Jessisko

Posted on 02/10/201703/10/2017 by Jessisko — Leave a comment

Beer cosy palooza

Over the past few months, my beer cosy critters have been selling well and selling out! I’ve struggled to keep up with demand. This week sees a big shipment of cosies destined for in.cube8r gallery in Fitzroy. The more Cthulhu cosies I make, the more I enjoy the process. So much so that I had leftovers! I will send them when they are summoned for duty in Fitzroy. We escaped to the New South Wales north coast for mini-break over the long weekend. Destination Brooms Head. A new holiday spot for us. I packed a bag of yarn, two bags of eyes and my hooking tools. Another benefit of crochet. It is transportable. I didn’t make near as many as I had imagined I might. There was too many beach activities and enjoying socialising with family. I’m happy I managed four Cthulhu though. They make up the party of fourteen that were collected by the courier this morning. They should arrive and be available from my cube space this coming Friday 6th October.

It’s also time to start thinking about Christmas and looking to develop some new bits and pieces for the festive season. I wonder how a red, white and green Cthulhu might look? I suspect they’ll be darn cute indeed! There’ll also have to be some drag queen-themed Christmas pieces. Perhaps some finger puppets? I’ll also look to top up on voodoo babies, zombinos, Frankies and their lovely brides. Why am I typing? I have to get a hooking!

Posted on 22/09/201723/09/2017 by Jessisko — Leave a comment

No WOW for me in 2017 :(

I haven’t posted anything about my World of Wearableart entry for 2017. The reason for this is that it still stings that I was not selected for the show this year. I have been devastated, embarrassed and kind of in denial about it. I’m typing this on the day that the awards show will be happening. My WOW mates are in Wellington. They went to Designer’s Day activities yesterday. I’m really feeling the loss of not being a part of it all. From the sadness though I take strength in determination to do better next year. I also see that life goes on. My friends still like me and that there is life beyond not having been selected in WOW for one year. It just simply can never happen again!

This was my entry in the UV Section Illumination Illusion: Fly, Float, Flow

BoBo is a mutated glow bug. If I could do over I would add black detailing to the wings or a thousand other things. BoBo will see the light in a display of some form in the future.

Posted on 25/07/201722/09/2017 by Jessisko — Leave a comment

Jumpers and Jazz 2017 – AOK exhibition

Jumpers and Jazz 2016 saw some of my World of Wearableart entries on display in the front store window of AOK Clothing. AOK owner Anna said that there was a really positive response to the display. It was with really short notice that Anna asked if she could again display some of my work. I wasn’t too sure what to use. In a hurry, I threw a few of my tree jumper entries into a big plastic tub. Once I completed my tree jumper installation I dropped off the tub to AOK. I wasn’t able to help Anna set it up due to prior commitments. That was a really good thing. An hour or so later I received a MMS image of what she had set up in the window. OMG. My jaw dropped. I could not believe how incredible it looked. Even though I had made the jumpers, I did not recognise them at all. I should’ve known that they would make fabulous wearableart shouldn’t I? They really did!

In the tub, I also threw in my 2 carnivorous pot plants that were included in a display at the Warwick Town Hall in last year’s festival and some random creepy monster potted plants. For something that didn’t have any direction or concept, it looked a treat. Anna reported that the feedback from visitors was again very positive. I’ll have to start thinking about what to do for 2018 – if she’ll have me back of course!

Posted on 22/07/201723/09/2017 by Jessisko — Leave a comment

Jumpers and Jazz 2017

The Jumpers and Jazz festival has been another fantastic one for me. This year tree jumper installation day kicked off very, very early. In fact morning television early. The Today Show arranged for live weather crosses with weather correspondent Natalia Cooper in chilly downtown Warwick. My bestie Helen and I were among the brave group of folks to arrive ‘on set’ before 6 am. It was a beautiful time to be up and it also allowed us to get a car park right next to our respective trees. Most convenient. We gathered around behind the action of the first cross. Once the cut was called it was time to commence Operation Installation. My tree was known as “Tree 64” this year. There is a building in place of the vacant site now. I think in all It took me 3 or so hours to stitch my tree jumper “Sherbert” onto my tree. I really enjoy how that process unfolds. I have an idea in my head when I start as to how it might look. Then it changes to how I imagine it might look as I see it flat on the floor in my home. As it starts to be stitched on those images changed quite dramatically for me this year. It ended up looking very different to and happily even better than I thought it would.

The festival introduced a new section to the competition in 2017: the Hall ofFame Award. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the awards ceremony this year. Tara and Fast Eddie from Better Homes and Gardens were on hand to make the announcements. I am bloody proud to say that I was named as the inaugural inductee into the Jumpers and Jazz Hall of Fame!! The Warwick Daily News wrote an article about me Bright star in hall of fame. And there’s also a very quick glimpse of Sherbert in the trailer for the episode that Better Homes and Gardens crew filmed over 3 days. I wish the full episode was still available, but it appears to have expired from the Plus7 site. The show really showed how beautiful, fun, and exciting the Jumpers and Jazz in July festival is. I felt very proud to be a part of such wonder.

I included a light element to my tree jumper again this year. I stayed in town on installation day night so I was able to head down the street to see the lights in effect. It was pretty darn cool, if not quite difficult to capture.

Posted on 24/09/201628/07/2018 by Jessisko — Leave a comment

WoW 2016 – A-cup and Saucer

Here it is.

My entry in the Bizarre Bra section of the 2016 World of Wearableart: A-cup and Saucer. The pun title is my favourite bit of it. Obviously it is an alien and a flying saucer in the night sky. Special thanks to the amazing Cara from Kawaii Klaws for modelling g

This year I went a bit ‘crazy’ and did not use a base bra. Each element has been crocheted, with every sequin hand sewed in to place. It did take quite a long time to make, and I thank you for asking. I can now sew on sequins like a demon. In fact I quite enjoy the process. Just like crochet, I find the repetitive aspect of it quite soothing. Yes, also frustrating, time consuming and sometimes painful (when I stitch into my finger). Enjoyable through all that though none the less.

Posted on 23/09/201604/09/2016 by Jessisko — 2 Comments

WoW 2016 – Squarecrow the unsuccessful

I created two entries for the world of Wearableart this year. Luckily I did too as I received my first unsuccessful notification for one of the entries Squarecrow. Thank goodness I had received the successful notification for my Bizarre Bra entry – look out for the big reveal at the completion of the 2016 Awards Show on Friday 23rd September.

At first I was ok with the news. It quickly became sheer and utter disappointment. I was even somewhat embarrassed about it. I think I sulked for almost a week. I am part of a WoW designer forum. Other unsuccessful designers started to share their entries. The ones I saw were very impressive. It only makes me ponder at just how flipping incredible this year’s show promises to be! And seeing these amazing pieces that also were unsuccessful really helped me to feel better about poor old Squarecrow. Now I look at the images my friend Benjamin Nicols of Big Fry captured I can see things that I could have made better or different. I can also see that it is rather impressive. I think I tried to step out of the box I was starting to put myself in with my garment designs. For WoW 2017 I aim to get back in that box. Iterated and am that box. Design phase has commenced. I have been tinkering away with developing patterns for pattern elements and streamlining a concept. As soon as the entry kit is released I’m certain that there’ll be several hundred additional concepts swirling through my brain. I can’t wait!

The utterly gut wrenching news of an unsuccessful entry serves only serves to provide me with the drive, determination and positivity to push on and create garments with my WoW factor style. It has given me a better understanding of what I need to do; of what I can do to make it through next year. I guess it has enforced my belief in my style and ability.

Posted on 23/07/201604/09/2016 by Jessisko — Leave a comment

Jumpers and Jazz 2016 – WoW at AOK

This year for Jumpers and Jazz in July I was asked if I would exhibit my World of Wearableart entries in a shop window on the main street of Warwick for the duration of the festival. Of course I said yes! On tree jumper installation day (the hottest in the history of the festival) I also helped Anna and Fay Cox from womens fashion store AOK Clothing with setting up the WoW display.

The feedback I received from Anna was really positive. Anna said that she ‘wished I could see the look of joy on people’s faces.’

Anna also related to me a story. One of her assistant’s was looking at the tree jumpers along Palmer Street. While stopping to look at one of the entries someone said to her “if you think this is good, you should see the display at AOK!”

Sounds like overall the exhibition was well received. It was certainly a delight to see my work all together for the first time. It was like getting the family together for the first time in a long time.

Posted on 22/07/201604/09/2016 by Jessisko — Leave a comment

Jumpers and Jazz 2016 – Geometree

I heart Jumpers and Jazz in July

Jumpers and Jazz is a winter festival held in Warwick, Queensland the last two weeks of July. I have been involved with the festival’s outdoor tree jumper exhibition since its inception. My tree is located outside the National Australia Bank on Palmerin Street. Jumpers and Jazz is one of my two major projects for the year. Once my WoW entry is finished it is time to get started on my tree jumper.

This year I decided to ‘use up’ left over squares of MDF from one of my WoW entries. Have been hoarding the 2 huge plastic bags that my queen sized mattress came in to utilise somehow either in storage or artistically. I thought it would prove to be a faster option to finish my tree jumper if I were to use a big, fat hook and strips of plastic. It did not prove to be the case – at all! I finished the jumper just days before installation. I snapped an 11.5mm plastic hook and had to locate a third mattress bag to complete the project. In the end I can honestly say that when I was finished the installation it is the first tree jumper I have made that I quite liked, and felt a tingle of pride as I walked away from it. It pretty much destroyed my right shoulder. It was worth every discomfort when I received word that ‘Geometree’ had been named as the winning entry in the Excellence in Knitting and Crochet section. I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging when I say that, this made me a back to back champion! Yeah. That does sound like bragging. But it is also a bloody good result and I am sooo proud of my achievements. This makes my fourth section win. Perhaps I’ll be made the inaugural of the Hall of Honour member next year and thus ineligible for entry? Regardless, I will enter and love Jumpers and Jazz, always.

The Warwick Daily News wrote a really nice article about me and my dabbling with World of Wearableart.

Posted on 08/07/201628/07/2018 by Jessisko — 1 Comment

in.cube8r Gallery Artist Profile

The wonderful people at in.cube8r have profiled me in their blog. you can view the complete interview HERE I sell my pieces exclusively through in.cube8r.

The other most excellent news is that in.cube8r now have an online store! So, if you like me, don’t live near Fitzroy you can make your way online to purchase many of the wonderful pieces of AWESOME they curate in store. That of course means my critters are also available. % items at a time are featured. You can also click HERE to view them.

Posted on 02/11/2015 by Jessisko — Leave a comment

Getting cosy

tea-cozy_voodooo

I love in.cube8r. I sell my pieces exclusively through in.cube8r Gallery in Fitzroy. Isy and Clare have been very supportive of my craft. Clare takes care of all of the interstate artists. Clare makes sure all our cubes look great and provides advice on what is and isn’t doing well in store. She told me that someone was in looking for a tea cosy and asked if had considered making creepy cute tea cosys? I hadn’t. I’ve made a few tea cosys in my crochet past; mainly when I was learning. At first I couldn’t fathom how to make them. I let the idea wash away as I thought it was too hard and that I couldn’t do it. Clare was persistent though. I made one that I hated and then two more that were a little better. I sent them off. They sold within a week. Shock. And of course the one Ihated was the first find a new home.

Beer cosys have been a regular in my cube space for about 12 months. Now that I think about it it makes perfect sense that I should have a tree cosy or two in my repertoire. I have also recently included a couple of egg cosys to the range. Each cosy is unique. I make and replace as they sell. Check out my cube space at in.cube8r or contact me for custom orders.