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Artist P ro file
Wendy Stephenson uses her skill with both embroidery and painting to create beautiful cushions, bags, toys and other items. Her charming craft products can be found online and also at the Mums and Bubs markets locally …
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charming craft products
i Wendy. Thanks for sitting still a bit of a kid myself. I just think of things that down with us today! Tell us made me happy when I was a child, and having my a little bit about yourself … grandchildren around definitely helps! I moved to Port about 4 What’s a favourite piece you’ve made? years ago from Sydney to be My favourite piece is probably a cushion I made near my two adult children with a little felt pussycat sitting in a garden with and five grandchildren. One of my grandsons has a embroidered flowers around it. It’s based on the disability, and I like to be able to lend a hand when nursery rhyme Pussycat, Pussycat, Where have you needed. Been? You make children’s accessories like You’re also a keen painter. What sorts bags, pretty shoes and toys. of paintings do you do? How did you get into this? I do watercolour and ink I've always loved painting illustrations. They mostly feature of k in I just th at and crafts so when I little girls, rabbits, owls, and fish. th gs in th came to Port, it was a I love fish! made me happyild, when I was a ch chance for me to explore Artistically, where do you get and having my my creative side. I was your inspiration from? grandchildren ly te looking around online and My inspiration comes from around defini discovered contemporary walking along the beach and helps!” embroidery. I started through the bush. I love looking at embroidering, and now I’m the patterns in the water and rocks, hooked. The biggest embroidery I I love the colours of my embroidery have attempted was the cover of a Tintin cottons, and this will sometimes inspire a little book (Red Rackham’s Treasure). I did this watercolour painting. for an online competition, and I got into the How long have you been painting, and how top ten! Lately, I’ve been designing my own did you discover you were good at it? patterns and then embroidering them. My work I have been painting as long as I can remember. has been featured on some online embroidery sites, When I was little, we had a neighbour who was a which is pretty exciting! well known artist. He used to hold art competitions Where do your cute ideas come from for for all the kids in the street! I did art at school and making your children’s accessories? have done painting and drawing classes on and off I love children’s illustrated books, and I think I’m through the years.
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10 greater port macquarie focus.
Do you have a logo of sorts, or signature, so we can recognise your work? I use a lot of calico in my work. I like to embroider on calico, and it is easy to draw on as well. My signature is ‘wendalene at snapdragon’ . You sell your children’s accessories at the St. Paul’s Mums and Bubs Market. Do you also sell your paintings there? Yes, I do sell prints of my paintings and some small original pictures also, along with the embroidered cushions and the embroidery hoops, felt rabbits, pussycats and owls and little cotton teddy bears. I share the stall with my friend, Elga. She makes lovely big owls, elephants and dolls using colourful fabrics and felt. For those who would love to purchase your handy work, aside from The Mums and Bubs Market, where can they do so? My email address is wenda@optusnet.com.au and my blog is at http://snap--dragon.blogspot. com.au/ I also have a small online shop at Big Cartel, where I sell my original embroidery designs. What’s in the future for your amazing crafts and paintings? I have so many ideas in my head and not enough hours in the day. I’ve just started making pretty fabric bags for little girls. I recently embroidered some photos my sister took in New York and would like to explore this method further, and I would love to embroider some more Tintin book covers as well. And more cushions, of course! Thanks Wendy.