Weekending

Rainy, City days

Library Cafe

Yardage Design

Bravo Juliet Designs

Each to Own

Pareidolia Ceramics

Avril Bowrie

Pinky & Maurice

Jennifer Orland

Queensland Art Gallery

California Design Exhibition

Saturday was one of those child free days that seem to happen oh so rarely for this stay at home Mama, but is so completely necessary. While my darling husband kept the children amused with rainy day activities, I headed in to the City to meet up with friends for a cuppa, visit the GOMA design market and explore the California Design Exhibition. The market goers weren't discouraged by Saturday's deluge and the market holders sold their gorgeous wares beneath a marquee, despite the puddles beneath their feet. I secured a few more Christmas presents and mentally added several more to my personal shopping list, while chatting with the wonderful stall holders. The California Design exhibition was a joy to wander through, gathering inspiration and gazing in appreciation at the beauty and skill on show. It was made doubly lovely by bumping in to Jennie and her family, then sharing lunch with my twin sister and her husband.

All in all a wonderful day and a fantastic start to what was a special weekend.
I do believe I shall need to schedule another such day soon...

* Sorry about the quality of some of the photos. Due to the rainy weather I left my big camera at home and relied on my phone camera - which didn't always like the lighting conditions.

Deadwood Creative & Bravo Juliet Designs

I'm really pleased to be able to introduce you to the first two creative businesses featured in the Handmade Christmas Giveaway - Deadwood Creative and the lovely Ellie and Sam, and Bronwen from Bravo Juliet Designs. I invited these fabulous folk on board as I have long admired their handiwork and own my very own skateboard bangle (and brought another one for my sister for Christmas) as well as two of my own resin vases (and another for my sister for her birthday!) So I can whole heartedly recommend them. 

Deadwood Creative is the design collaboration of Ellie Beck and Sam Messina. We handcraft jewellery and accessories using broken skateboard decks and sustainable business practices. All our pieces are cut, sanded and finished by hand, making each one a unique piece of hand worked wearable art. We enjoy finding the beauty in each broken skateboard and using the original artworks and scratched up graphics from each board to give new life to the decks that are generally sent to landfill. We work from our home studio in the forest in Northern NSW.

We have included one of our Skateboard Bracelets valued at $25 in the colour and size of your choice - check out the colour options on our website. All our jewellery comes packaged in a recycled (skateboard magazine) paper pouch stitched by us, with care instructions on how to maintain those vibrant colours. 

Web: deadwoodcreative.com.au

Blog: petalplum.blogspot.com

Instagram: @petalplum @sammessina

Bravo Juliet Designs is where my love of vintage glass and four years of working with resin collide! I make vintage inspired resin vases - based on the original but with a modern twist. They are light, colourful and unbreakable. This makes them perfect to decorate your wedding tables, as a gift to post or as a colourful addition to a kid and cat-full home! 

Bravo Juliet Designs - Vintage inspired vases poured in modern resin.

www.facebook.com/bravojulietdesigns

www.bravojulietdesigns.etsy.com

Instagram @bravojulietdesigns

Winter Design Market love

Bravo Juliet Designs

Zillpa

Sharon Muir Ceramics

Erin's Window

My dearest twin sister and myself. My super lovely treasures.

I am fit to bursting with inspiration after yesterdays City wanderings. The Winter Design Market was certainly a celebration of handmade, and full of temptation. Each stall was home to precious delights, lovingly crafted and displayed. Cushions, tea towels, baskets, jewellery, ceramics. I found it difficult to choose amongst all the loveliness. I am so pleased with my purchases though. A mint coloured resin vase from the lovely Bronwen Jones (which will be quite at home in my kitchen), and a hand painted ceramic brooch from the gifted Erin (because you can never have too many brooches). So many clever crafters.

The stalls, the displays, the lovely makers, all gave me such a great feeling about the handmade community and market place. I am inspired anew to create new pieces for my shop and eventually tackle my first market.

I shall pop back later with my 52 Portraits, and post about the Quilts exhibition tomorrow - another inspiration laden delight. 

Hope you are having a relaxing Sunday.