On the 1st Day of Christmas, Lark gave to me...

Happy December folks! It's the month when we greedily open our advent calendars, stress about shopping lists and start to feel all tingly and happy. Well, I do anyway!

To celebrate December, here at Lark we are making a very special gift offer for our blog readers, every day - for 12 days.

Each day, everything from one of your favourite designers will be available to buy at a very special price.

Every offer will be available for one day only, until midnight when a new designer is featured.

We'll be posting the 12 Days of Christmas offers only on the Lark Blog and nowhere else - so keep visiting daily to see what the latest gift is!

Our Day 1 gift is ... 40% off Dumpling Dynasty! Scottish illustrator Fiona Hewitt is one talented girl, we have had a long love affair with her quirky, retro-chic images. Who else would make a radish person and call it Cookies? Fiona's Wu & Wu empire makes delicious bags and purses that attract attention wherever you go, the coolest tins of useful stuff for kids and grown-ups alike, and sweet homewares like the loveable Tins of Joy. Dumpling Dynasty is Lark's most popular range and for the very first time we are sharing it with you at a very special 40% off - for one day only! This offer closes at midnight on 1 December. It's time to shop with joy! Find Dumpling Dynsty HERE.

Handmade Living Profile: Emma Kidson

The final designer I have chosen to profile for the Handmade Living blog tour is Emma Kidson of Kidson Jewellery! How adorable are her cherry blossoms?

Name: Emma Kidson

Business: Kidson Jewellery

Location: Wagga Wagga weekdays and Canberra weekends!

When did you open ‘shop’? The Kidson Jewellery Studio opened in June 2008.

What is your business background? Bachelor of Arts (Jewellery) with Distinction, Charles Sturt University 2007.

What is the essence of your business? I create high quality, handcrafted, contemporary jewellery designs.

What is your secret to balancing business with family? Work becomes so consuming but it’s important to make time for each other, even if it’s as small a going out for one meal together each week. I am lucky enough to work from a studio in the same building as my husband, so even if I don’t make it home from work before he goes to bed, at least we can have a morning cuppa or lunch together.

What is your greatest business achievement? Winning the under 25 years category in the National Contemporary Jewellery Award in 2008 for my Origami Box Ring. And of course, being part of every Handmade event from our first market in November 2008 to the opening of the Shop in April 2010, and now inclusion in the book!

Name your favourite product. My blossom earrings. I am wearing them every day!

Why is handmade so important? It’s a vibe, a special type of positivity, a unique and individual process that begins with a spark. It’s having your own ideas lovingly crafted, piece by piece to produce an end result like nothing else in existence. It’s a connection between maker and object and between object and owner. It’s made with love, with passion, with flair. It’s HANDMADE!!

How did it feel being part of this amazing new craft book? I feel privileged to share something I love so much and am so passionate about, with a wider audience.

What five words best sum you up? Passionate, inspired, creative, artistic, original.

Where can we see more? Through selected shops and markets. See my website www.kidsonjewellery.com.au for more information.

Handmade Living Profile: Wynona Leach of Ivy Designs

The second lovely designer I have chosen to profile for the Handmade Living blog tour is Wynona Leach. Check out her fab designs for little ones!

Name: Wynona Leach

Business: Ivy Designs

Location: Sydney

When did you open ‘shop’: 2008

What is your business background? I have a degree in communications and a background in advertising and publishing. These things have helped with marketing the business. I learnt to sew as a young child and taught myself various craft skills. All business experience has been on the job.

What is the essence of your business? Handmade children's clothing, accessories and sewing patterns, all made locally.

What is your secret to balancing business with family? I spend time with my daughter during the day and work at night and when she is in care, which doesn't leave much time for relaxation. Weekends are normally down time.

What is your greatest business achievement? Recognition for quality and original work, positive feedback from stockists and customers, having my work published and earning an income from doing something I love.

Name your favourite product. The bowerbird necklaces.

Why is handmade so important? It allows consumers to connect with designers/makers and vice versa. Handmade gives meaning to things. It is a way of spreading the love.

How did it feel being part of this brand new craft book?

Flattered to be amongst talented people. Excited to see my work published and positive about the future of handmade.

What five words best sum you up? Creative, busy, humorous, self-motivated, loving.

Where can we see more? www.ivydesigns.com.au and various boutique markets including Handmade Canberra.

Handmade Living tour stops at Lark today! Profile on Kate Ward

Hurrah, as promised I am hosting today's stop on the blog tour to launch the gorgeous new Aussie craft book Handmade Living. I have chosen to profile some of the designers in the book for my post, as working with designers is really important and inspiring to me. I chose three very talented girls whose work I think you will love. The first is the multi-talented Kate Ward. You can find Kate, and many more crafters and projects in the Handmade Living book. Hope you enjoy this little stop on the tour - you can continue following the blog tour here!

Name: Kate Ward

Business: Kate Ward Designs

Location: Queanbeyan NSW

When did you open ‘shop’: When Shop Handmade opened. April 2010.

What is your business background? I grew up in a very creative family and could knit by the age of four. My family owned a paint and decorator store which I’m sure reinforced my passion for colours, patterns and textures. I graduated from the Textiles Workshop at Canberra School of Art in 1998.

What is the essence of your business? My artwork is varied, but I'd say there is an ethical and environmental emphasis to all I do. I like to print on natural fabrics and recycle where possible. This has led to my recycled range. I also believe strongly in the unique and individual.

What is your secret to balancing business with family? I’m not sure I’ve figured that out yet! I work full time and teach screen printing part-time along with my art business which leaves very little time for anything else. I try to combine activities that I can do with friends or family. My passion and enthusiasm for my work gets passed on to those around me!

What is your greatest business achievement? My work was recently selected to be displayed at the Handmade in Britain Fair (London, October 2010) and the Eco Design Fair (London, December 2010) as part of an initiative to encourage people to consider what they consume and purchase over the festive period. Twenty designers were selected to be part of a book showing how to make and recycle Christmas decorations. It was exciting to be selected and I’m the only Australian featured in the book.

Name your favourite product. I’d have to say the Paris Heart Balcony cushions. They remind me of my adventures in Paris (the image was sketched in situ). I spent a whole day exploring and discovering the delights of Montmartre. The highlight was enjoying a creme brulée in the café which features in the French film Amélie (my favourite movie ever).

Why is handmade so important? I think handmade products mean more, as it demonstrates that someone has put time and energy into making something. The beautiful thing about handmade items is that every design is different - a bit of personality goes into it too!

How did it feel being part of a brand new craft book? I was delighted to be selected out of the hundreds of applications who submitted to be part of the brand new handmade living publication. It’s a wonderful opportunity to share my designs with others, and the best thing is that it also encourages others to recycle plastic bags which have a pesky habit of accumulating in kitchen cupboards.

What five words best sum you up? Quirky. Fun. Original. Vibrant. Expressive.

Where can we see more? At Shop Handmade in Canberra and the Handmade markets which are held quarterly. Online at www.madeit.com.au/kateward and Blue Caravan www.bluecaravan.net/kateward, which promotes ethically produced products.

Love at lunchtime - Lark's song of the day!

Here at Lark HQ we have a little routine going where one of us suggests a classic luurve song for the day, and we we go about singing it for the rest of the afternoon. We thought it might be nice to share our favourites with you. Here is the first, a real classic: Anthony Newley sings Lunch With A Friend (1977), nominated by Dean in the warehouse. Ignore the cheesy 80s images and listen to those 70s lyrics. What do you think?

Watch this space for more Lark Love at Lunchtime, and do feel free to send in any requests. the sadder, the more melodramatic the sing the better, that's the way we like them!

It's a Cuckoo Christmas!

Well, Ms Cuckoo Nest has done it again. We've just opened the sweetest box of handmade Christmas goodies here at Lark...

Felt gingerbread cottages and woodland Christmas trees, with the tiniest details of candy, baby animals and Christmas garlands.

Hand-knitted pretty cottages, with embroidered climbing roses and dotty curtains. I'm in love!

We'll have a new shipment of Toasdtool Mice Houses and Miss Hedgehog Houses very shortly, in plenty of time for Christmas. In the meantime, you can find all of the Cuckoo Nest loveliness in our store HERE.

More things in my online yard sale!

I've added some new things from my personal craft stash to my Online Yard Sale organised by the lovely Pilgrim. This time I've added vintage children's wallpapers, old sewing patterns and some Japanese craft kits. You can find them here.

Rainy Saturday!

Whoosh - it has not stopped raining today! It did not deter people from coming to our garage sale - thank you so much everyone who braved the rain to come over, I really appreciate it! We were flat out for the first 2 hours, and the fabric table was cleared almost in the first half hour! It was lovely to chat with some of our regular customers, our favourite makers and designers, and meet new people too. A lovely new girl called Emma started work in the Lark shop today, she is going to be helping Jordana on Saturdays. Lots of pregnant ladies and cute babies came into the shop. A friend told me some fantastic news about her business. Right now we are eating leftovers from last night's dinner with our friends, and lounging in the lounge. Loving these roses from my dearest friend's garden. My son has his bestie over for a movie and sleepover. It's all good! Even with the rain.

Fabric sale tomorrow!

I've spent this morning sorting out some fabrics for the garage sale tomorrow. These will all be available for just $5 per piece, alongside the new Lark goodies that will be in our big sale. Most pieces are around a metre, some under and some over.

These prints are in a very high-quality English cotton jersey that I used to make into little dresses back when Lark first started!

I have many pieces of vintage sheeting in pretty colours.

Flannel fabrics - including Amy Butler and owl prints

Vintage terry towelling from the 60s and 70s - makes cute bibs, bathroom cushions etc.

There are also lots of babycord fabrics, new and vintage bits and bobs, including a little Cath Kidston, Denyse Schmidt, Laura Ashley.

The Lark Garage Sale starts 9am tomorrow in the warehouse next to the Lark Shop at 4a Duke St, Daylesford. Please note the sale does not have eftpos facilities and we can't mail anything to you, it is only in person (so if you can't make it - send a friend!).

Parking is available on Duke Street itself or in the Rex arcade car park next to Lark on Duke Street.

Other things to do in Daylesford tomorrow? The Daylesford Makers Market (Town Hall), The Daylesford Show (Victoria Park), Vintage shopping at the Bazaar, the Mill Markets and local antique shops, a pub lunch, a walk by the lake (where there's a playground and bookshop that serves good coffee) and much more besides! Hope you can visit our lovely town!

Handmade Living blog tour starts this weekend!

Handmade Living is a GORGEOUS new craft book written by Tania McCartney along with the talented team behind Shop Handmade in Canberra. I am excited to be one of the hosts of the 'blog book tour' over the next week - stop by here on 30 November for some very lovely profiles on three of the designers from Handmade Living. The tour starts this Saturday at Posie Patchwork, the blog of my dear friend Jennie, and continues until 4 December, when the book will be published. Hurrah! See the full schedule here.

On the zine table...

New on the zine table in our store this week, we have issue 4 of Extra Curricular (with a free holiday activity book) and issue 3 of Spoonful.


They will sit nicely alongside the new issues of Mixtape and Bespoke.You can find them instore this weekend or in the NEW AT LARK! page of our website. Happy reading!

Trapped!

A sudden downpour found me running for shelter into the Daylesford Bazar today and I was trapped in there for quite a while (poor me). I found some lovely things that you might like too - they are all for sale in there right now!

Getting ready for the garage sale...

lots of loveliness can be yours... details here

Daylesford Maker's Market sneaky peek

Take a look at who'll be appearing at the Daylesford Maker's Market this weekend! This is just a small selection, the Town Hall is gong to be bursting at the seams with handmade wares from incredibly talented and gorgeous makers! Many of them only sell locally so you wont see them anywhere else. Keep an eye on the Market blog for more maker features this week. Geoffrey Williams will be performing throughout the day (calm down ladies!), and there'll be delicious food on offer.

I love this market. It was completely re-launched a year ago with a new team of volunteers (of which I am one) and it has gone from strength to strength. We get great feedback from both stallholders and visitors, and even recently won a big local tourism award. The Christmas market is going to be huge and I definitely think you should visit and say Hi!

Dianne Jacono

Curlypops

Bunty & Sars

Clayspace

Pink Snowflakes



Kearnsie


Vintage Chenille



Blue Ginger

Moederkip



Foundry



Rabbit & The Duck

Tea & Jam Family Photography

A Skulk of Foxes



Mister Mista

Beccasaurus


Missy Mao Mao

She Tea


Okt-ober-dee