leather

I know time is tight, but if you're looking for some last minute gift ideas for Mother's Day (Sunday 11th May), here are some beauties!

cushions by publisher textiles

Aren't these prints fabulous?! I found it hard to choose which fabrics to feature... The six pictured here are, at top (L to R): Botanica ochre, Bugsey white & sand, Botanica duckegg, and below (L to R): Snow Pea latte & pigeon, Botanica red, Apollo mist.

These cushions are from the Publisher Textiles homewares range. Each cushion measures 50cm x 50cm and features a quality foam feather insert. Made with natural fabrics including cottons & linens with a contrasting backing fabric, these guys are made to be used, not just looked at! They are machine washable (gentle wash, cold water) and with so many fabric print options, there's sure to be a few that would look fantastic at your Mum's place! Cushions range from AUD $48 - $160 (most are around $88).

Publisher Textiles was established in 2002 by Mark & Rhynie Cawood. & they moved into their studio & showroom in Leichhardt, Sydney. With Mark's background in screen printing & Rhynie's in textile & fashion design, they make the perfect team for producing handmade fabrics & wallpapers. The Publisher Textiles Studio is open to the public on Saturdays from 10am - 3pm or by appointment during the week. Their homewares can also be found at the following stockists:

NSW: Made590 (Newtown), Honeybee (Newcastle)
SA: Monsoon Homewares (Glenelg), Terrace Floors & Furnishings (Eastwood)
TAS: Inside Home & Gifts (Hobart)

pendants by Girls Made This

I spotted these gorgeous pendants in the Glamourpuss email newsletter last week & was really taken by the beautiful bird designs. "Crane Pendant" on the left is AUD $110 and "Swan Pendant" on the right is AUD $95. They are by oneofone, the first label developed by Girls Made This, which is a design cooperative striving to nurture, develop and promote creative endeavours by women in Australia. The collective is headed up by Jane Peacock, who is also the talented designer for the oneofone collection. For the new range, Jane found inspiration in the vintage imagery and objects of desire that were hidden away from reach at her nannas house - pretty ornaments, old buttons, jewels, kitsch paintings etc. Oneofone pendants are available from boutiques around Australia & New Zealand including:

QLD Artisan (Fortitude Valley), MOB Store (Brisbane City), Bessie Head (Brisbane City), Adrenalin (Southport)
NSW: Glamourpuss (Erskineville), Bracewell (Paddington), Tuchuzy (Bondi Beach), Mon Petit Chou (Potts Point), MCA Store (The Rocks), Orson & Blake (Woolahra), Mushu (Surry Hills)
VIC:Husk (Melbourne), Elizabeths (Melbourne), Latrobe Regional Gallery, Melody Nelson (Brunswick), To the Max, Phillips, Belki (Carlton North)
ACT: Cowboys & Angels (Canberra), National Gallery of Australia (Canberra)
SA: Naked
WA: FORM (Perth), Finity, Billy + Rose (Mt Lawley), Harry + Gretal (Leederville), Sana, Eldorado (Perth)
TAS: Inside Home & Gifts (Hobart)

padded scuffs & printed scarf by elk

Ooooh, your mum will love you for these! Keep her toes toasty with these soft padded cotton scuffs by Elk Accessories, available in black or grey for AUD $35. Or perhaps she'd prefer the printed scarf on the right (AUD $85)? Made from 15% cashmere and 85% pure wool, this light winter layer scarf comes in either dark brown or dark ash grey. Elk Accessories is based in Melbourne and designed by partners Adam and Marnie. Their bi annual ranges include so many beautiful things - knits, leather & felt bags, accessories & jewellery, and always in gorgeous, calm hues (with a few dashes of brighter colour featured in necklaces & bracelets etc!).

Elk Accessories ranges are sold through independent retailers across Australia and New Zealand in city and regional areas. Contact them via www.elkaccessories.com.au to find your nearest stockist...

tie clutch by nancybird

Nancybird makes the most delightful decorative leather bags, and these tie clutches are no exception! This soft, slouchy clutch is a versatile little beast, which can be folded down to reveal fabric, tied in a bow at the back or tied around the body as shown. The wrist strap is removable too. It measures 26cm x 16cm adn is available in desert orange (left), black (right) and fudge for AUD $128.

Nancybird bags are stocked in many boutiques all around Australia & New Zealand. Since there are too many to list here, you'll have to visit www.nancybird.com/forms/stockistlist.html to track down a stockist near you!

mothers day sponsor:

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.

These sumptuous, predominantly leather handbags have been hand-crafted by Chenny K, who is based in Adelaide, South Australia. Everything here is a limited edition and each design has its own name and personality. Pictured above is the Flippod leather shoulder bag which is available for AUD $169.
It fastens with a magnetic clasp, and has been designed to stay comfortably around your arm.

Leather was chosen as the main focus for the label due to its strength and textures, as well as being a long lasting material. Chenny K uses a classical approach to design - using simple forms and adding a twist of something new and surprising to make each bag truly unique. They have created an impressively large collection of original designs, all of which reflect the essence of the brand - playful, chic & functional products that make a difference to the way in which a woman feels when purchasing or receiving a Chenny K gift. Pictured above are the Kou (left, AUD $129) and the Future Biscuit leather handbags (right, AUD $139). I particularly love the bold style of the Kou bag with its use of negative space to create handles.

While leather is the signature material of the Chenny K collection, other fabrics such as silk or denim are used to compliment the range. Pictured above are two fabric handbag designs - the Incu .03 (left, AUD $59) and the Scroll .01 (right, AUD $79) which features a wonderfully-shaped wooden handle.

The leather theme is continued above in the Ripe leather bag with its narrow straps and folded edge (left, AUD $99) and the Forever shoulder bag (right, AUD $139). The traditional shape for a handle has been rotated 90 degrees for the Window Wrist .01 (below left, AUD $49), creating both a striking visual shape, and a bag that fits comfortably around your wrist without ever getting in the way. The feature silk panel adds a finishing touch to this creative design. Finally, the gorgeous Camera Bag pictured below (right, AUD $39) may not fit my 30yo SLR, but it would be perfect for your slimline digital camera :) Once again, the detailing is simple, functional, and compliments the design perfectly! The entire range is designed & made in Australia and full descriptions of each bag are available at Chenny K's online store at www.chennyk.com. Delivery is free, no matter where in the world you live and the quality of craftsmanship ensures you will love your purchase for many years to come!

Father's Day is fast approaching, so here at Indie Art & Design, we've been assembling a selection of great gift ideas for September 2nd (next Sunday). I know at least three lucky dads who will receive some of the following pressies!

Deshabillé is an Australian luxury lounge & sleepwear label which offers casual clothing perfectly suited to unwinding at home - fashionable yet practical garments in which to relax, retire for the night, or even pop out to the shops. A concept perfectly suited to Father's Day, don't you think?

Pictured above is the mens Summer Tee - perfect to be worn with the Summer Stripe Pant (above left) or maybe the Husk Pant (above right), perhaps even for an afternoon snooze in the sun this Sunday. The Summer Tee is a slim fit, 100% cotton jersey with a soft vintage wash and comes in Aqua, Warm Grey or White (AUD $29.90). The Summer Stripe Pant is available in Warm Grey (pictured) or Aqua stripes for AUD $49.90. The Husk Pant is available in Warm Grey or Green and is currently on special - reduced from AUD $49.90 to just $25.00!

The Whitewash Pant (below left) is a new addition to the Deshabillé range for this summer (which is nearly here, judging by today's warm weather - in Sydney at least). This 100% cotton 'whitewash' printed mens pyjama pant has front pockets, elastic waist & drawstring. Available in two colours - White (as pictured) and Deep Sea, AUD $49.95. All of these, plus many more styles are available (WITH complimentary Father's Day gift wrapping) from the Deshabillé online store at www.deshabille.com.au or from stockists throughout NSW, VIC, QLD and WA.

This stylish handmade leather bag is the "te. fold" from te., a label that began while designer Jarren Borghero was living in Japan. "Te" is Japanese for "hand", signifying that all te. products are hand made from start to finish. The designer sketched the idea, cut the pattern, sourced the materials and contructed the product. In other words, he poured his heart into its creation so that you too will fall in love with it!

Featuring quality craftsmanship, vegetable tanned leathers, hand stitching and a range of colours combining rich browns with contrasting aqua, blue or green, the te. fold would make a unique gift. Something your dad would keep for years to come... It measures 19 x 20cm and comes with three large pouches and a pocket and adjustable leather straps. The te. fold is available from www.temono.com.au for AUD $165 and you can also find it at www.georgielove.com.

Is your dad a purveyor of all things cool? If he's hip to the jive or just needs a few fashion tips, he might find some clues in "Cool Hunting" by Australian photographer and net junkie, Dave Evans. The book was published last year by South Australia's East Street Publications and features an irreverent, ironic and eclectic mix of products designed in every corner of the globe.

Cool Hunting takes trend watching from the virtual world and places it carefully on your coffee table, along with a plate of URLs and chocolate biscuits. (Chocolate biscuits not included.) It retails for AUD $24.95 & I spotted a copy at Better Read Than Dead in Newtown the other day...

These washer bags are from the Mister Uchi range. They are made from PVC coated nylon and would make ideal gifts for dads who like style & simplicity. Pictured above is the Carry All bag which measures 24cm x 12cm x 12cm, and sells for AUD $36.95. The versatile Hanger Bag (below left) features an internal metal hook to allow it to hang while open. It measures 28cm x 8cm x 8cm and sells for AUD $54.95. (Prices are quoted from the Rushfaster online store.)

The Uchi label was launched in 2001 with the intent of providing travel and bath bags that are both functional and beautiful. The popular Uchi product range is now sold thoughout Australia as well as internationally. You can see more of the range at the Uchi web site at www.uchi.com.au - you can also email them for a list of stockists (which includes Pentimento in Newtown, Sydney).

If your Dad already has everything he could ever need, why not give him something for his best friend? Dogue, House of Canine Couture has a great collection of canine accessories to totally spoil your pooch. Pictured above is the luxurious Ruby range of leather collars. These top quality collars are handstitched and come in four sizes, ranging in price from AUD $80 (S) to $140 (XL).

For something more colourful, the Stanley range features striped leather collars to suit any shade of coat or personality. Five sizes are available ranging from 35cm (AUD $31.50) through to 60cm ($48.50). These Dogue collars, as well as matching leads and everything else your dog could desire are available from the Dogue online store at www.dogue.com.au.

Mainichi Design inverts the concept of precious jewellery and uses materials such as plastics, recycled leather offcuts, hemp & linen thread, recycled timbers, polypropylene sheet & bamboo to create imaginative & vibrant jewellery pieces. My favourites are the Mushi Brooches ($25 & $30) which are made from layers of offcut leather, vintage & recycled fabrics & felt randomly stitched together. The colours are so gorgeous & rich... Also pictured is the Oishii Necklace ($45) featuring plastic thread & mixed bead types on a leather choker. Mainichi's stockists include Eliana Design (St Kilda), Lulu Design Store (Balaclava), National Design Centre (Melbourne) and Mimosa (Daylesford).

I'm lucky enough to have been given a Leo Monk handbag as a gift on two separate occasions... and when I take them out, they always receive compliments - lucky as they are! The bags pictured are from Leo Monk's current collection - on the left is "Sonia" (AUD $159) and on the right is "L17" (AUD $175). Both feature the quirky leather combinations and eclectic colours & textures that distinguish the Leo Monk range. If you visit the Newtown store, you can even glimpse the action in the workshop at the back.