Made by Morton
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Made by Morton

Even dressed all in black, there’s a vibrancy that seeps out through Lauren Morton’s personality. The kind of smile and effortless banter that makes you feel right at home. While Lauren may be wearing black for this interview, she assures me that colour is usually her standard attire.
“It’s the Melburnians wardrobe and I do feel like I have converted to the Melburnian wardrobe a bit,” Lauren adds with a laugh looking down at her outfit.
“But I always wear something colourful, even if it’s just jewellery – I love colour. I may own a few fluoro things, which probably isn’t very on trend. I like mismatched colours as well and being unexpected in fashion. Making really interesting colour combos where you’d think that wouldn’t normally work but it does.”
And of course, hanging from Lauren’s neck is one of her own jewellery creations, a splash of beads and colour cut into angular shapes – a feature making her work unique.
“A lot of people do make stuff out of polymer clay and it’s just so fun and so easy, and I do encourage anyone to have a go of it because it’s so fun. But the real task is trying to make things different enough and just really professional in whatever you do,” she says.
For Lauren, her fascination with jewellery began in high school. It was something she always did, and would often scrounge around the house to find the materials for her next creation.
“I used to try and make jewellery in high school and I used to think I was so cool,” she says smiling.
“I’d make these big earrings out of things I’d find around the house like chains and keys. I thought it was the coolest thing and I’d make them for all my friends.
Lauren Morton
“I tried to bring in the whole, wearing one big earring as a fashion statement thing, but of course you couldn’t wear it because it was against school rules. I just kind of liked to make jewellery and I guess clay was just really fun and I kept at it.“
Years later and Lauren has stuck with the polymer trend but has taken it beyond just beading and string work. She’s now experimenting with the material she’s become so fond of and will be debuting her polymer desk clocks at the Finders Keepers Market in Melbourne alongside her new polymer prints.
“At the moment I’m stepping a little away from jewellery. I’ve got the core pieces that I love to make – they’re my favourite and customers love them – but I’m trying to see what else I can make out of polymer clay. So I’ve been making art, bowls and clocks and just seeing where the possibilities are with that,” Lauren says.
“I’m just trying to see what else I can make out of it and surprise people,” she adds quickly.
In each of her products, new and old, at face value they appear to be perfect. But on closer inspection you’ll see the pieces of Lauren she’s left behind – accidental or not. A fingerprint will be faintly visible on the blue bead or one of the angles will be cut slightly ajar to the rest.
“At the end of the day, everything is handmade so there may be thumb prints and that sort of thing, but that’s nice and people like to see that,” she says.
“I feel like it adds a bit of character and in that sense it’s definitely unique. There are a few designer things that are a mass production, using a laser cutter or whatever, but I like the fact that everything is unique and totally one of a kind.”
If you’d like to pick up some of Lauren’s pieces, head to the Finders Keepers Market at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, July 17-19.
Website: madebymorton.com
Facebook: facebook.com/madebymorton
Instagram: @madebymorton