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My name is Jessica and I own the business 'Aquatic Plants'. I live in Mana, Porirua and sell aquatic plants for terrariums, ponds and aquariums for aquascaping. I also specialise in their requirements in order to offer friendly expert advice to customers and anyone who seeks. Even though keeping aquatic plants alive and well may not be considered a craft as such, aquascaping is most definitely a form of art as live plants offer the most amazing aesthetics in an aquarium, pond and terrarium set up (check out world renowned aquascaper - Takashi Amano) as essentially it is an under water garden/world designed using items such as driftwood, boulders, slates of rock, and substrate in order to create the layout/terrain along with live plants as the foliage and its residents the fish (usually tropical but not always). I am also very knowledgable in fish keeping; although I do not sell fish, I am always happy to help beginners on their journey to owning a successful and attractive underwater eco-system involving live fish and plants.
I am now branching into Wabi Kusa and kokodema set ups, which are miniature Japanese Terrarium displays comprised of small live plants, driftwood, rocks and sand, similar to the “bonsai look” in some ways (no fish of course). They can be hung, or placed in a stylish glass bowl and easy kept alive to grow and evolve for as long as the owner tends to its most basic needs, i.e. water and light, and the occasional pruning would be needed. I started the business at the beginning of 2016 that stemmed from my hobby. I also very much enjoy interacting with the public whether it be on social media or in person.
I sell Aquarium/Terrarium/Pond plants, aquascaping tools and fertlisers for aquascaping and terrestrial miniature gardens known as terrariums. I love this hobby because for some reason I find it therapeutic working with small plants such as these, and being so small they don't require any digging outside or hard labour.
Growing them doesn't get boring either because it's still challenging in the way that the plants require a certain amount of special care such as the right amount of light, fertilisers (food), carbon, temperature, humidity etc. It gets very scientific in some ways and experimenting is all part of the fun. I suppose the plants I am working with are a little more demanding than your average plants as they are tropical and delicate, and emulating their natural environment (The Amazon rainforest) is the key to their success. They are so interesting and exotic, however, and creating and caring for a tiny little ecosystem (submersed under water or terrestrial) that looks nice and sits inside your house is a form of fun that words can't really describe. It's not for everyone as not everyone has the motivating and patience to design and care for something such as this. But there is most definitely a market for it as I have discovered! I have noticed that people love designing these little worlds, choosing their plants and driftwood etc, forming the terrain, working out where it’s all going to go. It's a little bit like sim city but on a more natural level and without the people :)
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GET SOME TATTITUDE!Meet Colin from Tattitude!  I make tattoos, airbrushed so they look real and authentic. Lots of designs and ideas. Black, shaded and full colour. Every age and everything from butterflies and unicorns to reapers and skulls. Tattoos last 3 to 7 days. Come and get some ink and leave me a smile :)  Fun and entertainment. That's what temporary Airbrushed Tattoo are about. Any special event, photo shoots, glamour parties, Birthdays, promotions, any age, just about anywhere! I try to give every one something they will be amazed and surprised by. Pictures on People.
#introAs well as organising Wrought and Petone Winter Markets, I also make and sell as Copper Catkin. You can read more about my story here. I will be selling my Copper Catkin creations at Wrought, with a stallside workshop stall. HOW DID YOU DISCOVER Triskele balls?
Last October, I was searching for an interesting Christmas papercraft to offer my customers, using my designs. I discovered the most amazingly simple, easy papercrafts - these stunning triskele balls, designed by Hattifant. They're absolutely stunning, visually, and they're ridiculously easy to make. The thing I appreciate the most about them is that Hattifant has been kind enough to share a template for others to decorate and share. I made a few with my own designs last year.  WROUGHT WORKSHOPI will be offering these as a quick gold coin make-and-take stallside workshop at Wrought. Additional sheets will also be available for purchase - to cover the cost of materials and the use of my own designs. There will be both colour and colourable designs, and a colouring table. When is this on?This workshop will be at every Wrought makers' market. Find out more about when and where by clicking below!
About the artist, Sayraphim LothianSayraphim Lothian creates playful experiences for people, and she presents a video series on Creative Resistance and Craftivism on her youtube channel MonsterThinks.  Her main body of work, ‘Guerrilla Kindness’, leaves tiny handcrafted artworks out on the street for people to find and take home, injecting tiny, unexpected and magical moments in passers-by’s lives. They aim to remind people of the niceness of life, as rewards those who take the time to stop and look around them once in a while. These works can be found in streets all around the world.
Her participatory work creates bridges between participants, allowing moments of loveliness to flow between strangers. They are about the sharing of experiences and the fleeting but meaningful connections made. They are about rediscovering joy in oneself and realising it abounds in other people. Sayraphim aims to facilitate meaningful connections between people through craft. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and her website.   We are taking one of Sayraphim Lothian's initiatives, 'Good Advice Bunting', and bringing it to Wrought in October. Everyone is invited to join in – write good advice, old sayings and folklore and knowledge on bunting flags. We will then combine the flags into bunting that will decorate ongoing events. How does it work?We invite all visitors and exhibitors at Wrought to contribute ideas - good advice, old sayings, folklore, quotes, things that make you feel positive... Anything that fosters an environment of creativity and fun.
HAS IT BEEN DONE BEFORE?Yes, it certainly has! The most recent example is currently happening in Hobson Bay, Australia. The council has renamed it 'Speaking Bunting'.  We will have a table and bunting flags available for people to write their contributions near the cafeteria. We hope you will join us - so get your thinking cap on, and bring your best words to the October event!
KIA ORA, I'M CAT, FROM COPPER CATKIN!As the organiser of the events, you will find me, my husband George, and my stall at all WROUGHT Makers' Markets. My passion is primarily for drawing - but I need art to be functional, so I justify my drawings by turning them into something tangible. I make earrings, pendants, bracelets, cufflinks, and other jewellery, sealing my artwork under glass. I also have my designs custom-printed onto fabrics, which I then turn into fun accessories. As well as creating quirky artworks, I also help stallholders to up their display game as Copper Catkin Consulting. Copper Catkin is my website, and you can find out more about me and my work on Facebook, too: www.facebook.com/CopperCatkin www.facebook.com/CopperCatkinConsulting/
The creative community in the Wellington region is full of amazing makers. As a part of that community, I want to ensure that there is a level to which we can all aspire - a makers' market where educated customers expect to buy from a maker at the top of their game.   At WROUGHT, we love to see what people create. As the organiser, I'm not just looking for the usual (and wonderful) suspects - I'm also looking for people who make something a bit different - metalwork, upcycled sculpture, woodwork, laser cut and CNC, furniture, up-cycled vintage, re-purposed items, things that are a bit more 'industrial art' than standard 'crafts'.  The definition of 'make' in this context is that the person behind the stall is the creative force behind the finished item, whether it be sewn, sculpted, 3D printed, drawn, assembled, or otherwise manufactured (excluding imports mass-produced overseas, even if they were designed here).  If you're considering joining us as one of our EXHIBITORS, but you want an idea of what to expect, come and visit the next Petone Winter Market - it's one of the events in our portfolio. We are proud to showcase more than 30 stalls of locally-made crafts, serenaded by local performers. Take a tour of our last market by clicking the images below!
 If you're interested in becoming a stallholder for one or more of our events, please fill out our application form. If your application is successful, we will use the information you provide to write a profile about you to be shared with all our potential customers, so we encourage you to write something that you want shared.  We would love to have some really quirky and different performances - if you're keen, or you know someone who is, the details are in this link. We are looking to offer at least a $50 retainer (negotiable, depending on the performance offered) to secure people to add flavour and interest to the event. We would love to have people perform throughout the day, interspersed with music, and we're particularly keen for interactive acts that don't take up much room, and don't require a stage - performers can even busk outside, if the weather allows. The performance needs to be both safe and family-friendly. If you have what it takes, please get in touch with us!  The best way to gain an appreciation of a maker's skill is to have a go at making something yourself. We will be providing a range of workshops and activities to give people an opportunity to learn something new. We are looking forward to offering board games, Games Workshop painting tutorials, card-making, and more - will you be part of it?  Currently, we have three events booked, all at the same venue, but we will be looking for more locations around the Wellington region.
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AuthorCat Drayer is a maker of things and herder of cats. Archives
January 2018
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