From her central Victoria-based studio, Froni Binns transforms colour-stained porcelain clay into handmade ‘wearable art’. Having originally studied visual arts 25 years ago in Canberra, Froni returned to making as a form of therapy whilst caring for her elderly parents. It was during this period that Froni learned the Japanese technique of ‘Nerikomi’, which involves layering blocks of solid clay and slicing through the cross-section to reveal a pattern. The technique lends a tactile quality to Froni’s work, which is enhanced by her choice to leave the surface of her pieces unglazed.

A horticulturalist and garden designer by trade, Helen has had a lifelong fascination with the beauty, diversity and biology of plants and flowers.  

Largely self taught as an artist, she has had some tuition in watercolours with the world renowned botanical artist, Jenny Phillips, and has exhibited her traditional botanical work in “The Art of Botanical Illustration” exhibitions at the National Herbarium of Victoria. 

In her current series of mandalas, Helen is inspired by; the Victorian obsession with collecting and displaying natural curiosities with more regard to aesthetics than scientific classification (a challenge to her natural inclination for order and categorisation), floriography and plant symbolism, and a childlike love of the patterns and shapes created by kaleidoscopes. 

The labour intensive process has a meditative quality and her designs are imbued with personal symbolism. 

Helen lives in St Kilda, Melbourne 

Linda has had a lifelong obsession with making things with string. She learned to knit, crochet, embroider, sew and tat in childhood. After a brief dalliance as an occupational therapist, she set up a small business as a made-to-measure dressmaker, and completed a diploma of designer dressmaking.

Whilst raising two children, she revisited some of her crafting interests, further developing her designing, making, pattern writing and teaching skills, particularly in hand knitting.

Studio309 is her latest endeavour. She aims to bring together a range of products for sale, designed and made locally, as well as providing a space for classes in various creative pursuits. 

Her contributions to the retail store include tatted jewellery pieces and hand-cranked woollens. Tatting is a lacemaking technique involving knots made using a small shuttle wound with thread. Her socks, scarves and beanies are made on an old style mechanical sock knitting machine. These machines were a popular way to contribute to the household income in the mid 1800’s to early 1900’s, with one model even named the “moneymaker”.

Niamh Cleary first experimented with ceramics in 2009 whilst studying at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland. Later, her interest in the art form was renewed while attending an inspiring ceramic workshop in Jingdezhen, the ‘Porcelain Capital’ of southern China. Niamh is now a full-time ceramicist and the founder of Melbourne-based studio Cré Ceramics. Pronounced ‘cray’, Cré is the Irish word for clay; the fundamental material in Niamh’s work. 

Niamh’s ceramics have a strong emphasis on form and function, with a minimal aesthetic and neutral colour palette. She is particularly drawn towards the modernist movement, finding inspiration in the works of creatives such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Barbara Hepworth and Edmund de Waal.

All of Niamh’s pieces are individually wheel-thrown, carefully refined and produced in small batches.

Em Constance is a graphic designer, illustrator, and big music fan. They like to design all sorts of things, exploring different mediums and processes. Thematically, their work usually connects to the music industry, their local community, and/or Queer pride. Their work is full of vibrant colours, hand lettering, lots of texture, and incorporation of analogue processes such as collage.

You can take a look at Em’s portfolio of design and illustration work at emconstance.cargo.site

Sarah Dingwall is a glass artist based on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula with a degree in Fine Arts (Glass) from Monash University. She spends her days flameworking small works in glass - from wearable to purely sculptural forms - while being constantly inspired by the unique challenges and opportunities that glass offers. Sarah’s local landscape has naturally shaped her practice, as she has most recently been exploring sculptural work that sees flameworked glass paired with found objects from nearby coastlines and bushlands.

Yarn Industries was created through Emma Dowling rediscovering the love of traditional handmade processes and mastering the therapeutic qualities of embroidery. Emma creates hand-embroidered illustrations taking inspiration from the world around her to showcase Australian architecture, flora and fauna. She also sees it as the perfect craft to slow down and relax - a meditative practice.

Each of Emma’s pieces is individual, one-off and patiently formed stitch by stitch. These singular items each have their own distinct characteristics and are made using classic processes that are remodelled with modern, unique designs. Emma has also developed a range of embroidery kits for creative types who want to try the craft themselves.

David Elliot is the maker behind buzzby and fang, a range of sculptural ceramic vessels named after two of David’s beloved dogs.

David was exposed to ceramics practice from an early age, observing two close family members who worked with the art form. While he at first trained in chemistry, completing a PhD in 1991, David eventually found himself drawn back towards ceramics and ended his science career in 1998. Buzzby and fang is the latest in a series of creative adventures he has pursued since.

The process of creating buzzby and fang ceramics usually begins with a sketch. This reference is used to carve a plaster model, which is in turn used to create a plaster mould. The mould is used to cast multiple forms from high-quality, locally sourced porcelain slip. The colourful matte finishes are achieved using underglazes applied to the surface of the vessels and polished to create a silky-smooth surface.

David is aware that making ceramics can be resource-intensive, and so strives to reduce the environmental impact of buzzby and fang products. Most of his packaging is repurposed and he is working towards generating electricity for his kilns using solar panels.

Andrew Gibson is the master potter at Mornington Peninsula-based ceramics studio Gibson & Co Makers. He has been studying and creating ceramics for over thirty years. Andrew’s work is held in art collections both nationally and internationally.

Andrew’s ceramic pieces for Gibson & Co Makers are hand-thrown from a variety of clays. The resulting tableware and vases have a timeless aesthetic, inspired by a philosophy of “simple mindful living.” As well as being beautiful, these ceramics are functional pieces “to be used and enjoyed everyday by everyone.”

Nicole Henrikson is a surface print designer with a focus on home textiles. After working as a fashion designer for 16 years, Nicole was inspired by Melbourne’s thriving creative community to found her studio Alma & Co. Through her business, Nicole has found fulfilment in leading the development of products from concept all the way through to production.

All of her products are hand-printed in Melbourne using sustainable water-based inks. Nicole has also lived in Sweden, and Scandinavian design remains a strong influence on her work.

Thomas Hingant is from France, and now lives and runs his luxury candle business Eurythmique in Melbourne, Australia. Thomas mixes his own fragrances by hand. Fragrance is an ‘anchor in time’, with the ability to take you back into your past. For example, when Thomas smells orange blossom, his memory is transported to childhood visits to his grandma’s home in Brittany, where she would cook crepes with orange blossom oil for her grandchildren. Through making candles, Thomas hopes to gift people with these moments of connection to their past.

Eurythmique candles are created with love using high-quality and environmentally conscious soy wax, cotton wicks, and fragrance oils.

Rafel Kaczmarek is the maker behind Sticky Earth, a ceramics studio in Melbourne’s west. Using stoneware, Rafel employs traditional wheel-thrown techniques to create everyday objects such as cups and bowls. His work uses classic forms, warm earthy tones, and lightly-applied glazes which allow the natural textures of the clay to shine through.

Rafel grew up in the Polish city of Krakow, where he first began learning ceramics as an assistant in a friend’s workshop. Here, he crafted decorative figurines - mostly angels - for several years. After moving to Australia, Rafel’s ceramics practice became focused on practical objects. He believes that the uniqueness of hand-made pottery makes objects more meaningful to users, and more pleasurable to use than mass-produced wares.

Sticky Earth ceramics are all microwave and dishwasher-safe.

Ty Kouka is an NZ-born, Melbourne-based silversmith creating the contemporary jewellery range ‘Lilt’. He is drawn to fine lines and geometric shapes and has recently begun working with fused rubber to add contrast and texture to his pieces. Ty’s mother, Judy Kouka, is also a silversmith. She has been a significant source of inspiration and a mentor to Ty.

Reflecting on his artistic motivations, Ty says, “I love the feeling of making something that’s in my head come to life”. He always keeps a notepad and pencil close by to draw ideas as they come to mind, and finds inspiration everywhere.

Joanne Linsdell grew up in rural Victoria, playing and working on her family’s orchard in Bacchus Marsh. After completing a Master of Fine Art by Research at Sydney University and Glasgow School of Art, and working as an arts educator across a number of settings, Joanne returned to her family property and converted an unused packing shed into the art studio and teaching space that she now works from.

Joanne’s current work spans illustration and ceramics practice, primarily consisting of botanical illustrations applied to slip-cast porcelain ceramics. She develops her work from a deeply personal base, using illustration to record and reflect on her connection to places of personal significance - especially the large garden on her family property. Through this method of practice, Joanne describes her story and relationship to place.

Gillian Martin is a Melbourne-based ceramicist who creates colourfully striped vessels and tableware. Gillian enjoys the interaction that pottery promotes and the distinctive characteristics of each piece she creates. Taking influences from both architecture and the natural environment, her work is an exploration of balance, harmony and colour. 

Rebecca (Bec) Monaghan is the artist behind Williamstown-based woodworking studio Studio Do. With a background in visual arts and software design, Bec’s passion for woodturning began during the long lockdowns in Melbourne. Working with locally foraged and salvaged wood, she creates contemporary tableware and sculptural pieces that combine minimalist style with quirky personality. Bec enjoys the experimental aspect of her woodworking practice, exploring techniques such as charring, waxing, and natural drying.

A staple of Bec’s range is her ‘Do It’ characters. These desktop companions are “designed to keep you motivated with their determined little faces.” They help you to ‘Do It’ while bringing personality and charm to your workspace.

Claire Mosley is a nature-loving watercolour artist, natural textiles dyer, and environmental educator. While living on Gunai/Kurnai Country, Claire began to use painting to learn more about the natural environment surrounding her. The outdoors has remained the focus of Claire’s practice as she captures her adventures across urban Naarm (Melbourne), Victoria and beyond. She hopes to create work that reflects the beauty and aliveness of nature in a way that connects her audience to the places they inhabit.

Claire also has a passion for creating with others, and runs art workshops in her local community. Through these workshops, she encourages others to open their senses to the wonders in nature around them.

Photo: Marie Louise Photography

Jenna O’Brien is a jewellery maker who crafts earrings and pendants with “glass enamel, colour and razzle dazzle”. Having completed her Advanced Diploma of Engineering Technology (Jewellery) and Bachelor of Fine Art (Object Based Practice), Jenna has now established her own studio on Flinders Lane in Melbourne. Here, her jewellery-making practice focusses on colour and form. Her pieces, made using enamel, are chunky, bright, and stand out from the crowd.

Angelo Ooi (Ange Ceramics) is a self-taught potter based in Melbourne. Angelo was first drawn to pottery aged seventeen when his high school bought a new pottery wheel. He knew that he wanted to pursue the craft from the moment he first felt the clay slipping through his hands.

Over time, Angelo’s pottery practice has developed to focus on creating wheel-thrown functional wares. He leans into elegant and refined forms, inspired by his Malaysian-Chinese background. Angelo values the care and attention required at each step of the ceramics process, and the individuality of each piece that he produces.

Robyn Oswin is the maker behind Sillee Billee. From her studio in central Victoria, Robyn Oswin repurposes vintage wool blankets to produce her range of soft toys. Little and big kids alike will cherish the lovingly created toys, which feature Australian animals such as the koala and platypus, as well as much-loved classics like dogs, foxes, and elephants.

Ulrike is a photographer and jewellery maker. Since leaving a medical career in 2014 she follows her passion for creativity with freelance photography and lupidupi pencil jewellery and chases after 3 children, 1 dog and 5 chickens.

Ulrike Perkins Photography - fine art prints

Ulrike draws inspiration from the beauty of the Australian landscape, its simplicity and rawness. She loves to play with the simple elements of our surrounding world, constantly seeking to strip away, to show just enough, to travel deeper and to invite the viewers to immerse and perhaps lose themselves, in the image in front of them. 

All photographs are printed on pure archival cotton rag.

Lupidupi - Pencil Jewellery

With her love for bright colours and passion for “making things” for and with her own children, Ulrike started the little jewellery brand Lupidupi in 2014. Lupidupi pieces are made from coloured pencils. These are precisely cut, sanded smooth and finished on sterling silver stud earrings, chains and cufflinks. Since the pencils are taken out of context, but still recognisable as such, this jewellery is playful and elegant at the same time.

Waan Pivasiri of You, Me & Bones is a Thailand-born, Melbourne-based maker of unique hand poured candles. Previously a web developer, Waan began her candlemaking project as a New Year’s resolution.

Since then, You Me & Bones has developed into a range of candles which are “quirky, cute, a little strange and borderline creepy”. Some of their shapes include anatomical hearts, tulips and babies heads.

Waan’s cats, Bones and Gas, are her co-workers.

Julie grew up in an ‘arty’ family that loved making things. Crochet became a passion when her daughter was born and she started making hats and toys, and craft practice evolved into art. The result is detailed soft-sculptures of people, animals and monsters.

Julie’s work has won numerous awards, and appeared in many exhibitions, including ACMIs ‘Tim Burton Wonderland Gallery’ and the Toorak Village Sculpture Exhibition, in the Age newspaper’s ‘I made it myself’ and ‘Art and Design’ sections and in music clips for Kate Miller-Heidke and international artists Wax Taylor and Aloe Blacc.

In 2016 Julie was commissioned by Wabi Sabi Studios to ‘skin’ soft motion animation character armatures with crochet for a short film called Lost and Found.  It premiered in 2018-19 at the Berlin festival, and won a host of international awards including shortlisted for the 2019 Academy Awards.

Julie is also an award winning graphics designer and has been employed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for over 20 years, working in both the TV and online environments.

Grace Huie Robbins of Graffiti Ore creates colourful, one-of-a-kind recycled jewellery pieces using repurposed graffiti paint found across Australia. The hundreds of layers of spray paint built up over time create unique combinations of colours, patterns and textures. Grace recovers these pieces and each is hand-sculpted, polished, and preserved in a thin layer of resin. Paired with sterling silver findings, Grace transforms what was once litter into an eye-catching range of jewellery.

Tanya Robinson is a textile artist working with natural fabrics and dyes to produce a range of wool and linen products sold under the name ‘Jan and Juc’. The natural dyes used by Tanya can produce an astounding variety of beautiful colours — such as iron added to logwood, which creates an inky blue. Tanya regularly sells her products at local markets, in addition to stocking in stores such as studio309.

Little Hangings was founded in 2015 by avid jewellery enthusiast, Renee, and grew from a love of intricate, minimalist jewellery pieces that still make a statement. 

Characterised by delicate and simple lines, Little Hangings offers affordable, hand crafted and high quality jewellery.

Lana Sheppard is a local artist living in Middle Park. Her practice includes jewellery made from mixed metals and native Australian wood. She also creates abstract visual art in a variety of media. Her work is inspired by organic forms found in nature.

Hey Jude is a small creative studio with a fondness to create through thoughtful design and curation. We believe in simplifying the everyday, creating timeless pieces of quality, texture and functionality that are careful and considered. 

Ethical craftsmanship and sustainability is at the core of what we do, choosing responsibly and keeping our process honest and transparent. 

Our aim is to focus on slow, handmade and local production in small quantities, working towards zero waste, to focus on quality and create pieces that are kind to the environment. Our products are either handmade by us or by working closely with local makers. 

All of our notebooks are made from scratch from recycled materials. From the scoring, folding and punching of each page, hand sewn binding and constructed covers.

Candice Teok is the maker behind the jewellery line Archipelago Gems. Her pendants, handcrafted in a little workshop in Melbourne, feature gemstones set in wire wraps. These intricate wraps show off the beauty of the natural stones with a creative flair.

Candice is also invested in the ethos of sustainable, slow fashion. Her jewellery is made to last and to grow in sentimental value as it accompanies you through your life journey.

For Robyn Wilson, the hand making of objects has always been a deeply rewarding practice. Inspired by strong colours and bold shapes, Robyn uses materials such as titanium and enamel to infuse her jewellery with colour, and gives added dimension to her pieces with hydraulic pressing. 

After a long career as an IT specialist, Robyn’s path to contemporary jewellery was fuelled by discovering a passion for working with Argentium silver. She then completed an Advanced Diploma of Engineering Technology in Jewellery at NMIT (Melbourne Polytechnic). She was awarded the Design Institute of Australia’s Victorian Graduate of the Year for jewellery in 2014.