Delightful, different design

GRAPHIC designer, Andrea Hurley has always been a crafter, and is no stranger to design markets.

As an illustrator and maker of laser cut wooden jewellery, she has often set up stalls under her own handmade label, Bird and Blossom.

But she noticed that not a lot of people were getting out to see the “beautiful things” creatives had on offer, so she started thinking.

“Wouldn’t it be great to have a little curated spot where people could just come and discover all these fantastic little gems,” Ms Hurley said. “I know, I was at a point in my handmade business to take the next step.”

Deciding she’d open her own store to provide more exposure for designers, Ms Hurley established her Skipton Street hub for handmade, Hattie and the Wolf.

“If I was going to pursue my dreams, I would need to be fearless, and Hattie and the Wolf symbolises the courage it took for me to take the leap of faith and to open the shop,” she said.

“I know how hard it is to be a hand maker and to try and get exposure, so it’s a bit of promotion for people as well.”

Ever since its establishment, Hattie and the Wolf has been a friendly, comfortable, unique place that champions things produced by hand, sustainably, ethically and mostly locally.

“I support small independent hand makers, designers and manufacturers,” she said. “I’ve got a lot of local makers, but from all around the world, really.

“We try and keep a point of difference by sourcing things that other people haven’t seen. If it doesn’t resonate with me, I don’t stock it,” she said.

Hattie and the Wolf’s range of Ruby Pilven porcelain ceramics “flies” out the shop door, and the store’s upcycled range of clothing means less textiles into landfill.

Upstairs is Hattie’s Wardrobe Green, a space managed by Bianca Flint, who buys and sells only quality pre-loved garments.

The pair also run Hidden Treasures, and Vintage Treasures walking tours around Ballarat each month.

“When I opened the shop, people were coming in here and asking, ‘where else can we go and shop like this?’

“I was having to tell people that had lived in Ballarat all their lives about shops that had been here for years, so I thought, let’s start little walking tours,” Ms Hurley said.

Looking ahead, Bird and Blossom plan to add their own clothing range to Hattie and the Wolf.

“My dream at the moment is to create a locally designed and made clothing range,” Ms Hurley said. “I’m hoping to collaborate with a local maker, so it will be Ballarat designed and made here as well.”

“I’ll illustrate my own prints so it will be our own unique range of clothing and accessories.”

Find Hattie and the Wolf at 218A Skipton Street, Ballarat. Head to the website hattieandthewolf.com.au to discover the walking tours and more.