After seeing this viking doll on a calendar I had to see more!  Sandra Monat from Herzensart is the lady behind these cool dolls and she has a vast selection of girl and boy versions plus many more fairytale characters.  To see the great range click here.  They cost about NZ$190 (ouch – but aren’t they so gorgeous) and are sold all over the world.  The gallery showcases even more fantastic designs and her blog shows you the time and energy that goes into making these 42cm beauties!  I would love a pair for Master Five and Miss 3mths old – textile art in all it’s colourful glory!

Marimekko have come out with some of their most popular prints on wallpaper.  At this stage they have 11 prints for sale but will be adding all 56 patterns.  It you love their designs as much as I do, click here for a look.  They are US$89 a roll (NZ$140) and ship worldwide.  My favourite are the Stilla leaves and Bo Boo kids cars.

Aren’t these the cutest little bloomers ever –  I love the frills and colourful fabric.  Made in Australia, they cost about AU$20 and shipping is cheap at between $1 and $3 depending where in the world they are going. You can get them in sizes from newborn to 2 years.  Go have a look at the pretty range right here.

If you don’t know, or haven’t seen these fabrics before, they are by the talented Lara Cameron of Ink and Spindle.  The three girls – Tegan, Bianca and Lara recently had their first open studio where you can purchase the fabrics and you can also go visit by appointment or get them online.  Lara works from her cool studio in Kensington, Melbourne, Australia and she also has a great blog where you can keep up with where the fabrics are on show and new developments in the line.  I would love to just go visit to see how it’s all done.  The happiness of working around all that colour would make it worth going to work every day!

I want to go to London, to Portobello Road, to the store called From Somewhere. The clothing is recycled from offcuts, end-of-lines and surplus high end fabric. Their pieces are colourful and poetic, and have a little bit of whimsy in them all.  I am not sure if you can get the skirt above right (which made me fall in love with their clothing) but the other pieces are from their last two seasons.  It’s not cheap, and there are some stockists online where it’s available, or you could just flip through the quirky look book.

Great pillows really can give a tired room some much needed pizazz, and it’s such a small change.  Better yet, how about winning some! Matte Stephens is the artist behind these great pieces of fabric art.  My fave pillow I think has to be the line-up of buildings – it reminds me of my trip to London….wandering through Primrose Hill looking at all the joined together mansions.  Enter right here for your chance and if you are unlucky, then take a look at the groovy prints and paintings at his etsy shop.  Something for the wall might be even better for a little makeover!

image [Braniac]

This is quite stunning and something I would love to get my teeth into.  I use a colour wheel when painting and when Master Four saw it, he thought I had made it and wanted to pin on his art board! The pattern is from the book Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts which you can get at Amazon, or perhaps even try the library. What’s cool, is that Purl Bee have the collection of colours required to make this quilt and it’s only NZ$25.00 for shipping to NZ or Oz.  Here’s a boy version which I thought looked just as effective.

via [The Purl Bee]

images [Ohdeedoh]

I am always a sucker for rugs, any rugs really, just as long as they are in pretty colours. The flower rug would be great in our new nursery.  Momeni has a new range that will be available from April called ‘Lil Mo and come in a large range of sizes 2×3, 3×5, 4×6, 5×7 and 8×10 feet. They are really reasonably priced but alas they don’t ship overseas….yet another thing your poor relative/friend will have to lug through the airport with them if it’s a must buy for someone down-under.  Prices will start at about NZ$283 (for acrylic) to NZ$320 (for cotton).   It would be worth paying the small amount of duty on it and still be much cheaper than the designer rugs we have to pay exorbitant prices for here!

via [Apartment Therapy]

Over here I saw this great idea and thought I would share it with you all.  If you rent or just can’t commit to a wallpaper for a long period of time, then how about picking your favourite fabric and using that to change your walls.  You can read their instructions or use mine below.  It works a treat and I’ve done it in a few rentals.  

You’ll need:

Fabric
Measuring tape
Scissors
Thumb Tacks
Fabric starch or Low-tack Fabric Adhesive
Stanley Knife and sharp blades
Roller or your kids ruler

1.  Select either an upholstery weight or cotton fabric and measure your walls making sure you allow an extra inch all round.  

2.  Begin by spraying a small wall area (like a wallpaper panel width, and spray down about 1/2 metre) with your starch or spray adhesive – yes the low tack fabric spray adhesive you can get at craft or fabric stores. Or you can do it by spraying the back of your fabric.  

3.  Place the fabric on, beginning at the top and smoothing out any bumps with a paint roller or even a ruler.  You can use push pins (thumb tacks) at the top to secure, while you continue down the wall with the adhesive, the fabric and the smoothing.  Remove the push pins once that panel is complete and use your finger nail to gently scratch across where the pin was to remove the tiny pin hole if there is one.  

4. Trim the edges with a box cutter/utility knife (stanley knife) carefully around the edge of your wall, so it leaves a sharp definite edge.  Make sure it’s a sharp blade and don’t push too hard.  Try only a 15cm length first before running your knife all the way along a  wall and making a mess of it.  

That’s it really.  When you get bored it’s just a matter of starting at a corner and SLOWLY peeling away, or if you find the starch isn’t letting the fabric come away, moisten the fabric with a sponge a bit before pulling and it should come off well.  Oh yes, don’t forget to cover the edges of the wall so the spray doesn’t get onto the other walls.  (tape up a sheet or newspaper).

Ooh err, I have his Floral brocade wallpaper from Habitat that I adore on my dining room wall…at least I think this is the same guy.  Anyway take a look at his house which is showcased in the latest Elle Decor. What a symphony of happy brightness.  Take a look at a few more images right here.

via [NotCot.org]

Woohoo!  Orla Kiely is doing what will of course be an affordable line of homewares for Target.  Due out in February, you better be in there early to get what you fancy, I have a feeling it will sell well.  It is all 70’s nostalgia but with all her groovy prints and designs.  Can’t say if it will make it to Australian Target stores but will keep you posted.

When we lived in Houston, I loved an outing to Crate and Barrel each season to see what new goodies they had in.  And if these Marimekko Tamara sheet sets had been around I would have got a set for our bed. Isn’t the colour so inviting, bright and summery.  They do ship internationally if you just email them for a price.  

It’s Christmas and all the decorations are out but you want something else.  I found something pretty today and you don’t have to go out and fight the crowds to buy it!   How about making this great looking flower garland.  You could use christmas fabric or something that you can then go and sling around the edge of your mirror!  

Start by printing out the flowers template and cut those shapes out with paper scissors.

Step 1)  You want your garland to be pretty on both sides so you need to fuse two pieces of fabric together. To do this, cut one of the pieces of fabric in half so that you have two 8 ½” x 11” pieces. Lay one piece of fabric wrong-side-up on a flat surface. Peel one side off the paper backed fusible webbing, place it on top of the fabric and iron to the fabric to fuse. Peel the other side off the fusible webbing, place the other piece of fabric right-side-up over the webbing and iron to fuse.  Repeat Step 1 for the other fabric.

Step 2)  Use your tailor’s chalk to trace the garland templates on the fused fabrics and the felt. You want an even selection of the different shapes and the felt and fabrics.  To give you an idea, I cut 18 fabric flowers and 36 felt flowers plus 15 of the felt circles for flower middles.  Cut all of them out with fabric scissors.  Brush away any of the marks left by the tailor’s chalk.

Step 3 + 4)  Thread the yarn with your needle and make a knot about 4” away from the end of the yarn.  Pierce the center of a flower with the needle and thread onto the yarn to the knot. Make another knot right over the flower.  Make another knot about 2” above that and thread on another flower, making a knot right above that flower. Continue making knots and threading flowers, adding flower centers every few flowers or as desired.  Don’t worry about measuring every 2”; it doesn’t have to be perfect, so you can just eyeball it.

Step 5)    Add the last flower and knot about 4” away from the other end of the yarn.  Voila! You have a beautiful flowery garland!

Step 6)  Adorn your abode with your beautiful creation or give it as a gift to someone special!

via [Creature Comforts]

image [This Is Love Forever]

Wow, this girl is just churning out the goodies for our Christmas period to be filled with home crafts over the holidays.  The Daisy Chain is super pretty and girly.  Its quilting and fashion weight, so it’s perfectly light and breezy to sew a top or skirt for our summer down here in NZ and Australia.  There are several stores that stock her fabric down-under, click here for a list of stockists.

images [Amy Butler Design]

Amy has added a few more prints to her Midwest Modern quilting line called Midwest Modern 2 – they all work with her existing collection. Also she has a new Fall Look Book – Fashion Afield, filled with great colourful photos to get your creative juices flowing for using these fabrics, so click here to view it.  I already have a few yards of her original line to make new cushion covers, or perhaps even a fitted sheet for the upcoming nursery!

It’s coming up summer here and these would look bright and beautiful hanging over the oven door handle (mine are always hidden on the inside cupboard door).  The tea towels all mix and match and you can get them online right here.  Or, if you are the type or gal or girl who likes to see before you buy, then you can go to the Green Grocer in Melbourne, Australia where they sell a selection.  Best thing, they are about NZ$17 each and the Tikoli online store ships globally…woohoo.

Cathy shared with the Poppytalk crowd a while back, her encaustic process and it’s time I showed it to you folks.  As soon as I saw the finished product of the bride and groom floating, it reminded me of the exhibition I was lucky enough to see while in Paris, of Chagall.  Her panels and prints are whimsical and colourful….it’s like you are looking at a whole fairytale or the front page of a great book.  To purchase her pieces, go to her Etsy store or Poppytalk Handmade.  You’ll find it hard to choose which one to buy.

Hi all.  Had to go away and just have a break from the computer.  As I am now brewing a baby due in six months the last few have been a little queasy to say the least!  So let’s start with an overhaul of my stroller….hubby said ‘NO’ to a new stroller so the Bugaboo Frog will have to do another few years, which is perfectly fine really, but I just love all the cool new strollers out there.  Anyway, these stroller pads from myMonkeymoo will not only add a pop of colour, but a little bit more comfort as well.  They ship internationally and cost CDN$69.  That’s about NZ$98 and there is a great range, so go take a look right here.

If you are after some hip Marimekko fabric and can’t seem to find it down under, you will find it’s available at Deka in Brisbane, from $82 per metre.  They can custom make wallhangings, window coverings, cushions and other soft furnishings using the Marimekko fabrics.  The panda would make a great wall hanging in a kids room.

Each season ISAK (a British company) add new designs to their range of design gifts and co-ordinated home accessories.  Sandra Isaksson has created beautiful trays, bags, bedlinen, and loads more, so click here to see the ISAK website to shop online, find a stockist or click here to visit Sandra’s blog.  Once again the bird motif is popping up here too and I never get sick of seeing them!  You can pay by Paypal and if your country of residence is not listed just email them for shipping costs.