Meet Iggy & Lou Lou. Two figments of Australian sculptor and designer Irene Grishin-Selzer’s vivid childhood imagination. As a child Irene was given two porcelain figurines who she named Iggy and Lou Lou. Like any child she invented stories in which they would come to life at night and travel the world having amazing adventures. Today, Iggy & Lou Lou is a limited edition jewellery and homeware label that is turning heads, and as Irene once imagined, taking the world by storm.

Irene established the label in 2003, drawing on the rich history of porcelain. Her collections are reminiscent of sixteenth century Memento Mori and are rich with historical references, time-worn mysteries and decorative narratives. Each work is hand crafted with love and kiln fired up to four times to attain the patina of buried treasure. I’m completely swooning over the collectable skulls in Iggy & Lou Lou’s “Love Bandits” collection. They’re a seriously cool ode to us craniates.

Do yourself a favour and pay a visit to Iggy & Lou Lou’s website which is a piece of art within itself: www.iggyandloulou.com

www.indie.com.au/shopping/indie-shopping-label/iggy-lou-lou.html

QH guest blogger Michaela Tam

Last weekend I was one of the lucky thirty-thousand people to attend Splendour In The Grass www.splendourinthegrass.com. Although this blog title does hint that I’m going to rave about my incredible weekend in Woodfordia, breathe a sigh of relief… Because I’m not. Best Time Ever was in fact an instillation that was just one of the displays of magic the festival had to offer to punters.

Best Time Ever www.besttimeever.com.au was a twenty-three metre long timber staircase that descended from the heavens, and up close, revealed another face - a clock face. For the duration of the weekend, the staircase, with its tactical positioning, created a sundial and was used as the festival clock. Best Time Ever mirrored the ancient staircase, The Samrat Yantra, of which shares the same latitudes. You really had to witness this big, crazy idea to comprehend its brilliance.

The instillation was a collaboration between Byron Bay based architect Dominic Finlay-Jones and Sydney artist Lauren Brincat. The pair were recruited by Splendid Arts Laboratory www.splendid.org.au, a partner of Splendour In The Grass and other leading regional and nation art agencies, who develop talent and offer new creative experiences to festival audiences. I’m already aching to see what marvels Splendid will bring to festival-goers next year!

- QH blogger Michaela Tam

I am so excited about this project by QUT Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA) I can’t even begin to explain. Ok, so I am a Creative Industries student, but this doesn’t hamper the magic The Fleet Store will weave for Brisbane’s fashion scene. CEA is doing sensational things by giving up-and-coming creatives both the chance and support to achieve their dreams. CEA www.creativeenterprise.com.au establishes, develops and grows business in the creative industries, and this time around is collaborating with QUT Fashion and the Wintergarden www.wgarden.com.au to showcase Brisbane designers at a new pop-up concept store - The Fleet Store.

Pop-up stores are all the rage at the moment and The Fleet Store will play host to Brisbane designers like George Wu www.georgewu.com.au and Francis Leon www.francisleon.com, as well as QUT Fashion students both past and present. I have a number of friends participating in the initiative, and it’s so fantastic to (more…)

In commemoration of the new Sex And The City 2 movie, and my widely publicised contempt towards the series (I’ve already braced myself for the torch bearing mob), my friend sent me an article written by Seattle journalist Lindy West. West’s article was a scathing review of the movie and crass it may be, the article accentuated that perhaps us women get a little too wrapped up in the superficial. The only aspect of the show I resonate with is Carrie’s lust for fashion, but for us women who aspire to nurture our feminine energy and beauty, shouldn’t we aim to look good whilst doing good? This is Australian Brand Carsha’s www.carsha.com.au mantra and their cause definitely warrants support.

Carsha (a portmanteau of its founders names, Carmen and Sharon) is combining fashion and charity with their handbag designs. Carsha’s high quality leather products are each inspired by a different city -and its people, architecture, culture and environment- and are available at an affordable price (handbags range from $125-$170). But the best part is, for every handbag sold, Carsha will donate one mosquito net to the UN Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign. Nothing But Nets www.nothingbutnets.net is a global grassroots campaign that supplies and distributes mosquito nets and other health interventions to African families to aid in the fight against Malaria.

So ladies, evaluate your perspectives and get your benevolent streak rolling!

- QH guest blogger Michaela Tam

I think the versatility of paper is overlooked far too often. It’s astonishing what a bit of inventive cutting and folding can do. Look at Peter Callesen’s www.petercallesen.com paper cuts and instillations, or Simon Schubert’s www.simonschubert.de paper foldings. My latest campaign (this time for paper appreciation) is all thanks to Uponafold uponafold.com.au, which is run by Sydney-sider Justine and her husband Matt.

Uponafold is a blog and online paper store. No, not a paper store in the boring “we sell stationary and witty birthday cards” sense. But a paper store in the magnificent “look at our paper artistry from around the world” sense. My absolute favourite is the perfectly engineered pop-up dollhouse. If I was the big, bad wolf - peeking through the windows and seeing the quaint paper furniture - I would think twice about blowing this house down. But the wonders don’t stop there, have a gander at the concertina books and origami tessellations!

First and foremost, I wish to publicly thank my father - who has been living in Townsville for the past two years - for this pointer. Ever since his move up North a lot has been happening in the way of urban development in Townsville. The current renovation of Flinders Mall and Townsville CBD’s ever-changing skyline are both (more…)

When I told my boyfriend that I was once a Girl Guide, he burst out in hysterical laughter and refused to believe me until I showed him my sash full of Brownie badges (including a Sixer’s badge, thank you very much!). His disbelief aside, my fondest memory of Girl Guides was definitely craft time, followed closely by ‘The Chocolate Game.’

The reason I’ve been propelled into corny sentiment is the other day I was flicking through my old issues of Frankie www.frankie.com.au and I rediscovered Tamara Maynes www.tamaramaynes.com macrame owl wall hangings. I distinctly remember (more…)

Lucky Townsville - every winter for the last twenty years they have heard the wonderful sounds of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music fill their halls, their galleries and their cathedrals.

Queensland Homes was fortunate enough to be invited to the 2010 launch last Wednesday night. A grateful few heard renowned Australian pianist and AFCM Artistic Director Piers Lane, give an intimate performance of works by Frederic Chopin and Robert Schumann, providing a taste of what audiences can look (more…)

Experience your first look at the city’s most exciting new venue, The Laneway. Leading Queensland Architecture and Interior Design firm, Arkhefield, have contributed their designs to one of the first laneway transformations in Brisbane City as part of the ‘Vibrant Laneways and Small Spaces’ program. The Brisbane City Council initiated the program through the City Centre Master Plan to convert some of the city’s forgotten spaces to vibrant meeting, retail and dining destinations.

(more…)

Delicious treats for Christmas and the holidays have arrived at Monty’s Chocolates in Paddington. In keeping with their mission to bring the world’s finest chocolates to Australia a whole new range has arrived. Charbonnel et Walker have released a new delight - Banoffee Truffles - which are a handmade creation of white chocolate, butter, natural banana extracts and caramel enrobed in a milk chocolate shell.

New products from France include orange confit in dark and white chocolate. The orange confit is like a firm jelly similar to a fig paste in texture.  It contains real fruit and peel.  There are many other fruit-based delights and floral flavours like rose and geranium as well. I’ll be going for the Caipirinha Truffle myself!

Monty’s Chocolates are at 155 Latrobe Terrace, Paddington and are open 9 - 5 pm  Monday - Friday, 10 - 4 pm Saturday and 11 - 4 pm Sunday. They close about 5pm on Christmas Eve.

P: 0401 067 394, 07 3369 3135

montyschocolates@yahoo.com.au