Dick and Dora bamboo iPhone covers

How great are these bamboo iPhone covers featuring birds on a wire by Tasmanian accessories designers Dick and Dora!!! Sustainable, functional and oh-so-chic. The original acrylic brooch featuring the same design has been re-released as well as wall art. Coming your way soon. (Mother's Day alert!)

Read more about Dick and Dora here on Bondville.

Images: Dick and Dora.

b.sirius bags and accessories

I'm on a roll with cute bags this month. Annabelle from b.sirius designs crafty-cool bags, clutches, backpacks, purses, luggage tags and iPad covers in her Melbourne studio.

You'll find patchwork and appliques as well as sweet details like bird buckles, buttons, and ric rac bows. My favourite piece is the foldover bag (bottom pic) that slumps with panache when popped on a table or chair during a business meeting or coffee with pals. Oh, and I totally adore the whale print fabric bags and purses that are (luck for us) on sale at the moment! I think I've just talked myself into one.

You can find b.sirius in the online store as well as stockists in Australia and New Zealand.

Images: b.sirius

Twice Designs handmade brooches and greeting cards

I met Sarah Bartnett from Twice Designs at an ABCD Meetup in Sydney this year and loved the typewriter greeting card that she contributed to the goodie bag. And then last week, one of Sarah's cards was featured in a Bondville kids bedroom tour. I had to find out more...

So on top of her fun old-world greeting cards, Sarah also manages to find time to make lovely brooches, cufflinks and scarves. Even better, many of her one-off pieces are made from recycled and repurposed materials.

I'm dying for the laser-etched eye chart wooden brooch. So fun and a great conversation-starter. Know any budding photographers that would love the camera brooch? I think I've now got birthday presents sorted for a bunch of my girlfriends.

You can find Twice Designs in the Etsy and MadeIt (Australia) stores. If you head over the online stores now, there are sales on, including brooches from $2 and buy-four-cards-and-get-one-free. For more information on the latest designs, head over to the Twice Designs blog.

Images: Twice Designs

Sir Tom accessories

Yes it's Father's Day just around the corner, but that doesn't mean you can't treat yourself too. Why not pick up an edgy-cool clutch just for you by Sydney indie accessories label Sir Tom.

The Sir Tom range of accessories and homewares includes limited edition clutch purses, medium purses, coin purses and cushion covers. The purses and cushions are made with original fabric designs reated by Sir Tom designer Anne using a combination of traditional screenprints and digital printing.

The fabric designs are quirky and head-turning. Jodie uses illustration and photography to create images of the things around her (many of them uniquely Australian - love the bottle brush and banksia designs). My favourite is the lemon and grey triangle deco clutch (top) whichI know will stand the test of time. And that cushion above showcasing waves crashing near Icebergs at Bondi is bang-on-the-money. I'm sure some of those surf-loving Fathers out there would approve too.

You'll also find designs for kids made by Jodie using vintage fabrics and original Sir Tom fabric designs (see dress above) at Sir Tom Baby.

Look for Sir Tom accessories and homewares in the Etsy store and keep up-to-date on designs via Facebook.

Images: Sir Tom

REread upcycled brooches

Did you notice the cool brooch that Sun on Masterchef was wearing this week? It was handmade by our very own Haylee Lees of REread in Brisbane.

Hayley salvages children's books that are being thrown out, or from markets to create her one-of-a-kind animal brooches, finished with resin. Anyone who reads the REread blog or follows Hayley on Twitter will know that she has a wicked sense of humour, and this is evident in many of her quirky brooches. Perfect to pin on coats, scarves and beanies with this chilly weather!

You can find REread brooches in the Etsy store as well as various markets (keep an eye on the REread blog for details).

REread brooches will also be available this Saturday at the BrisStyle Indie Designers Market in Brisbane (an excellent market!), 9th July, 2011, 9am-2pm at St Augustine Church Hall and grounds, Racecourse Rd, Hamilton, NSW. In fact, this was the very market that I bought a REread cat brooch at for my sister in Vancouver a few years ago (hope you like it J!)

Images: Top images - REread. Bottom image - Steph Bond

Made By Mosey nursery decor

I first noticed these gorgeous Made By Mosey decor and nursery products for kids in my friend Kim's online store, and was impressed both with the design and care that has been put into these pieces.

The range includes beautiful baby quilts made from handkerchiefs (do you still have yourse?), mobiles suspended from white painted twigs, and vintage fabric bunting. I love that the mobiles in particular are great for both boy and girl rooms, and I don't think I've ever seen a cooler baby quilt for boys! Lovely work.

Uimi knitwear

Now that the temperatures are finally starting to cool off a little in the evening, I've been thinking about pulling out some trans-seasonal throws, blankets and scarfs (mostly courtesy of my Mum's crochet and knitting skills). If you're not the knitting type and you're looking for some new goodies to brighten up your couch/bed/cot/neck, check out the lovely eco-friendly knitwear from Uimi.

Locally designed and manufactured in Melbourne, Uimi creates a range of blankets, throws, scarves and children's products made from extra fine merino wool, certified organic cotton and other natural fibres. My favourite products are the chevron-striped kids blankets (both pink and blue) and the fun striped scarves. Mmm toasty.

You can find Uimi knitwear at stockists around Australia and online.

Images: Uimi

Hip Products: Madeleine Brown Jewellery

Lovely Madeleine Brown of Madeleine Brown Jewellery is a talented bespoke jewellery designer based in Brisbane who also has a gorgeous range of handmade earrings, necklaces and brooches available for sale on her newly launched online store.

My favourites are the one-off doily earrings and brooches, made with lace doilies hand-knotted in cotton thread, then cast into sterling silver. The cotton burns away in the casting process making each piece one-of-a-kind. The sterling silver 'lovely bird pendant' is also pretty special with its bezel-set topaz and hand-pierced text: "Nay lovely bird, thou art not vain" by WH Davies. Oh, and the gorgeous silhouette locket. Um, they're all pretty great aren't they.

So if you're looking for a gift that's a little bit special, skip the little blue box and support independent, handmade, local design.

You can find Madeleine Brown jewellery in the online store. Commissions are welcome; check Madeleine's website for full details.

P.S.: I met Madeleine at the very first ABCD Meet up in Brisbane; she's just delightful.

Images: Madeleine Brown

Hip Products: Charity Melamine Dinner Plates

Now there is no excuse for last-minute Christmas gifts for anyone with little ones. These limited edition charity melamine dinner plates are a must buy! Created as a collaboration between favourite Australian kids fashion icons Oobi and NZ designers Minti and fantastic Australian online children's boutique Baby's Got Style, 100% of proceeds go to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. If you've ever had an unwell child or visited a children's ward, you will know how incredible the medical staff are, how brave those little ones and families are, and how important their service is to our community. Through the Style a Smile program, these great Australian kids companies are helping out in their own way and now you can too. I just adore the plate designs, and who doesn't need a whole set of melamine plates! They are fantastic even for adult-only households for outdoors entertaining and picnics. So go ahead and pick up a plate or two for you and for gifts. They are walking out the door so you'll have to be quick! You can buy the Style a Smile plates for $AUD 10.00 at Baby's Got Style online. Images: Baby's Got Style

Hip Products: South For The Summer headbands

I first spotted this gorgeous headband (top) at the Youngblood Designer Markets and now it is winging its way to my sister-in-law in the US. It is part of an amazing collection of headbands and alternative millinery by Sydney-based designer Jen McEvoy from South for the Summer.

Hand-fashioned from feathers and leather, these headbands are so cool and are quickly garnering a cult following, gracing the coifs of rockstars and hip teens alike. My friend Alischa has the Shelley band (bottom) which looks gorgeous against her fair hair. And I'm all about the purple Peggy feather band. Jen's headbands are a great edgy pick-up for an outfit that would also be perfect for Melbourne Cup. Always nice to have a hard-working piece in your wardrobe.

You can find South for the Summer accessories on Etsy and at local markets. Check out the South for the Summer blog for more details.

And if you are interested in more about Jen, check out the lovely interview over at the Finders Keepers blog.

Images: South for the Summer

Hip Products: Wicked Child Designs softies

We've had a rough weekend in Australia with a disappointing result in our federal elections and a hung parliament. If you need a target to take out your frustration, look no further than the hysterical softie caricatures by Brisbane-based Teneale Muir from Wicked Child Designs.

You can choose your very own tongue-in-cheeck Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott doll (the hair! those ears! the budgie smugglers!) complete with miniature canvas and easel to display their cheeky story.

Clever Teneale also has a range of other fun long-legged softie characters including Jesus, Nietzsche, and her original designs. These are the kind of toys that grown-ups can appreciate too. Keep an eye out for more topical designs.

You can find Wicked Child Designs softies in the Etsy store online and at various markets. Check the Wicked Child Designs blog for more information.

Images: Wicked Child Designs