In the spotlight

This month in the spotlight is OZ Handmade it's self.

Why you may ask.

The answer is quite simple.

"Lily's Gift"

from Thursday 14th April until Monday 18th April

OZ Handmade will be running an auction.

With all proceeds raised being donated to the

Good Friday Appeal

The auction will run from the the OZ Handmade Store

on the OZ website.

OZ Store

All items have been kindly donated by a number of fantastic

Facebook business's and some stores on the OZ Handmade website.

This is the first time the Good Friday Appeal has aloud an

On-Line auction of this sort.

So we feel very privileged in being aloud to take part

in such a large fundraiser.

That not only Victorians but all Australian people dig deep in their pockets to support the GFA every year and

this year the Good Friday Appeal celebrates it's 80th Birthday.

You can find out more about the Appeal by visiting their official website

Good Friday Appeal website

So please support this amazing appeal and dig deep to help the children of

Victoria, continue to receive the hospital care that the

Royal Children's Hospital

has been giving children for the past 80+years.

Click on the link to read more about the amazing care the Hospital gives.

Royal Children's Hospital

All proceeds from the Auction will be pledged by Gem on-half of "Lily's Gift"

during the live telecast of the Appeal on Good Friday

22nd April 2011.

As I said previously this is the first time they have given permission for an online auction to be held.

Here is our official letter. GFA & OZ letter

Please spread the word.

You can also find out more details on the Oz Handmade Facebook page

OZ on Facebook

and the official "Lily's Gift" Facebook page.

"lily's gift"on facebook

We hope to see you at the auction.

The Sewing Sisterhood Auction

There are an amazing group of woman on Facebook,

that have come together and joined forces.

To put together an Auction that starts tonight Monday 14th March 2011 at 9pm EDST
with all proceeds raised to go to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal
it will conclude at 9pm Thursday 17th March 2011

These Ladies call them selves "The Sewing Sisterhood" they offer each other support and encouragement with their "Handmade" businesses.

When the disaster of the floods that hit QLD and then later the cyclone, with members of the group being directly effected and others that just wanted and needed to help in some way.
It was decided those that could (due to time and family constraints) within the group. Would make a doll and accessories each and they would go to auction to help those in need.

So here are the Pages that have contributed a doll/s towards this fantastic auction.
Relax a Bag, By Suse Hocking, Little Sew and Sews, Perigren Creations,
Puppy Dogs Tails, Crambster Creations, Kat and Bee, Zahley Rose,
  Tea for Evie,  Lil Pip, Patooties Boutique and OZ Handmade
So I ask you to dig deep and help raise much needed funds to help the people that's lives were changed for ever by these disasters.

Don't they just look adorable? I am sure you know a special little girl in your lives that would just love to own a special little miss like these.

You can now preview the dolls in all their glory on the OZ Handmade website and choose the special little miss that you would like to bid on when the auction starts tonight at 9pm EDST don't forget it finishes on Thursday 17th March at 9pm.

The ladies involved in making these dolls would like to thank Katrina from Lil-Miss-Dolls for making her pattern available to use for this wonderful cause.

Happy Biding

✄ Something New ✄

Each month or there abouts OZ Handmade

will interview one of the stores 

currently open on Oz.

The store chosen will be done so 

under strict guidelines.

Gill's daughter will pick a store out of a box.

Each store will be asked 5 questions in their interview 

and then this store will be the store

The store for March is (drum roll please)

Tell us a bit about yourself?

Fuzzy Creations is made up myself, (Kelly) and Kristy. We are both stay at home Mum's. 
I have two daughters 2 and 4 and Kristy has a daughter who is 4 and is expecting her second child in 2 months time. 
We are both very busy mum's as most of us are, trying to keep up with young children and making time to do what we love... creating!! 
Fuzzy Creations has been very exciting for us, we love what we do and are very passionate about our puppets. As soon as our children are in bed at night, out come the scissors and felt and away we go...cutting our puppets!!

How long have you been into handmade craft?

I have always been into crafts, I used to love going to craft markets and buying handmade products before I got into it. 
Fuzzy Creations was started in July 2009 but it took us six months to design, 
make templates and come up with our ideas on how and with what we were going to sell our Finger Puppets. 
Our puppets are sold with Nursery Rhymes, Story Books, Songs and in themed sets of 5 for children to create their own imaginative stories.

What made you want to make your own creations?

I studied Graphic Design about 10 years ago and have also had an interest in designing and creating anything crafty. I actually specialised in 3D design during my studies and with out even realising it, that is exactly what I am doing now. There have been a few other projects along the way which eventually led to the puppets. When we had children I think with all the songs, Nursery Rhymes, Stories and favourite characters from children's TV shows that we were exposed to every day just kept putting ideas into our heads on how to sell our puppets. Neither Kristy or I wanted to go back to work full time having young children so we got together and decided to see where we could go with the puppets, at this time I had about 6 designs of puppets that I had come up with. Our range now consists of about 180 puppets.

What is your most favourite thing, you have created?

My favourite product that we have made is our "Songs" range. These puppets come with a laminated song sheet with the lyrics to the song, The puppets are attached with velcro dots so that they can be re attached once you have finished using them. These are my favourite because they are more popular with babies and toddlers. I love seeing their little faces light up as you sing to them, for example...5 little ducks went out one day.. as you sing you have the 5 ducks on each finger and as each duck in the song disappear so does a puppet from your finger. They get so excited and laugh. Some of our other songs are, 5 green and speckled frogs, old Mac Donald had a farm, 5 little Monkeys jumping on the bed, teasing Mr Crocodile and more. This range has also been popular with Kinders.

What made you decide to start selling your homemade creation?

We went into it right from the beginning wanting to sell our puppets, we were looking for a way to be able to stay at home and have some pocket money for ourselves too. Both Kristy and I like to always be doing something as well and this is the perfect thing for us to do and we can watch our TV shows while we do it.

Fuzzy Creations has grown a fare bit over the last 12 months and we hope to see it get even bigger, we are now supplying a few retail stores with our puppets and that has been very exciting and rewarding for us.

Something exciting and new for the girls at Fuzzy Creations 
that they didn't mention.
Was!!
You can now find their products at the Melbourne Zoo.
How exciting would that be to go and visit one of Australia's Largest Zoo's to see your creations on display.
Congratulations "hard work" pays off.

Thank you Kelly and Kristy for sharing your Fuzzy Creations Story.

Make sure you pop in to the Fuzzy Creations store today.

Welcome to twenty eleven!

Okay so we are just a little late,
it is February already.

So excited there are so many amazing things
happening in the Handmade world and
will update you as they happen.

A huge welcome the following stores to the OZ family.

Caardvark

Sew me something special

Crambster Creations

X marks the spot

Addison Avenue

Polkadot bitz & pieces

Sam & Digger

Cards by Catherine

By Suse Hocking

It is always great to see what the new stores have to offer.
Just what they create and how much time and effort go
into bringing you the most amazing handmade items
that Australia has to offer. 

 Next week, we be the beginning of something new.

 

If it has been a while since you have popped in to

OZ Handmade

then put it on your to do list today.

Make yourself a cuppa and sit down and relax

and browse the stores. 

New clothing release at LA Crafts!

LA Crafts have just released their new summer clothing line, for boys (yes boys!) and girls.

Here are a few to wet your whistle…

View Full Album

To check our the rest of the collection head on over to the LA Crafts store at Oz Handmade.