Rust & Stardust

I remember about a year and a half ago discovering the work of graphic designer and artist, Evie Kemp, and falling in love with her fun, quirky style. I've been a huge fan ever since, stocking her cushions and artwork in my shop, and interviewing her in her gorgeous home for Homestyle magazine. Now I'm really excited to be sharing with you Evie's latest collaborative venture, Rust & Stardust.

Evie has teamed up with fashion designer, Amy Clarke, to bring us a range of unique, innovative homewares, combining geometric pattern, hand-drawn images, unexpected colour, and lasting quality. The products are all amazing in their own right, but they also work beautifully when you mix and match them together.

As indie designers it's really important to Evie and Amy to maintain authenticity, create great designs, produce high-quality work, and have a hand in every step of the process. They want to produce all their work themselves in their own studio. There will be no out-sourcing, especially overseas. But unfortunately there are not a lot of funding options for small businesses in New Zealand, so this is where we all come in...

The girls have started up a Pledge Me campaign. Pledge Me is a platform for creative crowd funding. Rewards are offered in return for donations, and Evie and Amy will only get the funds if they reach their target. I've made donations to a couple of Pledge Me campaigns in the past, and it's fast becoming a popular way to get a small business venture off the ground. You can read more about the process here.

They already have a fabulous workshop and studio, now Evie and Amy need to raise costs to become a large format textile studio. With the right equipment they'll be able to produce all their own fabric, as well as run classes and workshops to share their skills and knowledge with you and me.

So let's all help make that happen. Go on, hop over to the Rust & Stardust Pledge Me page and choose your favourite reward. When the target has been met, you'll be sent the item you've chosen. Evie and Amy have timed this campaign so they can deliver all rewards by Christmas, but that means time is of the essence.

I love this collection, let me know your favourite items, as I will be stocking some in my online shop. Is it the 3D cushions, the cute wee dog tent, the giant floor cushion that can also be a dog bed...? Scroll down through the Rust & Stardust blog to see all the fabulous products, then go and make it yours!

Father's Day Ideas

I find men so hard to buy for, and Father's Day is just around the corner! My Dad loves sports and books, so he inevitably gets the latest sporting biography. My husband's passions are surfing and mountain biking. He has, however, taken up the tradition that his father started, of asking for a block of dark chocolate and a packet of PK chewing gum from the kids. This year I thought I would go one better than that, so I've started looking for inspiration.

I love the idea of creating a one of a kind piece of art using our childrens' art. The very clever Debbie Greenfield, from Little Artist, scans in pieces of art that you send her and turns them into gorgeous works of art. The Surfboards Print would be perfect for Mark - one surfboard representing each of our girls.

And it can be turned into a tee shirt too, or you can use a favourite piece of art on it's own. If you want Debbie to create you a special piece for Father's Day you need to act quickly. It's usually a two week turnaround, and Father's Day is 1 September. See how to order one here.

Another great place to find gifts is LET LIV. Here are just a few of the things that may appeal to the blokes in your life. The Alarm Dock charges your iPhone or iPod Touch, and if you add a flip clock app, you've got a very cool clock. A deck of cards is always good to have on hand for quick game of poker or snap. Or how about a bike and multi tool kit?!

I love all the brass and gold accessories at Douglas and Bec. Mark would look pretty cool opening his beer with a gold plated bottle opener. And how smart would our dog look wearing the Nice Grill collar and lead when Mark takes her for walks!

Endemic World has a great range of prints, and there is 20% off a selection of prints
(until 31 August) especially chosen for Father's Day. I really like this Mercury photographic
print by Jack Alexander.

And Mark would love the Endless Summer print by Greg Straight.

One of my favourite international online stores is LEIF. They're based in New York, but if you ordered straight away, it might just arrive in time for Father's Day. These Mocha Cream Marble Cups look good enough to eat, and I'm sure Mark would prefer them to the floral cups that currently fill our cupboards. He'd also love the cool Echo Flash Drives made from walnut or bamboo with a splash of hand painted colour. And the Faceted Wood Bottle Stoppers would be great for using in between tipples of his favourite pinot noir.

I hope I've inspired you to get creative when gift hunting for the men in your life. Are they as hard to buy for as mine?

The Animal Print Shop

Have I ever told you that I'm a huge animal lover? My constant companion is a 5 year old golden retriever called Sam. My three daughters are equally animal crazy - I often find pictures of puppies and bunny rabbits on my desktop after they've been on my computer.
But none are near as fabulous as the ones you'll find in The Animal Print Shop by talented photographer, Sharon Montrose.

I've long admired the adorable framed faces in this nursery, so today I wanted to tell you a little bit more about The Animal Print Shop, and share with you some of my favourites.

Sharon Montrose has found a way to combine two of her passions - photography and animals. Her definitive photographic style has made her one of the most sought-after commercial animal photographers for over a decade. The animals photographed for this series are real live animals, raised (and many rescued) by loving, experienced, and dedicated animal keepers and handlers.

One of Sharon's most well known series is named the "Little Darlings". These faces will just melt your heart! I love each and every one of them, but if I had to pick my top three, these would be them...

Another favourite is part of the "Babies" series. My youngest daughters are identical twins and since they were tiny toddlers they have been extremely inquisitive, quite mischievous, and amazing climbers! The "Climbing Cubs" print has to be a part of their bedroom makeover I'm about to undertake - it's the perfect animal representation of them.

I'm also very partial to the gorgeous "Lion Cub Twins", they'll have to come to.

And how could I not have "Baby Elephant"?! Just look at that smile - aaww!

Of course, not all of Sharon's models are cute babies. This guy is so cool - now that is my idea of having horns on the wall.

And you may recognise this handsome American Buffalo from many blogs and Pinterest boards.

This is just a small selection of what is available over at The Animal Print Shop. Please go and see all the incredible photographs for yourself, and while you're there, check out their blog, which is where most of these photos came from.