Hi guys. Sometimes – actually, every time -  it’s hard to write a blog post after a long break. So much has happened between posts that I don’t know where to start, or what to share. But then after a while of sitting here looking at the blank box, I realise the best place to start is in this moment.

In this moment, I am sitting in my little home office/studio/dumping ground, at the desk, writing this blog post. Laly is having her midday nap (what a wonderful difference it is to be down to one long day nap!), and Romain and I are working on getting the last remaining shipping invoices to the book buyers from the campaign, and then I hope to be able to start getting some of the packages together throughout the rest of this week, so that we can start sending them off around the world next week.

As I’ve been collecting the shipping and adding the details in the spreadsheet, I’ve been receiving lovely little notes within the invoice payments, with inspiring and encouraging comments. It warms my heart so much, and encourages me to keep going.  I’m very thankful for the support, I would not be able to keep creating if it wasn’t for those of you who voice your cheer.

Laly is growing so much. Among so many skills she is mastering, she has just started to walk, and I’ve noticed how much she is uplifted by positive remarks and reassurance. Her face lights up when we say “Bravo!”, and “Well done!”, and if she stumbles through trying her new skill, it will be one of those remarks that encourages her to try again.

Last night after Laly went to bed, I reflected on the words that she is hearing the most throughout every day. Other than “Maman” and “Papa”, I realised the words we are repeating the most every day are “cuddle”, “câlins” (french for cuddle), “snuggle”, “beautiful”, “love”, “bonjour”, “bravo”, “kisses”, “bisous” (french for kisses) and of course “Laly”. It got me thinking about how lovely that is, how much that must make a difference to someone’s life.

I had intentions to write a post about Laly’s first birthday, but as you may have gathered from Romain’s previous post, things happened. My health took a turn for the worse, and I’ve spent the last month building it back up. I’m not quite recovered, I understand now that getting Little Treasures to the insane deadline that we had created for it was detrimental, and not just for me but for my new little family. If I am not well I cannot look after my baby and that is incredibly scary. And I’ve understood that in the future, if I want to continue doing projects, that they will have to be spread out and take much, much longer, with as many helping hands as possible. It’s just not possible for me to do what I do and be a Mum at the same time.

I got very down for a while wondering why other new mums could work on their projects, write regular, extensive blog posts complete with photographs (knowing how long it takes me to compile such posts), earn money, and cook a meal. Seriously? I mean, seriously? I just don’t get how. Friends assured me that these mums have help from their parents, in laws and siblings, and that on top of that they must have nannies, cleaners, and possibly butlers. They reassured me that the difficult circumstances I have going on in my life at the moment are taking their toll on my health. But I just kept seeing that it was all a reflection of me being incapable. I’ve been taught to cope with whatever comes my way, no matter what.

So not only has my little Laly been doing a lot of growing these past days, so have I. I don’t think I’ll ever write about all that has been going on lately here on the blog, I know there is still much for me to go through in the coming months and years and you know when you’re in the thick of something, it’s hard to stand back and take an observing eye to share it with the world. I notice that when I try to explain to people what has been happening, it is just a bunch of words, words that sound hollow for something so deep. But I sense that one day I may feel ready to write about it.

In this moment,  I thank you for being here, and for your understanding and for your love.

À bientôt, mes amis.

xx

PS I took these photos on Saturday, at Laly’s first easter egg hunt, a very special day created by my talented friend Tracey.

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Romain here, marking my first post in the (blog)house. I would like to let you know why Pia has been slower than usual to respond to your emails.

Pia works 150% on every project but Little Treasures: Made by Hand has proven to be closer to 1000% due the self published nature of the work, and also the self imposed deadline (don’t try this at home boys and girls). On top of that she is an amazing mother to our little Laly who is growing up fast, and in the past few weeks there have been unforeseen family events. That is a lot on someone’s plate.

So Pia, against her determination, has been forced  to take a break now but she will resume her activities at a slower pace in a few weeks time.

A word about her latest book, Little Treasures: Made by Hand: It is hot off the press and is making its way to distributors and ultimately stores around Australia.

For those of you who have kindly pre-ordered your copies on Pozible, your signed copy of the book will arrive at your home some time in April.

Thank you for your understanding.

Romain

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With 52 hours to go, this morning, it happened. We reached the goal. We did it you guys!!

I can’t believe it.

Around this time last week we were not even half way there, and I honestly thought there was no way it would happen. I felt utterly hopeless by last Thursday, and while blubbering through a conversation with Fran on the phone that day I told her that we should forget about it, that she should call the printer and say there will be no book to print. Being the beautiful, sensible friend and manager she is, she listened, sympathised, and then said, “let’s talk some more tomorrow”.

Knowing how I was feeling, you guys started rallying support like I’d never imagined. You wrote incredible instagram messages, emailed all your friends, facebooked, tweeted, pinned and blogged! You wrote from your hearts and let the world know how much you wanted Little Treasures: Made by Hand to be published.

I woke up the next day and found your letters and messages of support. Once again you gave my heart wings, and gave me the energy to keep on trucking. And because of YOU, we made it happen.

I had no idea we’d still have hours to spare, and today I planned to share with you the amazing items that will be in the $400 package! I’m smitten with this collection, and even though we’ve reached the goal I do hope some of you will still pledge for this exclusive package, not just because I’ve spent the last 2 days pulling it together and photographing it, but because this is so special and you won’t find something like this again!

Initially in the package I mentioned there would be 4 treasures. But now there will actually be 9 handmade treasures in total! And all made by talented artisans across the globe.  Take a look…

Although this is Laly’s collection pictured above, each $400 package will be tailored to YOU  – all you do is let us know if your items are for a boy or girl (or you!), and we will pick the colours suitable, and then you can tell us the name you would like for the garland, and which tea you’d like (there will be a choice of three – chai, french earl grey or mother nurture).

And of course you will also receive a personally signed and wrapped copy of Little Treasures: Made by Hand, so that’s 10 treasures altogether!

There are only 7 of these packages available, and only 40 hours left to make your pledge!

…………………………………………..

There are also some fabulous people on a waiting list, wanting to do a day wander together here in Sydney so if you like this idea then email us and we’ll organise the five we need, then you can each pledge separately.

…………………………………………..

And about the shipping, for those who haven’t had a chance to update your orders, we’ll send you a simple paypal invoice for the amount, so don’t worry about updating your pledges at this stage.

…………………………………………..

Thank you again, you amazing, beautiful creatures!

I have just one more thing that I’d like to say:

VIVENT LES ARTISTES!!*

xx

* (Long live artists!!!)

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Well there are less than six days to go. Will we reach the target? Will I make it to the last day of the campaign without becoming an anxious, emotional wreck? Who knows. All I know is this crowd-funding stuff gets your heart pounding. And self-publishing tops my chart of risk-taking adventures (why must I do something so “brave” each year?!).

We’ve had a number of requests scattered around various social media networks asking if shop owners can purchase copies of Little Treasures: Made by Hand. The answer is YES PLEASE. So, to gather your requests in one place, could you email us at info(at)piajanebijkerk(dot)com with how many books you’d like, your shop name and address, and we will send you a wholesale quote followed by an invoice.

Thank you so much for your pledges and for getting the word out. We need to sell 1000 books to be able to make the target, so please keep those pledges coming!

…………………………….

Here are the package stats:

$25 books sold: 272
$45 paper wallflower kits sold: 41, 59 available!
$65 flower presses sold: 10, 140 available!
$85 paper boat press package sold: ALL SOLD OUT
$125 skype session sold: 3, 7 available!
$250 2 hour styling session sold: 4, 36 available!
$400 little treasures package sold: 1, 9 available!
$1500 day of wandering sold: 1, 4 available!

…………………………….

If you are interested in the day of wandering but haven’t been able to gather 5 friends, send me an email at info(at)piajanebijkerk(dot)com and with every 5 requests I will create groups, let you know and you can pledge your $250 without a reward – I will instead send you an email confirmation and receipt. I’d love to do these wandering days so I hope there are a few of you who’d like to too, it will be a lot of fun!

xx

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So as I mentioned in my last post, during the last days of the Little Treasures: Made by Hand campaign I will be featuring some of the packages available exclusively for the campaign – that means you can only buy these packages now through my pozible book page.

One of my favourite packages is the giant paper wallflower kit that I created just for this campaign! It’s one of the projects I made for Laly’s room and it is featured in Little Treasures: Made by Hand. I’ve made a number of kits for you guys, it is one of the most fun craft projects I’ve created as it’s so simple but makes such a statement in any room.

In the kit you’ll receive everything you need to create your own giant paper wallflower. All you need to do is open the brown paper envelope and follow the 10 simple instructions…

It will take you only about 20 minutes to make the flower, isn’t that amazing?

Maybe half an hour if you really want to spend some time fanning and fluffing out your paper petals to make them just so. Like magic, the contents of one brown envelope will go from this (what you see above) to this…

Voilà! Here is the photograph which features in Little Treasures: Made by Hand. I have hung Laly’s paper wallflower above the day bed in her room…

To buy your giant paper wallflower kit as well as receive a signed copy of the book, click on the $45+ reward on my pozible book page then add the shipping of either $15 if you live in Australia, or $25 if you live in NZ, the USA or UK (so that’s a total pledge of $60 for AUS or $70 for NZ, USA, UK) and follow the instructions to make your pledge!

Thank you! Only 10 days to go! Far out!!

XX

PS if you’ve forgotten to add your shipping in your earlier pledges no sweat, you can update your order now. You can also order more than one package! Don’t forget about your friends. And mum. And that lovely neighbour down the road who just had a baby… x

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Good morning mes amis, it’s a super drizzly and dark Saturday morning here in Sydney-  feels more like a European autumn day, which I don’t mind at all because it reminds me of how much I love it in the north. Maybe it’s the change of season but I do find myself missing Amsterdam and being so close to Paris. Romain and I can’t wait to take Laly to Paris, I think our little French girl would love it…

morning cuddles are the best

So there are only 14 days left to raise the funds to be able to publish Little Treasures: Made by Hand, far out! And we are 35% of the way. I’m anxious and hoping with all my heart we can make this happen! Most of all I’d love this book campaign to help shape the future for fellow creative spirits. Deep in my heart I want this book campaign to be a template for those of you out there who have longed to create your own book, or your own shop, or studio or just CREATE. It costs a lot of money to start your own business and in this case, to make a book the way you want – in my case using eco friendly paper, printing it locally, and gathering the best people for the job. It all adds up. But dreams can become realities, and I hope this will be one of them.

So over the next 14 days I will be showcasing some of the awesome packages we have exclusively available for this campaign. The first one I want to share with you is the two hour photography and styling workshop we will be hosting in Sydney in April!

portrait of me by sweet jenni booth

I’ve had many requests for an event such as this over the months, so I thought it was a wonderful idea of Fran’s to offer it through this campaign. Here are the details:

………………………….
Come and spend two hours with me for a special styling & photography workshop and afternoon tea in Sydney.
Bring your own favourite ‘little treasure’ which I will help you style and photograph as a special memento for Mothers’ Day (note: the workshops will take place in Sydney on April 6).
You will also receive a signed copy of Little Treasures and your name will also appear in the thank you list on my blog.

$250

only 40 tickets available
{date & place to be determined at the end of the book campaign}
………………………….

I’m really looking forward to this event, it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for ages. To book your ticket, make your pledge on pozible for the amount and that’s it! We will be in contact in a few weeks time to discuss the details.

xx

PS For French readers, pour mes lecteurs francophones, il y a maintenant une version française de la description de Petits Trésors : faits à la main, ici. hourrah! x 

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On Monday I was on a shoot for Country Style magazine, creating tabletop shots with my assistant Julia, and photographer Craig Wall for my upcoming magazine columns. It was a full day shoot – the first full day, 10 hour long shoot I have been on since being pregnant with Laly. It was the first time I’d been away from her for more than 5 hours. In the morning, in the hours before I left, my heart began to hurt. While driving to the studio in Alexandria with a car chock-a-block full of props, I told myself to ‘just get over it’. But the ache remained for the day although I did have fun playing with props and making things with Julia.

We finished shooting at 6pm, I think I’ve never packed my car so quickly. I gave Julia the fastest thanks-for-everything hug and backed out of the loading dock as fast as legally possible. I got home just in time to be able to give Laly her last feed of the day. We sat quietly in her room, curtains drawn, and just gazed into each others eyes as she fed.

It’s been a rough week since then. I know she’s picking up on my stress to meet story deadlines and book deadlines. I strive to find the balance.

xx

PS Thank you so much for your ongoing support with raising funds to help self-publish Little Treasures: Made by Hand. We’ve had some technical issues with pozible while they upgraded their website, and we are so thankful for your patience in pledging and signing in.  If you have any queries AT ALL, do not hesitate to contact me by email (click here), and either myself or Fran will get back to you pronto.

PPS It’s my 35th birthday tomorrow. I have nothing planned, should I? Ideas?

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WE DID IT!!

Today I’ve been handwriting some quotes and French words for Little Treasures: Made by Hand in my diary, using pen, ink, and pencil. I’m about to scan them and insert them into some of the pages of the book. We are in the final stages of design, with text edits almost finished. I’ve written an update on the campaign page, click here to read all the details.

It’s been a fabulous start to the campaign so far, in just a week we are 18% closer to reaching the target. There is still a long way to go though.

Is there anything in particular you’d like to know about the book? Anything you’d like me to share? If so, comment on this post and I’ll answer your queries as they come in.

xx

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I’m pretty rapt to say there is now a sweet video introducing Little Treasures: Made by Hand, created by Ben Wylson from big sky in the UK – I can’t thank Ben enough for taking the time to put this together. Fran and I sent him a piece of my music, some photos, and a very rough script (my, it’s been a while since I went to film school!) and he worked his magic! I love it, thank you so much Ben.

Thank you everyone who has already supported and shared the news about Little Treasures, I was not expecting to get such great feedback so soon, you guys are awesome!

xx

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I’m sitting at my desk, with mess and books and pens and paper all around me.  Glancing over at my pin board I see the four ultrasound photos I was given some 15 months ago of our little baby who is today, 11 months old. I remember when I first saw those photos, it just didn’t seem possible that one day I would meet this little being growing inside me. Who was she? I was so eager to get to know her, to hold her and kiss her. I really had no idea how much my life would transform once she was born. No idea. These past 20 months I have experienced an incredible succession of extreme emotional highs and extreme lows, but there is one consistent truth underneath it all that remains and grows stronger by the day: love.

The  moment we announced the birth of  Laly 11 months ago, parcels began to arrive on our doorstep, each filled with the most beautiful gifts made by hand from around the world. From France came knitted cardigans, booties and toys, and from friends here in Australia came tiny felted slippers and the sweetest crocheted dresses and blankets. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and love for these sweet gift-givers who, with their generosity,  helped get me through each challenging day as a new mum.

But how to find the time to say thank you?  All I managed was a simple email, and it just didn’t seem enough.

Then, one night, in the early, dark hours of morning while feeding Laly, I had an idea. It shone in my mind’s eye as clear and bright as a shining star:

Imagine if I could create a book, photographing and cataloguing each unique object, writing a little about each person who made and sent the gift, sharing links to their websites so others could also buy their beautiful creations or find out more about them. It would be a collection of little treasures, connecting creative souls around the globe. I thought, Yes, this would be the most wonderful way to say thank you…

So I started to make notes and lists in a journal which I carried with me everywhere, a habit from making each of my past books.  Any spare moment I had, I thought about what it would look like. But the reality was evident – if I didn’t have time to write or send a proper thank you card, how was I going to find the time to make a book?

{note cards and diary pages from my journal}

Let’s be truthful, you all know time management is not one of my strongest character traits. And now, becoming a new mum, I suddenly realised my time was no longer my time.

That’s when serendipity stepped in. Around 6 months ago I had the pleasure of meeting Fran. With Laly in my arms, we got talking over chai, I told her all my grandiose plans, and before I knew it, Fran agreed to be my manager and help me make. stuff. happen…

With Fran’s incredible dedication and amazing efforts of managing my work life so that I could concentrate on being a mum and being creative over the past few months, I’m so so thrilled to announce that the book has gone from being just a vision in my mind, to something very real…

{here are pages back from the designer, ready for me to check & make final changes}

Oh I’m so excited!! It is looking so beautiful. Would you like to know the title?

Little Treasures: Made by Hand.

It will be the third in the “Made by Hand” series. And there are even more exciting things to tell you. This special, limited edition book will be in both English AND French. The French title is : Petits Trésors: faits à la main…

the cover! Little Treasures: Made by Hand

I’m so excited to say that we are in the final stages of production, and that the book is ready to be printed!  One of the thoughts that transpired on that night was that I wanted to self-publish this book to have it ready for Mother’s Day 2013. In order to do that I have created my very own little publishing label – par cœur press -  (‘by heart’) and I have a wonderful team working with me including the fabulous designer Vivien Valk and editor Amanda Cromer who both worked with me on My Heart Wanders.

And what’s more? The book will be printed right here in Australia by Arena Printing who specialise in environmentally responsible printing using vegetable-based inks and environmentally-friendly paper stocks.

To be able to pay for the production costs of printing, editing and design, I am about to launch a crowd-funding campaign through Pozible.  As Little Treasures, Petits Trésors is so personal, I really wanted to be able to offer it directly to you guys, as well as independent booksellers & retailers via this campaign, so here’s hoping I can reach the target!

The campaign has JUST GONE LIVE and will end on Laly’s birthday on Thursday, February 14. Check out the page for a sneak peek look at some of the pages, and for all the information. Not only is the book available to order through the campaign right now, but there are some amazing packages created exclusively to help raise funds.

here is a chapter opener from the book.

Far out! Putting myself out there in the hope that you guys might jump on board and help support this project is really really scary. Remember my first ever blog post 6 years ago? That’s how I feel right now: My heart is racing.

If you live in Europe and are interested in purchases any of the packages other than the book on its own, the shipping is only available within Australia, NZ, USA, & UK  however if you really want one of the other packages, just get in touch and we’ll get you a personalised freight cost.

Okay, I’ll leave you to peruse the site now, and I’ll get on with jumping around the house like a jittery jack rabbit.

Thank you dear friends! I’ll be updating you on the progress of the book and the campaign every few days. I hope you’ll help spread the word any way you can, and if you would like a copy of the book, head straight to the Little Treasures/Petits Trésors project page and click away! Merci merci…

with love.

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