The can't go wrong gift - a Crayon Chick rope necklace. Or bowl. Or wall hanging.

Another great Australian-designed and handmade gift idea! Crayon Chick's Michelle Harvey creates beautiful rope necklaces, bowls, wall hangings, earrings and more in her Melbourne workshop. 

Tiff Manuell art clutches and bags

South Australia-based artist Tiff Manuell makes the most amazing clutches and bags, as well as some great fashion, accessories and artwork. They are fun, cool and truly pieces of art.

Polli sale up to 80% off jewellery and accessories

My dear friends at Polli are selling all discontinued stock at a massive up-to-80% off before the new designers relocate to Byron Bay. They will be selling jewellery, mirrors, jewellery stands, decorations, clothing samples, past season clothing, shelving, desks, tradeshow props, back drops and even a giant jungle screen. Polli will be joined by Surface Art who are bringing their range of screen printed clothing and fabric to the sale. Be quick to grab a bargain!

emiti designs jewellery and styling

My girls found my beloved emiti designs lollipop ring under the couch at Nanna and Pops' today (looking for Lego!) and I couldn't be more thrilled. It had been missing for months and I was still mourning it, but now I have it back and will be wearing it with a happy heart for New Years' Eve here at the Sunshine Coast.

I was flicking through the emiti design online store today and fell in love with this cute photo. The wooden Apple Pastels necklace is sweet and I love the styling to bits.

Painted newspaper dress! Coral-orange lips! And a sweep of coral-orange blush so high it's practically eyeshadow. So cute clever Kim!

You can find emiti designs wooden jewellery, cotton voile scarves, accessories and homewares in the online store - everything is made in Melbourne by Kim or her sewing team.

PS: Thank you again Anni for the ring; I love it!

Image: emiti designs

Naomi Murrell Jelly Cup Studs earrings

Oh I do love these new resin and rose brass Jelly Cup Studs earrings from Adelaide-based Naomi Murrell. I'm always looking for rose gold or brass as an alternative to silver and gold. These cute studs are a little pop of colour on your lobes. Head to the Naomi Murrell online store to see the collection - in fact, all the earrings are super-cute!

Image: Naomi Murrell

Peaches and Keen fun bright jewellery and homewares

Melbourne-based Peaches + Keen (graphic designer Lily Daly and gold and silversmith Lucy Hearn) are so much fun to follow on Instagram. I am constantly wowed by their fun, bright jewellery and homewares creations that will add a happy vibe on the dreariest of winter days.

In the Peaches + Keen online store you will currently find artworks, hanging planters and disco jewellery to make you smile. The planters would look amazing in any room of the house, but I think they would add some amazing colour to a child's room - and lots of lovely fresh oxygen for the little ones to breathe in. And need I say anything about those earrings?!?! Want with a capital W!

Images: Peaches + Keen

Ellie Beck recycled skateboard jewellery

Hang on - super-cool necklaces and bangles handmade from recycled/upcycled skateboard decks? I'm in! My friend Ellie Beck and her husband Sam Messina make these amazing jewellery pieces using their stash of broken skateboards in the hinterland of Murwillumbah in Northern NSW. They're bright, fun, sustainable and each piece is one-of-a-kind - totally my style.

These bangles are cut, sanded and finished by hand. Each has a coloured side and a cool scratched-graphic side to amp up the cred.

Most skateboards are made from seven-ply of Canadian Maple in a rainbow of colours.

The rainbow skateboard deck bead necklaces are incredible too. Each is strung on a vintage brass chain.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of Ellie and Sam's skateboard pieces - either for yourself or as a gift. Head over to the Ellie Beck online store to pick one up. I love them all.

Images: Ellie Beck

So Little Time painted wooden jewellery

I love my So Little Time wooden laser-cut earrings so much that I literally have not taken them off since my birthday. In fact I am wearing them right now! I have these cute-as-a-button neon orange dipped wood disc earrings that were given to me by my dear friend Anni...

Partners Kirsty and Josh hand-craft their earrings, brooches, and necklaces from locally-sourced or recycled wood, shaping them and painting them in their Melbourne studio. I particularly love the geo ball and faceted necklaces - like wooden crystals!

 How gorgeous is this wooden locket for keeping a pic of your loved ones close to your heart...

I can hardly resist this sweet ice cream brooch - what a gorgeous gift or party favour for a little one...

Thank you so much Anni for such a thoughtful gift - you know me so well! x

You can find So Little Time jewellery in the online Etsy store and at the upcoming The Finders Keepers market in Sydney next weekend (their last market for a long time!). Tell them I sent you.

Images: So Little Time

BOXY handmade jewellery - the next big thing

I received this gorgeous BOXY necklace for my birthday last month from my friend Laura and I'm completely obsessed with it.

BOXY is designed and handmade by Sally Jarmaine in her studio by the beach near Sydney. Sally's pieces are fun, bright and so very on-trend. Each necklace is hand-modelled in polymer clay and strung on leather cord, then anointed its very own name to match its personality. This one is called 'confetti':

I could eat them all. You can find BOXY in the online etsy store, select stockists in NSW and Victoria and at the upcoming The Finders Keepers markets in Sydney.

Images: Steph Bond-Hutkin | Bondville

Sweet family portraits and embroidered jewellery from Dandelyne

What an amazing birthday present. Four of my lovely girlfriends got me the most thoughtful gift - a custom family portrait and necklace embroidered by the supremely talented Sonia Lyne of Dandelyne! Here's my family portrait - so cute!

And here are some of Sonia's other amazing creations:

Emerald Green Submarine resin jewellery - more Mother's Day gift ideas

On the subject of amazing jewellery, here's another Australian designer working with resin that I spotted in Avoca a few weeks ago. Nicola Porello creates beautiful jewellery under the Emerald Green Submarine label from her base in the artistic community of Castlemaine in Central Victoria.

Very special Birthday goodies - Dinosaur Designs

It was a pretty special birthday for me yesterday. I know I'm tough to buy for (a blue Tiffany box doesn't really float my boat), but Mr Bondville nailed it. When I opened up my presents to find three small Dinosaur Designs drawstring bags, I just about flipped my lid. Aren't these pieces amazing! I couldn't be more thrilled. Thank you Harris!

You can find Dinosaur Designs resin jewellery and homewares in the online store and stockists around Australia and the US.

Image: Steph Bond-Hutkin | Bondville

Love: Tiges and Weince changeable pendants for girls

What a cute gift for girls! Kylie Loy from Tiges & Weince has collaborated with Aileen from LimeDaisy Design to create these sweet pendants for girls. Each necklaces comes with four magnet-backed glass button designs to swap out when the mood strikes. They are packed in a cute metal tin for safekeeping. You can find the pendants in the Tiges & Weince etsy store.

Images: Tiges & Weince

Celebrating Australia Day with Modern Australiana

Happy Australia Day! Of course every day is Australia Day here on Bondville where every product featured is designed in Australia or by Australians overseas. I'm particularly excited when Australian designers embrace our unique landscape, flora and fauna, incorporating some of our indigenous shapes, textures and colours to create a new "modern Australiana".

Local jewellery designers Polli have just launched a new Australiana collection that I am utterly in love with, and will be sharing with you in more detail in the next week, but for now, my favourite pieces are the Banksia earrings that are oh-so-chic.

And in the spirit of supporting our own authentic style, I've been inspired by these earrings to pull together a few other Australian designers embracing Australiana in a new, modern way that is stylish and never kitsch (although I love a bit of that too).

1. Banksia beding by Cloth Fabric
2. Kookaburra cushion by Bonnie & Neil
3. Rosella cushion by Cumulus Living
4. Banksia rug by Cloth Fabric
5. Kookaburra tea towel by Bonnie & Neil
6. Native flowers tea towel by Laughing Bird Designs
7. Gum leaf wallpaper by Catherine Martin
8. Cockatoo cushion by Bonnie & Neil
9. Cockatoo lamp by MOZI
10. Banksia lamp shade by Cloth Fabric
11. Bilby print by Renee Treml at Udessi
12. Gum leaf table cloth by Dandi
13. Grevillea cushion by Ink & Spindle

You might also like to check out Saffron Craig who has some gorgeous wombat, kookaburra and banksia fabric designs, the great lifestyle textiles products at Utopia Goods, and the Brown Trading Co. which has beautiful, vibrant cockatoo silhouettes in blue, green and pink.

Go ahead and embrace a little modern Australiana into your home - and send some to your overseas friends and family too. We need to be proud of our unique environment. Happy Australia Day!

MeWe handmade homewares, jewellery and gifts galore

I met my friend Michelle from MeWe through our abcd meet-ups, and we have been following each other on Instagram, which is where I found her *amazing* geo rings. I was going to feature them in my Loving series, but then when I saw her online store, I had to show you more. Michelle's eclectic mix of handmade goodies are all perfect gifts. It's like going to an artisan design market, but you can get everything from one stall!

Loving: hundreds and thousands jewellery for girls

These adorable rings and pendants for little girls are selling like hotcakes. Handmade in Sydney by Kelly Slip of My Third Wish, the jewellery is created using hundreds and thousands sprinkles, set in resin. They look good enough to eat! Kelly's preschool class loves them and they are a great alternative to lolly-filled goodie bags for a little girl's birthday party. You can find them in the My Third Wish online store. Contact Kelly directly for bulk orders. More goodies on the My Third Wish Facebook page.

Image: My Third Wish

Treehorn geo-faceted wood jewellery and toys

I was reading State of Green online store newsletter recently and spotted these incredible handmade wood jewellery pieces by Tasmanian artisan Joe Chester of Treehorn. Seriously folks! I'll have one please. Make that one of each...

The Treehorn collection of geo-faceted necklaces, pendants, bangles, kitchen boards and building blocks are handmade by Joe using only reclaimed, recycled or sustainably grown timber (such as Tasmanian Oak and Douglas Fir). In fact, pieces are often made items from wood trimmings on the workshop floor.

The amazing building blocks would make a fantastic gift for a child of design-savvy parents, but I can also imagine them piled up on display in an adult's room, or even a work desk. Much cooler than a stress ball, that's for sure.

You can find Treehorn wood jewellery and products in the online store as well as at stockists across Australia and New Zealand.

Images: Treehorn

Make: Your own resin jewellery - yes you can!

Mr Bondville (bless his heart) sent me off to a resin jewellery-making workshop at Barnes in Newtown for my birthday earlier this year. It was 3 hours of theory and practical creative bliss as we muddled our way through our first resin pours, and produced 2 bangles and 2 rings each. Fun!

I wrote a basic tutorial for eBay's Mum's Business website here that you can read to get the low-down, and Barnes have some great kits for beginners (BQueen is especially good). I get so many compliments for my bangles and I love them to bits.

The first step in the process was to have a vision for our pieces (shape, colour, pattern). We then worked on creating the right colour with the first part of the resin liquid mixture. Just a touch of clolour for translucent, more colour for opaque, glitter and pearl for sparkly effects. There were some gorgeous seafoam green bangles happening and a stunning matte black version.

Once we had the colour right, we added the second part of the resin liquid and combined to create a chemical reaction and to begin the to setting process. We then had to be pretty quick to carefully pour the combined resin mixture into the moulds, and used the left-over in small mould trays.

I think we only waited around 15 minutes for the pieces to harden, and then carefully popped them out, and got stuck into the buffing with a fine sandpaper and water. 

Everyone came away with pretty amazing looking pieces. If you think you'd like to try you can contact Barnes in Sydney or look for a resin jewellery-making workshop near you. I'd love to see what you come up with!

Images: Steph Bond-Hutkin | Bondville

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)

Emily Green accessories and artwork

When Nicola rocked a fabulous polymer clay necklace at our abcd soiree, I went into investigation mode to hunt down the designer behind the baubles. Behold the goodness of Melbourne-based Emily Green!

 

Emily hand-makes these great necklaces and earrings, dreamy watercolour artworks and cool brooches. Emily's work is so spot-on with current fashion and design trends - her work is much-loved on Pinterest. Don't those necklaces look practically edible. More Mother's Day fodder right here! You can send this post directly to Mr Bondville.

You can find Emily Green's work in her online store, as well as stockists (check the website) across Australia (and L.A.) and online.

Images: Emily Green