Leah Jackson

Leah Jackson is an artist and designer working mostly with hand built and slip cast ceramics. She completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Hons) at the ANU School of Art in 2003. Recent exhibitions include: Rock Solid at Pieces of Eight (curated by Meredith Turnbull), 2011; Texticles at the Melbourne Art Fair (curated by Lisa Radford and Rob McHaffie), 2010; Insert Coin Here (curated by Nella Thomelios & Kim Brockett for the Loreal Melbourne Fashion Festival), 2010; Bottled at PAN Gallery (curated by Kim Brockett & Anita Cummins) 2009; and Adytum a solo exhibition held at TCB art inc. in Melbourne in 2009. As part of the 2009/10 exhibition committee for Ceramics Victoria Jackson also curated Oasis, Ceramic Victoria's contribution to the Herring Island Festival 2010. Her functional production line has been used in ongoing collaborative Arrangements by Liv Barrett and Joshua Petherick, and is stocked at Craft Victoria's Shop.

Andrea Shaw

Textile design, paper and wood art, jewellery design and macramé make up the eclectic mix of practices used to create Stämpel wares to date.

Since finishing Textile design at RMIT, label creator Andrea Shaw has worked across a range of design mediums. It's this love of creative diversity and an ode to colour and sustainability that inspired the label, which began in late 2010. Reclaimed materials such as timber off-cuts, second hand fabric and obsolete, discarded paint chips are currently used across designs.  Exploration of these reclaimed raw materials and an expanding bag of craft and woodworking skills inspire designs. Where the technique calls for 'new' materials environmental factors are carefully considered. As this collection of materials and hand skills grow, so shall the design repertoire, with projects set to become multi-faceted and most likely, a little over the top.

Andrea works between a small studio and her dining table (constructed from a reclaimed door) in Central Victoria where she lives with her partner, Duncan and Jack-Russell, Tilly.

Nicholas Jones

Nicholas Jones is a Melbourne based sculptor who uses books and printed paper to make works which question the manner in which books are 'read'.

Books are capsules; vessels designed to hold information, borne of investigation or of personal expression. These objects are often venerated, held aloft as are amulets, as the source of reasoned knowledge, the fecund field awaiting the harvest. Sequestered away in dusty libraries, spines anticipating the eye of the beholder, these books tactility remains at arms length. The physical act of folding, tearing and sewing book leaves, may be considered iconoclastic (extinguishing the fire of reason, perhaps). Although sometimes iconised for their content or historical importance, more often than not, books are discarded as cultural detritus. These transformed books aim to highlight the poetic nature of the book as form. As historical phenomena, books have reflected the evolution of mankind, and although beseiged by new technologies, the book remains steadfastly both the solver of the riddle and the creator of the labyrinth.

Elizabeth Yong

Elizabeth Yong's PRIMOEZA is a Melbourne based clothing and accessories label producing wearable pieces that combine hand-worked elements with knit fabric created on vintage knitting machines. Elizabeth created PRIMOEZA after studying Studio Textiles at RMIT. The line is a natural progression combining her hands on skills in textile design with a love of fashion.

Releasing seasonal collections that are often inspired by a small, simple idea, the pieces are created through experimentation on hand operated knitting machines that were popular in the domestic environment around the 1970s. Although designed to be contemporary garments with a refined aesthetic, the pieces often incorporate traditional techniques and a strong sense of naivety and playfulness.

To offer an alternative to fast, anonymous fashion, the journey of the label is recorded online. This presence has encouraged discussion on creativity and inspiration, the production of textiles and fashion and the realities of running a small label with an international audience. Elizabeth currently works from her home studio with the company of her two cats after which the label is named.

Matthew Thomson

Matthew Thomson, though his label Mattt, designs and creates a range of practical (and clever) handmade bags in collaboration with amazing textile designers. In early 2000 Matthew begun designing and making bags to carry his stuff to university on his motor scooter. He still has the scooter and still makes bags (which he'd like to think his studies in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial design are very useful for). These bags have since developed into a range of styles that are created in collaboration with local textile designers and illustrators and utilise a ever expanding collection of both screen printed and digitally produced textiles.

His practise has taken several forms over the years and has recently refocused on personalised and bespoke products distributed predominantly through his website and a very limited number of stockists.

Emily Green

Emily Green is a Melbourne based designer whose work explores chaotic geometric shapes that use energetic colours and contrasting textures to create harmonious compositions. Through observations of organic textures and forms and congruous colour palettes, Emily Green's designs reflect her love of colour and the aesthetic of Melbourne's inner north. Emily is originally from Perth and studied a Bachelor of Fine Arts at The University of Western Australia. She is currently studying Textile Design part-time at RMIT.

Stephanie and Kyle de Kuijer

Stephanie and Kyle established their textiles business Holly Daze in 2005 after studying Studio Textiles and Visual Arts at RMIT respectively. With a studio situated in East Brunswick behind their design store Five Boroughs they work together creating a range of screen printed home wares and paper products exclusively for their shop. Holly Daze marries a retro aesthetic with fine design that has seen the de Kuijers extend their product range and audience by opening Five Boroughs three years ago.

Andrea Daniel

Odds&endS is the creative outlet of Andrea Daniel. Started in 2010, Odds&endS was born from her love of vintage textiles and appreciation of traditional craft techniques. From knitting to sewing, painting to decorating, it's all featured within the Odds&endS collection.

Having trained in Industrial Design (Swinburne University) and Fashion Design (RMIT), Andrea combines her product design knowledge with her desire to re-use and recycle. Many of the pieces within the Odds&endS collection utilize antique and reclaimed materials, such as beautiful pure wool, cashmere and mohair jumpers, vintage ceramics, and other collectable ephemera .

The iconic knitted cacti came from Andrea's knack for killing indoor plants. The handmade wooly plants look just like the real thing, but will last in any environment, no watering required, just the occasional dust. The product range is continually evolving as Andrea finds new vintage materials to inspire her designs.

Milly Flemming

Milly Flemming is a Melbourne based jeweller working predominantly in silver and gilding metal. She graduated from NMIT Gold and Silversmithing in 2008 and has since shared a Brunswick based studio with three other jewellers. Milly's jewellery is an ongoing study into the way shape and form connect to make visually interesting and wearable forms. In 2009, Milly participated in a group show at enCounter, Craft Victoria's window exhibition space. Following on from this show, Milly became a successful supplier to the Craft Victoria shop and shortly after this she became a member of staff. She is currently the Acting Retail Manager of Craft Victoria.

Kirsten Perry

Kirsten Perry has a background in Industrial Design, Fine Art (Gold & Silversmithing) and Multimedia. She teaches Multimedia at Swinburne and Kangan TAFE. Concept development and the physical act of making are her favorite processes. Anthropomorphism and character design are a major part of most work she does. Small scale production allows her to explore variations of similar concepts.

Kirsten's blog, 'Repugnant Charm' could sum up the nature of her work. She is interested in the balance between ugly and attractive. She plays with bringing enough beauty to an ugly object or making a beautiful object a little bit ugly.

She became interested in the power and sentiment carried with jewellery and wished to continue this into larger objects. Eleven years ago she had cancer and became interested in the healing powers of meditation and visualization. She investigated forms of spirituality and became fascinated with tribal totems and masks.

Emma Greenwood

Emma Greenwood is a pedantic Aquarian craftswoman, trained in sculpture, printmaking and custom-made footwear. Mum to Leo and Hazel, Emma is passionate about capoeira and crochet, and loves argyle knee socks, Princess Leia, colour spectrums, stamp collecting and drinking tea.

Under the label 'Emerge', Emma produces over the top footwear and accessories. Using a variety of materials such as leather, postage stamps, Swarovski crystals, electrical wire, and hand-embroidered trims, Emerge pieces are highly tactile and precious.

Eschewing the need for seasonal trends, Emma revisits signature themes and ideas, inspired by colour, humour, symmetry and silhouette. Either bespoke and highly customised, or in small production runs, she lovingly handcrafts her footwear and accessories entirely from her Melbourne studio.

Maryann Talia-Pau

Born in Apia, Samoa, Maryann Talia Pau grew up in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand and then Melbourne, Australia. Maryann has been making for the last 14 years. For now, her work focuses on body adornment using materials and craft techniques from Samoa and across the Pacific. Her other passions include weaving, siapo (Samoan bark cloth) and textiles.

Making represents healing and connection, to our families and ancestors before us and to each other across the globe.