blue

3D gift cards with 3D glasses by innocentgirl (Andrea Innocent), available from Yradier

This month, we're thrilled to be offering up some fabulous finds from the new Yradier online store! Paloma Cole, who launched Yradier earlier this year, has chosen three very different products from Australian designers for one lucky indie to win. These are:

3D gift cards with 3D glasses by innocentgirl (Andrea Innocent), available from Yradier

Paloma Cole is a photography student at the Queensland College of Art and is surrounded by amazing artists on a daily basis! She launched the Yradier online store with the aim of featuring original artworks by emerging Brisbane artists. She also stocks jewellery, homewares and stationery by small Australian designers, and a small selection of quirky, hard to find goods from overseas... and GUESS WHAT? From now until the end of June, indie art & design readers can save 10% on purchases at Yradier! Simply enter the top secret discount code: indieness on the checkout page. Thank you Paloma!

Red Cup Studs by Trove Designs, available from Yradier

The store itself is slick & sleek! The photos are a treat & you can go straight to Australian products, or to the Brooch section (a Yradier specialty) to find some truly unique items. You'll also find original artworks including some intense acrylic paintings by Luke Kidd, as well as photographic prints by Paloma herself.

Small Rectangular Tokyo Handmade Wooden Photography Brooches by Jen Hall, available from Yradier

I was rather intrigued by the name "Yradier", and Paloma explained that it is actually the name of the composer who wrote the song 'La Paloma' - AND she also likes the way it looks when written! (By the way, it is pronounced 'irre-dear'.)

Large Rectangular Tokyo Handmade Wooden Photography Brooches by Jen Hall, available from Yradier

To enter the draw, all you need to do is suggest an Australian label/artist/designer you'd like to see stocked on Yradier's virtual shelves! Just comment on this post with your suggestion. (A one-word answer is enough, though if you know of a web site for your suggested label, please include it so we can all take a peek!) Entries close on June 30, 2008 and we'll draw a name at random & annouce the winner in the following week. (Oh, and make sure to visit http://yradier.bigcartel.com to check that your suggestion isn't already in the lineup!) I'm looking forward to hearing your ideas...

Leave a comment - we'd love to hear from you!

Redrum Toddy Suit, AUD $120 and Roary Tartan Toddy Suit, AUD $135 from Toddy Sleepwear

Fun & fantastic, Toddy Sleepwear is a new label with some irresistible designs! These onesies and such have been designed by Melbourne's Michelle Legge and are 100% Australian made, using the softest Australian cotton/lycra fabric (and featuring Michelle's original prints).

Porky Rollo Tartan Shorties, AUD $40, Haggis-Ababa Tartan Singlet, AUD $60, The Amy Toddy Suit, AUD $120 and It's Plaid To See Tartan Cardy, AUD $90 from Toddy Sleepwear

With a bed bug for a logo, unisex designs, and even a bum flap in the signature onesie or "Toddy Suit", Toddy offers an offbeat alternative to the mainstream fare. Michelle sees the Toddy Suit as the ultimate winter pajama - "a practical winter garment and a quirky talking piece rich in retro-culture, the ideal combination for both the comfort and fashion conscious." The Winter 2008 collection is titled "Log Cabin Lullaby". Prepare to be surprised & delighted as murky monsters, bacteria bugs and forest freaks creep out from under your bed... you'll sleep safe & sound in a snugly Toddy Suit for sure!

Roary Tartan Toddy Suit, AUD $135 from Toddy Sleepwear

Completing the Toddy range is a series of sleepwear staples, each treated with a unique design twist to keep things interesting. In keeping with the retro children's pajama theme, Toddy also offers matching PJ sets consisting of lusciously long rib-trimmed leggings and quirky shoulder buttoned long-sleeve tops plus the usual suspects like boxer-style shorties, racer-back singlets & cosy cap-sleeved t-shirt nighties.

Buzzem Fuzzem Tartan Nighty, AUD $70, Haggis-Ababa Tartan Singlet, AUD $60, Blood Runner Tartan Legging, AUD $80, Galaxy Goanna PJ Top, AUD $80 and Orgen Borgen Tartan Legging, AUD $80 from Toddy Sleepwear

Toddy Sleepwear is available from the Toddy web site at www.toddy.com.au, where you'll also find size charts, plenty of cute pics, and... your perfect pajama, of course! So get back in the spirit of pillow fights and bed time stories & make Toddy the perfect excuse to sleep in on a winter weekend!

I thought I'd continue the creative fabric theme with a feature on Duckcloth, a Melbourne-based online store full of fresh fabrics for print & pattern lovers! The cute name is from the Dutch "doek", (linen canvas) and refers to heavy cotton fabric. Duckcloth's founder, Lisa Edwards, offers cotton fabric by the metre in all sorts of gorgeous prints and patterns. These cottons are ideal for heaps of craft projects - whether you're making toys or table runners, cushions or clothing, bags or board shorts. I've chosen a selection of fabrics by Australian designers to feature here... all currently in stock at Duckcloth, of course!

The beautiful work of Melbourne designer Lara Cameron is pictured above with her limited edition "Gingko" prints in Olive Green (left) and Robins Egg (right) on natural linen. This is a medium weight fabric which is AUD $40/m from Duckcloth. I love the colours in both of these prints - though I'm not sure I could choose between them!

Kristen Doran is a Sydney-based textile designer whose gorgeous fabrics are hand printed right here in Sydney. Pictured above left is the limited edition "Mollybirds in Chocolate & Aqua on Stone". This is a light to midweight cotton fabric which sells for AUD $26/m. On the right is "Lily Pads in Red on White", another limited edition print, this time on a lightweight cotton for AUD $33/m from Duckcloth.

Another Kristen Doran design in stock at Duckcloth is "Owls" (above) which is available in two colourways - Chocolate on White or Red on White. Both are printed on lightweight cotton fabric and are AUD $33/m. Our curious readers will probably also want to check out Kristen's blog, Cheeky Beaks - "It's all about the craft and a tiny bit about life..."

These are friendly faces! Shannon Lamden's quirky designs are hand screen printed in Melbourne. "Cranes" (available in black or cherry red) is AUD $33/m and "Cookies" is AUD $38/m from Duckcloth.

I fell in love with Sprout Design after I received an orange giraffe card for my birthday & subsequently discovered their range of screen printed textiles! The label is a relatively new venture for Adelaide's One Small Room, a styling consultancy/retailer with a unique concept. The show room is in fact an installation where continually changing themes unfold for clients interested in 20th century style, retro groove & vintage flair. Sprout Design fabric is available off the roll in store, as well as in the form of soft furnishings - gorgeous bedlinen, cushions, lampshades and more.. The label brings together a collection of works by clever, creative women who design something a little different for the little (and not-so-little) people in your life. Their designs are hand screen printed onto 200gsm cotton fabric here in Australia.

The bright & bold animal prints pictured are "Caterpillars Grass Green" (above left, AUD $55/m), "Elephants Ink and Green" (above right, AUD $60/m), "Tortoises Red" (below left, AUD $55/m) and finally, "Hippos Ink and Light Blue" (below right, AUD $60) and are all available from www.duckcloth.com.au.

In a fun twist to this story, Sprout Design is currently working on a collaboration with a handful of Australian textile designers - including Lara Cameron whose work is pictured at the top of this post! The new fabrics are yet to be released, but Lara recently posted images of her design contributions on her blog, Kirin Notebook. The gorgeous print, "My Little World in Plum for Sproutdesign", is pictured below.

To keep up with the latest happenings at Duckcloth, you can sign up for the Duckcloth Newsletter, or check out the Duckcloth Blog at www.duckcloth.blogspot.com

Designer Kara Smith's collection of handbags is good enough to eat! It all started when she happened upon a piece of gorgeous fabric, begging to be made into something beautiful. As she tucked it into her trusty yet tired-looking handbag, she resolved to transform that piece of fabric into a new bag for herself... From that first bag sprang many more, and the Kara Smith label was born.

Kara lives in the Blue Mountains (about an hour from Sydney) where she creates a variety of handbags for all sorts of different purposes - every one perfect for the girl who wants to stand out from the crowd. She uses 100% vintage & retro fabric, chosen for head-turning appeal, and adds gorgeous detailing including pockets, vintage buttons and recycled buckles (collected with an eye for the odd, delightful and the cute). The series of photos of the blue Bronte Clutch (right, top of post) highlights the detailing which makes her bags so special.

The fabrics Kara has chosen are truly unique. I think my favourite bag is the Willow Tote pictured above. I just adore the print (nature enthusiast here), and the off-centre band with red buttons is a treat!

Kara Smith bags are all individually named and Kara has grouped the styles into Small, Medium & Large sections on her website (www.karasmith.com.au) to help you choose! The geometric Odetta Clutch (above left, sold) falls into the Small bags section, as does the Germaine Clutch with it's fabulous original 60's screenprinted fabric (below left, AUD $62.95).

The large Leonora Ballerina Tote (above right, AUD $119.95) is a beautiful creation with pale blue denim soft cotton contrasting against the careful folds of a pastel floral print. The Dottie Sue (below left, AUD $119.95) is another Ballerina style tote - but with a completely different flavour. This time spotted fabric from the 60's contrasts with red gingham used for the front pocket & detailing.

Kara's medium-sized bags are currently on special, reduced from AUD $89.95 to between AUD $69.95 - $79.95. This includes the very retro Vesna (above right, AUD $69.95). Featuring recycled black and white gingham lining, a large chocolate button & warm, bold colours - it will be perfect as we come into Autumn!

I must say I was really taken with the dreamy photos of Kara's bags with model Belle. Her photographer is talented UWS design/photography student Lisa Musico. I have no doubt I'll be featuring her photographs for a variety of design labels in the future! Pictured below is a screenshot of the Kara Smith home page - isn't the photo stunning?!

To read more about Kara's collection, you can also visit her blog, "Fabric Fantastic", at www.fabricgal.blogspot.com. Kara's bags are stocked in boutiques around Australia, and she will have a stall at the Rose Street Artists Market (Fitzroy, Melbourne) on 22.3.2008. She also takes customs orders, so if you have something already in mind, contact her through her web site at www.karasmith.com.au.

NSW STOCKISTS: Handcut (Crows Nest), Todae Environmental (Glebe), Mrs Peel (Leura), Guanabana Designs (Cooks Hill), 76 Jam Cafe (Fairy Meadow).

VIC: Arthur's Circus (North Melbourne), I Dream A Highway (Northcote), Meet Me At Mikes (Fitzroy), Lulu (Balaclava), Fanny's Flat (Talbot).

QLD: Cherry Blossom (Paddington)

SA: Three Bears Shoes on Semaphore (Semaphore)

ONLINE: www.karasmith.madeit.com.au, www.modamuse.com, www.leeloo.com.au, www.karasmith.etsy.com, www.neco.com.au.

A little while ago, we were lucky enough to win a competition held by fellow Australian design blog & designers' network Design Federation. Among our prizes were two tees from the world's least dangerous t-shirt label, Sweat-Shop Productions. When quizzed about the real origins of the colourful tees with the biting slogans, creator Klaus replied "Unfortunately, there are no real sweatshops in Australia of note, so I had to travel overseas to find one with real child labour to make the tees as authentic as possible."
Of course you did!

The original motivation behind the label was, naturally, to change the world with a t-shirt. Since then, Klaus has discovered that it's not really possible... but does find the tees make an easy option for birthdays & Christmas gifts.
He says, "Some people drink or do drugs, this is my vice. I have enormous chips on my shoulders and am also a very bitter person - I generally spit in disgust when simply looking in the mirror. This is all the impetus I need to come up with cheesy slogan-based designs."

The designs pictured above are "Samurai" (left) and "Mum's Alert, Dad's Alarmed, I'm Afraid" (right, AUD $30). These are two of many witty "Politricks" slogans and artworks featured on Sweat-Shop Productions t-shirts & posters. A selection of the t-shirt range is available from the Sweat-Shop Productions MadeIt store. Thanks again for the prizes, guys!

I'm sure many of you are familiar with the friendly face of Aunty Cookie (as seen on her blog, www.auntycookie.com). Aunty Cookie is in fact Melbourne designer Shannon Lamden, who specialises in fabric design and illustration. Her product range includes hand-printed fabrics, bags, softies, original drawings, one of a kind fabric bunting and limited edition fabric craft panels.

The versatile fabric Craft Panels measure 75cm x 75cm and feature various character poses and squares of patterns - perfect for quilting, appliques and a multitude of crafty projects just waiting to leap out of your imagination. The fabric is a 200gsm cotton drill and has been hand screen printed using environmentally friendly inks. I love Shannon's distinctive drawing style & the expression on her characters' faces. The simplified lines work so well with the patterned areas (which are also picked up in the funky outfits worn by the cookie people).

Originally available in black on white or cherry on white, the Craft Panels are also now available in a blue colourway. Each panel is US $28, and as Shannon says, "This Crafters Panel is limited edition so what are you waiting for?".

If you're looking to make a larger piece, there are another two eye-catching prints currently available for purchase by the metre. (These are sold per 50cm/20" length for US $15. Fabric measures approx. 750mm wide, with the printed area measuring 700mm wide.) Pictured above is "Trinkets" which is available in fire engine red on white or light grey on white. "Butterflies" is pictured below, and is available in black on white or light grey on white. I love the subtlety of the grey prints, but I also love the contrast in the black & red... I just can't decide which is my favourite! Once again, these prints are limited edition & really something special.

As well as being stocked at Patchwork on Central Park, Arthurs Circus, Cocoon, Meet me at Mikes, Duckcloth and One Small Room, Aunty Cookie has clocked up over 500 sales through her Etsy store! No doubt, many of you have you have taken to the sewing machine with your own length of Aunty Cookie fabric - let us know if you've made something you'd like to show off!

P.S. I'm also looking forward to seeing Shannon's new designs which will be released in March - stay tuned for more!

I love shopping at Yoshi Jones in Newtown. The light-filled store is colourful & vibrant, bursting with great gifts to suit all occasions, and I know I'll always find gorgeous clothes that I love to wear... but apart from all those girlie things, I'm always impressed at the large selection of interesting menswear on the shelves. Yoshi Jones carries t-shirts aplenty, with screen prints guaranteed to please the boys. They also stock a unique collection of cotton shirts that are something else! They are designed & made in Australia by Yoshi Jones, using contemporary cotton fabrics sourced in Japan.

The striking patterns feature geometric shapes and colour palettes that work brilliantly. A couple of my favourite colour combinations include peach partnered with both warm & cool blue variants (as pictured at top) and orange, brown & aqua (as pictured below) both on a crisp white background. The various designs suit all tastes but mostly they are unique in a bland environment where the male shirt seems to be reserved for the conservative workplace.

The mens shirts are available in two different styles - fitted and a side vent style that can be worn with jeans, shorts or a skinny pant. (Perfect for all those summer celebrations!) There are both short sleeve & long sleeve options, and prices range from AUD $99 - $125. Pictured below is a detail from one of the shirts showing a more delicate design - both in its hand-drawn style and the mauve & eggplant colours - again on a crisp white background, punctuated by orange & blue highlights.

The fabric range is so eycatching it has appealed to men and women alike leading Yoshi to design a range of colourful shirts for us girls as well as the boys. This new range will be appearing instore throughout this month, so if you are in Sydney, be sure to check them out! The Yoshi Jones store is at 134 King St, Newtown (near the intersection of King St & Missendon Rd).

P.S. If you're a coffee lover, stop by Campos Coffee (a block down Missenden Rd) for the best coffee & beans ever!

I just read about the launch of Edition Magazine on Design Federation & couldn't resist ordering a copy for myself (for only AUD $4 including stickers and postage!). Issue One is titled "Contact" and features 10 Australian and international artists, each having worked up a double-page storm in yellow & blue. To order your own copy, or for info on artwork submissions for future issues etc. visit www.editionmagazine.com.

Last year, I saw Beci Orpin speak at the Sydney Semi-Permanent conference - her presentation was richly detailed & so inspiring. After an introductory video about a day in the life of Beci Orpin, she outlined the design process involved in a number of projects and talked about her inspiration for creating images such as the Folk Girl designs above. These are two of a selection of limited edition screen prints currently available from Outre Gallery. Prints are AUD $220 + shipping (edition of 25 prints per design).

Once again Mozi Designs have provided me with wonderfully unique and practical Christmas gifts for numerous names on my list. These placemats are so striking! My choices from the designs available were the Midnight Peacocks and The Medina. Since the colours match, I swapped out two placemats from each box so that the recipients have a variety of birds from which to dine. (I have plans to return to Made590 & purchase a set for myself! Sets of four placemats are AUD $40.)