A spindle to prick your fancy: screen-printed fabrics from Australia

My favourite find this week has to be the Melbourne trio behind ink and spindle, a screen-printing studio for independent designers and labels. Dedicated to "sustainable alternatives to mass produced textiles" they seek to limit the environmental impact of the processes they use. They also sell their own designs via their shop - the gorgeous fabrics below are amongst them and also appear on their blog:

really, really lovely! Enjoy!
Photos by marcel Lee of Bulb Studios.

Very clean and very bright - making light from bleach bottles

Surfing through South African Amaridian, I spotted this "Flowerball" lightshade by Heath Nash. I was impressed not only by the design, but also by the innovative recycling used to create it: it being made from bleach bottles and wire. It is part of a range called "Other People's Rubbish" and is made by hand in Cape Town:


















Check out his site for more fabulous recycled lamps by Heath Nash, including this round ceiling lamp made from recycled milk bottle handles:

Sitting pretty in South Africa

It's great to be able to post again about South Africa - this time with some lovely pieces of furniture that are at once beautifully designed and and strikingly oiginal.
This chair by Haldane Martin in Cape Town, is smoothly elegant and is part of a range of products all designed and produced locally.


The South Africans Mary Slack and Fraser Conlon are behind Amaridian , a project aimed to "bridge a new idea of Africa with America through the arts". They bring together artists and designers and provide a platform through which their works can be shared. What really caught my eye was this Ségou chair, by Cheick Diallo, which is produced in collaboration with highly skilled local weavers. I just love the bold colours and sensual curves!

From French Industry to American friezes with a nod to Japanese glass - decals with a difference

Amongst the millions of decals and wall stickers out there, there are a couple of distinct trends that I'm quite fond of.
Elly Nelly sold via Supermarket and Etsy produces a number of frieze style decals, which I think can look great above radiators, ledges or work surfaces:

The French company Harmonie-interieure have a line of text-based stickers drawn from industrial warnings, labels and posters. I like their urban tone and suspect that often an attractive font can be just as pleasing to the eye as an image!





And from Japan, this little find courtesy of Spoon and Tamago by Noto Fusai - a window sticker with a speech bubble saying "Why don't you look at me for once instead of the outdoors?" I'm not sure that everyone will get the humour of it (especially if you don't speak Japanese) but love the idea of window stickers! To be explored further...

Get that kettle on! - Taking a look at tea-cosies

Ok, so at risk of betraying my British roots I'm devoting a whole post to tea-cosies. Keeping the teapot hot, cosies are also a wonderful source of inspiration for the creatively-inclined and more often than not incite original and outlandish designs.
I've hunted around to select a variety from the literally millions on offer. Admittedly, Donna Wilson's chocolate cake gets a star rating as does Paul Smith's take on a typical "Granny's front room" knitted design. Would love to hear of any other contenders for "best cosy of the year!"

Below are cosies by Argyle St, sold at Etsy. For the full range of colours take a look at the
Flock of Teacosy Blog.

Paul Smith's bobble hat affair:

This lovely embroidered design by Rie Elise Larsen:

British Janie Withers goes for something more simple:


Donna Wilson does it with a cherry on the top:

Dutch deisgners Tas-ka have found inspiration in gabled houses!

Coming home to roost - lighting the room with a nest of paper cranes

I've just come across a really lovely find in the lighting department: a lamp made of tiny folded paper birds, sold and designed by the Dutch company Tas-ka. I love the idea of small birds coming home to nest once the evening draws in and find the spikey, delicate design both up-beat and elegant. Great in the coloured version for a children's room or in white for a more sophisticated interior!

Lovely - by Lisa

Oh my! I'm just totally blown away by Swedish designer Lisa Bengtsson. Makes me want to paper a wall just to be able to enjoy it every day! She has also produced designs for plates and cushions featuring trademark roses and lazy 1930's starlets. Great effect although for me it's the walls that are drop dead gorgeous!


Totally, totally lovely!

Wiping it up New Zealand style

Well, it looks like I'm on a roll when it comes to New Zealand. I've just come across several handmade tea towels and cushions that feature the local faun and flora and are really quite lovely:






The designs are by melinamartin.
The below are by Ustar and are sold (again I'm afraid!) via Felt :

Feeling groovy - New Zealand's hidden handicrafts

A great find this week - Felt , a New Zealand site devoted to the buying and sellling of handicrafts and design. A bit like Etsy, creators can sell their wares and the rest of us can browse at leisure feasting our eyes on all the treats on offer. Below is a selection of one or two items I fell for but there are plenty more once you start rummaging!
First off , are these beautiful prints and printed textiles by Minu whose own site is a lso well worth a visit:

I also hit upon these Magnetic boards by LeilaLoves, which are covered in gorgeous Amy Butler fabrics:



And to finish, a couple of handmade screen-printed Lampshades by MyDesign in Wellington :

A real treasure trove!