softies

CONGRATULATIONS, Kim! You've been selected by George (pictured above) as the winner of our Georgie Love Giveaway! George was very happy for you, though a little disappointed that you're a cat person! Not to worry - a $50 Georgie Love gift voucher will be on the way shortly. (We'll contact you directly for delivery details.)

Green Eyes Cat Pendant by Erana & Daska available for AUD $25 from www.georgielove.com

As for our poll, the dog people won by a nose... a fairly long nose, with whiskers! The actual results were: 49% Dog People (36 votes), 37% Cat People (27 votes), and 10 people either couldn't decide or consider themselves both... (Sorry to those who felt they were choosing between their children!)

Fido Long Lost Lovesick Puppy softie by Daniela Catalano available for AUD $36 from www.georgielove.com

Pictured above are a couple of gift ideas for people on both sides of the poll. Hope you enjoy the shopping, Kim, and thanks again to Sal & George for offering up the prize!

Melbourne designer Shannon Lamden has been hard at work making lots of new goodies to fill her Etsy store. New fabrics, art prints, too-cute softies, and decorative fabric hoops to brighten up your walls... The colourful & light-hearted "Wanna Play" limited edition digital print is pictured above (US $12). Who wouldn't want to venture outside into this garden?

Shannon has introduced linen prints to her crafty fabric lineup. These can be mounted on canvas & hung or framed, or even sewn into a quilt as a decorative panel. "In The Garden" features a sweet & smiling, vegie lovin' couple holding hands in their vegie garden. It is available in red (above, US $22), black, blue & green and measures 22cm x 30cm.

Aunty Cookie Fabric Softies! Look how gorgeous these girls are - each clutching her three pet owls! Shannon has brought her illustrated characters to life (with the help of a little softie stuffing & ribbons). The Cookie character is hand screen printed onto cotton drill, and backed with printed fabric - some spotted, some vintage. At US $18 each and approx. 22cm in height, they are perfect for little hands to hang onto.

Shannon is well known for her limited edition hand screen printed fabrics, and pictured above is one of her new prints, "Home Sweet Home" in teal & olive on birch linen (above, US $18). This print is also available in either mustard or cherry printed onto chocolate brown linen.

An ideal way to display these funky fabrics is in a fabric hoop. The simple, round shapes look great hung in small groups & the tiny weight of each frame makes them ideal for renters & those who hesitate to put too many holes & hooks in the wall. You can purchase combinations of three fabric hoops for US $36 from www.auntycookie.etsy.com

I know I've told you where to find Aunty Cookie products before, but in case you'd like a reminder, stockists include: Patchwork on Central Park, Arthurs Circus, Cocoon, Meet me at Mikes, Duckcloth, One Small Room and of course Aunty Cookie at Etsy. For snippets of what goes on behind the scenes, & updates which are always entertaining, check out Shannon's blog at www.auntycookie.com.

Welcome to another Indie Art & Design feature interview! This time round, we are graced by the virtual presence of Alana & Sara from stationery label Poppies For Grace.

Poppies For Grace web site

I Hi there girls! The new web site looks fantastic – what sort of response have you received to the new design?

PFG The site is doing really well, we're getting a great amount of internet orders without specifically setting up online purchasing. By the end of the year we’d like to have something more official set up. Our web designers skill to capture our style and put it onto a manageable, user-friendly site has delighted us. Finally we have a site to be proud of!

Bookplates by Poppies For Grace (AUD $9.50 each) Each set contains 8 bookplate stickers.

I You have such a large selection in the new Poppies collection – did these come together all at once or have you been gradually building up the new range over many months?

PFG The new poppies collection happened rather quickly. Its always an effort to get the image in my mind onto paper..however this time round it happened in a matter of weeks.

Alfred Berry & Alfred Flower Gift Cards hand assembled & sewn by Poppies For Grace (AUD $6.95 each)

I Do you have any particular favorites – either favorite cards styles or design characters e.g.. the birdie Alfred?

PFG Sara's favorite is our Alfred berry card... it was the middle of summer and we escaped to the cool of my kitchen to work. I drew a little bird, cut him out and put him in my hand... alfi was born. I adore the entire alfred range, the colours came out better than I'd hoped. And who doesn't love a scolloped image!

Pink Berry & Red Flower Gift Cards by Poppies For Grace (AUD $22.95 each).

I Quite a few of your products are hand assembled & stitched which must take a lot of work! I imagine that your stockists & customers really appreciate the handmade aspect of these details… Is this something you do yourselves & how do you manage the workload?

PFG Yep, we do all the assembling ourselves. When it's a busy week all I can say is thank goodness for Mothers, our mums are such great workers! We also have another friend we employ two days a week to help us pack orders.
Sara does most of the sewing, and we have a friend who sews for us for a few hours a week. The workload is getting bigger, so we will have to start thinking of employing some more helpful hands.

Thank You and For You Gift Cards by Poppies For Grace (AUD $5.50 each)

I The subtle textures & colours of paper goods are so lovely – what sort of papers and printing methods to you use to make the most of the medium?
(I love the effect of the white botanical images on the natural coloured background – have these been screen printed to achieve this effect?)

PFG Our printing is all offset and digital. We would love to add things like screen printing and letterpress to our range, however there are other brands like 'me and amber' and 'chapelpress' doing a really great job of these areas already. So we're happy to keep it simple.

Happy Birthday and Thank You Tags by Poppies For Grace (AUD $3.50 each)

I Not only do you provide us with contrasting textures on individual cards – you have also assembled boxed sets and three exquisite writing sets, Sycamore's Handwriting, Three Little Birds and Lovely Day. Tell us the story behind these offerings!

PFG The imagery for these sets came about really quickly, the rest came a little slower. Sourcing suppliers is a tricky business, and being young women, who look 16, its hard to be taken seriously. We got there in the end though, and we are really happy with the finished product. Adding writing sets and boxed cards to our collection meant that poppies became a stationery brand, enabling us to target the gift market more successfully.

Sycamore's Handwriting Stationery Set by Poppies For Grace (AUD $37.95).
This set features 24 printed pages on 100% recycled paper with 6 different designs, 12 printed recycled brown paper envelopes and four plain, 4 little sewn cards, 4 little recycled plain brown paper envelopes, and a tag.

I Where do you find your inspiration? From your own garden perhaps?

PFG My garden is a jumbly mess of wonderful things like lilac, roses and wisteria, and just outside its gate is 50 acres of orchard. Living and working in this environment is definitely my inspiration.

Items from the Three Little Birds Stationery Set by Poppies For Grace (AUD $22.95).
This set features 10 printed pages on 100% recycled paper with 2 different designs, 10 printed recycled brown paper envelopes, and 4 little sewn cards.

I How do you find working together? Do you each take on separate roles, e.g.. drawing, assembling, marketing etc, or do you both take part in every step? Have you been able to make the business a full-time pursuit, and if so, do you have to be super-organised to keep it all under control?

PFG Organisation is not my strong point, but I'm learning. As poppies is full time now for Sara and I we split up roles. This way more gets done. Sara is the business brain (thank goodness) and I am the illustrator, anything outside these areas we share. Working together is easy, we've been friends for 13 years, so we know each-other idiosyncrasies fairly well!

Birdie Mobile & Garland handmade by Poppies For Grace (Mobile $tba, 4 Bird Garland AUD $75)

I The mobiles & garlands are a beautiful three-dimensional addition to the Poppies For Grace avian lineup. Do you see these as an extension of your paper goods range, or are you planning to grow this section of the business into a large part of what you do?

PFG The mobiles and garlands began as gifts for friends, Abigail (one of our favorite little girls) has kissed every bird we've made, which has meant these birdies have become rather precious. We're going to continue selling the birdies online, but to keep them as personal as possible we won't be offering these to stores.

Farewell and Walk The Plank Invites by Poppies For Grace (AUD $22.95 each). Each set contains 15 invitations & envelopes.

I On the new Poppies web site there are 'coming soon' pages for both prints and wedding products. I'm sure many Poppies fans are looking forward to seeing what goes up! Can you tell us about these awaited additions or is it all under wraps until launch?

PFG We're keeping it a secret. Just for fun!

Indie Christmas Cards! Merry Card, Bright Card & Turtle Doves Tag Set by Poppies For Grace (Cards AUD $6.95 each, Tag Set - 24 tags - 4 of each design AUD $29.95.)

I How would you like to see Poppies For Grace develop in the future?

PFG We've enjoyed watching poppies develop naturally, we're just trying to keep up with it now. We are so happy to be in so many wonderful stores, and it's fantastic receiving emails and letters from people who are loving our things. What more could we ask for really. We are doing what we love.

Navy Thank You Card Set of 8 by Poppies For Grace (AUD $27.95)

I Thank you so much Alana & Sara! I'm sure all of our Indies will love reading about your gorgeous paper goods.

Welcome to the first Indie Art & Design feature interview! We are lucky to have with us (virtually speaking) Sally Morrigan, founder of the wonderful Georgie Love web site, as well as her gingery mutt, George.

Georgie Love is a popular Australian online store which features a large selection of one-of-a-kind or limited edition products handmade by artists from all over Australia. (Most of the products can't be found in stores anywhere else!) Browsing through the multitude of jewellery pieces, artworks, clothing, bags & accessories is a real treat - there are so many items I'd love to buy as gifts for friends or to keep for myself... Sal & George embrace the online marketplace with the same enthusiasm and personal touch that the Georgie Love artists pour into their products.

The site itself is a pleasure to navigate and Sal provides large clear photos of every item. The flat rate for shipping makes it all too easy! (AUD $3.50 within Australia or AUD $10.00 for international orders.) A visit to the site is a must: http://www.georgielove.com.au.

Meg Meeowl and Missy Meeowl by Tricky George (AUD $39.99 each), available from www.georgielove.com.au

I Hey there Sal & Georgie, what's news? Have you added any new designers to the site this week?

GL Yes! We have just introduced the delightfully named Tricky George to the mix, with some wonderfully cuddly toys… I have some clothing items from Tricky George to put up as well, probably over the weekend. The photos are still unfortunately on my camera. It’s a long process from start to finish and sometimes I get behind. Apart from that, we have new toys and badges from Wendy June, new neck scarves from Frankie and Ray. I have some amazing new people and things in the wings too, which will all be revealed soon!

Little Art Badges by Wendy June (AUD $5.00 each), available from www.georgielove.com.au

I How do you find out about new designers? Are you constantly on the lookout, or do you find that most people approach you?

GL Mostly now people approach me through the website. I am always on the lookout though. There is a Melbourne designer I am a HUGE fan of that I have been trying to track down for more than a year… They don’t have a web presence so it’s harder to make contact! Hopefully at some point they will contact me and we can showcase their work. People tend to send me emails with images of their work or phone me up to have a chat about what they are making and whether it would be a fit for the site. It always baffles me though when people contact me without looking at the site first – most people are able to determine if their stuff is a fit or not. If they are not going to find the right market on the website, I try and point them in the right direction of where may be the right fit. It’s not always possible.

I What qualities do you look for in new items and designers to add to the Georgie Love lineup?

GL There is a definite Georgie Love aesthetic, which mainly boils down to what I would love to wear / use / play with myself. I am really struck by quirky and off-beat things, cute and melancholy things are always a winner and of course stuff that is beautifully made! I have had people approach me who have designed products, but then had the items made in China and that is just not right for the site. I love supporting people crouched over their sewing machines, putting their own blood, sweat, tears (and love!) into the product. I am really passionate about promoting the people who make stuff at home or in their studio, as a labour of love in between the day job or sticky infants. I think there is a definite place for these folk in the world of design! I am really passionate about supporting local products that are produced ethically, especially using recycled and reclaimed fabrics. I think it’s part of a larger trend, where people are seeking more meaning from the items they buy.

Kissy Kissy Monkey (AUD $142.50) and 9 Lives Kitty (AUD $120.00) original artworks by Beck Wheeler, available from www.georgielove.com.au

I What sort of items are your best sellers? Do trends in product types or motifs come and go, or do you find that strong sellers remain popular?

GL Accessories! They have always been very popular, whether it is buttons, badges, earrings, pins or belts. I don’t wear a lot (or any) jewellery so I am drawn to really interesting accessories – hence why there is a ton on Georgie Love. There are trends – some items could be featured in fashion journals and suddenly they will be everywhere, plus things go in and out of fashion – badges have been really popular for ages, particularly Perspex. Besides that, anything with birds, cats or polka dots and you are on to a winner. I have had artist Betty Jo on the site for a year now and her range has sold consistently.

I When people pour so much of their time & love into handmade goods, do they have trouble with pricing or parting with their creations? Do you have a wonderful collection of items you couldn't part with?

GL I think people tend to underprice themselves and I am quite baffled with how low people will originally want to price their products (earning them only 2-3 dollars per hour for their work) – I try to encourage people to pay themselves more fairly for their work, otherwise the passion and momentum will wane very quickly. I think people are often shy and vulnerable when approaching someone (a customer or retailer) with their work because the feedback is so immediate (and sometimes harsh) – it is something they have invested time, energy and passion into and this is why the internet is a fantastic medium – it removes some of the angst when presenting work to the world. I think there is a real joy in creating something and putting it out into the public and having someone find that item and love it. I know most artists who have kept their prototypes or a particular item which takes their fancy or they have grown fond of, but other than that, I think people are on the whole happy that their creations find new homes. I have a collection of things I love! As most of the items on the site are unique – toys, paintings, handmade pins etc, they all have their little quirks and expressions and people tend to get more attached to them as a result. I have heard devastating stories from customers who have lost items they have bought – you know it’s handmade, unique and "yours" so losing it is emotional. You feel that far less if you have lost or broken something and can pop into the local shopping centre and find 1000 more just like it.

Winter Deer Bag by Julie Knoblock (AUD $65.00), available from www.georgielove.com.au

I What are some of your currently listed faves? Do you have some favourites that you've kept for yourself from the past year or so that readers might remember?

GL Oh dear… well, I do have just about one of everything… I LOVE Julie Knoblock’s range of bags and purses, however do not own one because I quite simply CANNOT choose which one I would want. Plus I secretly have in my mind that the next thing she creates will be the thing I can’t live without – it astounds me how cute and well made everything is that she does.

Chirpy Bird Purse by Julie Knoblock (AUD $35.00), available from www.georgielove.com.au

I am addicted to the Lamby Brooches by Allira Tee – her stuff is fantastic and has a bit of a different twist to other Perspex badges I have seen around (plus she makes some in wood). These badges are cute and cheeky! I can’t resist. Studio Chapiz who is no longer with us (she is making beautiful things and trouble in Spain) made these wonderful hand felted badges – birdies, cats and dogs. When she left, so did the badges! They were wonderful and I haven’t found something similar. … and finally (it’s like you are making me choose between my children), for leather goods and handmade wallets – you can’t go past te. He is a wonderful guy making really beautifully made wallets and belts. He makes bags too (but I don’t have any on the site) and I am saving for one. His work is really starting to take off in Aus and people are going crazy for it, which is wonderful to see. He really deserves it.

Karuma Belt by Te (AUD $85.00), available from www.georgielove.com.au

I Where do you find your inspiration - primarily in the arts, or do a variety of interests contribute to keeping the Georgie Love site fresh & exciting?

GL Australia is an embarrassment of riches in the art and craft department! There is so many wonderful and diverse crafty things happening both locally and internationally and I try to keep an eye on everything that’s going on – more for the excitement of it. Little pockets of craft are exploding everywhere and it’s so exciting to see where things are going – new markets, websites, shops are cropping up devoted to supporting independent designers and crafters – which is brilliant. A real market for this type of work is developing and it’s inspiring and exciting to be involved.

I How did you originally arrive at the idea for the Georgie Love site? Were you surrounded by creative types who needed an online presence or was handmade design a long-time interest that eventually found an outlet through the site?

GL A long time craft-envier (it’s my sin), I had the idea floating around for about 2 years before I had the time or technical expertise on hand to kick it off. Plus I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by vibrant and crafty folks who were making fabulous stuff that not a lot of people got to see and were very supportive about the vision of what I was trying to achieve (GL being more of a community than shop). I have a genuine love for handmade and unique items – the site is born out of passion, not money (it’s mostly a labour of love!).

Cat-Rabbit Pin #4 and #3 (AUD $24.00 each), available from www.georgielove.com.au

I Georgie Love has been established for more than a year - how has it grown up over this time?

GL Well, there is the obvious thing – the number of artists! I think the diversity of artists has grown too – there is also a real range of people on the site from age, gender, location and whether people are just starting out or if they are a lot more established with their craft business. I think also they way I do things has changed – I am so time poor I have had to work out ways to work smarter, not harder, while still maintaining the same quality and customer service. Everything is far more streamlined.

I Is Georgie Love a full time pursuit? How do you juggle your work, interests & personal life?

GL Badly! But better than I used to. ;-) I have a full-time, 9-5 day job, which is enjoyable but not too taxing, so I can go home with still enough energy to spend a few hours on the site. Most of the photography and uploading of photos is done on the weekend. Fortunately my partner (who I live with) is a hard working academic, so we are both often found in the study hunched over computers (George at our feet) working away. I also get him to work on the production line, packing and sending items! I am always trying to seek balance with everything and I have had times of focusing too much on one area, but I am doing pretty well now.

Keep up with what's going on behind the scenes at the Georgie Love Blog.

I Do you feel that there is a stong indie design community around where you live? Does this contribute to development & growth of the Georgie Love site?

GL Well, living inner city – probably. There are a number of shops close to me that support hand and locally made, which is inspiring to see. However, I think that is a sign of a bigger trend. I sell a lot to people in rural areas, who don’t have access to the same shops and yet they are still seeking out the same items. To be honest, I think the online design community contributes more. I am a bit of a techno-geek and spend hours looking at things and getting ideas and planning for the site. My sense of a design community is more global!

I How would you like to see Georgie Love develop in the future?

GL I envisage Georgie Love being a full-time pursuit. I have a million ideas about what I want to do with it and grow it. I would like it to expand with more artists and variety of handmade products – more clothing and home ware items. So basically – bigger and better! My main goal at the moment is to grow it, while still keeping the same level of customer service, quality and comfortable feel to the site. I would hate to lose any of those.

These colourful toys & kitchen utensils are for our youngest gourmets! The Little Kitchen range of vintage-print children's aprons, toys and accessories is designed in Melbourne with part of the range being manufactured locally as well. With a background in early childhood, Sabrina Parrini has developed visually appealing and fully functional kitchenware pieces all made for little hands. She plans to revolutionise the way people look at improving children's health and wellbeing.

Sabrina has a passion for all things whimsical, wholesome & playful and hopes that Little Kitchen can put a smile on the faces and bellies of lots of little people! The label has already established a strong following both in Australia and overseas and Sabrina regularly features in cooking demonstrations at major food festivals and holds children's cooking classes in the heart of Melbourne.

Pictured at top are handpainted wooden Cake Topper numbers which are available for AUD $9.95 each, and the gorgeous Apron & Utensil sets featuring a selection of vintage prints for both boys and girls (AUD $49.95). Below them are the fabulous food-inspired "Food Is My Friend" knitted & plush toys and rattles which start at AUD $14.95.

The full range is available through the Little Kitchen web site at www.littlekitchen.com.au or by calling 1300 722 095. Every Little Kitchen purchase is beautifully gift boxed and then placed in one of the cute calico "Food is My Friend" shopping bags. The Apron & Utensil sets are also stocked at retails stores throughout the country including:

VIC - ELEMENTS café & pantry, 308 Queens Pde, Clifton Hill, 3068, (03) 9489 2008

NSW - Kido Store, 159 Clovelly Rd, Randwick, 2031, (02) 9314 7010 QLD - Three wishes - home food life, Shop 4, Olympia Arc, 99 Marshall Street, Goondiwindi, 4390, (07) 4671 3730

SA - The Infant Boutique, Shop 6, 136 The Parade, Norwood, 5067, (08) 8331 3740

WA - Store, Claremont Arcade, Shop 3, Bayview Tce, Claremont, 6010, (08) 9284 2488

TAS - Inside Home and Gifts, 90 Murray St, Hobart, 7000, (03) 6224 5990