Celtic Rover in the DownUnder!

NerysPurchon of Etsy skillfully crafts lovely and unique bags and lives a unique (and enviable) life, living a roving lifestyle in their 29’ Caravan:

“…being a Celt, I am nomadic by nature. After my 5 children were grown, my husband and I decided that life in a house was too static. We have been living on the road with our two little dogs for many, many years now. Our way of life means that we can be on a beach, in a forest or a desert as the mood takes us. We can stay for a short while or a long time...if neighbours become troublesome, you simply start the engine and move on!”

Don’t we ALL wish we could do that, sometimes? Fortunately, their Caravan has 58 compartments, most of which are filled with supplies for Nerys’ wonderful fiber art creations. They stay connected to the Internet while on the road with a pretty hefty 3G fast broadband connection. Home base is Perth.
One of Nerys’ creations that caught my attention was her “Tribble” bag (The Tribble), made from soft, rich brown Merino wool , with lots of great add-ins: lovely dichroic glass bead, magnetic catch, Scotch-guarding for stain protection, zipped inner pockets for small items, durable but attractive inner lining, a key catch for easy access to your keys and a charming lavender scented herbal packet.
Another charming and versatile bag is the
Little Darling, which is knitted from 100% wool and then felted, creating a lovely and long-lasting accessory, whose colors will go with many outfits and seasons. The strap is long enough for hand or shoulder, there is a beautiful purple bead accent and lavender scented herbal sachet. The “Little Darling” is also Scotch-guarded for stain resistance.


Possibly one of Nerys’ most interesting creations is the Sari Bag, made of yarn from recycled sari silk.
Besides being utterly lovely, with LOTS of goodies: dichroic beads on front and back,a colorful beaded dragonfly, beautiful colors, a separate but included cell phone/iPod pouch, magnetic closure, zippered pocket, satin lining and convenient key catch. The frame will keep the bag’s shape and the material is Scotch-guarded for protection. There is , of course, the lavender herbal organza pouch from the herbalist’s grand-daughter J
The bag description points out how unique this bag is and that, like the Hill Tribes silver and African Kazuri beads, this yarn aids women trying to help themselves:
“Recycled sari silk is the most unique yarn. Silk thrums from India's weaving mills are handspun by women's cooperatives and cottage industries into gleaming, richly coloured silk skeins. Each recycled silk skein is handspun creating natural inconsistencies and a rather scrappy nature; to make any project, no matter how simple in design, instantly charming and unique. No two skeins of this yarn are the same, so every product made from this is one of its kind”
Recycled sari yarn purchases support women's development groups in Nepal and provides additional income to support their families.
Originally from North Wales, Nerys and her husband came to Australia in 1969 and bought a run down little farm of 16 acres. Through months and years of toil, they created a herb farm and a business creating cruelty-free, natural skin and hair care products.
Later, drawing on a lifetime of knowledge about herbs and their uses, literally learned at her grandmother’s knee (her grandmother was the valley herbalist and healer), Nerys began writing about herbs and essential oils, natural healing and a couple on food.
After several years, Nerys got sick of deadlines and wrote 3 e-books on herbs and natural healing (all of which are for sale in her shop.)

"Mummy Boo", intended as a fabric hug-fest for children with stress or anxiety, is scented with lavender oil, this relieves stress and aids sleep. MummyBoo also has an incredibly sweet card from Mummy to the child, and a basket of Guatemalan "worry dolls".

Besides the lovely bags that I’ve mentioned above, Nerys’ shop contains lovely, rich colored and textured scarves and cell phone/IPod pouches she’s made, with terrific textures, as well as charming stitch markers and Nerys’ e-books. And, coming soon, a small range of essential oil blends for Lovers, Stress, Headaches and a few more, some using convenient roll-on applicators!