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indie art & design blog

christmas gift guide 2010

shop indie - the indie art & design Christmas Gift Guide 2010

It's festive season once again and this year we have a stunning collection of gift ideas for you, from all corners of the country! For 2010, we've separated our annual Christmas Gift Guide into three parts - gifts for women, men and kids. So, first up is our selection of gifts for the gals... so much indie goodness, you're sure to find the perfect present for someone special (or a gift-to-self!)... Every product featured here can be purchased online with ease, and there's something here for everyone... Happy shopping this holiday season!

AU $75
Flying Owl by Kareena Zerefos Signed & numbered, limited edition of 500, printed using vegetable based inks on 100% recycled card, unframed 330 x 330mm from Olive and Willow

AU $126
ZM925 ♥ KAREENA Charms
A collaboration bringing kareena's curious and whimsical creatures to life. Limited edition sterling silver charm with coloured enamel stripes from Olive and Willow

AU $13.50 Hand Knitted Adjustable Mug / Takeaway Cup Cozy, by sheeps clothing

AU $150
For girls cuckoo clock pink by Snowfawn from Georgie Love

AU $39.95
Ring pendant made in Australia from recycled stainless steel, also available in brass by polli

US $30
Little Leaves Hand Embroidered Pendant, by edward and lilly

AU $109
Butterfly Wing Pendant - delicate & contemporary with gold and gemtsone highlights, intricately cut by hand in sterling silver, accompanied by a 14ct gold hammer-beaten ring and suspended from a sterling silver chain, by Simone Walsh

AU $165
Inspired by Cirque Nouveau, this sculptural piece is handmade to reflect the act of juggling. Act Un ring or pendant, sterling silver & red silk cord, by bilingual

AU $18 Lace Study 2 - All hand drawn, painted and patterned then digitally printed on tree friendly paper by Elly Nelly

AU $69 Beautiful and functional. Laser cut from wood, the intricate design of this jewellery tree will accommodate many necklaces and earrings. By Bird of Play, from madeit

AU $50
William Morris inspired Filigree Wood and Fabric Brooch by Shonah

AU $44
Resin, fabric and oak disk pendant with antique gold bird charm by Shonah

AU $44 Storytellers Archival Print of an original artwork by Ali J, a portrait of a woman with the keeper of secrets - an owl. Each print comes with matte board for easy display within a frame from Ali J

AU $44 Catching A Moment Archival Print of an original artwork by Ali J, a portrait of a woman with the most amazing hair. Each print comes with a matte board for easy display within a frame from Ali J

AU $60
PaperCuts Coin Studs
'Splice' - Green.
Materials: Anodised Titanium (completely hypoallergenic) 20x20mm by Sarah Rothe

AU $200
Time Will Tell Lino Cuckoo Clock - one-of-a-kind collectible crafted from decorative vintage lino, recycled buttons, pre-loved doilies and a battery operated clock mechanism by Betty Jo

from AU $80
Original Artworks - paintings, drawings, collages and sculptures by Marie Larkin

AU $21 ea
Compacts - Giftware from Marie Larkin's original artwork

AU $45 Stitch On Bird Organiser in Red by b.sirius, featuring space for your pen, notebook and cards. Sweet spotted lining and tie closure with printed button, from indie art & design store

AU $70 Birdcage Reverse Clutch Bag by b.sirius, featuring birdies perched atop red birdcages, cute button fastening and a clip out inner make-up pouch, from indie art & design store

AU $95 Great Short Stories of the World screen printed cushion by me and amber. 100% linen cover with quality 80% feather, 20% fibre insert, from indie art & design store

AU $29 Tea for Two screen printed tea towel by me and amber. 100% Russian linen, measuring 50 x 70cm, from indie art & design store

AU $32 Stripey Baby Owl Craft Kit by Craft Schmaft. DIY sock owl - everything is included... for beginners or experienced crafters! From indie art & design store.

AU $34
Mushi Keyring Large - Black, Purple & Blue made from upholstery leather off cuts by Mainichi, from indie art & design store.

AU $25 Girl 1 Print from original artwork by Belafonte, from indie art & design store

AU $170 Ambrosia Earrings by Finchbird - handmade, incredibly beautiful! From indie art & design store

AU $110
Antelopes Messenger Bag in Stone, handmade by Mingus using hemp & cotton canvas and linen, featuring hand printed design from indie art & design store

AU $39
A Fawn Brooch from Bonnie Poplar's Hunting Series. Save it from the hunt! From indie art & design store

AU $60 Elephant & Landscape Pillow Case Set by Sunday Morning Designs, featuring hand printed gorgeous, intricate illustrations by Dylan Martorell, from indie art & design store

AU $78 Black Sheep Pendant handmade by Little White Dish in fine white Limoges porcelain, from indie art & design store

AU $20
Biosphere Print from original artwork by benconservato. Featuring a monster of sorts... which is actually a wind-powered biosphere, from indie art & design store

AU $28 Girl and Her Doll black and white Cameo brooch handmade in Melbourne with vintage design by Button Tree, from indie art & design store

AU $78
Robot Girl handmade porcelain pendant by Iggy and Lou Lou from indie art & design store

AU $30
Cute Felt Owl Cushion hand screen printed in blue by Bob Boutique from indie art & design store

AU $110 Vintage Bike Print Skirt in Wine (sizes S, M, L) made in Melbourne by Berserk from indie art & design store

AU $25 Sitting Pretty print from original artwork by Nikki Catalano from indie art & design store

Thank you to all the gorgeous labels and boutiques who accepted our invitation to support the indie art & design Christmas Gift Guide 2010.

The second half of gifts featured here are available to purchase right here, from the indie art & design online store - if you see something which has sold out, drop us a line & we can most likely order in more. We're adding new products to the store every day, and stay posted for the Mens and Kids Christmas Gift guides - coming very soon!

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Tuesday, November 23, 2010.

christmas wishlist : georgie love

To help us celebrate this Christmas, we've invited a handful of lovely retailers to share with us three of their favourite things... Of course, you don't just have to wish - you can pop over to each online store & purchase these goodies for someone special (or even as a Christmas present-to-self)!

First up is Sally from Georgie Love, who is herself, an inspiration to many creative bloggers and craftaholics, and whose gorgeous store has been promoting Australian talent since way back!

Geometric Necklace from Georgie Love

Geometric Fabric and Wood Pendant (AUD $110) by Madz Has Runaway, from Georgie Love

"I launched Georgie Love in early 2006.
It was Australia's first online store dedicated to exclusively promoting Australian handmade from independent and emerging artists. Since then, we have remained passionate about providing opportunities for customers looking for alternatives from mass and factory produced items, to find products that are made by hand and with love. Many of our items are made from a range of recycled and vintage materials. We love all things produced ethically and locally.

We individually select everything that is presented on the site and it is as much a labour of love as the pieces themselves. Georgie Love has grown enormously since it's first day, while remaining committed to keeping it's homemade aesthetic and community feel. It is something we are immensely proud of!"

Georgie Love has had a relationship with Madz Has Runaway from pretty much day one and we are absolutely in love with the launch of her new pieces. Maker Madeline Beatty is also one of the most delightful ladies you would ever met, which also makes me love her pieces a little bit more. Geometric pieces are bang on trend at the moment, so that fact combined with her beautiful wood and contrasting fabric design on a long sterling silver chain make these pretty irresistible. I have one of these on my own Christmas wishlist!

Melville Monster from Georgie Love

Melville Monster (AUD $80) by Julie Ramsden, from Georgie Love

Bec (who works with me on Georgie Love) and I both have a bit of a collection of Julie Ramsden's toys. Some of them are for our little people, but they mostly sit on shelves and in prominent positions throughout our houses! Julie's pieces are special and until you see her work in detail and in person, that fact might pass you by! Each creature is one-of-a-kind and made from abandoned wool found in op-shops all over Melbourne, are wonderfully made and have so much detail to them. We think she is, quite seriously, a crotchet genius. So very talented! I am particularly fond of this sea-dwelling Octu-fellow (with a Cthulu likeness!), from his little sailor hat, to delicious fish supper. He stands and can be moulded in whatever fashion you desire - his limbs, tentacles and even fingers have wire inside them to be manipulated however you wish.

Shy Bunny Brooch from Georgie Love

Shy Bunny Brooch (AUD $30) by The Storybook Rabbit, from Georgie Love

There has been a lot of press recently about the wonderful plates that Kelly from The Storybook Rabbit is making, but I have to say that I like these gorgeous brooches JUST as much (maybe even a little more!). This pretty shy bunny is a signature Storybook Rabbit piece - mainly because it is so lovely! Each sweet little brooch is made from laser cut coloured wood with a laser etched sweetheart pattern and holds a waterproof print of her original little bunny printed on lovely textured paper. It's the perfect gift for the sweetest girl you know (which to be honest, may be yourself!)

Georgie Love logo
Shop for Sally's selections, or hundreds more handmade pleasures at www.georgielove.com. THANKS SALLY!
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Tuesday, November 16, 2010.

matt huynh : alluvia

Invitation to Matt Huynh's Alluvia exhibition
Invitation to Matt Huynh's Alluvia exhibition

Currently showing is Alluvia, the latest offering from Sydney-based illustrator and comic book artist Matt Huynh.

Matt's intriguing illustrations combine a comic book aesthetic with expressive pencil, charcoal & painted work, and complex underlying themes. Many of his illustrations are dense with narrative - as if a comic book has been compressed into a single frame.

Invitation to Matt Huynh's Alluvia exhibition

"Born Dancer" archival Giclee print from Matt Huynh's Alluvia exhibition

"Alluvia" refers to the earth washed down a body of flowing water, sometimes resulting in the formation of a fan at the base of deep slopes. Findings of this occurrence at the base of Martian craters is indicative of the past presence of water, and suggestive of proof of life.

Matt's kaleidoscopic collection of illustrations reflects upon the enduring fragments of the universal in the personal that harmonise towards a holistic and romantic relationship with our future. To warn against that which may be lost should we grow insensitive, unaware, incapable or undeserving.

Artwork from Matt Huynh's Alluvia exhibition
Alluvia Print Folio by Matt Huynh

"Alluvia" Print Folio - white linen, black foil stamping, white ribbon (AUD $120) by Matt Huynh. Perfect bound, full colour, 32pp, AUD $25.

To celebrate the launch of this series, a print folio (pictured above, AUD $120) and book (numbered edition of 100, AUD $25) have been released for purchase from the Paper Mill Gallery.

Chasing Blind from Matt Huynh's Alluvia exhibition

"Chasing Blind", from Matt Huynh's Alluvia exhibition

Original artwork Little All from Matt Huynh's Alluvia exhibition

"Little All", original artwork from Matt Huynh's Alluvia exhibition, AUD $600.

Alluvia continues until Saturday 13th November at:
The Paper Mill, 1 Angel Place, Ash St, Sydney.
Opening Hours: Tues - Sat, 11am-6pm

To discover more of Matt Hunyh's work, check out our post on the "Asperatus" exhibition held at the Skeleton Gallery at the Australian Museum last June, or visit www.matthuynh.com. "Asperatus" Print Folios are also available from Matt's web site - A3 archival Giclee prints on 100% Cotton Hahnemule Photo Rag paper, signed & titled by the artist and presented, secured under a white ribbon, in a beautiful black linen portfolio with black foil stamp deboss.

"Alluvia" is part of a "series of series" for which Matt is creating an entirely new and original body of work every season over the course of one year. "Asperatus" was the first chapter - a record of a monochromatic, feverish winter, and "Alluvia" is the spring instalment, whose works are more hopeful; their colours affirming and positive.

We're already looking forward to the next exhibition this summer...

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Thursday, November 11, 2010.

heartstrings, heartfelt

Serenity contemporary unisex silver ring / pendant by Sydney jewellery designer Bilingual

"Serenity" silver ring / pendant (AUD $165) by Sydney jewellery designer Bilingual

"Heartstrings" has just been released by Bilingual - a label which consistently delights us with unique conceptual jewellery designs. With the heightened emotional state I'm in at the moment, I can't help but feel connected to this latest collection. All three designs call to me - though I could do with a little extra Serenity in my life!

Ecstacy, Insanity and Serenity are hybrid jewellery forms, and can be worn as pendants or rings. They were designed to draw on the cause & effect of human emotions. Each shape, a fluid line cast in silver, seems to be hovering in its emotional state - vibrating like heartbeats. Increase the frequency, and Serenity could morph into Ecstacy. Calm an erratic heartrate, and Insanity could ease into the gentle, resting form of Serenity.

Insanity contemporary unisex silver ring / pendant by Sydney jewellery designer Bilingual

"Insanity" silver ring / pendant (AUD $165) by Sydney jewellery designer Bilingual

The shapes themselves are intended to symbolise the heart rhythm pattern experienced during varying states of emotion. Each ring can be twisted to be worn in several different ways.

The balance of the peaks and troughs within the Ecstacy ring design mimics our heart rhythm pattern at its most optimal state. The two-sided Insanity ring represents the jagged and uneven heart rhythm pattern that is experienced when we feel out of control. Finally, Serenity represents the transitional state between optimal function and erratic behaviour - a hybrid of the two extreme states.

Ecstacy contemporary unisex silver ring / pendant by Sydney jewellery designer Bilingual

"Ecstacy" silver ring / pendant (AUD $165) by Sydney jewellery designer Bilingual

Bilingual designer Marta Niegowska completed the concept with the use of red and blue silk cords to suspend the rings as pendants. The pieces are then worn close to the heart - with emotions flowing in and out. "With the Heartstrings range, we have tried to encapsulate the emotional rollercoaster our bodies experience and its effect on our functionality".

The "Heartstrings" collection is available from Bilingual at www.bilingual.com.au, and can also be found at the following retail stockists:

NSW: Top 3 by Design (Crows Nest), Pink Metal (Newcastle)
VIC: Design A Space (Melbourne CBD), Can't Think Straight (Daylesford)
WA: The Hunter Store (Leederville), The Art Gallery of WA (Perth)
QLD: Subfusco (Brisbane)

You can also visit Bilingual at the Paddington Markets (NSW). They run a bi-weekly stall from 10am - 4pm so if you're in Sydney, contact them for schedule dates & meet them in person!

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Tuesday, November 09, 2010.

baby boy!

baby Liam

If you've been wondering why we've been very quiet over the last month or so, it's because we have some wonderful news to share with you - Martin & I had a baby boy at the end of September! We named him Liam Chase Shields, and like all new parents, we're totally besotted... Isn't he a little angel?!

Carolyn and baby Liam

I don't really know what I was expecting, but having a newborn is the most incredible feeling - just the best thing ever!

baby Liam

No doubt we'll be featuring more goodies for babies & kids from now on - as well as our regular art & design content of course... We also have quite a few new labels with many gorgeous products waiting to be added to our store, so keep an eye out for those appearing online over the next week. We'll keep them a surprise for now, but I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

Carolyn xx

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more indie:
Monday, October 18, 2010.