Party Pics, Renaissance, & more FREE stuff!

Here are some pics taken at the BrisStyle Team meet-up at The Book Café in Mt Gravatt last Saturday. It was a fun morning, with our Secret Santa swap, the drawing of the blog giveaway and enthusiastic planning for the upcoming BrisStyle Christmas Market happening on Saturday 13th December.




I don’t recall that festive frog being in attendance. Frog face must have crashed the party after I left. Luckily another BrisStyler had left by then also. Would have been embarrassing because they were both wearing exactly the same outfits! Thanks so much to Em and Bel from EmBelISH for making the awesome Ferrero Rocher Christmas trees and for organising the meet-up! A great time was had by all!

Now onto a few things that BrisStylers are currently up to. The Renaissance Exhibition at Reverse Garbage opened last Friday and included in the exhibit are lovely handcrafted eco-friendly pieces by Ali (jellygnite), Bec (beckybean) and Helen (ruby red studios and ruby 2 go-go). I visited on Monday and took a few photos while there.


I am a Brisbane crafter and Art teacher and my work celebrates and is inspired by paper ephemera, vintage designs, memories, thriftiness and simplicity.

A big component of my making process is the use of salvaged and recycled materials: most of my work features at least 75% salvaged materials. I enjoy collecting and salvaging abandoned, old materials and transforming them, giving them a new and different life. I enjoy the extra ‘history’ salvaged materials bring to a piece as well as supporting the idea of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’. So many wonderful materials can be found on the ‘scrap pile’! - Ali Chisholm

My inspiration comes from the materials themselves, and the story behind them. I love the idea that a soft floral linen used in a handbag may have once been a girl’s first tablecloth, stored in her glory box until her wedding day. Or maybe the big sparkly button on a bookmark once glittered under the lights of a blue light disco in the 80s.

My pieces say a lot about who I am. And who am I? My name is Bec, and I am a mum, a wife, a daughter and a sister. I sew and I sing and I walk and I play. And I really like tea and chocolate. - Bec Hollis

Helen is a local Brisbane Artist whose passion for nostalgia inspires her work. A part time air hostess, she is also heavily influenced by her intrepid travel adventures and surrounds. Viva the “re-purposed revolution”! Recycle, repurpose, reclaim, remodel, revamp, redesign, rediscover, recraft, rework, renovate, rescue, rekindle, reduce and revolutionise! - Helen Berthold
(info sourced from the Renaissance Exhibition artist bio booklet)
These photos don’t do the pieces justice, so you’d best head on over to see how truly amazing everything is. The exhibition is on in the Echoes Gift Shop during regular Reverse Garbage trading hours. This is one not to be missed! Fanflipintastic!


More giveaways! The big BrisStyle giveaway may be over, but four very generous and talented BrisStyle members are currently offering super giveaways on their blogs.

Teneale (wickedchilddesigns) is giving away a cool Gothic Gretel doll.

To enter click here. Quick! Ends Thursday 27th November.
Hayley (Re-Read) is giving away a fab Fruity Goose brooch.

To enter click here. Ends Sunday 30th November.
Cat (madebymaisie) is giving away a sweet Christmas Maisie doll.

To enter click here. Ends Wednesday 3rd December.
Eliza (ElizasArt) is giving away a print of your choice from her new website.

To enter click here. Ends Tuesday 9th December.
And a big bunch of BrisStylers are busy preparing for this…

To enter click…umm, nope. Just turn up! No clicking required. Phew! One more link and my head may explode!

BrisStyle at Paddington Markets

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? On Saturday 29 March I joined two other BrisStyle girls, Helen (Ruby Red Studios) and Olivia (Scampsville) at the inaugural Paddington Fair Market. As my husband and I parked to unload the car, a large clown with fluffy red hair came blazing down the street on what looked to be a converted golf buggy, festooned with balloons and streamers. What a promising start to a day of fun.

We soon located the girls and after a quick set-up, Tony left me to my baptism of fire. Thank goodness for the experienced Helen and Olivia. In no time my little space was expertly revised and we were ready for business.

The location was ideal - a delightful playground and parklands set in the middle of an inner city suburb, with skateboard pathways and ramps for the older children, play equipment for the younger ones, and lots of green spaces and trees for all to enjoy - a true oasis. The weather was threatening, but the rain held off and by the middle of the day the sun came out.

Being a fairly small event was a blessing in disguise, as I had to learn quickly. The crowds fluctuated, one minute sparse, empty spaces and the next the rush of people. We were entertained by live music and there was plenty of delicious coffee on hand to keep us energised.

Young families were the order of the day and all appeared to have a wonderful time, with lots of activities for the children, the music to add to the festive atmosphere, and lots of goodies to buy from us vendors. Helen and Olivia worked the crowds like the troupers that they are and we always had smiling faces around us.


It was a sharp learning curve, but one I truly enjoyed. I certainly learned some new tricks!


Robyn Dixon
Hot Fudge