Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Melancholia Giveaway!

Melancholia: a beautiful film about the end of the world, visually stunning and fiercely ambitious. An exceptional piece of work by Lars von Trier. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgard and Kiefer Sutherland this movie, according to Entertainment Weekly, will leave you in a state of ecstasy.

The folks over at Madman Entertainment are giving 5 lucky BrisStyle followers the chance to win a double pass to the preview of Melancholia on December 13 at Dendy Portside kicking off at 6.30pm. What a great way to begin the festive season! To be in with a winning chance simply leave us a comment telling us why you deserve an early christmas present from Madman Entertainment. Don't forget to include your email address with your comment. Winners will be announced next Monday, December 5.

There will also be some '2-for-1' passes to the movie available at both the BrisStyle Indie Designer Market on December 10 and the BrisStyle Indie Twilight Market on December 16.  To get your very own '2-for-1' pass all you need to do is subscribe to the BrisStyle eNewsletter (if you don't already) then when you're at either of the markets swing past the BrisStyle promo stand and let the girls know how you heard the markets were on. Easy peasy!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Out & About

Did anyone get along to the 5th Gallery Store Christmas Design Market on Saturday? There were lots of gorgeous goodies on show including the handmade wares of some of our very own BrisStylettes!

Top Row: loose leaf paper
Bottom Left: edward & lilly
Bottom Right: hot toffee

Spun Mud
Hungry Designs

Top Row: kimono reincarnate
Bottom: Strat Designs

Images courtesy of Sandrine Marsh Accessories

If you're shopping handmade this Christmas and missed seeing all of these lovelies on Saturday be sure to mark the below market dates in your diaries. Hop to it!

Saturday, December 10
9.00am - 4.00pm
St. Augustine's Church Hall & Grounds
Racecourse Road, Hamilton

Friday, December 16
5.00pm - 9.00pm
King George Square, Brisbane City

We look forward to seeing you all there!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Crafty Folk: Silver & Earth Design

Welcome to another Crafty Folk post where we feature one of our members and invite them to share a little about themselves and their creative practice. We absolutely love chatting with our Brisstyle members and hope that you enjoy learning a little more about them too! This week we spoke with Robbie from Silver & Earth Design.


How would you describe your work?
My work is in a transition stage at the moment. Since I started making jewellery using beading techniques about two years ago, I have been working with semi-precious stones and silver wire work.

This year I have been learning new techniques with silver and mixed media that I love working with as well and this recent work has been described by others as industrial looking. Whichever media I am using I love the design process of exploring the textural and colour qualities of the material and finding a perfect asymmetrical balance in my pieces.



 How did your Etsy shop come into being?
I had heard of Etsy about a year ago but hadn’t really explored the website or system until this year. I had tried putting my work into a couple of boutiques in quite exclusive precincts but I didn’t like losing control of the pricing. So when I looked into Etsy and found that you can get your label out there and control all aspects of your shop I thought I would give it a try. I also love doing markets and found the Etsy market possibilities fantastic. I have done two now and love the creativity, passion and support of fellow Etsy marketeers.


Who or What inspires you?
I have always been inspired by ethnic and cultural designs and patterns. With my latest work it is the materials themselves that inspire the design. 



 Do you ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ as part of your creative process?  If yes, how is your art / craft eco-friendly?
Yes, in my mixed media pieces I recycle by incorporating all sorts of materials from Reverse Garbage combined with Sterling Silver. I am also working with resin by setting my original drawings, prints etc into resin (reuse) and then combining with the other materials. From the start the packaging which I designed has always been made of recycled corrugated cardboard.


Can you describe your studio / work area?
This question has had me in a tizz – I am really an organized person but to look at my studio at the moment you wouldn’t guess. At times, I get into a bit of a creative frenzy with a few designs and techniques on the table at once. My studio is really a spare bedroom quickly usurped when my two daughters left home. I am putting together the equipment for working with silver and also have a beading section. Still it is more functional than it was when I used to do ceramics in one corner, drawing and painting in  the other and had just started jewellery. The clay dust was in the painting and the pastel was in the beads!  
What is your favourite thing in the shop at the moment?
I am loving the bold geometric rings. Using old offcuts of acrylic and designing sterling silver shapes to contrast I think they look a bit edgy. Also my watercolour series – watercolour paintings set into resin and inset into a bezel ring have intense colour.


A big thank-you to Robbie for sharing her crafty life with us. You can find Silver & Earth Design on Etsy. Stay tuned for our next 'Crafty Folk' post.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Let's Go Shopping

There's only 29 sleeps until Christmas. And even scarier, only 14 sleeps away is the BrisStyle Indie Designer Market at St Augustine's Church Hall and Grounds at Hamilton. Do you have your Christmas present shopping sorted? Don't fret. These gorgeous BrisStylers will help you out on the day.


Easy Peasy Organic



Designs of the Heart



Shazzabeth



Sybella Boutique


Whizzbangle


To take part in our weekly Let's Go Shopping meme, post your Etsy finds on your blog then pop back here and add the blog post link below. Don't forget to link back to this post so everyone can check out all the fabulous Etsy finds. Anyone can play along so come join in the fun!

Friday, November 25, 2011

Crafty D.I.Y

We could all use a bit of organisation when it comes to our crafty stashes so why not make some of these lovely Stash Baskets as seen on 'the Purl bee' website.  If you haven't visited 'the Purl bee' before you should definitely do so, it's a crafty haven!

Image Source
Happy Organising!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Christmas Gift Guides

With Christmas just over 4 weeks away now is the time to start your online shopping to ensure your goodies arrive with plenty of time to spare. By buying handmade this Christmas you will be supporting small independent artists/crafters as well as the crafty community as a whole!

To view the full size gift guides click on the green links above each image.







Happy Shopping!


Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Sew Gorgeous

Today, we are so excited to be introducing you to one of our new website advertisers, Sew Gorgeous!


Sew Gorgeous runs fun and modern sewing workshops around Brisbane. They teach ways of creating different effects on your projects, enabling you to create a number of different looks with the one pattern - there is no inside the box sewing at any of the Sew Gorgeous sewing classes and workshops!




From vintage inspired dress workshops to 'Learn to Sew' classes Sew Gorgeous caters for all skill levels,  and all their classes are perfect for ladies who want to be able to create their own gorgeous clothes either through beautiful fabrics, vintage patterns or just inspiration!

All of the Sew Gorgeous sewing classes and workshops are carefully designed, combining the right level of fun and education and are really social as well as a great opportunity to learn sewing tips and tricks that will see you creating professionally finished projects.

You must pop over and have a browse around the beautiful Sew Gorgeous website. It is utter eye candy! Sew Gorgeous also have a facebook page so show them some crafty love by skipping over and 'liking' them!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Come one, come all to this Friday's very special Christmas Market!

You're invited to a lantern lit evening of Christmas carols, shopping and cheer for the whole family at the fabulous...
featuring a very special boutique twilight
THIS Friday evening 25th November 2011
5pm - 9pm
St Augustine's Church Hall and Grounds, Racecourse Rd, Hamilton

The BrisStylettes will be turning on their most festive Christmas goodies along with all the wonderful handmade creations they have become renowned for.
There will be "Make your Own Workshops" for the kids ( big ones too) inside the hall including MYO Christmas Cards, Kool Candles and Soap Kebabs!

:: Here's a snapshot of all the fun ::

  • Get your ticket in the gorgeous "BrisStyle Christmas Charity Raffle" raising funds for STREET SMART and St Augustine's
  • WIN a trip to Tangalooma Island Resort by simply shopping at any BrisStyle Market Stall or any Racecourse Rd business
  • Carols by Candlelight at St Augustine's Church 6-7pm
  • Stage & entertainment St Augustine's til 9pm
  • Late night Christmas shopping opportunities til 9pm
  • Christmas stalls in Ascot Village carpark 5-9pm
  • Roving Christmas entertainment in the street
  • Santa and photos at Westpac carpark 5.30-7.30pm
  • Wining and dining at the many pavement cafes

Looking forward to seeing you all there on Friday night and then again for another Handmade fix at "Brisbane's HOTtest destinations for everything Christmas"...........

::The BrisStyle Indie Designers Market::

Saturday Dec 10
St Augustine's Church Hall and Grounds
Racecourse Rd, Hamilton
9am - 4pm
...and then finally for the last event of the year (and set to be our HOTtest yet!) at the....

::The BrisStyle Indie Twilight Market::

Friday Dec 16
King George Square, Brisbane CBD
5pm- 9pm


Monday, November 21, 2011

i heart handmade

For those of you who have never been to a Reverse Emporium, Reverse Garbage exhibition you may just like to get yourself along to their last exhibition for 2011: i heart handmade!


This festive season Reverse Garbage decided to promote handmade and sustainable gift giving by holding an exhibition where nearly all the items will be $50 and under making it even easier to be green this Christmas! Over 30 participants (including lots of BrisStylers) will be showcasing their wares which range from gorgeous jewellery and homewares to furniture items, soft toys, artworks and handmade stocking stuffers galore!

BrisStylers on show.....

The gift shop will be stocked to the brim with goodies and it will be decked out in Reverse Garbage style Christmas cheer! Featuring handmade decorations created entirely out of salvaged materials on the Reverse Garbage tree, live entertainment, a bar and of course late night shopping in the warehouse incase you are inspired, the 'i heart handmade' exhibition opening night is not to be missed.

'i heart handmade' will also feature the judging of the first ever Reverse Garbage mystery bag challenge, 10 participants have been given a mystery bag of materials to play with and their creations will be revealed at the opening night celebrations.

Here's a sneak peek of some of the gorgeous handmade items you will find at 'i heart handmade'.....

Beardie Wierdie by Danielle Wood of Manx Minx

Vintage Tea Towel Necklace by Monkey &  Mum

Earrings by ruby red studios

Boiled Wool Blanket Tea Cosy by Wimcee

Vintage Fabric Tissue Cosies by edward & lilly

Garland by 3 GIRLS + a goat

i heart handmade
'an exhibition of beautifully crafted art and eco-gifts'
Opening Saturday 26 November
6.00pm - 9.00pm
20 Burke Street, Woolloongabba
Tel: 3891 9744