Rocky Cots at Lilly and Lolly in Australia

For all you parents or parents-to-be looking for a beautiful cradle that can rock (no more rocking chair!), will convert to a cot and then a bed, check out the gorgeous lines of the Rocky cot, available for pre-order now at Lilly & Lolly.

Local gift basket for girls

If you are looking for a sweet pressie for a little one, Home Grown Gifts has a very cute gift basket for one-year-olds (but I think they would suit all ages to school!) featuring local products including a pineapple tshirt by The Smallest Tribe in Brisbane, Piggledee pencil case handmade in Sydney, Honeysticks beeswax crayons made in NZ, packed in a Zillpa cotton rope bowl handmade in Brisbane. Thoughtful, cute and supporting local designers too!

Image: Home Grown Gifts

Stripe felt wool rugs for kids rooms from Happy As Larry Designs + WIN!

Felt is such a cosy, welcoming material and so soft underfoot. You've probably already seen felt ball rugs in all the cool kids' bedrooms; Bondville sponsor Happy as Larry Designs has launched a collection of hot new stripe felt rugs in two gelato-fresh colourways.

The Raspberry Ripple rug with fuchsia (so on-trend right now!), chooclate, vanilla and banana stripes is $289. Pair this rug with the looks-great-with-everything three metre Felt Ball Garland in a rainbow of colours for $34.95.

The Lemonade Twist rug ($289) would work well for both boys' and girls' rooms with its aqua, snow and lemon stripes. Add a cool Felt Kite decoration for $44.95 and super-cute Felt Teddy Bear for $44.95 to cosy up a child's room.

Both 80cm x 120cm rugs are designed in Australia by Amy from Happy as Larry Designs who has a Fine Arts degree in textiles. They are then handmade with love and care by Amy's carefully selected artisans in Nepal with heavily felted 100% New Zealand wool. The collaboration results in beautifully crafted and innovative designs that are made to last.

Amy is giving one lucky reader a chance to WIN one of the two new stripe rugs! Head to the Happy as Larry Designs website to enter. Entries close 24th May 2014.

You can find these gorgeous felt designs in the Happy as Larry Designs online store. Order now for free Australia-wide shipping!

Images: Happy as Larry Designs

One Very Tired Wombat children's book by Renee Treml

Renee Treml is both a dear friend of mine and a talented illustrator-turned-author/illustrator. Her first children's book One Very Tired Wombat is a counting book for kids full of her incredible illustrations of Australian animals and... wait for it... is on the 2013 Crichton Award shortlist for new illustrators!

What is the message of your story for kids?

RT: Other than the counting theme, I wanted to show off some of my favourite (and sometimes lesser known) Australian birds. I always hope that after reading my book, a child will recognize a crested pigeon or fairy wren in the wild.

Is the Very Tired Wombat based on a real character?

RT: Wombat is based on a common wombat I saw at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Brisbane, in 2007 – just a few weeks after I moved to Australia. It was the first time I had ever seen a wombat and all he did was sleep, despite all the noisy children, lorikeets and kookaburras around him. I didn’t realize how impressed I was by his ability to just sleep until the illustrations started popping up in my imagination.

Where did your inspiration for this story come from?

RT: The story came to life after I started illustrating the above mentioned sleeping wombat – first I drew him with one frogmouth, then two galahs, then three kookas and so on. I kept hoping someone else would come along and write me a story featuring the wombat, which I could illustrate.  f course, this didn’t happen, so after my son was born I decided to try to write it myself.  It took well over a year for the story to transform from a straight-up boring counting book (1 frogmouth, 2 galahs…) to the story it is now.

Have you always been interested in illustrating animals, and in particular, Australian animals?

RT: I have always been interested in illustrating animals and I tend to be interested in whatever is in my immediate environment. In the States, it was chickadees and barred owls.  Here in Australia, it’s wombats and frogmouths and boobooks…

How did you decide to make the transition from illustrator to author and illustrator?

RT: Taking on a new title is tough – I didn’t study writing and was very unsure about claiming myself to be an author. But after Wombat was published and the second contract was signed I had to look myself in the mirror and repeat ‘I’m an author-illustrator’ until I believed it.

Are there any more children's books in the works?

RT: Yes! Colour for Curlews is due out in September – in fact it’s at the printers now and I’m anxiously awaiting my preview copy to arrive in a few weeks. Curlews is published by Random House Australia and follows the two curious curlews and a host of other birds as they get into mischief with my paint brushes and paint. (Of course Wombat makes a guest appearance as well.)  I am finishing up two other manuscripts that feature Aussie natives and another pesky one about a cheeky owl that I just can’t seem to whip into shape.

You can find One Very Tired Wombat in good bookstores including Fishpond, and Amazon. Read more about Renee Treml here on Bondville.

Images: One Very Tired Wombat

Made By Mosey's handmade rainbow dreamer mobile

I'm so taken with this mobile - reminiscent of a dreamcatcher don't you think? - by Madeleine Sargent from Made by Mosey. Each mobile features colourful wooden beads and those stunning patchwork feathers, made by hand. I can only imagine that they take an age to create. There are all sorts of colours in the Made by Mosey online store, but this rainbow mobile has my heart. Do you have a favourite?

Read more about Made by Mosey here on Bondville.

Image: Made by Mosey

Roxy Longsocks sewing pattern from the red thread

Here's a lovely Christmas gift for a crafty friend or family member. Or for you to make this lovely gift for a special little person. Lisa Tilse from the red thread has just released a new sewing pattern + fabric face panel for these super-cute Roxy Longsocks dolls, named after her daughter.

How cute! The kit contains a sewing pattern and instructions and a face panel of your choice printed on linen/cotton blend fabric. Then simply choose from your own fabric stash and stuffing to create the doll. It's also a great way to use up scraps of fabric that you love. 

The Springtime version features a mini capelet and the Wintertime version includes a scarf and goodie pattern.You can also make your own felt or fabric face with the included pattern. The finished doll is lovely and big at around 66cm / 22.5 inches tall. 

You can find Roxy Longsocks pattern and panels in the red thread online store and in select fabric quilting shops in Australia and New Zealand early 2012.

Images: the red thread