Jumping across to Tumblr

My blog located here on blogger originally started back in 2007 when I launched my product label "Messagemark". The time has come for me to streamline things and move to a solution that integrates well with other social media sites like Facebook and Instagram.

So I have made the jump to Tumblr. Luckily, I worked out how to import a few posts from this blog so it doesnt make it's debut look totally empty!

Anyhow, that means this blog will just sit here now, until I return to read my antics again from the past 8 years!

Thanks for following, and if you want to see any current news from my design studio check out this site www.studioblog.com.au. You will find me there!

Toodle-pip,

Support Locally Made This Christmas

Saturday 6th December - Langmeil Wines Tanunda.

Sunday 7th December - Hart Mill, Port Adelaide

Sunday 14th December - Bowden

Last chance to purchase my Messagemark products directly from me! Come along to one or all of the amazing events listed above and stock up on SA goodies. Please support our small local businesses this Christmas to help keep your $$'s in South Australia!

Toodle-pip,

 

It's Market Time...

Spring is in the air (and a touch of summer with 34 degrees here in Adelaide today) and so it is time to come out of the old Winter hibernation mode and take part in a few markets leading up to Christmas.

First up you will find me sporting my new little Messagemark mini shop display at the Goodwood Art House Marketplace Sunday 2nd November.

Yay for sunny days, gorgeous crafting friends, lovely customers and supporting local primary schools!

Support local, see you there!

Big Merger Taking Place!

I have decided to merge my Messagemark Facebook page together with my Kyrie Design page so I have less to maintain on Facebook, which means more time to create! 

My new page is called Kyrie Design Studio, to cover all of my design antics - branding, websites, paper products, and features from this studio blog. There is so much cross over in my design work it makes sense to do this.

Thanks so much for visiting my little corner of Facebook, and if you haven't already, please pop over to the new page and like that one so you continue to see updates in your Facebook news feed!! 

Toodle-pip,

Gettin' Creative with Dinky-Dye

Heidi & Baby Pip, Nigel the Kookaburra and Denis the Platypus

What a thrill to receive these photos in my inbox this morning! A loyal customer of mine (Kathleen) beautifully designed and handmade this amazing quilt for her little boy's bedroom. Kathleen has designed the quilt around our Dinky-Dye Cut & Sew characters Nigel, Heidi and Denis.

Creative and clever is an understatement!

I am so happy that my Dinky-Dye range inspired these creative projects for Kathleen, forming the colour palette and theme for her son's bedroom. No classical navy and red to be seen here! I love it!

Next on the to do list is a custom made cushion featuring Jess & Baby Toby!

Click here to see a previous post about the matching floor rug that Kathleen made to compliment the Dinky-Dye framed prints. AMAZING!

Toodle-pip,

Messagemark Instagram Love

Polyhedra "Kite Print" - perfect for a boys room.

"Retro Mod" Prints hanging in Moyra's lounge.

Nigel the Kookaburra having an afternoon siesta!

Polyhedra Garland Kit  - Well done Kristy!

At Three Card Trick

Polyhedra Garland in white at Council of Objects

I just did a tag search for "messagemark" on Instagram and found these posts from my customers! I love seeing where my products end up! Thanks for sharing lovely people! 

Toodle-pip,

shop in your ugg boots!

It's totally acceptable to stay in your ugg boots... we now offer FREE SHIPPING for all orders within Australia! Shop from the comfort of your own home with a cup of tea in hand! 

Check out our online store - www.messagemark.com.au

Toodle-pip,

Taking a break

Toodle-pip,

Polyhedra Garland Prop

Messagemark Polyhedra Garland adding a bit of punch to the pages of The Vine - Burnside Village Magazine.

Christmas Cheer!

Sending Christmas Cheer to you and your loved ones. Thank you for supporting my little business Messagemark throughout 2012. It's been a hoot! Looking forward to bringing you more papery goodness in 2013.

Toodle-pip,

Foreshore Fun!

The Semaphore Street Fair is a day of fun and entertainment for everyone! Semaphore Road is closed, allowing the street to come alive with a wonderful festival atmosphere enjoyed by locals, families, friends and people from all over Adelaide...and everywhere else!

As summer nears, enjoy Semaphore Road’s colourful shopping experience, high-quality food in a unique beachside atmosphere, the fun of the foreshore amusements, a huge variety of entertainment, all in the relaxed family friendly "big country town" atmosphere of Semaphore! 

Messagemark will be setting up shop for the day too. Looks like it is going to be beach weather so head on down!

Toodle-pip,

The Paper Workshop

We are SUPER excited to announce our spring/summer craft series, THE PAPER WORKSHOP in partnership with E for Ethel.With a focus on the festive season, and to get you crafting in time for Christmas, we present two crafty paper workshops to decorate your home or give to the favourite people in your life!

Using recycled papers, we’ll make versatile holders, fabulous decorations and other useful, lovely and upcycled items.

Sunday 18th November  | 2 - 4pm
I (Kyrie) will be creating three eco-friendly items for Christmas, including a beautiful 3D star.

Saturday 1st December | 2 - 4pm
Sonja loves printing and folding. She’ll help you make beautiful cyanotypes (dramatic blue images ‘printed’ in the sun) and then fold them into a clever holder for napkins, pictures, invitations and the like.

These workshops will be held at E for Ethel and bookings are required. Book early coz tix are limited! Please phone Amanda (08) 8367 0312.

COST 
$25  {includes materials and afternoon tea} If you have any papers that you are itching to use creatively, you can bring them along too. You’ll also receive a 15% discount & free gift wrapping for any purchases over $50 made on the day!

WHERE
E for Ethel Gifts and Cafe
Shop 7, 116-120 Melbourne St
North Adelaide SA 5006

http://eforethel.com.au/events/

Toodle-pip,

Bowerbird Christmas Event

I'm extremely excited to be attending the Bowerbird Bazaar Christmas event in November. We have some special new products to show you, plus our Christmas range of course! It's time to get those pens writing your Christmas greetings and get them in the mail!

So stop by for a friendly hello with the Messagemark team (Denis & I). We are in the same spot as last time. Go to Stand 78!

See you there,

New D.I.Y. Cut & Sew Kits...

There are bubbles of excitement in the Messagemark studio as we prepare for the launch of our new product "D.I.Y. Cut & Sew Kits".

We are very much into crafting at home, so we decided to expand our D.I.Y. craft range to include cute sew yourself Dinky-Dye softies. Something a little different again from the Messagemark studio, but this time working with fabric.

To continue the theme of providing human and planet friendly products, our designs are printed onto 100% super soft organic cotton sateen, and the fluffy toy fill provided is made in Australia from recycled plastic water bottles!

 

The toy fill looks, feels and performs in the same way as a high-grade poly fiber, but is completely recycled and non-allergenic. For every 1kg of fiber used, we save around 70 water bottles from ending up in landfill, which puts a smile on my dial! I am so happy that there are suppliers out there coming up with these incredible ways to recycle our rubbish and turn it into a useful product! Awesome!

Keep an eye on the shop for our cute Dinky-Dye characters... available first week of November!

Toodle-pip,

Dinky-Dye Softies

Yay, look what arrived today! My Dinky-Dye printed fabric sample, and the good news is I am happy with the colour palette (finally!). The colours weren't quite up to Dinky-Dye standard with the first 2 samples I had made, so I went back to the drawing board and started over. I've also simplified the shapes so they are even easier to whip up! Spending the extra time tweaking and actually sewing them is the only way to design from scratch! And... did you know that we have picked a gorgeous soft organic cotton sateen and eco friendly fluffy stuffing that is made from recycled PET bottles?!! Yay!

When will they be available you ask? Well, we are aiming for launch beginning of November with first public appearance at Bowerbird Bazaar. But of course I will keep you in the loop as the range is added to the online store!

Toodle-pip,

One more sleep...

 Starting tomorrow! Yay!

Polyhedra Garlands

'Polyhedra' is here and is available to purchase online! The new designs are our spin on the current geometric trend in home-wares and fashion. A celebration of sharp angles and bright colours, the range includes our popular cards and prints, and a clever new Polyhedra Garland 'Cut & Fold Kit'.

Get crafty on a cold Winter's day and make your own unique geometric paper garland to hang on a wall, above a mantle, in a window, inside or out. Garlands are a cute way to add a colourful design element to any space.

VIEW THE POLYHEDRA RANGE HERE >

Fresh Bread from Ireland? What the...

In everything I make and do at Messagemark I am always searching for a 'green' solution. Over the past 2 months I have been designing a box for my Note Card sets with the help of a local Adelaide business Creative Cardboard. 

It would be dishonest of me if I said the process of designing this box was smooth sailing, it took me about 2 months and many prototypes to come to this final design. An yes, it is simply a box made from recycled board, big deal! The point is I chose to use a local supplier over sourcing from overseas which would have been a third of the price. Working with a local supplier gave me the direct face to face interaction to communicate exactly what I needed.

There are many environmental benefits to choosing local suppliers, and it is also great for our local economy. I want to keep my Aussie dollars in Australia. 

Don't you think the world is going a bit nuts - 'fresh' bread being sold at Coles from Ireland... where is there sense in that? Don't we have enough bakers in SA to meet the demand? Of course we do!!

Please think about what you are buying and where possible support our local businesses! And please, be aware of where products are made. Cheaper is not always better...

Toodle-pip,

One Jot Card at a Time!

Jot Cards cut and ready for creasing

Creasing Jot Cards by hand.

My trusty hand creasing machine

Creased Cards waiting for packaging

I've been making Jot Cards this evening... I love it when I have a table full of cards, they look so lovely in their groups so I thought I would take a few snaps. Denis kindly guillotined them for me ready for creasing. My creasing machine dents the fold of the card to give it that crisp professional finish! There are machines out there that do this at a much faster rate, but I opt for the slow manual way (handling one card at a time) as I am quite fussy about the end result. Only the best will do at Messagemark!

Toodle-pip,