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delightful summer baby threads

Liam wearing Buttermilk overalls in Skyways print

I was so delighted to discover the Buttermilk Baby range at Infancy at the beginning of spring/summer. I didn't realise at the time that I was browsing the debut release from a new Australian label, stocked only at Infancy (who have three store locations in the Inner West, Sydney) and The Hip Infant (online).

Liam wearing Buttermilk overalls in Skyways print

Buttermilk Baby's first collections are ideal for hot weather - lightweight cotton in breezy styles (overalls & rompers, shoestring strap dresses, frilly pants & more). The carefully designed prints are just beautiful - the perfect mix of fun and whimsy, sweetness and style (without being over-the-top-tizzy or too-cool-for-school). Liam (pictured above) took some of his first steps in his Skyways print overalls (on sale for AU $19.95)!

Buttermilk rompers in Cherry Pink and Marine Blue

Buttermilk front tie dresses

Additional releases this summer by Buttermilk Baby included the Cherry Pink Bird All-in-One (AU $29.95) and Marine Blue Bird Romper (AU $19.95) pictured above (making something special out of the basics!), and the most recent - Summer Stripes (pictured above right as the Tie dress, AU $34) and Summer Swallow prints.

Buttermilk baby wear in Swallow print

Both baby and Buttermilk Baby are simply adorable in these pics! Featured here are the Pocket Sundress (on sale for AU $17) and Bloomers (AU $14.50) in the Carnival Swallow print.

Buttermilk display at Infancy

Buttermilk Baby display at Infancy

We look forward to what Autumn might bring us from Buttermilk Baby, but for the moment, Summer is the place to be! (By the way, I was happy to see that the size range has been extended to include Newborn to 3 years... so I have plenty of time left to add Buttermilk Baby pieces to Liam's wardrobe!)

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birds Christmas gifts gift for babies + kids indie gifts kids clothing New South Wales spots stripes summer clothing Sydney wearables kids tees + onesies toys + kids
Posted by Carolyn Price on Wednesday, January 18, 2012.

wishing you a merry indie christmas!

The indie wire title

We hope our readers and their families have a wonderful Christmas and we wish you all the best for 2012! Thank you for all your support throughout the year and we look forward to bringing you many more lovely things on the blog and in the store next year. All the best from Carolyn, Martin & Alisha xx

Last minute Christmas shopping at indie art & design:

  • SAME DAY SHIPPING for orders placed by 3pm
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  • * Free postage on orders over $150 (for orders within Australia)
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Click here to shop online!

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Christmas gifts gift for babies + kids gifts for men gifts for women handmade gifts indie shopping
Posted by Carolyn Price on Wednesday, December 21, 2011.

2012 calendars

Catherine Campbell Calendar

2012 Calendar - month of January (AUD $20.25) by Catherine Campbell

There is a vast array of beautifully illustrated 2012 Calendars available for next year from some very talented Australian artists.

This blog showcases some of the different styles of illustration by popular Australian artists that are currently available. (Don't forget The Design Files 2012 calendar we featured recently on the blog too!)

Pictured above and below are the works of artist Catherine Campbell.

Catherine is a graduate of the College of Fine Arts, NSW and is now based in Melbourne. You can own your own print from her Etsy store - My Folk Lover.

Catherine Campbell Calendar

2012 Calendar by Catherine Campbell

You can find out more about Catherine's art and upcoming exhibitions on her Catherine Campbell Art blog + website.

La Rara Calendar

2012 Calendar by La Rara

Pictured above is La Rara's very affordable 2012 calendar for a special price of only AUD $8.

La Rara creates a range of beautiful, limited-edition, screen prints and paper goods. Each item is handmade individually in Sydney and is unique from the others.

The La Rara range incorporates greetings cards, framed prints, notebooks, postcards, notecards, gift tags, invitations and bespoke social stationery.

La Ra Ra Calendar

2012 Calendar by La Rara

Visit the La Rara Etsy Shop to buy a calendar and more of her work or visit the La Rara website to find more information on other stockists and all the latest news.

Eveline Tarunadjaja LOVEXEVOL Wall Calendar 2012

LOVEXEVOL Wall Calendar 2012 (AUD $27) by Eveline Tarunadjaja

For 2012, Eveline Tarunadjaja's, calendar pages are filled with all new works from her latest show, "Threads". Skilfully designed by her sister, Nina Tarunadjaja, each calendar is specially made, bound and assembled with lots of love and black/white strings, and comes with a free sticker set!

Her new body of work is based on the characters from a self written story. Through her characteristically delicate and detailed illustrations, Eveline toys with the nature of the human psyche, innocence and child’s play.

The calendar is available in both wall and desk formats.

To see more of her amazing work, visit http://lovexevol.com.

Mulberry Muse Calendar

2012 Calendar "Dreaming" (AUD $27.29) by Mulberry Muse

Mulberry Muse is a romantic and whimsical collection of stationary and collage prints.

Inspired by a passion for French vintage and antique ephemera Mulberry Muse evokes a nostalgic desire for beautiful paper products including their 2012 Calendars (pictured above and below).

For more information on this artist visit the Mulberry Muse website.

Mulberry Muse Calendar

2012 Calendar - month of December by Mulberry Muse

Able and Game is a Melbourne based stationery label that creates greeting cards that no doubt stand out from the crowd.

Cute couple Anna & Gareth launched Able and Game in February 2009 with a unique range of Valentine’s Day cards, using humour and real sentiment to convey messages that are quirky yet personal.

Able and Game Calendar

2012 Calendar (AUD $34.43) by Able and Game

The cards feature hand drawn designs with references to pop culture and trends that people easily identify with and now they have a 2012 Calendar with that same feel.

The illustrations are drawn by hand, giving the calendar an innocent quality that brings you back to the day when you used to draw yourself.

For more information and all the latest news visit the
Able and Game website.

Able and Game Kitty Calendar

2012 ''Kitty'' Calendar (AUD $34.43) by Able and Game

Ella Leach Designs is a boutique stationery company based in Sydney whom believe that putting pen to paper is a dying art, and so strive to provide a stationery collection that is as stunning in style, as it is thoughtful in quality.

Ella Leach Calendar

2012 Calendar (AUD $28) by Ella Leach Designs

Owner and designer Ella Leach is inspired by the simple, structured beauty of Scandinavian design and folk art. Pair this with her love for colour and pattern, and you have an aesthetic that is whimsical and childlike yet elegantly refined.

Pictured is Ella's beautiful 2012 Calendar. More information can be found at the Ella Leach Designs website.

Ella Leach Desk Calendar

2012 Desk Calendar (AUD $28) by Ella Leach Designs

And that is just a snippet of the talent that is available in Australian Artists 2012 illustrated calendars! I hope you turn the page for a new month to the tune of these artists in the new year!

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art + illustration
Posted by Alisha Hinds on Monday, December 12, 2011.

facebook launch competition - last day!

Still from animated Australian film Santa's Apprentice

TODAY is the last day to enter our Facebook competition!

TWO WINNERS will each receive a $50 GIFT VOUCHER for the indie art & design store (perfect for Christmas shopping!), as well as a double pass to see new Australian animated film, "Santa's Apprentice". 8 runners up will also receive double passes to Santa's Apprentice. To enter, simply visit us on Facebook and "Like" indie art & design! Winners will be drawn TODAY, Monday afternoon, 5th December at 5pm, and announced the same evening.

Starring Magda Szubanski, Shane Jacobson, Delta Goodrem and Georgie Parker, Santa's Apprentice is a heart-warming, animated adventure for the whole family. We follow Nicholas, a 7 year old Australian boy on his adventure as he struggles with the ups and downs of being the next Santa Claus... Christmas has a way of making even the biggest mishaps alright and thanks to his loving mentors, Santa and Waldorf, Nicholas learns, as we all do, the true meaning of Christmas.

Still from animated Australian film Santa's Apprentice

FREE gift wrapping

For all your indie gifts! To make your Christmas shopping even easier, we're offering free gift wrapping until Christmas... and FREE postage when you spend over $150! Click here to shop online!

Free Christmas gift wrapping and free postage for orders over $150 at indie art & design until Christmas

New stock!

New stock is being added to the indie art & design store daily... Our latest arrivals include Polli's new range of childrens pendants, geometric tights from Love Hate, and ipad holders + luggage tags from b.sirius!

So much to love... from indie art & design.

New childrens pendants from Sweet Polli available at indie art & design

New geometric tights from Love Hate available at indie art & design

New birdie luggage tags from b.sirius available at indie art & design

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competitions
Posted by Carolyn Price on Monday, December 05, 2011.

jade oakley's up lands

The Lagoon at Snellings II artwork by Jade Oakley - part of her Up Lands exhibition at Australian Galleries

The Lagoon at Snellings II by Jade Oakley.

Up Lands is an exhibition of new mobiles by Sydney artist Jade Oakley. Opening tonight at Australian Galleries, Glenmore Road, the exhibition continues until December 18th. It follows on from two previous successful solo shows at the Galleries; Headland (2010, in Melbourne) and Estuary (2009, in Sydney).

Jade's creations are delicate and incredibly beautiful. They are constantly changing and interacting with the space they inhabit - throwing reaching shadows onto the surrounding walls and ceilings. Individual 'leaves' rotate and the whole shape of a mobile can transform into something quite different, perhaps echoing the landscape from a different perspective or viewpoint.

Flying Foam Passage II artwork by Jade Oakley - part of her Up Lands exhibition at Australian Galleries

Flying Foam Passage II by Jade Oakley.

Jade's new works are inspired by paintings in her diaries. "I have taken the colours and textures of these remembered landscapes and re-painted them onto hand made Japanese paper, then cut them up and assembled the paintings into mobiles. It feels like taking an armful of the landscape and tossing it into the air, so I have called the exhibition ‘Up Lands’."

Sand Dunes, Cape Leveque II artwork by Jade Oakley - part of her Up Lands exhibition at Australian Galleries

Sand Dunes, Cape Leveque II by Jade Oakley.

Many of Jade's new mobiles are drawn from her experience of remote coastal locations around Australia. Sparsely populated regions such as the Pilbara - with its blanket of earthy red rocks - and endless stretches of sand dunes can seem quite alien at times. In these quiet, monotonous landscapes, the small details - the elements that make up the land and the sea and the air - come to the fore. The environment can be transformed by the changing light, in turn evoking a changing emotional response.

The Sand Dunes, Cape Leveque II (pictured above) captures beautifully the strangeness of a vast landscape. Your senses seem heightened, at times colours are oversaturated, (whilst at other times they seem almost bleached by the unfiltered light). The scale of such places gives you a sense of calm and awe; time seems to slow, allowing you to imagine you can feel the rotation of the earth.

Paintings from Jade Oakley's sketchbook for her Vermont series of mobiles

Sketchbook paintings of "Vermont" by Jade Oakley.

The images above are just two of many watercolour sketches Jade had recorded of the "Pyramid" in the forest in Vermont at different times during the day. In her corresponding series of mobiles, she has interpreted the scene under these different conditions. Three of the resulting mobiles are pictured below: Mid Morning, Almost Late Afternoon, Almost Evening. The colours, shapes, composition and sense of weight are subtly varied in response to the changing light.

Vermont series of mobiles - artwork by Jade Oakley - part of her Up Lands exhibition at Australian Galleries

Selected mobiles from the Vermont series by Jade Oakley

To really appreciate Jade's mobiles, you need to see them in person! If you're in Sydney, this is one exhibition not to be missed. Australian Galleries, Glenmore Road will be filled with Jade's magical creations, ranging in size from very small (on their own plinths) to impressive works almost two metres in length suspended from the ceiling (and made up of seemingly hundreds of individual 'leaves'). To see her works installed together in a gallery space is really something. Not only do you walk among beautiful mobiles - you also experience the spectacular interplay of shadows from all the different works.

Up Lands opens tonight, December 1st from 6-8pm at Australian Galleries, Glenmore Rd, Paddington, Sydney, and contines until December 18th. Gallery opening hours are Monday to Saturday 10am - 6pm.

To view more of Jade's work, visit www.jadeoakley.com.au or read our previous indie art & design blog posts:
jade oakley: headland
studio visit: jade oakley
tipping point.

Yampi Sound at Sunset artwork by Jade Oakley - part of her Up Lands exhibition at Australian Galleries

Yampi Sound by Jade Oakley

P.S. Jade has also recently completed a major public art commission for the Royal Childrens Hospital, Melbourne - her highest profile project to date - but the making of Sky Garden is a story for another time! Stay tuned...

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art + illustration artist handmade independent artist indie art New South Wales painting Sydney watercolour + gouache
Posted by Carolyn Price on Thursday, December 01, 2011.

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