earrings

A reminder to all our readers that entries for our June Giveway from Yradier close this MONDAY! (30.6.2008) We have some great prizes by Australian designers innocentgirl (Andrea Innocent), Jen Hall & Trove Designs, so don't miss out on your chance to win!

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 leave a comment 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!) The winner will be announced in a few days...

Don't forget too, that Yradier is offering all indie art & design readers a 10% discount on online purchases! Simply enter the top secret discount code: indieness on the checkout page. (Offer ends 30.6.2008) Thanks again to Paloma!

ENTER NOW - we'd love to hear from you! (If you need some inspiration for your suggestion, have a look through our art & design directory...)

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!

Hope Street Markets is on again tomorrow - in a brand new location at Paddington Town Hall. This wonderful event has gone from strength to strength over the last year or so & has collected a vast array of talent along the way!

Unique handmade jewellery by Raspberry Beret

Maggie Scardfield of Raspberry Beret creates unique jewellery pieces which each have a story to tell. Her collection of handmade, custom designed jewellery combines vintage & antique findings with semi precious stones, swarovski crystals, oversized chain and freshwater pearls. A few of her designs are pictured above & many more will be on display tomorrow!

Bronze & silver jewellery by Claire Suzy Stannard

Claire Suzy Stannard creates unique, striking jewellery & accessories utilising white bronze, feathers, leather & sterling silver. See more at www.clairesuzystannard.com or visit her stall at tomorrow's markets.

Pictures & fashion by Smitten by Stephanie

Smitten by Stephanie is the cutest! Stephanie creates all sorts of goodies - pictures, fashion, shiny things, soft stuff, jewellery & toys. She finds her inspiration in shiny things, rainbows, love poems, art, pop, ice cream, sad clowns, underworld, mythology, music boxes, crystals and kittens. Definitely one not to be missed!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGIE LOVE!
It's been two years today since Sally & George (her gorgeous mutt) launched www.georgielove.com, the first Australian online store to stock local handmade goodies & promote Australian emerging artists & designers!

"Life Aquatic Earrings" by Trove, AUD $30, and "Double Dove Necklace" by Erana & Daska, AUD $60 from www.georgielove.com

To celebrate this milestone, Georgie Love has kindly given us a $50 gift voucher - to be won by one lucky indie reader! The winner then gets to go shopping & choose whatever takes their fancy from the Georgie Love lineup. (By the way, there are plenty of products for the boys, too!)

"Moths Wall Hangings" by Made by White, AUD $70 from www.georgielove.com

Entering couldn't be easier...
All you need to do is tell us whether you're a CAT PERSON or a DOG PERSON. (There's even a third "non-committal" option for those of you who can't or dare not decide!)

"Robot Notecards" by Dudley Redhead, AUD $8, and "Quilted Wrap" by wife, AUD $150 from www.georgielove.com

Though I don't think I'll be eligible to win, I couldn't help but browse through the Georgie Love treasure trove & think about what I might choose if I were about to spend that voucher... Hope you like my picks! Of course, you can visit www.georgielove.com to make your own choices - if there's something that catches your eye, why not leave us a comment...

I think these are my favourites! I've had my eye on them for quite a while... "Lady Stitch Studs" by Sweet Dreams & Monsters, AUD $20 from www.georgielove.com

Entries will be open until the end of April (30.4.2008), so if you're not already an indie art & design member, register now, and VOTE on that all-important poll! Both the winner and the poll results will be announced in the first week of May. I'm certainly looking forward to it! (Can you guess which way I'll be voting?)

"Grumpy Rabbit Spotty Coin Purse" by Pocket Carnival, AUD $20 from www.georgielove.com

"The Sea Rests, She Waits" is the current collection of swimmingly beautiful necklaces, pendants & earrings by Psychoglam. These jewellery designs are a peaceful reflection on the beauty and unpredictability of the sea. I think my favourite is the "All Alone Necklace" pictured above (Long AUD $130, Short AUD $110). I love the way in which the three skeleton shells hang together, amongst pearls, crystals & bone pieces - as if they've been swept together by the sea itself... perhaps entangled in a chain of silver seaweed.

Designer Emma Hyatt describes her inspirations as "a mixture of the lush bushland surrounding her, and the high fashion she adores". The contrast of natural elements and more traditionally glamourous crystals & pearls set the tone for her unique range. For the "Sweet Escape" pieces - Earrings (above, AUD $70) and Pendant (below, AUD $70) - Emma has added delicate cream cotton crocheted flower resting on a metal ring as the focus.

Emma creates each piece by hand in her studio in Invermay (which is just North of Ballarat in Victoria). She creates two collections per year, each with its own distinct theme. The Sea Rests, She Waits is delicate & romantic, with a hint of mystique. In "Hidden Pearl" (below left, AUD $110) the movement of the wearer reveals glimpses of the glowing creamy rough pearls amid the draped curtains of silver chain. "First Kiss Necklace" (below right, AUD $80) brings together many of elements in this collection with long sweeps of chain leading to a beautiful cluster of pearl and bone.

The "High Tide Pearl Earrings" (below, AUD $70) offer something more structured. A single pearl has been placed in the centre of the design, from which small lengths of chain cascade down. The "My Heart is Yours Necklace" (at bottom, AUD $90) is something special - a strictly limited edition piece featuring a vintage glass chandelier heart resting on a skeleton shell surrounded by pearls, swarovski crystals and tiny metal flowers.

This 2008 collection follows on from Emma's 2007 sell-out "Romance in the Moonlight" range. Her style also lends itself perfectly to bridal applications - if you are planning a wedding, Emma can create custom jewellery for you & your bridesmaids. Psychoglam is stocked in boutiques across Australia and each piece is also available to purchase online at www.psychoglam.com. Stockists include:

Online: www.letsshop.com.au, www.stylehunter.com.au, www.stylefile.com.au, www.ku-ture.com
VIC: Boutique 251 (Ashburton), Boxsta (Geelong), Brown Bag (Elsternwick), Cactus Jam (Port Melbourne), City Limitz (Mildura), Cocopink (Ballarat), Crimson Phoenix (South Melbourne), Lion in Love (Hawthorn), Mikaila (Brunswick), Oscar Calvo (Collingwood), Pen Haligons (Echuca), Qushi (Geelong), Rhubarb (Torquay), Tesori-Bellini (Brunswick), Wen & Where (Ballarat)
NSW: Blaise (Newcastle)
WA: Basement (Perth), Saints (Subiaco), Soul Sisters (Fremantle)
QLD: Boxsta Noosa (Noosa Heads)
NT: Epiphany (Darwin)

Thank you to Hope Street Markets for the parcel of flyers that arrived in my post office box the other day! Sydneysiders will be happy to know that the Summer 2008 markets are on this weekend. The stalls open and celebrations begin tonight at 6pm, and continue throughout the weekend, with live music both tonight & tomorrow night.

There are lots of fresh faces in the designer lineup - A Bitter Harvest, Oh Fiddlesticks, Sanoii + Six, Fuzz Design, Indecent Exposure, Summerblossom, Shelbyville, Tamptation, Ellenade, Linda Blair, Bronzen Temple, Nanna Dee, Scottato, Mam Mam, Imoko-Tactile Curiosities, Peppermint Jewels and Oneredline will all be offering their unique wares for sale.
Meet them:
Friday 1st Feb, 6pm - 9pm
Saturday 2nd Feb, 12pm - 9pm
Sunday 3rd Feb, 12pm - 5pm
182 Campbell Street, Surry Hills
www.hopestreetmarkets.com

Dazzling goodies by Scottato

Scotatto brings to life an array of handmade treasures, from beautiful vintage fabric heels, charming leather character purses and patterned cushions, to bold retro-inspired bags. Vintage treasures found from scouring markets and op shops inspire and feature in Scotatto’s designs which are unique, one of a kind creations, handmade with love.

Sweet necklaces by Peppermint Jewels

I love the Peppermint Jewels range... I have a pair of Peppermint Jewels earrings that I received as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago & just adore! Designer Marina Civiero creates nostalgic, quirky neckpieces, earrings and brooches for contemporary girls using strong images and colours in simple, sometimes minimalist combinations that at once showcases elegant fun.

Vintage inspired jewellery & papergoods by Shelbyville

Shelbyville offers an intriguing range of books, badges, stickers, zines and other paper-based things. With a background in graphic design, creator Michelle Vandermeer uses illustration and typography, mixing the old and the new, the digital and handcrafted. The Shelbyville philosophy is one of reappropriating old things and redesigning them into contemporary items – 1960s Scrabble tiles recycled into jewellery; handbound leather notebooks with covers made from old sofas; handmade badges + stickers + bookplates + postcards made from remixing imagery from vintage storybooks and old atlases. Shelbyville is really just a love affair with paper and old things, combined with a relentless desire to make stuff!

Hats by Ellenade

Sydney-based label Ellenade creates all wonders of hats & headwear to frame our faces & shade us from the sunlight. Each hat is uniquely made from beautiful cotton fabrics sourced from around the world. Designer Ellen Adele has recently returned from a fabric sourcing trip to Japan, so there are plenty of beautiful and unique fabrics to choose from!

My partner knows I love the Polli jewellery range, and has planned to surprise me with Polli earrings a couple of times now. Last Christmas, he was foiled by their popularity as they'd all sold out... This time he made it to Made 590 a little earlier and chose these stunning stainless steel Gulls earrings - a brand new addition to the range. Modeled here by our black bamboo, you can see the delicate effect of the etched surface on the front, bringing the birds further foward & adding to the sense of weightless movement.

Pocket is another favourite in this household, and here my partner is showing off the latest edition to his wardrobe. We both love this cool new design - the superfine detail is amazing & we love the colour combination of aqua & white on a chocolate brown tee. I wouldn't mind piloting one of these babies... (I do love a bit of sci-fi!)

This beautiful leather wallet was such a thoughtful gift from my partner's parents. It was handmade by Melbourne artist & printmaker Emily Wright for her label Nancybird and is called the "Pearl Wallet". It takes its inspiration from old cameo brooches, with their decorated border and inlays depicting portraits and landscape scenes. The bird image screen printed by Nancybird onto the front panel comes from the carved wooden inlay on a 17th century German handbag. The detailing is exceptional from the hand stitched border around the front panel, to the patterned fabric lining, curved zipper pouch & photo window, to the gorgeous red beads on the zip - oh, and the Italian leather is SO soft! (Emily even develops the colours for the leather with an Italian tannery!)

Make sure to email me if you were surprised with something really special for Christmas! We'd love to feature it on indie art & design.

Jewellery designer Renee from Cocoapod lives in a cute little town in Western Australia, where she draws inspiration the different people & cultures that surround her. She loves things organic and retro - a passion clearly evident in her unique beaded earrings and accessories. Renee sources vintage glass beads and combines them with natural materials such as wood, fiber and freshwater pearls. Rounded, irregular shapes and slightly muted colours characterise the range which is feminine and quietly sophisticated.

Pictured above left are the Dew on a Petal earrings (US $15.00), for which Renee has placed a serpentine dewdrop atop a fuchia Czech glass petal, accented with a silver lacey cap. Such pretty colours & such a peaceful concept! The Retro Blooms earrings (above right, US $17.00) are probably my favourites, with the clusters of mustard yellow Czech glass blooms and burgundy freshwater pearl stamens. (I must confess to being a bit of a nature nut myself.)

Rich desert colours distinguish the Desert De Chocolat earrings pictured below right (US $15.00). The pink glass cubes feature horizontal colour variations in which you can imagine sandy sunset horizons... Finally, I just had to include the Vintage Strawberry hair slides (US $4.50 each). What can I say - they are too cute! All of these pieces and more are available from Renee's Etsy store at www.cocoapod.etsy.com.

"Skulk" is the collective noun for a group of foxes - something I didn't know until recently when I discovered this forest full of sterling silver critters by A Skulk Of Foxes. The jewellery label was launched last year by Melbourne designer Natalie Cirillo, who meticulously cuts each piece by hand. Featuring a matte satin brushed finish, they'll look great with whatever you're wearing, and due to their handcrafted nature, no two pieces are identical!

For me, the delicate silver silhouettes are brought to life by a flood of childhood memories - tales of the wonders and fears of the natural world and the characters we imagine living within it. Natalie drew inspiration from revisiting such fables with her two young daughters, as well as from her experiences living in London during 2005 where foxes roamed the streets surrounding her home. She was intrigued by the idea of forest animals making their way into the man-made, urban landscape - hiding in the shadows and slinking around under the cover of night.

Natalie's first collection includes pendants (pictured at top), chains (bottom left), brooches (bottom right) and earrings, with retail prices starting from AUD $66. I love the idea of the dual-pendant chain - particularly the Owl and Mouse combination pictured above! The range is currently available from Helsinki Bear in Melbourne, and Tinky in Newtown (Geelong, ph. 03 5222 8888). To see more & for further information, visit A Skulk Of Foxes' web site at www.askulkoffoxes.com.au.

A handmade chain bracelet is certainly a one-of-a-kind! Sydney jewellery designer Simone Walsh has individually crafted each loop - shaped, cut, linked, soldered and then lovingly hammered to give the bracelet a finish which catches the light. This beautiful sterling silver piece is available from her Etsy store for US $45. I also love the simplicity of her White Vintage Glass Bead Earrings, US $18. The stylised flower-inspired beads came from a German bead manufacturer which closed in the early 70s. View more of Simone's work at her web site www.simonewalsh.com or check out her blog make me!