What's in a name?
For Yalbaroo mum Kylie Chapman, the story behind her handcrafted leather business name, Artisan and Laer, is not only symbolic of her passion for leather but also a tribute to her roots.
While she started her business under a different name in 2019, Kit N Kaboodle, she knew she had to go back to the drawing board, and find something that better defined who she was.
"I wanted something a bit more symbolic, personal and meaningful. Artisan is being a skilled trade worker, making things from hand," Mrs Chapman said.
"I started doing research on my family's history, names, and that sort of stuff. I didn't get to know my biological mother well and she passed in 2018.
"I looked into her...her last name was Norwegian. So I started googling names relating to what I do in Norweigan and I came up with leather...I put it into a Norwegian translator app (and came up with Laer).
"In another year I was designing my logo and coming up with the idea...in memory of my late mother."
The pull towards her hand-crafted leather business seemed predestined, since the day she became enamoured with leather goods as a young girl.
"I've always had a love for leather work and I do have a very vague memory of my uncle taking me to Lanskey's Saddlery in Townsville...I would have been six or seven...I can remember the smell of the leather," she said.
"I got my first Akubra. I still remember the smell of the belt, the leather, it's been instilled in me ever since."
Mrs Chapman did her schooling in Mackay where she discovered a love for agriculture.
She went on to attend an agricultural college in the Burdekin, before moving to the Northern Territory where she did contract mustering for 10 years.
"I was working on stations. I got to see so much of the land. It's absolutely beautiful country and I think that's where my passion for leather sort of grew, having to repair our gear, bridles, the dog collars for our working dogs," she said.
"It always has been, subconsciously, (a pull)."
Curious, she purchased a leather working starter kit from eBay for $150, but put it away in the cupboard and forgot about it for years.
"Then (my fiance Albert and I) bought our property in Yalbaroo and I fell pregnant (with son Wyatt)," she said.
"I'm not the type of person who can sit still and do nothing so I pulled out the tools and picked up some leather from garage sale in Mackay.
"I had a crack, and I was terrible. I was absolutely awful."
However, with a supportive partner, a "dog with a bone" dedication, and a vision, she spent countless hours watching YouTube videos, teaching herself and honing the skill.
"I literally started off in our little study with our 2m wooden desk...now I have work benches...and I've invested in an industrial leather sewing machine," she said.
"I've really moved on and I'm really finding my feet and my niche. I'm getting my own sort of brand and image. It's been a journey but it's really lovely to look back and see how far I've come."
Forget paint and sip nights, Mrs Chapman is starting a new trend - tool and sip, which she plans to kick off in 2024 - inspired by workshops she has held at Mandy Probyn Equine Connection retreats.
"My beautiful mentor Mandy Probyn has in a sense helped me get my name out there and she gave me the confidence that what I was doing is something people enjoy," she said.
"Three years ago she invited me to one of her cowboy retreats to hold a leather class...the ladies said it was amazing...next year will be my fourth year."
Artisan and Laer not only offers handmade leather goods including accessories, saddlery and pet ware, but also custom orders that are high quality, long-lasting and able to be "passed down through generations", with the option of payment plans for customers.
"I've been fully booked out since June...I'm hoping to open orders and have this lot of custom orders finished in February/March," Mrs Chapman said.
"I have a lot of return customers. It's heart-warming and it sets in stone that I must be doing something right...I still pinch myself sometimes...I'm grateful and humbled."
The custom orders are made with heart, with some of the bigger orders taking weeks of diligent stitching, lining, cutting, dying, painting, and tooling to create the perfect, unique creation.
