Farewell for now, Gleaners Inc

Long live the Queen - Our Queen Liz, Queen of Glean.

Alas, Gleaners Inc has closed the shop doors. Sparta Place sure is a lot more Spartan without it too! As the main brain behind the gorgeous ethical gift shop, Liz has been gone above and beyond the role of a stockist. She has been the champion of all things hand crafted, recycled and ecologically sound AND she's super cool.

With the shop she has supported makers around the country by promoting, selling and just sharing the love.  She has even packed our stuff up in vintage suitcases and taken them to the BIG markets like Finders Keepers to further our exposure and to represent us there.

 As a curator, initiating various group shows in the Stairway to Nowhere Gallery, she  has been inspiring. The Gleaners Inc art challenges have been open and inspirational. I really feel Liz has given me opportunity to extend my creativity and skills - to be brave and experiment. The exhibitions have allowed me to participate in larger festivals like Craft Victoria's Craft Cubed and Melbourne Fashion Week - something I could never have achieved as an individual.

And that's where the "Inc." part of Gleaners Inc is so important.  Liz has welcomed us all as part of the whole group hug that is Gleaners Incorporated. I feel lost without it already!

The good news is that Liz will still be the chief designer cutter gluer at Betty Jo Designs and that she has a new light filled studio in the hood to continue her work.  And I also have the feeling that Gleaners Inc may pop up again - I know I still feel incorporated.

When does something become a collection?

When you have one thing...

 

 

and then two......

 

 

 

And then three...

becomes four....

Next thing it's five...

and then SIX!

Do we call this a collection now?