PAULINE STEVENS

Pauline has been interested in craft since early childhood, starting with sewing, crochet & knitting. Other crafts, such as paper tole, ceramics, stamping and patchwork have been part of Pauline’s creative journey.In the early 1990’s a TAFE course in Brisbane started her on the path of beading. She shared her newly acquired skills with friends, teaching many classes on her back deck in Brisbane.The lampworking journey started when she wondered ‘how do they get those flowers encased in glass’? Now she knows. After many hours of practice, and tutoring from lamp work artisans within Australia, Pauline has her own following, selling her beads individually or in completed jewellery pieces.Progressing on from flowers, her skills have been put to the test making owls, birds, turtles, foxes, octopi, Christmas teddy bears and mushrooms.Having retired, Pauline now spends her extra time making lamp work beads, designing and teaching workshops at Scattered Arts.

Other info………….Pauline is the artisan known as Sew Bead It, which you can find on Facebook. This is her hobby, so creating comes before promotion, as you will see by her scarce posts.Pauline has a unique and distinctive style which includes using various mediums. Fabric often finds its way into Pauline’s designs along with seed beads, crystals, charms, Czech glass beads and semi-precious stones. Of course many designs include her beautiful and unique lamp work glass beads.Pauline has a following of students through the workshops she has conducted at Scattered Arts. Starting with ‘Beginner Earrings’ and learning different skills with each workshop, her students ask, “what can we make next”?She is also the president of the beading group Sunshine Beaders. Along with her committee she organises a workshop weekend event each year.In 2022 Pauline was asked to teach 2 of her original designs at The Yarn Retreat at O’Reillys Rainforest Retreat.

CHRISTEN JO STONE

Christen Jo Stone (aka Jo Fraser of ‘Beadaholics’ in Canberra before returning to Melbourne). Jo has had a life long journey enjoying and teaching creativity in many media. Starting her career developing the creativity of High School Students in Victoria, it was a natural transition for Jo to be teaching adults when she settled in Canberra in the early days of the beading/jewellery making craze, under the name of ‘Beadaholics’, a name generated by the addicted enthusiasm of her students.She became known for her wirework (Wirework Artist of the Year 2008 amongst other awards) writing projects for the popular magazines of the time, Honourary Judge for Jewellery at the Sydney Royal Show for 3 years, teaching in Canberra and at the Sydney Bead Fairs. She exhibited her jewellery as ‘Metamorphosis’, in Bairnsdale VIC,, featuring butterflies, indicitive of her lifelong love of nature. Moving back to Melbourne in 2010 she explored basketmaking in natural materials for some years. She was honoured to be invited by the organisers to represent Australia at the International Wicker and Weaving Competition in Poland in 2015, along with 160 other weavers from 60 different countries. The pieces she wove there are now in the Basketry Museum in Nowy Tomysl, Poland. Jo loves a challenge and to explore new ideas, so she then switched to sculpture for a while, revisiting the skills of her Visual Arts qualification which was in clay. Her work was created to support the proposal for a Great Forest National Park around her home in the beautiful Yarra Valley, sculpting Guardians of the Great Forest, endangered species, and more, culminating in her exhibition ‘ Whispers in the Wildwoods’ in Bulleen. VIC. She also joined 12 other sculptors as Artists in Residence creating works in the forest on the Toolangi Sculpture Trail, using materials available in the bush. Enjoying the many media she has worked in, Jo however one day found a large box of jewellery wire stored in her studio, and, deciding it really needed to be used, got right back into wirework. Jo’s exhibition in 2018 in Warburton, VIC., ‘Cogs and Keys’, included wirework jewellery in the Steampunk Genre which she also took to the Steampunk Festivals in Goulburn NSW, and Oamaru NZ, where everone loves to get dressed up, and they loved her creations. Jo has now developed a unique pictorial style using the same techniques used in her jewellery, (wire wrapping and wire weaving) but in a 2D format. She loves the detail she can achieve weaving wire and the never ending possibilities for pattern and texture, reminding her a little of embroidery. Her wireworked landcapes also introduce her passion for the environment once again. Jo would love to touch base with some of her old (we are all getting older) ‘beadaholics’ in Canberra, hoping they are still getting addicted to their many crafts. Those classes were so much fun.

Christen Jo Originals & STONE Steampunk at Stringybark StudioFB: Christen Jo Stone (Artist at Stringybark Studio) FB: STONE Steampunk 

BRONWYN STUART

Throughout her life Bronny has enjoyed dressmaking and clothing design with a keen interest in free machine embroidery, crochet, and knitting. Other crafts she has dabbled in include paper weaving, silk painting and collage.

A chance meeting at a workshop with an old boarding school buddy, Lex Sorrentino,  introduced me to Paverpol. It took a couple of years before I came back to it after this but have been enjoying using Paverpol and clay and in 2018 bought the Paverpol Australia business. 

EDITH RICE

Area of CreativityMy interest is wet felting with Merino Wool, Silk and other plant fibres. I also like to dabble with dyes in my work creating colours that I may need in my processes. Dyeing silk scarves is another interest.

When did you start and how long have you been doing your area of expertise?
I have been crafting since young childhood when my grandmother taught me to knit, crochet and embroider. I have endeavoured to try many things over the years and have settled on working with textiles and in particular wool felt and silk. I discovered this art form back in 2011 with when attending The Canberra Craft Retreat making my first Nuno Scarf.

Why is it your passion?

The flexibility of wool felt as a textile is amazing. Over the years I have attended many workshops by noted local and international felt and textile artists either face to face or online. To feed my passion I have expanded my knowledge base in every form of wet felting available to me from making vessels such as teapots, slippers, wraps, scarves, cowls, vests, textured forms and surfaces.

An interesting fact about you or an achievement you are proud of.

In 2019 I was awarded a scholarship in “Fibre + Paper + Ink” with Canadian Textile Artist Fiona Duthie where I worked with felting paper and wool together, making my own plant based inks and how to use them on felted paper and wool.

I am currently the Vice President of Scattered Arts a non-profit organisation based in Brisbane that allows artisans to create, teach and sell their work.

SARA FEENY-MARKS

Arts and Crafts have always been a passion of mine, for as long as I can remember, but I lost touch with it until the late 1990's where I re-established my love of all things crafty as a form of therapy. I quit the IT industry and established my Craft and Wedding Stationary business. I also taught within the Mental Health Industry, teaching various crafts as therapy to help patients find a sense of self gain after illness or major personal trauma.

Working with mixed media I find inspiration in everything I see and do. 

Some of my favourite mediums are Friendly Plastic, Angelina Fibres and Tyvek.

I have dabbled in Jewellery making and cards, also making mirrors, photo frames and Funky Wonky clocks.

NATALIE READ

Hello my name is Natalie Read, and I reside in Canberra. 

 I first started sculpting in polymer baked clay in 2006.  My instructor was Lex Sorrentino.  I still attend Lex’s Saturday classes.  I must admit that my sculpting skills and experience have improved over the years.  I have completed level one and level two CCIP instructors’ course, and Paverpol Instructors course.  I have also received one on one sculpting training from Terry Thomas.  Terry has shown me how to sculpt pixies and fairies.  I like how no two sculptures are alike. 

 I look forward to meeting you.

JANICE LAURENT

Janice has been creating Art Dolls and sculptures for several years at her previous Victorian studio and most recently in her new studio "STONECREST CREATIONS" at Murrumbateman just north of Canberra. Her work has been featured in several National and International Craft and Art magazines. Over the years Janice has worked with all sorts of mediums, including Paverpol, Apoxie Sculpt, Makins Clay and Polymer Clay to name a few, however recently Pal Tiya and ceramic Clay have been favoured.

Over the past couple of years "Gourd Art" has started to feature and been included in her designs. Gourd Art is becoming popular in Australia and Pyrography, (wood burning), is an enjoyable and satisfying form of art. "It is important to know how to prepare and use the gourd" Janice says.

Janice feels very humbled to be invited again to join all these talented ladies at the Contemporary Craft Retreat, Canberra. It is probably the highlight of my craft year to be able to teach and also learn, surrounded by so many talented people.... "it is wonderful and such fun"!!

A Certified Instructor for Paverpol,  a Gold Seal member of NODAAA and also the CCIP (Contemporary Clay Instructor Program).

Pam Annesley 

Pam is creative; she constantly works with her mediums to produce innovative work. She is a mixed media artist and jewellery designer using metal and polymer clays. She is interested in promoting culture and creative pursuits and also sharing her vast knowledge and experience with her students.

Pam, a former high school art teacher and Art Lecturer at TAFE College, helped in the development of the national certification program, the CCIP or Contemporary Clay Instructor Program and is a Senior Instructor and a Precious Metal Clay Level 1 Artisan.  Her work has been published extensively in Quilting Arts & Australian Beading Magazines, Polyformer, ‘Encyclopaedia of Polymer Clay Techniques’ by Sue Heaser, ‘Mixed Metal Jewelry’ and ‘The Handbook of Metal Clay, Textures and Forms’ by Hadar Jacobson and ‘Textiles Now’ by Drusilla Cole.

Pam lives in the coastal town of Two Rocks, just north of Perth, where she holds weekend retreats and studio workshops and classes.

LEX SORRENTINO

This dynamic and exciting contemporary clay artist continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the contemporary clay world. Senior CCIP and Paverpol Instructor/ Trainer; Diamond Gold Seal NODAAA Member based in Canberra. 

Lex has 27 years of Polymer Clay Sculpting experience and holds weekly classes and workshops in Polymer Sculpting and Caning, Silver Metal Clay and Air Dy Clay sculpting. She also holds regular workshops in Paverpol Garden Sculpture.

She recently started working with and teaching a liquefied form of Makin's Air Dry Clay dipped in fabric with spectacular results.(The Makin's Clay Company have purchased a few of these sculptures.)

 She has won numerous awards for her Polymer Clay work including winning the Australian Doll As Art Judges Choice Award - twice. 

Being self- taught,  the minimal training leaves her free to approach clay sculpting with no preconceptions as to how it ought to be used. Ignorance can be genuinely constructive, particularly in a medium as adaptable as clay.

Her tutorials and amazing work have featured in multiple publications including the Australian Doll and Bear News and Dolls Bears and Collectables, Australian Beading Magazine and the USA Publication Polymer Café, Mixed Media & Steampunk, plus Passion for Polymer magazine.
 Lex is one of 3 Aussies published in the Prestigious Polymer Journeys Book 2019 and came second in the International Polymer Clay Association Global Exhibition 3D section 2022.

  In 2023 she came First in 2D Works in the IPCA Global Exhibition and Second in 3D works.