Lila with love [crafts from South Africa]

{Little bird}: Early this morning I heard a little bird singing by my bedroom window. It was just so uplifting, such a delicate sound. Whenever I hear birds singing it takes my mind off things and bring me back to my childhood in the countryside. Manya from Lila with Love has made birds one of the main characters of her artwork.

Hand painted cards

Birds mobile

Lovebirds purses and T-shirts

All products at Lila are handmade in Southern Africa using recycled materials,embroidery, silk,gems, fibre and wool. Manya teaches handcraft skills and employed local women providing a source of income for the talented and skilled ladies involved in this project.I love all their creations for the amount of passion that goes into each and every piece, and having met Manya myself a year ago in South Africa makes it even more special. And from her website it's this inspiring note:

"when you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy..." rumi

Silk and fibre hearts

And LITTLE BIRD is also the title of one of Annie Lennox's songs on her new album 'The ANNIE LENNOX COLLECTION', which I just bought today....... and it goes:

'I look up to the little bird
that glides across the sky
he sings the clearest melody'.....


Singing birds from Caravan style shop