Sweet sounds and scents at womancraft market

Neeti Gautam decorates her customer with a henna tattoo while DJ Madalyn Newton provides the sounds at the Womancraft Market. Photo/Lewis Gardner

The Womancraft markets initiated by Maria Lawless help raise funds for the Whanganui Women's Network while providing female artisans with the opportunity to sell and share their wares.

At the Ladies Rest building in St Hill St Whanganui on Sunday women came together to do just that.

"We hold the markets every three months," said Lawless.

"Stallholders pay fees to the women's network and they provide great social opportunities as well as a chance to earn some money."

Lawless was selling her own crocheted wall hangings, hats and hair accessories while other stallholders had silk scarves, bath salts, hair braids, jewellery, childrens clothing, felt wall hangings and garden art for sale.

Theresa Webster has been making sweet smelling bath salts scented with essential oils for many years and says people are naturally attracted to the scents that suit them.

"When someone makes a selection, I give them a letter that tells them about the properties of the oils and how they suit their personalities."

Claire McGrail's intuitive art has a similar methodology and she produces artworks that are a response to the people she meets.

"It is heart-based rather than analytical," she said.

Neeti Gautam, who runs her beauty clinic in the Ladies Rest Building was decorating her customers with henna tattoos.

"I use traditional designs and make up some of the patterns according to what women want or what will suit them," she said.

DJ Madalyn Newton was providing a soundtrack with her selection of sultry vintage music.

She recently provided seven straight hours of sounds for the recent 24hr Art Jam at Space Gallery.

She has amassed a large collection of CDs and has a lot of classic vinyl as well.

"I want to get a good record player set up for DJ bookings.

"I will be providing the music for International Women's Day in March and I hope to have a good set-up by then."