Ikhaya Blog

So proud that the World Cup is being held in South Africa & all the controversy over the Vuvuzela! This is a great pic of an unfinished highway in Cape Town with a giant vuvuzela mounted on top of it! This unfinished highway has been like that since I was a kid living in Cape Town - there are no plans to complete it!

That's Table Mountain in the background, covered by table cloth. more ...

Posted by Lynne

Let’s get as many people as we can to swap as much as we can. Get active, challenge your friends and swap your usual stuff – your coffee, tea, bananas, chocolate – even your cotton tee shirt – to Fairtrade stuff.

The more we swap the bigger the impact we make on the lives of small-scale producers in developing countries... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Dolly Rockers is a Brisbane based jewellery brand that took part in the latest Fashion Exposed trade show in Sydney. Their latest collection is titled 'MODERN NOMAD' & Belinda-Jane, the designer used our Afro cushions & purple Feather Headdress as part of her display! here

I am sure you will agree the collection is stunning & togther with our pieces they make a striking display!

You can see more of her collection & blog. more ...

Posted by Lynne

Inside Out Magazine have featured our stunning black & white telephone wire bowls in their March/April edition titled 'TASTE OF AFRICA'. Very exciting indeed!

This month I have just loaded up the most beautiful plastic bags & rugs all for sale online... more ...

Posted by Lynne

What a great way to end 2009 & start 2010, Home Beautiful have featured our funky Afro cushions in their Jan 2010 edition (see pic).

I would like to wish all my wonderful customers a happy & peacful 2010. Thank you for your support throughout 2009, it is much appreciated... more ...

Posted by Lynne

The past month has been all about Bamileke Headresses from Cameroon & Recycled Coffee bags from Cape Town!

The Bamileke headress has become extremely popular - especially this vibrant purple colour! Traditionally worn as a ceremonial headdress, they are now stylish home decor pieces!

Our recycled coffee bags have made quite an impact in Sydney from customers and shops alike... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Moving to Sydney is such an adventure, especially finding all these lovely 'tucked away' shops that you never see on a weekend visit!

I found a lovely group of shops on Cleveland Street in Surry Hills and absolutely fell in love with 'http://www... more ...

Posted by Lynne

A big thank you to all who visited the Fair Trade event in Rouse Hill. It was such a lovely day with fantastic weather & a great crowd of people.

Hoping for the same weather at Bondi tomorrow! Looking forward to another market day spreading the Fair Trade message! more ...

Posted by Lynne

Ikhaya has safely arrived in Sydney & survived the crazy dust storms!!!

Ikhaya is very proud to now be a member of FTAANZ (FAIR TRADE ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND). It means we get to take part in some fantastic FAIR TRADE events & also meet like-minded people... more ...

Posted by Lynne

It’s official – Ikhaya is moving to Sydney! It’s been a big decision to leave Brisbane – especially our fabulous customers from the Powerhouse & Mitchelton markets! We are offering free postage for Brisbane customers until November to make sure you don’t miss out (especially those Xmas purchases)!

Initially we are focusing on online sales until we are settled & then we will be doing the Sydney markets... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Create a look in your home that truly reflects who you are by selecting things that have been designed with beauty & created by hand in South Africa.

Ikhaya has some lovely new beaded creations, wall hangings, placemats & coasters all hand created by husband & wife team Lizzie & Vince... more ...

Posted by Lynne

I am just back from Cape Town where I managed to fit in catching up with family as well as meeting with some fantastic new suppliers, you will find new product in almost every category!!!

One organisation that I found truly inspiring is Monkeybiz... more ...

Posted by Lynne

I am off on a buying trip to Cape Town in a few weeks time & to celebrate this I am running an exclusive online offer - FREE postage anywhere in Australia if you order before 6/4 - this will give me enough time to package & post before I go!

I have attached some pics of my stall from Sat & also my lovely neighbours (Natalie - www... more ...

Posted by Lynne

South Africa is currently running the 2009 blog awards, which is a showcase of the very best of South African blogs.

"We will endeavour to bring South African bloggers to the forefront of peoples attention, both locally and internationally, increasing exposure for South Africa's great bloggers; and in the end reach out and touch people who are outside the realm of blogging and have them discover what they are missing" Read more on their website http://www... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Daddy Long legs is described as the quirkiest hotel in Cape Town by the Wallpaper City Guide

The Daddy Long Legs Independent Travellers Hotel is designed to be like part of an interactive art exhibition... more ...

Posted by Lynne

I have just had a delivery in of beautiful recycled Coffee Bags. They are from a designer called WREN based in Cape Town, South Africa. Each bag is hand made with great attention to detail.

An important aspect of Wren is that everything is done with sustainability in mind and with nature as the inspiration... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Over the festive season I started reading a book I have been meaning to read for years, Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom. I have not been able to put it down but at the same time don't want it to be over.

The book is very detailed but it's necessary, he paints the picture so well enabling you to create every moment in your mind... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Keen to escape the Christmas shopping hullaballoo for some retail peace and love on earth?

Check out the Fair Trade Christmas Market on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th December for the ultimate feel-good shopping experience. Local not-for-profit organisation, the Qld Fair Trade Collective (www... more ...

Posted by Lynne

This radio has been hand crafted in Cape Town & is the perfect Christmas gift for guys - who are notoriously difficult to buy for! Yes it does actually work!

I will have one at the market on Sat but please put your orders in now for this as stocks are very limited!

Now available for sale under 'modern craft'

See you Sat at the Powerhouse & lets hope the rain holds off for the morning! more ...

Posted by Lynne

Where does the time go? I think we all have the same question! It's already Thursday evening & the Powerhouse market is upon us again!

I have spent my time making sure I have some amazing new pieces for this market, hand crafted wire creations from Cape Town... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Where does the time go? I think we all have the same question! It's already Thursday evening & the Powerhouse market is upon us again!

I have spent my time making sure I have some amazing new pieces for this market, hand crafted wire creations from Cape Town... more ...

Posted by Lynne

I truly love a market day at the Powerhouse, Jan Power certainly does know how to put on a good market! The atmosphere, the people & the fantastic stalls! I love catching up with fellow marketeers & the regular customers who always come by to say hello... more ...

Posted by Lynne

I could not wait to write this piece about these fantastic bags from Bali! I know it's not African but I just love them so much! The design & colours are fantastic & make a statement about being ethical.

Before I started this business I first saw a similar bag in Morocco & really loved the concept, when these bags came across my path I could not resist getting them for the market... more ...

Posted by Lynne

I recently discovered a new magazine called Mindfood. It looks like a normal glossy with a celeb on the cover but has so much more! The interviews focus on charity work & the articles cover interesting topics like bottled water (which is a must read!), another one I found useful is the readers story by Philip Shaw on starting up his own business & how to stay motivated... more ...

Posted by Lynne

The Ikhaya website has launched!! It's a very exciting day for me as this has been in development for months now!

I have an amazing LAUNCH offer for the first 30 customers:
Make an online purchase & receive a free gift worth 10% of your total purchase price!!!

I also wanted to give you a taster of some stunning beaded Xmas decorations that I have just ordered... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Books For Africa. A simple name for a simple organization with a simple mission. They collect, sort, ship and distribute books to children in Africa. Their aim is to end the African book famine.

The books are sorted by volunteers & sent in containers paid for with donations from people like us... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Another successful Manly market took place this Saturday. If you haven't been it's really worth a visit! We had quite a few funny moments with wind & umbrella's going flying everywhere, eventually we just took them down! When the sun came out though it was beautiful!

It was great to have a visit from 2 of my girlfriends, who both also made some Ikhaya purchases! They were there to help me pack up the car at the end of the day so that we could sit down & have a lovely meal of fish & chips by the seaside! It was a great afternoon, thank you ladies!

This weekend is the Powerhouse market on Saturday, which is always a great day out... more ...

Posted by Lynne

These interesting little balls have become quite popular over the last few months. No matter what the design or colour you seem to love them all. I have attached a photo of the natural coloured monkey balls with a real African flavour. They look great in a bowl together & are a great talking point – not many people know what they are!!

The local name for this fruit of Ihlali, each monkey apple is individually decorated reflecting the themes of Africa from subtle siennas to rich terracottas and African carved designs... more ...

Posted by Lynne

The weather held out & we had a fabulous market day at Manly! The Ikhaya spot was truly special with the water & boats behind us! more ...

Posted by Lynne

Jan Power is hosting another great market tomorrow in Manly on the esplanade. There is sure to be lots of activity & many early rises tomorrow to get there for the freshest produce & flowers. I am all packed up & ready to go - hoping for a bit of sunshine so that I can enjoy the beautiful view over the water & boats! I promise to post some pics from the day!

I look forward to chatting with you tomorrow... more ...

Posted by Lynne

A fantastic fashion event has taken place in the Nairobi National park to raise money for victims of Kenya’s post-election violence and show a different face to their continent.

The Fashion for Peace event drew mainly West and East African models onto a catwalk in a marquee under the moonlight in an area usually known for its lions and rhinos... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Hi,

There are a few weeks off until next market day which is a blessing in disguise, there is alot of research to do for the internet shop. I have come across so many great websites. I even found an Eco shop in the UK that has a Facebook profile, they had 422 friends! Incredible! Who would have thought?

I have also become a particular fan of blogs - especially the ones with lots of pictures! Black & Spiro in Brisbane have a lovely blog called absolutely beautiful things - I love seeing what amazing pictures Anna Spiro has loaded up! I can only aspire to have such an interesting blog! www... more ...

Posted by Lynne

If you are looking for a feel-good gift for Mother’s day or something special for yourself, Ikhaya has just received these beautiful Township bags that have been produced by previously underprivileged women in the townships of Cape Town. These woman’s lives improve with every bag sold!

Township Patterns is a Fair Trade South African organisation that has a commitment to bridging the gap between poverty & the working class... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Trendy foldable square bag in Hessian printed with black zebra, white zebra, leopard & cheetah. Gold thread finishing & local wood used as a fastener.
Available in a few variations of the pictured designs. more ...

Posted by Lynne

Reversible African printed bag with natural Hessian lining
Available in black zebra, white zebra & leopard print. more ...

Posted by Lynne

Reversible bag made out of coloured Hessian with natural colour internal. more ...

Posted by Lynne

Last Saturday I had a few new additions to the range - Ndebele dolls! They are so striking & add a bit of quirkiness to any home! I have 2 types: Ceremonial (the tallest of the dolls pictured) & fertility dolls (the little dolls at the front of the photo)

There is a little story that goes with them & makes them even more special... more ...

Posted by Lynne

The Ndebele language is actually Bantu which is spoken by Ndebele South Africans. These people can be found throughout Gauteng in South Africa. The last consensus taken was in 1996 & it was then reported that there are approximately 500, 000 individuals in South Africa that are able to speak Ndebele... more ...

Posted by Lynne

There are so many uses for the bottle top basket but mostly they are just for fun!!! Below I have displayed a plant in mine, but you can use them to store almost anything - even your Ikhaya salad servers!! more ...

Posted by Lynne

Beautifully made tin boxes made from recycled tin that is used for canned fruit and other foodstuff. They are useful lunch boxes, cd boxes and general storage boxes. more ...

Posted by Lynne

Hello stranger!

Yes I know it’s been a while but I have just had a fabulous holiday with my Mom who visited me from Cape Town. She absolutely loved Australia & especially the Farmers Market on Sat. It was a beautiful day & we really enjoyed all on offer... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Recycling at it's best - record bags made in South Africa more ...

Posted by Lynne

I thought I should write as many of you took my business card today & will be logging on to see what Ikhaya is about. The market today was fantastic & the response to all the new stock has been amazing.

The best seller of the day is the recycled record bag from South Africa; they created quite a stir & managed to catch everyone’s eye as they passed by! They are such beautiful bags & show the creativity & quirkiness of the African crafters... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Music is part of everyday African life! These pieces are loved by musicians, adults & children! more ...

Posted by Lynne

Salad servers with bone & animal carving detail - all hand carved in Kenya. more ...

Posted by Lynne

This piece has been hand crafted in South Africa from recycled plastic. Its a twist on the traditional animal trophy head & adds a touch of fun to any home or outdoor space! more ...

Posted by Lynne

African chic

A great stall has popped up at Jan Power’s Farmers Markets. Ikhaya (“home’’ in Zulu) sells modern African homewares, including bowls cushions ornaments & bags. The young Cape Town woman at the helm of this business, Lynne Stockdale, is passionate about supporting African artisans who are “using their craft & skill to make their way out of poverty and into the global economy”... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Kazuri's hand-painted ceramic jewellery is made in Kenya. Every bead which makes up a necklace is shaped by hand by one of the 300 local women employed by Kazuri. The beads are then kiln fired once, glazed and fired again before being strung... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Kuba cloth is the embroidered and appliquéd fabric of the Kuba people of central Africa. To make a Kuba cloth a plain square is woven from raffia. Kuba cloth is very stiff when first woven so it is pounded in a mortar to soften it. This can cause holes which are a normal part of the cloth... more ...

Posted by Lynne

Christmas Market photos more ...

Posted by Lynne

Elephant grass fans & hats hand made in Ghana, perfect for the Brisbane summer! more ...

Posted by Lynne