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Massive cost of global outage revealed

Experts have estimated that the global CrowdStrike IT outage has cost more than $1.5 billion in damages, as thousands of businesses were affected by the mass disruption. On Friday afternoon, thousands of workers and business who rely on the Microsoft computer system were hit with the "blue screen of death", as computers, EFTPOS machines and even the airport display screens froze. It was later revealed to be a bug wrought from a software update, originating from Texas-based cyber security firm CrowdStrike. The simple tech fail brought much of the world to its knees for hours, as airports, hospitals, shops, business, media outlets and banks were impacted. One American cyber expert estimated that compensation claims could easily top $1 billion USD ($1.5 billion AUD). However, it looks like the damages will be a lot more than that, as Business NSW estimated that in NSW alone, businesses racked up an eye-watering $200 million bill in damages. CrowdStrike has yet to address millions of questions about how it plans to compensate customers, although the company's CEO George Kurtz said the firm is concentrating all its efforts on fixing the problems, and that he believed most customers had been understanding. “My goal right now is to make sure every customer is back up and running,” Mr Kurtz said. “I think many of the customers understand it’s a complex environment and staying one step ahead of the bad guys requires these content updates.” Hundreds of thousands of businesses are expected to file for compensation with the company, as Patrick Anderson, CEO of US research firm Anderson Economic Group, told <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/07/21/business/crowdstrike-outage-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>, “This outage is affecting far more consumers and businesses in a way that ranges from inconvenience to serious disruptions and resulted in out of pocket costs they can’t get back easily”. Image credits: RAJAT GUPTA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial/Instagram

Money & Banking

How to write creative non-fiction history

Discovering an old photo album from the 1920s, celebrated author and adjunct professor Paul Ashton embarked on a journey to turn historical research into engaging creative non-fiction, blending meticulous evidence with captivating storytelling. Here he shares he insights on the fascinating process. One afternoon my elderly father and niece came to my home for lunch. On their way they had seen something on a council clean up. ‘We thought you might be interested in this,’ said my father handing me a small, brown photo album. I was. The album contained around 100 undated black and white photographs. It became apparent quickly that this was the record of a road trip done in the 1920s or 1930s. A boy, two women and a man had gone on a trip from Sydney up through New England, to Tamworth then to Brisbane and back to Sydney. Shadows in some of the images indicate that they were taken by the man and at least one of the women. The album provided the basis for my first children’s book, Palmer’s Mystery Hikes. One photograph stood out for me. Hundreds of people were gathered somewhere in the bush. In the far left-hand corner in the background was an elevated table covered with a large white tablecloth. With a magnifying glass I could just make out ‘Palmers [something] Hike’. In 1932 Palmer’s men and boys’ department store, in Park Street in Sydney, had established a hiking club to promote the sale of hiking apparel. You bought a ‘mystery’ ticket from New South Wales Railways with which Palmer had an arrangement; turned up at Central Station on Sunday morning; and were taken to a mystery destination. From there you did a ten-mile hike to another station and were then trained back to Sydney. There were five hikes. The third one to the Hawkesbury River attracted over 8,000 people. Turning historical research into believable fiction or creative non-fiction has certain demands. How do you strike a balance between historical research and evidence and the narrative form? This is a big question and will ultimately depend on many things, including the availability of primary and secondary sources and the nature of the particular narrative. But perhaps the most important question is: how do writers use the past to give their work historical dimensions and insights? For me, the most critical element is context. And it’s the thing most missing in much historically based fictional literature. Evoking people, places and periods involves understandings of things such as continuity and change over time, historical process – like colonisation and suburbanisation – ideologies and superstitions. Where appropriate, these should form subtle backgrounds to the narrative. Fiction and creative non-fiction as historical modes of presenting history should also show – not tell. My edited collection, If It’s not True It Should Be (Halstead Press), explores writing history using fictional techniques. As Peter Stanley has written in that book, ‘those who seek to illuminate the past through the imaginative recreation of historical fiction … [are] motivated by the fundamental conviction that what links the fidelity of the historian and the imagination of the historical novelist is that the work of both should be offered and read as if it were true.’ ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paul Ashton is adjunct professor and co-founder of the Australian Centre for Public History at the University of Technology Sydney and adjunct professor at the University of Canberra and Macquarie University. He has authored, co-authored, edited and co-edited over 40 books and is editor of the journal Public History Review. His series of creative non-fiction children’s histories – Accidental Histories – is being published by Halstead Press. Images: Supplied

Books

Sweet reason why Kochie wore lipstick live on air

David Koch wore bright red lipstick in an interview on Sunrise on Monday morning- all for a good cause. The Sunrise host wore the bold colour while interviewing model Jett Kenny, the son of sporting greats Grant Kenny and Lisa Curry. Jett also put on red lipstick mid-interview as part of the Lip-Stick It campaign - an initiative that encourages Aussie men to wear lipstick on May 11 to raise awareness and help raise funds for women’s mental health support services. “Less than half of the women experiencing mental health are seeking help,” Jett said on Sunrise. The initiative comes after the tragic death of Jett’s sister Jaimi, who had passed away three years ago from mental health issues. Ever since then Jett had vowed to raise awareness and funding for the cause, and is now the inaugural ambassador for the Lip-Stick It campaign. “Encouraging those people to just talk about it and having the strength that they might need to voice what they are going through. I think that was the biggest thing I found was they were so reserved, or she [Jaimi] was so reserved talking about her issues and her struggles”, Jett said. He added that, although not everyone with mental health issues experiences the same thing, he wants to encourage women to “just speak about it”. Kochie then told Jeff to “whack on the lippie”, as they talked about the campaign further. “I was trying to [apply lipstick] the other day and it is quite difficult. I might look like the Joker while I do this,” Jett told Kochie. “A lot of people think I look like the Joker without the lipstick,” Kochie quipped. Jokes aside, Jett then told the Sunrise host how proud he was to launch the campaign and support the women in their lives. “It’s our chance for us men to get behind the women that we love and support and show that we care,” Jett said. “If all it takes is to put on some red lipstick to start a conversation, and talk about it, I feel like it’s the least we can do. “It’s a big thing, not only for myself but for a lot of people. It could be happening to a person you work with, someone you know, but they you know – might not be talking about it because they don’t feel comfortable to do so,” he added. Jaimi died on September 14, 2020, following an 18-year battle with alcohol addiction and an eating disorder. She died at Sunshine Coast University Hospital and was surrounded by her family at the time of her death. In late January, Lisa Curry posted an<a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/lisa-curry-honours-her-late-daughter-with-emotional-video" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> emotional tribute </a>to her eldest daughter in honour of her memory. Images: Sunrise on 7

Caring

"I felt like I was drowning": Ed Sheeran breaks down

Ed Sheeran has spared no emotion in a new docuseries covering a very turbulent time in his life. In the first trailer for Ed Sheeran: The Sum Of It All, the singer can be heard laughing about how when he was first approached about the documentary, he assumed it would cover his time in the studio working on his new album. To Sheeran’s surprise, the four-part Disney+ series is set to capture the hardships in the British star’s life as his wife, Cherry Seaborn, battled with a tumour while pregnant with the pair’s second child and just as he lost one of his closest friends, Jamal Edwards. The clip includes a montage of moments featuring an emotional Sheeran, 32, breaking down on stage and in private as he deals with the turmoiltuous time he’s been faced with. "I've never seen him cry on stage," his wife admitted in a clip. "He hasn't had time to process and be at peace with his thoughts." Sheeran, who is the father to daughters, Lyra, 2, and Jupiter, 10 months, is also heard saying how his wife changed his life. "Everything in my life sort of got so much better when Cherry came into it," he says. <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/writing-songs-is-my-therapy-ed-sheeran-reveals-further-heartbreak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sheeran first opened up about these two private, painful events in a social media post</a>, revealing how they influenced his upcoming album, Subtract. "At the start of 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art," Sheeran wrote. "Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings. I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. "And in just over a week, I replaced a decade's worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts. "Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth. "My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter. I was spiralling through fear, depression and anxiety. "I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air.” Sheeran also <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/tragedy-strikes-ed-sheeran-tour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suffered the loss of his close friend and co-worker's 16-year-old son in early 2023.</a> Ed Sheeran: The Sum Of It All will be released on Disney+ on May 3 2023. Image credit: Disney+

Bride wears engagement ring with blood in it

A bride-to-be has caused quite a stir after sharing a photo of her engagement ring that apparently has her fiancé’s blood in it. The woman shared the photo to the popular Facebook group “That's it, I'm wedding shaming” and at first glance it looks like a normal ring with a red stone. To everyone’s shock, she revealed that the “red stone” was in fact her fiancé’s blood. “Has anyone else opted out of a wedding band? I love my engagement ring so much, it has my fiancé’s blood in it and it is so special to me,” she began. “I’d rather that be put on my finger at the wedding instead of a band. I would have to get a custom one to fit my ring and I don’t know, I just don’t want to.” However, the comments were not nice about the $300 ring, with many questioning why anyone would do that. “I’m glad she loves it and is happy. It is heinous though,” one wrote. “I’m fine with one ring…as long as it’s not filled with BLOOD! What in the actual f**k?” someone else commented. "I hate it here," another simply wrote. Image: Facebook

Relationships

Lisa Wilkinson’s book price slashed by 70 percent

The price of Lisa Wilkinson’s new book has been slashed by more than 70 percent. The former Today Show co-host released a memoir called It Wasn't Meant To Be Like This in November 2021, which addressed – among other things – her pay dispute with Karl Stefanovic. However, her book was not well received as the RRP took a massive cut by up to more than 70 percent at some retailers. Kmart was selling a paperback copy of the memoir for $24 and placed it on clearance for a measly $6. Big W had the book for RRP $45 and slashed a massive 73 percent off the pricing to just $12. Amazon also had the book for $12 with only Booktopia and Dymocks keeping the price at $36 and $45 respectively. Despite the price cuts on her book, it has now been revealed that Wilkinson is making money off it in a different way. The Project host is promoting her memoir at exclusive women’s networking breakfast group Business Chicks, where attendees are also being charged the full $45 for her book. She also held an event at the luxurious Melbourne Crown Palladium to a sold-out crowd of more than 500 attendees. Tickets to the event ranged from $145 to $185 per seat. In an Instagram post in April, Wilkinson promoted her new book tour “after a couple of false starts at the end of last year, courtesy of good old COVID”. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CcfEm0IhvYR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CcfEm0IhvYR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lisa Wilkinson (@lisa_wilkinson)</a> </div> </blockquote> “I’ll be telling the stories BEHIND the stories in the book, the truth about some of the headlines you may have read in recent times, the many lessons I’ve learnt across the years, the people I’ve met, and why the book almost didn’t happen,” her caption read. “And if you already have the book, please bring it along for me to sign, or you can purchase one on the day, and I’ll be signing those too.” She went on to convince attendees about the event which would include some “darn good coffee” as well as a great networking space. “And again, thank you to everyone who continues to send me messages, stop me in the street, and share their thoughts in book clubs around the country about how much the book has meant to them…you sincerely have no idea how much your feedback has, in turn, meant to me. Thank you.” Image: Instagram

Books

Do it for Dolly: Bullying awareness day

If Australian mum Kate Everett could turn back time, she would tell her little girl Dolly to speak up and reach out for help. That opportunity was taken from them forever when the young girl, at only 14-years-old took her own life in January of 2018. This was a result of online bullying. Her death sent shockwaves around the country and five years on, the Everetts are using their grief to fight back against bullying with the common goal to prevent others from going through the same hardship. The family from the Northern Territory launched a charity in their daughter Dolly’s name and created “Do it for Dolly” - an annual day of bullying awareness on May the 13th. “The loss of a child changes a family forever,” Everett said “but creating Dolly’s Dream has helped us with healing.” Dolly’s story touched the hearts of people across the country, sparking the family’s plan to channel their grief into something bigger. They launched Dolly’s Dream and Do it for Dolly Day in 2018 as a way to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. The organisation aims to help change the culture of bullying and raise awareness about the devastating impact it can have on young people and their families. Recounting the family’s tragic story does take its toll, but the impact they have had on the lives of others makes it all worth it. “Dolly’s Dream gives us the ability to focus on what positive can come from this, it’s Dolly’s legacy,” she said, adding it helps the family find comfort and healing. Image: Instagram

Caring

Maker George becomes Making It Australia’s first winner

After a whole series of challenges, Making It Australia has whittled it’s contestants down to just three: George, Rizaldy and Jack. With the rest of the crafters returning for the final episode, the final three were pitted against each other and George was crowned Australia’s first winner of Making It. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CV4McDHhTk6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CV4McDHhTk6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by George Roppingly-Goode (@george_can_create_it)</a> </div> </blockquote> When asked about how it felt to be Australia’s first winner, George told OverSixty that she “couldn’t believe it”. “I didn’t think I’d make it past a few episodes,” she said, sharing how making it to the final and winning left her feeling stunned. Walking away from the show, George said one of the things that surprised her most was the friendships she made with the rest of the Makers. “I didn’t think I’d walk away with 12 new friends,” she said. George explained that being on Making It also proved to her that she could persevere and go out and achieve the things she wanted to, despite what she had been told over the years. As for the future, George will continue creating on a personal and professional level, and sharing her work on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/george_can_create_it/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. She also hopes that her being on the show will inspire other women to pick up power tools and embrace more ‘masculine’ crafting techniques. “If I can do it, so can others,” she said. “The university of YouTube is also a great resource. If you don’t know how to use a jigsaw, you can just find a video and learn.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUwjCkzB6px/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUwjCkzB6px/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by George Roppingly-Goode (@george_can_create_it)</a> </div> </blockquote> Fellow finalist Jack was just as thrilled to make it to the end. “I was truly ecstatic and also very thankful to have made it that far in the competition among such talented and amazingly creative contestants,” Jack said. ”I was proud of my efforts and definitely inspired and invigorated by the other projects.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQA7HUeFhYf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQA7HUeFhYf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Toy Architecture (@toyarchitecture)</a> </div> </blockquote> Rizaldy shared the sentiment and added that getting through was a huge achievement. “That sums up all our hard work, our skill set, stories behind the projects and most of all it is all about having fun and sharing what we can do with the world,” he said. “It has never been a competition for me. I joined Making It Australia to show the world that making things is a lot of fun and they can do it too.” All three finalists agreed that the experience of being a Maker had been unforgettable, and that they had walked away with new friends from all over the country. “If it wasn’t for lockdown we would all have gotten together,” George said. “I have met amazing fellow Makers who are now my friends forever,'' Rizaldy added. “Spending time with the sensational judges and witty hosts is unforgettable.” “I met some really incredible people along the way, including the hosts and judges,” Jack said. “TV is a hoot!" Image: george_can_create_it / Instagram

Home & Garden

“No space for self-doubt”: Rehana reflects on Making It to the final five

This week’s episode of Making It Australia saw our remaining five crafters continue to make things on a huge scale. But only four would make it through to the next series of challenges, and Rehana was the next Maker to exit the show. She sat down with OverSixty to answer our crafty questions and tell us about her transition into starting her own creative business. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? Honestly, the highlight was everybody on set, from the makers to the cameraman to the producers to the wardrobe ladies. I think the highlight of the show was just stepping on set and feeling like I've met my people. We just connected so instantly that it sort of baffled me a little bit. I'm like, “Oh my gosh, how do I love every single one of you within five minutes of meeting you?” I guess when you’re on a set for two months, you’re away from your family and everything, but you know, they become your family. You just get through so much. And you experience so many things together you can't help but love one another. O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? The fact that I could get things done in eight hours. Eight hours is not a lot of time for crafting! O60: The last few episodes of Making It have involved crafting on a HUGE scale in a limited amount of time. Could you tell us a bit more about what that experience was like? I'm a graphic designer, so I'm used to doing most of my work on a computer. All my crafting experience comes from like a lot of Pinterest tutorials and watching YouTube and Tik Tok and that sort of thing. And, you know, I had to force myself to start just making decisions. I tend to think that maybe something's not good enough or I don't really know what I'm doing. But when you're under that eight-hour pressure, you have no choice but to commit and just believe in yourself. There's no space for self doubt. There's no space for thinking you're not going to be able to do it. You’ve just got to get it done. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845220/making-it-rehana1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5ffd148ac4594520baf92c957138ed1e" /> Image: Supplied O60: What’s next for you after Making It? So since leaving the show, I quit my job [and went] into my own business! I come from a really traditional background where you either become a doctor, an engineer, an accountant or a housewife. And so when I told my parents I wanted to be an artist or a creative, they were like, “Oh, are you sure you'd be able to make a living out of that?” then I'm like, “I'm not entirely sure I can!” So graphic design to me was a nice medium where I could be creative in my work but also it paid the bills. [And] when I went on the show, I didn't think I'd go past the first week. I'm like, “I'm surrounded by people who do this for a living, I'm just a hobby crafter.” Sure, I do graphic design, but even then I don't really consider myself a great graphic designer. And you know, I learned that was wrong. So getting to be in the top four was honestly a surprise [so] if I look really shocked throughout the series it’s because I'm genuinely shocked that I'm still there. [And] even once they told me I was going home, I remember telling one of the judges that I felt like I'd already won, like I'd already proven to myself that I could do this and that I could impress people and I had people who thought the things that I was producing were worthy and of value. And that gave me the push that I needed to go full time into my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/DayNightDusk">Day Night Dusk</a> business and into my little design business. I ended up buying a laser cutter, I've ended up releasing two collections since we wrapped up filming on the show and in fact Christmas is coming up and I'm about to release a lovely little earring stand to commemorate coming off the show. At the end of the day I've been so fortunate to have the opportunity to realise that I am who I am and that's good enough. And that's valuable enough to launch myself into a career where I can support myself, being creative and enjoying the work that I do. O60: Making It posed challenges that saw you use a whole range of different skills and techniques. Has it changed how you have gone about your creative practice since leaving the show? Totally. I've been given a whole new I guess confidence in trying a lot of new things, and a lot of support as well. I mean, George's workshop is in Sydney, and she's been telling me she'll teach me how to weld for a while… I can’t wait to go to her workshop, she's got all these wacky machines that I can play with! O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? Oh absolutely, a thousand times yes! It was such a great experience. And I remember when I first applied I'm like, “Oh, I don't think this is going to go anywhere.” And then when they did call me back to come for a moment, I was tempted to say no, because my son was 14 months, so he was still quite young. And my husband sat with me on the steps and I was like, “I don't think I'm gonna do it.” And he said to me, “If you don't do it, do you think you’d regret it?” And I said, “Yes. I think I’ll regret it if I don't do this.” And I'm so glad that I went ahead and did it and I would encourage anyone else who’s interested to just give it a crack and see where it takes them. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVWPYnFhjoo/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVWPYnFhjoo/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by DayNightDusk by Rehana Badat (@day_night_dusk)</a> </div> </blockquote> As the finale draws ever closer, the remaining contestants will return to craft their hearts out on Saturday from 7pm. Image: Supplied

Home & Garden

‘Holy smoke, what am I doing here?’: Maker Andrew shares his experience

In the latest episode of Making It Australia, the remaining Makers were tasked with inventing a large-scale device to solve a common problem. After wowing the judges with his chicken-powered alarm clock, Andrew was the next Maker to leave the show. The metalworking extraordinaire sat down with OverSixty to tell us about his experiences on the show and what he has gone on to do since. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? The highlight of being a Maker was to live and work with an incredibly talented, inspiring group of people for a long period of time. That is something that doesn't happen often in your life, and [I have] very strong, warm memories of it. O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? What surprised me most, I don’t think I was as prepared as much as I should have been. When I got there and assessed myself against the abilities of the other competitors, I was a bit intimidated because these people not only were great artists but had skills in all these other areas. And I thought, ‘Holy smoke, what am I doing here?’ And I said to them I’m the Volkswagen that snuck into the BMW car park, and [I’m] gonna get found out real quick. But I lasted longer than I thought. O60: On the show, you mentioned that you were formerly a booby trap instructor for the army. How did you make the transition to crafting and metalwork? That was one of many skills, many qualifications I had in the army. I was a mine warfare and booby trap instructor. I taught a couple of courses in the area, but my main employment was working with army tanks. But I did [work as a] booby trap instructor as one of my extra qualifications. Well, I got out of the army after 20 years. And then, as a 40 year old, joined the shire as an apprentice diesel mechanic. And I learned a whole lot of new skills there that I didn't have: workshop procedures and how to do things safely and they put me on a welders course so now I had some skills. And coming off of a farm we had 100 years or more … [I] had access to all these materials. And I now had a welder in my hand. So … just one day, the wife said to me, ‘Why don’t you go up to the shed and do something creative?’ and I built this cow. And I didn't think it was real good. But I took it down [to display] and no-one shot a hole in it or pushed it over with their ute. And someone said take it to an art show. Anyway, I did that and it won first prize. I couldn't understand how it would do that, because I didn't think it was very good. But the judges were academics out of Sydney and they saw something in it. And they gave me a fistful of money and my name in the paper and I thought, ‘This is alright, I’ll have another crack at this’, and it just flowed from there. O60: What’s next for you after Making It? Well I’ve got two basically completed public artworks in my shed that I’ve got to deliver, one to Maroopna, in Victoria and one in Jinjili, up the hill. I'm currently working on a fruit bat for a private commission. Next week, I'm jumping on a bus as a tour guide, touring the various public artworks I have in the region … and I’ve got the microphone, and I’ll tell them all about the artworks as we go around the district. O60: Making It posed challenges that saw you use a whole range of different skills and techniques, has it changed how you have gone about your creative practice since leaving the show? I’m now more open to try different things, and maybe mix what I'm doing with something else. You get into something and you're comfortable with it, you tend to stick with it, especially if it’s successful. But now I'm open to thinking about change and different things to stay in front of the game. O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? If I knew that certain logistic problems were sorted, I would. Otherwise no. It's a once in a lifetime, amazing experience and you'd never be able to duplicate it a second time because it was the wonder of getting under the lights, and going to the city, and I'm a country boy and I hate driving around the city and it’s all those events all tied together [that] made it a once-only, amazing thing. I don't think I'd get the buzz out of it a second time. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUMFJGZpWbO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUMFJGZpWbO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by David Andrew Whitehead (@scrapartoz)</a> </div> </blockquote> With only five Makers remaining, Making It Australia returns next weekend for another crafty episode. Image: Making It Australia

Home & Garden

“Me representing me”: Denise shares her Making It story

The latest episode of Making It Australia saw Makers embrace their musical sides, with the creation of musical instruments from surprising materials. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUdwXAdhDXv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUdwXAdhDXv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Denise Pepper Art (@denisepepperart)</a> </div> </blockquote> Denise, the latest Maker to leave the show, sat down with OverSixty to chat about her time on the show and what lies ahead. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? I think the highlight of being a Maker was the whole experience, getting out of your normal comfort zone in your own state and then being thrust from Perth to Sydney, and walking into a space you do not know, navigating around that. So that was interesting. But also, before you knew it, you made some really wonderful, lovely friends. And I think that was very valuable as well. I still speak to Dan and Andrew and Rizaldy every single day since we stopped filming. So we are a very tight unit, we all very much look after each other. O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? I think my strength and my determination, my physical strength of being able to have long days, and think on my feet and keep working and my mental strength because I'm a sculptor and I make work that takes six months to develop and make and put together but here I am on the set with unknown tools unknown face is having to make something in a very short, quick time. And those challenges are very interesting [in] how you respond to them. And I think I learned a lot about myself as far as that goes. O60: During the self-portrait challenge, you shared a vulnerable moment with Susie, Harvey and the judges about depicting your face. Could you tell us more about that moment and the challenges creatives can face depicting themselves in their work? I suppose that came to me so unexpectedly but obviously it had been sitting inside of me for a long time. And I suppose that we live internally, inside of ourselves. We hear ourselves speaking inside our heads, but when we actually hear it for ourselves it sounds different. And I don't spend a lot of time grooming myself in the mirror, it’s something that I don’t take seriously. And I suppose, I have thrown myself on a national TV program where it's me representing me and doing the self portrait, I knew I was going to have difficulties with it because I was not going to do myself justice by doing my face because it's not a comfortable area for me. And I suppose once that door was open, then I was pretty tired and pretty emotional and pretty homesick. It came out and there was a very long conversation that wasn’t shown on TV, talking about how I felt with the judges. And I was very stressed waiting for that episode to come on, because I knew it was coming. And since being on the show, I've had a whole heap of different emotions about the show, because as I've said, I’m from watching me, that was actually me and I don't know myself that well. But you know what, since that happened and it's been on Facebook, I have had an abundance of people replying, saying, ‘I hear you, I feel the same way. I know what you mean.’ So I think I reached out to a demographic of people who feel the same way as me, and I had the opportunity to go there on TV. So maybe there's something really positive about that. O60: What’s next for you after Making It? I promised myself that this year I'm not going to do a great deal except for this one exhibition because I think I'm going to reassess what I want to do. Strangely enough, I have no plan and I've never had no plan in my life, ever. It’s a new Denise! It’s really interesting. I don’t know who she is but I'm sure she's gonna be okay. I’m sure I will probably [get] back into exhibitions, and maybe run some lovely workshops from my beautiful home … [just] intimate small workshops with my glass practice, which is something that I have been kind of talking about because I love people and I love to share my ideas and my experiences, so I think that's a good possibility that's what I'll be doing is running, you know, really intimate personal workshops in my own home space. O60: Making It posed challenges that saw you use a whole range of different skills and techniques, has it changed how you have gone about your creative practice since leaving the show? Since I left the show, I think I had burnout, and was not able to create until probably the last couple of weeks. I think ... I had no more creativity inside me to create artwork. I focused on my home and I started painting and doing decorative stuff to my home because I think it gave me some sense of comfort because I was back home and I never went into my studio. I don't go into my studio much anymore, but I'm currently making a sculpture at the moment for an exhibition on the beach down here in Perth called Castaways, and I think I'm coming back to my normal self only just. So it's been a major adjustment, reconnecting back to my past existence. I came back a different person and I’m trying to find where I am at the moment. O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? I don't know. There are days I don't know and days I go, ‘Yes.’ I would love to be a judge on a show like that, I think, rather than a maker. I feel that physically it’s really hard on your body. And, and I don't know whether my body would allow me anymore. Mentally I'm fine. But my body is really tired from the show. So if it was the exact same show again, probably not. Making It Australia will continue to air on Saturday nights from 6pm. Image: @denisepepperart / Instagram

Maker Dan opens up on Parkinson's diagnosis

In episode six of Making It Australia, Makers were set the task of completing one piece in the Mega Craft Challenge. Contestants were tasked with creating an outdoor oasis in a challenge that saw them create spaces with soft lighting, firepits, swings, and functioning water fountains. Jack took out the challenge with his secret silver cinema, complete with a projector and a series of white curtains. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CUcTEfnBCh0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CUcTEfnBCh0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Making It Australia (@makingitau)</a> </div> </blockquote> As always, one person made their exit from the show, and this time it was Dan. After his departure, Dan sat down with OverSixty to chat about his time on the show and the meaning that crafting has for him. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? The Incredible Makers, Judges and other people that I got to meet were definitely the highlight for me. This is seriously like the Making Olympics!! O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? The pace was so fast! O60: In a personal moment on the show, you shared that you were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Not to pry, but this is an important issue to many of our readers. Are there any alternative treatments you are considering? Has your diagnosis put pressure on the crafting you do or increased the appeal of making things now? I have always broadcast the enormous sense of duty that accompanies my insatiable internal drive to create. As for [Parkinson’s Disease (PD)]? When I received the news I was actually a little relieved! I had been searching for the correct cause of the restriction in my right hand for several months. This diagnosis came with medication that provided rapid relief and a dim light at the end of a tunnel. Making it was an AMAZING adventure/distraction to which I adhered to a chance to prove to Kye (wife), Australia and MYSELF, I am still the Dan! So, yes, in the 15 months since my PD diagnosis, Crafting and Making has certainly gained emotional magnitude. With regard to treatments: I'm currently managing symptoms with medication. I'm hoping, prioritising my own health and wellbeing, stress minimisation, and a balance of rest/work will prolong the medications' effective window. Although unfortunately DBS Deep brain Stimulation has already raised its head in a few consultations. O60: What’s next for you after Making It? Keep showing my wife, Kye, that I love her! And developing the OCG (Obsessive Compulsive Garden) and I [am] hopeful I can complete my Electric Hotrod by March 2022. Work wise I've been making deliberate choices to consolidate and focus on what makes me happy. This has inspired me to launch DeleurDesign. In order to combine, my passion for the environment and minimising our impact, making skills, knowledge of a broad and growing array of materials and ability to design and create unique practical and beautiful solutions to problems for waste management in particular. Lastly, I am going to raise some funds for Parkinson's Disease Research. If you are familiar with the #CARBAR I Created while on Making It Australia? IT WILL SOON BE COMPLETED AND UP FOR GRABS!!! I encourage you to join me on this journey <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/deleurdesign/" target="_blank">@DeleurDesign</a> on Instagram or find me on Facebook. O60: Making It seems to be challenging the idea that eliminations mean you no longer appear on the show, can you give us an insight into what’s been happening behind the scenes with the eliminated Makers? They did an amazing job of selecting Makers! Assembling a group of Makers that became instant family! We still chat and create every day! O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? Yes! Starting this weekend, Making It Australia will air on Saturdays at 6 pm on Channel 10. Image: @deleurdesign / Instagram

“Powerful and empowering”: Robert shares Making It experience

Episode five of Making It Australia saw our crafters breathe new life into used items to create something new. In the Faster Craft challenge, Andrew outshone the competition with his welded deer light, made from scrap metal and vintage glass insulators from his farm. The main challenge pushed Makers to transform discarded items into furniture, with Rehana securing the win with her monster-themed bed made from a repurposed dresser. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUZyGqwBk9E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUZyGqwBk9E/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Making It Australia (@makingitau)</a> </div> </blockquote> At the end of the Master Craft challenge a Maker was once again eliminated, and this time it was Robert. The Melbourne artist sat down with OverSixty to reflect on his time as a Maker, and how it has impacted his community. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? I think the highlight for me was probably after I made my first Master Craft where I’d done the steel… Whenever I walked back into the barn, people were just standing and staring at it. But also, I think just connecting with all the other Makers and getting to know the judges and the hosts. It was just a really fun, fun space to create and just get to know new people as well. O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? I am a very relaxed person. And I like to listen to music and go at things at my own pace. But also, I didn't realize how much I smiled as well. Watching the episodes, I was like, man, I smile a lot. O60: On the show, your creations celebrated your heritage, family and your personality, including your Indigenous heritage. Could you tell us how it felt to represent your culture on the show? I was a little bit nervous. Because I like to have a yarn, I like to say things very long-winded sometimes, because there's a lot of story and depth to a piece. But to have a platform, and I know the response that I've gotten from people from my own family, but also within community, they've just been so proud and just so excited and thankful that they get to see a cousin or a family member actually creating and sharing culture on national TV… One of my cousin's said, ‘when we were growing up, you had Ernie Dingo, and now I've got my own cousin on TV.’ So just telling kids, which is very powerful, because I think the visual representation of indigenous culture is starting to [increase] more and more, but the impact ... personally to people that are Aboriginal, it's just powerful, and also empowering. I actually get to see somebody that has the same stories of me or looks like me. But I think it’s definitely changing up [and] a new era coming in of the celebration of Aboriginal people and their cultures, and the diversity of Aboriginal culture and peoples and their background. O60: What’s next for you after Making It? Because I work as an artist full time … so [I’m] currently working on a couple murals and commissioned artworks and also doing a sculpture for Hume City Council for peoples that have been a part of the Stolen Generations. So a very powerful piece that's going to be going up next year. Then just informing people about that story and what people had to go through, but also a place of empowerment and strength for community that have been through it … and hopefully whatever else comes now. I love sharing art and culture with people. O60: Definitely, especially because creating art is about expressing yourself, but then also creating something for other people. Absolutely. The importance that I think I want to give to other artists or other creative people is that your story is, as much of it is of it is yours, it's also the people that are viewing, people that are connecting with the story and how you can impart yourself onto them but also then implying a little bit of themselves on to you. And I think being able to do that in a way in which is an invitation for people to sit down and hear your story is probably the most empowering thing because we haven't had that much time to kind of chat and yarn to people especially during all these wonderful lockdowns but creativity and a show like Making It break breaks those moments for a little bit of time and you get to dream. O60: Making It seems to be challenging the idea that eliminations mean you no longer appear on the show, can you give us an insight into what’s been happening behind the scenes with the eliminated Makers? I'm not too sure what everyone else is up to. I know everybody's still kind of going about their everyday. But the thing, I think it’s still like a surreal moment. But we all still send texts to each other like, ‘hey, how are you going?’ And like we just have all these inside jokes [about] some of the stuff that didn't make it, but it's still funny that we kind of get to share that. O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? Yeah, I’d do it a little bit differently, I’d probably be a little bit more prepared. I think I'd work out a bit more of a strategic plan for when I'm not feeling very creative or I'm feeling a bit rundown ... and I think I worked that out towards the end. I was like, you just got to dance and listen to good music and make other people dance with you even if they don't want to. Nobody really wants to dance to some cool R&B disco Song at seven o'clock in the morning, but If they pick up your energy, you're gonna go and you're gonna have some fun. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CUZ4zPSBGaV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CUZ4zPSBGaV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by RMY (@robertmichaelyoung)</a> </div> </blockquote> Making It Australia returns on Thursday night at 7.30pm. Image: @makingitau / Instagram

EXCLUSIVE: Wai-Sai shares her Making It journey

The latest episode of Making It Australia saw Makers embrace food, designing paired food costumes and creating tasty self-portraits. Hot temperatures only increased the difficulty of the challenges, with Sai-Wai’s candy-melt hands and Dan’s sugar glue falling through. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUKTUtXBxGu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUHrxI_BMW8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Making It Australia (@makingitau)</a> </div> </blockquote> George took out the Master Craft with her intricate self-portrait using foods starting with G, and Rizaldy and Dan won the first challenge with their fish’n’chips paired costumes. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0; width: undefinedpx; height: undefinedpx; max-height: 100%;" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUKPJJStWF8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUKPJJStWF8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link" target="_blank">Shared post</a> on Time </div> </blockquote> <div style="position: absolute; width: 92%; bottom: 2px; left: 0; right: 0; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; color: #000; text-align: center;"> 5 Best VPNs to <a rel="nofollow" href="https://arablionz.cc/">arablionz</a> Vudu Abroad (Outside USA) in 2020 </div> But, one person had to leave the show. After being eliminated in a shock announcement, Sai-Wai sat down with OverSixty to answer our crafty questions and share her plans following her time on the show. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? Just being around like-minded people. Meeting that tribe of weird little misfits. O60: It seemed like you all had such a great bond on the show as well. Yeah, yeah we did. Honestly it was pretty much immediate. Quite a few of us were from Melbourne, and I remember even that first day, when we were flying up to Sydney… I remember being at the airport just [thinking] ‘I wonder if anyone from Melbourne is going to be on the show’ and just looking around and I clocked Russell straight away…. Russell had their little sequined backpack and I was like ‘Oh! Fabulous’. I think when we landed I saw that Steph had been sitting right in front of me and she had this fabulous pink handbag. And then I think the next person I noticed was Jack when we landed because Jack had some amazing floral pants. We just knew who our people were. It was really funny. O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? How kind of comfortable I was at doing it. I think it says a lot about the professionalism of the people we were working with, in terms of the crew, that they made the whole thing really comfortable and… made me feel really, really at ease. That I could be myself. O60: On the show, you created pieces that reflected your Asian heritage, could you tell us a bit more about what it was like to represent Asian creatives on the show? I think that one of my main drives to actually go on the show was to kind of represent Asian creatives. And I think once I met... everyone else who was part of the show, I was really happy to see that there was a breadth of age, experience, and diversity as well on lots of different fronts, and that was really refreshing. I think coming from a migrant background as well … I think it’s one of those things that’s coming from a place of love from your parents where they want you to be a particular thing because they’ve worked so hard to get to a point, and if you are outside that mould, that can be quite difficult. So, I think there’s a lot of Asian creatives that do have that experience, and either had to go into the field they don’t necessarily feel passionate about to please somebody else, or [push against it to pursue] that dream. Just being able to showcase my background and tell that story as well. And I think a lot of my art practice explores my sense of place as part of the Chinese diaspora, as well. It’s all tied in there, I can’t extract it from my work or part of my experience. It’s part of who I am. O60: What’s next for you after Making It? It’s been quite an interesting journey. So after we finished filming, I had a bit of a break, and I had an exhibition up in Sydney open, [and] managed to get a road trip in, then came back and managed to get some freelance work with the wardrobe department of an American reality series that was filming in Melbourne… I think that screens next year. And at the moment I’m working towards an exhibition in November… I’ll have an exhibition in Melbourne in about November. O60: It looks like you’re now tending to the barn’s garden now that you have been eliminated, can you give us an insight into what’s been happening behind the scenes with the eliminated Makers? Yeah, so hanging out there. So Harley and Susie have locked us in the shed and they trot us out every week. But yeah, looking after the garden, I’m quite happy with that. O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? Oh yeah, yeah. It was fun! It was really fun, and honestly, I would say that you know, if there’s going to be a season two and anyone thinks of applying, just do it. Making It Australia returns next week on Wednesday night. Image: @makingitau / Instagram

EXCLUSIVE: “We inspire each other”: Stephanie shares Making It experience

In episode three of Making It Australia, Makers reminisced about their hometowns and happy place across two ‘Home Sweet Home’ challenges. Sai-Wai claimed victory in the Hometown Diorama challenge with her layered seasonal diorama crowned by a clay pup. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUHrxI_BMW8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUHrxI_BMW8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Making It Australia (@makingitau)</a> </div> </blockquote> In the Master Craft challenge, Makers were tasked with creating their very own happy place. Makers produced large-scale spaces - from bedrooms and daybeds to bathrooms and medieval man-caves. Sai-Wei won once again with her fantasy bathroom, complete with a mural, claw-footed tub, and plenty of candles. <img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844330/242088590_703945750525594_1603170910710106832_n.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/378f78e127c34af8955693128920b3ff" /> Image: Sai-Wai Foo / Facebook At the end of the challenges, Stephanie was the next to leave the show. She sat down with OverSixty and shared her highlights from the show, as well as an insight into what is happening with the eliminated Makers. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? Everything. The days I had down at the tool shop, I loved more because I got to play with power tools. And I don’t often get enough time to do that at home unless I need to renovate something or do something. O60: [The show] must have really given you a chance to broaden your experience with other kinds of crafting tools and techniques. Definitely, because you’re mixing with crafters that have different abilities, and you just take from them, you learn from them, you share your skills. We inspire each other as well. And we played with different tools and used different techniques, and everyone was really nice in sharing what they already knew. O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? I feel it was a surprise how much I could pull off. I didn’t have as much confidence going in as when I came out. I didn’t realise what I was capable of when I had tools in my hands, because I don’t have as much time at home to do all that stuff because I’m really busy. But… to be playing things all the time for no reason [on the show] … I didn’t realise how much I could do given the tools [and given] all the time to experiment. O60: On the show your family inspired a lot of your creations, how did it feel to create a Happy Place just for you? That was a tough one to pick because I had to think, ‘What’s my happy place? It’s always my kitchen, I’m always making things. But if it wasn’t my kitchen, what could my happy place be?’ It was funny because I like to sit and read cookbooks to get ready for my next thing in the kitchen. So my Happy Place is sitting there with my cookbooks having my cup of tea… and it’s always around having food. It was really exciting because it came back to food. … It was really nice to show off my teacup coffee table, and my teacup clock, and my tea bags as a little cushion. That is my thing, it’s just for me, a space [where] I can relax. O60: Can you tell us more about your measuring tape bangle? That is my good luck bangle from Spotlight. I actually bought that before I even got on the show and I’ve been wearing it ever since. I feel like it’s given me good luck. And I think I need to get it engraved [with] ‘Making It 2021’ because that’s my year. O60: What’s next for you after Making It? Well, I hope there’s something more waiting for me. I think the show was meant for a reason, it was given to me so I can do something with this opportunity. And I’m hoping I can do something with food, something like MasterChef or something with Spotlight. Something with food hopefully. O60: We have had some hints that eliminated Makers don’t fully leave the show, could you shed some light on what’s been happening? Yeah, we’ve been in this big barn together with Susie and Harvey at the back, and I cook for them, Kat does the laundry, and Russell decorates the barn. O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? In a heartbeat, oh definitely. It was the most amazing experience I’ve had. I would definitely do it again. I recommend everyone to try something like that in their life, it was amazing. Image: makingitau / Instagram

Maker Russell reflects on Making It experience

Episode two of Making It Australia saw competitors embrace their inner child in two creative challenges. In the first-ever Team Challenge, the Makers came together to make functional billycarts, with Russell, Rehana, Dan, and Denise winning with their Beelycart. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CT4MDN7Nbt0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CT4MDN7Nbt0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Making It Australia (@makingitau)</a> </div> </blockquote> Rizaldy took out the Main Challenge with his magical forest cubby house. But, another person had to go, and this time it was Russell. They sat down with OverSixty and revealed their highlights of being on the show, as well as an insight into the show's unusual elimination process. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? I would say that the biggest highlight was the other Makers. To be with such talented people, it was such an experience, like, the creative energy when we were all together. And we all got along so well, like we were all so different yet all so similar at the same time. I don’t know how to explain it, it was as if we’ve known each other for years. We would have dinners and hang out together while we’re not filming. And it was so good because we got to talk about art, we got to talk about film, about music, and it just [had] so much positive energy. O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? The thing that probably surprised me the most [that] I could do more than what I thought I could. Sometimes when you look at someone else who’s talented or who’s really good at something, and you’re like, I can’t do that. But I realised when I got there … everyone was sort of positive and encouraging … and it made you want to try stuff. And so I found out that I actually could do a lot of things that I didn’t think I could do. O60: On the show you told Susie and Harvey that crafting is a way of representing your identity as a non-binary person. Could you tell us more about that and how it felt representing the queer community on the show? Yes of course. One of the reasons why I went on the show was I wanted to be a good representation for the queer community and to be someone that people can look to, because when I was younger, there wasn’t a lot of role models, as such, to look to. … you know, if there was someone like me when I was younger, maybe I could’ve got a better understanding of myself a little earlier than I had in life. I have been contacted by quite a few people on social media with just all these kind words and comments of support and admiration of some sort. It makes the whole experience even greater to be able to bring happiness and joy to the people that I’ve never even met. O60: What’s next for you after Making It? Well, at the moment I’m in lockdown, but I have started a YouTube channel, and I want to base it around crafting. It’s called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDW0TRqu0_LRhgtC6leVpA/featured">Procrastinating with Russell</a> [and] I want to base it around being a creative and someone who deals with mental health. I feel as if there is a big stigma around mental health and it has… definitely increased during COVID and lockdown, and it’s become very noticeable with everyday people. So if I make relatable content … it will be a positive influence to people. Like being creative, you just can’t help but smile and have fun. And, you know, you don’t have to be a fine artist of any sort. And anyone can do it as well, be it a four year old or a sixty year old. O60: We love the way the show seems to be trying to do away with the idea of eliminations. You and Kat seem to still be there in some capacity. What’s the deal? Well, we pretty much stayed at the farm. Kat [has been] hanging out the washing and I’m sewing up a storm. O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? In a heartbeat. Definitely, I would. It’s the greatest thing I’ve done so far. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CT4VuhGP7cL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CT4VuhGP7cL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Russell Zorino-Brown (@luckyfellow)</a> </div> </blockquote> Making It Australia returns next Wednesday and Thursday on Channel 10. Image: Channel 10

Home & Garden

EXCLUSIVE: We chat with Maker Kat

The debut episode of Making It Australia saw 13 creatives test their skills in two challenges. Jack came out on top in the first Faster Craft challenge, while Robert won the main Master Craft challenge with his traditional shield carved from red gum. But, one person had to go, and Kat was delivered the bad news after her Gaelic harp lacked finishing details and its iconic shape. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844110/making-it-ep1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/24746c9540954f85a085fa02448af98d" /> Image: Supplied After her departure, Kat sat down with Over60 to talk about her time on the show, and give a few hints about whether we will see her again. O60: What was the highlight of being a Maker? The experience of meeting other people and forming such good memories while we were together. We all got on so well. I was nervous about coming on the show but there were no dramas at all. I don’t know how [the show] pulled it off. O60: What surprised you most about your Making It experience? [Everything that happened] behind the scenes was interesting, and getting to how production [of a TV show] works. O60: On the show, you surprised Susie and Harvey by sharing that you bought your first book recently. What was the book that you bought and have you made any more progress? [It was called] The subtle of not giving a f**k. I’m about halfway through but whenever I try to read I get distracted by other things … I might stick with my colouring books. O60: What’s next for you after Making It? I’m currently studying a cert 3 and 4 in fitness, and want to become a [personal trainer] next year. I want to expand my brand and start by offering it to friends and family… I just want to make people around me more healthy. I’m also getting into photography and doing photoshoots for my friends and family. … I saved up and got myself a new camera… I don’t have eight hours on a weekend to paint but [with photography] I can go out for an hour or two and satisfy that craving for art. O60: You were the first to be “eliminated” . . . but it seems like you are still on the show! Can you tell us more about that? Is Making It trying to change the format of elimination style reality shows? I can’t go into too much detail about it, but it won’t be the last time you’ll see my face on the show. It’s not like other reality shows like The Bachelorette where it’s your love life that gets squashed [after elimination]. O60: Last but not least, if you had the chance, would you do it again? Absolutely. I would totally do it again. Making It Australia will be returning on Thursday night and challenging the remaining makers to construct their own Happy Place. Image: Supplied

Home & Garden

EXCLUSIVE: We chat with the hosts of Making It Australia

Lovers of Masterchef and crafting can finally enjoy both at the same time, with Making It Australia to premiere on Wednesday, September 15. The competition will see 13 of Australia's best professional and amateur craftspeople compete in two challenges each week, creating personal, handmade items along the way. The last one standing will earn the title of Master Maker and a whopping $100,000 prize. The Makers will be judged by award-winning production designer Deborah Riley and well-known paper engineer Benja Harney. Comedians Susie Youssef and Harvey Breen, who have joined forces as co-hosts, sat down with Over60 to answer some crafty questions. First up: Susie Youssef. Susie is a regular co-host on The Project and has performed comedy on radio, television, and stages in Australia and around the world. O60: You’re fast. You’re funny. But are you CRAFTY? What’s your history or background in making things with your hands? I am somewhat crafty. And by somewhat I mean not very crafty. I used to love watching my Mum make clothes and decorate cakes- she is brilliant! My Dad is too and so are my sisters. I’m just better at jokes. I love to muck around with paper and I dabble in knitting but I’m not great and I don’t need to be! Making It introduces you to the bonkers minds of legit makers and it’s amazing to see what they can do. O60: How important are the arts of making and creating in these modern times, and why? I think one of the best ways to fill the pockets of time that we have between working and tax returns and existential crises and deciding what to eat for lunch is with making and creating because it’s FUN! It makes you feel like a kid again and reminds us to play. Now (more than ever) it can be a wonderful, mindful distraction from the madness that surrounds us but it can also plug us into the energy of creativity. I loved watching our maker’s minds at work! Most impressive and important was how they recycled and up-cycled to create some pretty wild stuff. O60: Which medium [macramé, woodwork, glass-blowing, flower arranging etc etc] on the show is your fave and why? I can’t pick a favourite! I loved watching Andrew do metal work and Will do woodwork and Denise’s brilliance with lace and Sai Wai’s work with fabric and Rizaldy is a wizard with foam. Too many highlights! Also, getting to see some of judge Benja Harney’s paper creations was so inspiring for everyone and the phenomenal work judge Deborah Riley has created will blow your mind. O60: Think fast: DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DOUBLE KNIT?! NO I DON’T, STOP SHOUTING AT ME! I can double dinner though. O60: Now, please let our readers in on your favourite tidbit about the show or contestants that you are allowed to reveal. The juicier the better! Harley definitely built the barn with his bare hands and we have a special guest in the series who is crafting royalty… Next up is Harvey Breen. Harvey is a comedian, television host and regular on Hughesy, We Have a Problem and The Project. O60: Would you personally describe yourself as handy or crafty? Yes I would describe myself as handy... I just finished a bespoke mini caravan for an Italian greyhound... nothing about that sentence makes sense but it is nonetheless true. O60: What’s different about Making It Australia that viewers will love the most? What will set this show apart? Well obviously the hosting talents of myself and Susie will set the show apart. But more importantly the talent and diversity of the Makers I think is quintessentially Australian. O60: Which medium [macramé, woodwork, glass-blowing, flower arranging etc etc] on the show is your fave and why? Woodwork. Anything relating to timber. I love it. I love the smell of it, the feel of it, the look of it. I love starting with a flat straight piece of timber and turning it into a piece of furniture. O60: In 2018 you went to Russia with the Socceroos. Now, bringing it back to craft, think fast: DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DO A RUSSIAN JOIN?! No. This question hurts my brain. O60: Now, please let our readers in on your favourite tidbit about the show or contestants that you are allowed to reveal. The juicier the better! My absolute favourite part of the show was getting to make TV with Susie Youssef. The nonsense we get up to in our special house that's right beside the barn is some of the most fun I've had making anything in my career. She's the best and I miss her. Meet the makers Hailing from all over the country, these 13 makers are talented in a wide array of crafts and art styles. Andrew, 62 The oldest maker in the competition, Andrew is a scrap metal artist hailing from country NSW. After following a suggestion from his wife to get in the shed and be creative, Andrew has gone on to receive high acclaim for his scrap metal sculptures, which have become tourist attractions in regional areas all across the east coast. Dan, 37 As well as working as plumber in South Australia, Dan is a man of all trades, with experience in metalwork, woodwork, masonry, paper, welding, gold and silver smithing, textiles, and spray painting. He specialises in metal fabrication, modifying cars, and electrics, and is a self-described perfectionist and oversharer. Denise 61 Taking inspiration from friends, family, and nature, Denise is an accomplished artist who has had many of her works featured in Cottlesloe’s Sculpture By The Sea. The Western Australian sculptor and university lecturer specialises in metal and stainless-steel pieces, with skills in welding, woodwork, textiles, paint finishes, and knitting. George, 41 An experienced prop maker from NSW, George has worked in film and television, as well as the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and Vivid Sydney. She says she is most satisfied repairing or repurposing rather than throwing it away, and works across mural painting, drawing, welding, steelwork, and pattern making. Jack, 31 The Victorian architect with a signature red beanie was inspired by the way things can be made by hand as a child, and he has been creative ever since. As well as having experience in textile sewing and casting work, Jack is an accomplished composer and musician. Kat, 22 After being inspired in home economics in high school, Kat now makes her own clothes, bags, upholstery and quilts, and shows off her costuming skills as a children’s entertainer. The South Australian also has a talent for drawing and painting, with experience working with metal and wood. Rehana, 32 As well as working as a graphic designer, Rehana specialises in baking crazy cakes, crocheting, painting, and designing jewellery and fabrics. Originally from WA, the mother-of-one has also spent many years in Cape Town before calling Sydney home. Rizaldy, 55 After moving from the Philippines to Australia in pursuit of his dream job, Rizaldy spent 14 years working as an animator for Disney before making the move from 2D to 3D art. Now, the NSW creator works with wood, metal, clay, leather, and recyclable materials, with his motto being ‘why buy when you can DIY!’. Robert, 32 Choosing to pursue art over professional football, Robert specialises in Aboriginal art and takes inspiration from his heritage with the aim to celebrate Gunnai, Waradjuri, Gunditjmara and Yorta Yorta culture. The Melburnian has experience in everything from painting and sculpting to woodcarving, and got to meet Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when they came to see one of his murals in 2018. Russell, 32 This costume maker from Victoria has been described as the show’s glamour expert, having worked with countless drag artists to elevate their looks. Having spent a lot of time on his own as a kid, Russell turned to making to entertain themself and now loves helping people feel beautiful. Sai-Wei, 46 A self-described ‘all-rounder’, Sai-Wei is willing to try it all. Though she specialises in fashion design and mixed media sculpture, she also creates 3D pieces using paper, textiles, and embroidery. Initially turning to making as a way to ease her anxiety, the Victorian has since made a career in design that has taken her family by surprise. Stephanie, 45 With two kids, Stephanie enjoys spending months planning every detail about their parties, from invites and decorations to the table settings and costumes. Outside of her job as a learning support officer, Stephanie is a whiz with a glue gun and specialises in paper mâché and cardboard. Will, 22 Being the show’s youngest competitor, Will hopes to inspire other young people to get away from screens and be creative. Specialising in metal work, he also has experience in blacksmithing, knife making, woodwork, and manipulating and treating leather. Images: Making It Australia / Instragram, scrapartoz / Instagram

How to sign a document without printing it out

Lisa Du is director of <a href="https://readytechgo.com.au/" target="_blank">ReadyTechGo</a>, a service that helps people gain the confidence and skills to embrace modern technology. There are often times when you need to sign or fill in a PDF form that has been sent to you. You could print out the document, fill it in, sign it, scan it and then email it back but that's all such a hassle for something that should be so simple. Thankfully with Microsoft Edge (previously known as Internet Explorer), you can do all that without having to print the document! Here’s how: Step 1: Right click on the PDF file. Step 2: Go to "Open with" and then click on "Microsoft Edge" Step 3: Click on the pencil icon located at the top right. <img width="600" height="NaN" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/e785dd9ba906ed79fad48bd7e/images/04a179b2-1e01-4c08-a4e3-4cf46008b44d.png" style="width: 240px; height: 120px; margin: 0px; line-height: 100%; outline: none;"/> Step 4: Click on the "pen" icon and choose the right colour and size for you signature. <img width="320" height="148" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/e785dd9ba906ed79fad48bd7e/images/11f3ba9a-4647-40e1-bced-1a137714ef37.png" style="width: 320px; height: 148px; margin: 0px; line-height: 100%; outline: none;"/> Step 5: Draw your signature by holding down left click and dragging your mouse. If you're unhappy with the signature (or you've made a mistake) click on the "eraser" icon in the top right and 'draw' over your signature to erase it. Step 6: When you're satisfied with your signature, right click on the open PDF and click on "Save-As" to the document! Have fun signing documents in a jiffy!

Technology

Passengers literally forced to "wing it" on horror flight

Passengers on a flight from Detroit to Denver were forced to evacuate a Delta Air Lines flight, climbing out of the plane’s windows, because of smoke in the cabin. The flight, which landed on Tuesday and was carrying 146 passengers, had an emergency evacuation while the plane was taxiing to terminal. Delta Flight 1854 from Detroit landed around 8:10 pm when smoke started appearing. Flight attendants instructed passengers to cover their faces and to get down as low as possible. “We didn’t get any clear instructions, so people were like, hey, smoke,” passenger Paige Armstrong said. “Someone was whistling, people were yelling, everyone was pressing their buttons and then they opened the cockpit. “The woman next to me may have been a flight attendant and she said they are checking with the pilot to see what was going on. And I said, ‘Why don’t they let us out?’ Then they did. Then everyone was very orderly and polite.” All of the passengers exited the plane by using either slides or a window near the wing of the plane. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> More pictures. We’re all inside waiting for info and our bags. We all keep saying how bad our mouths taste still after breathing it. <a href="https://t.co/urEoi5JiHX">pic.twitter.com/urEoi5JiHX</a> — Rachel Naftel (@rachelnaftel) <a href="https://twitter.com/rachelnaftel/status/994056485616353281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2018</a></blockquote> There were a few reports of passengers who had minor smoke inhalation. “After arrival in Denver and during taxi to the gate, Delta flight 1854 from Detroit to Denver stopped on a taxiway where customers deplaned via slides and over-wing exits due to an observance of smoke in the cabin,” Delta said in a statement. “Airport response vehicles met the aircraft out of an abundance of caution and customers were transported to the terminal via buses. The safety of Delta’s customers and crew is our top priority and we apologise for the concern this situation has caused.” The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate what went wrong.

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Massive cost of global outage revealed

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Sweet reason why Kochie wore lipstick live on air

"I felt like I was drowning": Ed Sheeran breaks down

Bride wears engagement ring with blood in it

Lisa Wilkinson’s book price slashed by 70 percent

Do it for Dolly: Bullying awareness day

Maker George becomes Making It Australia’s first winner

“No space for self-doubt”: Rehana reflects on Making It to the final five

‘Holy smoke, what am I doing here?’: Maker Andrew shares his experience

“Me representing me”: Denise shares her Making It story

Maker Dan opens up on Parkinson's diagnosis

“Powerful and empowering”: Robert shares Making It experience

EXCLUSIVE: Wai-Sai shares her Making It journey

EXCLUSIVE: “We inspire each other”: Stephanie shares Making It experience

Maker Russell reflects on Making It experience

EXCLUSIVE: We chat with Maker Kat

EXCLUSIVE: We chat with the hosts of Making It Australia

How to sign a document without printing it out

Passengers literally forced to "wing it" on horror flight

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Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

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Information

Keep up to date

Search

Massive cost of global outage revealed

How to write creative non-fiction history

Sweet reason why Kochie wore lipstick live on air

"I felt like I was drowning": Ed Sheeran breaks down

Bride wears engagement ring with blood in it

Lisa Wilkinson’s book price slashed by 70 percent

Do it for Dolly: Bullying awareness day﻿

Maker George becomes Making It Australia’s first winner

“No space for self-doubt”: Rehana reflects on Making It to the final five

‘Holy smoke, what am I doing here?’: Maker Andrew shares his experience

“Me representing me”: Denise shares her Making It story

Maker Dan opens up on Parkinson's diagnosis

“Powerful and empowering”: Robert shares Making It experience

EXCLUSIVE: Wai-Sai shares her Making It journey

EXCLUSIVE: “We inspire each other”: Stephanie shares Making It experience

Maker Russell reflects on Making It experience

EXCLUSIVE: We chat with Maker Kat

EXCLUSIVE: We chat with the hosts of Making It Australia

How to sign a document without printing it out

Passengers literally forced to "wing it" on horror flight

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Do it for Dolly: Bullying awareness day