Corban & Blair - Blog

Annual Christmas sale next week - 11-14th November. There are always lots of bargains – special frames they we only have at sale time, hand made albums, gifts for teachers, family and friends and lots of people to catch up with. Drinks and nibbles on Thursday night- even balloons for the children.

All Welcome.

Detailed Information: http://www.corbanblair.com.au/t-Nov10Sale.aspx

Congratulations to Dita Felix of Thornbury in Victoria. She is the second winner in our Story Book competition. Congratulations Dita it has been posted to you.

We exhibited last weekend at a festival held at ‘Tusculum’ home to the Australian Institute of Architects. It was a great venue – interesting things going on in the institute and lots of specialty and coffee shops at easy reach.

It was fun-filled day of architectural activities for the community.

Activities:

• Launch of The Archi-Text Salon – a new series of talks about books on design and architecture presented by the authors
• Archi-Info Talks about what architecture is and what architects can do for you
• Great Designs – A series of presentations from clients & their architects discussing the design process and outcome of their custom-designed homes
• ArchiText Book Bazaar discounts on books and magazines
• The Institute Collection – An exhibition of some of Max Dupain’s architectural photographic records of Sydney
• The Dulux Kids Drawing Corner there were lots of great prizes as well as their gorgeous ‘DULUX” dogs- (see photo)
• Building Blocks Hands – demonstrations by Sydney’s leading architecture model makers.
• Food There was plenty to eat and drink during the day with a sausage sizzle, wine tasting and coffee spot
• Emergency Architect’s  “Love, Eat and Give” They were communicating “Constructive Aid”.  to raise funds for their newest project “improving children’s health” – Toilet Construction/Training in Maliana, East Timor.
• Corban & Blair- exhibiting our design and presentation products to let people know the range of products and customers we design for.

For more information see ‘Tusculum’, 3 Manning Street,  POTTS POINT NSW 2011. Phone: 02 9246 4055 Fax: 02 9246 4030. Web: architecture.com.au/nsw

Congratulations to the team at Euraba- Aunty May, Aunty Joy, Leonie, Thelma, Lola, Christine, Garry, Michelle, Adrienne, Alin, Nerida, Marlena, Aunty Marlene, Leah, Tim, Stella, Anita and Lenice – and Kate Ford.

The group from Euraba and Boggabilla TAFE had a number of pieces in the exhibition. The winning piece was a collaboration called GADUU- Murray Cod by the Euraba Artists and paper makers.

The cast paper artwork represents a cod. Each panel contains a section of the fish’s body surrounded by the artist’s own stories and images. Boggabilla where the Euraba group is located is on the banks of the McIntyre River. A prominent and popular past-time is fishing.

www.erurabapaper.com.au

“ Shinsen 深浅 explores the depth, colour and texture of Japan. Each image was taken in the spirit of discovery while traveling through Japan in early 2010. Images were found in cobbled mountain lane ways, amidst market chaos, under city lights, in museums and ancient rural temples. The intention of my art is to share the depth, beauty and richness of complex cultures” Andy Solo

Shinsen 深浅 is Andy’s first solo exhibition.
Currently showing at Sun Studios 42 Maddox Street, Alexandria. Sydney (02) 9641 5544

Andy Established Solo Creative, a business offering fresh, creative photographic services. She has been exhibited in various galleries, including Sherman Galleries, and published in various mediums and magazines including the cover of Art & Australia (Vol.37 Spring).

www.solocreative.com.au po box 905 broadway nsw 2007 andy@solocreative.com.au

PS. Corban & Blair made the special frames that float Andy’s inspirational photographs.

See a wonderful example of Euraba’s work at the MCA Level Three -  iphone image below

Euraba Wall Panel- Recycled paper pulp artwork

As many of you know I have spent the past 3 years mentoring Euraba as part of an Australia Council initiative.

The Indigenous people of Euraba are unique. They are artists and paper makers specialising in handmade paper on which they create artworks.

In the Goomeroi language, euraba means place of healing, derived from the healing leaves of the eura tree.  Fish, rivers, animals, waterholes, tracks and the walks of life are favourite themes. Cotton is a major crop grown in the region. Euraba Artists & Papermakers use 100% cotton off-cuts from the clothing industry to produce cotton pulp to make their paper. The artists paint with the pulp, although some acrylics are now used. Euraba is located at Boggabilla on the Queensland, New Sales Wales border near Goondiwindi. www.eurabapaper.com.au

Recently I collected some of their paintings from an exhibition in Sydney. Instead of sending them back I invited friends to purchase them. I have 3 left, they are by the founding elders Aunty May and Aunty Joy.

If you are interested to purchase one of these contact me at gillianc@corbanblair.com.au

Corban & Blair sponsored the leather wrap journals provided to record the designer’s creative journey in this installation using re-loved chairs.

Two of the leather Diaries

“The Chair has a long and poignant past. Aesthetically, socio-politically and technologically, this everyday item reflects varied stories. A colourful narrative of pre-loved chairs is revealed in this installation. Sydney based designers reinterpret each piece”

Chairs in the installation

The journal (diary) used by the artists.

On at the Powerhouse  31^st July -10^th October.

Corban & Blair have chosen not to exhibit at the August Trade Fairs, focusing on both on-line and off-line business strategies with our retailers.

For all those retailers setting off to Melbourne on their annual buying trip we’d also like to draw to your attention the opportunity of learning and gaining insights into improving business through a seminar based Business Development Program. Since the GFC retail has experienced some tough times, so learning new things, getting ideas and simply being motivated is a great thing to do.  We’d recommend you set aside some time to participate in the Program.

Reed Gift Fairs, Business Development Program is running  throughout the Fair offering a comprehensive program of seminar style session covering the following topics:

• The 100 minute MBA of Retail Trading
• Grow, Diversify and Out-manoeuvre Your Competition
• Control Your Buying
• Visual merchandising for the small(er) retailer
• Local Area marketing
• The Power of 2 Purchase – How customer data gives wholesalers and manufacturers the power retail distribution.
• Retain or acquire? Are your current customers feeding your business or do you need new ones?
• Find Your Perfect Match

In this final seminar I will be contributing as a supplier with Kate Moriarty from Stem a successful on-trend design store in Balmain.  By clicking the [red] link below you can Reserve Your Place!

Reserve your Place       Reed Gift Fair: 7 – 11 August

Find Your Perfect Match

Presented by Michael Neaylon – Director, MCME

Monday 9 August 11.00am – 12.30pm

What makes the perfect retailer / wholesaler relationship? Does such a partnership exist? In this highly interactive seminar, we discuss how partnership of various kind can be successful. Packed with real stories from new and leading wholesalers and retailers, find out how you can make these vital relationships transparent, enjoyable… and profitable. Make it a date.

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre and Melbourne Showgrounds

Last Friday I attended a workshop about on-line retail optimisation. The presenter was Martin Newman from the UK. Four hundred and fifty slides later I was amazed at the improvements we can now make to our website – a site I had thought was quite efficient.

We will add the strategies below as we upload our new product ranges for the Christmas selling season:

• feature our best sellers

• make sure our search function is obvious and is set up to assist customers. Check the key words we use- are those our customers look for

• colour code all action buttons

• ensure we have a call to action on each page

• make sure all images are clickable

• contact details on each page to ensure customers can call if they need information or help

• adding steps and explanation to the purchasing process to make it easy and clear for the customer. To create a customer experience which is easy, informative and inspiring

• shipping and returns information made clearer

• gift wrapping and cards- we do it but it does not specify we do

• understanding what, why and where we get cart abandonment

• using Google Analytics so that we get information was can act on

• having clearly understood calls to action

These are just a few things we can do that should assist customers to purchase from us. As we will be using Google Analytics more efficiently we should be able to see if these changes make a difference!

It was an inspiring day, leaving me with a lot of work, but with confidence that the effort will be worth it.

For further information see

Martin Newman – Practicology.com/mnblog