Gorgeous cards with Australian birds and animals in tea cups

Who doesn’t love a black cockatoo - especially in a teacup. This gorgeous card is by Renee Treml and you can find her sweet illustrations on prints, ceramics, Christmas decorations, and children's books too - Renee is also a renowned and multi award-winning author/illustrator!

It would make such a big difference to our local design community if we bought even one or two local cards this year to support Aussie artists. You can even frame them after the holiday season!

Free Father's Day printables - cards and more

Tinyme has done it again with a fabulous collection of free printable cards and stationery for Father's Day.

Simply head to Tinyme to download the printables, print out on your own printer, fold and you're done. Great last minute Father's Day ideas!

Images: Tinyme

Free Valentine's Day Printables from Tinyme

Print out these adorable free designs from tinyme to get started on some fun Valentine's Day craft activities with the kids. There are super-cute cards, straw flags, gift tags and more. Click here to get started!

Images: tinyme

Ma and Grandy greeting cards

Oh I do love these graphic greeting cards from Brisbane designer Natala Stuetz of Ma and Grandy.

Named after Natala's grandparents who met in 1935 and were an example to their friends and family of old-fashioned romance, generosity and love. How cute are they!

I adore the colour combos and Helen Dardik-like style of Natala's work. Apart from the musings of love, there are some great options for Father's Day and birthday party season too.

You can find Ma and Grandy paper goods in the online store. Thank you Kim at eeni meeni miini moh for the heads up!

Images: Ma and Grandy

Danielle Stewart Design geo greeting cards

I'm still in love with triangles and have fallen hard for these geo cards by Fremantle, WA-based surface designer Danielle Stewart. I've followed Danielle's design work for years (from her days as a textile designer with her Of Paper And Thread label) and after a short break I'm excited to see Danielle designing again; this time a range of 100% post-consumer recycled greeting cards.

Danielle's colour combos are fresh and her designs are modern and punchy. I can't wait to see what comes next. You can find Danielle Stewart Designs greeting cards as well as limited edition screen-printed fabric in her etsy store.

Images: Danielle Stewart Designs

Premium Photo Christmas Cards from Milk and Honey Photography

Here's another great pre-Christmas special, this time from my friends at Milk & Honey Photography in Rozelle, Sydney. They are offering a limited time Christmas Package which includes a family portrait session, framed 7x10" print (custom black or white frame from Corban & Blair), two matted 5x7" prints and twenty luxury Christmas cards.

Photo Christmas cards are such a great way to send your love to family and friends, and they often stay on the fridge well past the holiday period. Most times, however, the quality is a little so-so. Milk & Honey Photography are offering a quality premium postcard-style Christmas Card for your nearest and dearest, printed on gorgeous stock and double-sided for a personal message on the back.

The Very Special Christmas Package from Milk & Honey Photography is $395 and available only until 30th November 2012, so make sure you talk to Anni, Matthew or Laura and book in quick sticks! For more details, head to the current newsletter here.

Image: Milk & Honey Photography

15% off all KatyJane Designs stationery

Gorgeous stationery designers KatyJane Designs are offering Bondville readers a generous 15% discount off all items in the online store (orders over $50) until 30th November 2012! You'll find a great range of party invitations, cards, gift tags, baby announcements, and party accessories.

For Christmas, KatyJane Designs have made these gorgeous advent calendar boxes and Santa signs:

Anyone with kids a school, preschool/kindy or daycare next year will love these alphabet bag tags (or keyrings) to set help your child recognise their bag. Perfect stocking stuffers:

And there is a great selection of Christmas stationery on offer including gift tags, badges, stickers, twine and Christmas cards:

You will find all these Christmas stationery items and more in the KatyJane Designs online store. Bondville readers can use the code BONDVILLE at checkout for a 15% discount on all orders $50 and over until 30th November 2012. Enjoy!

Images: KatyJane Designs

The Land Of Fig embroidered art and cards

Nicole Figueroa is the incredibly patient artist and crafter behind the The Land Of Fig brand. I spotted her hand-embroidered illustrations and greeting cards at The Finders Keepers market in Sydney this year (you may have noticed her gorgeous vibrant pom pom garland strands on her stall). Nicole's pieces made my heart stop - they are truly the work of an artisan. Here are a few examples of her at work...

Nicole's artwork is so beautifully executed - these are heirloom pieces made with love, enormous amounts of concentration and a steady hand. They are printed and stitched on Arches watercolour paper with DMC & Anchor embroidery floss. What a great gift for someone special. 

You can find The Land Of Fig greeting cards and original art at stockists around New South Wales and online.

Images: The Land Of Fig

Winter Avenue Press wall art for kids

Sally Gross of Winter Avenue Press (formally Little Skipper) in Melbourne creates beautiful illustrations with a magical, fairy-tale quality for children's bedrooms and toy rooms. Sally's work has such personality - the characters are sweet and soulful, and just made for kids' active imaginations. I hope you love them too...

Me & Amber homewares

This is my friend Kylie's (paper boat press) dreamy bedroom in her new home + ceramics studio + store + gallery (opening 27th October!) in Ashgrove, Brisbane. It just looks like such a relaxing, cosy space with all those gorgeous pillows. The Life Is Beautiful cloud pillow by Me & Amber had me at Hello and had to find out more...

Me & Amber is the brainchild of childhood friends and graphic designers Karen and Amber. Based in Sydney, Karen and Amber design a range of products including tea towels, cushions, table runners, greeting cards and artworks, all produced in Australia.

Inaluxe for Earth Greetings stationery

Oh what a beautiful marriage: the distinctively cool illustrations of two of my all-time favourite Australian artists - Kristina Sostarko and Jason Odd from Inaluxe - and the eco-friendly goodness of the Earth Greetings stationery company. This perfect collaboration features stylized Australian native birds and flora adorning greeting cards and wrapping paper. This is so completely up my alley, I can hardly stand it...

Among the designs you will find wildflowers, and native birds such as the Kookaburra, Leser Sooty Owl, Owlet Nightjar, WhiteBreasted Whistler and a pair of fantastic Gang Gang Cockatoos. The wrapping paper and greeting cards are made carbon neutrally in Australia, from luxuriously thick 100% post-consumer waste card, printed with vegetable-based ink and the cards are paired with a recycled envelope

Get the whole collection quick sticks, frame it, and adorn your walls with mid-century modern-inspired amazingness, Aussie-style. (I know, I'm excited).

You can find Inaluxe for Earth Greetings stationery products in the Earth Greetings online store as well as stockists around Australia and New Zealand. Read more about Inaluxe here on Bondville and Earth Greetings right here.

Images: Earth Greetings

Printables: Free printable vintage Father's Day card

We love making our own cards and I was so excited to see this fantastic 3D printable card on the Sassaby blog. The printables designers at Brisbane-based Sassaby are giving away this vintage Father's Day card printable design, free for you to download and print on your own printer.

I cut the individual pieces out and let the kids go to town sticking them to the card and drawing pictures inside. We printed on standard white cardstock and used double-sided tape, but you could also use foam to get a more pronounced 3D look like Sassaby has achieved above. There are enough elements to decorate both the outside and inside of the card.

Thanks Sassaby for a great printable!

Images: Sassaby

Write To Me nostalgic stationery

Melbourne sisters Anna and Nicoletta from stationery brand Write To Me are all about the handwritten letter; and I am too. Do you remember how exciting it was to get an email (you've got mail!) and now that we are overwhelmed with electronic mail, it's such a rush to receive something handwritten in the mail. (We have just to convince Australia Post to re-think postage prices). Let's have a look at some of Write To Me's beautifully illustrated and beautifully styled stationery...

Each product is designed, hand printed and crafted in their Melbourne studio on recycled kraft paper. The range includes cards, tags, wrapping paper, letter-writing sets, postcards, journals, notebooks, party invitations, announcements, treat bags and thank you cards as well as a collection of seasonal products and simply lovely wedding stationery. Oh and a whole new slew of products including a pregnancy journal, pantry labels, book labels and love lunch notes. It's all very nostalgic and I love it all.

I'm especially taken with the bicycle wrapping paper and the robot party pack. You could even let the kids go to town personalising it with their glitter glue stick and colouring in pencils.

You can find Write To Me in the online store and at stockists across Australia.

Images: Write To Me

Wendy June illustrations and artwork

Another fun The Finders Keepers market discovery for me was the artwork of Wendy June. I loved Wendy's acrylic hugging owl brooches so much that I bought one each for my nieces in the US. You'll find illustrations as diverse as beasties, kittens, Chinese dragons, cartoon birds, little folk with shaggy hair and creepy-cool houses inspired by the streets of North Fitzroy in Melbourne.

Based in Melbourne, Wendy creates a range of products based on her illustrations including notepads, tea towels, magnets, cards, art prints, brooches, stuffed toys and amazing laser-cut wooden houses to hang on your walls.

Wendy-June's online store is full of products that would make great gifts for kids and adults. Look out for her work at markets too (see the website for details).

Images: Wendy June

Beci Orpin milestone baby cards and homewares

I saw these amazing Milestone Baby Cards illustrated by Melbourne-based artist Beci Orpin in the Lark newsletter the other day, and thought I would check in to see what else Beci has been up to. And it looks like a lot!

Beautifully-designed products with Beci's signature folk look keep coming with these fun cushions, leather coin purses, screenprinted notebooks, shopping bags, jewellery, mobiles and art pieces. The sweet folk face cushion is fast becoming a new Australian design classic for kids' rooms. And the pieces in Beci's shoppe are just the tip of the iceberg. Head over to Beci's blog to keep up with all the amazing design work that she has been creating and collaborating on - third drawer down pillows! Japanese sweets! and... a book! (and don't forget kids' label Tiny Mammoth - I'm not sure this lady sleeps)


Now back to those Milestone Baby Cards - what a great concept. These cards, illustrated by Beci, were developed in the Netherlands by Mum Gemma who stared hand-writing her own notes to include in photos of her son. Fast forward, and now those notes are beautiful cards that you can add personal details to. Put card and child in the same frame and snap! These cards would be lovely displayed in a child's growing-up journal, or sent to friends and family - or framed and displayed on the wall in a glorious Beci Orpin-designed timeline.

You can find the Milestone Baby Cards at stockists around the world (including Lark here in Australia), and Beci's homewares, jewellery and stationery in the Beci Orpin online store (hurry - there are lots of products 50% off at the moment).

Read more about Beci Orpin here on Bondville.

Images: Beci Orpin (top images) and Milestone Baby Cards (bottom images)