A Creative Hive where workshops are run by local artists, hands get messy & connections & fun are had
Last chance to book a spot in our very popular adult Seascapes workshop this Saturday 22nd August 3-5pm. A fun and social couple of hours, no artistic experience necessary. Bring a friend or come by yourself. A canvas, beverage of choice and all supplies included. BOOK https://www.thearthive.com.au/workshops/adults/p/seascapes-sav
12 WEEKS AGO, I WAS HACKED 🥹🥹ðŸ˜
I haven’t announced this because, for the past 12 weeks, I’ve kept believing that surely it would be fixed.
It hasn’t been.
Twelve weeks ago, my Facebook and Instagram accounts were compromised in a sophisticated hack that affected my personal account, my business pages and multiple Instagram accounts I had spent years building.
There were unauthorised changes to my accounts, 12 Vietnamese hackers selling compression socks gained access, thousands of dollars in fraudulent advertising charges appeared, and I lost access to Instagram accounts containing years of photographs, memories, business content and connections.
Since then, I have spent an unbelievable number of hours (way too many!!) gathering evidence, taking screenshots, changing passwords, securing accounts, speaking to my bank, submitting reports and trying desperately to get through to Meta!
I have opened support cases.
I have sent evidence.
I paid hundreds of dollars for Meta Verified just so I could speak to a human!
I have been told my accounts are secure.
I have been told the problem is resolved.
I have been told my Instagram accounts are permanently deleted and there’s nothing I can do about it. 😩😥
At some point, you have to stop waiting for somebody else to fix things!
So after 12 weeks, I’m moving forward.
If my Instagram accounts can eventually be recovered, awesome. I would love nothing more than to have those years of work and memories returned. But please follow new ones that I start, I’ll post soon.
I’m not putting The Art Hive, my photography or my projects on hold anymore while I wait.
The hardest part of this hasn’t actually been losing social media. It’s been quite a refreshing detox! It’s been the feeling of having something you built taken out of your hands, knowing something is wrong, having the evidence in front of you, and still struggling to find a human being who can actually fix it. AI lies and tells you what you want to hear!
But the beautiful thing is this:
They didn’t manage to collapse my new business even though I couldn’t advertise for 3 months and had to cancel numerous workshops. Why? Because community was incredible!!!
Thank you to the kids and families who continued to walk through our doors every week.
Thank you to my amazing teachers and friends.
Thank you for spreading the word, we still had 36 new students sign up this term!
It’s our community, our creativity and our connection that fills my cup up.
This is me drawing a line under 12 incredibly frustrating weeks …
And if that means rebuilding some things from scratch… well here we go!
04/06/2026
At any time you can request a private booking for any artist run workshop if you have a minimum of 6 people, otherwise we will continue to post workshops every month. The exciting ones for June are an incredible coloured pencil workshop with the insanely talented whose exhibition you can currently see at 37 Spencer street .au and then a relaxing and beautiful workshop with Claire de Ridder from where you will select hand pressed florals and design your own beautiful framed piece of nature. Both are Sundays workshops and the perfect opportunity to relax and take time for yourself or catch up with friends or family
01/06/2026
Can I introduce you to ‘Head of Quality control’ at The Art Hive. She overlooks deliveries and was there when I was renovating the hive. The little wolf may be getting a little friend joining her soon. Who can guess? Comment your guesses
It was such a beautifully busy week at the hive! Kids and adult term classes were busy making stunning crepe flowers and drawing, designing and starting building their bugs or birds for the end of term exhibition. Corporate groups came in and did relaxing & gorgeous pressed flower frame workshops and the term group and a workshop group created amazing coloured pencil creations of butterflies and ladybirds. Can I really call watching people laughing, having fun, relaxing and creating a job?? New workshops for June announced soon or contact me for private booking or party booking requests
Claire De Ridder’s stunning pressed flower frame workshops sold out last time we offered them and I know lots of you have been asking when we’re running them again …. So here they are!! May 30th 4-5.30pm for adults and kids, then 6-7.30pm for adults (with a bevy of choice inc) Claire will guide you through a beautiful and relaxed workshop where you will select stunningly hand pressed florals and a frame, then create your own design that you can hang in your home proudly. Book before it sells out again https://www.thearthive.com.au/workshops/adults
22/05/2026
‘s incredible coloured pencil workshop is back at the hive! This one is absolutely beautiful and I can’t wait to join in! Absolute beginners are welcome, in fact her last workshop saw attendees who hadn’t done any art for 60 years and left with a detailed artwork that they were going to frame and put proudly on their wall at home. Janice is an award winning pencil artist who is currently exhibiting .au with artworks you have to see up close to believe they aren’t photos! Come and learn her tips and tricks in a relaxed and fun 3 hour workshop https://www.thearthive.com.au/workshops/adults Beverages of choice included and lots of giggles
I had a moment today where I was sitting back watching a class of beautiful happy kids, creating, laughing, relaxed, helping each other and so proud of what they had made and I had tears in my eyes and my heart was bursting with joy! This is why I created the hive! Hands getting messy, artists sharing their incredible talents and lovingly teaching and people of all ages enjoying a moment in time whilst the world whizzes by … still here, listening to people laughing and having fun! Thank you!!