Pretty Awesome Designs

Pretty Awesome Designs :: Unique, fun and quirky designs that express your personality!

Pretty Awesome Designs is an accessory store with a difference. Full of quirky and fun designs that express your personality.

Visit Pretty Awesome Designs on Hand-made

Featured Seller :: Radge Design

Radge Design®
graphic design : art : jewellery : quirky eye-catching design

I'm Louise (aka Radge) mother to two little monsters who keep me on my toes. I am passionate about art, design and all things creative. I enjoy thinking outside the square and pushing the boundaries with my designs, I have a Diploma in Commercial Arts (Graphic Design).

Graphic Design : I love logo design, working on branding for small business and illustrating. I incorporate hand drawn elements into logos where possible to ensure they are truly unique and representative of your business.

Jewellery : Creating statement pieces of handmade silver jewellery to be worn, loved and shown off every day is what I love doing, ‘no two pieces are the same’ as all pieces are handmade by myself, all wire used is 100% recycled Sterling Silver. Designs can be based on the same idea but no two will be identical as the wire has a mind of its own. Polymer clay creations are all hand blended and rolled, in batches that are all limited editions so although similar each bead has its own character they vary slightly in size/shape.

Artwork : Drawing, painting and printing when I get the time is yet another way that I express myself, I love organic forms and an inspired by the works of the impressionists and surrealists although I feel I have my own style.

Favourite materials

I love working with sterling silver wire, it has a mind of its own and beautiful beads in my jewellery creations, drawing, painting and printing are my favorite art mediums with pencils, pastels and acrylics most commonly used. 

Visit Radge Design on Hand-Made

Add a little sparkle - DIY glitter tutorials

1 - Glitter clutch

2 - Glitter Heels

3 - Glitter love mug 

4 - Glitter Champagne bottle

5 - Glitter mason jars

Lolly a Dawn Pointon Creation

What do you love about running your own hand-made business?  

It's all mine!!  Being in control of creating from my own ideas and receiving the loveliest personal comments about my work.

What is your favourite product to make?
I started with my aprons and must admit I still love creating them.

How did you learn your craft? 
Both my parents were tailors.  My father owned a manufacturing business as well as being a tailor.  My mother had her own business making for society ladies in 1930's or 40's Brisbane.  My mother taught me to sew and wouldn't accept less than the best from my work.

What handy hints do you have for people who are starting up a hand-made business?
Believe in yourself and your abilities.  Follow your dream.  Start with a small range and test its success.

What plans do you have for your business in the next year? 
I have many ideas in my head, but at this stage my aprons are still taking precedence. 

Whats one thing you cannot live without in your hand-made biz?
I guess my sewing machine would be the practical part but it is nothing without my own inspiration taking a very important role.

Visit Lolly a Dawn Pointon Creation on Hand-Made

Frankensteins Fabrics

What do you love about running your own hand-made business?

The
 one thing I love most about running my own hand-made business is seeing
 what customers make from the supplies they purchase from me Whether its
 adding a tiny piece to a doll's dress or making a whole quilt from 
scratch I love seeing my customer's creativity. It inspires me and gives
 me insight into the styles and themes that they are after - enabling me
 to purchase with more focus for future fabric ranges.
Piece of Cake - magazine commission







What is your favourite product to make?

Lap
 quilts are by far my favourite item to make - either for magazine 
commissions or as custom orders. They are the perfect size to design as 
the maths needed is fairly straightforward (always a plus!) and they are
 a good size to teach as well. I love lap quilts because they are a 
staple item in my house now. There's always one on the lounge in case 
someone gets cold - in winter especially. I saved money last year on my 
electricity bill by having a lap quilt on the lounge as we didn't need 
to have the heater on much at all. 



How did you learn your craft?

I
 mainly taught myself, learned a few techniques here and there from 
friends, classes and online tutorials. I am always striving to add to my
 skill set, always pushing the boundaries with my designs and how to 
achieve them. I don't consider myself a 'modern quilter ' or a 
'traditional quilter', I just quilt what I like, when I like. I do 
follow the rules however to achieve the accuracy that is needed in this 
craft.
Little Red Riding Hood - magazine commission



What handy hints do you have for people who are starting up a hand-made business?

Have
 a plan, some goals and set yourself some schedules. Organising your 
time is key but also learn to take advantage of your feelings and 
motivations - I am a night owl and work better between 8pm and 3am - so 
even though I work during the day I use those times to do things that 
require my best thinking - website updates, writing and designing. 
Sewing quilts is like breathing to me - second nature - so piecing 
something doesn't take much of my mental capacity. 



What plans do you have for your business in the next year?
Blue Winterfly - custom order

I'd
 like to see more quilts go to good homes this year and next. I will 
undertake more training (have to keep some of it secret until it's 
done!) and I will be expanding more into custom quilt work - currently 
I'm only doing edge-2-edge quilting with pantographs. Custom quilting 
will allow me more creativity in my designs and be able to bring more 
texture to customer's quilts. I'll be looking more at teaching - whether
 it's in a physical or virtual classroom I'm not sure yet and I'll also 
be working on more of my patterns with the goal of eventually writing my
 own book. 



Whats one thing you cannot live without in your hand-made biz?

Besides my crafting tools, mail order stuff and stock it would have to be a 






notepad
 and pen. I am always writing notes, jotting down ideas, drawing 
sketches and taking orders. I write lists like mad and always have at 
least 3 going at one time. 



























Visit 





Frankensteins Fabrics on Hand-Made.com.au

Introducing BoonlellBags

What do you love about running your own hand-made business? 

Being able to be creative and doing something I love. I find creating my bags very therapeutic and it is my way of relaxing! I work as a casual teacher so it's great that I have the time to put into my business by creating items regularly for my store.

What is your favourite product to make?
At the moment my favourite product is the hobo bag. It's a popular bag and very versatile.
I love choosing the different fabric colours and themes and having something that appeals to all.

How did you learn your craft? 
I have been playing around on the sewing machine since I was in primary school when I started sewing dolls clothes for my cabbage patch kids!
That then evolved over the years into making myself clothes, curtains, doggie coats and other crafty bits and pieces such as cushions and door stops.
About a year ago I discovered bags. I first made them for myself to use, then as gifts, and then decided to start up a little business so everyone can enjoy them!

What handy hints do you have for people who are starting up a hand-made business?

Never give up! Keep creating and making new products regularly, especially if you have a little online shop. Read, learn and research as much as you can about online craft businesses and eventually you will start seeing progress. It takes time and patience though.

What plans do you have for your business in the next year? 
To develop growth through more sales and regular new products and to expand and improve my range.

Whats one thing you cannot live without in your hand-made biz? 
Definitely my trusty sewing machine!

Visit BoonlellBag's hand-made shop

DIY Easter tutorials

1. Fabric Easter Basket

2. Easter basket alternative

3. Bunny bunting

4. Bunny table runner

5. Linen bunny

6. Bunny jars