SUNSHINE COAST STALLHOLDER PROFILE FOR AMOURPARFAIT TOYS AND STUFF

Stallholder Profile for Amourparfait Toys and Stuff

Your name: Martine Beard

Your business name and facebook/website name and link: Amourparfait Toys and Stuff

https://www.facebook.com/amourparfaittoysandstuff/

https://www.instagram.com/amourparfaittoysandstuff/

www.etsy.com/au/shop/Amourparfaittoys

The suburb/town you live in now: Pelican Waters, Caloundra.

What is it that you make and what skills do you use?: Fabric animals for play, nursery décor, memory items and door stops by special order.

What inspired you to start your business?: I’m an animal lover myself and I was totally drawn to the individuality of each toy.  However firstly it was to give my niece with Cerebral Palsy something to do & learn a new skill…….and sew “Amourparfait Toys and Stuff” was born.

How long have you been creating?: Only about 18 months….. I had never sewn before!

Is it a full time/part time hobby or business?: From the start it was a part time hobby which is become a full time…..I hope to one day make it a full time business.

Where do you sell your creations?: My items are available at online; Facebook, Instagram and from my Etsy Store.  I love to do markets and they include The Handmade Expo, Witta Market & Caloundra Street Fair.

What makes you so special or different?: The animals are 3 dimensional, so they look rather life like!   They are unique, colourful and offer that little difference to a child’s nursery or gift for that someone quirky.  They are the perfect gift made with Love for all occasions.

What is the most rewarding part of what you do?: I truly love the response from customers and those that just like to look…. Their eyes peruse the animals and you watch a smile come to their face.  The bright colours of the fabrics I use create an immediate sense of joy. 

What is your favourite product to make?: I’m a little taken with the Lions & ducks at the moment.  Although each animal has their own character which is enhanced through the choice of fabric….. somehow cuteness just happens.

Do you teach classes or workshops?: No, I’m just happy doing my own thing and learning from others.

BRISBANE NORTHSIDE STALLHOLDER PROFILE FOR PINKBERRY KISSES

Stallholder Profile for Pinkberry Kisses

Your name:  Amanda Grant

Your business name and facebook/website name and link: Pinkberry Kisses, www.pinkberrykisses.com.au  www.facebook.com/pinkberrykisses 

The suburb/town you live in now: Bellmere / Caboolture

What is it that you make and what skills do you use?: Hair Clips that don’t slip!  I make a rather large range of hair accessories with most of them being attached to a partially lined alligator or snap clip.  All our clips have a unique non slip grip which literally holds in just a few strands of hair!  Specifically created for babies with very little hair and anyone with fine hair.  However my range now caters for all ages with a Ladies Range only being released a couple of weeks ago.

What inspired you to start your business?:  A very good friend of mine originally started this business and after running and growing it for 6 years she decided to take her career into another direction.  My daughters and I had been using her products for years and could not bear to let the business close as we just love the product so much, so 12 months ago I took it over and have been creating beautiful pieces since.  Originally Pinkberry Kisses was marketed towards babies and children but I have since introduced a beautiful range of products for our tweens, teens and now ladies.

How long have you been creating?: 12 months

Is it a full time/part time hobby or business?: This is my full time business whilst also homeschooling my son.

Where do you sell your creations?:  My products can be purchased through my website and on my facebook page.  I also attend several markets including The Handmade Expo North Brisbane, Old Petrie Town Markets, Rock A Buy Baby and Children Market Strathpine plus a lot of school fetes.  I also have my product in several schools throughout Brisbane supplying their uniform shops.

What makes you so special or different?:  It really is the non slip grip on our clips that really do work and keeps our customers coming back.  Also the quality of our product and our customer service is extremely important to us.

What is the most rewarding part of what you do?:  I just love seeing others feeling good about themselves and if the simplicity of a ‘hair pretty’ can do that, then I’ve done my bit.

What is your favourite product to make?:  I really love our Interchangeable Headbands.  These are a soft, wide elastic headband which comes in many colours and patterns and have a ‘loop’ attached to them.  Every single one of our clips can be easily attached to the loop of the headband to add a bow, flower, butterfly etc.  I also really enjoy making Unicorn Headbands.

Do you teach classes or workshops?:  I am currently in the process of working out some Bow Making Workshops, so keep an eye on my facebook page for the release of these.

BRISBANE NORTHSIDE STALLHOLDER PROFILE FOR TWO LADIES WHO

Stallholder Profile for Two Ladies Who

Your name: Fi Wake and Linda Ryan

Your business name and facebook/website name and link: Two Ladies Who ; facebook - https://www.facebook.com/twoladieswho ; Etsy- https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/TwoLadiesWho

The suburb/town you live in now: Bracken Ridge/ Strathpine

What is it that you make and what skills do you use?: Two Ladies Who combine Vintage patterns with modern fabrics to produce quality, handmade clothing and accessories for women and girls.

What inspired you to start your business?: We love sewing and we are mad collectors of Vintage patterns. We combined the two and Two Ladies Who was born!

How long have you been creating?: All our lives!

Is it a full time/part time hobby or business?: part time business

Where do you sell your creations?: We sell on Etsy, Facebook, and as stall holders at Mitchie Makers’ Markets, and have just joined The Handmade Expo community!

What makes you so special or different?: We source our Vintage patterns, draft to suit modern figures and create wonderful, long-lasting, elegant garments which are all One of a Kind. The fabrics we use range from feminine to quirky and the clothes we make are for petite to plus size. You will never find what we make in a chain store!

What is the most rewarding part of what you do?: The satisfied customers who will wear our designs for years!

What is your favourite product to make?: Fi: I love to sew our wrap dress range. Linda: I love to create accessories like flower crowns, but also sew separates.

Do you teach classes or workshops?: Yes! We’ve just started teaching Sew Easy classes - where people can learn to sew using their own machines, own patterns and own fabrics!

BRISBANE NORTHSIDE STALLHOLDER PROFILE FOR GROW N GLOW BOUTIQUE

Stallholder Profile for Grow n Glow Boutique

Your name: Lajla Darvill

Your business name and facebook/website name and link: 
Grow n Glow Boutique http://www.grownglowboutique.com Facebook.com/grownglowboutique

The suburb/town you live in now: Park Ridge, QLD

What is it that you make and what skills do you use?: I design and create maternity and breastfeeding fashion. Currently I have silicone and wooden breastfeeding necklaces in stock as well as baby teethers. My own maternity and breastfeeding clothing range is currently being manufactured.

What inspired you to start your business?: My children and my love for breastfeeding.

How long have you been creating?: 4 months.

Is it a full time/part time hobby or business?: Full time business

Where do you sell your creations?: Online and am starting to do the markets.

What makes you so special or different?: My business was born from a desire to offer mums an opportunity to treat themselves, because we all know mums deserve it. I design my own fashion and enjoy every minute of it.

What is the most rewarding part of what you do?: The testimonials from my lovely customers, saying how much the necklaces have helped their babies keep focused on feeding, making it easier on mums.

What is your favourite product to make?: Designing maternity and breastfeeding clothes.

Do you teach classes or workshops?: No.

BRISBANE NORTHSIDE STALLHOLDER PROFILE FOR HOOKD ON KAZZAZZ

Stallholder Profile for HookD on Kazzazz

Your name: Debbie Hook

Your business name and facebook/website name and link: https://www.facebook.com/HookD.on.Kaszazz

The suburb/town you live in now: Narangba.

What is it that you make and what skills do you use?:I use paper, inks and embellishments to create a range of handmade cards, scrapbook layouts, gift boxes, notebooks, mini albums, invitations and other custom requested items.

What inspired you to start your business?: My love of paper crafting and people I knew wanting me to make things for them

How long have you been creating?: I have been into all art forms since a child, with the paper craft really taking hold in the mid 1990’s (20ish years)

Is it a full time/part time hobby or business?: part time business.

Where do you sell your creations?: Word of mouth, Facebook page, markets -generally indoor style/craft markets and now The Handmade Expo.

What makes you so special or different?: I take a great deal of pride in the quality of my workmanship. I am able to create things for people from their ideas (even when they’re not exactly sure what they would like).

What is the most rewarding part of what you do?: Making one off items from peoples requests and being able to preserve peoples memories in scrapbook layouts.

What is your favourite product to make?: I love creating everything- honestly I don’t have a favourite.

Do you teach classes or workshops?: Yes, I teach several workshops each month, with my events listed on my business page.

SUNSHINE COAST STALLHOLDER PROFILE FOR SUCCULENT ARTISTRY

Stallholder Profile for Succulent Artistry

Your name: Deborah Groves

Your business name and facebook/website name and link:

Succulent Artistry

https://www.facebook.com/succulentartistry/

The suburb/town you live in now:

Little Mountain, Caloundra.

What is it that you make and what skills do you use?:

I make living succulent arrangements in hand-made or up-cycled quirky containers.  I have learnt a lot of skills over the past couple of years related to this.  From propogating succulents from a leaf or a cutting to using power tools to make timber boxes out of reclaimed timber.  Thank goodness for Youtube - you can learn just about anything on there! 

What inspired you to start your business?:

To be honest I don't remember what triggered my succulent obsession.  But I was spending too much money on succulents and decided I needed to start making money from them to support my habit!   Succulents are very addictive for some reason.  Fortunately I seem to have a knack for making beautiful arrangements that people love.  I also love making them - it satisfies the soul.

How long have you been creating?:

About 2 years.

Is it a full time/part time hobby or business?:

Well it is supposed to be part time, but I do spend an enormous amount of time on it because I love doing it.

Where do you sell your creations?:

The Handmade Expo at Noosa, the Mooloolaba Beach Markets, and sometimes from home (which is where I work).

What makes you so special or different?:

My attention to detail (I am perhaps a bit of a perfectionist).  But I won't consider an arrangement finished unless I am 100% happy with it.  That might mean pulling an arrangement apart several times to get it just right.  If I walk away from an arrangement and then come back to it and immediately love it then it is "done", but if I don't love it I start all over and work on it again until it is just right.

What is the most rewarding part of what you do?:

Seeing a single leaf grow into a beautiful plant.

What is your favourite product to make?:

I love finding quirky containers and planting them up.  I scour op-shops, second hand shops and even the rubbish dump shops for unusual containers.  It's like going on a treasure hunt,.

Do you teach classes or workshops?:

Not yet, but I have been giving this idea a lot of thought this year.  So "watch this space".

SUNSHINE COAST STALLHOLDER PROFILE FOR LLAMA LOUNGE DESIGN

Stallholder Profile for Llama Lounge Design

Your name: Julie Reibelt

Your business name and facebook/website name and link: Llama Lounge Design 

https://facebook.com/llamaloungedesign/

The suburb/town you live in now: Witta, near Maleny, in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland

What is it that you make and what skills do you use?: I use resin and other mediums to create unique and beautiful pieces of art, homewares and jewellery. Resin is a fluid medium, which provides a challenge to work with - I love using different techniques and colour combinations to create something that is one-of-a-kind. 

What inspired you to start your business? I took a year off from the corporate world and moved back to Queensland after living and working overseas and in WA for the past 15 years. This year is all about trying new things and following my passions. Setting up my own business with Llama Lounge Design has allowed me to do that. 

How long have you been creating? I have been creating since I was a child - I had a grandmother who spent a lot of time teaching me how to sew, knit and crochet. This early love of creating things has expanded over the years, and I am now the aunt that does the creative arts and crafts with my niece and nephews. Moving to Maleny and creating Llama Lounge Design has allowed me to fully embrace my artistic side. 

Is it a full time/part time hobby or business? A business and a passion. 

Where do you sell your creations? I sell online via etsy (https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/LlamaLoungeDesign), at the monthly Witta Markets (3rd Saturday of every month), and at the Handmade Expo. 

What makes you so special or different? Resin is a really fun medium to work with, because it is so unpredictable. No two pieces are alike. I love being able to create functional pieces of art that are unique. This year, I have also started creating pieces of art for people to hang on their walls - you can create some beautiful seascapes and beach scenes, and beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Resin is a super glossy finish and the colours are incredible. 

What is the most rewarding part of what you do? Seeing people fall in love with the pieces that I create, and then seeing those pieces being used or worn, or decorating someone’s house. 

What is your favourite product to make? I love making cheeseboards, serving trays and stools/side tables - art that is both beautiful and functional, and can be appreciated every day. I have had a number of clients ask me to make custom pieces for them, to match the decor of their home, which allows me to play with colour palettes that I don’t normally create. I also love the challenge of creating pieces of art, since I get to experiment with different techniques and layering, to create different effects. 

Do you teach classes or workshops? I am planning on running workshops later this year - follow my Facebook page for updates on this!

SUNSHINE COAST STALLHOLDER PROFILE FOR LOOPZ

Stallholder Profile for Loopz

Your name: Karen Beckett

Your business name and Facebook/website name and link: Loopz www.Madeit.com.au/Loopz

The suburb/town you live in now: Yandina

What is it that you make and what skills do you use?: Infinity scarves and Bees Wax food wraps (cling wrap alternative).

What inspired you to start your business?: A number of things – With Loopz (Infinity scarves) a love of wearing scarves and shawls, a love of soft draping fabric and reaching an age where I wasn’t looking too good on paper when applying for jobs along with hundreds of other people on the Sunshine Coast, so I decided it was time to let the “inner me” out! With Wrappy Wax (Bees Wax Wraps) a desire to reduce the harmful impact we have on our plant by changing a day to day habit.

How long have you been creating?: Loopz - I’ve been sewing (off and on) for more than 40 years making my own clothes with their own distinct style. Wrappy Wax - My son & his girlfriend gave me some Bees Wax wraps for Christmas and a light bulb went on!

Is it a full time/part time hobby or business?: I’m aiming to make it into a business where I can work the amount of time I want to and have fun doing it.

Where do you sell your creations?: The Handmade Expo is the perfect vehicle for Loopz and Wrappy Wax.   I also have on online outlet at MadeIt.com.au/Loopz (just finished setting it up and now starting to stock it.). Two fine avenues for anyone’s creativity!

What makes you so special or different?: I’m special because I’m me – no one else quite like me – my husband can confirm that : 0.My scarves are special because they are unique too. They are made with love - a love of making something unique yet practical and oh so pretty. And the wraps are just a brilliant idea; they’re  so people and planet friendly. And they make you feel good that you’re no longer contributing to killing  our planet with toxic waste.

What is the most rewarding part of what you do?: Being free to be creative, have bright (and not so bright) ideas and try them out – very rewarding when your idea works out!

What is your favourite product to make?: Turning fabric or a preloved scarf I have absolutely fallen head over heels in love with into a beautiful Loopz.

Do you teach classes or workshops?: No, I don’t.

THE HANDMADE EXPO RETURNS TO BRISBANE NORTHSIDE

After closing the Morayfield market a few years ago, The Handmade Expo have had plans to return in a new venue on the Northside of Brisbane for quite some time.

After doing some research on venues we decided on the Strathpine Community Centre for it's easily accessible location, indoor appeal with airconditioning for those hot months, ample carpark spaces and street parking and of course LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!

Our ethos of handmade, handbaked and homegrown will of course continue in our new location and applications are already coming in from excited businesses looking forward to our return to the Northside. The market will be pram and wheelchair friendly and have free entry as all our locations have.

The reopening of the Northside market will bring the total amount of venues to 8 for The Handmade Expo and our Ipswich market will be celebrating it's 10th Birthday in 2018!! We believe the success of the market comes down to the quality of the stalls and not allowing imported or secondhand items. You will always find something different each time you visit :-)

To apply to have a stall at our opening market or at any of our market locations pop over to our website at www.thehandmadeexpo.com.au to complete an application form. You will find all the dates, stall sizes and prices on the form.

STALLHOLDER PROFILE FOR SMALLPRINT SUNSHINE

Stallholder Profile for Smallprint Sunshine

Your name: Lauren Hook

Your business name and facebook/website name and link: Smallprint Sunshine Coast https://www.facebook.com/smallprintsunshinecoast/

The suburb/town you live in now: Meridan Plains, Caloundra

What is it that you make and what skills do you use?: I create Sterling silver jewellery that captures a loved ones fingerprint, hand or footprint, drawings or writing. Each piece is handcrafted by me exclusively for each individual customer so no two pieces are ever the same.

What inspired you to start your business?: I had a two pendants made, a dog tag for my husband and a heart for me that have our son's fingerprint on them. They are such sentimental pieces and I wanted to share this with everyone. I also being creative and making the pieces.

How long have you been creating?: 1 year

Is it a full time/part time hobby or business?: At the moment its still in its infancy but am going to grow the business this year (fingers crossed)

Where do you sell your creations?: I have been attending markets and am broadening my field this year. I have an office set up at home where I have my full range on display and can take prints in a relaxed environment. Some pieces can be ordered online however the majority of pieces need to be made in person.

What makes you so special or different?: Each piece of jewellery made has a lot of sentimental value to the person receiving it and are made exclusively for that person.    

What is the most rewarding part of what you do?: Seeing the joy on my customers faces when they receive their jewellery of their loved ones prints etc.

What is your favourite product to make?: Any piece with a fingerprint in it. There is nothing more unique and special than a persons fingerprint.

Do you teach classes or workshops?: No

NEW IPSWICH STALLHOLDER PROFILE FOR ICED TEA CO

Stallholder Profile for Iced Tea Co

• Your name: MARCO AND IRAIS

• Your Business name and Facebook name and link: ICED TEA CO www.facebook.com/icedteaco

• The suburb/town you live in now: North Booval

• What is it that you make and what skills do you use? Traditional iced tea made of organic teas. Iced Tea Co is an Ipswich based beverage company providing freshness with a twist. Our designed iced teas are carefully crafted to keep you fresh. Iced Tea Co practices are environmentally friendly:

• Our processes are efficient and responsible, reducing waste, energy and resources.
• All our cups, lids and straws are made from compostable plant-based materials.
• All our trays are made out of 100% post consumer recycled paper pulp.
• We supply locally our ingredients, driving growth to local business. 
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• What inspired you to start your business? We love iced tea and we love markets ;)

• How long have you been ‘creating’? 1 year

• Is it a full time/ part time/hobby or business? Business

• Where do you sell your creations? Markets and stalls around Ipswich and Brisbane including, Kelvin Grove village markets, Milton farmers markets, Springfield markets and Ipswich Showgrounds markets amongst others.
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• What is the most rewarding part of what you do? Meeting new people :) that love our drinks.

• What is your favourite product that you make? Pink Grapefruit iced tea!! Yummy!

• Do you teach classes or workshops? Not right now but hey! There is a start for everything!