A year ago, my nephew was turning three, and I was designing an artwork for his wall. People had been asking me for a Kiwiana range recently, and wee Mr. almost-3 was a big fan of robots at the time, so that’s what I made. The number of characters was driven by the letters in his name – and the stripe in the background, as with many of my stripes, is actually derived from a word, written in barcode font. In this case, it’s my nephew’s name.

As anticipated, this ended up being one of my most popular designs. One of my favourite things about NZ is how much we love and value our native flora and fauna. 

One year on, I have this range available in every product line that I make – jewellery, custom-printed fabrics and accessories, colourables, and hand-made craft accessories.

When you walk around a busy craft market, you don’t often get the chance to take everything in. There are so many amazing things to see that it can be a sort of sensory overload. This feeling is why I always recommend that people take one walk all the way around first, then come back for a second, more detailed look. If you only go around once, there’s so much you can miss!

We’re going to break up our visit into manageable chunks. This post will cover the entranceway and the lobby.

If you’re one of the people cheerfully queuing up for our #goodyvouchers, you will have time to notice the presence of the adorably vintage Betsy the coffee truck from RIPE Coffee.

Next, we have a newcomer to our August market, ​Jonny Ocean Trading – Suppliers of World famous Kampot Pepper. Freya will be here again in September, so don’t miss out – pepper and its accoutrements make a great gift for the people who have everything! 

“We are an Ethical Business trading in high quality exotic fine food and that pays the local farmers in developing countries an equitable price for the highest quality and most unique natural products.
​Kampot Pepper is a rare spice, known to be one of the most distinctive in the world; it’s a pepper like you’ve never tasted before, appreciated for its delicacy and sweetness by fine food enthusiasts across the world.”

Find us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/kampotpeppernz/ 

Some lucky people received some of our Goody Vouchers in the lollipop lucky dip – we hope you enjoyed your gifts, treats, or discounts!

As we move into the foyer, we are met with the first group of stalls. On our left, Ken and Richelle from Neko Ngeru, who are currently celebrating finding a location for their Cat Adoption Café – you can help support their efforts here. Ken and Richelle support many cat rescues, including Petone Winter Markets’ chosen charity, Outpawed.

Find out more about us here:
​http://nekongeru.nz/home/

Next to Neko Ngeru, we have Elle from Doodlebum – ​The art, illustrations and melodic doodles of a stay at home mum, with some crafty jewellery and candles thrown in for good measure. True to her name, Elle was doodling 🙂

“I spend most of my spare time creating things, and you will always find me with at least one drawing book and pen case within harms reach!
I started Doodlebum as a hobby business after my daughter was born, but in 2016 I managed to take it to that next level and run it full time! I am proud of what I’ve achieved but there is still a long way to go and many more exciting plans to come over the coming years.

​I create my own colouring books and artwork , soy wax melts and candles and super sparkly nail polish jewellery.“

You can find out more about me and my stall here:
www.facebook.com/doodlebumelle

On the other side of the entrance is Adi from MARTYGIRLskinfood. 

“I handmake 100% natural skincare using foraged weeds & herbs from the roadside then infusing in oils and making hydrosols that are incorporated into all of my products! My products – all 26 of them – are healing, ethical, but funky – and they work! I have named them after geological features of the Wairarapa; Lake Ferry Lady Body silk, Featherston Fox Body Mousse, Longbush Lad SPF face cream!”

Find out more about me and what I make here:
www.martygirl.com
www.facebook.com/MARTYGIRLskinfood

Kim from Coracle Creations is next to Adi, and also comes over from the Wairarapa.

You can find out more about me and my creations here:
@coraclecreations on Instagram
https://www.facebook.com/Letsgetcreating/

The third stall on the right as you enter the foyer, next to Kim, is Nic’s Fudge’n Hell – an ever-changing selection of intriguing and delicious fudge and other sweet treats.

You can find out more about me here:
​https://www.facebook.com/Fudgenhell/ ​

As you move towards the entrance to the main hall, you are presented with a cornucopia of delicious treats from Outpawed, the charity that we are supporting as part of the Petone Winter Markets.

You can find out more about Outpawed here:
www.facebook.com/outpawed/ 
givealittle.co.nz/org/outpawed 
outpawed.co.nz/
www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/cutestuff/86021928/seven-months-after-opening-poriruas-outpawed-trust-set-to-desex-100th-cat

We were lucky enough to have a visit for part of the day from three adorable little kittens, who will be available from Outpawed very soon!

The Copper Catkin stall is also market headquarters, so if you’re looking for Petone Winter Markets tote bag, or the Koha jars for our performers, this is the place to go!

Please don’t forget Koha for our performers – they’re busking, so every dollar counts! Here’s the lovely Willow, taking the jar around.

Copper Catkin is my website, and you can find out more about me and my work on Facebook, too:
www.facebook.com/CopperCatkin
www.facebook.com/CopperCatkinConsulting/

Continue your visit by clicking one of the images below to see more of August’s stallholders.

Autumn has always been my favourite season. Growing up in Europe, it was clearly delineated by the falling leaves at the end of summer, and the onset of a real, often snowy, winter. This seasonal change was the thing I missed the most about Europe when we moved to NZ – that is, until we moved to our place in the Western Hills. Here, we have deciduous trees, mushrooms and toadstools, and even an apple tree to harvest. 

I decided to challenge myself to make a more stylised autumnal design this year, so I started drawing leaves. 

I found that they worked really well, in a midwestern USA kind of way, over some of my plaids – so, I went with it. I hope you like them 🙂

Around a year ago now, one of my close friends was having a baby shower. As a non-parent, I always struggle with buying gifts for people’s kids – so I decided to make something a bit different. We were having a dinosaur-themed party, because of her interest in history and geology (and also, DINOSAURS, like, come on. Who doesn’t love dinosaurs?), so I knew what my subject matter would be. I also knew the colour scheme, thanks to this inspiration cake from Luxury Cakes. Now, I needed to figure out the details. 

​We knew dinosaurs would be a hit, because she dreamt that I made her a dinosaur mobile for the baby. Which also meant, of course, that we had to make a dinosaur mobile… Which we did.

My husband George and I sat down and brainstormed which dinosaurs would look best, and how to lay out the artwork. I wanted them marching along, carrying signs; my clever husband came up with most of the ideas for the sign wording, and the Dinosaur Activists were born.

I printed them on a big canvas for baby’s wall, and the party went really well 🙂

The Insectivorous Plant collection is made up of a selection of plants that eat insects – Dionaea Muscipula, Drosera Binata, Heliamphora minor, Rafflesia arnoldii, Sarracenia Purpurea, with their victims, flies, and a honey bee.
Hand-drawn on paper and digitally coloured by Cat Drayer (that’s meee!).

I originally decided to do this series as a tongue-in-cheek Valentine’s Day design, inspired by a photo of the sundew in my Facebook feed. At first, I thought it was a curled silver fern frond, but when I realised it was a carnivorous plant, the subversive nature (love you to death – I could just eat you up) of using it as a Valentine’s Day artwork appealed to my sense of humour.
Of course, once I knew that I was doing an insectivorous design, the ideas for additional plants to draw came thick and fast.

The Venus Fly-trap is probably the most famous and recognisable carnivorous plant, so of course, it had to be included in this series. 

The pitcher plant is probably the second most common insectivorous plant to be kept ‘as a pet’. It took me a long time sifting through inspiration pictures to settle on the Heliamphora minor, and it was one of the hardest to colour.

The corpse lily is actually a parasite, not a carnivorous plant, but its bizarre appearance, and the fact that it’s the largest individual flower on earth, secured it a place in the line-up. It also works quite well with the others, because not only does it smell like dead things, but it also attracts flies (which pollinate the flower).

​Sarracenia purpurea is commonly known as the purple pitcher plant, northern pitcher plant, turtle socks, or side-saddle flower. I wanted something with a weird flower and a vertical shape, so this flower rounded out the collection nicely.

The ‘Insectivorous plants’ collection is available in a range of variations – the same colourway on multiple backgrounds, and a variety of other colourways.

We had some really great entries to last months’ colouring competition – and young Holly was our winner! 

You can still enter – online or in person, at the Petone Winter Markets this Saturday! 

The prize is an amazing play-date with kittens at Outpawed Rescue Trust!! 
A 90 minute play date with the kittens, aged approximately between 8 and 16 weeks. Morning/afternoon tea will be provided. The winner may bring up to two friends (or family) to join them. The play date can take place either in Whitby or Newlands (chosen by the winner). There will be one (1) prize per market.

Download the image, print it out, colour it in, scan it as a common file type (such as .pdf, .jpg or .png), then go to the entry form and attach it with your entry details. Indicate how you will make your donation, and you’re in the competition!
We are also accepting entries with gold coin donations at each of at the Petone Winter Markets events.

This is a fundraiser, so we ask that every entrant also makes a donation to Outpawed of at least $1 per entry.

We’re excited that our Premium Stallholders, Neko Ngeru, have finally secured some great premises right on Jackson Street, in the heart of Petone. 

“Neko Ngeru (cat in Japanese and Maori) was founded to give more opportunities for cats to be adopted! You can watch, pet, play with and cuddle our cats and it is possible to adopt your favourite and bring it to your home! Located at 291 Jackson St in Petone, we aim to open in October 2017 – if we can find a roofer!“

Ken and Richelle met in the same school in Osaka, Japan, which is Ken’s home town. (Richelle is from San Diego, CA). 
At the time Ken had two rescued cats (Mi Two and Madara) and Richelle decided to adopt another one (Mao, he was one day away from being euthanized) after they got married. They took their three cats to every country they lived, Kuwait, the US, Mexico and China. They not only bought their own cats but also rescued, fostered and found homes for many others in the countries they lived. In Shanghai. Ken joined the animal rescue group, Bow Meow Shanghai, and attended many adoption events, organised two of his own adoption events at the school where he worked, and found homes for many rescued cats and dogs.​

 ​Faced with the need to stop teaching PE due to physical limitations, Ken hit upon the idea of opening a cat cafe in New Zealand. While in Shanghai working with rescue groups, it became clear that the main difficulty in getting animals adopted was giving people chances to get to know them. A cat adoption cafe seemed a perfect way for people to meet a cat in a homey setting to see if it is the one to bring home.
Less than one year after arriving in New Zealand, Richelle and Ken are working hard to make this dream come true and they will have a crowdfunding page so you can help too! 
Neko Ngeru are selling Entertainment Books and giving the 20% profit to the rescue organisations with whom they work. 

Outpawed is one of the rescue organisations with whom Neko Ngeru will be working, to help find perfect forever homes for the kitties!

As well as all their work to help cat rescue organisations in the Wellington region, Neko Ngeru are donating a reusable Karma Kup, worth $30, to the Outpawed raffle. 

This is a reusable cup made from high quality glass.
Size: 140 x 95mm dia, 320ml
“We at Neko Ngeru believe reusing is important for a sustainable society so we would like to encourage our customers to bring their own cups. You can get a small discount if you bring your own cup!”

Tickets for the raffle will be available at the August Petone Winter Market, 10.30am to 3pm, 19th August, at the Petone Baptist Church, 38 Buick Street, Petone.
www.facebook.com/PetoneWinterMarkets

​The Petone Winter Markets are the place to buy locally made creations, snack on tasty treats, and fuel up with coffee from Ripe. Drop off the kids at the fully fenced play area while you browse our 30+ indoor stalls and take in the stylings of some local entertainers. There will be all kinds of winter woollies, magpie treasures, tasty treats, and fantastic gift ideas for all! Bring a carry bag – we’re a plastic-bag-free event.

In the weeks leading up to each market, we will be running a gold-coin-entry colouring competition, featuring poster artwork by Cat Drayer from Copper Catkin. Proceeds from the competition will help local charity Outpawed with the care and management of stray and feral cats (and KITTENS) in the Wellington region. The prize is a fantastic play-date with some Outpawed kittens. KITTENS! 

Join us and help brighten these wintery weekends with some family-friendly handmade goodness!
​And did we mention KITTENS?​

​Enter our colouring competitions or buy some tasty treats on the day to help raise funds for our chosen cause, Outpawed!

​“Outpawed is a NZ-registered charity dedicated to the care and management of stray and feral cats in the Wellington region. 

We provide shelter for wild cats and kittens, and aim to desex, socialise, vaccinate, microchip and find homes for as many of these cats as possible. We are also involved in trap-neuter-return (TNR) for cats that cannot be integrated into a household environment. Where TNR is necessary, cats are released into managed colonies where they are fed and monitored.

We aim to work with local government and other animal welfare organisations to obtain the best outcome possible for the feral cat population. Our goal is to reduce this population over time through desexing and adoption.“

Peter Wilson, Director, established Little Dog Barking in 2010.  Peter’s vision for the company is to create innovative and original theatre productions for Early Childhood and Lower Primary School audiences.

Little Dog Barking creates the thrill and magic of live theatre in their centre or school, and brings to children the stories of their world, told and presented in simple and imaginative ways.  Little Dog Barking regularly hosts school holiday performances in the Hutt Valley, Kapiti and Paekakariki.

Our productions are specifically aimed at Early Childhood and Lower Primary School aged groups, making the performances accessible and intimate by presenting them in your centre or school.  This means the audiences are smaller, children are in their familiar environments, creating greater opportunity for participation in the performances.  We bring everything, the actors, sets, props, puppets and the magic!  We perform directly into classrooms, school halls, libraries and staff-rooms!

Peter Wilson was the founding artistic director of the Capital E National Theatre for Children; Whilst with that organization he created many popular early childhood programmes including; Farm at the End of the Road, Seasons, On our Street and Songs of the Sea.  For Little Dog Barking he has created Party Pigs & a Sausage went for a Walk, Little Kowhai Tree, Paper Shaper, Paper Plays, Duck Death and the Tulip, The Pond and his new piece Rupert.

Please see our website for where our public performances are and ticketing information  http://www.littledogbarking.co.nz/calendar-of-events/

​For the October School holidays we are local with the performance of Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge at the Little Theatre, Queens Drive, Lower Hutt on the 5th October at 10am, 11.30am and 1.30pm (we are also at Te Papa, Kapiti and Upper Hutt, please refer to website for further information).

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is based on the book by Mem Fox and is adapted to the stage by Peter Wilson & Kenny King.  A play that uses the magic of storytelling and puppetry.  A wonderful work for both children and adults.  This performance is suitable for ages up to 10 years old and their companions. 
 
A book that is so well loved by young children and now a magical stage play that deals so powerfully with childhood and age, with memory and with relationships.  Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is just four years old, he lives next door to a rest home for old people. He knows all the residents very well but his favourite person is Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper because she has four names, just like him.

Little Dog Barking have contributed a fantastic prize – a free family pass worth $40 to ‘​Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge‘ in the October school holidays! 

You can find out more about Little Dog Barking on their website, or on Facebook:
http://www.littledogbarking.co.nz
https://www.facebook.com/littledogbarking/

​​Tickets for the raffle will be available at the August Petone Winter Market, 10.30am to 3pm, 19th August, at the Petone Baptist Church, 38 Buick Street, Petone.
www.facebook.com/PetoneWinterMarkets

​The Petone Winter Markets are the place to buy locally made creations, snack on tasty treats, and fuel up with coffee from Ripe. Drop off the kids at the fully fenced play area while you browse our 30+ indoor stalls and take in the stylings of some local entertainers. There will be all kinds of winter woollies, magpie treasures, tasty treats, and fantastic gift ideas for all! Bring a carry bag – we’re a plastic-bag-free event.

In the weeks leading up to each market, we will be running a gold-coin-entry colouring competition, featuring poster artwork by Cat Drayer from Copper Catkin. Proceeds from the competition will help local charity Outpawed with the care and management of stray and feral cats (and KITTENS) in the Wellington region. The prize is a fantastic play-date with some Outpawed kittens. KITTENS! 

Join us and help brighten these wintery weekends with some family-friendly handmade goodness!
​And did we mention KITTENS (not little dogs, lol)?

​Enter our colouring competitions or buy some tasty treats on the day to help raise funds for our chosen cause, Outpawed!

​“Outpawed is a NZ-registered charity dedicated to the care and management of stray and feral cats in the Wellington region. 

We provide shelter for wild cats and kittens, and aim to desex, socialise, vaccinate, microchip and find homes for as many of these cats as possible. We are also involved in trap-neuter-return (TNR) for cats that cannot be integrated into a household environment. Where TNR is necessary, cats are released into managed colonies where they are fed and monitored.

We aim to work with local government and other animal welfare organisations to obtain the best outcome possible for the feral cat population. Our goal is to reduce this population over time through desexing and adoption.“

As well as raffle donations from our lovely stallholders, we have also received contributions from generous people outside the Petone Winter Markets stallholder community. We’re thrilled to introduce our first contributor, the fabulous Jo!

“Hi Everyone,
My name is Jo and for the last 17yrs I have been a writer/author. I
think I was always a writer…I write to think…always jotting down
notes, making lists, journaling. My job in any organisation was writing
the newsletters, reports, articles. But 17yrs ago I got serious. I
tried my hand in multiple genres, short stories, poems, reflections,
children’s stories, stories for radio, entering competitions. During
that time, I had short stories, reflections, poems published, a story
included in an anthology and had a children’s book called Talking to
Nanny published through Learning Media.”

‘Talking to Nanny’ was published through Learning Media, and is widely distributed in NZ schools. During 2014 it was translated into Samoan and also NZSL in a digital format. It was followed by ‘The Goodbye Chair’ in 2013. ​​Jo has now had four Children’s Picture Books published.

​Jo Carson-Barr has been writing for children for about five years. Jo has spent many years working with people who are differently-abled, and her hope is to write more books, including different types of people in her stories. Married to Rod, she is the mother of three grown-up children, and grandmother of six..
 
Her passion for children’s picture books was ignited in her Play Centre years were she was fortunate to be the centre’s librarian and could go and spend hours in Dorothy Butler’s book shop….she was hooked, reading endlessly to her own children.

“About three and a half years ago my son and I decided to form a Company called Veritas Aotearoa Publishing now known as VA Publishing. Since then we have published The GoodBye Chair, The Chill Out Chair and Waata the Weta: Can He Find The Perfect Home? and hope to have three other books published by early next year. We are also publishing BIG BOOKS for Kindergartens, ECE centres, and schools. I have now found my niche, writing, publishing and marketing children’s picture books.
Life is exciting.”

​​The books are available to purchase online at
www.veritasaotearoa.co.nz
They are also available throughout the country in some bookshops and gift shops. You can follow VA Publishing on:
www.instagram.com/jocarsonbarr
www.facebook.com/josephinecarsonbarr

​​Jo has kindly donated one of her books, The Chill Out Chair, worth $15, to the Outpawed raffle.

The Chill Out Chair is the second book in a trilogy of Nicholas Stories, the first book being The GoodBye Chair. 
 
In this story Nicholas becomes a little emotional and Aunty Em says ‘Kia Tau Nicholas’. He likes the sound of this, and asks her what it means; she tells him “settle down/chill out”. As Nicholas ponders these words, we join him and his friend the whale, on an adventure saving the baby animals from the sea monster. Nicholas becomes their hero. The story includes Te Reo, and New Zealand Sign Language.

Tickets for the raffle will be available at the August Petone Winter Market, 10.30am to 3pm, 19th August, at the Petone Baptist Church, 38 Buick Street, Petone.
www.facebook.com/PetoneWinterMarkets

​The Petone Winter Markets are the place to buy locally made creations, snack on tasty treats, and fuel up with coffee from Ripe. Drop off the kids at the fully fenced play area while you browse our 30+ indoor stalls and take in the stylings of some local entertainers. There will be all kinds of winter woollies, magpie treasures, tasty treats, and fantastic gift ideas for all! Bring a carry bag – we’re a plastic-bag-free event.

In the weeks leading up to each market, we will be running a gold-coin-entry colouring competition, featuring poster artwork by Cat Drayer from Copper Catkin. Proceeds from the competition will help local charity Outpawed with the care and management of stray and feral cats (and KITTENS) in the Wellington region. The prize is a fantastic play-date with some Outpawed kittens. KITTENS! 

Join us and help brighten these wintery weekends with some family-friendly handmade goodness!
​And did we mention KITTENS?

​Enter our colouring competitions or buy some tasty treats on the day to help raise funds for our chosen cause, Outpawed!

​“Outpawed is a NZ-registered charity dedicated to the care and management of stray and feral cats in the Wellington region. 

We provide shelter for wild cats and kittens, and aim to desex, socialise, vaccinate, microchip and find homes for as many of these cats as possible. We are also involved in trap-neuter-return (TNR) for cats that cannot be integrated into a household environment. Where TNR is necessary, cats are released into managed colonies where they are fed and monitored.

We aim to work with local government and other animal welfare organisations to obtain the best outcome possible for the feral cat population. Our goal is to reduce this population over time through desexing and adoption.“

We would love to keep giving away lots of exciting treats, but we want more people get a shot at the goodness, so we’ve decided to try a new approach! Our stallholders are offering special discounts, freebies, and other specials to voucher-bearers. 

Allow us to explain the process, using this sophisticated graphical aid:

We have some amazing offers from our stallholders – we will be updating this post on our Facebook page as they come in, but here’s what we have so far:
​
🐞 a free Petone Winter Markets tote bag (valued at $10)
💥 $2 off any etched stone from Burnt Offerings
🐙 a free, custom-printed tote bag in ‘Kiwiautomata stripe’, by Copper Catkin(valued at $20)
☕ a free RIPE Coffee Company hot drink
😬a free teething pendant from Button + me (valued at $16) 
💰$5 off the total purchase over $20 from Button + me
🎡 BOGO (buy one, get one) half price on Copper Catkin earrings (save $10)
🎪$5 off any SilverCircus Clothing
🎀BOGO free on hairclips from Libbydid
👜Free lil’ cloth card/coin purses by SilverCircus Clothing
🎀 10% off any purchase with Cotton & Clay
🎈15% off any purchase from Dora Papers
🎁A free mini MARTYGIRLskinfood of your choice with any purchase
🌲$2 discount on Xmas decorations and garlands by Fuxicos
💰$5 off a beeswax foodwrap from Libbydid
🍄 a free card of your choice with a purchase of $20 or more from Dora Papers
🌴A free ceramic pot with purchase from The Kokedama Hutt
🐉10% off any purchase with Shop Nikkis
​

Come in the door between 10.30-11, and between 12.30-1, while vouchers last!
See you at Petone Winter Markets, 19th of August, 10.30am to 3pm!