COOCHIEMUDLO Island artists are offering Christmas shopping with a difference.
They have set up a Coochie Handmade Christmas market day on the island for Saturday, December 17.
It will run from 11am to 3pm at Red Rock Cafe, just near the jetty.
Silversmith Richard Moon makes jewellery and flatware, combining sterling silver with materials like vintage linoleum, glass and stingray leather.
Some of Mr Moon’s most sought after pieces are a combination of island creative talent.
Resident lapidarist Greg Harvey sources and cuts a stunning range of Australian opals that Richard sets into sterling silver rings, pendants and brooches.
“Greg heard about my jewellery studio on the island and approached me with a selection of his cut opals,” Mr Moon said.
“We’ve been co-creating pieces for more than a year now and I’m pleased at how well our work competes with the best of Queensland’s opal jewellery sellers at the big city markets of Brisbane.
“It’s the handmade element of our work I am most passionate about.
“At some markets, the hand-made jewellery is hard to find, whereas our Coochie Handmade Christmas event guarantees that everything on offer has been created with care, skill and passion ... right here where we live.’’
Long time Coochie resident and fibre artist Jacqui Cresswell creates baskets, sculptural pieces and limited-edition special items such as rattles, using natural island fibres, including many declared weeds.
“I enjoy the process of walking around the island gathering vines. These fibres produce unique shapes which makes every piece different and interesting,” Ms Cresswell said.
Denise and Viv Wright have lived on the island for more than two decades and have become known for pottery, sculptures and paintings.
Coochie Handmade Christmas is a rare chance to buy work directly from this pair.
Other painters, sculptors, candle-makers, photographers and authors regularly sell their work through Red Rock Café, all of which will be on sale.
For Christmas shoppers, this is a chance to escape the rush of the shopping mall and head to an island to select gifts in a more relaxed environment, with food, views, sea breezes and swimming to boot.
Nikki and Martin Cornwall of Coochie Boat Hire have developed a website – www.VisitCoochiemudlo.com - which has further details about the island.
Coochie is a seven-minute ferry ride from Victoria Point.
Although Coochie is only 5 square kilometres in size, it has more than 4 Km of safe beaches, which are ideal for the kids.
