Signatur March 2009 Newsletter 9

 

Designers & Creators: Boutique Showcase
Thursday April 2nd to Saturday April 4, Turramurra, Sydney Please support us by forwarding this newsletter to friends and family
Dave Jones creates world class furnitue working directly with clients across Australia. Left: Silver Ash, Lombardy Poplar, stained Blackwood & recycled ebony piano keys complete this stunning tall cabinet. Right: Custom-made 2.4m sideboard above is a mix of Bluegum & Birdseye Greygum. Dave's partner Pamela will exhibit her fibre art alongside Dave's pieces.
World class design from innovative Australian artisans
This month's Signatur Newsletter is almost entirely devoted to a show in Sydney that I and 15 extremely talented and innovative friends will participate in. Designers and Creators is a showcase for Australian artisans where we display, and offer for sale, our latest designs: from woodwork and furniture to paintings, leather, sculpture, damask bedlinen, jewellery, handknits and cashmere. So, if you're anywhere near Sydney From April 2 -4, or even if you want to take advantage of a strong US dollar and a stunning Sydney Autumn, and make the trek to Australia, you won't be disappointed. Contact Jane for more information
Please support Australian Craft
I'm sure you'll know some of the Artisans joining me in these boutique shows. Though there are new designers participating, like me, some are former exhibitors from the Australian Craft Show. This fabulous show has been sorely missed by many. As artisans it was also our annual indulgence with life-long friendships made, and houses full of each other's creations resulting.
			Carol Marando is well known as one of Australia’s most original and experienced exponents of the art of lampwork bead making. Lampworking is the ancient art of fashioning objects from molten glass in the flame of a bench torch. Marando originally trained as a painter and printmaker (receiving a B.A. (Art) and post graduate studies in the 1980’s), but always had a passion for jewellery, especially the work of the Ancient Romans, Etruscans, Egyptians, and the famous French and Russian masters such as Faberge and Lalique. Right. Carol Marando's lampwork and wire beaded necklace. ww.carolmarando.com.au
Designers & Creators is a truly unique Australian shopping experience - Please help make this launch event a success
			Carol’s early pieces of jewellery are experiments made with found objects (shells, fragments of old jewellery, old beads & buttons, etc) & wire. At the time her endeavours were strictly an aside to her main focus, painting. Early works attracted attention and soon Carol was making pieces for friends and eventually started exhibiting her work. By 1995 Carol was selling jewellery to galleries in Sydney and Melbourne. Her success was the basis for her decision to concentrate on jewellery alone. The decision was made easier by her discovery of the seductive art of lampworking, with which
Carol felt she could combine and continue to explore her sense of colour and design with the sculptural design possibilities of glass. Most importantly it allowed her to create unique components for each piece of jewellery. The point of difference of Carol’s jewellery is the striking originality,					the exuberant and unusual colours, the passion and energy apparent in each piece, which is made to adorn and enhance the wearer. Carol has exhibited & sold her work all around Australia, New Zealand, the USA & the Middle East. Her works are worn and collected by many all around the world.
Penelope Wood. I have often admired her pieces and as a new exhibitor I am looking forward to meeting her and seeing her most recent pieces. Penelope combines her love of nature’s grace and form with tribal influence to create unique sculpture with a tranquil rhythm.
Bespoke is back!
Bespoke is back! Custom-made, or bespoke, has become design's new/old buzz word, and it's yet another service that differentiates many of our creations from off-the-rack retail. Most of our exhibitors are more than happy to create something unique, just for you, be it a hand knit where you choose the design, yarns and colours, to hand-crafted shoes, a dining suite or diamond and ruby ring.
Eytan Aharoni Jewelery, these stunning images say it all, individual contemporay pieces in gold, silver, stainless steel and precious stones. Eytan and Neret joined a small group for our first Canberra showing last weekend at the Canberra Hyatt.
Jane Stapleford is a reknown Australian fine artist. Jane brings wildlife into the world of fantasy and literature from the Gang Gang parrot centre to Alice in Wonderland and Shakespeare.
List of exhibitors for Turramurra Creators and Designers
Rhonda Garward water colours and silk painting Eytan Aharoni  - Gold, silver and precious stones – jewelery Jane Stapleford – Wildlife and Fantasy Art Pamela and Dave Jones – Textile Art panels and furniture Jane Slicer-Smith - Handknits Anatole Muschinski – Scarves, shirts and bags, hand-painted silk and velvets Penny Wood – Art Sculptures Carol Marando – hand-beaded jewelery Penelope Shilling – Ladies clothing Bronwyn Hunter – Silk and wool felting Charles Artherton – Hand-made leather bags and accessories Jacque Edwards – Damask bed linen Robin Phillips – Enamel and Silver Jewelery Carol Pages - Custom hand-made shoes
Belisa Cashmere brings you Australian grown and knitted Cashmere plus Merino by Belisa. From classic styles to drapes and travel shawls, they will wrap you in luxury all winter long.
Bronwyn Hunter brings grace to her nuno felting. Nuno Felting combines silk fabrics with fine merino fluff in a wet technique bonding and shrinking to create fabulous textures and colours.
Robin Phillips has contemporary jewelery with necklace and bracelets shown below. Robin works with yellow and white gold, Australian Opals and precious stones. Below left to right: Keum Boo ruby necklace, centre Opal bracelet, Keum Boo Moonstone necklace.
Canberra Hyatt  Boutique Show March 20th & 21st
This was fantastic two days with Pages Shoes, Signatur Handknits, Belisa Cashere, Penelope Shilling clothing and Aharoni Jewelery. Thank you for joining us and we look forward to seeing many of you again at the Turramurra Designers and Creators Show, with 16 exhibitors.
Support us - please forward this email to  bring friends Spread the word to recreate this fabulous event in future venues.
Jane Slicer-Smith Signatur Handknits and Signatur Knitting Kits. Ready to wear, made to measure and kits to knit yourself - even custom sizing for knitting patterns.
Author of soon-to-be-released. ' Knit the colors of Australia - Swing, Swagger and Drape'
The Venue - Designers and Creators at Turramurra Masonic Lodge
The venue for Designers & Creators is Turramurra Masonic Hall, located on the corner of the Pacific Highway and Turramurra Ave, Turramurra (between Pymble and Wahroonga) This is a short walk from the Turramurra railway station - northshore line Join us for Opening night on Thursday 2nd April from 5pm to 9pm. Friday 10am to 9pm - Saturday 10am to 5pm Free entry
Travel Report! I had seven weeks in the USA from October to December, working with XRX on publishing the book, teaching in stores and knitter's events, plus fashion parades with knitters guilds. The generosity of Barry Klein at Trendsetter Yarns, plus yarn store owners and guild members made all this great fun. Thanks to everybody who joined my classes in 2008.
Bella Filati classes in North Carolina
In November 2008 I taught in North Carolina in the town of Southern Pines at Holly Floyd’s Bella Filati Store. We had great fun with both new and not so recent designs from Signatur Knitting Kits and the Trendsetter range. Holly was in my class in New Mexico in May 2008 and asked if I would teach in her store, she had just completed the four day workshop with me. The timing was perfect and I slotted the classes in between Sioux Falls and Baltimore. I arrived in the dark and woke to discover the beautiful lake outside me bedroom window! At Stitches East at Baltimore. I joined the team from great Yarns, Fontelle Jones and Kerry Adams. This was my first show with them in over 12 months and went brilliantly, with fashion parades, dinners and workshops. Holly wasn't in Baltimore, but I meet up with a couple of East coast students from New Mexico, we were joined by two great girls from New York, who had been in my Intarsia class that day, they called themselves my New York Stalkers!
The Knit 'n Sip Coffee Shop at Sow's Ear store Verona
After Baltimore I was off to Wisconsin, firstly into the town of Vernon, where Heather at The Sow’s Ear had set up knitting classes for three days. The class bookings over-flowed the store's coffee shop and very generously the Vernon bank allowed us to use their board room! The Madison knitter’s guild invited me to present a talk and fashion parade at their monthly meeting, with over 200 members attending. It was a mix of work, learning and pleasure with a 20 minute AV presentation followed by a fashion parade.
Thanks Janet! I'd like to extend big hugs and thanks you to Janet & Bill Wolberg. I first met Janet back on the Vogue cruise in Alaska, then the Vogue’s Australia/New Zealand tour a couple of years ago – yes she’s a knitting retreat junkie – and Janet again joined my class in New Mexico last May! We had three days of fun in Madison, thanks firstly to Janet plus Ruth and Connie from the Guild! The image left shows just a little of Janet’s stash in her knitting room!!!
			I'd love to hear from you If you'd like to ask a question about anything in this newsletter - or anything at all, please email Jane. Thanks for your support and I look forward to seeing you in the knitting circle!
Or you can head back to www.sigknit.com to see my designs