About my work...
I'm an Australian visual artist and graphic designer. I have exhibited paintings, textile sculptures, installation works and digital art. I have also made jewellery from a variety of materials and raffia hats, bags and baskets. For Etsy I'm making handmade things and digitally printed items that I've designed.
When I use an old technique I feel like I'm walking in the footsteps of makers who have gone before me. I like that sense of history, but I also like the accidental art of technology, like the mesh of dots from offset printing or computer printer errors. I like layering, not just visually, but a layering of ideas as well. Sometimes items turn out to plan and other times I like them to morph into something else entirely.
When I shop I like to get original designs that don't have a huge impact on the environment and even better if they are socially responsible and last a long time. I love that when I shop on Etsy I am dealing directly with makers.
Allergy advice: All my items are made in a house shared by a cat. If you are very allergic, please keep that in mind, especially for the reused fabric items.
Some of the things I have made:
Tea towels - my small-run, digitally printed tea towels reference artwork I was doing in the early 1990's. I recently came across a file full of unused clippings from back then - I was working on collages and layered photocopies with lots of cut out shapes. Some of the tea towels use those clippings and are an exploration of the same themes, while others are my learning process in trying to design fabric. They have been individually digitally printed, sewn and ironed.
Raffia and vintage button bangles - these are something I made years ago and I have been wearing a set of them for over ten years. I love vintage buttons and this is a way to play with them all day. Some buttons are vintage, some are just second-hand and some are new and the details are in the listings. Sometimes the buttons are a bit worn - I like that they show something of their history.
Pincushions - I love making these. One of my favourite things of my mother's that I use every day is her pincushion. I also have one of my grandmother's that I use for hatpins on my dressing table. Those hatpins inspired me to make the felted pincushions which are a more supportive, dense style of a pincushion.
Reused fabric necklaces - these are made out of old clothing from my household and from friends. I prefer to use clothes that are worn out, rather than something that could still be used.
The slide show above shows some of my old craft items and some installations I did. To see more of my old artwork, click on the third blog link down (it's a work in progress).
Care instructions:
Button Bangles: Clean with a lightly damp rag. Bangles are OK being wet, but need to be dried thoroughly before storing. In the unlikely event that you lose a button, let me know and I'll see what I can do.
Reused Fabric Necklaces: I have made these with washing in mind, but I haven't fully tested the concept yet. They should be fine to wash by hand. Hand wash gently in cool to warm water. Press water out rather than wringing (maybe roll in a towel). A more risky option would be to use your washing machine on the setting you would use for the most delicate items, in warm or cold water (not hot), but put the necklace inside a cotton sock (dark for dark necklace, light for light necklace), tie a loose knot in the sock and then put that into a full-fabric washing bag (or another sock) and include with other washing for that setting. This should cushion the beads, even if they are glass. Dry flat and thoroughly in a shady spot or use a hair-drier if necessary. Some of these contain felt as stiffening and some of the felt is wool, so gentle agitation only and minimal spinning (no guarantees).
Pincushions: Spot clean. Hand wash if necessary with cool water, wool wash and minimal rubbing to avoid shrinkage. Be careful to air dry thoroughly. May need protection from moths if not in use.
Tea towels: My tea towels are a mix of linen and cotton. They will need washing before use - the printer recommends machine washing in warm or cool water on a gentle/delicate setting. Prices will fluctuate on these as I print them in the US and have to take into account exchange rates.
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