Etsy Challenge #1 November

Hello!

I must say its lovely to be back, after the long weeks of hard slog at uni. Christmas is gearing up, as is my excitement about getting back into the swing of running my darling little businesses! Keep note this week, as I will be updating my online shops with a whole manner of new and new-to-the-internet designs that I think you'll love (they certainly have a few fans in the market world). I'll also be listing a COLLOSAL amount of vintage over at www.acornsvintage.etsy.com, and I hope you'll be able to find something there that takes your fancy for a Christmas present to yourself or someone else - I'll be sure to preview them here too for a reminder!

Also make sure you pop-over to the facebook page as I'll be running a comp there in the next week for my fans - naming one of my design ranges!

Also very excited about my return to roller derby practice tomorrow night, and the amount of Christmas markets I'll be at!


But now for the real reason for my return - a challenge to all of you with an Etsy store! (myself included...

1. Create an item to one or more of the following themes from Etsy's November merchandising newsletter

2. List on etsy with the tag "merchchallengenov11" and link to your item in the comments of this post

3. Do this by the end of November

4. I'll promote all here on the blog

5. We do it all again for December!

As for me, I'll be choosing the theme of movember! (and can I just say how much i LOVE the marketing and advertising style they're using this year, so so dapper.

Be sure to let me know what you'll be doing in the comments!

xx L

All new stuff - literally.

These new pretties are being dropped off at Montage Collective tomorrow along

with many other wonderful things. 'Tis the first time in a while I've made something out of all new/non-handmade components - its a strange feeling that i'm not too sure I feel

comfortable with. I'm so used to having that extra level of involvement in my designs,

like hand-molding the flowers, or using vintage components, or using lasercut parts that I have myself designed, had cut, and controlled, that to

create with normal things is an adventure... so why did I choose to be different

this time around? I loved the combination so much I just couldn't help it!!!

xx L

Perth Upmarket - November

Yay! Its off to market I go this Sunday coming, for the October edition of Perth Upmarket. I'll be showing off some new stuffs, plus I'll try and have some of my classic designs that have had a rest for a year or two now, like my snowy owl design....

So to get you all excited, I thought I'd share some photos of Upmarkets in the past...

I'll be in a different spot than usual, so anyone who is a regular - come and find me in the FOYER. (usually I'm upstairs in Winthrop Hall)

xx Lauren

Montage Collective 3

Hi All,

On Thursday this week me and 14 other buddies from the Perth indie-designer-biz scene opened up our third pop-up shop under the moniker of Montage Collective. Our first attempt in Fremantle earlier this year for three weeks in February was a slap dash of whatever we could get together into the HUGE, cobalt blue carpeted space. The second go was in a beautiful old shop in one of the underground/trendy spots in Northbridge which is just coming to be known to regular people, after about 5 years of independent bars, retail, and a super-interesting east-asian community making a dynamic and awesome street.

Our little shop was due for a reno, having been a barbers shop for more than a couple of decades at least - which meant horrible walls and man-hair in every single crack and crevice of the space. The original high pressed-tin ceiling was a real show stopper though! We were there for the month of July, with a vintage/retro furniture theme - which I loved to bits!

This time around we're slicking it up though - CBD location, immediately across from the train station, in one of the partially restored heritage retail spaces in the 140 William precinct. The beautiful main building by HASSELL was the host to the last Made on the Left market, which until a couple of weeks ago I was Vice-Chair of (my masters course uni commitments mean I have to take a break for a year and a half), and they also host many of the "cooler" Perth Fashion Festival events in their awesome industrial/office spaces. Plus a couple of my uni mates work at the Perth branch of HASSELL :)

Anyway, back from architecture to Montage! In the space this time around we have had the wonderful fortune of being sponsored by Shop4Shops for our shmick, more professional retail fittings, which really help pull in the city-type people. I hope you can go have a look at the space, it really is something awesome. Otherwise, check out the photos on our facebook page.

Oh, and we have a man-land themed space, so you can start thinking about fathers day!

xx Lauren

Montage 3

Part of the preparation for the new Montage Collective shop coming soon to Perth! xx L

Stylesheet : Doilies in Packaging

So inspired by the massive pile of paper doilies I just bought at a whopping 3c each, I went on an image search of all the cute and innovative ways crafty-types have used them to package their goods... might be stealing some ideas I think... although the only way to know is to buy something from my online shops (wow, was that an obvious plug or what!!!)...

Cute hey!

xx L

Boiling the Kettle.

Sounds like a great idea - I'll be squeezing in lots of crafting before my stall at Angove St Festival this weekend, as part of the Perth Upmarket Pop-Up Market.

See you all there my dears, it's nice to take a break from all the uni hecticness.

xx L

p.s. image is a print from this lovely etsy store.

Yay! Hearts & Kisses for the 14th!

Hugs and kisses to everyone, I'm one of those people who like Valentines Day (hugs and kisses to those who don't like it too! Just pretend they're for a diffeent reason), but perhaps would prefer if someone made her dinner rather than buy her Tiffanys - those little blue boxes give me the heeby-jeebys.

Or maybe even some love themed handmade jewellery...




I'll be spending the day being shop-queen at Montage, the pop-up shop me and my handmade and vintage stuffs + 11 other awesome people have been running for a week now! Come drop by and give me a hug - I'll be on my rollerskates being an over-excited kid rolling about the shop, wearing the first prototype of this brooch (I always keep the first one! Perks of being the designer *smiles*).

xxo Lauren

Launch of my Webshop

Hi All,

Just wanted to let you know I've launched my webshop. Pretty cool eh?

This will also allow me to do more custom orders and wholesale orders. So if you have a fave indie store and they don't stock OSIER, perhaps let them know they should? Or let me know in the comments what stores you love and I'll get into contact with them.

In the meanwhile, if you've been waiting for a reason to buy something OSIER, this is as good as any other! And if there's something I haven't put in there yet that you want, let me know and I'll get onto it!

And as a special treat I'm giving you all 10% off if you use the code "LAUNCHLOVERS" at checkout. Aren't I nice.

xx Lauren

OSIER will have a brick & mortar store!!!

Well, for a month anyway... as part of the MONTAGE COLLECTIVE.

Read the pamphlet for deets, I'll tell you all the days I'll be behind the counter but my stuff will be there all the time. I AM SO DARN EXCITED!!! (Plus my architectural neurones are itching to do the shop layout!!!

Oh, and I'll also have STACKS AND STACKS of my amasing vintage clothes, homewares and etc from my Acorns Vintage label! Whee!



We also have a facebook page.

xx Lauren

Tea is pretty much awesome.

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. ~C.S. Lewis"

See me at : Made on the Left Pops-Up for a Market

See me here;


Art by the very lovely Nicole from Tallrabbit. She's our new graphics wizz over at MOTL, so glad I no longer have to wrestle with it, and that MOTL will be getting the awesome graphics it deserves.

As a side note, I'd love all you readers to perhaps start thinking about donating some time to MOTL. In the next few months we'll be doing a call-out for new committee members, and the more awesome dedicated people we have to choose from the better.

xx Hope to see you at the market... the organisers tell me there will be a vintage carousel... SO SWEET ARGH!

xx Lauren

Love Me

New necklace over at my etsy shop. If you want a different word, lemme know... swear words sound like fun! Perfect accessory for valentines day eh? I know I'll be wearing mine.

xx Lauren

I Made This 7.1.11

Custom chain length Penny Farthing Necklace in Mustard Print for Tricia. xx

pssst... get yours here. Or email me for a private sale :)

Heart Holga Necklace

New necklace design by me. Have a looksie here.

This Weekend

Don't forget to start your Christmas shopping this weekend at Made on the Left.

I'll be there Sunday!

xx Lauren

Dwellingup Residency

Decided I'm going to do more of a photo journal as I cant be sh*tted to tell you about all the sleepy towns, heritage buildings and cute baby moments (not mine, I can assure you - Ali's baby Eloise).

Basic Info : I've been in Dwellingup since Monday living with Ali while she does her 3 week artist residency. I've been creating my socks off and making a stop-motion animation of Ali creating one of her works... I'll show it to you once I'm done.

And now Niina's here too. Yay!

Note the Harry Potter reference (getting so excited it's rather embarrassing), the Little Red postcards (seeing their new show on Saturday night, triple excitement - they're such a great band) and the candy heart lollies from my friends 21st last Saturday that had treasure-lolly-bags when you went home (with parachute soldiers, bubble-mix and party poppers), so cute, reminded me of how awesome parties were when I was little.

So yeash, making lots of cards, going bonkers with paper doileys, having fun spelling things out with scrabble-tiles, and making fabric-covered buttons.

Oh. And drinking tea. Can't forget that.

Madeit Interview

My interview where I try to sound cool and interesting but just end up making lots of lame jokes...

Cross-posted from HERE


after-hours crafter :: osier
madeit.com.au/osier























Tell us a bit about yourself?
Well if I was a dog I'd definitely be a "bitsa" - a bit of this, a bit of that. In one day I can be an architecture student, a medical receptionist, a swimming teacher and an indie business owner/designer. Same with my fashion sense - it's all over the place, but I love it that way. I have a passion for the new, and presenting the old in new and exciting ways - I think that definitely comes through in all I design.






















Can you explain your craft/art and the materials you like to use?
OSIER has been described by others as "eco-friendly fashion that gives things with a past a place in the present" - and I would have to say that's a pretty good catchline. I love using quirky things like retro cupcake toppers, weird old buttons, vintage fabrics and feathers, and then mixing them with the more sedate and modern mediums like lasercut plywood or polymer clay. I really just love to sit there with all my things surrounding me and see what goes with something else, especially when I should be doing something more important - that's when I get my best ideas.

How long have you been creating and how did you get into making handmade goodies?
I'm pretty sure I came out of the womb with either craft scissors, pom-poms, or glue clenched in my tiny little fists (lets hope it wasn't scissors for my Mum's sake). I'd always been the child at school with the report card that said "Your child needs to apply the same enthusiasm she has for art class in other areas" - and by that they meant maths (I still don't know my times tables!). The business/label side of things sort of had a very innocent and natural start - beaded earrings and other pieces of jewellery for kids at high-school and a couple of my teachers, then I stumbled upon craftster.org, and through them onto the largest handmade website in the world! (before madeit was around). Through that the girls at Made on the Left gave me my first market opportunity in July 2008, and I pretty much haven't stopped since - oh, except to volunteer for MOTL duties (I'm now secretary!)

How do you juggle work & crafting/managing your business?
Sometimes not too well, I'll admit. Its not my two casual jobs that cause the most trouble, the main culprit is my other major passion; architecture. I'm halfway though 5 years at uni to be an architect, so during the break times, it's wonderfully easy- I really get to knuckle down on expanding my plans for OSIER, work on new wholesalers, and catch up with market stock levels. Not so great during term though, when you get a rush of orders just when your building plans are due in a week and you're still on concept...

Do you have any advice to other workers who are wanting to start creating handmade goodies?
My best advice is to make sure you're honest with people - if you havn't started something you should have finished, be upfront, honest, and apologetic about it. Lame excuses/fibs don't help anyone. Oh, actually - the best piece of advice would be to reach out to others in your area who are small indie creatives. Some of my best friends are other Perth artists I met at markets and on forums. Plus I think creating is really good for helping conflicting personalities mesh - in fact I think instead of everyone signing the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, I think they should be made to go to a craft workshop with each other - I'd love to see Kim Jong Il swapping knitting patterns with Barack, wouldn't you?

Handmade Things in a Warm Pub

Oh yes. Sounds like paradise doesn't it?

Well I'm in paradise tomorrow (Saturday) with my OSIER stuffs and will also be helping out at the Made on the Left Promo table on the Sunday morning, I really do hope to see you there.




Plus I have some great new things to show you as well, including this little gem which I am going to name after the person who buys the first ever one made. How exciting!


Hope to see you there! xx Lauren

Treasure, me Hearties! Volume 8

A big huge thankyou to these beautiful etsy sellers for featuring my various shops in their treasuries recently, I LOVE YOUZE!

inaluxe
myhauntedattic
pottery123

Onto the pretty pictures. To see full treasuries with all 16 items and links to them, click the images.

And because flickr is being an ass;

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs