Sydney ABCD meet-up at Life InStyle 2013 - photos

We were all totally inspired at another amazing Sydney ABCD (art, craft, design bloggers) meet-up on 28th February. Lisa Tilse (the red thread) and I hosted the first part of the meet-up at the Sydney lifestyle-products event of the year - the Life InStyle and Kids InStyle trade show. We wandered around checking out all the upcoming trends in homewares, kidsware and accessories (my kind of show!) sipping on our sparkling wine, and gathered at a table in front of the Cool Edie's Style Lab.

There were so many Australian designers showing their new products and they were all pretty fabulous. Here are a few photos from our abcd gals on Instagram:

Girls walking the trade show: Margie (My Very Own Eye Goggles), Babs (Patchwork Cactus), Bodhana (Poppet Hill), Michelle (Me We), Claire (Craft Scmaft), Lisa (the red thread).

Gold bike at the entrance.

Margie (My Very Own Eye Goggles) and Bodhana (Poppet Hill) chatting to Tess and Anna from Polli.

 Beautiful jewellery from Polli.

Lighting from Nelson and Co.

 Gold spray-painted pineapples and terrariums.

Various exhibitors' pieces curated by Cool Edie's at The Style Lab.

Sydney creative bloggers taking a break at the abcd meet-up table at Life InStyle.

After much ooh-ing and ah-ing we headed next door to PJ Gallagher's Irish Pub after the show. There was much mixing and chatting in preparation for our small group discussions about wholesale with amazing Life InStyle exhibitors: jewellery designers Polli Design (Anna and Tess), kids' lifestyle desiger Scoops (Sophie) and stationery designers KatyJane Designs (Katy and Jane). They so generously shared their time and experience, and provided us with invaluable advice and tips on taking the next step to wholesale. Thank you ladies!

Chatting, snacking and getting to know each other before the small group discussions.

Learning all about wholesale: Bodhana (Poppet Hill), Tara (Dudley Redhead), Cybele (Blah Blah Magazine), Jo (Wonder Dot), Suzanne (Paper Ivy) and Sally (Jambo Chameleon).

Sally (Jambo Chameleon), Anastasia (Anastasia Drawing & Dreaming), Carolyn (Indie Art and Design, Non Fiction), Lamina (Do A Bit).

Melinda (Paperklip Design), Amanda (My Little Table), Deni (Free Range Living), Kristen (Kristen Doran Design), Michelle (Me We), Margie (My Very Own Goggle Eyes).

Our aim for Sydney ABCD meet-ups has always been to encourage the art, craft and design community online to get out from behind our computers and make connections with each other IRL (in real life). We love our community of creatives here in Sydney and our meet-ups just keep getting better. In the last few years we have also started introducing a theme to our meet-ups to provide an educational element too. Lisa and I have been plotting out some great meet-ups for the rest of the year and can't wait to share the info with you. If you haven't already, please sign up to our abcd meet-up mailing list to be alerted when our new meet-ups are announced. We would love to meet you too :)

Thanks to all the meet-up creatives who came, chatted and shared. Head to their websites to say Hi!: Lisa (the red thread), Jo (Bubala), Melinda (Paperklip Design), Lamina (do a bit), Desleigh (Desleigh), Bodhana (Poppet Hill), Cybele (Blah Blah Magazine), Claire (Craft Schmaft), Anastasia (Anastasia Drawing & Dreaming), Saffron (Saffron Craig Designs), Fiona (Fiona Kate Simply Gorgeous Storage), Kristen and Monique (Kristen Doran Design), Suzanne (Paper Ivy), Amanda (Amanda's Musings), Sheryl (Two Spoonfuls of Sugar), Sally (Jambo Chameleon), Michelle (Me We), Andrea (Andrea Smith Illustration), Helen (Paper Poetry), Bozana (Boz and Love), Tara (Dudley Redhead), Carmen (Carmel's Closet), Deni (Free Range Living), Carolyn (Indie Art & Design, Nonfiction), Margie (My Very Own Eye Goggles), Susie (Flowerpress), Anni (Milk & Honey Photography), Anna (Tea Pea Design), Amanda (My Little Table), Jo (Wonder Dot).

Much thanks as always to my co-host Lisa (the red thread), and to the lovely Jaclyn from Life InStyle (and little paper trees) who orchestrated the trade show visit for us.

Thanks for the Instagram images above go to Lisa @theredthread, Babs @patchworkcactus, Jo @wonderdotshop, Amanda @amandafuller and Anastasia @percivalroad. Other images by me @sbond.