Get yourself some craftercise

Floor of Crafternoon

Owner and crafty host- Tegan

Today I visited Crafternoon, a cafe where you can have something to eat, drink and- what sets it apart from other cafes- create.

Does attempting to draw, paint, collage or knit fill you with anxiety or even worse palpable fear? I can tell you I survived to tell the tale, thrived even, and created. An owl to be specific.

The cafe, run by Tegan Cumerford, is a place for patrons to enjoy some creative time out. And at the very least this is a lovely spot to sit in an unpretentious environment and take in the artwork around you. But to be honest that would be a shame.

I brought along a book to inspire my painting, but you don't need to. Everything you need to be inspired and create is provided for a modest fee. A painting easel, set of brushes, A4 paper, palette or six paint colours will set you back $4. Or if painting feels like too much to tackle, try making your own badge for $3.

With some trepidation I mixed some paint, at first concerned I would not remember how (it was more than two decades ago I last worked with paint- with the exception of painting the deck). Tegan gave me a few wise words of advice which ended with ...'and have fun'.

That helped and after a few unsteady brushstrokes I was on my way. In fact I was so thrilled that what I was creating did actually look vaguely like an owl in progress, I actually punched the air and found myself beaming like Forest Gump.

I grew hungry half way through so a Mocha Latte ($4) and CCC Fritter ($7) meant I was refuelled and ready to go a few minutes later. I finished my owl, signed it with a final flourish feeling very Margaret Olley and Tegan pegged my creation to a line suspended from the ceiling.

How wonderful that no matter what the value of my owl as art, it is pegged with pride.

This is not just the domain of children. This is a space where you can reconnect with that youthful energy from long ago, the little self who did not worry about what people would say about the end product. Simply creating purely for the joy of taking a blank space and replacing it with a piece that was created from hands and mind working together, unencumbered by judgement or embarrassment.

Get yourself some craftercise. Move it or lose it!

Crafternoon- 531 Nicholson Street, Melbourne, 03 9077 6998

Tomato Sauce- as Aussie as the Meat Pie?

Apparently not!

Watching ABC News I was horrified to learn that the delightful stuff I pour with wanton abandon over my snags is likely to be made overseas.

Are you kidding me?

After a little poor research I have discovered the ugly truth. To my count there will be three...THREE...garden variety, mass produced, supermarket tomato sauces now manufactured in Australia and owned by Australians.

The Heinz Tomato Sauce Factory in the Goulburn Valley will be closing January 14th. While locals and a generous investor are attempting to buy and therefore run the factory themselves, this is still an idea yet to be realised.

This to me is part of a larger issue. I grew up with the television advertisements spruiking Australian Made. Where have they gone?

Perhaps these ads have been replaced with the brainwashing varities, espousing the cheap and cheerful virtues of options sold by powerhouse retailers. Does this alarm anyone?

Think about how many adds have the terms 'less' or 'lowest prices' coined as part of their copyrighted catch cry.

I know it is not probable that I would buy a product, for example, from a store that advertised "You get it for more". But what exactly am I 'getting' for myself and my fellow Aussies if I go to those stores offering the lowest prices and save those couple of bucks?

I get to buy imported Tomato Sauce, to put on my Aussie Meat Pie. No thanks- I'll make my own.