Makers we love: Sack Me

Fancy having a snooze in a sundae?  Or Hanging out with a mob of shady vegetables?  

Relative newcomer Sack Me has burst onto the children's bedding scene in a big way.  You've probably spotted their designs in just about every publication on the market from Women's Weekly through to Delicious with their whimsical take on everyday objects.

The brainchild of Li-Ann, a former architect turned graphic designer and mother to two identical twin boys (respect!), Sack Me is now being stocked across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States.  

Head over to their online store to peek at their gorgeous range of bedding, bean bags, cushions and wall decals.  But try not to be too disappointed that the sundae sheets don't come in a queen size yet!

Finders Keepers: who's excited?

After weeks (months even!) of crazy preparation the shirts are done, folded and all packed in the car.  Take-out has been consumed in an unhealthy celebration of this fact.  Perhaps a glass of wine or two may have even been partaken.

Because folks, this weekend the excitement that is the Autumn/Winter 2014 Finders Keepers Brisbane Market is upon us.

If you haven't been before, all you need to know is that this is the absolute cream of the crop of independent designers.  If you have been before then you don't need me to tell you how awesome this market, held twice a year, is.

What you need to know:
Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th July.
10am to 4pm.
The Old Museum. Cnr Bowen Bridge Rd & Gregory Tce, Herston.
$2 entry fee.

www.finderskeepers.com.au

Apart from lots of Mini Mayhem goodness you will also find some of our favourite designers at this market.  Here is a rundown of some of the ones we'll be making a beeline for.

STUDIO COCKATOO
These guys put the Geo into gor-geo-us!!!

We are always fans of a husband and wife team (like ours) so we just adore the work Luke & Kate produce out of their Sunshine Coast base.

Tackling subjects from famous artists to fabulous fauna and a bit of Star Wars thrown into boot, we could happily line our walls with their entire catalogue.

www.studiocockatoo.com.au

SCONNIE & JAM

This deer necklace is such a fave in our house that our little girl plays "peekaboo" with it - "deer", turns necklace "no deer".

This husband and wife team do a great job of pairing sweet designs with gorgeous wood finishes. Not limiting their work to jewellery, Jules and Jon also have some great wall hangings and art prints available as well.

www.etsy.com/au/shop/SconnieAndJam

EACH TO OWN

Pretty much five out of seven days in the week you will find a bit of Each to Own adorning my ears or neck.  Even our little miss is building her own collection of these great acrylic pieces - she gets her great taste from her mumma.

But don't just take our word for it.  With an army of thousands of satisfied fans you won't be the only one cutting through the crowds to get their hands on Kirsten's latest amazing ideas.

www.eachtoown.com.au

ZILLPA

Don't even start me on the cleverness of this lovely lady who is practically my neighbour in our lovely Bayside Brisbane.

Taking some boring old rope and some fabulous threads she conjures these amazing bowls, planters and bags.  We have at least 302 of these within our home, such is our love for them.  You should get a few for your place too.

www.zillpa.com.au

SYBELLA

Who doesn't love a great handbag? And I'm a big fan of having a bag to match every mood (and believe me, I have PLENTY of different moods).

The gorgeous Belinda from Sybella finds the most amazing fabrics to turn into her amazing one of a kind clutches.  I'd be happy to have at least one of everything she makes!

www.etsy.com/au/people/SybellaBoutique

BRAVO JULIET DESIGNS

This resin wrangler first came onto my radar a few years ago with her range of bracelets under the name of Wizz Bangle.

Since that time her work has developed and resin-ated (get it - ha ha!!!) even more with me.

One of my favourite things about her gorgeous vases is that they are practically unbreakable.  I've witnessed this myself on many occasion when she has hurtled them at the floor to prove this very point.

The perfect vase for a little person's bedroom or perhaps just someone as clumsy as me.

www.etsy.com/au/shop/BravoJulietDesigns

Kester Black

On the weekend I headed down to Sydney to check out all of the excitement at Life Instyle and Kids Instyle.  For those of you not familiar with this event it is a trade show where some of the best brands in the country show their wares to prospective stockists.  For me it was like being a kid in a candy store, I just wish that I could take it all home with me.

As part of the fun I was lucky enough to have a beautiful manicure using Kester Black nail polishes and while my purty new nails were drying I had a good chat to Anna Ross, Director of Kester Black.

Anna launched her business in 2012 when she struggled to find polishes that were friendly to the environment and animals but also in colours that she wanted to be seen wearing.

The result is a high shine, chip resistant nail polish that contains only non-toxic ingredients, is cruelty free, carcinogen free, vegan and made in Australia.

On top of that the colours are absolutely devine!  I have so far sported Bubblegum and Fairy Floss and the summery shine of Paradise Punch is next on my list.

If all of that isn't enough, Kester Black has collaborated with the renowned Trophy Wife Nail Art on a range of colours, they have produced a book called The Hand Book, containing 15 nail art tutorials (available here) AND there are even a bunch of free tutorials up on the website.

www.kesterblack.com

Christmas wish list

I'm struggling a little with how rapidly Christmas seems to be rushing toward us.

Thankfully we've managed to sort out pressies for the kids.  It is just every other family member we still need to figure out.

But I wish there were room for one more present for our little guy.  Just check out this gorgeous Super hero bowl by Belinism.  It really is just the sweetest thing.  I wouldn't mind one for myself actually!!

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