Create Do and Mend by the ArtHouse

22/09/2026

HOUSE PROUD 011 | Our Young Artists

This week's House Proud is a very special one. I feel like a very proud mother hen!!

Today we finish the final pieces for our 2026 Lions International Peace Poster Competition, and after eight weeks of creating, experimenting, learning and talking about what Harmony in Humanity means to each of them, our young artists have completed their entries.

This program has been a wonderful collaboration between Kids & Teens in the Valley, Lions Club and Create Do & Mend, bringing together a group of young people who have worked incredibly hard over the past eight weeks.

A huge thank you to Isla, Kaitlyn, Eadlin, Jackson, Milly, Audrey, Ava, Holly, Olive and Emillia. You have all done such a wonderful job, and I am incredibly proud of every one of you.

For the next two weeks, their finished artworks will be hanging in the artHouse for everyone to enjoy before they head off for judging to select the Tasmanian winner. From there, the winning poster progresses to the Australian national final, and ultimately the International final.

But today, I'm less interested in who wins and more interested in what these kids have achieved.

They've given their ideas a voice. They've learned new artistic skills. They've stuck with it when things didn't quite work. And they've created something that belongs entirely to them.

For me, this is what teaching art is all about.

Thank you to everyone who helped make these eight weeks possible. And to our young artists—well done. You should be very proud of yourselves.

Because behind every artwork is a thousand unseen moments of persistence.

14/09/2026

[THIS SATURDAY!] A little reminder that Colour Theory with Nell Bradshaw is happening this Saturday at Create Do & Mend!

Come along and explore the wonderful world of colour — mixing, matching and understanding how to make your colours work beautifully together.

Saturday 19th September 10.30am – 12.30pm
$65 per student
Create Do & Mend, 63 High Street, New Norfolk

There’s still time to book your spot! See link below.

[Class] COLOUR THEORY WITH NELL BRADSHAW

Saturday 19 September | 10.30am–12.30pm
$65 per student
Create Do & Mend | 63 High Street, New Norfolk

Join Nell Bradshaw for a practical colour theory class using watercolour as the teaching medium, designed to help you understand colour more deeply and give you greater confidence in your own painting.

Whether you’re just beginning, or you’ve already joined Nell for one of our Beginner Watercolour sessions, this class will help you build on your skills and mix colour with intention.

Together you will explore:

• The fundamentals of colour mixing
• How colour and tone work together
• How different palette choices can shape mood and atmosphere
• How colour can help create the identity of a painting
• Practical tools and strategies to give you greater control over colour

You’ll work through practical exercises with watercolour paints provided on the day (or feel free to bring your own), learning techniques you can take straight back to your own painting practice.

And while you'll be working with watercolour, the concepts are equally applicable to oil and acrylic painting.

Come and experiment, play with colour and discover how thoughtful colour choices can transform your paintings.

Saturday 19 September
10.30am–12.30pm
$65 per student

Bookings essential.
https://book.squareup.com/classes/c7mm0zkfz6rhyq/location/L9JEH4SQHGFQG/classDetails/clssch_1awlza0vyfs8ed?dateStart=1789777800

Image: Henri Matisse, The Dessert: Harmony in Red (1908) — Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

04/09/2026

A little change of plans for today!

With the market cancelled due to the wet weather, we’ll be opening Create Do & Mend a little later today — from 10am.

And the upside? You can park right out the front!

Come in and see Ange for all things creative. Whether you’re looking for something to keep the kids busy, a new project for yourself, or just a little inspiration for a rainy day, we’ve got plenty of wet-weather creative activities to keep hands busy and minds happy.

And don’t forget — Repair Café is still going ahead today, despite the weather!

The Repair Café will be happening behind Create Do & Mend in The Studio from 11am–1.30pm. So if you have something that needs a little fixing, bring it along and let our wonderful repairers see what they can do.

The market may be cancelled, but there’s still plenty happening in our little corner of High Street!

CDM opens from 10am - 3pm.
Repair Café from 11am–1.30pm.

See you soon!
Nicky & Ange

02/09/2026

HOUSE PROUD 010 | Peter Rouleston

This one is a little bit special.

When I started Create Do & Mend, I gave my Dad, Peter, the very important job of making up all the kits I needed for display.

He loved it.

Actually… he became really, really good at it. So good and so fast that eventually I ran out of projects for him!

So I started looking for something that might slow him down a little while still keeping his hands and, more importantly, his brain busy on the days when he couldn't get out into the garden.

Enter diamond art.

I gave him a small kit from the shop to try.

Well… off he went.

Twelve months later, Dad has gone from complete beginner to diamond art master, producing some absolutely beautiful pieces along the way.

And this one is something else.

Klimt's Tree of Life is a huge, incredibly intricate piece and it now hangs proudly in the artHouse. Thousands of tiny pieces, hours and hours of patience, and an extraordinary amount of concentration have gone into creating it.

I'm pretty proud of him - come in and take a look!!! it's gorgeous!!!

So this week, House Proud isn't just about the artwork on our walls.

It's about finding something that sparks a person's curiosity—and then watching where it takes them.

Happy Father's Day Dad!!!!

Nicky

21/08/2026

[Class] COLOUR THEORY WITH NELL BRADSHAW

Saturday 19 September | 10.30am–12.30pm
$65 per student
Create Do & Mend | 63 High Street, New Norfolk

Join Nell Bradshaw for a practical colour theory class using watercolour as the teaching medium, designed to help you understand colour more deeply and give you greater confidence in your own painting.

Whether you’re just beginning, or you’ve already joined Nell for one of our Beginner Watercolour sessions, this class will help you build on your skills and mix colour with intention.

Together you will explore:

• The fundamentals of colour mixing
• How colour and tone work together
• How different palette choices can shape mood and atmosphere
• How colour can help create the identity of a painting
• Practical tools and strategies to give you greater control over colour

You’ll work through practical exercises with watercolour paints provided on the day (or feel free to bring your own), learning techniques you can take straight back to your own painting practice.

And while you'll be working with watercolour, the concepts are equally applicable to oil and acrylic painting.

Come and experiment, play with colour and discover how thoughtful colour choices can transform your paintings.

Saturday 19 September
10.30am–12.30pm
$65 per student

Bookings essential.
https://book.squareup.com/classes/c7mm0zkfz6rhyq/location/L9JEH4SQHGFQG/classDetails/clssch_1awlza0vyfs8ed?dateStart=1789777800

Image: Henri Matisse, The Dessert: Harmony in Red (1908) — Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

21/08/2026

Why We Stock It | The ordinary things that make extraordinary things possible

I've been a little quiet on Why We Stock It lately. Life has been rather full with classes, workshops, catering and helping Corumbene celebrate their 60th birthday!

But this week I've been thinking about some of the things I stock that, at first glance, don't seem very exciting at all.

Plain calico bags.

Paint pens.

Pencils.

Tape. Lots and lots of tape.

They're ordinary things.

But when I look at them, I see something completely different.

I see a group of children sitting around a table, deciding what they're going to create.

I see a plain calico bag becoming a canvas.

I see a pencil becoming the beginning of an idea.

I see a child who wasn't sure they could draw discovering that they actually can.

And I see a room full of children making, experimenting, getting things wrong, trying again and, hopefully, discovering something about themselves along the way.

One of the things I love most about running our kids' creative classes is being reminded that creativity doesn't need expensive or complicated materials.

Sometimes the simplest things unlock the biggest ideas.

My job is to put the possibilities in front of them... and then get out of the way.

That's why I stock these things.

Not because a plain calico bag is particularly exciting on its own, but because I've seen what can happen when you put one in the hands of a child and say:

"What would you like to do with it?"

That's the magic.

And yes... I will continue to buy ridiculous quantities of tape.

Because I believe creativity begins long before the finished artwork. Sometimes it begins with something very ordinary, a little bit of curiosity, and someone willing to say, "Have a go."

Nicky

20/08/2026

HOUSE PROUD 008 | Barb Hanlon

This week we are celebrating Barb Hanlon, a very special member of our Derwent Valley community.

Barb and her husband Terry have lived, worked and raised their two children here over the past 57 years. Her artistic journey began in her 50s, encouraged by three good friends who were painters. She went on to attend many adult education classes and even submitted work to the wonderfully named Not Yet Famous Exhibitions.

Barb's first love is watercolour, and with her background as a trained florist, it's no surprise that florals are a favourite subject. She also loves painting birds—particularly eagles and wrens—and works across watercolour, acrylic and oils.

The painting we're featuring today is a beautiful example of Barb's love of nature.

But for me, Barb is so much more than an artist.

She is one of the wonderful ladies who gives so generously of her time to Knit for Your Neighbour, helping us create blankets for people in our community. And, as I've come to know her, I've discovered she is naturally talented in so many creative forms, as well as being one of the loveliest people you could hope to meet.

I'm very lucky to have Barb in my life and very proud that her creativity is part of the artHouse story.

Because behind every artwork is a thousand unseen moments of persistence.

19/08/2026

[Class] Ever wanted to learn how to crochet but didn’t know where to start? Come along and discover the joy of crochet in this relaxed, friendly three-week beginner’s course with Desma as your tutor.

Please note: this is a three-week course, with all three lessons included in the $95 booking.

The lessons run three Thursdays in a row — 3rd, 10th & 17th September.

Over the three sessions, Desma will guide you through the basics, starting with getting comfortable with your crochet hook and yarn, learning essential stitches and techniques, and building your confidence as you go.

You’ll progress from learning how to hold and use your crochet hook, through to reading crochet patterns and putting your new skills into practice by creating your very own lovely crochet clutch purse to take home.

Your $95 course fee includes:

Three 2-hour lessons — Thursday 3rd, 10th & 17th September

A 5mm KnitPro Zing Single End Crochet Hook to keep

Expert guidance and support from Desma

Learning the foundations of crochet and how to read patterns

Creating your own crochet clutch purse

Thursday 3rd, 10th & 17th September

10.30am – 12.30pm

Create Do & Mend, 63 High Street, New Norfolk

$95 for all three lessons

https://book.squareup.com/classes/c7mm0zkfz6rhyq/location/L9JEH4SQHGFQG/classDetails/clssch_8dhucm620oi6rx?dateStart=1788395400

Whether you’ve never picked up a crochet hook before or you’ve had a go and would love to finally make sense of it all, Hook, Yarn & Create is the perfect place to begin.

When you book, you are booking the complete three-week course — all three sessions are included in the $95 price.

Come along, pick up a hook, and get hooked!

13/08/2026

HOUSE PROUD 007 | Jennai Law

This week we are celebrating Jennai Law, a local artist who has called the Derwent Valley home for the past eleven years.

Jennai captures the quiet beauty of Tasmania—the changing seasons, the wildlife and those gentle moments that can so easily go unnoticed.

Working mainly in acrylics, she focuses on delicate details and subtle moods. Birds often feature in her work, drawn to their quiet, enduring presence.

Jennai says:

“Through my paintings, I hope to share the quiet magic of living in Tasmania with others.”

And I think she does that beautifully.

Over the past few years, I've personally purchased several of Jennai's pieces and gifted them to my mum. They now hang in her kitchen—the heart and centre of her home. I love that these little pieces of Tasmania have become part of Mum's everyday life, bringing a little beauty into the room where so much of life happens.

It's another reason I love what we do at the artHouse. Art doesn't just hang on walls—it becomes part of people's stories.

Jennai has several pieces on our walls at the moment; come and take a look

Because behind every artwork is a thousand unseen moments of persistence.

Nicky