Tahlula's Eclectic Bazaar

Ecclectic is absolutely what you are!  When did Tahlula's Eclectic Bazaar come into "being"

I have been putting it all together for about 4 years. I've been a craft-aholic for most of my life!  Making things a little different is what I love doing.

We love how you get everyone to have a hands-on experience at market with you with things like painting on the paper lanterns.  What was the inspiration behind this concept?

I have worked in the childcare industry on and off over the last 20 years and I always love helping kids (and adults for that matter) develop their creative side.

Is there a certain type of product/range that you overtly ensure you always have (eg: fair trade items, hand crafted items etc) and if so, why is that

I love doing the tie-dyes and everything on my stall is handmade, upcycled or changed in some way to suit my eclectic style.

What would be the item that sells most at market

My crazy hats!  I've got cats, dogs, owls, pandas, lions, dino's, sheep, chicks, frogs, giraffes, zebras, tigers, skulls, Mike & Sully, Minnie & Micky, Cabbage Patch and sooooo many more it's not funny!

My tea cosies sell like crazy too!

A feeing of calm, serenity and the enjoyment of life seems to be reflected through your stall.  In a world where there is so much chaos and everyone is in a hurry to be somewhere, it definitely makes for a pleasant change

For anyone who has not yet been to Rouse Hill Markets, what 5 words would you use to encourage them to not just have a 5 second look but to hang around, mingle and simply enjoy "being"

Stop and take a breath!

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We couldn't agree more.  So make sure you take time in your busy day and visit the Queen of Eclectic, paint a lantern, wear a hat, see these tea cosies and all other amazing wares.  The sign below kind of sums it all up don't you think?

5 Questions with Porky's Henhouse

How long have you been part of the Rouse Hill Market and what led you to start with us

I have been with Rouse Hill Markets for roughly 3 months now.  I was looking for an opening on a Saturday and Rouse Hill was the first that came up for me!

It must take a while to prep for market. Can you give a brief outline from start to finish on how you prep, where you source your produce from and the length of time to set up and packdown

There is little prep work for me to be honest.  My stall set up and packdown takes roughly an hour a piece.  The greatest complication for me is the wooden framework of my stall.  It looks great and is very handy to have.  However it is heavy, takes up a great deal of space and takes time to set up and pack down.

As to my ingredients: my bacon is a long cut double smoked mango cured premium bacon that I buy from AC Butchery in Leichhardt.  They are a pleasure to work with and their bacon is some of the finest in the country.

My eggs are delicious free range eggs sourced from the lovely people of Portland Farms.

My bread rolls are beautiful soft white rolls made by the friendly talented people of Sunshine Bakery in Haberfield.

Why "hot rolls"

Because cold bacon isn't as tasty!  But seriously, people love a great hot meal.  A nice bun filled with quality produce is seriously satisfying to eat, and so it is gratifying to make. 

What is it about market life that sets it apart from any other

I've worked at markets for a couple of years now.  I've sold any number from things from Vietnamese lacquerware to apples.  Markets are great: you get to move around, work with a diverse bunch of really fun people and you can have new customers in strange places at the drop of a hat.

Being tied down to a single location (eg: retail outlet) does not appeal to me much.  There is something alive about market life that draws me in.  It suits me down to the ground.

In 5 words, how would you describe your rolls and why should people come and give them a go

World's finest bacon & eggs

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You "heard" it hear first folks.  Reckon these rolls are a definite "must try" and try you must when you swing by Rouse Hill Markets each Saturday!

5 Questions with one of our popular Musos David Camenzuli

Can you give us a little bit of background as to when you realised you had a voice that could sing and the startings of what would become your career

When I was really little (say 4 or 5 years old), I would stand in front of the TV humming away.  My voice really developed when I was 8.  I sang in the school choir, joined the Australian Opera's Children's Chorus, studied at the Con and the rest as they say is history.

Your band has quite a good rep which would most likely be derived from a lot of hard work and rehearsing. Why choose the genre you are known for

From an early age I loved Simply Red and wanted to sing their songs. It suited my voice and I resemble Mick Hucknell, so it seemed natural to do a tribute show.

We first saw you at the Double Bay Festival 2012.  How was that experience for you as a performer

Double Bay was fantastic! Great exposure for me as a performer with loads of people being impressed by not only my appearance (ie. looking like Mick Hucknell) but also singing Simply Red songs.

You are now a regular at quite a few of our markets.  Do you find the audience changes per venue, or is it a case of everyone loves music therefore there are no preconceived expectations

There will always be a different audience at different markets as everyone has their own preferred taste in music, but it's always a great thing to be able to perform anywhere and to anyone who appreciates live music

In 5 words, how would you describe the Organic Food Market experience

Uplifting, interesting, career enhancing and always fun

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Huge thank you to David for spending a bit of time with us answering these questions and if you haven't already seen him at one of our markets, keep an eye out!

5 Questions with.......... Shane

From Teacher to Candles....Why The Change?

I've taught for 15 years and to be honest, it wasn't for me. I wanted to be my own boss and make my own decisions. To do that, I would have to become a Principle and I certainly didn't want that!

I love being creative and I've always loved candles so it seemed the natural thing to do - not that it happened straight away.  From idea to actually putting into action took 3 years of procrastination, then another 2 of hard work to now being able to stop teaching and work full time in the business.

What is that you love about market life?

I love EVERYTHING about market life.  The first 2 years I still worked full time and did the markets on weekends.....that has to be love!  

I have made great friends who are down-to-earth but overall the biggest plus is the love the customers have for my product.  2 years later and I am still blown away that people go crazy for something I have made with my own hands!

Your range is fantastic! One to suit every taste.  How long does it take to put these babies together?

It is quite hard work and everything has to look perfect. What i find most frustrating is putting the ribbon and diamante on my Elegance Range.....it drives me crazy because it takes so long.  But I can't not do it, cause it's my best seller!

Out everything you could have done, why candles?

I suppose no-one ever really thinks they are good at doing anything else (after being in Education for so many years), so when I decided to leave teaching, I thought "wow, what else can I do?"  I've only ever taught!

I did apply for many jobs, including supermarket night-fill, but it was really difficult and I pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be a teacher forever.

Then I started making candles for fun.  Turns out I was pretty good at it and the rest, as they say, is history!  

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Lucky for us, Shane is now a well-entrenched addition to our Rouse Hill Markets where you can find him every week, rain hail or shine and Shane we thank you for sharing your story with us!