We Have A Winner!!!!!!!!!

All of us at MoB Workspace would like to congratulate our resident member Rebecca Ward for her recent win. Tracey Milne (former resident) always did say we needed a winner, and finally we have one! Yay!

Rebecca's work from the Nana Nana Nana jewellery series was chosen from the Toowoomba Biennial Emerging Artists Acquisitive Award Exhibition.

For more insight into the process behind Rebecca's Nana work check out her Rebecca-the-Wrecker blog.

Our congratulations also extend to Judith Brough who was the Exhibition Curator as well as being a Museum of Brisbane employee. Judith had this to say about the exhibition " Flash trash not only shows how recycled material can be used to produce remarkable artistic creations, the exhibition also operates as a catalyst for thought and discussion about the ways an individual can contribute to the ecological well-being of their environment."

Flash Trash remains on display until 22 October at Toowoomba Regional Gallery after which time it will go on tour.

Don't Kill Bambi

Uh oh. Someone must have dismembered the weird toothlike screw-ons with the red beads that I was supposed to preserve in order for the Bambi baby coathanger to be spared an execution at the blade of plastic girl's saw.

Well okay, it was me - I had to make a pair of red threads revisted earrings and I only had 3 vintage red glass beads and I needed 4. It was too much of a temptation. But none of that means that bambi should die. So I beg of you Plastic Girl, your giant flowers can take over the planet but please spare the darling miniature Bambi coathanger...

Previously to Presently

It’s hard to let go of things we love. For some reason we’re told this is a good thing. Well I disagree. I attach great personal value to my bits and pieces so you can imagine how I felt when my beloved winter coat started disintegrating.

In an acknowledgement of the value of the memories embedded in the fabric, the sense of familiar comfort and the recognition of a finely crafted garment, I created “Re-Worn”.

This has been a very positive exercise in holding on.

Window of Delights

Liana and Rebecca have just installed a yummy window at Craft Queensland to mark the official launch of www.lianakabel.com and www.rebeccawardjewellery.com
Please visit our window (viewing 24/7) if you can and join us on Thurs 25 August 6pm at Craft QLD or on Friday 26 August when we will be giving a talk (eeek!).
Meet the Makers series of talks
Dates: 25 August 2006
Time: 10am – 12noon
Where: CQstore, Craft Queensland 381 Brunswick St Fortitude Valley Q 4006 T 07 3215 0808 F 07 3215 0802
CQgallery and CQstore hours: Tues-Sat 10am-4pm

Jewellers In The Know

At MoB Workspace is it undeniable that we have a jewellery advantage. We are privileged to some real insider information through members, Rebecca Ward and Bibi Locke.

If you we not aware Rebecca is the editor of Paillon, which is the Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of Queensland JMGQ informative quarterly newsletter. This means she is not only the first to know of breaking contemporary jewellery news for Queensland, but also Australia and the world (yes THE WORLD!). Although discreet at times she lets us know what is happening. We are definitely in the national contemporary jeweller loop. Oh yes indeedy.

If that wasn't advantage enough we are extra (yes EXTRA!) lucky to have Bibi working on the ground floor of the commercial jewellery world. Bibi works weekends at Myer (large Department store chain for our International visitors). What is hot right now? - Bibi knows, and what's better is that she let US know. Apparently nautical is in right now but before you know it the tide will turn and more feminine pieces will be the go. And before I forget charms are in, in, in, with a capital I N.

Regular updates to follow. If you NEED to know what is happening bookmark this blog now!!

Nana Don't Judge Me

Liana aka Plastic Girl had a paranormal experience in the studio last week. Alone for the day, while I was at the Ekka with Miss Windbag and Mr Accordian, she had bought along her "Buffy: The musical" cd and it seems she was dancing around the studio with gay abandon until she realised she was not really alone at all. Up on the wall staring at her with her glasses enhanced Mona Lisa eyes was the Delightful Nana Mouskouri, the album cover that started it all for me on my road to Damascus: blue-tacked above my desk so that I never lost sight of the truth amid vinyl fumes. Her eyes seemed to follow Liana around the room as she whirled and twirled, compelling her to cover them up with a notice: "I can dance if I want to- Don't judge me Nana".

I should take the opportunity to remind everyone that there is no rule against dancing at MoB Workspace, but we do have a Safety Dance protocol.

No one has articulated it better than Canadian New wave band Men Without Hats

The Safety Dance, 1983

We can dance if we want to, we can leave your friends behind
'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance
Well they're no friends of mine

Say, we can go where we want to, a place that they will never find
And we can act like we come from out of this world
Leave the real one far behind

And we can dance

We can go when we want to, the night is young and so am I
And we can dress real neat from our hats to our feet
And surprise them with the victory cry

Say, we can act if we want to, if we don't nobody will
And you can act real rude or totally removed
And I can act like an imbecile

Safety Dance
Say we can dance, we can dance
Everything's out of control
We can dance, we can dance
They're doing it from pole to pole
We can dance, we can dance
Everybody look at your hands
We can dance, we can dance
Everybody taken the chance

The safety dance
The safety dance
The safety dance

We can dance if we want to, we've got all your life and mine
As long as we abuse it we are never going to lose it
And everything will work out right

Say, we can dance if we want to, we can leave your friends behind
'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance
well they're no friend of mine

Brilliant Facets

Today we had the sad news from Mary Kios that after seven years in business, Brilliant Facets Jewellery and Art Gallery will soon be closing. Mary has been very supportive over the years of MoB Workspace, JMGQ (Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group QLD) and many individual jewellers, artsits and craftspeople in Brisbane and Queensland. She always worked hard, too hard in fact, as her dedication to the gallery and cafe often meant that she did not get the time to make more of the beautiful rich gold, lapiz lazuli and pearl brooches, necklaces and earrings that she always wore. There is nothing else like Brilliant Facets on earth, tucked away near the Old Botanical Gardens, it is a treasure trove of the unexpected. But all is not lost. She is reconfiguring the business and will be back with avengance after a well-earned break.

We'd like to thank her and wish her the very best for the future venture.

Miss Bibi's jewels

Here is a recent photo of the first jewellery Bibi Locke made at MoB Workspace many months ago. They are sterling silver earrings using a leaf vein saw pierced motif. We wondered why Bibi kept bringing leaves to work! We just assumed it was to add to the rich mulch layer on the floor - it did not occur to us that they could be used for design inspiration. Bibi is teaching us new things every day!

Global Jewels

Online platform for the communication and the development of the international and emerging art jewellery and jewellery design.

Klimt 02 is a great site to visit regularly to check out what the rest of the art jewellery world is up to.

MoB Workspace- Centre of the known universe

For the past week we have been in the middle of the Brisbane Festival with Gorbachev (he has his own website!) speaking in City Hall, Shakespearean scholars underfoot and the Spiegeltent parked out the front in King George Square between all the construction work. It is not unusual for Spiegeltents to be crammed into crowded European cities wherever they might fit - last year I saw one on a traffic island at the Brighton Festival- tres glam-r-us - BrisVegas has arrived. You can check out the Spiegeltent program here . My mum went last week and she said the earth moved for her during a performance of trombone players. I think she meant that she felt the vibrations coming from the busway tunnel being dug out underground, but you can never tell...

So far we have been way to busy to participate in any of the cultural activities, struggling with our new badgemaker, but we are planning a wednesday night at the free performance of Women in Docs .

To Make Jewellery or To Blog........

Tonight I sat down and thought I should get on and participate in the extended MoB Workspace - the Blog. Thought I'd start out simple and create a profile. A picture would be nice too. Nothing too tricky. Ha! That's what I thought!! But using my whily problem solving skills (honed at the jewellery bench, of course!) I perservered and here you go - a blog presence created!!!

Badge Making Is Easy - Right?

You would think three jewellers (and general crafty, capable folk) who create jewellery from Bombay Sapphire bottles, Tupperware and threads, and who have mastered the art of the rivet would have no trouble operating our brand spanking new badge making machine. Well you would think wouldn't you? There were step-by-step instructions with pictures.

Anyone who happened to be looking through our MoB Workspace window yesterday morning unfortunately got a glimpse at three jewellers who didn't have a clue. It eventually got sorted out and I predict a great badge making future for all involved.

Top of the Class!

Here are Jesika Hanford's beautiful pearls from the pearl knotting class last week. She has combined them with handmade st silver beads and a black lipped mother of pearl shell carved clasp to make this stunning necklace which is going to be a gift for a very lucky friend.

Anna Varendorff - TYING US UP IN KNOTS

Anna Varendorff (Friend of MoB) is a young Brisbane jewellery with a very big future (mark my words!) and she very kindly offered to teach a group of us pearl knotting.
Last Thursday we took her up on the offer. Friend of MoB June Cullen who invests a significant amount of her hard earned cash on contemporary jewellery joined us for the class. She buys it, she wears it, she talks about it and now she has started making it. Good for you June, we would like to support you also.
Image above is of work from Anna Varendorff's Flight series - Sterling Silver Leaf Motif with Smokey Quartz Beads.

Peir Shen Lai - Friend Of MoB (1)

We are very lucky at MoB to be so centrally located as this means we get lots of visitors. As our visitors are so dear to us we thought it might be nice to let you know who they. So an occasional series will start today in which we will let you know a little more about them. It may be good for them and it will definitely be good for us because as they say, you are only as good as the company you keep.

Peir is a regular visitor. As a maker of jewellery himself he often likes to pop in and see what we are up to, get some advice, show us what he is up to and for general discussions about issues that affect us all.

I met Peir through QCA . We both took a casting class with Liz Shaw and Matt Dwyer . All of us MoB members know Peir (and are very pleased that we do) as a member of JMGQ.

For more images of Peir's jewellery and a (very sexy!) photo, check out his website.

Lion on Smoko

Even though the great Aussie smoko is under threat from the new laws, this City Hall lion is basking in the sun after a busy morning pawing concrete.

Geek Week At MoB

Today marks the start of Geek Week. So over the next seven days Rebecca Ward and Liana Kabel, along with Friend of MoB and contemporary jewellery supporter, Florence Forrest will be revealing our inner Geekdom to the world. This is in celebration and support of Rebecca's upcoming Junk - IT exhibition at Reverse Garbage.

We Heart Ceramics

We love it when people drop in in to visit us at MoB Workspace. Here is the lovely porcelain artist Shannon Garson, one of our A-list visitors down from Maleny. She is busy preparing for the VERGE Ceramics and Glass conference in Brisbane starting next week where she is presenting and exhibiting.
Speaking of which, we haven't seen Miss Liana around much lately. Word is she has been firing up her kiln at home (kilns are not allowed in Mob Workspace, we've got enough hot air!) to make some delicious ceramic jewels for the Craft QLD Verge CLAY exhibition opening Tuesday 11 July 6-8pm until the 22 July. Shannon wil also have some work in this show. Sneak peek of Liana's ceramics jewels (warning: they may contain plastic!)

Missing Miss Marisa

Sometimes it is difficult being a jeweller and not getting enough exercise. It is not the most energetic of activities and expecially in the middle of winter you can really start to stack it on!! Which is why we love to live vicariously through our away member Marisa Molin's vigourous outdoor tramping activities. Here she is scaling Ben Lomond, Tasmania in freezing conditions where she is also doing her Masters of Vis Arts. Her wilderness walks are the inspiration for much of her beautiful new work which we cannot wait to see when she returns at the end of the year.

Congratulations: Judith Brough

We have a winner in the MoB Workspace Somewhere Over the Rainbow Competition: Judith Brough was one of the 4 entrants who got the questions correct and was randomly drawn from the hat by our neutral helper, Miss Tina! she wins a lovely pair of Liana Kabel hair clips.
The correct answers were:
1. Name the 2 Brisbane icons that these rainbows above are on. The long lived Jo Jos restaurant and Stefan's Sky Needle/Stefan's HQ
2. Where are they (suburb is fine)? Queen st Mall Brisbane City and South Brisbane (NOT West End you silly duffers!)
3. What is the connection between them? Stefan Akerie hair dressing mogul/restauranter owns them both.
Honourable mentions to Anna Meredith, Michelle Walker and Vanessa Galloway whose highly researched answer betrays a librarian background. The rest of you- what were you THINKING!? Mind you, a special mention to the wicked Deb Mansfield for her hilarious but potentially defamatory answers that had us falling off our chairs with laughter.