Tree of Life Bowl
Available on our Etsy Shoppe or at Kubiak Gallery, Douglas MI

Hi all!

We have exciting news – it has been a long time coming, but it’s finally here…our very own Etsy Shoppe!  Take a look, let us know what you think, and share with your friends!  More pieces are just around the corner and you’ll be the first to know when they’re added.

Mahalo nui for supporting and sharing! L

Well, hello again!  It seems we’ve been on a bit of a blogging hiatus… busy with our new fabrics – testing, sewing, dreaming… so many ideas, so many designs!

Many of you have already seen a sneak peek of the latest treats available in the KND Shoppe – luscious chiffon scarves for any occasion.  We are very excited to share with you that all of these (and more!) are made with our new line of luxurious, eco-poly fabrics; all recyclable and using virtually no water at all in manufacturing or printing.  We are working with one of the greenest fabric manufacturers in the USA and are over the moon excited about it!

These gorgeous eco-fabrics are of the utmost quality – with dazzling color, oh-so-soft feel, and the highest standard of functionality.  They can be machine washed and dried with no fading or shrinking too!  We’ve been using them to wash dishes, scrub floors, and dust electronics; leaving them in the sun, wind and rain; and each wash results in softer and yummier fabric.

So far, we’ve made gorgeous scarves in 12 of our designs, lovely pillows, and a whole new line of tableware including placemats, napkins, tea towels, and table runners!  All will be arriving in the KND Shoppe soon and some will be making their debut tonight at Kihei’s 4th Friday Party on Maui.  We’ve also got many more treats on our design floor and in the works – very exciting!

We are having one problem though… deciding which of our designs to print next!  There are just too many to choose from and we love them all, of course  We need your help!

Go to our Fabric Designs page, write down your favorites numbers and send them to us via the Contact Us page or on a message via Facebook.  We’ll be drawing 3 names, from those of you we hear from, to win a free Basic Scarf in one of the designs you choose as a favorite!

We are thrilled with our new fabrics and know you’ll love them just as much as we do!  And there are many more fabric designs coming soon to add to the over 200 we have already… we look forward to hearing which are your favorites.  HAPPY VOTING!

At Kym Nicolas Designs, we are passionate about innovative and colorful motifs, connecting with our clients in a soulful way, and celebrating beauty in our lives and our surroundings.  We strive for excellence and want to ensure that all of our goods are of the utmost quality.  We thrive on functionality, intense beauty, and “the yummy factor”.

We also feel a responsibility to our environment and sustainability, and want to do our part to maximize our eco-friendliness and minimize our footprint all while creating gorgeous pieces of functional art.

In regards to our ‘Full Disclosure’ post back in April, we diligently tested and washed all of our fabrics to weed out the quality from the questionable and have been able to salvage many of our pieces.  Of the beautiful fabrics we have been able to save, we’ve created more luscious pillows, place mats, napkins, handbags, and more.  We feel confident in the goods we still have on the market, and have been selling those pieces at recent festivals and events on Maui.

Through this little hiccup (and apparent Universal intervention), Kym and I have discovered a new line of fabrics – the ultimate in eco-friendly, absolutely luscious feel, and even more incredible color saturation – all of this equals el supremo yummy factor!  We have decided to venture away from our beautiful organic cotton fabrics and start fresh with this new and exciting line of materials… we promise more information soon – we’re currently awaiting final details and will share with you when we’re ready to launch.

What does all of this mean for you?  We’re having a 25-30% off sale on all of our current soft goods!  We will be adding our organic cotton items back into our shop, so that you – our online ‘ohana, both near and far – can take advantage of these great prices too.  Stay tuned!  The sale will be live in the KND Shoppe soon! (We like to call it the “KaNDy Shop”! )

Mahalo nui loa to all those who supported us at Seabury Hall’s Craft Fair this past Saturday!  It was another beautiful event that was super fun to be a part of – we can’t thank the staff and volunteers enough for such a wonderful day!  We saw many old friends and met lots of new ones too!

Definitely a special day we’ll remember for some time to come!  Thanks Maui!

Top photo courtesy of Seabury Hall

At Kym Nicolas Designs, we are all about honoring the mama – after all, we are a mother-daughter team!  From first-time mamas to great grand mamas, every mother has a special place in our hearts and deserves to be pampered.  With Mothers Day just around the corner, it’s time to start gathering treats for your favorite care-taking woman!

In the spirit of motherly celebration, we’re holding a “Love Your Mama” Spring sale from now through Mothers Day!  Kicking it off on the day we honor the ultimate mama, Mother Earth (aka Big Mama) – we’re offering 15% off all of our greeting cards!  From single cards for writing a special  message to beautiful boxed gift sets, we’ve got the right sized gift for you and fifteen gorgeous designs to choose from.

Our greeting cards are perfect for any occasion, come with lovely press & seal envelopes, and are eco-friend-ily printed on recycled paper created with 100% wind power - a fact that makes Big Mama very happy!

Visit the KND shoppe today to make your selection – while you’re there, why not pick up a treat for yourself too?

We also have stunning, one of a kind pottery available – unique and unbelievably beautiful gifts – a perfect combination for all the deserving mamas on your list.

Be sure to use the code “iluvmymama” at check out to receive your special discount!

This is Big Beauty…a collaboration between my fabulous potter friend, Jeff Blandford and me. Jeff threw the form: 21″ wide and I finished it by glazing. It appeared twice  today on CBS Sunday Morning: first as a big beautiful bowl  and second as it’s incarnation as it appears when I translated the design into fabric. This “Big Beauty” is currently for sale and on display at Jeff’s wonderful gallery, “Volmod Ceramics” which is located in Saugatuck, Michigan.

To be honest, I don’t know a lot about tea bowls and I’ve never attended a tea ceremony. But I have been intrigued by the form, the function and the ceremony. And so I thought, since I am currently working on small vessels in porcelain, that it would be an appropriate time to explore the idea of creating a tea bowl in my particular style. While creating, I kept this wonderful essay written by Barry Lancet about tea bowl aesthetics next to me and in my mind. (You might ask: Do these small vessels have to be used as tea bowls? No. They can be used for any elixir that might be enjoyed in a special cup at any time…but it is in the spirit of tea bowls that they were created.)

About Tea Bowl Aesthetics: A five century dialogue.

“The tea bowl is at the heart of the Tea Ceremony; the ceremony which invites us to wake to the world.”

“The Japanese fascination with tea bowls has always been a puzzling one to many Western ceramic enthusiasts, yet a close look at both old and new pieces reveals that there is much to be said for these deceptively simple pieces. In Japan, the tea bowl has become a sort of artistic Holy Grail. Over time, the tea bowl’s central position in the tea ceremony has made it the nexus of functional, aesthetic, and spiritual demands, prized older works are breathtaking examples of the finest that Japanese ceramic art has to offer – at once noble and serene – though it must be pointed out that many inferior bowls are treasured for their lineage (that is their ‘Tea History’), a fact which clouds the issue in Western eyes.”

“‘If you can make a good tea bowl, you can make anything’ is almost an adage in the Japanese ceramic world and there is more than a grain of truth in it. To bring together the lip, the inner surface, the outer profile, and the concluding foot with the right mixture of clay, glaze and fire to produce the elusive balance of utility and grace is not a feat to be taken lightly. To bring them together with a touch of spirituality is magic.”

“The successful bowl will have an inexplicable serenity to its stance as if it knows what it is about.”

~Barry Lancet, Executive Editor (Art), Kodansha International from his essay Shiro Tsujimura

To see my latest batch of tea bowls and those available for purchase, visit our shop.  Or you can join us in conversation on Facebook.

“I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart.”

- Vincent Van Gogh

At this moment, Lindsey and I are seeking to find a solution.  We are striving to overcome a challenge and we are in it with all our hearts.

Almost two weeks ago, we discovered that the dye had failed on some of our fabrics.  It had faded beyond anything we could have anticipated after it had been washed according to our manufacturer’s instruction.  We were stunned and immediately pulled all of our products that had not been washed from the market.  We contacted the company for assistance and have been testing each and every fabric we have on-hand.  One by one, we are documenting before and after results and deciding whether each individual design meets our standards.

Some of our products are in your homes and we are concerned about disappointing you – you, our wonderful friends who have so generously supported us.  If any of you have experienced this situation and are disappointed with your product, please get in touch with Lindsey or myself.  We are seeking solutions to salvage the fabrics we have, including those in your homes and will certainly keep you informed of any solutions we find.

I have specialized in functional art most of my career and realize that function is integral to the beauty and quality of what we create for use in our homes, items we purchase to enrich our lives.  We strive to have “nothing but yummy” at Kym Nicolas Designs and we are trying to maintain a positive outlook for our future as we keep in mind a quote or two from Richard Bach’s book “Illusions”:

“You are never given a wish without being given the power to make it true.  You may have to work for it, however.”

“There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.  You seek problems because you need their gifts.”

“Every person, all the events of your life, are there because you have drawn them there.  What you choose to do with them is up to you.”

We are choosing integrity, honesty, optimism, and heart.

We still have beauty-full cards, magical pottery, and some flags and bags available… and hope to have an update soon as to where this path will lead.

Thank you for your continued support.  Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.