about me

I create to be of service to beauty.
Creating brings more beauty into my life and my world.

Create {kree-eyt}

- to bring something into existence, invent, make something new

- to pursue or be engaged in a creative activity

For years I have enjoyed sewing, DIY homecrafts, trash and treasure markets, second-hand shopping, up-cycling, repurposing used or unused items and my new paper craft of junk journaling blends a lot of my personal hobby activities.

Hi, I'm Kylie!

I enjoy creating a range of hand made items for personal use as well as for others.

Creating brings about something deep within that no other activity can do.

It's beautiful privilege to create. Whatever you create, no matter how good you are at it - it is your perfect remedy for whatever ails you in life at any given time!

Less thinking, more doing.
Get messy! Have fun!

Crafting and creating is not new to my life. I come from a lineage of DIY homemakers - on both sides.

As a child I my mother was a clever sewer of our clothes, school uniforms, dancing costumes (yes they were all handmade by dancing mothers back in the day), a savvy homemaker and home economist and much more.

I remember many an evening hearing the cutting scissors at the dining table or the sewing machine whirr. My mums best friend when I was younger was also a crafty sewer of clothes and Highland dance kilt outfits for her twin daughters. Strangely I loved organising the sewing pins in the pin cushion by colour or making shapes and the feel of the tissue paper from the patterns.

To me, it's pretty normal to 'make stuff' - I don't know life without it.

In recent years, my mum is the one who re-introduced me to paper craft with her interest in Travellers Notebooks and sending me a junk journaling video that sparked my latest crafting interest.

My father is also very crafty and handy always with DIY projects around the home and even taking up leather craft making bags, belts, wallets, diary covers and much more.

Living in Brisbane for the last 20+ years, I've taught myself many crafts and learned to incorporate home crafts into my life. This is a way for me to learn, retain skills of yesteryear and weave handmade bespoke items into modern day and ensure maximum usage of everyday items that would otherwise be seen as waste.

Meet me here if you would like to know more about who I am.
(Note: this link will redirect you to my other website)

Create.
To be of service to beauty;
for your wellbeing; just for fun;
your mental and emotional health;
your spiritual connection and
to give more meaning to your life.

What have I made over the years?

I thought I would list out the types of items I've created over the years. A recap for myself more than anything. It is not until now that putting it all together in a list really highlights the diversity of all the different learned and self taught crafts I've tried my hand at.

And I'm not qualified or trained in any of these crafty ventures.

Junk journal making - the most recent creative adventure.
Websites - yes this website and my other website and another long ago in the past (for Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage). Including all logos, page content, content creation and relevant images and associated marketing such as brochures and business cards. Thankfully my corporate days gave me enough skills to figure it out.
Furniture restoration - as you can read about for the recent projects I have shared on this website under Personal Creations.
Jewellery such as Mala bead necklaces from gemstones, gemstone bracelets and earrings.
Candles from home rendered tallow - they burn lovely with no VOC's.
Soap - body and laundry from all the saved lard from our animal based ancestral ways of eating. Minimal ingredients, safe for skin and waterways.
Body balms, lotions and potions - I love home apothecary creations.
Food - My husband and I make all our meals at home from scratch including homemade ice-cream, long slow simmered bone broths, slow cooks and more. I've also tried my hand at butter churning, fermenting milk, yoghurt, sauerkraut, biltong.
Clothes - I learned at high school, some from mum (in between the augmenting about it) and re-taught myself to sew in my late 20's getting to the stage of making all my own dresses for my corporate job - and getting compliments. I even made my lace bolero for my wedding dress outfit and my nieces dress for the wedding.
Homewares - over the years I've made my own curtains, table runners, footstool covers, covered some wall canvas frames with a fabric of my choice and probably a few other items I now forget.
Platform bed in the back of our car - my husband made this from and idea I was inspired by online. A simple Lego style collapsible platform that we can expand for when we go car camping and put a mattress on top and collapse and keep in the car for extra storage.
Drawing Mandalas - this was a recent personal counselling session suggestion - for me to draw a mandala each day for 30 days. You can see what I drew and read more about this here.

Paper - back in the day I had my own paper making kit and did make quite a few batches of recycled paper. I wish I hadn't got rid of the kit now. Maybe time to source a new one.
Card making - there was a time in my 20's I was interested in paper craft made batches of and handmade cards. They were quite pretty.
Dried flowers - every now and again I'll try my hand at drying my own flowers. I have a small press and have just enough flowers and ferns in the garden to curate enough for my crafting purposes.
Raffia hats - back in the 80's I think this was when I was still at school. I remember big swaths of raffia, soaking the strands in the bathtub, plaiting away for meters and meters, then hand stitching the plait into a hat or two. I think I actually liked my hat but got rid of it years later.
Crochet - I've tried my hand at 2 scarves, some kitchen pot holders still in use, chair covers and a batch of dishcloths that we still use at home for several years now - they are going strong.
Pastel canvas art - years ago I was inspired to try my hand at making my own art for home. I drew an angel on canvas for my 2 nephews and niece and with their names on it, and I am pretty sure they still have the canvass artwork in their rooms today. I still have 2 angels I drew in my craft room hanging on the wall.
Therapy angels - these are a recent creation - a family of angels - out of thrifted doilies and wooden beads. They are hanging on a branch I dragged home from the street, and in my craft room. They are intended to be used in my counselling practice.
Smudging sticks from my own homegrown lavender and sage. I've also made smoke smudging wands for myself, my mum, sister and niece.
Driftwood chimes - from collected beach driftwood, oyster and other shells. I have one at my front door which jingles when the wind blows and made one for my sister as well.
Driftwood Christmas tree and seashell ornaments - we made our own a few years ago as I wanted to downsize our Christmas tree and bring that seaside summer feel to the season.