Each week we post a gem from Gumtree gem – the online sell, buy, swap site – that is odd, unusual or just plain different.
Most are from South-West Victoria or not far beyond.
This week: we had heard prices were a little cool in the real estate market, but this is ridiculous.
[box] Fully renovated, large, four-bedroom home $420.[/box]
Find more Gumtree gems here…
All I need is the air that I breathe
Always check the auto-correct!
!['Whistle Blower' by Ben Sanders. [Image: www.bensanders.com.au]](http://the-terrier.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/NationalAccountant_BenSanders.jpg)
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #DC943C;”] D [/dropcap]ENNINGTON is a little town that punches above its weight in terms of growing serious talent – think Shane Howard (Goanna) and Val Bertrand (champion rower and netballer) – and it is where talented author and illustrator Ben Sanders was born.
Michaelie Clark, from Warrnambool Books, has chosen Ben’s new children’s book as her selection for the week and what a fine choice it is.
[We love children’s books – even though we don’t have any children – because they can take you to another place, a bit like a Disney movie, or the wonderful stuff from Pixar. Who can resist Dr Seuss, Shaun Tan, Mem Fox, Pamela Allen…no matter how old you are. If you are having a bad day, try reading a kid’s book: we promise it will improve your mood.]
Meanwhile, here is what Michaelie has to say about Ben’s book:
“Written and illustrated by award-winning artist Ben Sanders, I’ve an Uncle Ivan is a delightfully whimsical picture story book that has been a stand-out over the last few months for its cruising rhythm and retro style.
Following Uncle Ivan in his pie van is his entire extended family on various modes of transport, including Kate on a single roller skate and Michael on a unicycle. Through a romp of rhyme and nostalgia, they form a capering convoy all the way to their ultimate destination – the circus.
The book also includes a make-your-own 3D paper craft van.
Check out Warrnambool Books on Facebook for more updates on new releases by local authors.
[box] Ben Sanders has a sensational website. You can check it out at www.bensanders.com.au [/box]
Catch up on our other Bookmarks…
Can Paul Jennings put a foot wrong?
A young woman from Terang, Victoria, is making her mark in the world of travel accessories with her one-off, funky designs that are sure to turn heads in the departure lounge.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] G [/dropcap]ROWING UP IN a family of women who liked to sew, it was almost certain that Joella Hill would eventually discover her own crafty streak.
“My Mum made all of my clothes and my grandmother was a sewer as well, so I guess you could say I come from a strong craft background,” Joella, from Terang, says.
Joella, 30, has spent the past decade finding her niche as a creator of unique travel accessories after completing a studio textile and design course at TAFE and discovering that sewing, more than screen-printing, was really her thing.
“I started by making things from other people’s patterns, but then I thought, hey, I can design my own patterns and create my own pieces,” she says.
By 2007, Joella was making the first of what have become her signature tote bags in vibrant fabrics that she sources from the United States and locally.
“I really like bright, funky colours and I find that the US has the best selection. It also means that once a fabric is gone, it is gone, so there are only a limited number of items that can be made and I think that adds to their appeal,” she says.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] A[/dropcap] small business scheme in 2010 helped Joella to firm up her ideas and realise that her range of functional travel products could find a wider market.
Soon after, she set up an online store and, from a spare room in her parent’s house at Terang, works with two sewing machines to create a range that includes travel wallets, eye-masks, pocket books, pencil cases and, of course, her multi-purpose tote bags.
The personal technology boom has also seen Joella creating pieces for items that were unheard of when she first began, such as covers for ipads, tablets and smartphones.
“The other day I had a lady who wanted a cover for (an older version) of a Samsung Galaxy phone, so I had to hunt down a template,” she says.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] O[/dropcap]ne of Joella’s most popular items is the family travel wallet, which holds up to four passports and “can be found at the bottom of your bag”, while the eye-masks are almost destined to become a must-have item for long-haul travel because they look so much better than those issued by airlines.
An important part of the process for Joella is to keep experimenting with new ideas and fabrics, such as recycling old denim jeans. (A pair of her old jeans feature in the babushka doll travel bag series.)
And while she now works as a supermarket night filler twice a week, she hopes to build the Joella Hill label into a full-time job.
“I still live at home. I want to travel. So, you know, it’s hard, but I am hoping this will be how I eventually make a living.”
You can contact Joella Hill at studio@joellahill.com.au or visit www.joellahill.com.au.
[box type=”bio”] Joella Hill has a regular stall at the Terang Market, All Saints Church, which is held on the first Saturday of the month from 9am-1pm. [/box]
Other stories you might enjoy…
Udderly beautiful: Make Mine Milk
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #8F9F59;”] T [/dropcap]his week’s image for Mum’s Drawer isn’t from Mum’s Drawer at all, but we couldn’t resist sharing it with you.
The photo was taken in the 1960s and is from the collection of Ivan Berndt who used to work at the Warrnambool Drive-In and who still works as a projectionist for Warrnambool’s Capitol Cinema.
Do you remember nights at the Drive-in?
A product of the vehicle boom in the 1950s, drive-ins were once the ultimate in cool, what with their kiosks, speakers that hung from the rear window and the freedom of watching a film in the cosy capsule of a car (although, of course, not everyone went to the drive-in to watch the movie…)
Drive-ins survived the arrival of television, but succumbed to the rise of the VCR in the 1980s: people could watch movies of their choice in their own homes.
The Warrnambool Drive-In was on the corner of Rooneys Rd and Raglan Parade, where an (empty) hardware business now stands.
What else have we pulled from Mum’s drawer?
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #DC943C;”] A [/dropcap]nyone who has worked as a relief teacher in a primary school – or remembers their own relief teachers – will know that a sense of humour usually goes a long way in trying to control the classroom.
This week, Michaelie Clark from Warrnambool Books has selected a new book by a dynamic local teacher who has used the ‘relief teacher’ theme for this third successful book aimed at children…
“Local primary school teacher Matt Porter has put his skills and experience – and sense of humour – to extra good use: not only does he educate and inspire the kids in his Warrnambool classroom, he also encourages literacy and entertains children all around the country with his Crazy Relief Teacher series.
The recently released third book, Mr Jackpot and the Stash of Cash, continues the story of the first two books, Mr Sergeant and the Dodgeballs of Doom and Ms Law and the Corn-fusing Case of the Broken Window, where the students of Outback Creek Primary find themselves with yet another strange (and possibly deranged) relief teacher.
Funny and imaginative, the books truly connect with and engage junior readers – and may even impart a few well-disguised lessons along the way.”
You can find Matt’s website at www.mattporter.com.au
[box] If you love books, be sure to visit Warrnambool Books on their Facebook page. [/box]
Catch up on our other Bookmarks…
At last, a cookbook you can use!
Ben Sanders: Retro meets whimsy
Getting fit the fun way with Marie Bean
Can Paul Jennings put a foot wrong?