about me

i ask people all the time if they sew, crochet, scrapbook or do any kind of craft and most of the time the answer is one of 3 things "i used to love to ...." or "i've always wanted to..... " or "i can't do that sort of thing at all" while shaking their head. ever since i was a little girl i have created. i covered spiral bound photo albums that i totally pulled to bits and made up again with ribbon etc to hold them together, tissue box covers, padded photo frames and lots of other things. looking back now i remember being so proud and loving the smiles on the faces of people i gave them to, the people who came into my parents home on a saturday to purchase my creations after seeing my homemade sign outside on the footpath. occassionally i still see those albums covered in padding, fabric, lace etc or hear from a friend on facebook that her little girls now put their "special things" in the album that i made their nana over 20 years ago.

when i was that curly haired girl i had a dream. craft and creating flowed in my blood. hours on the lounge floor with SO much stuff there was a walkway through it to get from one side to the other (not much has changed there but now it's in a room where no-one has to pass thru). i wanted to have a workshop where people could create, where you are inspired and you leave busting to show someone what you made. reality is you will always walk a little taller in the dress YOU made, handing someone a gift you made will ALWAYS trump the feeling of giving a bought gift and the smile will ALWAYS be bigger when someone knows it was made with love.

 .... my whole life i wanted to learn to knit and crochet. i don't have a nana or a g'ma to pass on these awesome talents. finally i found a course and learnt how to knit, but the burning desire to crochet just got stronger ... the craft that you can play and create what you want. pull the yarn and unpick it to where you are going to try again, and add a new colour or change from 8 ply to 10 ply whenever you want. finally i found someone. paid a small fortune and i've been totally hooked ever since. crochet and me are like a duck to water. it's what i'd been looking for for SO long. you can do it anywhere and as i sat at skating and swimming and guitar lessons and waiting for brooke fraser to sing at her concert in the park ... i met people who said those words i so frequently hear .... "i've always wanted to learn to crochet ...." it was time to make it happen. i took some numbers, made some calls, met some awesomely inspiring people and maybe i can say .... the rest is history ... and the future .....

welcome to workshop 33. it's the place to learn to crochet, sew, touch a sewing mahine for the first time, make your own new wallet, learn about yourself or remember a feeling you haven't felt for a long time and make some great friends. come in, stay a while and leave with that same feeling of how much fun you "used" to have or the feeling of pride after learning something you have always "wanted" to do ... but most of all be kind to yourself. you are learning, your work is unique just like you and people will love it just like they love you. if ever in doubt if it's good enough? just give it to someone who has no idea how to make it themselves and take notice of the size of their smile :)

olive-ann