wilkintie

Wilkintie is the brainchild of a creative Melbourne couple Carly Hargreaves and Niels Oeltjen. The project evolved from their love of letterpress printing and a desire to collaborate with amazing and well loved contemporary artists and illustrators from around the world.

Niels Oeltjen, himself is a wonderful illustrator and painter better known as Nails. Carly Hargreaves has a history in contemporary dance and, more recently, publishing.

Pictured here is a tantalising selection of their beautifully crafted letterpress artworks, all of which are available in their online store (top to bottom – Niels Oeltjen, Apak and Tim Biskup)... Gosh, what a line up! Be sure to click on the link to see more fabulous artists.

truffaux hats

Have a look at these super stylin’ handmade panama hats from Truffaux. There are numerous styles and colours to choose from and will definitely give your hat wardrobe a boost! And because these hats are beautifully crafted, they’re designed to last and stand the test of time.

morgan wills

Now that winter is here in Sydney, I am feeling a little needy for woolie scarves…Check out these lovely patchwork numbers from Morgan Wills. You can pick your colour match from her huge range of scarves which are thoughtfully handmade from reclaimed woollen garments. There are plenty of other ideas for gifts from her shop such as beautiful bunny blankets and bushka rattles for baby!

finders keepers markets

Don’t forget the wonderful Finders Keepers Design and Art Markets are on this weekend which are held at the Eveleigh CarriageWorks in Sydney’s inner west. These markets have gone from strength to strength providing an exciting venue for young emerging designers to show off their wares. Looks like some fantastic designers are exhibiting at this one such asGretchen Hill House Design, Sunday Morning Designs, Peppermint Jewels and Prints Charming to name but a few. Can’t wait!

little circus design - birdsville

Madeline Stamer has just opened a new show of her distinctive illustrations at Bob Boutique in Bendigo. So if you’re in the area check it out and show this lovely artist your support! More of her work can be seen on her website Little Circus Design.

MeandTex

More lovely stuff here….The pretty, warm and woolly hand knitted accessories are by Sydney based Judith Macrae of MeandTex. She likes using natural fibres such as cotton, wool and mohair for her creations. Now that the weather is cooler here in Australia, these pieces look darn cosy!

house of baulch

These studded accessories are part of the latest 2009 Autumn/ Winter collection from House of Baulch. Inspired by the heroine Scheherezade from the tale of One Thousand and One Nights, the pieces reflect a treasure trove of rich iridescent lucite colours, pearls and gold metals.

Melbourne based Kathryn Baulch is the creative talent behind this relatively new accessories company – launched in 2007, but already her striking and affordable pieces are much lusted after by the fashion set.

poketo - aussie series wallets

The concept of having a pocket size piece of artwork to carry around all day is just too cool for words. As a celebration of Poketo’s 5th anniversary, 15 Aussie artists (from the likes of Catherine Campbell, Beci Orpin, Cupco, Niels Oeltjen, James Gulliver Hancock, Eveline Tarunadjaja and Lilly Piri and more) were selected to do artworks for their signature limited edition vinyl wallets. The results are just stunning. It’s hard to pick a favourite but at these affordable prices why not buy a few?

venerari

Pictured here are some beautiful contemporary rings by venerari. Specialising in using Australian opal and gemstones, Venerari handcrafts refined jewellery “both architecturally simple and aesthetically sensual”. Little wonder, because the duo behind the brand is Kingsley Wallman who is an ex-corporate lawyer turned gemmologist and Genevieve Lilley an architect and jewellery designer. You can find Venerari store in the Strand Arcade, Sydney.

3GIRLSandagoat

So pretty…. These lovely handmade notecards and paper goods are by Brisbane architect and interior designer Steffen Tuck. She uses a range of techniques such as rubber stamping, machine stitching, embossing, screen and lino printing on new and recycled papers to create her multi layered style. To buy go to her etsy store 3GIRLSandagoat.

yellow treehouse

Can you believe this beautiful tree house restaurant really exists? Well it sure does… it’s at home ten metres up a redwood tree and located in a top secret location near Warkworth, north of Auckland, New Zealand.

The project was the brainchild of Kiwi Tracey Collins and has got off the ground, quite literally with the help of yellowpages. For more inspiring info and to read about how it came to be, go to this link here at yellow tree house. Also click here for amazing pics of this creation and info about the architects pacific environments.

john quan

With a background in fashion and industrial design, South Australian based John Quan creates liveable objects and furniture that seem to be perfect fit for contemporary interiors with an element of fun. Pictured here are “Sexy Explosions” which are hanging sculptures made of pencils and a magazine rack inspired by the humble “Slinky” toy. Really cute!!

Happy 2009

Hiya! It’s been a while since our last entry and we’re taking a little break after the Christmas rush ;)

But we do want to thank all our readers and supporters out there and hope that you are enjoying the holidays and making a brilliant start to 2009!

Happy holidays everyone we’ll see you all soon!!!

Nance and Jess xx

muntedkowhai

Mmmmm…Although technically not ‘local’, we just love these crochet necklaces so much we had to feature them here. In actual fact, the maker, Puiyi Tiffany Pang currently resides in Portland, Oregon but she did grow up in Auckland New Zealand, hence the link ;)

Her pieces are one of a kind, embellished with vintage buttons and produced in modern colours. In Puiyi’s words -”my goal is to bring the closet grandma out of all of us and to transform the traditional yawn yawn pretty lace into something unexpected”. We think she has easily achieved that and converted us to crochet fans!! Check her store for the current range at Muntedkowhai Arts and Crafts.

holey christmas tree

If the thought of a fake tinsel tree sends shivers down your back, then you may want to consider getting one of these ingenious beauties. After scouring the stores for a suitable tree and disillusioned with his choices, architect Vladimir Ivanov decided to create his own concept of the Christmas tree. Beautifully designed, the large holes have been routed out of the timber panels for ornament hanging.Not only will this gorgeous tree suit contemporary spaces, it can be easily flat packed once the festivities have ended.

You can purchase one here at top3 by design.

shonah

These pretty fabric and wood pendants are created by Melburnian designer Shonah Tomkins. Every piece is mounted on Tasmanian oak, carefully hand crafted by her father and only made in limited runs to maintain their unique appeal. She has a great range of accessories and other pendants available at shonah.

all about heidi

Aren’t these baby shoes from all about heidi just lovely? Handmade from one piece of leather with no seamline they are ingenious yet look beautifully raw. Created by a mum from Bondi Beach Sydney, they are ideal first shoes as the soft leather acts like a ‘second skin’ for baby while she takes her first steps. There are various colours and sizes, and are even available for older children and adults upon request.

modamuse.com relaunched!

Some big news for us! Modamuse.com has relaunched to celebrate our 2nd anniversary! The site has been redesigned to make the shopping experience easier with improved product display and a streamlined one page checkout. We’d love to hear your thoughts/feedback so please feel free to drop us a line!

vert design

Had a hard time picking something to feature from this incredible online range of designer homewares and objects vert design. But we do fancy this sculptural free blown glass jug and cup in the most striking red colour.

You can also find here acclaimed objects such as the glass “Boab” by Aussie designer Adam Goodrum and some more affordable pieces such as cups and saucers and the famed “flat pack hammer”.

laura mccusker

‘Compact’ (pictured here) is a contemporary vanity unit and work of exceptional craftsmanship by acclaimed furniture designer and makerLaura McCusker. Trained in cabinetmaking and fine woodworking, Laura’s beautiful work is featured regularly in publications such as Belle, Vogue Living and Inside Out and has also exhibited in major competitions. Check out her site to see more. We really dig the elegant simplicity of her timber furniture and skillful detailing.