Karena or Magicjelly is a talented illustrator from Adelaide, South Australia who makes wonderfully retro inspired prints and collages that are definitely worth checking out.
I have my eye on Fox and Flowers. I really love how it seems simple from a distance but as you get closer all the little patterns and details become apparent. The colouring would be perfect for my place too.
Go see Magicjelly at Etsy, on the Australian site Madeit or find out what she is doing on her blog.

Labels: art, Australia, brown, Etsy, fox, illustration, Magicjelly, orange, print, screen printing

I first saw Maya and Michael's apartment on Apartment Therapy earlier this year. I kept that wonderful rich pea-green in mind for my place (as you know, I have a lot of reds, oranges and teak wood) but was keen to see it again; it's a bold choice, wanted to make sure I really liked it...
Last week I stumbled across Maya and Michael's apartment again as part of the Apartment Therapy Fall Colours 2008 competition. I think it's meant to be as I am on holidays from work for two weeks and this week my goal is to paint my living room and kitchen.
I really do love that colour, thanks Maya and Michael for sharing and inspiring me to paint!
Want to see more? Go vote for them at AT, see more images of their loft apartment on flikr, browse their prints and coasters on Etsy, read what their up to on their blog or check out the Visualingual website.

Labels: Apartment Therapy, Etsy, flickr, green, painting, retro, Visualingual

The new year isn't too far away now and if something needs to be ordered from overseas, maybe now is the time to start thinking about it.
This adorable little Birdie Calendar by smeurer8 would make a lovely gift or would look very sweet in the study or kitchen. The branch and bird in black are mounted on wood and encased in a slick resin with a tear away calendar attached.
Hm, a gift for someone special or an addition to my new home...? I think I better order two!
Check out Birdie Calendar or more work by smeurer8 on Etsy.

Labels: birds, black, calendar, craft, decor, Etsy, smeurer8, wood

Apparently beer isn't just fun to drink, not only inspires art, but can actually be used in it's production too, who knew? Kevin Hayes of Lovely MPLS did the experiments and came up with the following conclusion:

beer + paint + skill + inspiration (see also beer) = ART

There is even an LED light thrown in for good measure.
Did I even mention how great the poster is? A collage of beer labels in black and white screen printed on the German paper (mostly also made from beer!) and with a spot varnish finish, looks awesome.
Kevin, I think this work needs to be the first of a series. I'll be watching out for more!
Check out the Lovely MPLS Etsy page for a description of how Drunk Lightning was made and go to the Lovely MPLS Flikr page to see photos.

Labels: art, beer, black and white, brown, Etsy, flickr, Lovely MLPS, screen printing

As a perpetual forgetter, this is something that I could really use and way less annoying than having a real piece of ribbon tied around my finger.
Ben Floeter's Don't Forget Chalkboard found at The Curiosity Shoppe and at his Etsy shop, is such a friendly wall feature. It would be perfect at my friend door which is also near my kitchen, it would even double as a pointer, guiding guests into the living room.
Now to find out how much postage to Australia will be...
Check out the Don't Forget Chalkboard.

Labels: art, Ben Floeter, black, black and white, decor, Etsy, kitchen, red, The Curiosity Shoppe

Well, the big move is over and I have been loving organising and arranging my stuff in my new apartment. I have about twice as much space to work with and the original 1969 layout, kitchen and embellishments work so well with my modern/retro furnishings and collections.
As an intro to my new place I thought I would bring you one of my favourite pieces which I am using in a new way in my new place. It's a teak and leather telephone table that I picked up from a garage sale for the bargain price of $5. I have had it for a while and it's previous incarnation took the form of a bedside table. The little chair was perfect for sitting on while putting on shoes. But I don't have the space on that side of my bed here so I have used it as a side table next to my leather couch.
The red phone I also picked up from a garage sale, also for about $5 and the lamp, which glows a wonderful rich, warm orange, was made by my step-dad before it was retro. To complete the picture, the cushions I had custom-made by Jamric from Etsy. They cost way more than I had planned on spending but since everything else in the picture was such a bargain, I guess it all balances out in the end.
More snaps of my new place to come!

Labels: black, cushion, decor, Etsy, grey, interior, Jamric, lamp, leather, my new apartment, orange, red, retro, telephone, wood

I know I said I was taking a break from blogging before the big move but this gorgeous owl is a well meaning distraction from packing boxes.
It is by Abby Glassenberg, stands 12.5" tall and incorporates vintage Hawaii fabric that Abby found at a rummage sale. The owl looks like it's going to take a walk along the bench and then fly away, I love it's inquisitive character.
Abby also makes a range of other birds and animals. They are not cheap as a lot of work goes into them but definatly worth checking out to be inspired.
Go see her Abby Glassenberg's web page or her Etsy shop. Chirp chirp!

Labels: Abby Glassenberg, birds, craft, Etsy, orange, owl, red, vintage

Leafless trees and stone coloured skies are common imagery in the subtly textured acrylic on canvas work of Natasha Newton.
The painting above is called The Pattern Of The Earth 5 and to me it has a wonderfully dreamy quality and reminds me of the potential that the middle of winter has for Spring to come.
Check out Natasha Newton's website, blog or Etsy shop.

Labels: art, brown, Etsy, grey, Natasha Newton, painting, tree

Like with Nina Braun's knitted art, Merredith Dittman has taken a familiar craft that anyone can attempt and with skill, vision and inspiration, turned the medium into art. She creates strange simple little characters and complex mixed-media friezes, all based around the use of polymer clay, which I always knew growing up as Fimo. So clever!
Check out her work at her site corporatepig or check out her Etsy page.

Labels: art, clay, craft, Etsy, Merredith Dittman, monster, sculpture

Thebrokenmagpie is a local (Perth, Western Australia) talent who has made her crafty work available to the world through Etsy.
I love this crazy, original little monster, Reinhold, with his antler and odd eyes.
I work with thebrokenmagpie's partner at The West and he has the coolest zombie made by her on his desk. I'm going to be checking back to see if she makes more and has them available on her Etsy page.
Thanks thebrokenmagpie.

Labels: Etsy, monster, perth, plushy, retro, thebokenmagpie, toy

I stumbled on these wonderful gocco printed 'fancy birds' while checking out new prints on Etsy. This print has been made by Bridget Farmer, an Irish born Melbourne artist who loves birds.
I really like the decorative line work in this curious duo, also the way they interact with each other with their different positions.
Great stuff Bridget, thanks for making your work available to the world!
Check out her work on Etsy where she calls herself bridbird.

Labels: art, birds, Bridget Farmer, Etsy, illustration, print, screen printing

In Wondercabinet's specimen series she manages to put together familiar botanical style images in new ways that always take a second glance to realise where they have come from. The prints blend beautifully and create something entirely new mixing fur, flower and shell. What adds to the authenticity and individuality is that Wondercabinet prints them on torn out pages from books, and the colour print interacts with the images and words on the book page beneath.
Truly magical.
Check out her Etsy page.

Labels: art, Etsy, illustration, nature, print, retro, screen printing, Wondercabinet

Artist Re Jin Lee does some lovely pen and ink work featuring flowing lines and heavy areas of black and white, mainly inspired by nature.
She has taken her artwork a step further from just pen on paper though, and produced a series of cups, mugs, saucers and bowls with her simple line work cleverly integrated into the object.
I would love to wake up on a Sunday morning and sit with the winter sun streaming in my window as I sip my morning coffee contemplating a lazy, relaxing day from one of these wonderful creations.
Check out Re Jin Lee's website for more of her artwork or her Etsy page for products available for purchase.

Labels: art, birds, decor, Etsy, illustration, kitchen, print, Re Jin Lee

After discovering and writing about WonderThunder's Clouds and Ghosts Pillow Cover I had to get one. I also bought this quirky little Thumbprint Face Ipod Pocket, which I really love. The thumbprint texture is really great and kinda' makes me think of exposed brains as much as hair, there is also quite subtle lines radiating from behind which can't be seen mush here, but it's really nice detail.
Thanks WonderThunder!

Labels: decor, Etsy, illustration, interior, ipod, print, screen printing, wonderthunder

These sculptures from Malabo are so fun and quirky and they sell out too fast! I am waiting for the combo of sculptures here to be available again at once so that I can buy them both together. Great stuff!

Labels: art, decor, Etsy, sculpture

I have just picked up my latest ebay purchase, the small orange enamel Cathrineholm bowl filled with limes.
I am really pleased with the way it works with the other items on my dinning table which include a print of a photo I took in Hanoi, Vietnam, a screen printed illustration that I bought on Etsy by The Little Friends of Print Making, a place mat made from recycled, weaved telephone book paper from the Philippines, that my sister bought me in Adelaide and a table runner that I bought from the lady who made it in a tiny village in Laos.
The new orange bowl was definitely not a bargain. I ended up paying $63 for it (inc postage) which I guess seems kind of reasonable but compared to the green one, is extortionate. The green bowl I picked up at a thrift store for only $5! I am glad to have the orange one though, I do prefer collections of items rather than one off pieces.

Labels: cathrineholm, decor, Etsy, illustration, Laos, screen printing, The Little Friends of Print Making, Vietnam

This cushion from Etsy is great. What a whimsical addition to a room. Hand screen printed with an original illustration by wonderthunder, a clever way to combine illustration and decore. Check it out.

I would really love it if some of my other fav illustrators that work with screen prints would diversify into doing a range of cushions. I want to see what The Little Friends of Printmaking, strawberryluna and even wondercabinet might come up with. Fingers crossed!

Labels: decor, Etsy, illustration, screen printing, wonderthunder