacement for the precious gems of more traditional eras. I choose to combine precious and non-precious materials to test the limit of novel aesthetic concepts.'

Without further ado, read away!

How it all began…
I’m a country girl at heart and I think being raised in New Zealand on a property encompassing a decaying orchard set in motion my love of plants. I also had a mum and two sisters who were mad for anything plant related, so gardens, plants, textiles/jewellery and objects generally that employed these motifs surrounded me. I remember being especially fond of the 1970s flowers designers of the time used on some great plastic wares.

About my whorl series (pictured above),
These works came about during a residency at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2003 as part of an exchange project. They were 3D doodles in plastic initially and a response to some decorative imagery I’d seen in Stoke-on-Trent in the pottery museum there. Sourced from Masons ironstone ceramics they reference the plant motifs employed on various ranges as well as forms derived from Australian native plants.

Essentially they utilise a paper folding process. A long strip of remnant flexible plastic (usually stationery or upholstery) is cut with a deckled edge profile and coiled… it’s a pain when you’ve coiled a very thin plastic and then in a split second moved too quickly and dropped the whole thing….

My proudest moment in my career so far…
Phew… that’s a tough one. Probably learning to let go of the disappointments in a flash and with a smile on my face.

If you weren't a jeweller, what else would you love to be?
A pilot, I’ve got this thing about flying…. I love seeing the world from a different perspective.

The first thing I do in the morning...
Give my wee girl a hug and a kiss or my husband… this is after pulling myself vertical… then it’s coffee time.

...and the last thing before bed,
Give my pussy cat a big squishy cuddle and put her out, she’s a door scratcher with a tendency to scratch at 3am for a bit of a, “hello, I’m here” reminder.

And finally, the one thing I can't live without is…
Tea.

Last days...

Today is the second last day to catch the very exciting and very colourful Chicks on Speed exhibition, Viva La Craft! (if you haven't already that is). It's been a great 6 weeks so far and we've thoroughly enjoyed hosting the Chicks' exhibition.

The opening night set the standard for the throngs of people who have been through the doors of CVHQ to view the show since then, and it's been great to see the show enjoy such a warm reception! There were some great workshops organised as part of the program for Viva La Craft!, and craft guru Faythe Levine (pictured below) even came to town to present a talk and crafternoon session.

You might have already seen images of the exhibition here, but have a look at a few more tantalising images...

In conjunction with the end of Viva La Craft!, the price of the limited edition Chicks on Speed exhibition poster designed exclusively for Craft Victoria is now $55. The poster runs in a limited edition of 110 and has been signed and numbered by Melissa and Alex themselves! We've already sold quite a few, but we might still have your lucky number left. The posters will still be on sale after the end of the exhibition, just ask at the counter.

Another great deal now one is the silk scarf which is part of the COS merchandise rack which you can now own for $105. Featuring a running horses design, the scarf is XXL for XXL-sized fun!

Hot off the press

A whole bunch of new magazines have just arrived at COUNTER, and what better way to share the love than to do a CLOG post on it!


On the left is Issue 75 of Ceramics: Art and Perception. Featuring a cover image by Marian Heyerdahl (of a work entitled Head Hunter), this issue of Ceramics contains a plethora of articles focusing on artists such as Ole Lisleurud, cover artist Marian Heyerdahl, Hiromu Okuda and Simon Carroll.

Next to it is The Journal of Australian Ceramics, a quarterly local publication that has a very exciting article on Deborah Halpern (whose colourful work Angel can now be found on Birrarung Marr) written by Megan MacAvoy, who curated an exhibition of Deborah's work at the Manningham Gallery in November last year.

Moving on to Art World, which is perhaps yours truly's favourite magazine, this latest issue contains features on prominent artists like Andreas Gursky, Moya McKenna, Rosemary Laing and cover artist Darren Sylvester. A great read indeed!

Last but not least is the ultra fresh copy of Kateigaho (international edition). A Japanese magazine, Kateigaho volume 23 focuses on Spring cheer and its presence in Japanese cuisine, decor and crafts.

Now for a cup of tea, a comfy pillow and you're all set!

from little things big things grow

Have you seen our new enCOUNTER window display featuring work by Tasmanian artist Stuart Williams? It was just installed last week, so don't feel bad if you haven't.


The works on show are delicate glass pods of varying sizes and patterns. Constructed from blown glass and timber, the pods are remniscent of native seedpods which is indeed what inspired Stuart in the first place!

"[I am] fascinated with native seedpods; their form, their adaptability, the amazing ways in which they travel and the new growth that they bring. The pod lights featured in from little things big things grow combine new technologies with old traditions."

Stuart is another one of those terribly annoying makers who seem to excel at everything they lay their hands on. In addition to his glasswork, Stuart is also an accomplished woodworker and we have many of his delicate bowls and spoons in stock at COUNTER right now. But wait! There's more! Stuart also runs a catering business that specialises in food inspired by a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern palate.

Prices for the pods range from $800 to $1,400. Unfortunately the green spot pod light (pictured above, on the right) is not for sale. It's always the things that you want most isn't it!

But to get back on track, do have a peek at Stuart's exhibition. The enCOUNTER window is lit up 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so there's no reason not to visit. The exhibition will be on until 3 May.

Craft Hatch in the news

We've been getting so much attention from numerous magazines, journals, blogs and even the ABC for our current Chicks on Speed exhibition Viva La Craft, but nothing warms the cockles of our heart like seeing our special project Craft Hatch have its fair share of attention.

The Craft Hatch market is a capsule market designed to showcase the work of the best and brightest emerging designers in Melbourne (and sometimes Tasmania!). With up to twelve stallholders participating every month, each market is a lovingly curated event that features a mix of fresh talent and old favourites from previous Craft Hatch markets.

The market has been steadily gaining momentum since its inception in November 2008. The next market, our sixth, will be on Saturday 9 May. Keep reading CLOG for more information on the fabulous participants!

In the previous April market, we were so proud to be featured in The Age's Domain section (which is published every Saturday). Myf Kemp's adorable bear and lion blankies (softies made from recycled blankets) were featured in the snippet - hooray for Myf!


In the same week, Elena Lo's superb dino necklace was the focus image for The Leader's fresh section. Hooray again!


And just when we thought it couldn't get any better, May's Craft Hatch was plugged in The Age's Epicure pullout last week. The very talented Ms. Jules Musgrove's crocheted banana necklace was featured, so do drop by the market in May to say hi. PS, a little bird told us to expect more cute goodies from Jules like whale softies and more crocheted cuteness!

Also featured in the same page is a beautiful vase by COUNTER stockist Wendy Jagger, whom CLOG interviewed in an edition of Introducing... sometime last year.

The next Craft Hatch market will be on Saturday 9 May, write it in your diary!

PS. Don't squint, click the images to enlarge them for easier reading.

Introducing... Liz Wilson

This week's edition of Introducing... features a very special person whom we all adore here at CVHQ. Following on from yesterday's post, CLOG is extremely proud to present an inspirational interview (or more like success story!) with Liz Wilson.

Inserted between the interview are images from Liz's design folio. In addition to her blog, Liz has just launched her website today! It's very pretty and is a great showcase of Liz's work, so do have a peek.

Happy Friday everyone!

Duvel beer packaging, inspired by the technique of carrying wheat picked from the field home tied up and slung over ones shoulder.

How did you hear about speed dating, and what made you take part in it? What was the experience like?
I found out about Making Out: Speed Dating through the National Design Centre website one night while procrastinating doing uni work. I was looking for anything that would inspire me and I found the A Month About Making program, which led me to find the Making Out: Speed Dating event. I thought it sounded like a great opportunity to meet industry people and to get a bit of advice about finishing my degree.

It was the best thing I could have done at that point in my final year, for the reasons of networking – meeting lots of new people in the industry, becoming inspired and getting some advice on how to get myself out there in the industry before I had finished my degree. Even though I only had five minutes with each industry professional, everyone had at the least one really valuable piece of advice to give me, all of which I still haven’t forgotten. For a student it is really hard to get to talk to people like those Craft Victoria had lined up to be involved, and everyone was so encouraging and enthusiastic to talk to me which I found so inspiring.

Chloe Quigley from Ortolan/Michi Girl was the first person I talked to and her advice to me was ‘make sure your first job is a really inspiring, fantastic place to work’. Chloe also told me to ‘make sure each design you create has an aspect of your personality in it’, this piece of advice helped me finish my final semester being proud of each design knowing despite the briefs guidelines it was filled with my style. I also met Penny Modra from ThreeThousand and she said ‘just get out there and meet the designers’ she let me know about some events which would be a good start, one being Lamington Drive which was opening for the first time that upcoming Thursday night. I went along with my friend Jo and we were so inspired we signed up to volunteer. Melanie Katsalidis from Pieces of Eight gave me some really great tips on approaching industry people and getting myself out there… and that’s just the beginning, everyone had great things to say.

Since then, you've achieved so much in such a short period of time. It's amazing! What have been the fun bits, and likewise, have there been any frustrating times during this period?
The fun bits have been meeting so many inspiring people! Through working at Craft Victoria and volunteering at Lamington Drive I have not only met the amazing artists, makers and illustrators involved but also have got to know all the talented people behind both of these organisations. I have visited and been taken to places I would have otherwise never known or heard of. I have been pushed out of my comfort zone at times, which has been an invaluable learning and growing experience. I love getting into situations and thinking ‘how did I get here?’ I regularly get to the point where I feel like I am going to burst with inspiration being around all of this design. And most of all it’s been so much fun being welcomed into such a lovely group of people. It’s all fun, everything about it!

The only really frustrating thing is time management, not having enough time to get to do everything I want to. I feel like I have just stumbled in on this huge community full of amazing people doing amazing things, and I want to be involved with it all, but there are only 24 hours in a day and you have to make sure to fit in sleeping time too.

The Weavery Project, a concept studio space which holds 12 spaces available each year for graduate designers of all disciplines.

You'll be starting at Ortolan very soon, a design studio that we know many would kill to work for! Could you please tell us about your role?
As their Junior Graphic Designer my role is to take in as much as I can from Chloe, Sim and Kat. To learn from them and assist with projects they are working on. I am very excited about some upcoming jobs that I assume will involve mainly Art Direction initially and then some post production design, I have never really done anything like that so it will be another great experience to be involved in. The girls are working on the Ortolan website as we speak so soon you can have a look at what they have been up to.

What motivates you?
Being around so many talented people, being exposed to new and exciting places, being busy keeps me motivated but also spending some time to relax. Inspiring galleries and magazines, also blog surfing (if that’s what you call it) but clicking from blog to blog I tend to get lost in it and have to pull myself out which leaves me buzzing with the need to be creative. Weather really effects my motivation... I love really warm sunny days just as much as I love the dark stormy ones.

Tadao Ando Exhibition catalogue. Each page features a ghost-like insect that represents Ando's respect for the habitats he builds on.

What was your first job?
When I was much younger and when she was alive, we would visited my Granny in Penola, SA, usually around Christmas or Easter time, I used to spend some days with her in her gift shop and through boredom and maybe a bit of admiration I’d get bit creative and make Christmas decorations and sculptures out of things I found in the garden outside. I sold them for 20 cents each and at the end of the day I would feel like I had hit a gold mine, the next thought was always, off to the lolly shop! The first job I needed to be over 14 and have a resume for was for a Pizza kitchen, I could only handle that much oil for a few weeks.

What's the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?
Life advice: It doesn’t matter what you end up doing, just as long as you’re happy and enjoying life.

Design advice: Make each design you create have an aspect of your personality in it. Design to your own style and don’t try to be like anyone else or be forced into a style that’s not you.

Inside view of the Tadao Ando catalogue.

And finally, do you have any advice for anyone hoping to achieve as much as you have.
Just get out there. Network. Volunteer. Take up every opportunity and make sure to believe in yourself. Find somewhere you would like to work or be involved in and then start working out the steps of how to get there. Before you know it, even if you don’t get where you planned to end up, something else just as good or better will come up and that’s where it all begins.

Some great places to start being involved in are Craft Victoria, Lamington Drive, AGDA, NGV, any of the other amazing little Melbourne design communities you can find.

Lovely Memories, homage to my grandmother Nesta Wilson.

Inside view of Lovely Memories

Inside view of Villa Alba Museum catalogue.

Inside view of Villa Alba Museum catalogue.

Fond farewells and bright beginnings

This week is a rather sad one for us here at CVHQ. We'll be bidding adieu to our super lovely, super nice and super cute Retail Assistant and Photographer, Liz Wilson. Liz will be leaving us (sob!) to assume the position of Junior Graphic Designer at esteemed design studio Ortolan (hooray for Liz!).

It's been a fast and furious route to success for Liz, and all bright young things have to start somewhere. In Liz's case, she was a participant in last year's Making Out: Speed Dating program that was part of our inaugural A Month About Making festival. The Speed Dating program was geared towards professional development and advice (not about who liked long walks on the beach or pina coladas). Some very exciting people were part of the event including Melanie Katsalidis from Pieces of Eight, Chloe Quigley of Ortolan/Michi Girl, Penny Modra from ThreeThousand and Ewan McEoin, Artistic Director of the State of Design Festival.

After meeting and talking with the people in the know, the rest, as they say, is history.

While we do love a good old fashioned gushy post here on CLOG, this time round we're doing things different and letting the facts speak for themselves. Below you will find a timeline of Liz's rise to the dream job of many a graduate designer - which was achieved in a mere 8 months!


April: Participated in Craft Victoria event Making Out: Speed Dating
August: Joined fabulous gallery Lamington Drive as a Volunteer
October: Joined equally fabulous gallery Craft Victoria as a Retail Assistant
January: Was accepted into the Honours program Bachelor of Design (Communication Design) at RMIT, but decided against it in favour of an internship at Ortolan.
February: Commenced internship at Ortolan, the studio responsible for impeccable graphic design as well as Michi Girl.
April: Was offered a full-time Junior Designer position at Ortolan.

We're all so excited about Liz's achievements, and we're happy to have played such an integral role in kicking off of one talented lady's career. It goes without saying that Liz is an incredibly motivated and driven person who made things happen for herself, something which is so important in today's world.

Before we start getting all 'Readers Digest' on you, we'll say no more and let Liz herself tell you about making things happen. Stay tuned for a super special Introducing... feature on Liz, coming up tomorrow!

For now though, have a look at some images from Liz's final year photography project. The images are from a series entitled My Tribe, where Liz took photos of various family members.

"I saw in a documentary that you can only take photos of your own tribe, that you can only pull out the personality of a person by knowing them and having their trust.

"This is my tribe, my family. I trust them and they trust me. Even though they are all in costume, the photos capture their personality and individuality."

Alice and Hat, The Young Women

Donny, The Chief

Leigh, The Warrior

By the way, Liz also has a blog. Click here to visit!

Theremin tapestry progress report

Alex working on the tapestry

Visitors to the Chicks on Speed exhibition Viva La Craft! may have noticed a large tapestry, and reegular visitors might have noticed its steady growth. The tapestry is an ongoing project that is being slowly woven by members of the Victorian Tapestry Workshop. Featuring an original Chicks on Speed design, the tapestry is actually in the process of becoming a theremin tapestry.

Upon completion, it will be sent to the Theremin Institute in Moscow where the finishing touches will be done (or to be technically specific, it's where the 'interfacing and circuitry will be completed'). The tapestry will form part of the Chicks on Speed band.

With only 2 weeks left in the exhibition, stay tuned for more updates on the status of the tapestry.

Here's hoping they'll get it done in time!

In the meantime, have a read of this lovely interview conducted by Beat Magazine where the Chicks talk more about the tapestry, among other things.

Listen to your sensible

Coming up in May at Craft Victoria is proud to present a free law talk entitled Expression, Authenticity and Appearance. The talk is being organised as part of Law Week 2009 and will be presented by Freehills Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys.

This information session is ideal for all craft practitioners concerned with protecting intellectual property with copyright, trade marks and registered designs.

Taking place on Thursday 14 May at 6-7pm, this talk is free! Places are limited of course, so please give us a call on 9650 7775 to book a spot for yourself and maybe for a friend too.


On the subject of being sensible and strategic, next time you're at Craft Victoria, do pick up a copy of the City of Melbourne's 2010 Grants and Sponsorship Program booklet. Geared to support and develop cultural activity in the City of Melbourne precinct, this guide will take you through all the FAQ of how to apply for a grant. There are several categories to apply under, including more specialised categories such as 'Community Cultural Development', 'Young Artists' (26 years and under), 'Indigenous Arts', 'Writing about Melbourne' and many more.

The closing dates for applications for grants in 2010 is Friday 22 May 2009, so make sure you get your copy!