Hi, I’m CK — the heart behind Waratah and Wood and the imaginative world of the Gumleaf Gang. I’m an artist, a dreamer, and a storyteller with a deep love for Australia’s wildflowers, wildlife, and wonder.
Waratah and Wood is more than a business — it’s a growing creative world built on stories, connection, and care. What began as a spark of inspiration and a handful of designs is slowly evolving into something much bigger: a home for creativity, kindness, and a touch of mischief.
A DREAM IN MOTION
(October 2025), I’m taking the very first step in bringing this dream to life — launching the debut collection for Waratah and Wood at waratahandwood.shop
The first part of my collection includes more than 115 print-on-demand pieces, featuring 16 original designs and 64 festive decorations — the foundation for what will one day grow into a complete creative ecosystem.
Each area has a tiny taste of what is to come in the future. Each new product is one brushstroke in a much larger picture — a journey unfolding one idea, one design, one moment of inspiration at a time.
As my collections grow, I will begin weaving in handmade creations — from laser-cut keepsakes and engraved pieces to resin treasures — while quietly developing the Gumleaf Gang Atlas, a story-rich world for children (and the young at heart) that will come to life when the time is right.
(January 2026) Waratah and Wood at Redbubble and the newly created Waratah and Wood Aussie Songbook have now been launched. Don’t forget to check Behind the Leaves to keep up to date with everything that is being added throughout 2026.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The dream doesn’t stop at products — it reaches into storytelling, songs, conservation, and creativity in every form. Over time, Waratah and Wood will branch into:
- The Gumleaf Gang — a whimsical family of Australian characters celebrating friendship, laughter, and the wild world they call home, joined by their Wildwood Cousins from beyond the bush.
- Gumleaves and Grimoires — spiritual and creative tools for reflection, intention, and mindful living.
- Waratah Workshop — handcrafted, laser-cut, and engraved pieces for life’s special moments and heartfelt celebrations.
Each branch will grow in its own time, connected by one heart and one purpose:
To create art that uplifts, inspires,
and reminds us of the beauty
in both nature and imagination.
MY VISION
This is the beginning of a long-term creative journey — a forest slowly coming into bloom.
Every story, every design, every handmade piece will add another leaf to the canopy of what Waratah and Wood will become: a place where creativity, compassion, and storytelling will all live side by side.
It’s a journey of imagination and heart — unfolding one creation, one story, one spark at a time. I invite you to grow alongside it and follow the journey Behind the Leaves…
MY Story
As I enter my fourth quarter, I find myself looking back on a life woven with colour — bright highs, deep challenges, and everything in between. The years have been full of lessons in resilience, love, and rediscovery.
In recent times, I’ve reconnected with what once brought me the most peace — quiet reflection through art, tarot, oracle work, journaling, meditation, and all forms of creativity. These practices have helped me listen to my heart again and have reminded me that joy and purpose can take many forms.
After more than forty years of making, mending, and imagining, I’m coming home to my creative roots with a renewed sense of wonder.
But this time, it’s bigger than just handmade gifts or art — it’s about storytelling, connection, and legacy.
Waratah and Wood will become my way of passing something magic forward — of giving my grandchildren and future generations something fun, thoughtful, and kind to explore. Whether it’s through the cheeky adventures of the Gumleaf Gang, the mindful beauty of Gumleaves and Grimoires, the heartfelt and fun songs in the Aussie Songbook, or the warmth of the Waratah Workshop, my hope is simple: to create a world where creativity sparks joy and imagination has no age limit.
This chapter of life feels like both a homecoming and a beginning — a chance to plant seeds that will keep growing long after I’ve set down the brush.
And so begins The Fourth Quarter…
The Fourth Quarter
0-20 Quarter One: the world begins,
In scraped knees and secret grins,
A blur of schoolyards, fierce best friends,
And love that starts but rarely ends.
First crush, first kiss, first shattering fall —
We learn to rise after losing it all.
21-40 Quarter Two: the grown-up race,
We chase the world at a reckless pace.
Careers are built with tired hands,
While love walks in with bold demands.
Rings are given, children born,
Hearts stretched thin and sometimes torn.
Loss whispers close, and truths collide,
Some dreams are left, some die inside.
41-60 Quarter Three: the soul remakes,
From ashes of past high-stakes mistakes.
Alone again, or love anew,
Midlife storms and skies of blue.
Hormones rage in quieter ways,
The house falls silent on most days.
You ask the mirror, “Who am I?”
And stare through tears you never cry.
61-80 Quarter Four: the sacred slow,
Where softer winds begin to blow.
The race is done, the proving passed,
And peace arrives, quiet and vast.
The children grown, the noise has stilled,
The cracks within are gently filled.
You walk the garden, breathe the sky,
Content to live, prepared to die.
81-100 Extra Innings: And if by grace you’re granted more —
An extra innings, years to store,
From eighty-one to century’s gate,
You sip the days and tempt the fate.
Each breath a gift, each step a song,
A whispered “thank you” all along.
The body slows, the spirit soars,
You’ve danced through life — and asked for more.
© Copyright 2025 Waratah and Wood