It's my blog and I'll be a nepotist if I want to

November is all about family. Two of my daughters have their birthdays, my husband and I were married and two of my close family members also have anniversaries this month. It's hard to believe that it is nearly a year since one of them got married. It was such a special day, made all the more so by the involvement of many friends and family putting their individual talents to good use. Take, for example my brother-in-law, Chris. He is quiet, very unassuming, and also very creative, having trained and gained qualifications in video editing. His skills have been put to use filming and editing the wedding of one of my other sisters and he also enjoys dabbling in surfing videography. 

He designed the invitations for his nuptials and tied in items of significance to the couple. Music is hugely important to them, and the fish symbolism represents their star signs but also Chris is a keen fisherman and surfer. Butterflies also have special significance to them and they featured everywhere, from the cake to the floral arrangements down to the guests seating plan. Being a self-confessed font geek, I really love the use of the different typefaces and the colours that he chose.

You may have noticed a little bit of a spruce up around here too. There's nothing like a bit of a banner change and injection of subtle colour to make a blog feel fresh and new again. It's looking more and more how I imagined this space to be when I first started blogging here over a year ago. While I've been happy to potter around teaching myself how to alter the look of my blog with the help of the internet and some of Simone's very useful tutorials at Greatfun4kids, I handed the design of my new logo over to my brother-in-law, who came up with this sewing concept - I really like the texture of the crumpled paper and even though I loved the old font, the new typeface is more legible when it is shrunk down into my profiles on Facebook and Felt, which is quite important and something I never even considered when I first started blogging.

I think Chris, like many men (and Kiwis in general), doesn't like to broadcast his talents but I just wanted to say that while his passion lies in surfing videography you need only look at what he created for his own wedding to know that his talents are much broader than that and if anyone was considering a new design concept for business cards or if you were looking for unique wedding invitations, I know he would be only too happy to discuss your ideas with you. Chris, if you are reading this, I hope you're not blushing too much at this unsolicited plug, you are talented and I hope you can live your dream.

After all, isn't that what we all want to do in life?

This is not a sponsored post, although I may receive some whitebait for Christmas lunch *eyebrow waggle*.

In love with Ellen Giggenbach

Browsing away on the internet the other day in my quest for unique birthday gift ideas, I stumbled across this amazing paper craft designer who is based in Eastbourne, near Wellington. She has an online presence - a website and Facebook page - but I had not come across her work before and I only live a stone's throw across the harbour. It always amazes me to discover such clever people right under my very nose. I spent so much time on her website in complete awe of all of the incredible work that this talented woman produces that I wanted to share my discovery with you as well. She has published books, moved into textiles with her own fabric line and has some homewares as well. I was reminded of some European influence when I saw them so I was not surprised to learn that she was born in Germany. I am so excited to know that there is someone living on this side of the world who makes such profoundly eye-catching and distinctive art. I really want this horse art, and some of the paper craft would look so great in my children's rooms.

Image reproduced with permission from Ellen Giggenbach.

I bought one of her books, Animals, which arrived too late to gift to my daughter on her actual birthday, and I have had to hide it for an extra day just so I can photograph it for you before it gets massacred.

My first impression is that it is a quality paper craft book. The cover lifts off and converts into a sturdy envelope in which to store half-completed projects or the pages that are still to be attempted. The paper is deliciously thick and hours of enjoyment shall be had transforming the pages into 3-D creations.  There are also stickers included to further embellish the various creatures such elephants and giraffes among many others including this pony - I'm in total love with it all!

The age guide is specified as 6+ which I think looks about right, although I suspect I will still be needed to assist with cutting some of the trickier curves. I have my eye on Ellen's other titles, where an entire zoo and town can be made and used for interactive play. I'm thinking they'd make amazing gifts for someone this Christmas.

This is in no way a sponsored post, I just love Ellen's work and I even emailed her to tell her so. This does not happen very often but I think that offering words of encouragement especially to independent designers who may feel isolated at times, is just nice for them to know that someone out there is looking at and admiring their talent. Not only did Ellen send me a gracious reply but she offered to send me some fridge magnets, which are like six pieces of miniature art. I have two sets to gift to my readers. I will have one giveaway on this blog and another on Instagram.

Magnet art may vary from those depicted here.

This giveaway is open to my international readers. I will draw a winner randomly next week. Good luck everyone.

Hazed {Weddings Edition}

Hazed magazine's winter issue arrived today. I had the opportunity to either go sweat some lard off at floorball training this evening or lie on the couch and read the magazine with a packet of Tim Tams in my jimjams. The couch won and I really enjoyed reading all about people carving out names for themselves in the wedding industry in this country. Personally, I think it is the best edition yet, and I can say that without bias because I didn't conduct any interviews this time.

A diverse range of businesses are showcased including a feature on Wellington wedding gown designer Sally Eagle. The stand-outs for me though were the Q&A interviews with Twig and Arrow, a stylist specializing in floristry and Wink Loves a Party, a custom party decor business, simply because I had not heard of either business before and I love Hazed's mission to unearth hidden talent.

One Lovely Day owner and event stylist Claire Donaldson talks about her gorgeous off-shoot business One Little Wagon, a retro 1975 caravan converted into a bar that can be hired for special occasions. There is also a ring bearer's cushion tutorial and some lovely decadent recipes to try. It really is an issue that will have something to interest everyone.

I have mentioned time and time again how strongly I feel about supporting independent designers and what a great job this magazine does of giving them a voice. Now, here is an opportunity for you to discover it for yourself. Share a memory of your wedding day with me and I will put you in the draw to WIN a one year subscription to Hazed magazine.

If you are currently planning your wedding, let me know if you are using any of the businesses mentioned above or if you have other recommendations. If you are happily (or unhappily) single, you can still enter - if you win at least you will have a new magazine to cuddle up to every three months and it won't hog your blankets or put its cold feet on you.

Open to all followers of my blog who are resident in Australia or New Zealand.

For an extra entry, follow Hazel Loves Design either on her blog or on Facebook and leave me a second comment saying how you follow her.

I will draw a winner randomly and announce it here on the blog next week.

Thank you to Hazel Schreiner, creator and editor of Hazed for enabling me to offer this generous giveaway to one of my loyal followers.

Good luck, Moonies.

Hazel Loves Design Treasure Hunt

Holy moly, guys. I must have been asleep when the memo got sent out, but have you heard that Hazel Loves Design is hosting a most amazing treasure hunt? Clearly, some of you have as at the time of writing this, there are over 1260 entries. So, I thought why not further decrease everyone's odds by announcing it on my blog? You're welcome.

Some very clever and generous New Zealand designers and artisans have come on board to supply a diverse range of prizes that include homewares, jewellery and childrenswear - and randomly (but yummily), CAKE. Add to that a one year's subscription of Hazed magazine and a Hazel Loves Design marketing package to promote your indie design business. One lucky person is going to win the bounty worth over $1500.

In. Sane.

You had better head on over and check it out for yourself. I'm entering it just for the cake alone. And the iphone cover. There's no conflict of interest with me being a Hazel Loves Design blogging partner, is there? I'd probably feel bad if I won. But only a little bit. I'll share the prizes if I win, okay?

To be {you}, or not to be

My foray into selling one of my prints was shortlived, my friends. The other day, I opened the Felt homepage and my heart sank when I saw some alphabet art featured using a very similar typeface to my Be You print. To say I was horrified is beyond an understatement. When I first started toying with the idea of creating alphabet art to sell, I considered making a 'Hi' print, but I had a feeling that I had seen it before. A quick google search yielded several versions of the idea, so I opted for my phrase instead.

It is a terrible feeling to think that someone else has stolen your idea. Feeling very dismayed, I clicked on this seller's listing and noticed that the print has been advertised for some time, judging by the number of views it had amassed. It is quite obvious that my version arrived on the market later. So, now it looks like I'm the copycat. Hand on heart, it was purely coincidental. Even though the highlighted words are different, the similarities between my version and theirs were just too hard to ignore.  I may rework my design using a different font at some point, but to me, it was an easy decision to withdraw my listing. I would absolutely hate to be labelled as a plagiarist and if the situation was reversed and I discovered that someone else was 'borrowing' my ideas, I would hope that they too would take the matter seriously.

This whole issue around copyright is such a murky beast. The internet is in turns an amazing place to seek inspiration but it also makes it so much more difficult for people to protect their ideas and creations. How many ideas pass into people's subconscious, and without realising it, get passed off as their own with no credit to the source? Who could ever possibly know where the original idea came from in the first place? I use Pinterest very rarely for the reason that I may become too overly-influenced by others' work, as you can probably tell by how few pins my page has.

Copyright breaches are not limited to occurring between small players either. It has been a long-held belief in creative circles that large companies take ideas from independent designers, the most recent example being the newly-launched bedding and decor range in a well-known Antipodean chain store. How much of it is accidental or blatant copying with little regard for the owners of the original designs remains to be seen, but it is certainly the talk of social media at the moment and could be quite damaging to the store's reputation. Have a look at two products on the left that I pulled from the website in question and judge for yourselves:

The raindrop cushion on the right is made by Zü, a French label.
The bear and triangle fabric on the right is an Andrea Lauren design.

Eye-opening isn't it? I don't know about you but it has certainly changed my view of this particular retailer. There will always be demand for cute, well-made products and often it is the price point that will determine whether someone buys it. I accept that not everyone can afford or wants to pay for designer labels. However, would it not be prudent for large companies to pay independent designers and work with them instead of taking the idea and designs without credit or compensation? Or do they assume that consumers won't notice, or don't care?

Hazed {The Kids' Edition}

Hazed magazine and the woman behind it, Hazel Schreiner, champions New Zealand independent designers and their creations. Initially only available as an e-magazine, it has since been launched in print and is available now in a cute, compact A5 format.

It was my pleasure to interview Chris from merino clothing label BabyBundles for the latest issue which focuses on children's wares. To be one of Hazed magazine's contributors and get involved behind-the-scenes in my own small way was a real joy. If you would like to read more about Chris and the many other entrepreneurs and creatives profiled in the Autumn edition of Hazed, copies are available through the Emporium at Hazel Loves Design, but you had better be quick as there are just a few left.

Have a lovely weekend, Moonies.

The Summer Christmas Company - and my first market

Right peeply-deeplers, it's been a while since I showed what I've been up to lately on the creative front. I have always wondered what it would be like to make things to sell, but never had the courage to try it. Until recently. A friend of mine has launched a new business called the Summer Christmas Company. There are a range of non-traditional festive decorations and wares that evoke the fun and frivolity of summer as opposed to the more typical Northern Hemisphere winter wonderland Christmas scenes. Her simple, stylised decorations are a direct influence of native New Zealand flora and fauna.  Here are a couple of my absolute favourites:

Pohutukawa wreath, anyone?

These lightweight plywood decorations, sold in packs of three or half a dozen, could be strung together as a garland or individually hung on a tree and would make great gifts to send to loved ones overseas as a reminder of home.

I have known Mela for years, she is an absolute dynamo and she has designed all of these decorations herself. There are both plywood and acrylic options and she also sells plywood Christmas trees, and an acrylic LED version. Everything, right down to the packaging, is made right here in the A of the tearoa. I know this sounds like a sponsored post, it's not, I just really want to support her novel idea.

Quite unexpectedly, she asked me to help make some items to complement her fledgling business and with it being summer market season, my kitchen table went into serious production mode over the last few weeks. I gave away small glimpses of my makings on Instagram. She asked me to sew some Christmas stockings and bunting and I made some Santa sacks too, which was a nod to my own childhood when we would place a pillowcase at the end of our bed. Some of the products are in soft, muted tones with a bit of a Kiwiana feel, and most items were made using fun, bright prints rather than traditional Christmas colours and I hoped that this would be their point of difference.

Having never made things to sell before, it was really hard to know if there was even a market for these items, but I guess the only way of knowing was to put them out there and see what happened. What did happen? I shared the stall with Mela and while she made a couple of sales, I sold nothing. Zip. Zilcho. Nada. Niente. Unless you count Mela's lovely friend and her sister who bought a couple of bags and a stocking respectively a day or two after the market - and for the sake of my confidence, I am totally counting them. Ha!

So, now that the worst thing that could happen has happened, I'm feeling buoyant, and would love to try another market. Obviously, I am not planning to sell Christmas stockings in January, because that would be stupid. Unless any Russians want them? Did that last bit make me sound quite ignorant? I'm kidding, we all know the Russian children leave out their empty vodka bottles. Now I'm really going to burn in hell.

On the whole, my first market experience has steeled me for the customers who have no filter at all and quite happily stand across from me and tell their friend that they could make it themselves for much less (that didn't actually happen, my overactive imagination ran through a few of these pre-market scenarios). The old me (the 2 weeks ago old me) would have cried into my bunting and then felt a strong urge to punch someone in the face, which would not work very well for repeat business. The new post-market me has fallen in love with the vibe of the market experience and being around enthusiastic and positive artisans. I did get the sense that many, if not all of the buyers who came through the market, were looking for bargains (as in let's haggle the price down to zero profit margin for the seller), but that is probably a whole other blog post.

Things that make me go mmmm

1. Kotsu You go, I go, flamingo.

2. Hello Lovely and you are lovely, necklace. (You need to get together with your creator and make some bracelet babies, 'kay? Thanks).

3. Vanilla Design This clock is all kinds of flavours, but vanilla sure ain't one of them.

4. Courtney Claire (go the 'Naki!). Design available as a placemat and as equally stylish coasters.

Brought to you in association with Hazel Loves Design and the letter M for Mporium. Did I mention everything pictured is not more than $35? Mint.

Paper Moon loves Hazel Loves Design

You know that feeling when you read a notice on the door of a really popular hang-out and your heart starts pounding when you mentally check off all the criteria and you cry out "That sounds like something I would love to be involved with"? That's exactly how I felt when I read this post on Hazel Loves Design. Then, you send a carefully scripted email playing it cool but you're actually really crossing everything that it even gets read and THEN you get a reply saying "Yes, let's be friends". That was me, a few days ago.

I am very excited to share with you that I am one of 10 bloggers who will partner Hazel Loves Design to showcase the emerging businesses and creative talent that abounds on these shores. I think many of us have felt at times that we are the person with their nose pressed up against the glass looking in at all the coolness happening on the other side of the door. Supporting great New Zealand-made design and the creative brains behind it is something I truly feel passionate about. It is so exciting to be involved, I can't wait to help by using this space to promote New Zealand indie design and new businesses that I love. What this means is that you will likely see some promotions from Hazel Loves Design like the one currently on my sidebar and I'll be helping to spread the word about all of the amazing talent there is in this country of ours. With Hazel's help, I will also be offering wonderful giveaways from time to time.

How does that sound, friends? You don't have to say it, take it from someone who knows.