Well, this takes us back! Move over light boxes, the custom typography trend just stepped back in time with Typo’s new retro tuck shop-inspired felt notice boards.
Available in two sizes, A3 ($59.99) and A2 ($79.99) we can see all sorts of opportunities for spelling out inspirational quotes, birthday messages, kid’s names and perhaps the odd obscenity or two. Not that we’re suggesting that or anything…
Friendship bracelets have never looked prettier with this new line-up of Liberty print arm candy from the Flowers of Liberty collection. And at just £14.95 each, they’re an affordable treat or token of affection, as well as super-sweet souvenir from London. Try stacking them on your wrist with your own bracelets and bangles for a mix-and-match style statement of prints and textures.
Oh my blooming gorgeous wallpaper, how amazing is this little girl’s bedroom? With a beautiful clash of colour, pattern and texture, it’s no surprise that it’s from the home of Katie Graham, creator and managing director of The Family Love Tree, and it features in the July issue of Inside Out magazine, which is out tomorrow.
As many of you know, I love my wallpaper, so I can’t wait to see more of this super-lovely home. This shoot was styled by Rachel Vigor with photography by Derek Swalwell.
There are more beautiful homes in this issue, including the stunning Hobart home that super-creative duo Megan Morton and Brooke Holm styled and photographed. That fidddleleaf fig!
The Hobart home of Rebecca Wiggins. Styling by Megan Morton. Photography by Brooke Holm.
Dining room from the cover story. Styling by Tamara Maynes and Carly Spooner. Photography by Mark Roper.
There’s also a beautifully-styled story by Joseph Gardner about great throws to snuggle up with as the temperature drops. I love the colour palette he’s chosen – pale pinks, peaches and blues balanced with charcoals and black. Very nice indeed.
Snuggle up with cosy throws. Styling by Joseph Gardner. Photography by Sam McAdam Cooper.
And this is really special. Linzi Macdonald (aka designer LittleLinzi) is renovating a doll house for her daughter Maddie, and Inside Out have taken an up-close peek at her progress. It’s incredible.
Linzi‘s playful attention to detail is really amazing, and she’s even hand-made iconic furniture designs in miniature. There are miniature woven wall hangings and tiny paper potted plants (sooo on-trend). It looks like there’s a teeny tiny version of Armadillo & Co’s Daisy rug. Love attack!
Details inside Little Linzi’s amazing doll house for her daughter. Photography by Sam McAdam-Cooper.
And why hello, look who’s made the ‘Things We Love’ page. It’s us! #humblebragmuch Thank you Inside Out, we love you too.
The July 2015 issue of Inside Out magazine is out on Thursday, and you can get your digital issue on Zinio here. Or you can do what I do and subscribe to get the mag in your letterbox each month.
All photography courtesy of Inside Out magazine July 2015.
If you’re after a sure-fire way to actually blow your child’s mind – and spark their imagination – the new Tee Pee kids trundle bed from Domayne will pretty much do the trick.
Playful, practical and beautifully designed, it features a handy trundle bed for sleep-overs that can be easily stored away. It’s part of the new fairytale-inspired Tee Pee bedding range at Domayne and the base and canopy separately are available to purchase separately, or as a complete bed frame.
I’ve really impressed by the children’s bedroom furniture collection at Domayne, and their bunk beds are some of the best on the market right now. (I’m currently shopping for a bunk bed for my four-year-old and I think I’ve laid my eyes on every option available.)
The sleek new bunk bed designs, like the gorgeous My Place Bunk, are creative and clever, and they’re available in a wide range of on-trend colours, including retro-inspired pastel mints, baby blues and lilacs, as well as vibrant greens and oranges.
I also love the Frankie bunk bed, which I spotted in a bright orange shade in the Geelong home of Lauren and Matt Wilson. It certainly packed a colourful punch in the boys’ bedroom, and I love the minimalist curved retro shapes in the design.
Designer-makers of Australia and New Zealand, it’s time to polish your wares, tweak your marketing and social media strategy and get your Etsy store in order – submissions are now open for the Etsy Design Awards 2015.
If you haven’t got an Etsy store yet, now is a great time to open up shop as it’s an amazing opportunity to make your name in the creative community – and the prizes are pretty good, too. You could win a trip to Etsy’s headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, and be featured in the October issue of Inside Out magazine. Amazing!
Top image: Carl Holder of Foreply.etsy.com, winner of 2014 Etsy Design Awards for New Talent. Photo courtesy of Etsy.
The Etsy Design Awards celebrate the people and talent that make Etsy a destination for creativity and original design in Australia and New Zealand.
You can enter your work across five categories: Art, Illustration & Papergoods; Home & Living; Fashion & Accessories; New Talent; and Business as Unusual. A winner will be selected from each category, along with a sixth ‘Community Choice’ winner voted by the public.
Letterpress print sampler by oliveandthevolcano.etsy.com, 2014’s Art and Illustration Winner. Photo courtesy of Olive and the Volcano.
Jo and Andy Olive (aka Olive and the Volcano) in their studio.
This year’s judges are Helen Souness, Managing Director of Etsy; Ewan McEoin, Senior Curator of National Gallery of Victoria; Claire Bradley, Editor-in-chief of Inside Out magazine; and Jen Bishop of Interiors Addict.
8 tips for making the best of your submission & preparing your Etsy shop
1. “I think not leaving things up to the last day could maybe influence the outcome positively. I remember that I started making a selection of jewellery pieces to choose from just after I heard about the Etsy Design Awards, so I had plenty of time to prepare and to decide the choose the piece I would like to proceed with.” – Britta Boeckmann of boldb.etsy.com, 2014 Fashion and Accessories Winner.
2. “Preparing your submission is a great opportunity to refresh your shop; ensure the photos you have of your work are of a high standard and the Shop info is up‐to‐date and engaging … tell people your story and share your passion in a concise way.” – Carl Holder of foreply.etsy.com, 2014 New Talent Winner.
3. “When you’re writing your submission, start with a checklist of key points that you think will really impress the judges. As you put your submission together, continually refer back to this list to make sure you focus on showcasing these points. You get a lot of traffic to your shop as part of the competition so you want to make sure you’re looking as good as possible!” Fairina Cheng of fairinacheng.etsy.com, 2014 Community’s Choice Winner.
4. “I thought I better start early, because I always find it very hard to make decisions. I also put a lot of emphasis on taking good photos of the piece for my submission to increase the chance of becoming a finalist.” – Britta Boeckmann
Britta Boeckmann of boldb.etsy.com, 2014’s winner of Fashion and Accessories. Pendant photo courtesy of BoldB.
5. “It’s uber important to have a great, original story, and to celebrate what being you is all about – how is what you’re selling different to everyone else? Etsy is looking for those wonderful, quirky, unusual, inspiring people who do great things, so how can you let people know through your about page, your photos and your copy what makes you special.” – Kylie Gusset of tonofwool.etsy.com, 2014 Business As Unusual Winner.
6. “If you haven’t done this already, use the award period to motivate yourself. Make sure your shop is well presented with clear, consistent photography, informative product descriptions and a good range of products available. Look through the Etsy Seller Handbook, join an Etsy Facebook community and take part in some of the free workshops that they run in your area!” – Fairina Cheng
7. “I would recommend not labouring over the process, to get it “right”. Be yourself, keep it concise, keep it alive – overworking and overthinking your submission will dull it down, just tap into your enthusiasm for what you do and go for it! Also put your best foot forward – submit the work you are most proud of and believe in thoroughly! ” – Jo and Andy Olive of oliveandthevolcano.etsy.com, 2014 Art and Illustration Winner.
8. “I gave the text I had written for my submission to two friends to check if my writing is clear and correct, as the content of your own writing often appears very clear to yourself but might leaves questions to others.” – Britta Boeckmann
By the way, if you do open up an Etsy shop and enter the awards, Etsy are giving away 20 free listings, simply by using the promo code: EDA2015. Nice incentive, huh?
Entries close 13 July 2015, so hop to it, Scouts! Earn your craft badges -and maybe a trip to New York! Good luck!
I’m typing from the depths of layers of blankets here in Sydney, but I’m dreaming of the beach… so I wanted to share these fantastic metalwork hurricane lanterns from Anthropologie. Priced from $12, they’re great value and available in different sizes and shapes.
I can’t think of a more perfect way to celebrate summer solstice than with a trail of hurricane lanterns leading down to the beach… but they’d also look rather cosy by my fireplace right now.
Yesterday we rounded-up some rather special watermelon recipes (watermelon shots! watermelon salad! watermelon ice!) for some summer-time inspiration for our northern hemisphere readers. But back here in dreary-old Sydney, Lisa and I are recovering from weeks in bed with pneumonia, and we noticed that we were pinning the same things over on our Pinterest boards: oozy, gooey, sticky chocolate comfort food recipes.
These recipes are for those days when you’d rather curl up with a blanket and a good book, or when you just want to indulge yourself with an Orange is the New Black binge-fest. As I say to my my four-year-old, these are ‘sometimes foods’. But oh-my-sticky-salted-caramel-sauce-goodness, they are also very indulgent, almost disgustingly-good ‘sometimes foods’. This is definitely not clean eating. Make, bake and indulge in some decidedly dirrrty eating…
Comments Off on 11 amazingly delicious things to make with watermelons
The weather has been lousy and wet here in Sydney, but I’ve been cheered by the warm, sun-filled images in my Instagram feed, courtesy of long summer days in the Northern Hemisphere. I’ve also noticed loads of watermelon recipes popping up on Pinterest, ranging from delicious drinks and popsicles to salads and the ultimate watermelon shots. Here, I’ve gathered 11 amazing things to make with watermelons.
If you want to change up your look, or take a daytime outfit to night, it can be as simple as popping on a pair of statement earrings. Just think: an eye-catching trinket on your lobes can instantly transform a plain white shirt, jeans and loafers look into an instant style statement.
I’ve rounded up the 30 best earrings with wow factor for this season, for all styles, budgets and locations. I’ve shopped the high street, high-end designers, Etsy and indie designers, scouring the globe for the best bejewelled treasures for your ear lobes.
Keep an eye out for the sales pieces in our shopping guide, like these Oscar de la Renta ombre beaded earrings, reduced from $395 to $276. Sure, I don’t actually have a spare $276 in my wallet right now, but if I had some spare ‘shoe money’ put aside, a pair of earrings can be the perfect entrance purchase to add some designer style to your wardrobe. (And pssst… they make a fabulous group birthday present if a few friends chip in.)
Here, I talk to them about where to buy the best planters, how to style plants to refresh a room, and tips on keeping the tricky beasts alive. Read the full story on Daily Life here.
The key to matching pots and plants is to look at the shape and style of your plant. Photo by Urban Outfitters
Keep an eye out for handmade pots and planters. Photo by Happy Interior Blog.
Create your own urban jungle in your bedroom. Photo by Urban Outfitters.
I really love the beautifully balanced indoor version of a vertical garden, as seen at the top of this post, created and photographed by Dabito on Old Brand New. The trick to pulling off this super-stylish look is to position plants on wall shelves with objects, vessels and empty space.
Want more ideas on how to decorate your home with indoor plants? Get your FREE 84 page e-mag, Decorating with Plants. Find out how to make your home more beautiful with indoor plants, along with our favourite DIY projects for plants, inspirational interiors, clever ideas and practical tips.
Just join up to We Are Scout’s weekly newsletter and your free Decorating with Plants e-magazine will be delivered straight to your inbox. Simply enter your email address below and click Sign Up.
Tell us: what plants do you have in your home? Are there any rooms where you think plants don’t belong, like the bathroom or kitchen?
Flowers and food. It’s not a exactly new combination, but it’s pretty amazing how a few colourful petals can take a dish from the mundane to magnificence in an instant.
I’ve rounded up 17 incredible recipes using edible flowers. Before you embark on your René-Redzepi-inspired creation, just don’t nick down to your local florist and grab the nearest bunch of blooms that take your fancy. Not all flowers are edible, and you need to source organic edible flowers that haven’t been been sprayed with pesticides.
In Australia, you can find edible flowers from Flowerdale Farm at various David Jones Food Halls, or visit your local farmers’ markets and look out for growers like Darling Mills Farm. In the UK, you can order edible flowers online from First Leaf and Maddox Farm Organics. Design Love Fest has also put together a gorgeous guide to using edible flowers. In the States, you can find edible flowers at many Whole Foods stores.
I’ve been researching statement earrings for a shopping guide I’m publishing later this week and I stumbled across this new collection of jewellery by French jewellery brand Les Nereides for Anthropologie.
While decorative and ornate, the designs also have a delicacy in the details, with tiny enamel insects crawling over stones and faceted jewels. The pretty colour palettes used in the collection are also eye-catching, and I really love the “subtropical” ring and necklace with a green fern frond curling around a pink-fleshed carnivorous plant; a fly teasingly perched on the edge.
Les Nereides is the brainchild of Belgian artists-and-designers Pascale and Enzo, now based in Nice, France. The collection for Anthropologie captures the quirkiness of the French brand perfectly for the Northern summer.
Tell us: is Les Nereides’ delicate ornate jewellery your cup of tea? What are your favourite jewellery brands and designers?
Keep an eye out for my Shopping Guide to Statement Earrings, which will be published later this week. You might also like to check out my Shopping Guide to Teeny Tiny Stud Earrings.
Scouts, it’s time to get your craft on this Saturday 6 June for the annual Etsy Global Craft Party. I love the idea that thousands (millions?) of people around the world come together over 24 hours to celebrate – and make! – craft. This year’s Craft Party theme is ‘Kaleidoscope: Paper Taking Shape’.
Etsy craft party supplies. Photo courtesy of Etsy.
This year I’ll be attending the Sydney Etsy Craft Party, which is being held in conjunction with Vivid Ideas. Etsy will be hosting an all-day celebration (midday to 11pm) complete with music, markets and, naturally, plenty of paper craft materials so you can create your own kaleidoscopic masterpiece.
But where to start? It’s no coincidence that Etsy chose ‘kaleidoscope’ as a theme, as graphic representations of kaleideoscopes have been trending in fashion, design and interiors for the past few years. Get inspired by fashion designers such as Manish Arora, Clover Canyon, Giambattista Valli, Valentino and Missoni, who have all worked kaleidoscopic prints and shapes into their recent collections.
Valentino Resort 2015. Photo courtesy of Valentino.
Kaleidoscopic design can be found everywhere… even in umbrellas.
Inspiration in a brolly: Joyaux Marisols. Photo courtesy of Joyaux Marisols.
For a bit of high-brow inspiration, have a look at the work by 20th century modernist artists, who incorporate colour, light, sound, movement and space into their work. The National Gallery of Victoria’s current exhibition, The Kaleidoscopic Turn, is also a great place to start. The exhibition explores the legacy of these modernist works. Key artists in this period include Bridget Riley, Martha Boto, Zilvinas Kempinas, Marco Fusinato, Melinda Harper and Sandra Selig, among others.
Finally, get inspired by our very own Creative Director, Lisa Tilse, and her kaleidoscopic-themed paper craft tutorials. Here are three step-by-step tutorials to get you started.
The Sydney Etsy Craft Party will be held on Saturday 6 June, from midday to 11pm at:
6-8 Atherden Street,
The Rocks, Sydney
To find an Etsy Craft Party near you, visit etsy.me/craftpartyaustralia. And don’t forget to use the official global Craft Party hashtag #craftparty for all of your pics this Saturday. Can’t wait to see them!
(Lisa’s really disappointed that she won’t be able to make Sydney’s Etsy Craft Party on Saturday as she’s still very ill with pneumonia. Big sad face. Get better soon, Lisa!)
