MARKET OF THE WEEK

Well everyone it's here again! We gave you a big rave about Finders Keepers market last time and we can honestly say it's well worth the trip. You'll need to jump onto their spiffy website to get a map to find the place but it will be well worth it. If you come by on Saturday say hello to me - I'm playing shopgirl at the Cottage Industry stand for craft queen Pen Pen! I've even bought a polka dot cardigan to celebrate. The market is open 10-5 Saturday and Sunday and I hear there are tacos and live music and all manner of indie goodness. Be there or be square. RAMONA

SHOP OF THE WEEK

All the pretty things

Anyone into craft and design knows that it's as important (if not more) to visit shops as well as galleries to keep up with what's happening on the professional handmade scene. The ladies of HML have long had a hankering to visit Mr Kitly in Sydney Rd as this little shop of treasure has already garnered quite the rep for ceramics, jewellery, wood and macramé (!) sourced locally and from Japan - it's main source of inspiration.

So while on my epic Saturday gallery jaunt I made sure I had time to climb the carpeted stairs to see what all the fuss is about. Let me tell you it's one of those places that photos don't do it justice. It's so gorgeous. I mediately thought "If Beck was a shop she'd be this one" it tapped into so many of our shared passions - macramé being one of them of course!

Beautifully curated selection of goods, including some drool worthy design books.

These wooden vessels are going on my wish list right now. Perfect for HML meetings!

And of course I went a little faint at the sight of the Fog Linen napkins. Oh goodness me...

It's exciting to find something really fresh and authentic. There was nothing contrived or cutesy. The sweetness was tempered with intelligent choices that just sang. Close to perfect! RAMONA
Mr Kitly
Upstairs
381 Sydney Rd
Brunswick
Open Thurs-Sat 11-6, Sun 11-4

FUNDRAISERS OF THE MONTH

Oh Japan

Most Crafters like musicians are excellent at coming together for a cause. Nearly every crafter we know has a special relationship with Japan for inspiration, materials or personal connections, so its no surpise that makers all over melbourne are also contributing to a growing list of crafters worldwide trying to raise funds to help the people of Japan recover from the devastating effects of the recent earthquakes. There is now a long list of places where you can either contribute works for sale or spend your hard earned cash as part of the fundraising efforts. So check out the links below and either whip up or pick up some amazing work.

HAND MADE FOR JAPAN

NYC Japanese American native Ayumi Horie has put together an amazing aray of illustration painting, ceramic and textile works for an online auction taking place March 24 - 27. HML favourites Sarajo Freidan, Camilla Engman and Lisa Solomon are amongst the contributing list of serious craft superstars so get in early and make a bid.

LUCKY CHARM-MAKING GOOD FORTUNE HAPPEN

Local jeweller Natalia Milosz-Piekarska is organising a contemporary jewellery acution to raise money for the Red Cross Disaster relief and rescue services. Regular readers will know that much of Natalia's work is based around the idea of protective amulets and luck bearing talismans, so naturially she's linkedthis idea with that of providing some much needed ongoing protection via this brilliant local fundraiser. The auction is tentatively scheduled somewhere between the 18th and 19th of April and will feature a star studded list of our best local talent, all donating one piece to the kitty. This people will be unmissable.

PIKALAND

One of my favourite illustration blog/shop/websites will be giving 100% of the net profit from the sale of Tokyo-bsed artist Mogu Takahashi's Chotto Omoshiroi poster to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society. it's only $10 US plus shipping so it's a little spend to give a lot of love.

HELLO SANDWICH

The lovely Ebony Bizys of Hello Sandwich is selling her most excellent Gift Wrapping Zine for $5.00 will all profits going to Japan. She also has a list of other links to other peeps with whom you can donate or volunteer. Of course there are loads of other people out there who are advertising where to find fundraising craft for Japan, and in fact if you google' craft fundraising Japan' you'll probably be busy all afternoon. But just to make things easier here's a little short list of links to get you started:

POPPYTALKHANDMADE,

BETTY JO DESIGNS,

LITTLE SHOP OF HANDMADE,

PINIPIRU ,

KNOT AND BOW ,

Happy making and happy shopping ! BECK

SIDETRACK OF THE WEEK

fly away birdie

You know how it is. Ton's of work to do - making, writing and homekeeping. Dreaded Lurgy nipping at my heels (or in this case throat) friends all ill or in crisis, family cranky and in need of attention. That's the perfect time to do some completely self indulgent crafting right?

Well actually that is right. If there is one thing that Beck and I have learnt - the fun don't stop. There will always be a million things to do so sometimes it helps if you can take an hour out of the day and just noodle about with Mod Podge and paper.

And if the result is something kitsch and silly the more the better, especially when your writing show and grant applications, board papers, artist profiles, building websites, making fabric flowers, cooking pies, changing summer beds to winter ones, toilet training a two year old, supporting a VCE related meltdown, talking on the radio, chairing a meeting, changing beds and doing 15 loads of washing. I didn't include Beck's list - its too long, even for me! RAMONA

SHOUT OUT OF THE MONTH

Ok readers the ladies of HML will be on RRR this morning at 1030 am with Donna and Kulja on the Grapevine. We'll be talking up the fashion festival cultural program, the finders keepers market and lots of other craftiverse goodness. Listen in! Yeah!