Hidden talents back in the open

MARY Carroll says she cried for a week after the Marysville fires destroyed the beautiful items she had lovingly created.
Ms Carroll and about 50 other craftspeople lost years of work when their co-operative shop Hidden Talents burnt to the ground on 7 February.
“We felt as if we were in mourning,” said Barbara Lambert. “That little collection is all that was left,” she said pointing to nine mostly ceramic pieces that have a special place in the new Hidden Talents shop at Yarra Glen.
The shop opened last week and co-op members are putting the heartbreak behind them, as best they can, as they stock new shelves with an eclectic mix of lovingly handcrafted items.
The stock was insured, and that has helped them re-establish relatively quickly, but being a non-profit group, they have not been eligible for any other financial assistance.
Thankfully, they are a resourceful and creative lot.
The shop fittings – shelves, display cabinets, tables and stands have all come from opportunity shops and transformed by the not-so-hidden talents of co-op members to create a fresh, functional space.
Their members, the majority of whom come from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, but also from as far away as Queensland, have worked hard to replace what was lost – painted china, glassware, coats for pooches, jewellery, hand-made paper, baby wear, vases, toys, wooden boxes, soaps. puppets and much more.
Hidden Talents is at 35 Bell Street and is open seven days a week. Phone 9730 2002.