Last year we floated the idea of a spoon carving course and loads of people expressed interest. This year we’re making it happen.

Maylei who teaches our Women in the Shed program has had a long standing interest in spoon carving and will be running a course here in our community shed on Saturday 12 March.

You can find out more and book in here.

We didn’t get to publish the beautiful photos that Kalimna took from our fun community weekend last week because we had a technical computer hitch … but we’re back up and running now.

So thank you to the Alphington Open Studios artists who we worked with for the Open Studios weekends. It was fabulous to have a shared opening night that everyone could come along to and just super to have works by all the artists in our space. Yarra Council provided us with some funding to activate our inside hanging space which supported this project.

And then thanks to our stallholders who made wonderful produce and goods for the Christmas Makers Market on the Saturday. And thanks to all the community who came along to shop and enjoy our lovely neighbourhood. I know I made a good start to my Christmas present shopping … and I am sure lots of others did too.

A special thanks to Ivanhoe Rotary who personned our BBQ. It makes such a difference to our centre to have these sorts of community partnerships and we value them so much. And my mum Cheryl who ran the kids activity - she’s a gem and the trees were very cute. And finally, finally Elaine who volunteered on our craft stall. She’s an amazing knitter and community giver as well.

Well that was fun! And exhausting!

Thanks to everyone that came along to the Alphington Open Studios opening on Friday night, our Christmas Makers Market on Saturday, and/or popped in to the Open Studios salon show at ACC right across the weekend. We had great weather and it was just fabulous to see such a cross-section of our community enjoying our facilities.

I will quickly add some pictures below … and include some more next week, with some detailed thankyous etc. then.

But don’t forget the studios are all open this coming weekend as well! Saturday and Sunday 11am-6pm. You can collect a map from ACC this week (or when our salon show opens again on Saturday morning). Isn’t it just great to collectively celebrate our lovely, creative, arty community … it warms the cockles of the heart!

We’ve got a big weekend coming up at ACC with the Christmas Makers Market on Saturday from 10am-1pm, and the Alphington Open Studios event also on.

If you’d like to pop past on Friday night between 5-7pm you can help us celebrate the opening of the salon exhibition at ACC that is part of the Alphington Open Studios weekends. Our salon exhibition includes works from all the artists with their studios open over the next two weekends plus works by other local artists. It should give you a lovely snapshot of what’s on offer … Share a drink with us, admire the art, collect a map (if you haven’t got one in your letterbox already) and then plan to take a neighbourhood walk and visit local artists in their studios over the next two weekends. Find out more here.

Then come back on Saturday morning for our Christmas Makers Market. We have 25 stallholders who have been busy making lovely things. This is a great opportunity for you to buy local and support your neighbours creative endeavours this year for Christmas presents.

We hope you can make it!

This year Children’s Week runs from 23-31 October and celebrates the talents, skills and achievements of children, and their right to connect with others and respectfully share their views.

This year’s theme is ‘Children have the right to choose their own friends and safely connect with others’. 

To celebrate Children’s Week, we’ve made a series of neighbourhood pop-up playstations that engage the senses, capture the imagination, and encourage creative expression.

Look out for them on the street outside ACC and at the Wingrove Street shops. Our playstations all have different themes to suit different interests and are designed so children can stop for a play by themselves or if the choose, share the experience with a friend.

Our playstations are just one of over 115 free Children’s Week events supported by the Victorian Department of Education and Training. You can also check out other events taking place across Victoria at www.education.vic.gov.au/childrensweek.

Keep your eye out over the long weekend for this super cute covid-safe neighbourhood play experience.