The Crafty World of SMBoutique

This week the BrisStyle team caught up with Sandrine from SMBoutique for a little chat about her beautiful felted creations. Sandrine will also be at the BrisStyle Indie Designers Market this Saturday 5 June, 9am-2pm at St Augustine's Church Hall and Grounds, Racecourse Road, Hamilton.


How would you describe your work?

The best description I can think of would be:
Colourful Handmade textile accessories…with a predominant use of natural fibres.

I like to make the fabric using various methods of Felting, Australian merino wool, silk, linen, cotton…or straws for the race hats.

You will find a range of hats and fascinators, scarves, shawl, silk tops, brooches even cushion and table runner for the home accessories!


How did your Etsy shop come into being?

I have always been fascinated by hats and eventually I got the opportunity to spend some time learning and practicing Millinery.

After a little while, I realize that it was moving into a bigger house or starting to part with some of these creations …

So I started with a local Art and Craft market in Maleny. The people's comments and feedback were so warm that it gave me the courage to keep on this path of creativity…

I found Etsy browsing the web and was really impressed with the creativity and the concept so I decided to take the E-plunge! ;)

I am now very grateful as this has allowed me to enter such an inspiring and supportive community !

Who and what inspires you?

This is a great and hard question at the same time ;)

I believe there is soooo much involved in this creative process…but if I tried to summarize I would start with…

*People: My artistic Dad, my seamstress grandma, as I mentioned earlier amazing people I meet along the way, my family…

*Places: Beautiful landscape I grew up in (Provence/France, Europe), the one I was blessed to travel to and live in (Africa, Australia)…

*Colours and Textures: I am always attracted to colours, their amazing combinations, pattern…a flower in the garden, a bird’s amazing colours, the pattern on a leaf…

*Fabrics, books, music, movie, a taste a smell in the kitchen, a smile….So many sources to draw from!

Living in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland has been a wonderful way of being surrounded by nature a great reminder that we are so much part of it and always so inspiring!


Do you reduce, reuse, recycle as part of your creative process?

I had chosen a few years ago to learn to make my own felt so I could create the fabric using Australian Merino wool which I am lucky to have easily on hand, this was the start of a more sustainable approach.

The felting process itself involves warm water, soap and loads of elbow grease.
Water being so precious, I try to reuse my water as much as I can and left over soapy water is used around the garden. I also have a rain water tank on hand…

In terms of recycling I have collected throughout the years lots of little fibers/fabrics bits and pieces that can always be integrated into a project…not much wastes there!

Can you describe your studio/work area?

here lies the dilemma:

There is the studio of my dreams with everything in the same spot, well organized, equipped …

Hmmm and then there is my “various work areas” a forever work in progress!

No, I am very privileged that we are slowly renovating our house and I could find a little spot for an office with a view!

A spare room to store wool, fabric and use my sewing machine…

And last year we decided to split the garage so I could have a "felting area" which has a roller door that opens right into the lush garden.

What is your favourite thing in the shop at the moment?

At the moment with the chilli mornings and evening my heart goes to my little scarf they are all so cosy and different it is hard to pick one in particular.

I love adding a flower brooch to them and can change the colour with my moods.


Do you have any other places people can view/purchase your work?

People can purchase on my Etsy store:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/smboutique

Know me a little more via my Blog :

http://histoiredesoie.blogspot.com

And finally view some past and new work on my Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38663804@N02/

Thanks Sandrine!

Check out Sandrine's work in person at the BrisStyle Indie Designers Market this Saturday 5 June, 9am-2pm at St Augustine's Church Hall, Racecourse Road, Hamilton. Sandrine will be in the hall!

April Featured Members and Giveaways!

This month, please give a warm welcome to Louise from Made by Miffy and Christine from Little Chrissy, as they give us a sneek peak into their fabulous worlds of crafty goodness, and give away some of their wonderful handmade items to two lucky readers. To enter is simple - simply leave us a comment at the bottom of this post. For more info (and to find out how to score an extra entry) read The Rules at the bottom of the post. Good luck everyone :)

Introducing BrisStyle member...


NAME: Christine Flatley

ETSY SHOP NAME: Little Chrissy

1. Can you please describe the items you are giving away to one of our readers?

Two Little Chrissy Brooches

A yellow felt bird brooch and one of my tried and true square felt and fabric brooches. Both have been hand-stitched with love and will brighten your fave autumn jacket or bag.


2. How would you describe your work?

Colourful, fun, a little quirky, and made with love to make people smile. I am in love with felt and use it in almost everything I create. Ditto pre-loved fabrics which I find in op-shops. Oh and buttons. Sigh. I really love buttons. Until now I have predominately been making brooches, but have also been making some cute felt baby booties. Family members are currently receiving felt art to hang on their walls, so perhaps some of those might spring up in my shop soon too.

3. How did your Etsy shop come into being?

I first fell in love with Etsy as a shopper, but kept keeping all my purchases and making gifts for friends and family instead. Whoops! I finally decided to open my own shop late last year and have had very kind feedback from a lot of people.


4. Who or What inspires you?

Brisbane artists and crafters of course – we have so much talent in this city it blows me away. I use my blog to motivate myself, but also take inspiration from much-loved magazines like Frankie and Black+White. I always create each piece while thinking of one of my friends, because they are the sort of people I imagine wearing my brooches. Oh and long moonlit walks on the beach, soft kittens etc.

5. Can you describe your studio / work area?

I had managed to hog the study for myself for six months but my partner has just started his own full-time business and so gets priority. I’ve now got a small table beside his desk so we can work together sometimes (cue soppy smiles and fluttered eyelashes). Most of my materials are stuffed unceremoniously in bags in the wardrobe, and I dream one day of having my own room with everything neatly stacked and stashed. Organisation catalogues are my porn…


6. What is your favourite thing in the shop at the moment?

My pink doughnut brooch. It’s been there forever and I’m surprised nobody has bought it because it makes me laugh every time I look at it. I’m thinking very seriously about keeping it for myself… mmmm… pink doughnut.


7. Do you have any other places that people can view/purchase your work?

My blog www.little-chrissy.blogspot.com. Please swing by and say hello!

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Introducing BrisStyle member...


NAME: Louise Stuart

ETSY SHOP NAME: Made by Miffy

1. Can you please describe the item you are giving away to one of our readers?

This is the apron that I will be teaching in the Craft Labs at the Stitches and Craft Show in Brisbane 29 April – 3 May and again later this year in Sydney. I will have fab colour combos for people to choose their own kits. Come and join in – it’ll be fun.


2. How would you describe your work?

Work…? Is this work? Are you sure? Well if it is work I would describe it as fun, all consuming (the housework is now way down the priority list!) My style is colour – lots of it. Clashing or complementing combinations that are fun to make and fun to wear. I make the coolest boys boardies, gorgeous little girl’s clothes and sassy Aprons for Mamas. I have just ventured into the world of pattern design and am in the process of publishing my first apron patterns – exciting. Now, are you sure this is work?


3. How did your Etsy shop come into being?

Seemed like fun! I love to sew – and it was getting obvious that people liked my style – as all my friend’s kids were wearing Miffy threads.


4. Who or What inspires you?

Fabric, colour, design, Dr Seuss!

5. Do you ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ as part of your creative process? If yes, how is your art / craft eco-friendly?

Well I haven’t reduced the size of my fabric stash – it has taken on a life of its own – however I do repurpose items as part of my creative endeavours. On my blog there is a tutorial for a bureau redo I did last year for my daughter Darcy. It has won some blog awards and always makes me happy in a way the 80’s ugly pine chest of drawers it was formerly known as never did! I also love to find creative ways to use leftover fabric. See my tutorial for no – sew fabric flowers as one such idea!


6. Can you describe your studio / work area?

I have taken over a room in our house. It is a lovely north facing room and I love calling it my studio – much nicer than “the spare room” isn’t it? My cats hang out in the window whilst I sew. I love having the tv on whilst I work and I am now so well versed on Dr Phil that I can offer advice on almost any modern social dysfunction dilemma you may have!


7. What is your favourite thing in the shop at the moment?

Well – not actually in my shop – but my favourite thing is my new Saucy Apron Recipe! It is guaranteed calorie free fun in the kitchen! The pattern will be launched at the Stitches and Craft Show in Brisbane and also in my Etsy store and at Madebymiffy.com too!


8. Do you have any other places that people can view/purchase your work?

Made by Miffy Website
Made by Miffy Blog
Miffy's World on Twitter
Louise Stuart on Facebook
Founding member of The Apron-Nation - come and join us. We are taking over the world one kitchen at a time!

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Thank you Christine and Louise!

The rules:

Simply leave a comment on this post to be in the running to win one of these two fabulous giveaways. Be sure to leave a way for us to contact you. If you don’t have a blog, please include your email address. Only one entry per person. You may enter twice if you mention this giveaway on your blog. If you choose to do this, please pop back after posting to your blog and include the url address to the post it was mentioned on here in the comments. This will count as your second entry. International folk are welcome to enter. BrisStyle members and their immediate families (ie: husbands/partners, dependent children, and their computer savvy pets) are excluded from entering all BrisStyle giveaways. A name will be randomly drawn on the 25th of this month and the winner will be announced on the blog on that same day.

The very best of luck to you all!