What do you make? At the moment, I design and craft necklaces and earrings, hair clips and the like. I soon hope to branch out to designing and quilling artwork, making handbags and crafting wall displays… Quilling first… it is a long-term plan…

We have quite a few ideas bouncing around and so far here’s the list of classes for which we have teachers at the ready!

1. Life Drawing
2. Basic Sewing
3. Printmaking
4. Knitting
5. Sculpture/Moldmaking
6. Children’s Art Classes
7. Silversmithing
8. Saw-piercing
9. Mosaics and Leadlighting
10. Pottery and Ceramics
11. Crochet
12. Embroidery
13. Costume Hat design and contruction

Yep! That’s a pretty comprehensive list… is there anything else you would like to learn?

Check out our online shop for classes coming soon!

Kath

Last weekend we made the short trip down to the Gold Coast to celebrate two years of happy marriage. Hooray for us

What do you make? Unique stained glass mosaic pieces, including drink coasters, fridge magnets, wall hangings, large fine art pieces, paving stones, brooches, house numbers and mirrors of all sizes.  Anything, really!  What I love about mosaics is that you are only limited by your imagination.  I also make leadlight  (copperfoil) stained glass suncatchers  when I am feeling so inspired.

What was the inspiration for you to start your brand?   I have been playing with glass as a hobby for over a decade.  Over the last few years, I have been watching the growing indie craft movement in Brisbane with great interest.  I decided that I wanted to be a part of it, and take my hobby a step further to see what would happen.    I visited a BrisStyle market one day at Hamilton, and thought to myself “this is my kind of scene” and so I joined up and haven’t looked back.  I honestly love being a part of the creative community that is BrisStyle and beyond, and making a bit of treat money from my hobby has been an added bonus!

How did you decide on your name?  Cairo is my nickname, which stems from an Egyptian style of haircut I had as a child.  I wanted to choose a brand name that reflected something about me, but wasn’t limited to stained glass (as I love to dabble in other crafts too!)  Having said that, I am so busy with my glasswork that I never seem to find time to make anything else!  The sewing machine that I bought with great intentions hasn’t ever really had a workout…..yet!

What’s your favourite thing to make and why?  Oh….where to start!   I get bored making the same thing many times over, so you can consider anything from the Cairo Made That range to be a limited edition!  I’m having a lot of fun at the moment working on a technique called ‘glass on glass’ mosaics, which allows you to create works which look a bit like leadlight windows, but are actually mosaics. It is nowhere near as rigid as creating a leadlight, and you can get some spectacular effects.  I also love making my paisley mirror range, because they always turn out differently and it is a very organic kind of design with no set rules.  Japanese yuzen paper (behind glass) tends to feature quite often in my work, because I am attracted to the beautiful range of colours and designs and how they complement stained glass and mirror.

Where else do you sell your products?  I am not doing any markets at the moment, as I want to concentrate on creating bigger fine art pieces, so Handmade High Street is my only outlet.  It’s a great way for artists to showcase their work, and I am so pleased that there are places like this in Brisbane which genuinely support the individual, and provide them with an opportunity to test out the marketplace at a low cost.  Thanks guys!!

Is your work eco-friendly?  Yes!  Minimising my impact on the environment is a core philosophy of my work.  I use a lot of recycled mirror, and clear glass from picture frames (which I buy from op shops), together with the stained glass and Japanese paper.  Each time I cut a piece of glass, I save every offcut for future use.  Nothing is wasted down to the tiniest pieces of glass the size of a fingernail.  It’s not just the final product that is made from recycled materials though.  As part of my creative process, I re-use newspapers, ice cream containers and margarine tubs (for grouting), glass jars and bottles (for storing), paddlepop sticks and old spoons (for mixing), old towels and sheets (for cleanup) and surprisingly, old dentists tools (for the finishing touches). You can create mosaics on all kinds of surfaces, which can be from re-purposed objects too!   I’ve only just touched the tip of the iceberg for mosaic materials though – I primarily work with stained glass, but there is a whole world out there of other recycled materials for mosaic artists!

Do you do custom work?  Oh yes absolutely.  I’ve made all sorts of things over the years.  My most recent work, “Put a bird on it” is pair of large windows made using the glass on glass mosaic technique (and my biggest piece to date).   I loved making it, and am delighted with the final result!  My client tells me that the sun shining through the windows radiates beams of coloured light throughout his house onto the floors, walls and furniture, which lasts from sunrise to sunset (and then his neighbours get to see the all the colours at night time when it is lit up from the inside).

How can people get in touch? The best place to see pictures of my work is by liking my Cairo Made That page on facebook.  You can email me at cairomadethat@gmail.com, or call me on 0404 044 143. If you are interested in learning how to mosaic, I am planning on running some beginners classes with Handmade Highstreet when their workshops get up and running, so would I love to hear feedback from people about the kind of things they would like to make.

What do you make?  I make kinetic jewellery from recycled sterling silver, reclaimed and original titanium and reclaimed copper.

What was the inspiration for you to start your brand? I wanted to make jewellery that was comfortable, attention-seeking, interactive and aesthetically pleasing.

How did you decide on your name? My name is my word and my pledge to make lasting pieces.

What’s your favourite thing to make and why? My favourite pieces to make are commissions.  It’s so much fun to work with a client to make something wonderful!

Where else do you sell your products? The Collective Store, Reverse Garbage, Jewellery & Small Objects Southbank Lifestyle and Young Designer Markets, Bleeding Heart Gift Shop and market, a small range at Tlicious in Southbank and occasionally at a Jewellery and Metalsmiths Group of Queensland collective showcase.

Do you do custom work? I do indeed.  It’s lovely to work with others!

How can people get in touch? I have a Facebook page listed as Karah Sinden Jewellery, my email is enquiries@karahsindenjewellery.com.au and for anything urgent I can be contacted on 0423 136 606.

It wasn’t just stamps I had collections of all sorts of things. At one stage I was picking up every white feather I saw on the ground and saving them in a box under my bed.

And then I suddenly stopped. I think I thought I was too cool for collections anymore and I became more interested in music and TV. I boxed up my stamps, teddy bears, fairy images and feathers and they were forgotten.

One day I was stalking my local newsagent for a nice new mag to read and was despondant at the sorry choice between Marie Claire and Dolly when I saw something very different poking out from behind the Cleos. Frankie Magazine – what’s this?

And it opened that little part of me that I had hidden away for so long – collecting. The issue I picked up that day was Issue 11 and soon after was 12. I kept purchasing them and devouring every word and article like a vulture. There was even a regular section on other people’s collections. Other people who were a little like me!

My collection grew and grew, I even scoured eBay for the issues I had missed before my discovery… I am still without Issues 1 & 2 but I will find them one day.

I soon found Peppermint then moved on to zines like *bespoke*, Spoonful and Extra Curricular. It was absolute heaven to read about young, funky people who were crafting and dressing themselves against the norm.

How amazing it is to now know that these publications exist and that I can go back over and trawl the fascinating articles and images that re-opened a special world to me. I feel like I want to start other collections now and I am carefully choosing my favourite subjects to decorate my house. I have a burgeoning ‘old art’ collection which I have purchased from op-shops and antique stores for my hallway ‘gallery’, I get great comments on it all the time and that makes me feel like it’s another worthwhile collection.

What do you collect? Let me know in the comments below!

What do you make? I design and assemble woodcut jewelry; brooches, rings, necklaces and earrings.  Every now and again I deviate from the path and try some new things but my heart is wooden

What was the inspiration for you to start your brand? Roughly a year ago a friend asked me if I was make some glass and paper jewelry for a Mother’s Day stall her school was having.  I made 300 rings and 350 necklaces, lay down and died, got up and thought “that was fun” and it grew from there.  I moved on to assembling from found and bought objects and then started designing my own images to make into jewelry.  It’s been a wonderful journey and I’m currently working with some new mediums and having a ball.  The inspiration is all in the materials I think.  They just scream out to be made into something and I can’t say no.

How did you decide on your name? One of my favourite things in the world is to make up business names.  I have done it all of my life (I come from a retail family!) as a game.  I am always naming friends businesses but Each To Own just came out of the blue, in the shower (where all good ideas strike!).  It was good that it did because I think it has a hint of coveting things but I want my prices to stay affordable so people don’t think twice about owning them.

What’s your favourite thing to make and why? I love the design part of the process so I guess I like making up things.  I could sit in front of Photoshop for hours just playing around with new designs.  But actually making?  I love my new vintage ruler line – adore it.  It is sooo naughty chopping up beautiful old rulers BUT when the are all put together they are ready to go off into a new life.  I love thinking about where they have been all their lives while I work…a thing I’m sure lots of people who work with repurposed materials feel.

Where else do you sell your products? I have two online stores but more importantly I have been really lucky that I have had the opportunity to sell my products at some amazing stores across Australia including, The Collective Store, Gleaners, Made 590, Cultiver, Salvage & Selvedge, E for Ethel, The Perfect Pear, Ikeguchi Store, White Doily Lane, and soon to be with the beautiful Nest in Penguin, Tassie

All of these stores are run by amazing people who are dedicated to supporting local artists and crafties – like your good selves

Do you do custom work? I do!  I love it; love a challenge.  My last job was making Pineapple Brooches for a company called Pineapple Productions here is Brisbane and I had a hoot.

How can people get in touch? Facebook is my unofficial home www.facebook.com/eachtoown…I am always there…always (read, addict) but I’m also on email at eachtoown@gmail.com