Bondville Lucky Door Prize - personalised Christmas stars from paper boat press

If you have read a Christmas feature in an Australian blog, newspaper or magazine in the last few years, then chances are, you've seen paper boat press artist Kylie Johnson's lovely ceramic stars, birds and decorations hanging from mantles, Christmas trees, and adorning gifts. They are a super-stylish way to decorate for the festive season, and the personalised star ornaments in particular will become family heirlooms. My girls each have one hung on their bedroom walls throughout the year.

This month for our monthly Lucky Door Prize, Kylie is giving away ten paper boat press ceramic personalised star ornaments to two Bondville monthly newsletter or daily email subscribers! One subscriber will receive six personalised stars (RRP $95.70)  and the second subscriber will receive four personalised stars (RRP $63.80).

Look out for the winners in the monthly newsletter, coming your way in the next few days. Read more about paper boat press here on Bondville.

PS: to celebrate the opening of the paper boat press store in Brisbane in late 2012, Kylie is offering readers a 12% discount on all stock in the online store before 31st August 2012. Quote the word TWELVE in the discount code section and update your shopping cart. Lucky us!

Terms and Conditions:
1. Lucky door prize will be allocated to one Bondville monthly newsletter or daily email subscriber.
2. There are no entry requirements.
3. This Lucky Door Prize giveaway is open to all Bondville subscribers in Australia and internationally.
5. This Lucky Door Prize giveaway is hosted by Steph Bond-Hutkin via the Bondville blog at blog.stephbond.com.
4. The two prizes consists (1) six personalised ceramic 5-sided star ornaments RRP $95.70 plus postage and (2) four personalised ceramic 5-sided star ornaments RRP $63.80 plus postage from paper boat press.
5. Lucky Door Prize winner will be notified in the Bondville Monthly newsletter, sent to subscribers the week commencing 13th August 2012.

Images: top: paper boat press bottom: Steph Bond-Hutkin | Bondville

Our Christmas Tree

We've never actually owned a Christmas Tree. Each year we have to make something to hang our ornaments on and pop our pressies under. One year we bought a real one and it died and I cried. 

This year, the girls and I headed to the our local Reserve, found a fallen branch that we liked, and strapped it to the top of the car. When we got home, we stripped off all the loose bark, and painted it white. Then we popped it in a white vase, and filled it with river pebbles to keep it weighted down. The girls hung up a selection of our ornaments - a mixture of decorations that I have made over the years, and gifts. It takes a little effort, but it's personal and we all love it. I would love to see yours. Post links in the comments section to your trees please!

Only one sleep until the big day. Hoping Santa comes for you all tonight.

Image: Steph Bond-Hutkin

Candy Stripe Cloud Christmas ornaments

I spotted these very cute Christmas ornaments today by Candy Stripe Cloud (the designers behind Made By White) based on the illustrations of Sydney-based illustrator Andrea Smith.

Choose from eleven charming animal ornaments, a handsome bear or deer wreath, laser-cut from 4mm wood, stained and finished in Sydney. For those of us with particular decorating tastes, you can even personalise your ornaments with a choice of 12 colours and 7 ribbons. Depending on your choice, your ornaments could work year-round. That pink fox and blue mouse are calling my name...

You can find Candy Stripe Cloud Christmas ornaments and wreaths in the online store. 

Images: Candy Stripe Cloud

Subscriber Giveaway: Renee Treml ornaments and necklace

The Bondville Best of November 2011 newsletter is ready to go out in a few days - have you subscribed yet? If so, you will be in the running to win a set of three gorgeous ornaments or an amazing owl necklace from talented Brisbane artist Renee Treml. Perfect timing, yes?

Renee creates intricate works of art using the scratch board technique, which are then transformed into ornaments and accessories - all featuring Renee's signature snuggly-cute birdlife and animals. Read more about Renee's work here and here on Bondville.

To win the set of ornaments or an owl necklace, simply subscribe to the Bondville monthly newsletter or daily email. One subscriber will be randomly chosen to win the set and announced in the newsletter and here on the site in the next few days. Will it be you?

Images: Renee Treml

Renee Treml's Australiana necklaces, brooches and ornaments

Some people are just plain talented. Renee Treml is one of those people. She is a friend, mother, wife, breast cancer survivor (yes, really), sweet, sweet person, and an incredibly talented artist. And on top of that, Renee has just launched a fabulous collection of necklaces, brooches and ornaments featuring her lovely Scratchboard illustrations of cute-as-pie birds and animals. 

If you've never heard of the scratchboard technique before, head over to Renee's website where you will find a description of this intricate process of scratching clay away from a surface using a fine craft knife. I can only fathom the amount of work that goes into each illustration, with no room for error (or erasers!). Stunning results, I'm sure you'll agree. 

I love Renee's new line of jewellery and ornaments featuring native Australian fauna and flora, as well as birds a little farther from home. And what glorious gifts these would make for friends and family overseas, and for souvenirs. And while you're there, why not pick up a greeting card or art print from this amazing artist.

You can find Renee's artwork and accessories in the Renee's Artwork Etsy store, as well as at stockists around Australia and online. Read more about Renee's artwork here on Bondville.

PS - look out for Renee's illustrated book coming soon!

Images: Renee Treml

Australian Christmas 2010: Katy Jane Designs

Some more great Australian-designed, printed and produced holiday cards for you this week, this time from KatyJane Designs. The clever advent calendar is my favourite piece from the range this year. The limited edition set includes 25 numbered badges, boxes or brown paper bags and twine packed in a small white case. You can hang them on the tree, or string them on the twine, or simply rest them in a row across a mantle. A really fun idea.

KatyJane Design cards, advent calendars, ornaments and other stationery goodies can be found in the online store and at stockists across Australia and online. And for a limited time, receive 10% off and a FREE pack of 10 Christmas gift tags (valued at $4.95) with every order until Friday 3rd December 2010. Simply enter the code BONDVILLE at the checkout.

You can read more about KatyJane Design on Bondville here and here. Check out more Australian-designed Christmas goodies for 2010 here.

Images: KatyJane Designs

Australian Christmas 2010: kikki.K

Australian uber-brand kikki.K has some gorgeous Christmas paper goodies this year under the "Christmas - Tomtenisse" label. Stationery maven Kristina Karlsson imparts her covetable Swedish style upon a great new range, including cards, wrapping paper, gift tags, ribbon, twine, rubber stamps, pegs, and snowy white ornaments. The red, white and blue palette is my favourite combo this year.

You can find kikk.K stationery at kikki.K stores across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

Check out more Australian-designed Christmas goodies for 2010 here.

Images: kikki.K

Aussie Christmas Decoration Round-up

I've just started thinking about Christmas, and have come across some great new ideas for decorations from some of the Australian designers that I have profiled this year. There's not a snowball or reindeer in sight, but lots of summer entertaining and fresh design. Here's a quick round-up:

Mozi always has a great range of prints which make themselves onto homewares, accessories and decorations. This year's partridge/dove and tree motif could potentially make its way into your everyday; from a distance the pattern looks almost baroque.

Polli has some lovely decorations for tree or table using their signature laser-cutting technique. These perspex tree ornaments are fantastic and feature Polli bird cut-outs. And don't forget some festive earrings for holiday entertaining.

Kylie Johnson from paper boat press has produced fabulous ceramic ornaments this year which I showcased this week. I also love these hanging stars with wishes and hopes for the new year.

Top Image: Mozi
Middle Image: Polli
Bottom Image: paper boat press