Welcome to the Autumn edition of Hazed magazine! I hope ya’ll had a fabulous Summer of frolicking and fun! 2013 is set to be a fabulous year for the girls here at Hazel Loves Design, in April we are hosting the first annual ‘Craft Love Festival’ in conjunction with ‘Blogger’s Connecting’, if you are in Christchurch we hope that you can come! Later in the year we will be launching an online emporium. Stocking a mixture of locally made and designer pieces, all with a bright bold outlook. We are also looking to open a co-op store “Pay It Forward” in conjunction with ‘The Neighbourhood Trust’, stocking locally made pieces from here in Canterbury. Not to mention more ‘Hazed’ goodness being released at the start of every season (subscribe here). If you are an indie designer and would be keen to be involved in any of these initiatives, please do get in touch! Grab a coffee, settle in, because this magazine is the best yet... just saying!! x Hazel
Two of my new favourite finds! Blackagnes Design and Rosie Miller! Who are your favourite finds this season? Share them with me on Facebook!! xo
This months magazine starts with an interview with yours truly, thank you to those who posted questions for me to answer on our Facebook page.... What is an obstacle of challenge you have face and how did you get past it? Good question... we all have obstacles in life that can nfluence our achievements! For me my current obstacle is time... I never have enough of it, as my bottom-less to do lists can attest to. At the moment I’m making a conscious effort to appreciate the moments and fighting a battle with myself to strike a balance. I don’t want to wake up some day and find that I’ve missed out on ‘ life’ because I have been so busy being ‘busy’. What is the scariest thing you have ever done? This sounds lame, but it was moving back home to New Zealand!! Although very patriotic everyone I spoke to about New Zealand painted a dark picture of poverty and despair at home. Although I realise this is the case for many families, for ours in hasn’t been further from the truth. Our moving home to New Zealand has definitely been a positive decision and one that every day I am thankful for. Describe what an average day entails... Oh gosh. Don’t ask! I normally wake up when Jellybean does and get us both ready for the day, checking my emails whilst he has his breakfast. I drop him off at day care and head to the day job, were I slave away for a full day! After work I come home, spend time with the family, doing chores, having dinner and checking emails. After Jellybean heads to bed I check my emails, work on the magazine or the blog and watch the latest episode of one of my favourite shows (Currently loving Carries Diaries!) before heading to bed for the night, only to start all over again in the morning. ‘Checking my emails’ does take up a lot of time, it feels like there is always somebody to email or to check in with! And despite the amount of time I spend on it, it never feels like I get to the bottom of the inbox! If you could spend 24 hours with anyone dead or alive, who would it be and why? My Nana ‘Hazel’, she was such an influence on us as children and I miss her dearly, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t give to spend a day baking with her in her kitchen! I would especially love to write down all of those yummy recipes that were lost with her. Huge LOTTO win, first three things you would do/buy? A house - definitely!! The one thing I am lusting after most in the world at the moment!! A holiday - preferably exotic and warm, and with a designer shopping trip in there somewhere! Before setting up the business of my dreams and going back to work! So that’s me! I hope you find the rest of the interviews in this edition just as fascinating!!! x
Hazel Loves Design, Helping New Zealands Indie Design community in a real way!!
Sly Fox Jewellery Tell us a little about the story behind the business, the who, what, where, why and how.... Christie: Sly Fox began as Megan’s little nest egg in 2009 and since then I have joined the business. We are twins so we share most things! Creativity has always been a big part of our lives, our mum is an artist and had us painting before we could walk. Now days most of our creative attention is focused on Sly Fox and making jewellery. Our pieces are handmade by us here in Christchurch from a variety of materials including clay, brass, paint and glass. We make jewellery because we love it and it balances out all the text books and number crunching involved in our studies. What or who inspires your designs? And how do you find the inspiration for new collections? Christie: Nature and geometry are our main sources of inspiration. We are both studying towards our Masters degrees, Megan in statistics and myself in biology, so we are immersed in the subjects and inspired by them every day. Kitchen table or studio? And the best thing about being so? Megan: I use a spare room in our house as my studio and study. By day I sit at my desk and work with numbers, and by night I clip, punch, mould, and paint jewellery. The best thing about it is having a separate space that I can work on projects without having to pack everything away. Christie: A corner of my bedroom has been made into a mini studio. The best thing about having a dedicated space is that I can work on pieces in-between other things and I don’t have to pack everything up when it is dinner time or I need a space to study. Do you have a product that sells a lot better than others? Why do you think that is? Christie: Our brass geometric range, including the
bunting necklaces, and our critter studs are very popular. We think this is because they are unique and make people smile. A lot of work goes into each piece and people can see that. What have you learnt about selling at markets? Megan: Selling at markets teaches you a many different skills; including organisation, time management, and interacting with all sorts of people. Writing giant lists, including everything right down to not forgetting the cello-tape, is our technique. This works most of the time, with the occasional slip up of forgetting something like the float! What is your secret for a successful market stall? Christie: Presentation! From how your stall is set up and products displayed right down to how you package an item when it’s sold. We are lucky because our dad is a carpenter
so we can take him sketches of display ideas and then in a couple of days, voilà - we have a custom display piece! You can draw more people in with a bit of thought and time put into your stall set up and finishing touches like pretty packaging is nice for everyone. How do you define success for you and your business? Megan: We don’t hold huge aspirations for Sly Fox becoming a large empire, for us success is simpler than that. For me it is that moment when someone comes along and enjoys one of our pieces enough to part with their hard earned cash - the idea that someone wants to take something we have made into their own home. What’s next for Sly Fox? Megan: We are really excited about a couple of new ranges that we are working on! This year we are going to be working with some different materials exploring ideas that interest us, not necessarily all jewellery. You can expect to see some leather, felt, and silk!
x Megan & Christie
. Facebook . Felt . Blog .
Eating Outside the Square With Borrowed Earth
recipes that are just a little different than what we are used to, easy as and healthy. I hope you are a like me and love to experiment in the kitchen with new ingredients! Give it a go and let me know what you think.....
Lemon Cheesecake Yummy Lemon Cheesecake, no cook, quick healthy and real yummy!
Crust
1 1/2 cup nuts - your choice. I used a mix of cashews, walnuts and almonds all raw. Pinch of Sea Salt 1/2 cup of pitted dates - make sure you soak them in boiling water for a couple of minutes to soften, otherwise they are literally like little rocks in your processor! 1/4 cup shredded coconut Process the nuts into small pieces with salt in processor. Add dates and process again then add coconut. Press into bottom of your dish. Don’t even have to worry about greasing the dish as the nuts have a heap of oil in them and won’t stick.
Filling... 3 cups raw cashew nuts - in dish cover with bottled or filtered water and put in fridge overnight. Just like magic they will become plump creamy delights! Discard water. 3/4 cup lemon juice 3/4 cup agave syrup - from your local health food shop 3/4 coconut oil - in the isle with all the oils in your supermarket. Liquid form so heat up in pot on stove top. dash of pure vanilla - only the good stuff! zest of lemon Blend cashews into small pieces in processor, then add everything else and process again. Keep processing until it starts to looks like a smooth cream. May take a little while. Have a taste... if you want it more lemony add a dash more lemon juice not sweet enough add a little more agave. It’s your Cheesecake there are no rules here! Poor onto crust (I added some more grated lemon zest on top) and refrigerate for a few hours at least to firm up then get into it! Wow I sure do love easy no cooking cooking! And this cheesecake is really pretty healthy for you, sorry I didn’t say slimming I said healthy! Will keep in the fridge for 5 days. Ha as if!! ENJOY XOX
Would love your feedback so please drop me a line borrowedearth@xtra.co.nz
Balance is Happiness With Ami Ana
I’m a bit of a self confessed linguist. I LOVE languages. I’ve studied a few over the years and actually speak two languages fluently – English and Japanese. The thing is, that when you say you are fluent in another language, because of the way that they perceive the meaning of “fluent”, most people tend to overestimate your abilities in that language. That is they equate fluency with knowing everything. And really – how unrealistic is THAT? I mean, do YOU honestly know everything that there is to know about your native tongue?
Why beat ourselves up over fabulous Pinterest pictures and projects? Surely achieving Balance is simpler than that. For me, Balance is Happiness. Sanity and productivity are also integral parts of the formula – but the way I see it – they also both lead inevitably to happiness. So if one is happy, surely sanity and productivity are implied. So here are a few basics that I feel go a long way to helping me feel happy, and consequently keep me “Balanced”. Firstly, Exercise – it gets the endorphins going – apparently ;) At any rate the best you is a more capable, happier you. Exercising regularly will make you feel better about yourself, physically you will be fitter, stronger, and if you feel better about yourself, you’ll be in a better position to fulfil your responsibilities, to help others. You can start small and add more to your routine over time.
I will readily admit that there are big, complicated words in the English Dictionary that I’m sure I’ve never heard of, and if I was to make a guess at their meaning, well it would be a tremulous shot in the dark – a shot in the dark based on some rather basic linguistical knowledge, a fair grasp of syntax and grammar, and a background in Latin and Ancient Greek – but a shot in the dark nonetheless. I think the ever elusive concept of finding Balance in our lives is similarly Most importantly commit to making misunderstood. exercise a regular part of your life. Expect that there will be off days, so don’t be too Of course, as Indies and being the inherent tough on yourself – just be sure to get back creatives that we are, we hardly make it easy up and get back into it. You’ll feel better for for ourselves as it is, we’re basically setting it! ourselves up as suckers for punishment – and then there is Pinterest and the Blogosphere! Procrastination – DON’T do it. There is a You can forget about keeping up with the Joneses – we have an entire world Multiwide web to remind us all day, functional everyday, of everything that we think we should be that we’re not! But just peapods – like “Fluency” isn’t knowing delicious AND makes everything, “Balance” isn’t trying to for a highly do everything, and the only thing amusing dress-up we’ll ever achieve by running about prop. like a mad thing, desperately attempting to allot each of our interests and responsibilities an equal amount of time, is exhaustion and probably a fair amount of guilt.
s
real danger that we can fool ourselves into thinking we are being productive, ticking item after item off that mental to do list – aren’t we impressive? But in reality we are merely busying ourselves with other tasks to avoid the most pressing task – like weeding your garden path, whilst abandoning your actual garden to the weeds – totally and literally guilty of this! Just think sometimes motivation simply comes in the doing. So “bite the bullet”. Just do that thing that you need to do and that fantastic feeling of satisfaction at a job well done will come – rather than that false feeling of productivity from doing the superfluous tasks to avoid the important ones - which is really you just kidding yourself.
to be somehow off kilter and totally lacking in motivation. For me, I often like to amuse myself with my children’s unique quirkiness – such as them asking permission to eat peapods from the garden like they’re some rare and sought after treat. How many children think like that? When I hear them ask something as simple as that it’s so encouraging, a definite bright point in my day, and I’m sure subconsciously the reason why it is such a highlight is that mentally I’m giving myself a little pat on the back – well done you! Your children rate peapods as treat foods – good job!
Sure these aren’t cure-all solutions, I know that. And I haven’t even begun to cover all that is entailed in finding Balance, but for Revel – revel in the high points of your day sure it’s a good starting point – activity and and exercise that fine memory of yours, being active make it pretty hard to be especially when you’re having a downer of unmotivated and down on oneself, and a day. Have a tickle fight with the littlies. dwelling on and running with those feelings Welcome their offers of help with dinner. that we get from the random highlights in Drink in their hugs and kisses. Take LOTS of our day will help us to smile later on in the pictures – pictures of their art work, pictures day and pick ourselves back up when our of them sleeping in random spots around enthusiasm starts to wane. That for me is the house tired out from playing, pictures of certainly the beginnings of finding Balance in them goofing off and you goofing off with our busy Indie designer, creative, passionate them. lives, the catalysts for contentment – I know that. These are the things that get you through those off-days, days where you just seem
x Ana
Something for
every princess
Princess Treats
Target Your Market: Three Reasons to Blog By Katrina Robinson
Many people blog for personal reasons, but it can also be beneficial for your small business. Chris Butler of Web Angels regularly advises clients about internet marketing and improving your online presence. “In terms of marketing for small business,” Butler says, “[blogging is] the most cost effective form of marketing. It is free! It just takes a bit of your time.” Yes, that precious commodity of time. But do not discount it just yet. If this is not right for you, there are plenty of bloggers already reaching your target market that you can collaborate with. Here are three good ways that blogging can help grow your venture. 1) Search Engine Optimization (SEO). “Google likes the fact that you are building up subject content within your website” according to Butler. “In the blog you have the ability to put some information, keywords, those kind of things, to set up some basic SEO techniques. Google likes the fact your website is changing.” Any regular activity on your website is good. Even social media pulling visitors to your site will catch the attention of search engines. 2) Show your expertise and build trust. When selling on the internet, building trust with your scam-wary customers is crucial. By putting a face and a voice to your brand, your customers can see what sets you apart from the crowd. “The great thing that we see in a blog is that ... you get a chance to be a leader in your field and be the expert,” Butler advises. “Often people say what is your unique selling proposition and we all say the same: experience, good service, quality work. But not everybody has your
particular slant on your expertise. If you write about that subject, it shows that you are passionate about that subject and it shows that you are a leader in your field.� While Facebook and Twitter provide a similar opportunity, a blog allows for more comprehensive communication, something deeper and longer lasting. 3) Compliments social media sites. When you have written a blog post, Facebook and Twitter can be utilized to generate discussion about what you have written. Rather than seeing these as separate entities, they instead work together to achieve your end goal. “The whole point about social media is creating dialogue. Use the blog as your base.� Melissa Wastney blogs at Tiny Happy and has built up an array of business ventures from there. She offers a different perspective about her online
New Zealand’s first blogging get together - ‘Around The Table Blogger’s Connecting’, is happening this April in Christchurch!
'The whole point about social media is creating dialogue. Use the blog as your base'
presence. “My start to blogging was really just because I liked making things and being creative, and it seemed like a good way to connect with other like-minded people.” “This was five years ago now (eek!) and since then, a little business sprung up around my blog, but that definitely wasn’t the reason for starting it in the first place. I definitely think though that blogs are fun and a good way to share inspiration with those around us.” She believes that blogs are less about marketing than other social media tools. “Mostly this is because it requires a lot of content to make a blog readable and interesting. People need a reason to read it, if you know what I mean.” “I would recommend it as a marketing tool in that you can gather subscribers over time.” But, Wastney warns, “it takes commitment and work to do so.”
How do I start a blog? You do not have to be a computer expert to start a blog. Wordpress.com and Blogger.com both offer free blogging services that are user friendly. Still not convinced? There are plenty of people to hold your hand and if you already run a website, chat to your IT consultant about blogging. Remember, the blogs that are most successful are ones that have personality. Do not be afraid to let the your Blogging heart shine through as you write about things your Not For You? target market will be interested in reading. Give your visitors a peek into who you are, what your values Get others to blog about you instead. are and the humanity behind the business. Look for a reputable blog that reaches Whether you choose to share photos with captions or offer a more word based feature, this is a chance to let your creativity flow. Admittedly, it is an added bonus when that creativity also works to boost your website, don’t you think?
Check out Katrina’s Blog OffSquare
your target market and: * Do a giveaway or offer a discount code to readers for a limited time. * Buy advertising space on the sidebar. * Contact the blog author with your website details, letting them know you are interested in working together if they like what they see.
Art Out Loud -
Facebook . Website . Felt
- NZ
Like many women stepping out of the professional workplace and back into the home to be a mum-number-one, I felt I needed a creative outlet that allowed me to lift the fog of “baby brain.” I found myself compelled to transform my sketchbook ramblings into a means to be seen and heard in the outside world. Art Out Loud NZ gave me that voice. I began by imagining children’s names into weird and wonderful paintings and was struck by the positive response of my friends and family. I loved the element of surprise my artwork seemed to have... at first people seemed to see a picture and then on closer inspection the message contained within. Since then, I have challenged myself to create a word-inspired range of paintings, prints and clothing designs, a self-published website and a valued facebook following. Where do you find your inspiration? I am inspired by the small things that incite excitement in my own child – this grounds me and reminds me of what is precious – family, friends, our experiences, milestones and memories. I also enjoy stumbling upon the vast sea of online writers, poets, designers, artists and craftsters that cast out magnificent gems with tales of their journeys and thought-provoking creations. What are your daily ‘must visit’ websites? Haha! I had to laugh at “daily” with a two year old to chase, my time is too limited to visit any website every day – except perhaps my own, to update it! I dearly love the flavour of Dream Boat Books (the NZ publishing duo behind ‘The Cork in the Bottle’), reveal in the eye candy on Felt and covet jewellery designer Megan Auman’s blog for a little shot of business courage and links to excellent resources. Best piece of creative advice you have ever been given? Aim to be the best at what you do, define it, fine tune it... whether you want to be a swimmer, a singer or a story-teller – work hard at it and endeavour to be the very best that you can be. Michael Jackson resonates this notion in his book Moon Walker. That... and listen to your intuition.
t Shop
Your all time favourite quote? “Some see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say why not?” Robert F. Kennedy quoting George Bernard Shaw. Best kept secret... I sleep talk... it can get embarrassing! Your must have Indie design piece? If I could go wild – I would have a house full of rustic furniture from Raw and collectables from Jet Collective – in Raglan. What does the term Indie Design mean to you? Digging deep to hit that seam of creative gold, bringing it to the surface and molding it to share in unforgettable ways with others.
x Stacey
Garland Wonderland With Styled
So when we chatted to Hazel about doing a little DIY project for this magazine, our hearts went straight to garlands. Garlands are on our favourite all time list of decorations. They can be strung up at home above your bed, in front of your fireplace, at a wedding in front of a head table, anywhere you really want to make a statement. The nice thing about garlands is you can really play around with the colours and materials - from tissue, crepe paper, ribbon, fabric the options are endless. For this project, we used a lemon yellow and pale purple with a pop of silver as an accent, and we were pretty chuffed with the result. Everyone has their own way of doing things and we have road tested a few ways to make garlands, but we think this is the best way - it’s easy and it only took around 2 hours from start to finish, well that’s without the cat getting in the way! Here’s a little step by step guide on how to make your own dreamy garland….. Step one – Pick your colour palette. We are always big fans of complimentary colours in the same palette, e.g pastel, brights, natural etc. Then we always recommend a pop of shinyness gold or silver. Step two - All you need is tissue paper, scissors, ribbon and if you want, a pop of silver or gold some shiny awesome stuff. About the shiny stuff, we have hunted high and low for silver foil that’s easy to work with, we are yet to find this! As crazy as it sounds, we found something even better than silver foil sheets. Kids silver cheerleading pom poms. Yes you read it right! These can be found at The Warehouse and in most $2 shops! They are already pre-cut and you just break them apart and seperate them! So how much tissue do you need? For big garlands (long length) you get get around 5x garland pieces from one tissue pack of say 10 sheets, so work out how long you want it and wa-lah.
Step three – Lay the tissue out length wise and fold over Step four – Cut the tissue into long strips. Now here’s the thing, if this is for a wedding, event etc or if you like things neat and tidy, measure out the cuts so they are all even. For this project we used our eye. We kind of like it a bit random and free, adds to the beauty of it! Step five – Take two bunches of the strips and fold them in half. Take a inch at the top and twist it really hard and hold for a bit. Hold the tassel from the top and start to separate all the individual pieces of tissue paper so they puff out. Then give it a bit of a shake. This will make it big, fat and awesome! Once you have fattened the tassel up, If you want, you can hot glue the tassel loop together so it holds permanently, alternatively you can also run a pipe cleaner through the strips when you twist it together, this will achieve a similar result. We would totally recommend you do this if you are making it for a special occasion, it will stop you worrying about it unravelling! Step six – Grab your string that you are going to loop the tassels onto. You can use ribbon, silver rope, string anything goes. For this we found some cute silver thin wire which held the loops on nicely! Lay out the tassels on the floor in the colour sequence you want them. Now start to carefully thread the tassels onto string. For the shiny silver tassels if you use the silver pom poms, lay the silver over the top of the string and then tie the silver together with one piece of silver foil. Then so its easy, take the string and tie it to one side of a chair, gives you a bit of room to
move! Once they are all threaded on, tie the end of the string onto another chair and position the tassels how you want them. At this stage you can play around the with tassels so you get them just how you want them! Step 7 – If you find your tassels moving around on the ribbon and you want them to stay in one place, place a sneaky bit of hot glue on the underside of the loop onto the ribbon. But be careful make sure you have the tassel right where you want it, no going back once you have glued it! Step 8 – Step back and admire your awesome work. Well done you!
Have fun! X Bridgette & Hannah . Facebook . Pinterest . Twitter . Website .
Win me on Facebook
If you desire to make money from the beautiful things you create, then Handmade to Sell is an essential book for your arsenal. Kelly Rand writes in an upbeat and inspirational manner that is sure to get you kick-started. Handmade to Sell covers the key topics of developing a product line, marketing and even hiring staff and wholesaling. It also features the less obvious subjects like making a photography light box, organising your own craft fair and diversifying income. With the exemption of the tax section, which was written for the US market, you’ll find many tools to help you leap over the hurdles a fledging business may face. -Reviewed by Katrina - OffSquare
The cooler months are coming... bring a jolt of sunlight into YOUR home...
Serendipitous Zenefertiti Inspiration strikes at the weirdest of times. In movies it happens just when you think the hero is going to fail, lose everything and die, and then they get this great idea that saves the day leaving us with a happy ending. For me, it happens while making jam on toast late at night. Or after a marathon YouTube/Facebook session with a crazy friend I haven’t spoken with in ages.
Sometimes it doesn’t come so easily. What are we supposed to do then? I hate that sinking feeling, when I’m right on the verge of greatness, and I get distracted… the moment is gone. In the meantime, there is a little angel with a happy picture of a dinosaur, or a giraffe or even a broken clothesline on the cover of my favourite book in eyeliner. Eyeliner? How did they even get in there?
Inspiration is what drives us… motivates us. You know it when you feel it – something catches your eye, the line of a song plays around in your head… or you feel strange, sad or happy and have to do something about it.
I often turn to Google images for inspiration. I love the stuff on there. As much as random searches are great procrastinating tools, you can find some pretty interesting stuff. And for you and me, I found some tips on how to get inspired that I thought I would share…
For me, it is poetry or a single sentence that one day might become a story... for others it’s an idea only they can see. The real treasure is the finished product with heart and soul. It’s not about fame or money. It’s about getting finding yourself and taking delight in your very own creative journey.
Don’t be a Tryhard. It’s true! The harder you try, the more difficult it is to think of something. The frustration and panic and sheer yearning for something fabulous will leave you dead in your tracks. Either that or you will end up as one of those ladies with the immaculate clothes on at the shops, but still wearing slippers. The more you worry, the harder it will be for those great ideas to push through to the ‘a-ha!’ side of your brain… wherever that is.
weheartit.com
When does inspiration strike you?
Get lost in your thoughts. But just not the panicky ones. If you are feeling stuck, get outside, go for a walk. Fresh air will not only make you a healthier person (so they say… how great is the smell of exhaust fumes?) but it will clear your mind, and give you a nice dose of endorphins to send you on your merry way home again… Life, children and housework is much less daunting and intrusive if you can get away for a while – even a 5 minute walk around the block. You will feel more relaxed and ready to conquer your next project. After dinner is made and tomorrow’s lunches packed - of course. Get rid of life’s little distractions Although it might help, I don’t mean that you should tie your children to the trampoline
weheartit.com
along with a bottle of water and a piece of bread. Close that Facebook window! Put the phone away! Better yet, set yourself some time every day or at least a few times a week, with a pencil and a blank piece of paper, clay or fabric or whatever your medium is, and just do it. Don’t overthink it. If you get in the habit of practising what you do often, it will come more easily. Creativity is like a muscle, the more you use it, the better it works. Don’t be afraid to fail Trust your instincts. Try new things. Do something you’ve wanted to for a long time, but never have. Overcoming fear or laziness can be very liberating. Meet new people. Share your craft. You only fail when you stop trying and give up. Don’t give up! Put your project aside, and come back to it another day. If you decide it’s no good, and you don’t want to use it.. Don’t discard it. It might be useful one day. Especially if it’s flammable. Be ready for snap inspiration Carry a notebook, camera, voice recorder (or these days with technology the way it is, just a phone!) so you will be able to capture or record your fleeting idea in the moment. Scribble a few words, take that picture, and record your sing song voice… anything that will take you to that happy place later where you thought of something. You can use these ideas or impressions of other things to adapt to your own style. Meditate, Man! Ok, groovers, this might sound a bit far out, but emptying your mind of all your thoughts could actually help, like, bring new ideas in. Seriously though – meditation actually relaxes you and you may be surprised with what emerges. Guided meditations are great for newbies, and YouTube have plenty available… and the great thing about meditation is that you can practise it as you fall asleep, just to get into the swing of things. You like this new age stuff? If you have Tarot or Oracle cards, why not draw one at random? Each card has its’ own symbolism and mythology… and at worst you might have some sort of epiphany! Hopefully the above tips will actually help. Remember, your art is an expression of you. There is no such thing as bad art. It’s all about perspective. You have your own individual style and the world needs to see it. Get out there and create something inspired!
x Nicole
Want to hear more from Nicole? Check out Serendipitous Zenefertiti’s Blog and Facebook page!
Get lost in those endorphins...
To Who Design... Tell us a little about the story behind the business, the who, what, where, why and how.... Started as more of a hobby - something to keep the hands busy on the cold New Zealand winter nights whilst in front of the idiot box (television).
I moved to New Zealand from South Africa five years ago (citizenship is imminent - whoohoo!) just me and my suitcase. I’m an industrial designer by trade and my job involves a lot of technical drawing work, so in order to counter the 9 to 5 black and white slog, I felt the urge to do something more creative and colourful. I’m a bit of a colour fiend. My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was a little girl and even though I haven’t done any craft for donkey’s years, I managed to remember the basics. The only problem was that the pile of yarn and finished product seemed to grow bigger & bigger - hence the birth of towho What makes your craft unique? I love making up colour combinations on the fly & although the design aren’t particularly complex, each item is one-of-a-kind. What inspires your designs? and what motivates you? I’m inspired by all things bright and beautiful. Vibrant, happy colours just make my day. Bright stripes has me especially giddy. My motivation is slightly tinged with jealousy... Spending time surfing the net, has shown me so many ladies living their passion and getting to do what they love, taking full advantage of all the hours in the day - they had me feeling a bit guilty as well, as my output didn’t involve much more than what I’ve achieved at work that day. That left me feeling that I should be seizing the proverbial ‘carp’ and produce some happy, useful product. If I’m going to flop down on the sofa after a long day, I might as well be multi-tasking and making something.
Describe a typical working day...Too boring to contemplate...Up at 6:15. At work at 7:30 4:30, followed by chores and cooking supper & then... FINALLY... some ‘me’ time. How do you find a balance between work and play? Really not that easy, especially since crocheting involves sitting down & relaxing & my first instinct, given any decent stretch of free time away from the office desk, will involve getting into the car, getting out and exploring somewhere I haven’t been before.
Do you have a product that sells a lot better than others? The pouf covers seem to be a winner and also the one where people most often ask for custom colours. I guess they like having something that is totally unique, fun and custom-made to their colour scheme. What do you like best about selling online? The fact that it makes me a shopkeeper to the WORLD without it requiring massive capital or my undivided attention. It feels rather nice being able to say that I crocheted a pouf cover for a lady in Sweden/France/England How do you find social media influences your business? Facebook & Twitter - not so much, but
Find Towho on Etsy
I find huge inspiration from a wide range of blogs Business wise do you have any tips for emerging designers? I’d have to have a successful business to dispense tips, but never be afraid to work hard & chase your dreams. People who do nothing, are the only ones not making any mistakes. Where do you search for inspiration? Design blogs, travel blogs, pinterest, online magazines, etc. There are so many of them, it’s like a never ending source of what’s new/ beautiful/lust worthy/wish-I-thought-of-that. I am constantly amazed at what people are accomplishing and some images are just so stunning, it’s hard not to drool on my keyboard. Nature is also a surefire source of awesomeness as well as my home country, South Africa. What’s next for towho? I’ll be venturing into some property renovation work and trying to squeeze more out of my day. The television will be given the boot, and I am going to dust off all my art supplies and make, draw, paint, sew, etc What does the term ‘Indie Design’ mean to you? The fact that machines aren’t ruling the world just yet. I love the fact that handcrafts are being kept alive and flourishing and that there seems to be a little of the maker’s soul in each product that makes it that much more special than mass produced product.
Ela xo
Just because it is getting cold outside... Doesn’t mean we can’t be inspired by the colours and textures of the beach....
Summer days, drifting away...
www.fabricfixation.co.nz www.facebook.com/fabricfixation For all your fabric & sewing needs inc. chalk cloth, heat n bond, iron on laminate, cotton, ribbons, cutters, Patterns & much more
Making it with Love...
I don’t know about you but I am always reaching for the lip balm! So if you want to save yourself some $ and have the satisfaction of knowing that you made it yourself keep reading and have a go! Here are some easy as recipes for some yummy balms. You will be amazed at how quickly you can whip out a whole batch to keep you stocked up for ages and to pass out to friends and family. You really don’t need much equipment but if you can get yourself one of those little hand held beaters ( I haven’t got one but I think I need to invest in one! ) it is going to make your balms much smoother. Ok here we go....this is the method to use for all balm delight recipes! Melt beeswax and coca butter over low heat in pot. Be really careful not to burn. I actually turn off the element once I put the pot on. Add vegetable oils and or honey while mixture is still warm. Then remove from heat and give it a good mix with your electric mixe,r if you have one or just a good old wooden spoon. Make sure that everything is well mixed together. Now add your oils. Now pour into a jug and then into jars or balm sticks. (I didn’t have enough jars so just poured some into a little dish to use up first) My tip to you is be prepared and have everything ready to go. Your jars, balm sticks or whatever you are going to use all cleaned and ready to go (to clean pour boiling water over them then dry) You have a jug ready for pouring etc. You will know that your balm is going to work because it will start thickening up in your jug as you pour it so you need to be quick!
Chocolate Balm
15gm beeswax 5 gm coca butter 5 gm honey (I always use manuka honey) 65ml jojoba oil 10ml natural vanilla essence
Healing Balm
15gm beeswax 5gm coca butter 5gm honey 65ml jojoba oil 4ml carrot infused oil 4ml calendula infused oil 3 drops sandalwood essential oil 2 drops myrrh essential oil
Honey Balm
1/2 teaspoon honey 12gm shea butter Melt shea butter then add honey and mix. All ingredients, jars and balm sticks can be brought from lotus oils wwwloyusoils.co.nz
Now get ready for all those kisses with your super smooth luscious lips!! xx
DIY LIpgloss with Borrowed Earth
Tangelo Tree...
Tangelo Tree was launched in 2012 born out of a love of visual art, a passion for fashion/textiles and an obsession with jewellery. Early in 2012 after many years working in graphic design, I felt the urge to start ‘making’ again. Before too long several sketchbooks were overflowing with ideas waiting to be transformed into something tangible. However it was some time before anything materialised, as there is always that long period of research, sourcing the right materials etc. But in late 2012 Tangelo Tree’s debut collection was launched.
I am a one-man-band and have always found it very satisfying to work on individual projects from concept to completion. I always begin by sketching ideas which develop as I draw and I’m enjoying the physicality of jewellery making after designing on paper and digital platforms for so long. My craft techniques are totally self-taught and largely the result of much experimentation and playing. The aim is to create timeless art pieces to make something that the wearer will love, care for and value on a deeper level. What inspires your designs? And do you have a muse? Inspiration is everywhere. It can be as simple as sand patterns at low tide, or it might be the complex colours and layers of a piece of street art. I’m influenced by a life-long passion for art, fashion, music, film, photography and architecture. I love travel and find the urban environment endlessley motivating - the mix of old and new architecture, museums and galleries and the street art scene. I am also lucky to live near the coast surrounded by nature which provides a constant source of inspiration. So I guess you could say my environment is my muse! Which celebrity would you love to see wearing your pieces? I would love to see everyone wearing my jewellery as I love the idea of adornment for everyday wear. In the celebrity world... I think it
would be amazing to see one of my favourite jewellery designers rocking a Tangelo Tree piece Parisian Aurelie Bidermann.... that would be the ultimate seal of approval! Are you a slave to current fashion fads? I enjoy experimenting with style and love seeing what new trends emerge each season. I don’t follow fashion fads as a rule but if I’m inspired by a current trend I’ll definitely pick it up and mix it up with existing pieces to create a look that is my own. New Year’s resolution - Only buy pieces that I really love, and that are long-lasting. What makes your craft unique? I think it is my multi-disciplinary approach to designing that makes my craft unique. A combination of areas of study in textiles and fashion, applied arts, plus my technical experience in graphic design provides me with skills required to design and create my jewellery. I am also really priviledged to be in a position where I can design slowly. Slow designing enables me to experiment widely and work much detail into the crafting process. I’m drawn to using strong colour which I think draws an audience in for closer inspection at which point they are both surprised and delighted by the delicate detail. I think it is the combination of the unexpected colour clashes and my graphic designer’s over-attention to detail that is signature to my work. Kitchen table or studio? And the best thing about being so? I mainly work inside the house. In the centre of our living area we have a 110 year old Kauri table which life basically revolves around. Designing, making, eating, baking, homework and business all gets done on that table. In summer I also work on the deck in our hula hut that my partner designed and build. For me, it is vital to work slowly, so working from home allows me the time and space to make the conscious design decisions which (mostly!) results in well-thought-out pieces.
Do you have a favourite product? They are all my favourites but I’m finding myself wearing the Cooper Glow Stack for nights out, and for daywear, the vibrant energetic colours of the Neon Stack never fails to draw people in for a closer look. What do you like best about selling online? Selling online opens it up to the world, so you’re not limited to local. Tangelo Tree has recently attracting international attention and is now supplying to boutiques in Amsterdam and Abu Dhabi - all made possible by that online presence. Also, selling through shops like Felt and Etsy lets me be in full control of the selling process and makes it easy to build rapport and communicate with buyers in an open manner. How do you find social media influences your business? Tangelo Tree has come a long way in a short time, and this would not have been possible without social media. Online platforms have the ability to reach so many people. I’m really enjoy the instant communication, the benefits of online networking and promoting
and also, connecting with so many inspiring creatives from around the globe without ever leaving home! What is the best piece of creative advice you have ever been given? In 2005 whilst studying a Bachelor of Applied Arts, a tutor very firmly said to me ‘loosen up and get your hands dirty!’ Totally unappreciated at the moment given, it turned out to be the best piece of creative advice anyone could have given, as it had the most amazing effect on my creative processes, with end results reaching a whole new level (and not in the slightest bit loose!). Whenever I am designing and creating I always hear those words. Indie Design. Having the freedom, independence and passion to express yourself through your brand, and on a more personal level... aspiring to make a difference in the world in a creative and innovative way
x Christine
The Wonderful World Of Cupcakes with Sweeten Up
There are many different recipes around for cupcakes. The recipe below is one that never fails!! It can make cupcakes the size of muffins.. or small morsels of goodness. No matter what size they work every time.
What you’ll need....
2 Eggs Cream 1 tsp Caster Sugar 1 Cup Self Raising Flour A few easy steps.... 1. Crack your eggs into a measuring jug and fill up to the 250ml mark with cream. 2. Transfer to a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute. 3. Add in caster sugar and vanilla essence and beat for another 3 minutes. 4. Fold in the flour 5. Pick your cupcakes cases and size and spoon the mixture in. As they rise be careful not to put in to much mixture. Fill the cases 1/2 to 3/4 of the way. 6. Pop them in to the oven at 180 degrees. Depending on what size you’ve chosen to make these will depend on the time they take to cook. They don’t take long between 15-20 minutes so make sure you watch the oven. When they are light golden they are ready.
Butter Frosting 115g Butter softened 60ml Milk 3tsp Vanilla essence 500g Icing sugar. Away we go: In a large bowl beat all ingredients and half of the icing sugar until combined. Add in the remaining icing sugar gradually and beat until smooth and creamy. The longer you beat it the whiter it will go. Colour as you like!
Tips and Tricks
I like to add my butter icing into a piping bag to make the icing more of a feature. With so many options of nozzle designs you can simply play around with what look your after and then pipe away! Dont melt the butter!...When making butter icing it is important that in order to get the right consistency you only soften the butter.
centre or simply add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the mixture to spice things up a bit!. You can also go a little crazy with your frosting choices! Instead of a plain frosting why not make a peanut butter frosting? by adding some peanut butter to your mix. Top that on to a jam centre cupcake and wow amazing taste combinations!
Perhaps your after a more summery flavour. Add in some lemon juice instead of vanilla essence to create a lemon flavoured cupcake. For the icing, simply add some lemon passionfruit curd into your butter icing instead of You want something more than Vanilla?... the vanilla essence. There are so many This mixture allows you to add whatever ways to play with this recipe. flavours take your fancy! You can extract some of the middle of the cupcake once Get creative and enjoy sampling there cooked and add some jam to the all your creations X Once your feeling confident with making these get creative! Decorate as you like! flags, lollies,sprinkles, whatever the occasions they will look amazing!.
Meet our Contributors...
Borrowed Earth
Borrowed Earth has been going for a good twenty years now and my goodness we have seen so many positive changes in that time towards New Zealand and handmade products.
A long, long, long, long time ago after leaving school I worked in insurance for some time. The plan was always to go to art school (never happened!). But I did end up leaving my job without really thinking things through and being at a bit of a loss. I was still living at home and Mum had done Pottery and still had her Pottery wheel in the garage, so with her help, I just started playing around and thought it was a lot of fun. I guess I caught the ‘clay bug’! Slowly but surely I started taking over Dads garage to the point where he gave in and started moving everything out (cheers Dad!) And the garage became my first studio. Mum had worked for Peter Collis (New Zealand mega master potter) so I had the ‘means to get in’ (Yay Mum!) and worked in his studio for about a year. Such a great opportunity and I learnt so much. So then I just kept on making (very bad!) pots and sold them at markets, to friends and family (thanks guys!). Back them there were no ‘cool’ markets like there are now! I also had the chance to be part of a craft collective shop for a few years which really taught me a lot about the ‘other side’ of selling your work and how demanding retail can be. Mean while I meat Richie who later would become my partner in life and in business! He came on board with Borrowed Earth after he had been made redundant from his job. At that stage the business wasn’t quite up to supporting us both. So we made the hard call for him to go back to a 9 to 5 job so we could grow the business enough for him to come back into it and we could get a place of our own ( we all know how banks hate to lend $$ to anyone who has their own business!) Richie has been the other half of Borrowed Earth now for ten years. Today we are living in beautiful Whangaparaoa in a little 1960’s batch with our four cats (the boys!) with our studio ‘out the back’. Its still a joy to be able to make things that people want to buy and that we love to make! So (that was a pretty condensed version of my life!) and I just wanted to say to anyone out there that is struggling to make it.... If you really want it, keep going!! It will all be worth it someday real soon!
Describe the process your mind takes.. I do like to think about things for quite some time before I start to make. Coming up with new work in clay can take some time due to the firing processes. There is a lot of trial and error involved. We don’t have a lot of time to fully dedicate to new work so we fit new ideas around our working day. Sometimes I can sit on an idea for ages then revisit it and all of a sudden it works, other times it can take a lot longer. Even when you are full on in to the production of a new design it will always evolve of its own accord. I think its really important to keep things new and improving what you do. You want to be the flowing river, not the stagnant pond! Ha-ha Describe a typical working day... A typical day changes depending where we are in our cycle of production. If we have just fired and the kiln is ready to unload, parcels go out. I will either have a day of decorating, making or glazing (glazing, my least favourite thing to do!) Richie will be making or unloading or packing up parcels. During summer we may take a long lunch break and then work late into the evening as it just gets too hot in the studio. Evening time is catching up on Facebook returning messages or getting GST ready for our accountant (now GST is actually my mega least favourite thing to do!!) We usually work thru weekends and have a day off during the week to go out and do the things we need to do, or have a half day here and there. Who do you have behind the scenes... The other half of Borrowed Earth Richie. Cath our part time chick and of course the boys (our cats) the real brains behind the brand! Griffin, Chow Lee, Bubba G and Onnie oh and Cam our neighbors cat who comes over and helps! Do you have your own time... I think everyone who runs their own business has the same problem...Balance! And how to find it. Anything that is handmade takes time and obviously if you want to work for yourself you are after a lifestyle as well. So its pretty hard to fit everything in. When I am not in the studio I love to garden. I think its really important to keep fit and healthy so exercise is important and just taking time to enjoy life! We always like getting out and about
to see what other creative people are doing and its nice to get out of my studio clothes once and awhile. Ceramics is not a glamour job people!
Do you have a favourite product... That is hard! It sounds cheesy I know, but truly I love making every single thing! If I didn’t it would be gone from our range. I really believe that if you love what you are making it shines thru into your Anything worthwhile is always a bit of hard work. I used to get up every Sunday at 4.00am product and gives it that extra pow! to do the Takapuna markets, and get on the How have your products evolved... Well we phone to try to make contact with shops. I have been doing this for some time now and had a early morning cleaning job because I our work has really changed over the years. My wasn’t making to much $. But when you are starting out you just do what you need to do. I family have some really old Borrowed Earth didn’t have a mortgage back then so although pieces that I cringe at every time I see them. I wouldn’t say things were easier, I didn’t have But its also a good reminder of how far we have come. Life is all about growth and as a creative as much of a financial burden as now. But person your work can’t help but evolve over the I was a lot younger and I don’t want you to think it was all hard work, I did manage to get years as your skill level and knowledge base increases. Also I think its really important to a lot of ‘play time’ in too!
keep up with world trends and not to get stuck making the same thing day in day out. We have the problem of too many ideas and not enough time! How important is the issue of sustainability... Very very important! Sustainability, fair trade, ethical choices is what all business should be about. We make sure that we recycle when ever we can and choose our suppliers as local as we can. Our work is all handmade which has less impact on resources and we only deal with businesses that have the same ethical commitment that we do. Luckily the tide is now turning and so many people want to know the story behind the products that they are buying and want to make the right choices. Yay lets end mass production now and all buy handmade! What have you learnt about selling at markets... To be friendly and never stand with your arms folded! We like to check out any new markets before we do them just to make sure they are going to work for us. Really I think you just need to turn up with a good attitude and a lot of stock and be prepared to get that person who asks for the one thing that you forgot to pack! Not to stress out about the weather if it is an outside market, cause if its gonna rain it’s gonna rain! What is your secret for a success... I think this is a real easy one that sometimes gets over looked by people. Regardless of what you are selling how good/bad your day is going or how tired you are. SMILE and be friendly!! Make sure - if someone is buying something from you or not or asks you that stupid question - you are putting out positive energy so that everyone who you interact with goes away feeling good. Hey you are your brand, be happy about it! Best piece of creative advice... Go for it! When you are just starting out it can be really scary to take that big jump to doing things full time. Its something that a lot of people are scared to do and when they see you thinking of doing it they can sometimes be a little to ready to tell you all that could go wrong! I mean you do need to weigh it all up and have put the hard work in but
just go for it! Something that I will never forget my cousin saying to me over the phone one day when I was a little freaked out about the whole thing! And remember its your life make the most of it. Do you think you will open your own bricks and mortar store? Oh that’s way too hard! We are happy supplying our work to our fabulous gift shops and galleries (and selling a wee bit direct). They do a great job of representing us and we have a great relationship with all of them. We think of them all as friends really. Having been part of a collective run shop I don’t think you can be a creator and maker and be able to run a shop and all that goes with it. It would just be too much to take on! What does indie design... To me it means handmade and your own unique point of view. We are all influenced by what we see and what is on trend, but your own work should always reflect your own point of view and is unique to you.
Final Favourites... just some of the things I am lusting after this autumn
Fabula Spa Soaps are handmade soaps made from 100% vegetable oils and pure, healing ingredients
Winter edition out June 1st
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