Nicola Clerk is the wonderful person behind Poppy & Bea.  At Society High End Handmade we asked her a few questions to find out a bit more about Nicola and her design process.

What is one tool of the trade you can not do without?

This is a hard one but my glue gun, rivet gun and die cutter all come in second to my big shiny Singer scissors!

What is your creative process?

I like to collect materials and plan colours as part of my daily life but come up with most of my new ideas when I'm working to a deadline on other things; I find when I'm really busy 'making' I procrastinate with developing new products) lots of late nights I'm afraid).

How does knowing your creative process help?

Mostly the ideas I'm most hesitant about turn out to be the best ones. I think it's because I think them over for so long, then they come bursting to life when I'm supposed to be doing something else.

If you could pick only one prop to take with you into a photo booth, what would it be?

Probably Poppy & Bea (they're my daughters and my inspiration).

Best app ever and why?

Pinterest- I just love looking at all the pretty things...

Leather Wallet Workshop with Bec from BHO

3 lovely ladies and a gent came along on a sunny sunday afternoon to create their very own leather wallet from the dying to handstamping, finishing and hand stitching each person left with their very own creation.

Here they are getting into the handstamping

The Dying Process

Here they are finishing off all their hardwork with some hand stitching

If this sounds like you getting your hands dirty. Hop over to the society facebook page to see more upcoming workshops. www.facebook.com/societyhandmade

In the kiln with Marika from Marika Leonard Ceramics

What inspires you? 

The need to learn more and get better at what I do.

Name a daily ritual you have/must do.

Apart from getting up in the morning, I don't have a daily ritual or anything that I simply must do to make the
day tick along.  I'm a very "go with the flow" type of person.

Does your product have a 'how it all started story?' Briefly, what is that story?

Learning ceramics is a long, slow process.  The story started years ago when
I sat at a pottery wheel and met the most difficult challenge of all time -
to throw the perfect bowl!!

Name your favourite artist of all time.

I admire many many artists from many different schools.  I love Turner because he was so passionate about what he did and his paintings are so full of life and energy.  He once tied himself to the mast of a boat which went out to sea in a storm so he could experience the strength of the sea and be able to paint it more effectively.  I am really keen on the Pre-Raphaelite movement.  Their depiction of nature and beauty is fantastic.   I also really like Mondrian who is known for abstract geometric painting and Rothko who painted large blocks of colour.  Modigliani’s portraits with their long necks are really appealing and David Hockney has always been a favourite. 

One of my favourite pieces of music is Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony.  As we all know, Beethoven was profoundly deaf later in life.  In fact, he was so deaf when he wrote his 9th symphony that on its first performance he had to be turned round to see the reaction from the audience because he couldn’t hear it.   I find it amazing that he wrote such a beautiful piece of music, but has never heard a performance of it.  Amazing!

Who gave you your biggest advice/help in your business, and can you share it with us?

I haven't sought advice or been given any really but I read recently about
some advice George Clooney was given from his aunt, Rosemary Clooney and
from his dad.  They said "Don't wake up at seventy years old sighing over
what you should have tried.  Just do it, be willing to fail, and at least
you gave it a shot."  That seems pretty good advice to me.

Among the moss jars with Jules from The Little Green Project

 

Name a daily ritual you have/must do?
I'd love to say its a morning yoga session on one of Perth's beautiful beaches, or a brisk morning walk gossiping with a girlfriend ...but sadly no. It's my morning coffee, while i am quietly checking my emails before the kids get up!! 

What is/are the benefits of using/buying your product?Not only are these mini landscapes a beautiful and interesting way to bring a little bit of green inside, but they are totally ace for those non green thumbers...very easy to care for! All my terrariums are unique, one off pieces with most created in vintage and recycled vessels.

What's been your 'best decision' moment.Mmm tough question!! Marriage...kids..obviously top the list. But I'd probably go back to 1997 when I dropped out of Uni to follow my dream of floristry. Apparently when I was five I wanted to own my own flower shop when I grew up. I remember I was always picking flowers!! Had I not become a florist, I probably wouldn't be creating terrariums today...but then again, who knows...maybe I would be!!

Who gave you your biggest start/advice/help in your business?I'd have to say my husband who said "it is something you love so give it a go, you've got nothing to lose"  He is great support and encouragement.  

Who inspires you?Nature...I am thankful for moss, lichen, pebbles and twigs...

On Location with Carrie from MATATULA Clothing

Who would you most like to collaborate with and why?
Rebecca Fogarty from BHO Bags: Her high quality handmade leather designs
would look stunning with MATATULA Clothing's next season looks, stay
tuned...

What's been your 'best decision' moment?
When I stopped worrying about what everyone else would think and just did my
own thing.

A previous job/career.
Landscape Designer.

Name three blogs or fb pages you follow and why?
The Design Files: The latest in all facets of design, from fashion and
architecture, to graphics and interiors, and more.
Red Cross Australia: For all the great work they do in Australia and all
over the world, volunteers rock!
Vivienne Westwood: Her collections are so 'out there' and the lady herself
is a fashion icon.

Who inspires you?
My Grandmother, who lost her husband to cancer, brought up three children
alone and ran the local hardware shop/post office in post war Sydney.
Somehow she also found the time to create beautiful oil paintings which I
hope to inherit one day.

In the Summer Sun with Donna from 

The Heartstrings Boutique

If you weren't expressing your creativity via sewing beautiful childrens clothes how would you express it? 

In writing / in painting/art. 

What inspires you?  

Being a visual person I find I'm easily inspired by what I find beautiful, & I seem to find beauty easily. Colours create feelings for me & I'm very touched by nature which has always been a theme in my designs & fabric choices.  

Who is your favourite girl crush?  

Guiliana Rancic at the moment Why? I love her fighting spirit, her kind heart, her wit & she's beautiful with a dressing room I'd just love to dive into ;) 

Who would you most like to collaborate with and why? 

I'd love Collette Dinnigan to call me up & ask me to work with her on a 'midi' range he he!  

Who gave you your biggest start or best advice/help in your business?  

I'd probably have to say Rebecca Fogarty from BHO bags. Who, from the beginning has always been so very encouraging, supportive & full of advice, words of             wisdom.

Long distance with Libby from iheartcharlie

Name a source/s of inspiration.

I get most of my inspiration from the fabric itself, it tells me what it
might like to be and I also get a lot of ideas from elements of clothing
design. I'm a bit of a flicker when it comes to magazines, I mainly look at
the pictures!, I have my regulars that I purchase and sometimes it can be an
element or one small part of a picture in one of these that sends me on a
journey with a new idea. I'm a bit of a doily fan of late so these are
included in a lot of my designs.

What is your creative process?

Inspiration often hits at awkward moments like when I'm at work, it's
usually inspired by a picture in my head of a fabric I have in
my stash. I always carry a moleskin and/or my iPad. I have an app on my ipad
called penultimate which is kind of like a digital moleskin. It allows me to
quickly document my ideas and as well as notes and drawings the app allows
me to import photos and write notes or draw beside them and even draw over
the top of them. All of my new ideas are recorded either in a moleskin or on
my iPad until I get time to physically play with them. From the ideas stage
I find the fabric and embellishments from my vast collection that works with
the idea and then my time is spent doing laps between the cutting table,
ironing board and sewing machine.

How does knowing your creative process help? 

It doesn't really make a lot of difference to me, I usually design
intuitively I've been creating textile items for over 20 years so any
knowledge of that kind of process really doesn't factor in. It's become
second nature

Do you have any trend forecasts for 2013?

I've never been much of a trend follower I tend to create what comes to mind
and I'm of the belief that whether it's on trend or not someone will love
it. I leave the trend spotting and forecasting to my sister, she's pretty
good at it.

Name five favourite non creative things you do.

- Walking and playing with my kelpie border collie x Charlie
- Drinking really good coffee
- Cooking, this year I spoilt myself with a thermomix but then I guess playing
        with that is creative too! I've been playing a lot with raw recipes and have
        been documenting ones that I invent. Maybe one day there'll be a cook book
        on the horizon!
- Gardening in my vege garden
- Shopping!


And there you have it!

Cheers

Libby