Cretacea Cret-ay-sha

🍐 GOURDIAN 🍐

The gourd patch has completely gone..
Wild vines of wonder, nocturnal lunar blooms and swollen bellied Gourds, have completed their season.
::
This was the 1st time I grew gourds.
And it came at a poignant time.
Tending to this patch with my father while he was fading, gave us both something to focus on other than his cancer & the short time he had left in his beloved garden.
::
Gourds became a household joke
&
Something he came to appreciate.
::
They held my grief and activated a childlike wonder.
In awe of their tenacious tendrils and cup like leaves,
They seemed to me to harness the moon, with their watery leaves, symbolic of the waters moving within.
::
Months later, I had an epic gourd harvest!
All shapes and sizes, each one, telling it's own story.
::
And so, they will sit a cure. Dry and morph into their next phase.
Much like I imagine my father doing now. Morphing into the next stage of the Spirit realm.
::
Strong medicine sits in these Gourds.
Quietly waiting to become.......................?
🍐🍐
Carmen xx
Gourd Mother

🌳 ONE SONG INCENSE STEMS 🌳

Drying
Becoming
::
Waiting patiently to find the hearts of those who wish to walk together as ONE SONG.
::
These were crafted with a deep reverence for the Spirit of the land and in honour the Traditional Custodians of place.
Thousand year old stories and culture pulsing beneath our feet.
Moving with every Birdsong and breath of wind.
::
I worked with the lovely Emily of to design art work for the packing.
I will share this story in the next post as it deserves time.
::
ONE SONG will be available again this week.
::
With love and nature,
Carmen 🖤💛❤️

🤎
When I was living in Victoria, I created a garden where the local birds would often visit.
My garden was also a safe haven for Blue Tongue Lizards where I was lucky enough to see several baby Bluey's scooting around.
🌿
The landscape is completely different where I am now, semi-arid open plains.
Which brings mostly Birds of Prey and common birds.
We do have some migratory birds such as the Rainbow Bee Eater!
🤎
Slowly, I am bringing in plant biodiversity to hopefully entice the New Holland Honey Eaters to come in and feed.
I've planted Grevillias & Eremophilas non native Salvia varieties ( because I love their versatility! )
These are just a few plant species that nectar feeding birds are attracted to.
🌿
If you're new to creating a garden for wildlife, here are a few good starting tips:

🌼 BIRDBATH: Bring a birdbath into your garden! Ensure it's not too deep, with some protection around it and in no time you'll increase your bird visitors!
💚 NATIVES: Plant native flowering plants, shrubs and small trees. ENDEMIC is best, but any native is still great! You don't have to have a lot of space...many varieties thrive in pots with the right soil.
🌼 LAYERS & TEXTURES: Create layers in your garden so that birds feel safe & they can hide in. Plants of different heights and shapes, shrubs that are woody, ground covers & potentially place some nesting boxes around the yard if you have space.

Creating a garden for habitat and wildlife, is one of the most rewarding experiences!
It's mostly free therapy and cultivates connection with the land, which only supports our mental well-being.
It's a win, win.

🩷
Carmen x

I often ponder the infinite beauty and mystery which permeates every rock formation, geological epoch, nectar filling bloom & ancient bird song.
::
These things have existed for thousands of years..
Not 100 or 400 years...THOUSANDS.
::
Thousands of years of intricate networks, seasonally governed story keepers & a time before human disconnect. A time when our belly buttons were the cocoons for fallen seeds.
::
These are the pillars of Cretacea.
A place where I can whisper childlike wonder to the trees...and they embrace me.
Calling to the wind to usher in remembering..
::
🤎🦖🤎
Carmen x

🍊 SPICED EARTH INCENSE STEMS 🍊

Handrolled onto yarrow & Oregano Stems.
:
Aromatic Spices
Fresh squeezed orange juice
Dusted with Jamu, an Indonesian medicine drink. I dehydrate and mill the pulp made of real ginger and fresh turmeric root!
🍊
These stems burn for approximately 45 minutes.
I would recommend smouldering outside to enjoy the dance of scent on the wind.
🍊
There are BIG changes happening in the scent Den.. so many of my current lines will be changing and some will be no more.
Once these are sold out, I won't be creating them again.
🍊
They are now listed in my ETSY store for purchase.
::
Wrapped in eco fabric to carry them on their journey.
With Nature
Carmen xx

🤎 100% PURE plant & 100% Australian Handmade! 🤎
::
So, something that grinds my gears...

Incense businesses who market their products as
" AUSTRALIAN MADE " when they have actually been mass produced overseas and shipped here.
Often this kind of incense is just rebranded and the only thing that makes it "Made in Australia" is that they hand dip the sticks in their own aromatic oils...Often synthetic.
Some of these brands are the ones that are trending right now.
::
It may not be a huge deal, the incense is still pleasant...but it's dishonest and not accurate.
There aren't many of us incense crafters in Australia, but there are some who care deeply about what they make.
Truly Handmade.
::
I'm so looking forward to reconnecting with this craft and will begin to map out online and in person smoke medicine immersion for this year.
I am also working on a new line, which is completely different to what I am currently offering.
::
Here are some others you may like to support:



incense
rest.temple


I'm currently busy in the scent studio, restocking, refining blends & updating my online stores.

For now, you can find me through Etsy and my new website which is still in progress.

Both of these links are in my bio.

With Nature
Carmen 🤎🤎

🌿 RE OPENING SOON 🌿

The plants have spoken..
With their gentle movement and resinous medicine.
::
I am quietly delighted to be returning to my path of service.
I WILL BE REOPENING ON MAY 26TH 2026
Creating nurturing spaces within in Freeling SA.
🌿
ONLINE SESSIONS will commence again too.
🌿
More to come soon on hours and availability,
But for now, the wind outside, supports the shift in my season of Earth Based Therapies.
🌿
I'm looking forward to meeting the community and bringing something different and unique to the area.
For enquiries and bookings please head to
www.cretacea.com.au
Or
TEXT 0408 621 864.
🌿
With Nature and the Sages
Carmen xx

🩷🤎 DEVONIAN DESERT 🤎🩷

Incense crafting calls for constant observation.
Observing with your whole body senses.
Through

Scent
Touch
Sight
&
Listening.
::
I've been refining many of my blends over the years, not changing them dramatically, but crafting them in a way that softens their notes.
This calls for adjusting ratios, parts of the plants which are used and various other methods which comes with experience.
::
I've been crafting for about 7 years now and the path of aromatic medicine always challenges me to go deeper.
::
My incense is TRULY handmade from start to finish. Not brought in from overseas and hand dipped here!
Marketing is clever in the incense world.
::
I have HUGE projects brewing which no one knows of..sometimes keeping ideas to ourselves, keeps the medicine and energy contained...
::
DEVONIAN DESERT pictured here speaks of spiced rose stories sweet resins and warming notes of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.
::
Available in my ETSY STORE. Link in profile 🤎🩷
::
The WHOLESALE VERSION of this is SPICED ROSE, which is available soon!
::
With fragrant smoke and nature
Carmen 🌸

🌿 ONE SONG BOTANICAL INCENSE 🌿

Drying.
Amalgamating Aromatics.
::
Botanicals of:

🌿 AUSTRALIAN SANDALWOOD
💛 LEMON MYRTLE
🌿 KUNZEA
💛 BUDDHA WOOD
🌿 BLUE GUM

FLOWER ESSENCE INFUSED

🌼 SUNSHINE WATTLE
🌳 BOAB
🌼 BOTTLEBRUSH

Available in my Etsy store. Link in bio.

100% in alignment with the natural world

Carmen 💚🌼💚
x