Ethical felt Christmas decorations from Happy As Larry Designs

Add colour and fun to your Christmas decor this year with ethical felt Christmas decorations from Bondville sponsor Happy As Larry Designs. Designed in Australia and made by artisans in Nepal, these pieces are beautiful and made with love.

Confetti trend - 7 ideas for Australian kids' rooms

I'm so inspired by this photo that my friend Jaclyn (Little Paper Trees) took at the book launch for Megan Morton's Things I Love last year. It's all about those legs (that belong to Viv of Ish & Chi!) and just a hint of my dress against the amazing confetti and glitter floor.

And oh my goodness how amazing is this image of confetti girl found on this site. If anyone knows the source, please let me know (I have spent hours looking):

And so with confetti on my mind, I pulled together some of fun products for kids from Australian designers and stores that add a pop of fun to our lives:

1. Confetti Belle sheet set from Lilly & Lolly
2. Rainbow honeycomb tissue ball garland from Poppies For Grace
3. Crystal POM decorations from Dear Plastic
4. Confetti push pops from Lark Store
5. Paper polyhedra ornaments from Habitots
6. Dot disk floor cushion from PonyRider
7. 12 Spot pillow case from Castle

Are you loving confetti too?

Make: crafty octopus lantern decoration tutorial

For many of us it's school holidays, and if you are looking for a fun, easy DIY craft activity to do with the kids, try these purple octopus lantern decorations. We made these for our big girl's 6th birthday party to hang above the table, but now they are hanging inside as they are too cute to pack away. Here's what you will need:

Concrete and Honey garlands and paper artwork

One of the things I love best about our abcd meetups (for art, craft and design bloggers), is just how darn nice everyone is. It's a place to make new friends, and connect the dots with online acquaintances.

One of those special people was Nicola from the Concrete and Honey blog, who I 'met' online in 2009 (see my post here). I also got to see in person her fun paper garlands that would brighten up any room, and discover her beautiful paper artwork. Don't you completely love!?!

 

These pieces just make me happy. It takes a well-trained eye to create pieces in just the right colours, perfectly balanced, with just the right room to breathe. Beautiful in a nursery and amazing in a young girl's room as well (or a study, or a cafe, or an office, or a living room...). I bet you are not surprised that Nicola is sweet-as-pie in real life too.
Head over to Nicola's etsy store to pick up a piece of her artwork, and over to her blog Concrete and Honey for endless inspiration.

Images: Concrete and Honey

Spoonful Of Colour stationery and paper goods

My friend Sophie keeps telling me that I need to meet her friend Pascale. I hopped over to Pascale's Spoonful of Colour blog and Etsy store and was bowled over by the totally chic stationery products and paper decor with their bold and perfectly restrained graphics. Do you love?

Pascale's stationery and paper goods range includes greeting cards, art prints and this very special hanging mobile - the Important Things mobile. You can never have enough reminders of the important things in life, and this simple and sweet decor is a winner in my mind.

Luckily, Pascale is hosting a huge giveaway - a set of three Holiday cards, her signature spoon print, and the Important Things mobile, over on her blog. Head over if you would like to win (by13th Dec 2011)!

You can find Spoonful of Colour paper products in the Etsy store.

Images: Spoonful of Colour

The Storybook Rabbit vintage plates

Gosh, I started writing this post in September last year, but have finally been reminded to share The Storybook Rabbit with you after seeing the gorgeous plates at The Finders Keepers market again on the weekend.

Kelly White, one half of the Made By White sister-duo, is the creative soul behind this lovely project. Sydney-based Kelly revamps beautiful vintage ceramic plates with her illustrations of rabbits and their friends.

How can you resist bunnies! Great for adults and kids alike (but better keep these ones out of reach of little hands). What a lovely christening or naming ceremony gift. Something special to treasure forever.

You can find The Storybook Rabbit in the etsy store, the Made By White online store. Find out more about The Storybook Rabbit on the Made By White blog and on the Facebook page. And read more about Made By White here on Bondville.

Images: The Storybook Rabbit

Giveaway: Gorgeous Polli Christmas Wreath

Is your front door looking a little bare? Are you needing a little Christmas Spirit boost for the holiday season?

Well if you saw the feature on the gorgeous Christmas decorations from Australian jewellery and homewares designers Polli a few weeks ago you will have noticed this stunning red wreath. And lucky for us, the very generous Tess and Maja from Polli are offering one amazing red Christmas wreath worth AUD $69.95 to a Bondville subscriber.

The laser-cut acrylic wreath measures 297x303x6mm and will look gorgeous hung from a door, window or mantle, as is, or decorated with ribbons, flowers or berries.

AND, just for entering, you will be eligible for a 10% discount in the Polli online store until 15th December 2010. All entrants will be notified with a special discount code after the competition closes.

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is to subscribe to Bondville (either daily Bondville headlines through Feedburner here, or the monthly Bondville newsletter here), and comment below stating your favourite Polli jewellery piece. So easy! Entries close at midnight (AEST) on Tuesday 7th December 2010.

Rules:
1. One comment per person allowed.
2. Open to all current and new subscribers of the Feedburner Bondville headlines or monthly Bondville newsletter.
3. To enter, comment on this post with your favourite Polli jewellery piece.

4. Two extra entries given for sharing this giveaway with a link on Facebook (note in your comment)
5. One extra entry given for tweeting this giveaway with a link on Twitter (use hashtag #Bondville-giveaway)
6. Please include your email address or a link to your website where I can comment or find your email address.
7. This competition is open to entrants with an Australian postal address only.
8. Entries close 11:59pm AEST, Tuesday 7th December 2010.
9. Winner will be drawn using random.or and notified by email and via post on Bondville on Wednesday 8th December 2010.
10. All entrants will receive a code by email after the competition close date providing 10% discount in the Polli online store until 15th December 2010.

Have fun and good luck!

Images: Polli

Australian Christmas 2010: Kim Wallace

My Brisbane-based friend Kim Wallace from Udessi has created gorgeous ceramic ornaments in a sophisticated palette of dusky hues and snowy white for Christmas 2010. Each decoration is handmade and imprinted with vintage lace; no two are exactly alike. Simply beautiful.

Choose from coloured stoneware or white porcelain strung with delicate ribbon. But you may have to get in quick; the ornaments are selling out quickly (especially as they were featured in the latest issues of Home Beautiful and Australian House and Garden!).

You can find Kim Wallace ceramic ornaments in the Udessi online store and at stockists around Australia. and if you're in Brisbane, stop by the Christmas Pop-Up Markets in Woolloongabba on 11 December 2010 for a chance to buy Kim's ornaments and ceramics as well as goodies from some of my favourite local designers including Red Seed Studio, Edward & Lilly and Renee Treml.

Find out more about Kim Wallace and Udessi on Bondville. And check out more Australian Christmas 2010 ideas here on Bondville.

Images: Kim Wallace

Australian Christmas 2010: Polli

Polli is another Australia company that never seems to fail with their beautiful laser-cut decorations (as well as their signature line of jewellery). The festive range includes Christmas tree table decorations and a gorgeous red wreath with interlocking leaves. I love the flat-packed decorations etched from stainless steel that fold out into 3D ornaments (perfect to pop into a greeting card). The blue, gold and red Christmas garlands are also fabulous, featuring six metres of red twine and tree, dove and olive branch designs printed and cut from 100% recycled card.

You can find Polli Christmas ornaments here in the online store.

Find out more about Polli here on Bondville. Check out more Australian Christmas 2010 ideas for holiday cheer.

Images: Polli

Australian Christmas 2010: paper boat press

The divine Kylie Johnson from paper boat press always creates gorgeous handmade ceramic ornaments for Christmas and this year is no exception. You'll have to order your personalised stars for next year, but in the meantime there are beautiful stars, birds and hearts to adorn your home.

You can find paper boat press Christmas ornaments in the online store and at select stockists.

Read more about paper boat press on Bondville here. Check out more Australian-designed Christmas goodies for 2010 here.

Images: paper boat press

Australian Christmas 2010: Mozi

Crazy. It's only 7 weeks until Christmas.

When I think about Christmas, I don't dream of snow and reindeer and holly and fireplaces and mugs of Glühwein (although how nice does that sound!). I think of eucalpytus wreaths with red and white ribbons, beach shacks filled with blue and silver baubles, cricket and bbq's, mangoes and prawns and cold sliced leg ham, sunscreen and everyone on the beach in santa hats, summery red and white Christmas dresses for little girls, refreshing cocktails and of course the heat.

So I thought it only right to share with you Australian-designed Christmas ornaments, decorations and goodies that I know you are going to love. This post features Bondville favourite Mozi. Keep an eye on the site for more to come over the next few weeks. Enjoy!

Love all the fabulous pieces from Mozi including hand-painted papier mache baubles, recipe tea towel, O Christmas Tree candle, calico ham bag, mug, apron, linen embroidered hand towel, triple-milled soap, tin dove lantern and tin water pitcher. My favourite? The water pitcher! How gorgeous with a few simple twigs popped inside and some special decorations. A simple and chic Christmas tree alternative.

Find the Mozi Christmas collection here in the Mozi online store.

Check out posts about Mozi on Bondville here.

Images: Mozi