profile : marley & lockyer

Ness Lockyer sources beautiful vintage linens from literally all over the world to incorporate into her Marley & Lockyer label. Along with these ever so special textiles she also creates gorgeous hand worked clay homewares and jewellery. We particularly love how all her products come in a soft neutral palette, very gentle and extremely moreish!

Do you have a day job, if so what is it? 
Marley & Lockyer has just recently become my full time day job, while our children are at School. In the evenings I am a Personal Trainer/Fitness Instructor, yelling out orders at Bootcamp and dancing up a storm teaching Zumba!

When did your business begin and why? 
It started in 2007, dabbling in sewing and clay while I was a stay-at-home Mum. The staying at home part was very hard for me, as I have always been active and in the community involved in all sorts of things. I wanted to get back to my roots of creating, and it went from there. In 2008 I opened my Etsy store and worked this into my blog. The response has been tremendous and I have found life long friends like Author Vicki Archer, Designer Brooke Giannetti and many more. It also opened up Tasmania to me, after leaving my Family and friends behind in Sydney. I knew no one. Now I have a great pool of interior loving and crafty friends...souls like me.

Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
I pull inspiration from interiors, nature, colours...everywhere. I can see a colour swatch and think of a whole new line for Marley & Lockyer! It is wonderful. My designs have to fit in with my ethos of “You only live once...live beautifully!!”. Everyone deserves a lovely home/space and it shouldn’t cost the earth to get it. I source vintage linens from all over the world and don’t charge my customers the world for them. Life should be beautiful, not expensive.

Designers you admire? 
Tricia Foley, Atlanta Bartlett, Brooke Giannetti, Lauren Liess, Nancy Fischelson.

What is your favourite part of Tasmania? 
Hands down, the Tamar Valley! There is so much beauty here and the support from like minded Women is amazing.

What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
I love going to ‘work’ in what has been lovingly labelled “The Sweatshop”. It takes me seconds to get there, no parking woes and a coffee shop is over the road! The fact I get to make what I love and other people can share that with me is the best feeling. The only down side to working as a one Woman show is having no one to chat to while I work...I sing lots instead (it’s probably a good thing I work alone then!!)

What can our lovely customers expect to see you exhibiting? 
Beautiful vintage linens from France, Ireland, Belgium, America and Australia. Clay bowls, plates and our ever popular White Clay Tags and jewellery....everything is in a neutral, soft palette too. New collections come out all the time, so there is always something new to show.

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 Missed our April event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.

profile : cherish by bek burrows

The Cherish range of products includes a perfect smattering of things to adorn your home, with a focus on gorgeous quality + simplistic ingredients all featuring Bek Burrows adorable illustrations. Beautiful woolen blankets, silk cushions, linen aprons and greeting cards form the range, depicting lighthearted scenes, with a good healthy pinch of whimsy and fun! Bek’s drawings are seriously endearing, and we love how they’re usually done in a cheerful cherry red.

Do you have a day job, if so what is it? 
My primary job is being a mum. I’m lucky enough to have a wonderfully supportive husband who works, enabling me to pursue my creative little business while still being the domestic engineer at home.

When did your business begin and why? 
I started cherish in 2004 after I had my first child and found that the food industry I had been involved in was not as flexible and child friendly as I had hoped! Previously I had studied two fine arts degrees and so was keen to work in an artistic medium, creating things that are both practical and individual at the same time. I discovered there was a limited range of children’s blanket’s available that utilized Tasmanian wool and were created with a sense of originality. In the beginning I used mainly reproduction 1930’s children prints, and then began making unique quilts made from special collected fabrics, which often had sentimental meaning. Cherish has grown and developed to include a range of products such as greeting cards, silk and linen cushions and wraparound linen aprons all individually hand painted with my illustrations.

Inspiration/design aesthetic?
Inspiration comes from everyday things for me. I try to surround myself with objects and people that interest me, which in turn colours my work. Simple but beautiful things make their way into my drawings, such as teacups, apple trees and kites. The images I make frequently include a person, quite often children who can be skipping, fishing or dressing up and playing in billy carts. I am most inspired by my family and all the games and activities we play that I also remember playing as a child. We live amongst an eclectic mix of styles in our home and I often pick up bits and pieces on our travels, from shells and rocks to formerly loved pieces of furniture and old treasures others are moving on from. I enjoy looking at the things in other people’s homes and the stories that certain objects tell about a person.

Designers you admire? 
I love the illustrations of Quentin Blake who has worked on numerous Roald Dahl books, his quick immediate approach to his drawings. I have a VERY large list of blogs bookmarked and can spend a couple of hours easily scrolling through a differing selection from interiors to food and children’s design.

What is your favourite part of Tasmania?
Falmouth, on Tasmania’s East Coast. I love arriving there and knowing that within a very short time I will have succumbed to the very slow pace and totally relax.

What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles?
I love that I can get up and start in my workroom really early in the morning, in my p.j’s with a cup of tea while the kids are still asleep downstairs. There is great flexibility in working for yourself and being able to start and finish a job while still being “on deck” with juggling all the different aspects of having four kids.

What can our lovely customers expect to see you exhibiting?
I’m working on a new range of quilts, which I am quite excited about. Combining wool, linen, silk and cotton with my own illustrations in a patchwork quilt. I am also playing around with a series of small paintings on linen, which is a different direction for me this year. May be best not to say too much yet though!

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Want to see who else will be at our April event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.

profile : alex + marion ceramics

Alex and Marion Ceramics is a creative partnership and pottery studio based in Hobart, Tasmania. All Alex and Marion products are designed and made collaboratively in Hobart by Marion Abraham and Alex Gouldthorpe. Alex and Marion work to combine the tactile appeal of East Asian folk pottery with studio-scale production techniques and designs that draw influence from past masters of the studio crafts (mainly 17th and early 18th century Japanese and European) and by the weedy flora of this temperate suburban environment. They are particularly proud of their glazes, which are the product of a unique education followed by years of gruelling science, trial and error.

Do you have a day job, if so what is it? 
We only do other work when desperate, and these jobs are irrelevant to our artistic practice.

When did your business begin and why? 
Alex and Marion established their studio because they felt that there was an opportunity to revive the craft arts in Hobart and to attempt to live a particular socially idealistic life within their city. This involves making functional, affordable art and selling it face to face with the public. With trends in contemporary ceramics focused on unglazed porcelain and wood-fired pottery, we saw a great opportunity to keep the art of colourful, high-temperature glaze-work alive in Australia.


Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
We love art deco glass and metalwork, art nouveau period Japanese design, commercial art of the early 20th century and primitive design from all round the world. Art deco ceramics just missed out on the Western artist-potter revolution of the 30’s and 40’s so we work to create pieces that combine elements from Deco glass and metal work with eastern studio pottery techniques.

Designers you admire? 
Roger Webb, René Lalique, Furuya Korin, and the unknown potters of the T’ang through Song Dynasties.

What is your favourite part of Tasmania?
Cross St, New Town, looking out across the Brickworks kiln chimney toward Mt Wellington.

What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
We like working hard, and the strange futility of making things that get sold a week later and never seen by us again. We like feeling as though we are part of a great tradition and of another era and we like being productive. Working really hard is our answer to contributing to society. We are not today’s designers or designer-makers. We are artists for the people.

What can our lovely customers expect to see you exhibiting? 
Lots of colorful porcelain and stoneware home-wares; vases, cups, teapots, bowls, jars and boxes. Also on display will be some ceramic jewelry and small sculptural pieces and hopefully some non-ceramic items in the future.

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Want to see who else will be at our April event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.

profile : little twig

Little Twig launched their business at the market in 2009 and we have to say they have developed an almost cult like following since. Must be because their jewellery + stationery are always the perfect combination of soft neutral colours, quirky twiggy style designs and boast a product range that includes a lovely collection of well thought out pieces. One half graphic designer (Peta Owen) and one half jeweller (Emily Snadden), the founding twigs are always innovative and constantly updating their range with new inspired new twiggy type designs.

Do you have a day job, if so what is it? 
Emily is a fully qualified manufacturing jeweller and during the day she creates amazing pieces for very happy customers from her studio in Salamanca, Hobart. Peta works as a graphic designer and divides her days between working part time and chasing her young son around the house.

When did your business begin and why? 
Our business began in 2009 from a joint desire to do something fun as a creative outlet additional to our day jobs. We studied together at the Tasmanian School of Art and had previously collaborated on an exhibition piece so we had a pretty good idea that we would work well together. We decided the best thing to do was combine forces and see where a jewellery and graphic design venture could lead.

Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
We are inspired by all things twiggy, quirky and fun. We work with a neutral colour palette and a minimal approach to create products that are beautiful to look at and make people smile.


Designers you admire? 
Our influences and personal tastes can be quite varied, however we have a shared love of illustration and simplicity that is prominent throughout all of our work. Whilst we draw inspiration from a myriad of artists our collaboration is mostly a response to our local environment and each other’s personalities. 

What is your favourite part of Tasmania? 
Tasmania is such a unique environment, our favourite thing is that everything is so accessible! We both love the great outdoors and find all the inspiration we need literally in our own backyards.

What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
We love that our work is really anything but. We love creating things that we think are nice and then finding out that other people think so too. Our only gripe would be that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to create all of the new things that we would love to do and that sometimes, unfortunately, we really do have to sleep.



What can our lovely customers expect to see you exhibiting? 
Visitors to the market can expect to see our ever-expanding range of handcrafted jewellery including earrings, brooches, pendants, cufflinks and rings as well as our many illustrated gift cards and tags. We are constantly adding new items to our collections and love that the market is the perfect platform to test run our new designs!

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Want to see who else will be at our April event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.

profile : the snow queen's garden

The Snow Queen’s Garden has an almost cult like following for her adorable little handmade decorations. Squirrels, birds, Russian inspired matryoshka dolls all get snapped up in the blink of an eye…no exaggeration. We think it’s because of the endearing personalities and fine details she bestows on each creature. A chubby little tummy on a squirrel, a pretty beaded section on a bird, or a quaint expression on a Babushka doll. All items are beautifully made by hand, and completely irresistible!

Do you have a day job, if so what is it? 
No official day job… but mum to two busy young girls. Add to that a productive fruit and vegetable garden needing loads of attention, an energetic little dog, shift worker husband and all the things I want to stitch, sew, knit, crochet and embroider… no time for a job!

When did your business begin and why? 
The seeds for creating embroidered pieces began in 2003, when my husband was posted out to country NSW. Sewing was a great way to fit into the small local community. Having a new baby and toddler, I was disappointed at the lack of beautiful, child friendly Christmas decorations. In December 2005, I sold some hand embroidered and beaded felt decorations at my daughters’ day care centre. When my grandmother passed away several months later, making Russian inspired felt matryoshka was a way to reconnect with my heritage.


Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
Large part of the inspiration comes from my grandmother’s stories of her upbringing in St Petersburg, Russian. From my early years she introduced me to a wealth of Russian fairytales, folklore and contemporary stories. Sometimes inspiration come from changes in my own perspective: finding changes in how I see patterns swirling in clouds, leaf shadows on a pavement, a moment of moonlight on a tin roof. It’s finding a moment of stillness to catch that moment and memorise it. The design then has to be robust for little hands, and pleasing to the touch.

Designers you admire? 
Always changing. In previous years, I have been influenced by stitch work from Yvette Stanton and her Mountmellick embroidery, Aimee Ray and DoodleStitching, Tone Finnager and her gorgeous colour combinations. Forever loving artists, like Van Gogh, Klimst, Matisse, and Hundertwasser.

What is your favourite part of Tasmania? 
Geographically speaking, love the mountains. Mt Wellington has so many moods to capture, with snow, rain, mist and rainbows. Sometimes all at once. Love the colours and season at Mt Field too. It is wonderful to have four distinct seasons in a year ( or a day). People also seem to have a more balance outlook on life, being able to embrace a lifestyle rather than just living to work.




What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
Simply put – I love making stuff – taking a piece of felt, a sliver of wool, thread, beads and turning it into something that makes people smile. My only gripe is my ambitions often outpace my abilities – got some great ideas using a welder, angle grinder and heap of scrap metal. Maybe one day ….

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Want to see who else will be at our April event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.

profile : miss haidee

We love how Miss Haidee designs are different to so many other children’s labels out there. We love how her designs are boutique, limited run, and made from recycled fabrics in Australia. We love how the clothes have a playfulness but are also classically cut and made to stand the test of time (or garden games, play equipment and kid’s birthday parties). Last but not least we love how they have a lovely vintage essence which makes all children look positively angelic!

Do you have a day job, if so what is it? 
Miss Haidee is a full time job for me.

When did your business begin and why? 
The Miss Haidee label started eight years ago with the birth of my first child Millie when my focus shifted from adult clothing to children’s. I wanted to create original dresses using recycled fabrics that are made in Australia.


Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
My children are my inspiration and by taking ideas from vintage patterns and magazines I try to create timeless classics that will hopefully be handed down from one child to the next. I take pleasure in the knowledge that many of my pieces are ‘one offs’ and mothers enjoy the fact their daughter is wearing something original.

Designers you admire?
Designers I admire are Easton Pearson, Gorman and many other’s who work on a smaller scale for the love of what they do.

What is your favourite part of Tasmania? 
I moved to Tasmania nearly two years ago with my family. Running my business from home in the sleepy town of Woodbridge where my husband runs the pub next door and we spend hours jumping off the jetty in our back yard into the pristine waters of the Channel.


What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
My favourite part of what I do is the feedback and photos I get from the parents who enjoy the clothes as much if not more than their children. Running a business and raising a family is hard but it makes it all worth while. It helps having such a supporting husband!

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Want to see who else will be at our April event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.

profile : tara badcock paris + tasmania

Tara Badcock is a Tasmanian Textile Artist & Designer whose home base is in Northern Tasmania, close to where she was born & raised. After several years living & working in Paris & Europe within her design identity, Tara Badcock PARIS+TASMANIA, Tara has spent the past eight years consolidating and building upon her strong reputation for unique art textiles and is fast becoming recognised nationally & internationally, with store launches in locations such as Tiger & Peacock in Melbourne, Anthropologie in New York, & recent exhibitions in Norway, Sweden, Sydney, Melbourne & Evandale. 

Do you have a day job, if so what is it? 
My textile/embroidery practice is full-time and I work that around being a mother, and finding some time to work on my Graphic Design practice which brings in extra pennies!

When did your business begin and why? 
Tara Badcock PARIS + TASMANIA was born one spring day in Paris in 2005, while I was seeking ways to alleviate my homesickness for Tasmania, marrying it to my Design identity which evolved in Paris during my three years of residence there.

Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
Themes of beauty and utility, cultural identity, social and collective memory, and personal experience form the basis for individual pieces I create, which range from artworks, home-wares (cushions, elaborate curtains and wall panels), fashion, accessories and my ongoing TEACOSY* REVOLUTION project. Through a combination of textile manipulation, stitching and hand embroidery techniques, I seek to connect with deeply ingrained human traditions of communicating both grand and worldly ideas, as well as private and intimate concepts, rendered in cloth.


Designers you admire? 
Manon Gignoux, Nathalie L’Ete, Arthur Bispo do Rosario, Alexander MacQueen, Sara Fanelli, Henrik Drescher, Karl Lagerfeld, Sibella Court, DROOG Design. And these artists are continuously influential: Lucien Freud, Vanessa Bell, Virginia Wolf, Vita Sackville-West, Andy Paiko, Cathy Cullis, Alice Kettle…

What is your favourite part of Tasmania? 
Gosh…all of it!!! Its such a diverse little island and I love the different parts of it for very different reasons…I love the road from Conara to Nile because the landscape looks like the unspoilt vistas in Glover paintings of Van Diemen’s Land. I’m always hoping to see corrobories, and always see the kangaroos bounding over fences!

What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
An artists’ profession is really a calling and so it never feels like a job, even when I’m sewing at 3am and my body is aching all over and my eyes hurt…I’ve gone at my embroidery work so intensively over the past eight years to establish myself and my work in the world, that I’ve become very fast at what I do, which is great and yet means that I can set unrealistic deadlines for myself! I want to employ someone to help me now that I have the work for this, so I’m on the look out for someone with the passion and commitment for this kind of intricate work, and who enjoys it, most importantly!


What can our lovely customers expect to see you exhibiting? 
Lovely customers can expect a range of hand embroidered cushions and accessories and a small quantity of clothing designs, as well as a new range of more affordable printed textiles featuring images of some of my artworks and previous designs for home-wares and clothing. They can also expect to see some sale items from previous collections and a more elegant display of my work…cushions displayed on items of furniture, etc…and also my happy, smiling face!

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Want to see who else will be at our April event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.

profile : mellyfrank

We’re very glad that Melany Franklin has discovered her obsession with leatherwood honey. Her fancy for the golden goodness made by bees has resulted in her ‘winter honeycomb’ range of jewellery she’ll be exhibiting at the market in 2012, and we have to say, it’s delicious. Along with that she’ll also be sharing the rest of her substantial range of statement jewels, made with sterling silver and featuring an impressive list of found objects.

Do you have a day job, if so what is it?
Yes, I shift work as a Registered Nurse part time. I wish it was just a day job because I feel like I have jet lag at least once a month.

When did your business begin and why?
I began my business during my second year of The Art Craft and Design course at a polytechnic college in Hobart in 2010 where I learnt how to work with sterling silver. Prior to this I was making jewellery with bits n bobs and this n that. My interest in jewellery design was really sparked during my travels in Europe in 2006. A visit to tiny shop in a tiny town called Peebles in Scotland sealed the deal for me when I met a jewellery artist in her shop/studio and I felt inspired to pursue my own creative direction.

Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
I am inspired by rubbish, trash, waste, discarded objects aka relinquished relics, glistening objects in gutters, the smell of honeycomb, simplicity and stillness, good coffee and long baths. I use sterling silver in all of my pieces along with other things that take my fancy such as discarded bronze foundry shavings, discarded antibiotic vial lids, buttons, coins, discarded glass and perspex. The objects I use are removed from their low rank in society and become part of something beautiful. My packaging is also handmade in an attempt to lessen the environmental impact of my work.


Designers you admire? 
There are several jewellery designers I admire but Natasa Milenovic would have to be top of the list. I am continually amazed by her beautiful work.

What is your favourite part of Tasmania? 
It would have to be right where I live in Hobart. Close to the city conveniences yet still close to the bush and some beautiful walks. My favourite place to walk to would have to be Cathedral Rock.

What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
I love the creative process and all it involves. I love playing and experimenting and finishing a piece is always satisfying. My only gripe is that I wish there were more hours in the day.


What can our lovely customers expect to see you exhibiting? 
I have developed a bit of an obsession for the taste and smell of leatherwood honey. I began casting beeswax to ensure I was in its constant company, which has resulted in the creation of a range of winter honeycomb jewellery which will be available at The Market. I will also be exhibiting a range of jewellery inspired by my collection of discarded lids and relinquished relics.

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Want to see who else will be at our April event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.

profile : captain blueberry

Captain Blueberry (the name says it all really!) is the brainchild of the lovely, quirky and very talented French lady Rachel Tribout. Her work reminds us all to never forget the fun and fears of childhood…monsters, pirates, things hiding under the bed! Her wares includes the coolest handpainted helmets we’ve ever seen, illustrative works, monster softies and an intriguing range of giftcards featuring designs that while beautiful have a depth and darkness we love.

Do you have a day job, if so what is it? 
Apart from being on the lookout for dangerous monsters and monstrous dangers, I work as an illustrator and sometimes graphic designer. When things are quiet, I do a bit of retail work and office work here and there to feed my first mate monkey, Albert.

When did your business begin and why? 
It started in 2009 when I set ashore in Tasmania. It was clear that I will get plenty of time off my monster fighter duty. So it came naturally for me to create illustrations, craft fury monsters, paint on helmets, make a living of what I love doing. It fulfills me. I am positive that it’s only at its early stage and I will take it a long way, creating an unseen world of wonder and adventures of all sorts. 

Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
Graphic novels are a huge inspiration for me as I have grown up with them. Children’s book, Animation movies are a big one too. Other than that, I have a pretty large range of things I look at and watch, and it surely inspires me, consciously or otherwise. My tastes are broad; from dark heavy deep emotional stuff to ultra-sweet bubbly uplifting things. In my work the bubbly stuff comes out the most, but I believe there’s always an inch of unknown, a little darkness within my work. Monsters pretending to be islands, creatures hiding and watching. Things are not always what they seem or what you expect them to be in CB world. I am often deeply touched by what is happening in the real world, but I don’t necessarily channel it directly into my work. Yet.


Designers you admire?
I admire millions of artists, it’s hard to even start. Here’s a few big and obvious ones, and most of those people are illustrators: Miazaky, Moebius, Jamie Hewlett, Shaun Tan, Claire Wendling, leslie & the beastlies, Rebecca Dautremer, TADA’s Revolution, etc…

What is your favourite part of Tasmania? 
The Tarkine really struck me recently. We drove north from Corrinna and stopped on our way up along the West Coast. We walked on top of a bare hill, where we could see to the horizon in every direction. It was spectacular, not like your holiday photo cliché, with tall dead eucalyptus emerging from small dark green bushes, wild sky, blue mountains in the background. It felt so ancient and untouched; I nearly expected dinosaurs to wander out across the button grass plains. Maria Island is a little paradise too.

What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
The process and the learning cycles. I love finding an idea, starting, feeling the creative flow. Feeling stuck and pushing through, then the final feeling of achievement.



What can our lovely customers expect to see you exhibiting? 
This year I will focus on selling my hand painted helmets and clothing at the market. I will also have some cards and prints of my illustrations. I might have a few fury monster beanies and teddies, but it will be a surprise – for the market-goers and myself!

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Want to see who else will be at our April event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.

Welcome to our April market

Sunday 22 April, 10am - 3pm

Welcome to April at the market. Bringing you a brand new selection of exhibitors, with some wonderfully exciting products, we simply can’t wait to share these local labels with you. For April we’ll be showcasing an intriguing and varied range of mediums, including ceramics, photography, textiles and so much more. In this look book you can learn a little bit more about our exhibitors, both from a business point of view, and also a little more personally, we think the two often go hand in hand!

While vastly differing in products and style, all our exhibitors are of a similar ilk, which we feel demonstrates the core values of the market, to present customers with the cream of the crop of Art & Design in Tasmania. It is important to us, and we hope to you as well, that our line-up of artists, designers and makers present original designs, a sincere and ethical approach to their business and above all else, exhibit wares that are both beautiful and of a high quality manufacture.

We look forward to seeing you on the 22nd!
- Shannon + Holly

If it's not showing up, view it here!

profile : jenny mills jewellery

Jenny Mills Jewellery features beautifully classic designs, quality ingredients and just the right amount of bling! Her jewels are precious, but just a little unexpected. We like how she creates on trend products but definitely not of the mass produced variety…these ones are special, just like the lovely lady who creates them.

Do you have a day job, if so what is it? 
Yes… I am a nurse. I work in Palliative Care. I can probably blame my “day job” (which happens to be at night) for my attitude to life and to my jewellery design. No one really needs jewellery… yet it makes us feel loved, fits when nothing else will, marks an occasion and brings back memories. When you work in Palliative Care, you tend to live a little more in the moment, don’t fuss as much about things that don’t matter, and really respect the strength, resolve and acceptance that is possible to achieve! I love both my “jobs” !


When did your business begin and why?
I made my very first piece in July 2006. I was just after unique and fabulous gift ideas for my nieces then… but even those basic and very naive early pieces, made me excited about the potential of jewellery design! Oh… and it was the very best excuse to shop for sparkly and precious bits and pieces!

Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
I start very often with a component that makes me excited and then it works it’s way around in my brain until it becomes a part of a greater piece. Often it’s like a challenge – a clasp for instance which prefers to be the focal piece, or even an unusual gem that needs some care and innovation to be at it’s best. Aesthetically though I am a little in the moment. I may have been inspired by a photo or a beach scene, or even by a beautiful bit of fashion design. But even more than texture and dimension, I am inspired by colour and light. I like to be a little unexpected, but comfortable.

Designers you admire? 
I was influenced very early on by a couple of established designers Brenda Schweder, who now works in steel and is very innovative and exciting… her pieces are quite strong and powerful… and Barbara Becker Simon, who made the most beautiful (and expensive) glass beads at that time! I bought some of those beads in the most remarkable colours … and I still have them today! I haven’t made them up! I literally use them for inspiration… I hold them and look at them often. I am interested in the fact that all jewellery designers have a sort of signature… you can pick their pieces in a line up!

What is your favourite part of Tasmania? 
I LOVE Tasmania! I love to travel, to visit places that have history and new experiences and cultures and people who don’t speak English! It’s that moment though when you get off the plane at the exposed and tiny Hobart airport, with the fresh clean air and the no fuss attitude and the sniffer dog to greet you!

What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
I love the excuse to play with beautiful gems and components and the response from a happy customer. I also really love being “involved” in a special event – especially weddings. My biggest gripe is the abundance of mass produced and copied designs available. If it is too cheap someone has been exploited in the making…don’t start me with this!


What can our lovely customers expect to see you exhibiting? 
To honour our summer, I will be bringing a lot of turquoise, yellow and red to the market, used with sterling silver and leather and fabulous vintage fabrics.

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 Missed our February event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.

profile : elliott my dear

Apart from possibly being the nicest and most gentle souls we’ve ever met, Sarah and Hamish Elliott are an incredibly talented duo. Sarah is an oil painter who has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the VCA in Melbourne and Hamish is a Jazz Double Bassist who now works full-time in design. Their range of original paintings and watercolours, many inspired by Sarah’s childhood are sublime….think a 19th Century garden, red and white toadstools, an owl hooting at bedtime, and a pear orchard, just lovely!

Do you have a day job, if so what is it? 
Our house is filled with music, cooking, sewing, painting, books and the creative space of a homeschooling family. We spend each day creatively treasuring our space with our children.

When did your business begin and why? 
We’ve been successfully running our own design business Ingres Violin for five years and with great reception to Sarah’s artwork decided to expand into a second business. Elliott My Dear began in 2011 bringing Sarah’s artwork and a unique aesthetic into a design environment.


Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
Sarah uses traditional painting methods in oils and watercolours and paints from the imaginative space of her childhood spent in a two acre 19th Century garden. Filled with red and white toadstools, an owl hooting at bedtime, platypuses in the creek, a pear orchard and a towering Wellingtonia with a silver star shining over the town; her childhood is an endless source of inspiration. Sarah paints her children and from a love of a childhood imaginative space. Elliott My Dear has a distinctly 1800’s, fairytale, poetic appeal.

Designers you admire? 
We love a unique voice and a story in the handmade and have travelled to England to see the Pre-Raphealite and the Arts and Crafts Movements work. We read the works of Ruskin and are constantly visiting the NGV to see the old old paintings. We love design that brings beauty and contemplation to the everyday.

What is your favourite part of Tasmania? 
We love family holidays at the Bay of Fires for quiet, space and sand that is like little gemstones.

What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
We love working slowly and carefully in a meaningful way and feel privileged to be able to work creatively everyday without compromise. By designing, making and selling our own work we meet lovely people who appreciate our creativity and share in our story.


What can our lovely customers expect to see you exhibiting? 
We have a range of Museum standard Archival prints, brooches, pocket mirrors and accessories as well as some original artworks. We look forward to creating new artworks and designs for Elliott My Dear throughout the year!

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 Missed our February event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.

profile : dick & dora

When we think of Dick & Dora we think of joyful and oversized decorations, a clever and intuitive collection of statement brooches and necklaces and an expanding range of wares in spot on colours and designs. This year the label will see an exciting new direction under its brand new owner and all round stylish lady Mel French. Keep your eyes peeled for some lovely new Dick & Dora home wares, we can’t wait!

Do you have a day job, if so what is it? 
This year sees me taking on my new role of Dora full time. I have worked as a photographer, visual merchandiser, in retail and event stylist, all whilst doing the markets on the side. This is the first time I have taken the leap to full time maker. Harriet and Georgina (former directors) warned me D&D would take over every nook and cranny in my house and then some – they weren’t wrong!

When did your business begin and why? 
Buying D&D in January was an exciting opportunity for me to design and make full time. Since 2007 I have been a regular at Tassie markets and wholesaling with my old business my paperdoll. This year brings a new challenge in continuing Harriet and Georgina’s hard work and a chance to play with designs and new 3D printing technology-very exciting.


Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
I find inspiration in many of my favourite things- childhood memories of books and games, industrial design, buildings, textures, old textiles. I love farm sheds in paddocks that are nearly falling down. My grandmother’s old kitchen utensils and smudged hand written recipe books. Frankly anything well loved - the more beat up and weathered the better. Quite keen on constellation charts, old world globes and aerial photography too. The MONA building is incredibly inspiring. Other times inspiration can strike at the unlikeliest moment.

Designers you admire? 
Nonda Katsalidis who designed the Mona building. It is awe inspiring.

What is your favourite part of Tasmania? 
I love the white sandy beaches on the east coast on a wild and windy winters day and I love the rich red soil of the NW coast that stains your shoes.

What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
I love being able to ‘make’ everyday. I could be making balaclavas and I’d be happy. I love slight craziness of market days but maybe not the early starts.


What can our lovely customers expect to see you exhibiting? 
Designs that make them smile. A touch of whimsy and nostalgia. Must have homewares. Just because. 

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 Missed our February event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.

profile : penny black project

The Penny Black Project is a clever little art project for people who want to be more creative but find that they are short on time….so pretty much most people with a creative bone in their body! Participants are encouraged to follow project briefs to create a series of miniature artworks. Illustration, collage, crochet, textiles, sculpture and photography and any other medium you fancy can be submitted. In 2012 the Penny Black Project has also expanded to incorporate a range of vintage postage stamp paper products aimed for everyday inspiration.

Do you have a day job, if so what is it? 
I am currently a fulltime student, studying business and majoring in accounting, and work part time as a book keeper for the Design Centre Tasmania. After I finish uni my goal is to become a qualified accountant and start my own fulltime business supporting creative people in business (and pursue my own creative interests).

When did your business begin and why? 
The Penny Black Project started in August 2009. I was working fulltime, studying part-time, and was looking for a way to incorporate more creativity into my everyday life. I had just finished an art project 4 Words 4 Paper which encouraged participants to create a series of artist books, I had gotten so much from participating in this project that I decided to create an art project of my own. The key for me was to keep the projects small and by chance I stumbled onto the idea of basing the projects around postage stamps, starting with the first postage stamp the Penny Black, and so the Penny Black Project was born.


Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
I am a big fan of Scandinavian design and the idea of design that is available to everyone. I love their idea of having beautifully crafted things for everyday living. I am also drawn to Japanese minimalism and the concept of shibumi - the beauty in the simple, subtle and unobtrusive. I am also a big fan of design that uses recycled and reclaimed materials - in my own work I try to keep the use of new materials to a minimum.

Designers you admire? 
Lately I have been very much inspired by the work of Japanese Architect Tadao Ando. He has been described as one of the most influential built environment designers of the post modern era, but what I admire most is that he is entirely self taught, having only completed the first year of an architectural degree before deciding to drop out and go his own way. I love this as it goes to show that if you put your mind to it you really can achieve anything (even if that means going against the system). But I would have to say that my favourite designer is Matty C Smith, who has been helping me with the design work for the Penny Black Project, from branding all the way through to a potential retail store for the future.

What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
Running an art project I am constantly amazed at the creativity of the participants. I send out the same brief to everyone and then 6 weeks later I get an impossible range of responses, all completely different and totally individual. It is incredibly inspiring and motivating. However with all this inspiration and motivation around I do find that there is just not the time to get everything I would like done. I am hoping that this situation will improve once my studies are finished (at the end of this year!).



What can our lovely customers expect to see you exhibiting? 
Expect inspiration and hopefully a little motivation to pursue your own creativity. If you don’t think of yourself as creative then there is always the lovely stamp ephemera for you to keep or perhaps share through the post with a friend (but really if you don’t think of yourself as creative, but secretly wish you were then I think the Penny Black Project is exactly the project for you).

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 Missed our February event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.

profile : lumbini house

Christine Scott, besides being the Art Curator of The Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart, is also a printmaker of considerable talent. Not only does she make wonderful prints, but her paper-based work extends to a jewellery line, which is delicate, wearable and different, in a really good way! Exhibiting under the Lumbini House label, Christine’s products are often inspired by her travels, making them utterly intriguing and nicely varied.

Do you have a day job, if so what is it?
I am the Art Curator The Henry Jones Art Hotel in Hobart.

When did your business begin and why? 
It began as an ancillary practice to my printmaking. There were so many prints from proofing that were left over after doing an edition, so I started reworking them into other small paper based things that I could give away to my friends as gifts or use myself at home. I also have had some serious back issues, which forced me to reduce the scale of my printmaking. This led me to where I am now, focusing on print and paper based jewellery.



Inspiration/design aesthetic? 
Travel is one of the most important factors in my art practice. I seem to gain most inspiration from having new visual information lodged in my brain after I go somewhere new. My travel photos are like a vault of images, which I can refer to when having a lull in ideas. I look at many things; art exhibitions, spaces, shops, people, and have a keen interest in fashion photography and styling, fabrics, especially pre-80’s. My prints mainly evolve from Japanese art and aesthetics. I love how they do full-on color, and then full-on nothingness. Local makers and designers are also very inspiring in that they remind me that it is important to do what you are naturally good at, then all else will follow.

Designers you admire? 
I like viewing the work of many global designers, most whom I stumble across while online. But I love following the growth and success of our local designers. And that is across furniture, jewelry, fashion and graphic design. There are some who are very astute at marketing, promotion and running their business while still maintaining their creative drive. That is something I am always seriously lacking!

What is your favourite part of Tasmania? 
Hobart. Home. The Mountain and her sunsets. Sullivans Cove, looking seaward.

What do you love about what you do...and any little gripes or niggles? 
Having to wait until I have a creative urge to start making. It never seems to work for me if I am not in the mood. Having a day job really drains out my energy and I often get in a rut worrying about not making. Mind you, as soon as I step inside my teensy studio I start to feel better.


What can our lovely customers expect to see you exhibiting? 
I am currently extending my printed jewelry range into earrings and other items to complement the necklaces. The prototypes my friends have been wearing are proving popular, so time to expand.

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Missed our February event? For more interviews with our exhibitors check out our look book.