Ribambelles

The beautiful work of Nathalie Parain has a timeless quality to it.

I love the simplicity of these designs and the beautiful shades of

blue and red against the parchment used in this 1932 craft book.

You can view all images from this book here (and many other 

wonderful vintage french illustrations) and you can read more

about Nathalie and her designs here (link will need translating).

Toys of the Avant-Garde

I have had my eye on this fantastic book for a while...

My birthday is coming up in a couple of months

and it's at the top of my wish-list along with this.

I only wish that I could have visited the exhibition.

Images above found via this wonderful post on mondo 

Miller & Goodman

Sort through your toy box and take things apart

Making or breaking, you find the rules

Add thumbprints and scribbles, splodges and swirls

Mistakes and suprises are all part of ART

I found this wonderful book at the NGV shop last week.


It's inspired Ari and I to make some fun faces of our own.
We've been rummaging through the studio and found all sorts
of bits and bobs to use!  I'll post here when we're done :)

Faces is available from millergoodman's shop
and take a peek at their lovely blog here too!


It reminds me very much of Sabine Timm's wonderful work

Gunta Stölzl

Have you been to see The Mad Square yet?

It finishes this Sunday. 

Hurry down to the NGV before you miss out!

Do you know the work of Gunta Stölzl?

Her use of colour is exquisite. And her working drawings are equally 

as beautiful as her finished textiles. I love preliminary work often as 

much, if not more, than the final piece. It has a certain energy about it.

It was a pleasure to see her paintings in the flesh.

You can view more of her work at this site

and the above book is available here from Amazon.

You might like this book too.

The Mad Square focusses on Modernity in German art from 1910-37.

Expressionism. Bauhaus. Dada. Constructivism. New Objectivity. 

Metropolis and what the National Socialist Party termed Degenerate Art 

and confiscated, stole, burnt or sold abroad. It's a fascinating show

 ...and not one to be missed, so better get your skates on!

Oh and Happy Autumn to my 

fellow Southern Hemispherians.

Goodbye Summer! It's been swell :)

Mister Owl

Just look at this dapper little fellow. I do SO fancy him. And he's 

such a 'Man About Town'.  He seems to be everywhere I go!

Why, just the other day I spotted him again at this sweet little cafe 
& store in Yea.  I admired his little bow tie and whimsical way once 
more whilst sipping a most delicious iced chocolate and eyeing off 
the public pool across the road... it was such a sweltering 40℃ day! 


We nibbled at homemade carrot cake, whilst perusing ↓this great book.

They had a lovely selection of organic gardening and cookbooks and 

I happily still had some Christmas money, so we purchased this one.

The Dapper Mister Owl wasn't for sale, but you can find him online 

at the wonderful Made590.  And many other lovely things to boot!

The Mad Square

 available from Amazon

Ari + J gifted me this fabulous book for Christmas and 

I've been just swooning over it these past weeks.

I particularly love the wonderful textiles it includes.

The NGV is currently holding an exhibition on 

' Modernity in German Art from 1910-1937 '

The Mad Square  is on until 4 March,

we're hoping to visit next week... it looks brilliant!

... someone's been rather keen to get in on these photos

wonderful greetings

I have long been in love with letterpress artwork. 

These wonderful cards are from Fugu Fugu Press

You can purchase them from their SHOP here 

or visit Fugu Fugu's BLOG and WEBSITE 

And check out their work in the lovely 

'little book of letterpress' by Charlotte Rivers:-

Also by the same author:-

Both books are available  here from Amazon online. 

Many of my favourite designers feature in these books.

You can read more here and here on the author's blog.

Ah, how I would love to buy a letterpress of my own one day... ♥

so cute!

This print is by Christina Gordon of Jam Fancy. 

You can view and purchase her prints here,

take a peek at her blog here and view 

her other wonderful creations via flickr here .

Her ceramic creations are just incredible...

as are her dolls and soft toys.

Her work reminds me very much of 

Yoshitomo Nara 

...only perhaps more inspired by dolls and toys 

than animals and children, as in Nara's work.

This has been one of mine and Ari's 

favourite stories for a long while now.  

The story is sweet and simplistic.  

It's all about the pictures really... 

well, it is a picture book after all!

And speaking of Yoshitomo Nara I have been 

coveting the below two items for quite some time....

Aren't they adorable? 

Out of my financial reach at the moment :-(

but if you're feeling cashed up, 

they are available here, as is the picture book....