Ispirato

This is one of my two latest dollhouse miniature projects. All seven members of the Tiny Tarts group here in Melbourne have made mini-classrooms for the upcoming VAME Dollhouse and Miniatures Show in Melbourne (Australia).

We all started with the same size roombox, kits to make four old-fashioned school desk, and a kit to build the bookshelf. One member made us all globes. We took it in turns to run short workshops when we met to make blackboards, books, satchels and backpacks, etc. I led a workshop where we all made desks for the teacher.

Though we all started with the same box and desks, each classroom has evolved so differently! Mine, shown here, is a 5th grade classroom in Indiana circa 1960. The other rooms might be older or newer than mine. One is set at Harry Potter’s school, Hogwarths!

There were no windows or doors cut into our boxes and I wanted to create the illusion of two windows along the back wall. So I made window frames and roller blinds to hide the fact that there is no scenery - just blank wall inside the frames.

VAME stands for “Victorian Association of Miniature Enthusiasts”. The annual show features many wonderful exhibitions of room boxes, and maybe even an entire dollhouse or two, created by VAME members. THere are traders there selling miniature wares, too.

The Show will be held 11 & 12 July 2009 at the Mt Waverley Community Centre, Millers Street, opposite Mt Waverley Railway Station. Ample free parking! Hours are 10.00 am to 4.00 pm both Saturday and Sunday. http://www.vame.org.au/

We had our June Paperific Expo in Melbourne. I was hoping to attract 25 exhibitors but we just fell short - there were 22. However, they were all great businesses and there was a good mix of papercrafting products for scrapbooking, stamping and cardmaking. And there were SEVEN make and take tables at the show. Plus the demos. It all adds up to a great day out.

Two thousand customers attended and they offered lots of compliments. The food was a winner this time, though the cafe was understaffed on Friday.

After just about every Paperific Expo I’ve put on (and I’ve put on 15!) customers send me emails with this plea: ‘Give the exhibitors more room so it is less crowded in their stands.’ What people don’t understand is that the exhibitors rent stand space. Each business owner chooses the stand size, how to set out the furnishings and how much stock to bring.

Art Stamps Australia had the most popular stand at the show last weekend. It was always packed! Marg and Louise came to me on Sunday to request a larger stand than they had originally booked for the next Expo in November so there will be more space inside for us fat-bottomed ladies!

Our building at the Melbourne Showgrounds does allow us to have nice spacious aisles. It was recently carpeted too, and the Showgrounds staff are very attentive.

November will be bigger - our Spring Show always attracts more exhibitors and around 3000 customers. We also run a wholesale trade event in association with the retail expo. It is set up in an adjascent space.

I believe we will have 20 of the 22 June exhibitors returning in November. And there will be 10 or 15 others on top of that.

I like being a show organiser. Paperific has been really rewarding on both personal and financial levels. I really love to see customers enjoying themselves there and I also love to hear how happy exhibitors are with the results they achieve. I get to talk to the exhibitors quite a lot during the show and I know, having exhibited at craft shows myself, how hard they work. The recession has hit many craft businesses hard. So it was a relief to know they did so well last weekend. I extend my thanks to both the customers and the exhbitors for coming along to the June Expo.

November Paperific is set to be successful, too. I actually hope to have handed over responsibility to a new owner before then. Yes, Paperific is for sale. I want to sell for health reasons - many of you know that I have cancer. For this reason I’d like to retire from event management and just relax, make art and focus on healing.

Here comes the sales pitch: If you would like to purchase an Australian business that offers flexible, part-time hours, and you have good organisational and people skills, consider Paperific.  Email my broker, Karli Dunham: karli@justbusinessbrokers.com.

Here it is: My new felt studio above Lumina Gallery in Malvern East (a suburb of Melbourne, Australia). It looks pretty tidy from this angle of the photo. On the mantle of the lovely old, non-functioning fireplace, I’ve place feminine images including felt works by me, my sister Vonnie and my friend Nonie. That vase of flowers near the corner - the vase is from Jane and the light-up plastic tulips are from Coralee. The pirate hat is a gift from my sister Trish and it is so comfy and becoming! Hanging beneath I have a basket of stuffed toys I like to think of as the studio mascots.

I’ve already made some felt pieces on my raised table and I love spending time here, working without interruption. I am trying to spend at least 10 hours a week in the studio initially while I’m getting the next Paperific expo organized. Then I’ll be able to increase my studio hours starting in July.

The next Paperific Expo - wowee! It is one week away! This one has come together so easily. There will be great vibes at the Melbourne Showgrounds on the 19th, 20th and 21st. Here’s where you can learn more about the June Paperific Expo for papercraft lovers: http://www.paperific.com.au/june.html