Hi, and welcome to our corner of the interwebs… Most of our friends call us by our nicknames "Xaria" & "Nighthawk" but our real names are "Paula" and "Dale" we do answer to both. 

About Styled Crafts

Xaria (Paula) love's sewing from making beautiful quilts to making bags and wallets to making various clothing items. She also love just crafting in general. While on the other hand Nighthawk (Dale) loves woodworking from makings small projects from toys to coffee tables tools and jigs to crafty(ish) projects and a variety of other things in between.

The idea of Styled Crafts has been in the back of our minds for some time, we were just not 100% sure how it was going to eventuate also while we didn't know the name we were going to use we knew we just want make stuff for people.

We bought a Laser Engraver the xTool D1 Pro 10 watt Laser and sparked the journey. While we have the D1 now for a while we did a lot of work in the back ground. From learning how to drive the new laser, Xaria making a few stock bag items etc, to Nighthawk building a Database to track and trace various jobs as well as we hope to be able to sell the database to other makers to help them track and trace their jobs. We also bought the domain names and built the website... all before going public.

Styled Crafts we hope to sell you what we have made, whether it be a Xaria Creates bag, wallet, or quilt etc or one of Nighthawk's Wacky Wood Works projects. However we won't be making to orders just yet the idea is we will be just selling what we have made.

About Xaria

Hi,
Nighthawk and I have been together now for over 21 years, and lived in an inner city flat for 10 years saving up to buy a house, which we bought in 2011, I enjoyed computers and digital scrap booking back in the day.  Once we moved into our own home I got into crafting and Nighthawk got back into his Woodworking. One of my work colleagues was into sewing and making quilts which started my interest into quilting and sewing in general which now includes making bags, clothing and various other sewing crafts.

Having had several various jobs over the years from starting out at "The Warehouse" when I was younger to working in the butchery section of "New World" supermarket for many years, I then moved on to start working in administration for a construction company to my current position at "PlaceMakers".

My father was a builder (before retiring) so have always known the basics of home maintenance which helps with various other crafts and use of tools.

I now have my own small craft room that my father and Nighthawk built which is my own space, where I do all my sewing and few other crafts and while is it is not a huge space and like everyone need more room  it was the biggest we were allowed to build with out going through the consent process which can be a long and expensive process.

One of the bags made by Xaria

With the help of Nighthawk and his woodworking experience, I enjoy watching other crafts and projects come together with a mix from both Nighthawk and my input, from making gifts and cards etc to some fun things for around our home (as well as friends).

Other hobbies I enjoy reading a good book, as well as like Nighthawk I use to enjoy motorcycling and going to the various bike rallies around the country until my accident... while I was walking our Jack Russel "Rimu" not riding my bike.  Selling my Hyosung GT650 due to the fact I could not ride anymore due to the pins in my leg I have only just recently bought myself a small TriCity 155 bike for around town and to be honest Nighthawk rides it more than I do.  I also enjoy gardening and baking.

I enjoy and follow a lot of sewing and crafting Youtube channels which is where I get a lot of inspiration and learning a few new tips and tricks a long the way. I also enjoy cooking and baking  and love showing off with friends inviting friends over for dinner parties or just over for party in general and having a good spread off eats or baking cookies and slices, cakes for goodie packages for Christmas gifts.

About Nighthawk

I have been with my partner Xaria now for 21 years, and 11 years ago we bought our current house. I use to do woodworking when I was at school, however when I left school I joined the Royal New Zealand Navy and traveled the world. I saw and did many things and had a lot of fun as well as learnt a lot of skills…

Upon leaving the Royal New Zealand Navy I did the odd job from fruit picking to starting a motorcycle courier company (that we sold) and eventually I decided to do the 1st assessment builders course at the local polytechnic and became a builder’s hammer hand and did this for many years. From building houses to erecting silo’s to renovations to even building a shearing sheds…

I then moved back to my home town of "Dunedin", New Zealand and decided I needed a change I decided to pursue another love, art and graphic design becoming a graphic artist which was a complete surprise to even me! I worked for a small local community newspaper (Inside Otago), and then a printing company as the graphic artist. Whilst in the background starting my own small graphic design company, and meeting my current partner.

When we bought this house it sparked the inner me that likes to tinker and make stuff, from wood, metal, plastic or whatever material, But my passion for woodworking returned like it was at school. The basement while not ideal I decided to make it work the best I could.

21 years later I am now currently full time employed as a plastic fabricator making plastic plumbing fittings or just about anything from plastic (with in reason) from pipe or sheet goods. Using the same tools as a woodworker.

becoming a graphic artist which was a complete surprise to even me!

I have been inspired to get back and just make stuff to tinker in my space and all I want to do with this site and my YouTube channel is to inspire you, to make you say,” I can do that.” (and you could probably do it better than me… )

I get inspired from the "inter-webs" and the "google machine" from many other woodworkers and makers on the "inter-webs" so in return I hope that others viewing “Wacky Wood Works” website and YouTube channel will get some inspiration from me in some way and if you do please let me know. My goal is simply to inspire others, by making easy projects with wood, plastic, metal, fabric, cardboard & anything else. Most projects are made purely off the cuff and only have a general idea how it will turn out. 

I have other hobbies, from being a musician and write all my own music for my videos on youtube... most of my music has been released under Creative Commons License. My music can be found here and here. I also enjoy graphic artistry (I was one for 15 years), motorcycle riding to just watching a good SciFi movie.

Regards
Nighthawk