Welcome to the world of Kimona Creates

Welcome to the world of Kimona. I love to create beautiful things especially cards and customised stationery made from fabrics of all kinds. The process of making our products begins with the selection of the fabrics and materials and then is completely manual. We do not add bits to pre-existing printed card, we make our products from scratch.

We have an in-stock selection of cards which can be used for any occasion or can be adapted for special use Take a look at the posts to see some pictures of them.

We use several types of fabrics including a range of Thai silk, Chinese silk brocade, ribbon and sequins and a glittery Christmas range. We are always looking for new and exciting fabrics and ideas and can design anything to suit our clients needs and they have asked us to design special occasion stationery for weddings, barmitzvah's, christenings, parties and for corporate use. Our service is truely bespoke.

I would love you to join me on my creative journey and will keep you posted on what I get up to.

Be well and take good care,

Kim x







Thursday 7 July 2011

New to Kimona Cards - Kimona Keepsakes

We are all excited at Kimona Cards because we have a whole new range of customisable, hand made invitations for those special occasions in your life. Take a look at Kimona Keepsakes which can be made as a flat card with printing on the back or as a folded cards with printing on the inside right flap.

Let's start with the white and natural linen range. There are three designs in this group: "Let's Party", "An Invitation" and "It's My Birthday"





"Let's Party" - White Linen card with black lace and mirror flowers - ideal for any age, 16, 18, 21, 30 etc etc



"An Invitation" - White Linen card with silver heart - ideal for weddings, anniversaries, parties etc

And in Natural Linen colour "It's My Birthday" - Ideal for young and old(er) alike



Made with Natural Linen card and pink and purple felt hearts.



All cards come in 6"x4" size with envelopes and can be flat with personalised printing on back or with folded card with personalised printing on inside right

HK$ 1250 for 25 - Flat card, one side personalised printing
HK$ 1500 for 25 - Folded card, one side personalised printing on inside right

Minimum order of 25, then sold in multiples of 10.

I'll be posting again with the gold linen range so watch this space.......

Monday 20 June 2011

Hong Kong Artisan's - W52 on May 28th



The Hong Kong Artisan group had it's first showcase event on May 28th. Over 200 people turned up to see the stunning work of crafts folk and artisan's in Hong Kong. We also had a cake decorating demonstartion where the team from Sweet Secrets turned a humble square cake into a delicious Tiffany's gift box draped with pearls.



We had beautiful jewellery from Katia. Her work is made with antique silver beads and semi- precious stones.......



Bettina Wan provided some lovely, colourful children's hair accessories.....



Sara provided some of her jewellery which she makes using medieval knotting techniques using a simple sewing needle....



Cakes and cupcakes were provided by Sarah and the team from Sweet Secrets. Can you believe that this is a cake!



And, of course, hand crafted cards made with silk brocade, organza and trimmings were provided by us at Kimona Cards, here are just a few.......



We are planning our next showcasing event which will take place in October. This one will have a festive theme and there will be more companies displaying their work. So watch this space and I'll keep you posted.

Tuesday 17 May 2011

2011 Feng Shui Almanac (May 2011)

I just came across this calendar and thought you might be interested in.............

"Tips on choosing a good day"

1. For big events such as wedding, buying property/car, moving house and grand openings, it is best to avoid 3rd, 6th and 7th lunar months.

2. Avoid holding big events on days where San Niang Affliction appears.

3. Days where one has zodiac conflict (particularly with certain age) is bad for that particular zodiac, but good for the rest of the zodiacs.

4. Every day will be a good day if one carefully selects that day to do the correct things right:
a. Placing Feng Shui Remedy - If one starts placing their feng shui enhancers on a good day, it would be doubly auspicious to yield better results. This includes building the wealth vase, placing the wealth ship, displaying a water fountain etc.
b. Start Biz - The grand opening or the day that marks the start of a business and career is very important to assure success. One has to choose a good day to embark on a new endeavour in order to face less obstacles and ride higher.
c. Move House - Moving into a new house marks the new beginning in ones life and the family wellbeing. The day when one moves in plays an important role to determine if one can stay free from illnesses, disturbances and havoc.
d. Negotiate/Interview - If one chooses a good day to meet up with important people to negotiate for sales and business, the chances of success is higher. Same goes for those who wants to make a one-on-one appointment with their bosses to propose an idea or negotiate for promotion. And no doubt, if one goes for a new job interview, it is always more beneficial to choose a day without conflict.
e. Travel - Travelling here refers to long distance travel, either going on a business trip, relocation or tour purposes. One would find the trip less stressful, less chances of accident and his/her health stays at tip top condition if he/she chooses a good day to travel.
f. Renovate/Hammer - This is the day one should choose to start their renovation work or doing any banging work that increases noise level. This includes hammering nails onto walls, hammering down of walls, removing wall cabinets, applying tiles on floor, repairing doors, fixing the roof, installing the air conditioner etc.

The chinese only has 12 hours in a day and they name the hours by the 12 zodiacs. The conversion between chinese hours and international hours are as follows:
Rat hour - 23:00 to 01:00
Ox hour - 01:00 to 03:00
Tiger hour - 03:00 to 05:00
Rabbit hour - 05:00 to 07:00
Dragon hour - 07:00 to 09:00
Snake hour - 09:00 to 11:00
Horse hour - 11:00 to 13:00
Sheep hour - 13:00 to 15:00
Monkey hour - 15:00 to 17:00
Rooster hour - 17:00 to 19:00
Dog hour - 19:00 to 21:00
Pig hour - 21:00 to 23:00

And here is the almanac for May 2011...

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Here's Our New Brochure

Take a look at the new brochure below. If you would like us to send you a copy please let us know. e. kim@kimonacards.com or m. 9330 1327. Look forward to hearing from you.





Monday 11 April 2011

We are having a Tea Party!!





Hong Kong Artisans Networking Event 2011

Who are we looking for? What is the aim of this event? Why do this? When?

We are looking for artisans and craftspeople to join us in hosting a networking event for creative professionals in Hong Kong.

Our aim is to gather a group of like-minded artistic and creative professionals to host a constructive, informative, casual and successful networking and introduction event. We would like to introduce the people of Hong Kong to the beauty of long-lasting handmade things, to the wonder of things that are original and unique, inspiring and interesting. Things made with love and care and imbued with soul. There will be nothing mass produced or disposable, only things made with craftsmanship and invested with time.

If you are in the business of high calibre handmade products, whether you are a jewellery designer, book-binder, dressmaker, shoemaker, bag maker, home-accessory maker, soap maker, candle maker, perfumer, ceramicist, toy maker, glass-blower, doll-maker, furniture craftsperson, or anyone who is an artisan with beautiful creations that you would like to showcase, and you are based in Hong Kong, we would like to hear from you.

Our aim is for this event to be in late May, 2011. We are also looking for sponsors to provide a venue for what we hope to be a Saturday afternoon event, over tea and cakes.

Please email or call us for more information and a chat, we’d love to hear from you.

Kim and Mona, Kimonacards.

e. kim@kimonacards.com m. 9330 1327
e. mona@kimonacards.com m. 9855 1772

Wednesday 9 March 2011

The Easter Bunny is almost here!



The Easter Bunny or Easter Hare is a character depicted as a rabbit bringing Easter eggs. In legend, the creature brings baskets filled with colored eggs, candy and sometimes also toys to the homes of children on the night before Easter. The Easter Bunny will either put the baskets in a designated place or hide them somewhere in the house or garden for the children to find when they wake up in the morning.

The Easter Bunny is a counterpart to the Santa Claus of Christmas, as they both bring gifts to children on the night before their respective holiday. It was first mentioned in Georg Franck von Frankenau's De ovis paschalibus (About the Easter Egg) referring to an Alsace tradition of an Easter Hare bringing Easter Eggs.

Bringing Easter eggs seems to have its origins in Alsace and the Upper Rhineland, both then in the Holy Roman Empire, and southwestern Germany, where the practice was first recorded in a German publication in the early 17th century. The first edible Easter Eggs were made in Germany during the early 19th century and were made of pastry and sugar.

The Easter Bunny was introduced to the United States by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 18th century.

The Catholic Encyclopedia says: "The rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertility" Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of antiquity. Since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth to large litters in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Vernal Equinox.

The saying "mad as a March hare" refers to the wild caperings of hares as the males fight over the females in the early spring, then attempt to mate with them. Since the females often rebuff the males' advances before finally submitting, the mating behavior often looks like a crazy dance; these fights led early observers to believe that the advent of spring made the hares "mad". This bold behavior makes the hares, normally timid and retiring animals, much more conspicuous to human observation in the spring.

The precise origin of the ancient custom of coloring eggs is not known, although evidently the blooming of many flowers in spring coincides with the use of the fertility symbol of eggs—and eggs boiled with some flowers change their color, bringing the spring into the homes.

German Protestants wanted to retain the Catholic custom of eating colored eggs for Easter, but did not want to introduce their children to the Catholic rite of fasting. Eggs were forbidden to Catholics during the fast of Lent, which was the reason for the abundance of eggs at Easter time.



So this year Good Friday falls on April 22nd and Easter Monday on April 25th. Watch this space for more stuff about Easter.

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Happy Birthday to my Brother in Law who is 40 this week



My Brother in Law, Martin, is 40 tomorrow and I have sent him what I think is a most appropriate card. I love to write messages to my family and friends when their birthday comes up and usually I talk about what has happened between us and to them in the previous year since their last birthday. Sometimes quotes come to mind which make me think of them but more often than not the message is personal.

If you sometimes struggle to find the right quote or comment when you send birthday greetings, just take a look at the list below for some inspiration of what to say to someone about to pass the BIG FOUR-O!

Enjoy!

Life begins at 40 - but so do fallen arches, rheumatism, faulty eyesight, and the tendency to tell a story to the same person, three or four times.
Helen Rowland

At the age of 20, we don't care what the world thinks of us; at 30, we worry about what it is thinking of us; at 40, we discover that it wasn't thinking of us at all.
Author Unknown

Age is opportunity no less than youth itself.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

This wine is forty years old. It certainly doesn't show its age.
Latin: Hoc vinum Falernum annorum quadragenta est. Bene aetatem fert.
Cicero

Every man over forty is a scoundrel.
George Bernard Shaw

The first forty years of life give us the text: the next thirty supply the commentary.
Arthur Schopenhauer

Life begins at forty.
W. B. Pitkin

At twenty years of age, the will reigns; at thirty, the wit; and at forty, the judgement.
Benjamin Franklin

Age is a matter of feeling, not of years.
George William Curtis

Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age.
Victor Hugo

The I just woke up face of your 30's is the all day long face of your 40's.
Libby Reid

What most persons consider as virtue, after the age of 40 is simply a loss of energy.
Voltaire

Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
Jack Benny

Women are most fascinating between the ages of 35 and 40 after they have won a few races and know how to pace themselves. Since few women ever pass 40, maximum fascination can continue indefinitely.
Christian Dior

Age is a high price to pay for maturity.
Tom Stoppard

Women deserve to have more than twelve years between the ages of twenty eight and forty
James Thurber

The lovely thing about being forty is that you can appreciate twenty-five-year-old men.
Colleen McCullough

When I passed forty I dropped pretense, 'cause men like women who got some sense.
Maya Angelou

You've heard of the three ages of man - youth, middle age, and 'you're looking wonderful'.
Francis Cardinal Spellman

Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle.
Bob Hope

At middle age the soul should be opening up like a rose, not closing up like a cabbage.
John Andrew Holmes

Middle age is when you still believe you'll feel better in the morning.
Bob Hope

Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed.
Charles Schulz

Middle age is the time when a man is always thinking that in a week or two he will feel as good as ever
Don Marquis

Middle age is having a choice between two temptations and choosing the one that'll get you home earlier.
Dan Bennett

The first sign of maturity is the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left.
Jerry M. Wright

The best years of a woman's life - the ten years between 39 and 40.
Author Unknown

35 is a very attractive age. London society is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free choice, remained thirty-five for years.
Oscar Wilde

To me, old age is always fifteen years older than I am.
Bernard M. Baruch

To be 70 years young is sometimes far more cheerful and hopeful than to be 40 years old.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.


Be wise with speed; a fool at forty is a fool indeed.
Edward Young


And below is a message for my BIL - Have fun young man!!

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Valentine's Day is coming......here are some quotes.




With Valentine's Day less than a week away many of you may be racking your brains thinking about how to convey your true love and what to write in your cards. So here are some quotes which you might find useful.......Happy Valentine's!

"Love is not love that alters when it alteration finds."
-Shakespeare

"If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand."
-Unknown

"You don't marry someone you can live with - you marry the person who you cannot live without."
-Unknown

"Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction."
-Saint-Exupery

"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."
-Ingrid Bergman

"I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love."
-Henry Ward Beecher

"True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen."
-La Rochefoucauld

"Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all."
-St. Augustine

"To love another person is to see the face of God."
-Les Miserables

"Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition."
-Alexander Smith

"Sympathy constitutes friendship; but in love there is a sort of antipathy, or opposing passion. Each strives to be the other, and both together make up one whole."
-Samuel Taylor Coleridge

"The richest love is that which submits to the arbitration of time."
-Lawrence Durrell

“Very small degree of hope is sufficient to cause the birth of love."
-Stendhal

"There is no remedy for love but to love more."
-Thoreau

"Love cures people - both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it."
-Dr. Karl Menninger

"To love and win is the best thing. To love and lose, the next best."
-William M. Thackeray

"If you love someone, let them go. If they return to you, it was meant to be. If they don't, their love was never yours to begin with..."
-Unknown

"True love never dies for it is lust that fades away. Love bonds for a lifetime but lust just pushes away."
-Alicia Barnhart

"Some love lasts a lifetime. True love lasts forever."
-Unknown

"If love is great, and there are no greater things, then what I feel for you must be the greatest."
-Unknown

"The Eskimos have 52 words for snow because it is so special to them; there ought to be as many for love!"
-Margaret Atwood

"Love is like playing the piano. First you must learn to play by the rules, then you must forget the rules and play from your heart."
-Unknown

"Within you, I lose myself. Without you, I find myself wanting to be lost again."
-Unknown

Wednesday 2 February 2011

Happy New Year!

May your life be filled with blessings and joy!

Kung Hei Fa Choy!

Thursday 27 January 2011

Greetings for CNY

Traditionally Chinese New Year greetings are short and to the point. They use a play on words and are often only four characters long. The meaning of these greetings, whilst they have a literal translation into English, do not always make a logical saying and can somtimes appear to be just random words. Therefore, even though the meaning of Chinese sayings in Chinese makes perfect sense, in English they can often only be understood with explanation. Here are a couple of examples:

Let us start with the commonly used greeting which is "Happy New Year"



Literally translated this means 'Congratulations get rich'. Of course metaphorically, it means 'Wishing you prosperity' and is used as a CNY greeting.

There are many words and greetings which on the surface appear to say one thing whilst having a deeper hidden meaning. Let us look at another example:



When literally translated, this saying means 'ten thousand things according to your will'. Metaphorically, it means 'May your wishes come true'. The character 'maan' is the word for ten thousand, which is a Chinese unit. 'See' is the word for things or happenings. 'Yuu' means 'according to' and 'yi' can be put together with other characters to mean different things but in this case it's understood to mean 'what you want'.

And one of the most common characters you will see around and about during Chinese New Year - Fook


Fook can literally be translated as 'Blessed'. But it does have deeper significance which can only be expressed in English through combining several words, such as 'good luck', 'being fortunate', and 'auspiciousness'. That's why you often see this single character used on many things, especially during Chinese New Year, where this character is stuck on doors, printed on red packets (lei see envelopes) and many other things.

Here are some more with the literal translations attached:

龍馬精神
lung ma jing sung
(meaning Spirit of dragon and horse)


心想事成
Sam seung sih sihng
(meaning accomplish that in your heart)

恭賀新禧
gong ho san hei
Congratulations on new blessings

大吉大利
daai gat daai lei
Much luck and much prosperity

五福臨門
ng fuk lam mun
five happinesses bestowed on your household

出入平安
chut yap ping on
leave and enter in peace and safety

年年有餘
nin nin yau yue
every year have bounty in excess

for children:

快高長大
faai gou jeung dai
quickly grow taller and become bigger

添丁發財
tim dang fat choi
add more (male) heirs, and become prosperous

招財進寶
jiu choi jun bou
seek wealth welcome in the precious

生意興隆
sang yi hing lung
let the business be popular and prosperous

盤滿砵滿
pun mun but mun
basins full and bowls full (of wealth)

笑口常開
siu hau seong hoi
laughing mouths opening frequently

天天向上
tin tin heung seung
daily heading upwards!


Wishing you prosperity, may all your wishes come true and may you be truly blessed.

Happy New Year!!

Sunday 16 January 2011

Chinese New Year - 15 days of celebration!




As you may know Chinese New Year is the most important festival to Chinese people and lasts over a period of 15 days. Each day has a significance and a tradition attached to it; from eating with family, gift giving, staying at home, being kind to dogs, praying in temples and ending with lanterns.

The first day of the Lunar New Year is "the welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth." Many people abstain from eating meat on the first day of the new year because it is believed that this will ensure long and happy lives for them.

On the second day, people pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs.

The third and fourth days are for the sons-in-laws to pay respect to their parents-in-law.

The fifth day is called Po Woo. On that day people stay home to welcome the God of Wealth. No one visits family and friends on the fifth day because it will bring both parties bad luck.

On the sixth to the 10th day, people visit their relatives and friends freely. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health.


The seventh day of the New Year is the day for farmers to display their produce. These farmers make a drink from seven types of vegetables to celebrate the occasion. The seventh day is also considered the birthday of human beings. Noodles are eaten to promote longevity and raw fish for success.

On the eighth day the Fujian people have another family reunion dinner, and at midnight they pray to Tian Gong, the God of Heaven.

The ninth day is to make offerings to the Jade Emperor.

During the 10th to 12th days friends and relatives should be invited for dinner. After so much rich food, on the 13th day people usually have simple rice congee and mustard greens (choi sum) to cleanse their system.

On the 14th day preparations begin for the celebration of the Lantern Festival which is then held on the 15th night.

And so it is..........the 15 days of Chinese New Year!

Monday 10 January 2011

Lunar New Year Approaches..........And so does the Jade Rabbit!



I'm back!!

After the madness of Christmas and New Year has now passed we can look ahead to the celebrations for Chinese New Year. Over the next few posts we will be looking at different aspects of the festival and the related traditions.



So let us begin..........Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The origin of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and traditions. Ancient Chinese New Year is a reflection on how the people behaved and what they believed in the most.



2011 is the year of the Jade Rabbit. The official date of the Lunar celebration is February 3rd although Lunar festivities last for 15 days.

People born under the sign of the rabbit are traditionally thought to be gentle, sensitive, modest, and merciful and have a strong memory.
They like to communicate with others in a humorous manner.
They cannot bear dull life, so they are good at creating romantic or interesting situations but they lack meditative abilities and often sink money into ideas that may cause failures in their career.
People born in the Year of the Rabbit are articulate, talented, and ambitious.
They are virtuous, reserved, and have excellent taste.
Rabbit people are admired, trusted, and are often financially lucky.
They are fond of gossip but are tactful and generally kind.
Rabbit people seldom lose their temper.
They are clever at business and being conscientious, never back out of a contract.
They would make good gamblers for they have the uncanny gift of choosing the right thing. However, they seldom gamble, as they are conservative and wise.

Chinese New Year gifts:
Exchanging of gifts is a prominent tradition followed by the Chinese community all over the world. Parents and relatives living far from home are sent greeting cards, gifts, lucky charms, and new clothes as gifts for New Year. Children will receive new clothes from their parents and elders. The popular Chinese New Year gifts for children can include the following:
Storybooks, Shoes, Clothes, Decorative items, Board games, Bags, Colour pencils, Toys, Dolls, Teddy bears.

Adult gifts might range from useful household things to luxury items. Couples will often exchange clothes, perfume, jewellery sets, pendants, rings, chimes, Chinese antique pieces, and household appliances.

Gifts for friends and siblings might include things of decorations, makeup, books, pens, and food baskets.



In the next post we will look at the festival itself...........