The Home Journal - Giveaway

Today & for the rest of this week you have the opportunity to win a gorgeous handmade scarf by Australian brand Once Was Lost. I've interviewed Laura of Once Was Lost over at The Home Journal where you can enter the giveaway. Do it!

The Home Journal

Take a minute to head across to The Home-Journal sometime this week because it has a whole new look. And have a read of my article on CAPAS Furniture, a collection of furniture made from predominantly cardboard and paper.

The Home Journal

This week on The Home Journal get inspired by backyard rooms. These studios are to die for...

Click here. 

Celeste Watson

Melbourne based graphic designer Celeste Watson has created this illustration as a means to point out the ridiculous cost printer ink. If you have bought an inkjet printer in the last few years you will have rejoiced in the amazingly low prices they are available for. However, you have probably quickly been shocked to find the price of the ink cartridge refills reaching almost the same cost of the printer itself. 

We're getting ripped off to say the least. According to a report made by The Guardian, the cost of printing ink is the lowest it has ever been, only a couple of dollars per litre. However, when we buy it in the form of print cartridges it is costing more than $4000 per litre, almost double the cost per litre of the world's most expensive perfumes. 

Watson has 're-branded' some Hewlett Packard Ink Cartridge packs in the form of Chanel No. 5 perfume bottles to highlight the devious sales tactics. Watson claims "I like throwing design back in the face of its expected audience, but in unexpected ways."

Goo Collection

Sisters Sally Davies, Lisa Nicol and their mum are the owners and makers of the gorgeous bedlinen, and baby wears company Goo Collection. The range of products features designs that are great for design-conscious mums. No longer fairytale characters and superheroes, this bedlinen features simple and stylish designs in soft colour palettes. Aren't they great!!

Alpha Cruxis

Alpha Cruxis is a Berlin-based design project by Australian designer Rebecca Martin. Working with leather, Alpha Cruxis creates sculptural, minimal design objects celebrating material, technique and form.

Using traditional leatherworking techniques, each Alpha Cruxis piece is cut, sewn and finished by hand in our Berlin studio from the highest quality Italian vegetable tanned leather.

The debut 2013 bag collection from Alpha Cruxis ‘GEOMETRY’ takes shape in five striking, minimal designs using 3mm thick black leather and silver hardware.

The Home-Journal

This week on The Home-Journal I share my top 10 gift ideas for Christmas. Most items are from Australian designers and are perfect for anyone who loves Australian made, local home design.

Here it is!

The Home-Journal

This week on The Home-Journal I share my top 10 cushions for the end of this year.

They are funky, fun and add so much to a space.

Here's the link.

Hilary Thackway

Sydney creative Hilary Thackway is a bit of a wonder-girl when it comes to design. If you browse through her website you'll find she is a combination of stylist, graphic designer, illustrator, web designer and art director. My favourite of her designs are her pop-up wedding invites. A combination of relaxed, quirky illustrations with textured letterpress printed cards results in these gorgeous invites... 

March Studio

Winners of The Great Indoors Award in 2011, March Studio, an Australian architecture firm received a 5000Euro prize for their design of Aesop stores in both Melbourne and Paris. The Merci Paris store's installation, seen in photos below, consists of 4500 cardboard shippers and 40m2 of netting.

Karina Sharpe

Karina Sharpe is an Australian mum and creative who is just one of those people I aspire to be like. Her instagram feed is definitely worth a look as she shares her seemingly small creations that are subtle, quirky and beautiful. This little movie is a little insight into the type of work she creates. Her journal shares her discovery and thoughts about her creative process and life... "I will no longer create from the surface. I will create from the depths and move mountains with the subtlety of the difference."

Be inspired by this gorgeous short film.

Let's Eat

Having worked at Kikki K while studying a few years ago, I have always been a fan by their marketing and especially the photography and styling. The Swedish brand displays their clean, simple and beautiful products in a way that is inspiring and makes you want their products.

This new Foodies Collection, Let's Eat is no exception. It is cute beyond belief and makes me long for an organised kitchen. 

Daniel Emma

These two desk organisers are designed by Adelaide based creatives Daniel Emma. Originally produced for their D.E Desk range, the cork cone and magnetic tower are now produced by 'Wrong for Hay'.

Alexandra Donohoe of Decus

Alexandra Donohoe is the principle of Sydney based interior design firm Decus. After studying a Bachelor of Interior Architecture at UNSW, Donohoe went on to work in several of Sydney's most notable design firms. Her own company Decus was born of an obsession with the profound effect interiors have on our daily lives. Underpinning much of Donohoe's work is a sense of eclecticism; her interiors celebrate bold contrasts, whimsy, luxury and exquisite detail. 

Here are some examples of Donohoe's beautiful work...

Food Rant #1

Coming to the end of week two of the 8-week I Quit Sugar program I feel like it's what I want to write about. I don't normally write about myself, or food in fact but since this is the most exciting different thing i've done in a while it is kind of taking over my thoughts. Quitting sugar is somewhat easy and crazy hard at the same time. The first six weeks of the program is the detox... so no sugar is allowed including fruit. I think this is probably the worst part for me. Every time I crave sugar I think 'this craving would be fixed if I could just eat an apple or some grapes or strawberries!!'. It's alright though... most of the time sugar isn't in main meals so it's easy to not eat it. It's just when you snack that it's hard... and I seem to snack a lot.

During the two weeks so far I've tried out a few recipes from Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar book. I've decided that I love a lot of the savoury recipes but when it comes to trying to make sweet things, with substitute sweeteners then its pretty gross. My taste buds just want real sweetness! Real sugar!

But I've been looking at heaps of blogs and getting inspired, especially for after week six when I can have fruit again! Secret Squirrel Food is one of my favourite inspirations at the moment. Just check out some of the creations by Melbourne born Karen McLean. YUM!

Bridget Bodenham

Bridget Bodenham is a Victoria based ceramicist who's works are stocked throughout Melbourne at Mr Kitly, Craft Victoria and Pieces of Eight. Growing up in the Sunshine Coast, Bodenham she always worked with her hands. Her works often reflect nature from her inspiration of where she grew up and also where she lives now, in Hepburn Springs, VIC. On top creating these clay masterpieces, Bodenham also teaches at Ballarat University and Ballarat Fine Art Gallery. 

I particularly love the rock and pebble inspired mortar and pestles and the pouring lips to the clean-lined vessels.