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.

Text Cufflinks featuring section of text taken from a page of the book Vanity Fair, US $62 from www.simonewalsh.com

Simone Walsh is not only a designer of beautiful & very personal jewellery, but she is also a highly skilled craftsperson. For over 15 years, she has been making each piece by hand using a variety of techniques including detailed sawpiercing, etching, repousse, casting and more... She applies her talents to wearable jewellery (as featured here) as well as a diverse array of exhibition pieces when she has the opportunity. This work is more conceptual in nature and has taken many intriguing forms which you can read more about at www.simonewalsh.com. (I was drawn to the series titled "the things my grandmother never told me".)

Victorian Cut Out Pendant, US $68 from www.simonewalsh.com

We first mentioned the work of Simone Walsh when we featured her handmade sterling silver loop chain with each loop carefully hammered into shape. When I heard a couple of weeks ago that she was about to release a completely new range, I couldn't wait to see the new designs...

Victorian inspired jewellery by Simone Walsh

Simone's new range has been inspired by her "fascination with Victorian-era aesthetics - the mish-mash of cultural and historical influences, a hint of modernity and a strong connection between words (or ideas) and visual design and art".

"There is also the mixture of culture with nature which seems to be so much a part of aesthetics from this period - something I also find endlessly fascinating."

Cameo Earrings, US $48 from www.simonewalsh.com

I really love the blackened background effect in the Cameo Earrings (pictured above, US $48). There are so many layers of texture among these silver jewellery pieces - the etched patterns, the combination of handcut shapes, and the varied colours all obtained from the same material. A matching Cameo Pendant is also available (US $62).

Picture Frame Pendant - Rectangle, US $72 from www.simonewalsh.com

Simone sells her jewellery through a number of sites including her own, www.simonewalsh.com and you can also find out more through her blog make me! By the way, don't you think her product photography is incredible? It's no mean feat to capture photographs that represent your products so well - especially when you have shiny, reflective surfaces to deal with! I especially love the setting and lighting for the Text Cufflinks at the top of this post!

Victorian Etched Pendant - Damask, US $68 from www.simonewalsh.com