Meet some of my crafty friends

It seems I know a lot of jewellers, so instead of just focusing on one today I'll introduce you to several of my jewels of friends.

I've known Mandy of Beads Me for a few years now. We first met through DUST which is a team of Australian sellers on etsy.
We are almost neighbours as well!
Mandy's range has really expanded over the years - from beadyness, to glass jewellery and now photography.
She is one talented lady.

beach grass pendant by BeadsMe

I'm a huge fan of David Loong's quirky metal pendants.
David is another Blue Mountains resident and used to be a member of the craft co-operative The Nook Leura.
You can still find his work in his etsy shop.

apple core by David Loong

Rachel is the creative behind rmdjewelleryjewellery, .
Rachel's work has also evolved over the years I have known her and I just love her modern silver designs with a splash of colour.

red resin and silver earrings by rmdjewellery

Alison of My Red Scooter is on a journey too!
She has travelled from fabric accessories to her newest venture - colourful resin jewellery.

stacking resin bangles by My Red Scooter

Mel is someone I also met through the DUST team on etsy.
She is one talented lady!
If you have a look at her etsy shop you will see the breadth of her work - and she makes some pretty awesome silver jewellery.

By the Rivers of Babylon bracelet by wiccked

Why don't you go on a little journey and pay them all a visit?
Have a lovely weekend.

Amelia Herbertson - an Orange Friday Friend.

I'm in love.....with Amelia Herbertson's art!
Seriously how sweet is it?
And she is the sweetest person too.....read on.....

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Amelia Herbertson and I am an artist living in Orange in regional NSW, Australia.
I like to paint with watercolour and gouache, as well as use fine tipped ink pens to create intricately detailed patterns. 
I turn my artworks into art prints, greeting cards and gift tags. 
I am also a print maker, and have a range of bold colourful lino prints and lino printed greeting cards.


Who or what inspire you?
 I am inspires by old children's books and have a large collection of them. I scour book sales and op shops for them and my favorites are from the 1950's and 60's. I love the style and simplicity of the illustrations. I also have drawers and boxes full of paper ephemera - postage stamps, scraps of vintage gift wrap and wall paper which I also love to look through for inspiration. 

Your signature or favorite item.
My "Big Bird" lino print.
It's my largest print and has been my biggest sellers over the years. I really love that design and I think it is probably the most recognisable of my designs.

What do you most enjoy doing?

I most enjoy sitting at my desk with a cup of tea and a fresh sheet of paper and my paintbrush. 

I like to get lost in my thoughts and lose track of time. 
I don’t get to do this as often as I would like, as I have to take care of all the other aspects of running my tiny business.

How did you start along this road? 

I have always been creative and loved to make my own greeting cards when I was a kid.
I have never had a proper 9 - 5 job and this just seemed like a natural progression.
Years ago, when I was still at school and first discovered design blogs, I came across the work of artists who sold their work on a (then) little webite called Etsy, and I thought "I want to do that." Seeing them doing it made the possibility of being an artist seem more available to me.
I began drawing in a sketchbook every chance I could and learning as I went.
It took me a long time to gather the courage to show anyone my work.

5 things you would say to other new artists/crafters/home businesses.

  1. Work hard and keep practicing. Make new things as much as you can and keep at it. It can seem daunting at first but just do a little bit everyday and you will get there.

       2.Make mistakes. Don’t be afraid of failure. You will make mistakes (it won’t be the end of the world) and you will learn from them. Every single artist/maker/business owner you admire has made plenty of mistakes to get where they are.

3     3. Be true to yourself. Don’t listen to others who try to put you down for being brave enough to take a risk and try something that goes against the conventional way of making a living. Prove them wrong!

4     4. Don’t give up. You will want to give up many times but remember that you will have always have ups and downs and things will get better again.

            5. Have fun. The most important thing to remember is that you are doing this because you love it, so remember not to get bogged down in the little things and enjoy it! 

I regularly (well, twice a year) catch up with Amelia at the Millthorpe Markets and her stall always look so fabulously enticing.

You can find her here -
www.ameliaherbertson.com

https://www.etsy.com/shop/AmeliaHerbertson

https://www.facebook.com/AmeliaHerbertsonArt

ps. I apologise for the font-strangeness and the uneven layout but I'm having all sorts of problems with my blog today. I feel like I'm shouting a bit and I'll try and fix it up later.