My name is Tarah and I am the owner and designer of Magpie Calls!
This page will tell you a bit about what I do, how Magpie Calls got started and show some of my creations. It will also give you a sneak peek at my "other job";)
Magpie Calls is a one-woman business operating from my home in Hillcrest, on the East Coast of South Africa! I hand-make from scratch each and every creation. I make accessories for women and girls of all ages and styles. I LOVE upcycling. Something about taking the old and mixing with the new to create something completely unique excites me and gets my creative mode flowing! I love fabrics, texture, design, colour- all of it, and using bits and scraps that would otherwise be thrown away makes me a happy crafter. I also love old buttons which feature a lot in my work, as well as old and broken jewellery that no longer can be used in its current form... I attack it like a wild woman and soon a necklace or belt gets broken up into individual elements which get used in many projects. I make headpieces, fabric flowers, necklaces, sashes, bouquets, earrings, cuffs/bracelets, hair clips etc.
Magpie Calls started in 2012 officially but really came into being before that. I have been a Magpie my whole life, and often say I am a willing sufferer of A.D.O.S (attention deficit OOH shiny disorder). When I discovered Bellydance in 2002 I had found my Magpie home. The beautiful costumes entranced me and as I got more into the dancing I had to get more into the costuming side , and making my own costumes! As the years went by my skills got better and eventually I got asked to make some costume pieces for other dancers. And so the bellydance branch of Magpie Calls was born. I needed a name for this venture, and came across a poem online talking about the calls of Magpie's. This spoke to my Magpie soul and I felt if all these beautiful things are calling me to make them into something, well then they in turn must call out to other fellow magpies. TA DA!
At the beginning of 2012 I was making a costume for an event I was doing in America, when I felt I needed matching accessories... I experimented with making flowers out of fabric and when they were a success and I got amazing feedback. I decided to make more, and then the bug hit! The creativity just flowed and all sorts of accessory ideas started coming to me. When I had enough creations I applied to the "I heart market" which only stocks vendors who handmake their items. I started in July 2012 and I still regularly vend at the market! I also have stock at various places and am now spreading out into the wedding market as well! I LOVE LOVE doing custom work and making something for someone in particular!
I am a creative in all aspects of my life and in my "other" job I am Director, Principal Teacher, Choreographer and Performer of a Tribal Fusion bellydance studio called "Dance Tribe". I love dance and it fits in well with my hands on creativity in Magpie Calls.
Here are some links to Dance Tribe:
Thank you for taking the time to find out a bit more about me. Come again and see what fanciful things I find to blog about!
much love and shiny shimmies
Tarah
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