Dragon Nest

14/09/2026

Who am I?

Kylie from RAPA Ranges Academy of Performing Arts asked to take a pic when I donated a bookfold to their fundraiser - so I thought I’d take the opportunity to share the pic and a bit about myself since I normally talk about April!

I’m Rachael, the mother half of our mother-daughter business partnership.

I have had a wide and varied career path - from my Bachelor of Economics with a major in marketing (befooooore the internet 😂), and working at the State Revenue Office to going back to study to start again with Natural Resource Management at RMIT. I’ve had lots of experience organising things - like Clean Up Australia Day as the Victorian state co-ordinator, then events and auditions with my 15 years working at The Space Dance & Arts Centre .

I’m a homeschooling mum, a hiker, a fundraiser (I have seriously raised multiple tens of thousands for various groups over the last decade), a tree planter, spent my 20s partner dancing - and could do the ‘Baby’ lift from Dirty Dancing 💃

I’m the sort of person who becomes SUPER passionate about whatever I’m currently into 😂 and right now I’m into Dragon Nest!

Oh - and I started bookfolding nearly 5 years ago 📚

14/09/2026

This stunning wooden burl bowl by Michael Hoogenboom is now available on the website 🪵 dragonnest.com.au 🪵 under ‘Home’

13/09/2026

13/09/2026

☀️ Open 10-4 today ☀️ (another sweet card by My Paper Planet )

12/09/2026

What an absolutely beautiful spring day to head to Belgrave Big Dreams Market 🌸 Then pop down to see us at Dragon Nest Handmade Collective in the Belgrave arcade 🤗

08/09/2026

We’ve gone with a little spring themed window display 🌸

Not sure why a teapot is spring….but we literally had a matching teapot card with flowers bursting out the top - so teapot it is 🫖

🌸 Earrings by Berjique Jewellery - Siobhan and Sweet Pea Creations
🌸 Botanical bundles by Golden Goddess Rituals
🌸 Teapot lamp by Upswitch
🌸 Teapot card by My Paper Planet
🌸 Meadow Dragon by Be Wrapped Crochet

08/09/2026

🥳 Dragon Nest First birthday 🥳

I can’t believe it has nearly been a whole trip around the sun ☀️ It has definitely been more than a year since we were working hard at securing a location and trying to determine if it would be viable for us to even open a shop!

But here we are - coming up to our first birthday on 25th October 🎂

The stats are brutal - 25-30% of new businesses close their doors in the first year. And 60% in the first 3 years.

We’re still here and we need to celebrate!

Please join us for a small celebration:

🕰️ 5-7pm Fri 23rd Oct (2 days b4 our b’day)
🥂 Drink on arrival
🧁 Sweet treats
🎨 Meet the makers
💸 10% off storewide

Thanks for being a part of our journey 🥰

Pic by Griz King