Shannon Garson www.shannongarson.com is a ceramicist specialising in thrown, decorated porcelain, and her practice continues to grow with a collection of exhibition work and limited edition tableware developing hand in hand. Garson has fast become one of Australia’s most collectable ceramicists, combining strong draftsmanship and a controlled design flair for the simple and organic. Her pieces explore ceramics and life through the synthesis of surface decoration and form, and reflect a strong kinship with the Australian environment.

Garson uses a myriad of techniques to garnish the final product, and her background as a painter is evident with the lively drawings that transform everyday objects into works of art. Each piece connects the visible world with the intangible and mysterious, a massive metamorphosis from meagre lumps of porcelain clay. I’m especially loving the rustic appeal of the (more…)

For me, there’s always something mesmerising about objects made from recycled, all natural materials. I don’t know what it is, but whenever I see creations that are monuments to Mother Nature I always feel at peace. Perhaps I was some version of an itinerant in a past life? So when I discovered Greg Hatton’s www.greghatton.com furniture on The Design Files www.thedesignfiles.net, I grew weak at the knees. Hatton is a Melbourne based furniture designer/landscaper/stonemason/ever-restless creative soul that breathes new life into reclaimed materials and found objects with his love for design, nature and creation. Hatton is sometimes affectionately referred to as ‘Twiggie,’ a fitting nickname that reflects the simple and raw beauty of his designs.

What I find intriguing about Hatton and his designs is that his clients are highly involved in the creative process. As a majority of his work is made to order, I think this fortifies the personality of each piece, and ensures that each design is truly one of a kind. Hatton confesses that his clients are “mainly pretty creative types who know that they want,” and his practice is all about evolution rather than rigid designs on paper. Furthermore, Hatton reveals that it’s often the materials he finds that tell him what they are to become, and I don’t think you could have a stronger affinity with nature than that!

QH guest blogger Michaela Tam

I fell head-over-heels-stomach-in-knots in love when I found these beaded animals on Safari Fusion www.safarifusion.com.au. I think these abstract interpretations of Africa’s wildlife are fascinating and absolutely charming. The animals were handmade in South Africa, with beadwork the domain of many women within the Xhosa, Zulu, Ndebele and Soho tribal communities. Passed on from mother to daughter, the craft is thriving and forever evolving. And what’s more, by purchasing handcrafted products from these communities, many African artisans are provided with a living.

Safari Fusion is an online store that is home to a mind-blowing collection of handmade contemporary design pieces from all over Africa. Creator and owner, Kellie (more…)

British fashion designer Paul Smith www.paulsmith.co.uk has lent his classic yet quirky brilliance to Scandinavian design house, Stelton www.stelton.com, to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Following Stelton’s only request, to “please have a look at Arne Jacobsen’s world famous Cylinda-Line, and give it your own look,” Sir Paul has certainly incorporated his innate sense of colour and genuine sense of humour to the line of stainless steel tea and coffee pots. The Arne Jacobsen Cocktail Set has also been thoughtfully tweaked by the design virtuoso.

The Cylinda range of stainless steel products, designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1967, are a true mark of ‘Danish Modern’ style. Smith has reworked the collection to include sharp block colours, and some strategically placed engraving adds to the initial charm of the iconic (more…)

Ever since I was a young child I was fascinated with liveable spaces and the thousands of stories that were entwined between their details. I was completely obsessed with people’s stories and the ambiguity of human memory. When I read about Front Projects on Design For Mankind www.designformankind.com, my intrigue with garden variety stories was revitalised. Front Projects is a Swedish design group and and their “Story Of Things” collection looks at the similarities and differences between items from homes all over the world.

Various homeowners’ possessions have been reproduced in red plastic and printed with stories about how they were acquired. My personal favourite is the African mouth plate whose owner proclaims “I got it from my friend, for no reason whatsoever… It’s on the table. I use it for peanuts.”  The appropriation of this tool and its sentiment highlights the real simplicity of happiness and overwhelms me with (more…)

Made With Love is an exhibition of hand made furniture and art and follows on from its widely successful predecessor Meet Your Maker.  MADE (Makers and Designers) are the brains behind the exhibition, and are a group of artists with shared ideals working to establish new pathways for Australian furniture designers and makers.

The exhibition profiles eight of Queensland’s most inspiring and unique studio furniture makers and designers including, Nick Bailey www.nicholasbailey.com.au, Hiroaki Ebaand www.hanasho.com.au, and Moo Design www.moodesign.com.au. This year’s makers and designers are an interesting bunch with hugely diverse backgrounds, guaranteeing an impressive array of artefacts.

This year, the exhibition will be held at Graydon Gallery www.graydongallery.com.au in New Farm from June 22 to July 4. For more information visit the MADE website: www.makersanddesigners.com.au

We cannot wait to check this out!

- QH guest blogger Michaela Tam

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

We’re always on the hunt for outstanding local designers and Alexander Lotersztain caught my eye on D*Hub www.dhub.org with his exceptional designs that balance form, function, environment and user perfectly. Lotersztain is a genuine global nomad, and his urbane furniture designs that buzz with the contemporary energy of their surroundings attest to that. Born in Argentina to Polish parents, he travelled extensively as a child, and he eventually migrated from Buenos Aires to Brisbane when he was 19. Graduating from the Queensland College of Art, Lotersztain has received many (more…)

Winter is now upon us, and to me, winter has always meant living in my ugg boots and pressing snooze for an extra hour in the morning. But a cup of hot tea is often the intervener that will lure me out of my lair (that, and my cat pawing at my face). And what if my cup of tea greeted me good morrow in a pink sweater adorned with black felt flowers? Even better. Thanks to Jessica Goodman at Wayside Violet

www.waysideviolet.com, cold, dark mornings just became somewhat palatable.

The minute I encountered these knitted cable coffee cosies on The Finders Keepers www.thefinderskeepers.com, I was wild about them. These darling cosies are available in a range of colours and embellishments, all set to cater for your hot drink’s mood. They’re hand-knitted, made with love, (more…)

Funky Fabrix www.funkyfabrix.com.au boast Australia’s largest range of contemporary retro fabric, and they post to Australia and worldwide daily. Although I interpret “contemporary retro” as a complete oxymoron, after browsing Funky Fabrix vast collection of textile goodies it is quite clear that the products they offer are impressive because of their vintage aesthetic, but have been fabricated (pun intended) by creative ideas that are ahead of their time. I’m especially loving the divine French Provincial florals by Annette Tatum’s www.annettetatum.com “House Fall” range for Free Spirit Fabrics.

Funky Fabrix also have an envious range of patterns and books available online. The range starts at bag/tote patterns, clothing patterns, quilt patterns, home dec patterns, and the end isn’t anywhere in sight. The One Red Robin www.oneredrobin.com patterns are absolutely  charming, and will bring to life soft toys and dolls that any child will love to bits. Thank you Funky Fabrix, I can now add recovering my Singer sewing machine from the chaos in my mother’s basement to my never ending to do list.

Keep an eye out on the Funky Fabrix blog: www.funkyfabrixonline.blogspot.com, or follow them on Twitter: www.twitter.com/FunkyFabrix, as some excellent competitions might just pop up! Or if you live close by in the real world visit them at: Shop 5/40 Blackwood Street, Mitchelton QLD 4051.

- QH guest blogger Michaela Tam