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Made in Lisa Land is the creative endeavor of Lisa Guy, a Brisbane crafter who you may have seen hosting workshops all over Brisbane, or met through her etsy store of the same name. She will also be running our macramé and loom weaving workshops during October! We caught up with Lisa to talk Made in Lisa Land, turning craft into a business and to introduce her to you all.
Tell me a little about the ethos behind Made in Lisa Land.
Lisa Land is a bit of a family joke. It's where I live, rule and escape to...and it's perfect! My family always wish they could live in Lisa Land where everything is wonderful, beautiful and happy. I guess that's the feeling and spirit of Made in Lisa Land. When I'm making, I'm in my own world. Everything is handmade with a love for what I do and create. Some things take a lot of time and effort to make, and I like that it slows me down and helps me appreciate what I am creating. I like to use natural and recycled fibres and choose to support small business when purchasing supplies. Made in Lisa Land is about hand made items, teaching hand made skills to others and always finding new ways to be creative.
When did you first start creating?
Since I was young I always wanted things to have my 'stamp' on it. I wanted it to be different, not common, so I would pretty things up! I would take a school exercise book and turn it into my diary. Every page would be decorated and adorned with ribbon, stickers, colour, and collages. In the 80s I would attack my jeans with scissors and create my own ripped jeans. At school I did photography, pottery, cooking, sewing, charcoal drawing...anything creative. I wanted to do woodwork and metal work but my mum said no, I would never use those later. Funnily enough, six years after high school I bought a scroll saw and wood and my Folk Art obsession was born! Little did she know that I would always rely on craft and creating as an expressive outlet and a calming factor in my life. It brings balance, joy, confidence and meaning to my life.
What is your favourite form of craft, and why?
Oooh that's a hard one because I love so many crafts! Right now I suppose it would be basket weaving, because not only is it beautiful but totally functional as well. It's amazing for me to learn an extremely old craft that is as relevant now as it was centuries ago. I'm also just at the beginning of my basket weaving learning and I'm booked in to some amazing workshops to learn further techniques and help me experiment with what I can create with natural fibres.
What is it about workshops that draw you to them?
I love attending workshops and have been to many over the years. I love learning something new, something that I can make with my own hands, and I enjoy being with other people who feel the same way. And above all, I like that regardless of the different backgrounds and circumstances of each person, we are all brought together in that moment to create. Teaching a workshop is even better as I get to impart what I know to others and watch them get excited as they discover a new skill. It's being a link in a creative chain that keeps going from generation to generation. The skills of crafting and making won't be lost if we keep teaching each other in workshops.
How long did it take for your crafting to turn into a business?
Over the years I've done some markets, taught free workshops or sold what I make to friends and family, but it's only been about four months since I consciously decided to put my efforts into Made in Lisa Land.
Do you think craft can bring people together?
I know it does. I've looked at women sitting in a workshop just before it begun and thought, what an eclectic group, they would never normally interact with each other. And yet here we all were, together, learning from each other and bringing our unique perspectives and talents to create something beautiful.
Check out more of Lisa’s work on Instagram or pick up some of her lovely pieces on her Etsy Store .
Tickets to our macramé workshop with Lisa are still available here