Bricks & Mortar: Shelley Panton Studio
Today we visit the new store location of CWC member and former CWC speaker Shelley Panton in Melbourne's Prahran.
In 2011 you were a CWC guest speaker, but for those who weren't able to attend, can you tell us a bit about your background and how you came to open your first studio/shop?
I had been working as an event stylist and producer before the GFC hit in 2008 and work dried up. With a bit of time on my hands I took up a short course in pottery while I worked out what to do next. I was also house hunting at the time, and stumbled across a quaint century-old butchers store in Middle Park. I saw 88 Park Road as an opportunity to have a go at building up my own studio ,where I could handcraft my ceramics alongside stocking other local artisans and craftspeople's wares.
I opened the store and studio space (living out the back!) in 2009 and my shop range grew to include artful books, furniture and staples home wares.
In August 2013 we relocated to 440 Malvern Road, Prahan, as the landlords wanted to develop 88 Park Road and I felt my business had also outgrown the space. The timing was right. I am loving my new location and the business has continued to grow.
Can you tell us about the process of moving your shop and studio to a bigger location? What were some of the challenges and what have been some of the highlights of your new location so far?
Finding out I had to move both my house and my shop in one hit was overwhelming. Whilst I knew business was ready to take the next step of moving to a larger premises with a busier frontage, actually finding the new site proved to be quite a challenge of top of running the day to day of my business. I had to constantly remind myself that the right place would turn up, and it sure did, at the 11th hour.
The new location has proved to be a wonderful move, trade has increased dramatically, but then so have the overheads. All in all, I’m glad for the move as I feel I am in the right place for healthy long term growth. If I had my time again I would have taken a bit more of a break plus invested in getting some more help as I took a bit too much on and suffered fatigue in the first few months from trying to keep up with admin, training staff, producing my work and the day to day of shop keeping.
My work ethic is very strong, probably partly based on the fear of having to ever having to write a CV or apply for another job again! I’ve had my fare share of setbacks in life, but this has taught me resilience and gives me passion and energy to do what I do.
What are your favourite products instore at the moment, and why?
I’m loving colour and copper at the moment. Plus I’m a big fan of Adriana Christianson’s stoneware beakers. I picked up a few earlier this year at a pottery fair and loved them so much I decided to stock them alongside my own ceramics.
I’m also loving our current range of recycled timber frames, beach umbrellas and books. Summer is my favourite season!
Can you tell us about some of the special in-store events you have planned for 2014?
In March we are hosting two Dinners in the Studio for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. I’ll be collaborating with chefs Perry Schagen and Josh Powell, and winemaker Paul Scorpoto celebrate all things artisan and water inspired for the table. Tinker by Printink will also be printing our napkins, which each guest will get to take home.
We’ll also continue our Meet the Maker Q& A series as I thoroughly enjoy interviewing and sharing the stories of makers whom I stock.
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Thanks for the virtual visit Shelley!
Shelley Panton Studio 440 Malvern Road, Prahran, Vic Opening hours
If you would like to know more about Shelley's career path you can listen to Shelley's 2011 CWC speaker event on our Podcasts page - FREE for everyone!
All images by Caitlin Mills
Title page designer: Jasmine Mansbridge
Today I'm pleased to introduce Jasmine Mansbridge, who designed the title page for the interview with Nancybird founder and designer Emily Wright in Conversations with Creative Women: Volume Two.
What is your art/design/career background? I started painting when I was seventeen and it is something I truly love doing. In March this year I had a solo exhibition in New York, which was a real highlight for me. I often spend time drawing and playing around with a pencil and paper and this is how my ideas develop.
What drew you to the work of your interviewee, Emily Wright of Nancybird? I moved to Victoria three years ago, and one of the first things I did was visit the NGV, where I first saw Emily's Nancy Bird products. I loved them for their quality and original aesthetic. I purchased my first Nancy Bird bag not long after that and I still use it most days. It is practical and still looks as good as new. So, It was a wonderful feeling, and a privilege to be given the opportunity to illustrate for Emily. Probably about time for a new one though??!
Tell us about the development of your title page design and how you arrived at your concept. I drew up four rough designs before visiting Emily in her Northcote studio, I wanted to get a visual of her and her space and (most importantly) get her opinion on what she thought suited best with her brand. We chatted about the elements she liked best and this gave me direction for the final illustration. I loved the collaborative aspect of the design process and the input she gave me was very helpful.
What materials or computer programs did you use to create the title page, and how did you then prepare it to be submitted for the book? I simply used pencil, pen and acrylic paint to create my design. I like the good old fashioned approach to art making, and truthfully, I never learnt to do anything clever on a computer and so it's all I have to work with anyhow.
What other fun projects are your working on now? Right now and am busy creating work for a solo exhibition at the Rtist Gallery in Prahran in March 2014! I like being busy and always have a painting on the go. I feel blessed to be able to be doing something I love.
Interview: Anna Lonsdale & Meghan Fletcher of Good Grace and Humour
Good Grace and Humour were the creative force behind the design and installation of beautiful hanging bouquets at our recent book launch. A relatively new business, their story is unique and a testament to the idea that two heads are often better than one! Please welcome Meghan Fletcher and Anna Lonsdale...
Tell us about your backgrounds, how you met and what spurred you to launch GG&H?
Meghan: I’ve spent most of my working life in various editorial positions at different book publishing companies in Melbourne. I really enjoyed creating beautiful books and being a part of the creative industry, but was disheartened by the publishing industry becoming depressed because of flagging book sales. I met Anna during my last editorial job. We both lived in the inner-west and drove to the outer-east, so we carpooled to work. We’d spend around two hours a day driving together – chatting and dreaming and drinking coffee. We soon realised that if we had each gone down a different career path, we’d probably be working with flowers. So we threw caution to the wind, and gave it a go.
Anna: I'd spent all of my professional career in the publishing industry – my most recent role as Executive Assistant supporting the dynamic CEO at the company where Megs and I met. I had this strong drive to be a corporate babe, but deep down I knew that I had more creative and wholesome aspirations! The irony is that although we had worked together for over two years before we started carpooling, I had very little to do with Megs and we didn't really know each other. I think she was a little surprised to discover I was actually this funk-loving hippie masquerading as a ‘girl friday’. I had always mucked around with flowers – experimenting andplaying – and I was looking at ways I could get into the industry and lead a more balanced life outside of an office. Once I learned Megs not only had the same passion but the same design aesthetic it was like,‘Well, the stars have aligned for a reason! We’d better give this a go!’. We launched the business at a backyard ‘Beer and Bouquets’ party which was kind of setting the tone forGG&H – eliminating the wank and breaking the traditional rules of floristry.
Did you juggle full-time work and the business in the beginning, and at what stage did you decide to give GG&H your full attention?
Meghan: I juggled full-time work and GG&H for three months before giving GG&H my full attention. I left publishing sooner than originally planned because I wanted to fully immerse myself in the new floral industry. I knew there was a lot to learn but, equally, I knew many of my skills were transferable. I’d spent nearly 10 years critiquing narrative, themes, design, colour and space, so I couldn’t wait to start working with this new, flexible and variable design element.
A: I still work part-time managing a Physiotherapy and Pilates clinic. This is a challenge because I am so conscious that Megs is handling a lot of the operational day-to-day business functions, while I'm there for the hands-on, creative aspects. I have a habit of going hard till I keel over and so Megs is very good at saying ‘Take a break, and don't feel guilty’. I guess that's my juggling act –not juggling the two jobs as such,but remembering to schedule in my own time. My team at the clinic are also incredibly supportive and understanding, so I am very lucky.
What are your favourite floral design projects to work on?
Meghan:I love a good wedding! Each wedding is unique with its own story, which makes each floral design interesting to work on. I really enjoy meeting the brides and collaborating with them to create a killer event. I absolutely love it when a bride is willing to take a risk and choose something extraordinary over the ordinary.
Anna: I get a real kick out of styling projects –trusting our instincts and being led by the colourful and seasonable bounty at the markets.
I do love working with wedding clients –developing and fine tuning a concept and then seeing it come to fruition on the big day.Somehow our weird and wonderful ideas pay off as envisaged!
I also enjoy the ongoing supply to cafes, probably because I love the idea of feeling part of the rhythm of the city. I like the banter and I do appreciate a good cup of Joe!
What skills do each of you bring to your business and what do you think is a key ingredient of going into business with someone?
Meghan: I’m steady and precise and Anna is quick and systemic. We work best when we work together because our skills and personalities complement each other.
Our balanced approach is entirely an accident, of course. When we threw caution to the wind earlier this year, we barely knew each other. Therefore, I think the key ingredient of going into business with someone is being able to laugh until you snort while you’re trapped in peak-hour traffic for a couple of hours together. It’s also about having supportive friends and family (particularly an amazing husband whois the Good, if Anna and I are the Grace and Humour!), who can laugh with you when you drag them along for the floral ride. As long as everyone is still laughing at the end of the day/week/month/year, GG&H will be fine.
Anna: We are an incredibly complementary duo! I move fast but I need to be tidy and organised in my set-up and routine. Megs is meticulous and focussed on the detail –she's definitely quality control.She could have chaos going on around her and her attention will be 100% on that bouquet she's working on! I'm more, ‘I need to change the music, the vibe’s not right for my method today’ ...Megs is,‘Do we have music playing?’
In terms of a ‘secret’ to going into business together, I would have to say we have learnt to be very intuitive. When things aren't gelling there is always a reason and we'll go, ‘Hang on, why are struggling? Oh, we haven't eaten or we haven't had a break!’. It has been a real blessing to be in a situation where we can support each other and be empathetic as friends as well as business partners. The unique thing is that we weren't twofriends who went into business –the friendship has developed from living in each other's pockets as we've grown the business! I also need to mention the incredible support from Megs’ husband, Paul, who has been a champion of GG&H since day one and has graciously let us work from their home, despite being woken up by my cackle in the early hours of the morning! I guess another secret would be that we are both pretty chipper in the morning –Paul might say annoyingly so –but we think we're pretty hilarious.
What are your goals for Good Grace and Humour in 2014?
Meghan: My goals for 2014 are to steadily increase the number of weddings and interesting events we’re involvedin, to meet and partner with motivated and talented people (partnering with the Creative Women’s Circle for a couple of events this year was so much fun!), to move into a new workspace and decorate it in a fabulous way (I’m a massive fan of interior design so I’m itching to get into a new blank space), and to juggle the demands of GG&H with those of becoming a new mum (the newest member of the GG&H team will obviously be a flower baby – girl or boy!).
Anna: We are so itching to move into a new workspace and that's got to happen in the first half of the year.
Following sustainable practices is very important to us, and I am interested in learning more about the process before we get our cut flowers from our suppliers and ensuring that those we buy from have a similar ethos. There are some incredible growers in Victoria and I want to connect with more of them. That collaborative aspect and feeling part of a community is very important to me –it's why we have found the Creative Women's Circle so incredible and why we choose to do things like support a radio show on PBS. For me that's what being in a creative industry is about. It's about supporting and giving high-fives to other creative cats out there who have at some point chosen to follow a less conventional path –that's where new ideas are born, and it's a lovely place to be!
Thanks for the insights, Anna and Megs! You can see more of their stunning floral work at their website or follow on Instagram @goodgraceandhumour.
All photos by Martina Gemmola
Title page designer: Nikki Donald
Nikki Donald has a raft of skills - interior design educator, artist, textile designer and... Conversations with Creative Women: Volume Two title page illustrator! Nikki took on the task of illustrating a title page for Georgia Hobart of Hobes. Today we chat about the design and her larger body of work...
What is your art/design/career background? From sign-writing, graphic design, design education and now surface art and design - it keeps evolving! I love doing things by hand and on the computer.
What drew you to the work of your interviewee? Anyone who designs something shiny in leopard print (for example, the Sparkler Hobe) is my friend for life! I'm also really inspired by Georgia's leap of faith in starting her brand - it encourages me to keep focused on my design dream!
Tell us about the development of your title page design and how you arrived at your concept. Oh...I'm so bad at this! I'm really, ummm, "organic". Seriously, I just immerse myself in my subject matter and start playing with my favourite materials - papers, feathers, thread and stitching and a bit of mixed media. I always work on 3 or 4 ideas at the same time then see how they evolve. I LOVED doing this project - I was obsessed, every night for about 2 weeks I just played with the materials. It always comes together, and I've learned to trust the process and really enjoy it, not just the end result.
What materials or computer programs did you use to create the title page, and how did you then prepare it to be submitted for the book? I got the Mad Hatter from an old copy of Through the Looking Glass and the shoes are a photo from Georgia's website which I traced onto watercolour. The background colour is mixed media: pearlescent ink and bleach. I've also used some old wallpaper in there...um, I think there's a bit of a paper doily as well, ha ha! Then finished off with some metallic thread which I've hand stitched. I scanned the image into Photoshop and added the text, just really simple as there's alot going on in the image itself.
What other fun projects are your working on now? LEGGINGS! Part of my business, Coup De Foudre, is a fashion range called Art For Your Ass. I'm about to start work on the summer range - some long tube skirts, singlet dresses and maybe some cozzies.
The final product by Nikki.
Organise Me: 7 Fun Ways to Get Organised for 2014
Can you believe that this year is nearly over? Where did it go?! It might still feel like you’re rushing towards the finishing line for 2013, but I wanted to give you some ideas on ways that you can start 2014 off with a bang!
Here are my fun ways for getting organised to make 2014 your best year yet:
- Write down the crazy big goals you’d like to achieve in the next year. They can be business or personal. Use coloured pens and make it look fun to look at. You could draw little pictures next to them too.
- Buy a big desk calendar and add some monthly goals to it that will get you closer to your big goals. Make deadlines for the big goals you identified. Having goals on a calendar helps to make you accountable and can keep you on track. You could colour code your goals and deadlines for personal, business, skills or travel. Pick the colours that make you happy to look at.
- Sketch up how you would like your workspace to look and think about what you could add (or remove) to make it flow better and help you be more efficient. Whether it's a whole room or just your desk, it is so much nicer to work with when everything has a place and you don’t constantly feel buried under mess or can’t find anything.
- Make a mood board or a Pinterest board for your workspace or desk and treat yourself to something that will help make it a happier place to be. It might adding artwork, or some new in-trays, or hoisting up a peg board or some shelves so you have somewhere to hang all your equipment leaving your desk top free.
- Read a book on a topic you’re interested in. It might not seem like an organisational tool, but it might just uncover another goal for the year, or help you learn something that relates to one of your goals. If your goal is to hike in South America, then a book on how to prepare for hiking in those climates could be perfect!
- Get outdoors and have some fun. What does this have to do with getting organised? It helps you to relax and have time to think about what you do and don’t want for the year ahead. It’s hard to get organised and be excited when you’re feeling frazzled, so allow yourself some downtime before you jump on in to the next year.
- If you’re feeling particularly crafty, you can make a vision board with images that represent your goals for 2014 and put it up somewhere to remind you what you’re working towards. Grab some cardboard and some old magazines and have fun organising and gluing your vision for 2014.
The beginning of a new year (and the end of a busy one) is the perfect time to work out what we’d like our future to look like and make some baby steps that will set us on the path towards it. Some goals will be longer term, but it can be fun to think of the things we can start now to get us there.
Have a wonderful and safe Christmas and New Year!
Dannielle is a blogger, serial organiser and passionate traveller. She has a secret love of ’90s teen movies and can often be found on Twitter. In 2013, Dannielle packed up her life in Melbourne into one suitcase and moved to Canada to make her crazy dream of a more adventurous life happen. But she quickly found the inspiration she was searching for was in Melbourne and has returned home. She’s started a new project on creating a happy (organised) home which you can see here.
Title page designer: Carli Hyland
Carli Hyland designed the title page for the interview with photographer Olga Bennett in our new book Conversations with Creative Women: Volume Two, and today we find out a little more about her...
What is your art/design/career background? I initially studied a Bachelor of Visual Arts with a focus on Photography and Printmaking. Afterwards I was drawn to graphic design as an application of the skills and methods I learnt during my Bachelor. Over the last seven years I have been moving between Australia and The Netherlands where I have been working with numerous and diverse clients. Now I am based in Denmark and I have a business called Studio HyHy.
Studio HyHy is a graphic design studio focused on tactility and simplicity. We combine old school and digital techniques to produce beautifully crafted products, anything from a poster, publication or website.
What drew you to the work of your interviewee? Coming from a photographic background I was naturally attracted to Olga's work. The simplicity in her photographs is poetic and powerful and in many ways also quite graphic.
Tell us about the development of your title page design and how you arrived at your concept. I started out with the idea to create a hand water-coloured bokeh effect to blend with the typography of her name. Olga photographs many artists in their studios and I thought it would be interesting to bring in this tactility to the title page. After a few experiments I decided it wasn't really working out so I moved to a more graphic approach and created a retro style light meter. In this way I focused more on the process and technique and let her work speak for itself.
What materials or computer programs did you use to create the title page, and how did you then prepare it to be submitted for the book? For the most part I created the design in Illustrator, I did a bit of hunting around for the right retro style typeface and the final step was in Photoshop where I added a bit of texture to different elements of the design. When I start a design I always check for the technical aspects first and create a blank document accordingly, so then you don't have to migrate it over the final stage.
What other fun projects are your working on now? In August I started working full time with the great folks at Sustainia. Sustainia is part of the Danish think tank Mandagmorgen. We work on bringing together research and solutions around sustainability and communicate them to a broad audience. As the Sustainia graphic designer, I am kept busy with our many publications plus promotional materials and presentations.
Thanks Carli! You can read the interview with photographer Olga Bennett in our new book, now available in paperback and digital form.
Buy handmade this Christmas at our Member's pop-up shops
Around this time of year, Melbourne bursts at the seams with markets and pop-up retail spaces, giving us ample opportunity to purchase gifts for others (or for ourselves!) direct from the makers themselves. How lucky are we? Here are a couple of upcoming retail events run by our members, that will guarantee a beautiful shopping experience in stark opposition to brightly-lit suburban shopping malls, and of course put a smile on the gift recipient's dial :)
Abbotsford Convent Pop Up Shop
Some of the clever tenants who are working at the Convent have banded together to provide a unique retail experience. The large space in the Sacred Heart courtyard (where the nuns used to do the ironing!), is now a funky and enticing shop that is filled with different products; from ceramics to books to clothes and paintings.
The artists involved will be in the shop at different times so you can talk to them about how they make their work. With any purchase made, the entire amount will go to the artist making the artists' professions more sustainable.
Open 11am until 8pm Thursday-Sunday through November and December Scared Heart Courtyard Abbotsford Convent 1 St Heliers Street Abbotsford VIC 3067
For info contact Ilona at info@conventpopupshop.com.au
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The Shop that went Pop Bang Sparkle
For one night only, contemporary jewellers Liz Ickiewicz, Anna De Kretser, Susan Ewington, Anastasia Grace and Eli Speaks will sell their wares and preview their new ranges.
Tuesday 3rd December, 6-9pm Upstairs at The Alderman, 134 Lygon St, Brunswick East, Victoria {Cash only}
For more information email hi.liziitt@gmail.com or see sneak peeks on Instagram via the hashtag #popbangsparkle