I hope you all had a wonderful break over the holidays! We took some time off over Christmas followed by a camping holiday at Depot Beach (near Bateman's Bay, NSW). As you can imagine, we've returned feeling much refreshed and a little over-excited once again about all things indie...

Guess who has launched a shiny new online store? The well-known & much loved Ruck Rover General Store! Ruck Rover began in 2006 when sisters Claire & Isabelle decided it was time to work for themselves doing what they wanted, playing any music they liked and buying everything they loved.

Well.. they've spent the last two years selling all those things they love, supporting small, independent designers from Australia and all over the world, and making quite a name for themselves in the process.

Outskirts Opulent tee (left) & Broken Eyes tee (right), AUD $69 each.

Ruck Rover General Store has offered the folk of Perth a truly unique shopping experience, and now they've made it a whole lot easier for the rest of us to join in... and look at what I found! The illustrations of Melbourne's Dylan Martorell are incredible, and featured on the Outskirts t-shirts pictured above and below.

Outskirts Fox tee (left, AUD $69) & Ruck Rover Hearts top (right, AUD $20)

My pick of the girls' fashion is the Ruck Rover summer lovin' top (above right), which just happens to be an absolute steal at the moment - reduced from AUD $88 to only $20! Plenty of love there...

Moe Moe earrings, L to R: Flight earrings, Ruck Rover Bird earrings, Tricycle earrings - AUD $29.95 each pair.

Moe Moe earrings are always a favourite, and if you're wondering about those birdies - YES, they are the Ruck Rover signature chirpers.

Sunday Morning Old Map and Plants exercise books, AUD $15 each.

More Dylan Martorell illustrations on these Sunday Morning exercise books containing graph paper pages. I really want some of these for myself, and at AUD $15, they definitely won't break the budget.

Pop over to www.ruckrover.com.au & choose your own favourites from Ruck Rover's selection of womens, mens & babies fashion and accessories, stationery and homewares. Or if you live in Perth, drop by in person to
Shop 4, 595 Beaufort St, Mt Lawley, WA, 6050.

Phone: (08) 9228 3502.

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!

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.

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!