What's your handmade style?

I love hand made things, but not ALL handmade things. I seem to have become quite 'picky'...which has made me think about my handmade style. There is so much on offer out there and so many busy hands to cater for the masses that handmade products have divided into some definite 'styles'.

Here are some pretty pictures to help you decide where you fit in...

Are you a Modern Vintage kinda girl (or guy)?


Do you palpitate over Geek Chic?


Do simple Geos get you going?


What about Bright Woolly Wonderful?


is Shabby Chic more your thing? (it's certainly not mine! Too much pink!!!)


Does cutesy kids stuff make you go 'squeee'?

Or are you more of a Rockabilly?

I think I lean towards the vintage patterns and images of my childhood...

You can find all these image and heaps more inspiration on my Pinterest boards...except for the shabby chic thing...it's kinda making me gag a bit!

There is so much more that I could list here...maybe you can add to my list in the comments...

What handmade style are you?

xxxKyla

Dear Lovely People...

Wow, it seems my blog is more popular than I thought. I'm so glad you have all come to read and be entertained, but please let's get a few things straight...

1. Whilst I appreciate the visit, any yukky comments made here or on any other online forums are unwelcome. I write things to please myself, not to make any public statement or please anyone else. I refuse to be a socially-political figure so please don't assume that my comments have sway.

2. An internet troll is this.... http://www.flayme.com/troll/  ...stop being one and be better informed. You have the whole of the internet to find out information...use it!

3. If you have an issue with what is written within these walls, please don't go chinese-whispering about it. Send me an email at kylastory@gmail.com and I will answer you, don't expect that I will agree with you but I promise that you will get an answer.

Ta, Kyla xxx

Let me introduce you to...

...Ipswich. I know I've said it before but my little home town is quite a surprise if you take the time. Over the next few months I am going to give you a bit of a tour, starting of course, with the Top of Town precinct where I spend the majority of my time...

This morning I went on a bit of a photo walk. Here's where I went...

I had breakfast at fourthchild, it's an amazing cafe/restaurant owned by a good pal who is a genius in the kitchen. You can find all their opening hours and details here on their facebook page...

Then I popped next door to see Bec...

This, of course, is Cultiver: Indie Arts and Design (our shop!)...with The Loo checking out the new school themed window display complete with lines on the blackboard.

Then I crossed the road and said 'hi' to Precious Packages and Serendipity...they share the one lovely space in Ellenborough St...

There are some other amazing places in Ellenborough Street...

Bon Laneway...

Obsession Shoes

you can The Loo checking out the comfy chairs there in the corner...

The Shady Lady who has an eye for vintage treasures.

but my favourite place by far is ES Traders...a massive treasure trove of inexplicably beautiful things!

Then around the corner I visited Province Modern Country...the epitome of style and grace...

And last in our little Saturday morning tour is DG Dancewear right next door...pretty pretties for dancing kids...I just can't help myself when I see a tutu!

So, how did you like our little stroll this morning? Great little part of town isn't it? If you like what you see and would like to discover more then a trip to Ipswich is definitely on the cards, we have an exciting and artistic community so make sure you visit all the links I have included in this post to say hi!

There are also a few other places you need to visit whilst in this one little block...

Cactus Espresso Bar

The Vintage Advantage

the Swich Contemporary Art Space

Art Time Supplies

CJ Vogler & Son

Deann's Coffee House

Stay tuned for more fun tours around my hometown!

xxxKyla

A little time away...

...is good for the soul. And the skin tone too, it seems.

The little family is taking some down time at the beach. It's a lovely place, Caloundra. I have been coming to the north coast since I was a young girl and I really enjoy the laid back, granny style atmosphere. There are however, a few changes that the Sunshine Coast has gone through in the last 30 years, the most noticeable being the upgrades to the Bulcock Beach Esplanade and the walkway which takes you all the way around to Kings Beach.

Our little apartment overlooks all of this, with some lovely coffee shops and restaurants below. I have been happily snapping away since we got here...would you like to see some holiday happy snaps? Too bad, you're gonna see them anyway!

There were also markets this evening, so of course as soon as I saw the tents set up, I rushed down to check it all out. I am sitting here now on the balcony looking at the lights and listening to the buskers.

Bliss!

2011...the big list

Well, it certainly was a challenging year for most of us. i usually spend this week between Christmas and the New Year reflecting on the events of the world and dreaming up big and beautiful ideas for the next...but this year I think I will focus more on the people and things close to me, the small pieces that have combined to make the whole that was 2011. I could go on about the floods of last January but we all know what a toll that took on our families and friends so I won't elaborate. We were certainly all caught up in the sorrow and tragedy. Lots of friendships have been made in the past 12 months and I am so grateful for them. I have allowed some truly amazing people into my life (and removed a few not so amazing)...my family has been blessed by the generosity of our new friends and I have learnt to ask for help when I needed it. Lessons learnt about trust, gratitude and the importance of taking a deep breath. This all seems very obscure doesn't it? Well a lot has happened this year... We helped friends rebuild their lives after losing their homes We turned 32 and 35 We met and were royally screwed over by someone who promised a new start in life We were almost homeless (because of above asshat) I started noticing my first grey hairs (and promptly dyed my hair green!) We had our first wedding anniversary We almost didn't have a second We helped a new friend start her dream business I heard approximately 12 untrue rumors about myself My last surviving grandparent went into a home I started my own business with a good friend My little sister was diagnosed with type one diabetes I found my artistic mojo again A new friend lost a baby and a brother in law in the same week We finally started sleeping through the night We rediscovered our love for our hometown I danced in a shop window We had a large amount of wine I cried in public over something silly (I don't cry in public) Our boy turned 4 and found his groove We held a hiccup free dance concert in the middle of a double summer storm We ate a lot of delicious food cooked by good friends We held an amazing Christmas party with friends and family I learnt the importance of not just relying on myself for strength. What did you do this year? Make a list that doesn't include world events, it might surprise you how far you have been this year!

A little strange nostalgia...

Sometimes the memories of my childhood come racing back at the drop of a hat, well in this case it was the scrape of a spoon! Watching Bec take a screenprinting class at the shop the other day, she scraped her old-fashioned silver spoon across the screen to collect the paint with that special sound and I immediately felt a wave of nostalgia...remembering my Mum doing the exact same thing with almost the exact same flick of the wrist.

We all have moments like this and they are not always the obvious, most of the time it is the ramdom image or gesture. I have been noticing these moments more and more now that I have the shop and am surrounded by the things my mum loves on a daily basis.

What brings back memories of creating and making for you?
For me?...The way the colours of a watercolour painting blend together reming me of mum silk painting and me watching the silk absorb the paint in a new way every time...when Law and Order is on the telly I can always hear Mum's knitting needles clicking at the speed of light and know I would never be able to knit as quickly as she...

 

I would love for you to tell me your stories...comment below here or let us know under the link on the Cultiver facebook page. Share you memories with us and maybe inspire someone to start creating like our mums and grandmas did.

xxxKyla

I've taken up writing again...

...ironically of course!

Years ago when we were dealing with The Loo's aggressive projectile food allergies I joked to all who would listen that I was writing a screen-play for a new horror movie called 'Baby Gets Gastro'...it was going to be truly horrifying in the genre of previous cult flicks like Poltergeist and Psycho. Bodily fluids would run free and people would scream in horror.
I didn't end up writing that particular script, we all know how it ends anyway...mum in the shower hosing vomit and poo off herself at 2am. Go on, laugh...if you haven't been there already, you're gonna be there one day.

So now, a few years on and The Loo is about to turn 4. We have discovered that the vomiting does indeed stop (or at least has longer intervals) and we have at least a 9 full nights sleep. But I really feel the need to write an new script to share with you...it's working title is "What the hell is wrong with this F%#king Kid?". I'm sure any other mother with an almost 4 year old man-child will want to add their own particular twist to this one but I'm sure this one will be billed as a black comedy...

So I ask...What The Hell Is Wrong With This Kid?!?!?!?

And please, don't bombard me with links and advice from parenting books, experts on dealing with tantrums or how to 'speak' to your kid tutorials. That's old hat here in Little Bird Land, I've done the reading and there doesn't seem to be a youtube tutorial about how to exorcise the demon from a 3year old!

So, if I seem a little distracted when you see me at the shops, if I look like the thread is unravelling a little bit...you know I'm just working on my new screenplay!

xxxK