Stallholder Profile for Jenny Moodie Design
Your name: Jenny Moodie
Your business name and facebook/website name and link: Jenny Moodie Design
www.jennymoodie-design.com (this needs updating for Australia)
www.instagram.com/jenny_moodie
The suburb/town you live in now: I moved to Coolum Beach in October 2016 with my Australian partner, I'm originally from Edinburgh, Scotland.
What is it that you make and what skills do you use: Jewellery - I create delicate hand crocheted wire jewellery for adults: earrings, necklaces and pendants. Using my Grannies 3mm and 1.5mm metal crochet hooks, 0.315mm colour plated copper core jewellery wire, semi precious gem stone chips/beads and 925 Sterling Silver ear wires, 16 inch snake chains and silver plated findings. My jewellery is bright and playful and the range of colourful wires work well with the natural stones. Each piece is comfortable to wear, it is not scratchy or heavy, the earrings in fact are so lightweight for danglies that you almost don’t notice them. Each piece is presented in a black gift box with ribbon and information tags.
Artwork - I love animals and the beautiful patterns, textures and colours created by nature. I enjoy drawing with a sharp pencil to achieve great detail, however discovered I can combine traditional and modern techniques and colour my monochrome drawings digitally to bring them to life. I create my original artworks using a pure graphite pencil on a A4 layout pad. I work from a reference photo which I’ve either taken, been given or adapted from various online images. I scan my drawing, open it in Photoshop, duplicate sections of the drawing several times and apply colour overlays to each layer. The final product is a digital colour print mounted and framed. Prints are limited to 26 editions (my lucky number 13, times two).
What inspired you to start your business: After I graduated in Edinburgh in 2008 with a 1st Class Batchelor of Design Honours Degree I very quickly gained a position with a leading events design company. The events industry can have peaks and quiet times so I decided to start my own small creative business to fill my time productively and continue doing other things I love. I obtained my ABN in October 2016 and I’m hoping I can continue here as I did in Scotland, splitting my time successfully between events work and my own business.
How long have you been creating: I can’t remember a time when I haven’t done some kind of art or craft. I started drawing as soon as I could hold a pencil and remember learning to knit and crochet with wool as a young child with both my Grannies. I made beaded jewellery in my teenage years and whilst at Uni I experimented with heavier copper wire on sculptural projects. This wire had been recycled from old electrical cables that my Electrician Father had collected on re-wires. This thicker wire worked well for sculptural pieces and from there I tried wire wrapped jewellery with stones and sea glass. I then found a supplier of fine copper core jewellery wire which I could use to make more intricate pieces and started making knitted bracelets. One day I was looking through a craft storage box and found my Grannies old crochet hooks and decided to give the wire crochet a go about 6 years ago. To this day I am still using my Grannies metal crochet hooks.
Is it a full time/part time hobby or business: This is a part time business at the moment when I’m not styling weddings and events or managing the warehouse for the company I work with.
Where do you sell your creations: The Handmade Expo Sunshine Coast, Makersville - Montville, Harper St - Peregian Beach, Online @ https://marketplace.profilemag.com.au/jenny-moodie/, Eumundi Pavilion Markets (occasionally), Direct and commissions by word of mouth.
What makes you so special or different: The techniques I use are quite unique combining traditional with modern. You don't see a lot of hand crocheted wire jewellery or detailed pencil drawings coloured digitally.
What is the most rewarding part of what you do: I enjoy the freedom and flexibility of being my own boss and creating something that other people like enough to purchase.
I love when I sit down to create something, I can focus completely on that for a few hours in my own wee creative bubble and shut out the rest of the world.
What is your favourite product to make: I particularly enjoy making one off crocheted wire pendants as a lot of the time the natural gemstones shape the final product so no two pieces will look exactly the same.
Do you teach classes or workshops: No, not currently. I don't want to give away my trade secrets and don't currently have the time.
