The Big Design Market - Melbourne

The Big Design Market is the biggest market of its kind in Australia, bringing together the best of independent Australian and international design for 3 huge days of shopping from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th December 2014! The iconic Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne provides a stunning backdrop for fashion and accessories, homewares and textiles, lifestyle and kids' products, stationery and books.

This year there will be a range of gourmet food, sweet treats, coffee and craft beer for shoppers to enjoy - from the likes of Moo Brew, Misschu, Earl Canteen, Campos Coffee, Luxbite, All Day Donuts, Taco Truck and Beatbox Kitchen!

Party with Emiko Blue!

With the Christmas and party season in full swing, now is the time to stock up on some seriously stylish and affordable party ware.  With a range that includes everything from invitations and party bags, to tableware, décor and more.  Emiko Blue is a one-stop online shop for all you celebration and hosting needs. Stocking leading Australian designers such as Sambellina and Paper Eskimo, along with award-winning international designers Meri Meri and Talking Tables Belle & Boo to name a few, with new products being introduced all the time.  

Their extensive range is available online, meaning you can shop anytime, anywhere 24/7, no crowds and no parking hassles!  They've even made your shopping experience more effortless by allowing you to shop by party theme, colour or brand.  Too easy!  If it’s a pop of colour that you’re after, a festive Christmas celebration, a casual picnic in the park, sophisticated style or a sweet birthday table setting that will impress your guests, there is something for every occasion at Emiko Blue.

Made by tait

The contemporary designs of Tait furniture are perfectly designed to withstand the harsh Australian outdoors.   Tait sources local materials, with a strong focus on sustainability. Their range also includes a number of luxe pieces, with the stand our being the copper wnd marble nano table, a truly stunning piece.  Tait furniture is made in Australia and caters for both retail and commercial clients alike.

Bindle - not your average hamper

I love the idea of giving a hamper to someone for Christmas or milestone event,  find one with filled with beautiful things, sure you can make your own, but I've found even better! 

Bindle is an online Australian eco gift store that blends sustainability with style. With artistic license, 'hampers' are replaced by 'bindles'. Tailored around a specific theme or occasion, Bindle presents gifts for His Lordship, Her Ladyship, mothers, babies, and corporate clients alike. They make an excellent alternative to traditional gift hampers and come complete in hand-crafted Bindle signature gift boxes, which are enclosed in high-quality wrapping paper. The wrapping of each individual bindle is completed using only tying and folding – with no staples or tape to be seen. Because of this, the process of unwrapping a bindle is an experience in itself, and the wrapping is in itself a precious gift!  With shipping available Australia wide, prices start from just $45.

DIY - Faux Granite Rings

Loving these faux granite rings!  Head over to Fall for DIY for this easy tutorial, all you need is some polymer clay - Sculpey III is my recommended brand, a very durable clay in a great range of colours.

DIY - Faceted Geometric Planters

There's a DIY tutorial for sweet faceted succulent planters over at Merrypad - these would make really cute wedding favours or even just sitting on your coffee table.  Experiment with tinting your clay or using metallic (like copper!) polymer clay alternatives.  I've used Sculpey III clay previously for outdoor use, with a lot of success in terms of durability.

Melbourne Night Noodle Market

After the success of last year, the popular Night Noodle Market is back in Melbourne again, bigger than ever - with a new location and a lot more stalls!  The best thing about the night markets is the plethora of hawker style food, great bar areas and the pretty lighting....I'm a massive sucker for some fairy lights!  

We went along on Sunday night to check it out, I went prepared for the huge crowds and long wait times like last year, but I was pleasantly surprised.  The organisers have definitely learnt from last year's mistakes, and this year, the market has been spread over 3 areas at Birrung Marr, has double the stalls and plenty of seating for everyone.  Loved it!  We are planning to drop by at least a few more times during the 17 night event.

Returning this year are the ever popular fine dining restaurants with stalls - Chin Chin, Izakaya Den and Longrain. Gelato Messina, Wonderbao and Malaysian restaurant Mamak have also returned.

Some of the new stalls joining the noodle market this year include:

• Kong: Serving up ginger and soy-dressed soba salad with pickled walnuts and steamed-then-roasted pork belly.
• Red Spice Road: South-East Asian food with a modern Australian twist.
• Charlie Dumpling: Makes its debut with a specially-made pork and ginger dumpling with black bean, chilli and lime, and fried chicken ribs.
• Mr Miyagi: Think Japanese fusions, including Nori Tacos and Miyagi Fried Chicken.

Click Here for Night Noodle Market Official Map

Where: Birrarung Marr (near Federation Square), Melbourne

Cost: Free entry; dishes from $5-$15
From: Friday 14th of November 2014  To  Sunday 30th of November 2014

Time: Mon-Tue 5pm-9pm, Wed 5pm-10pm, Thur-Fri 5pm-11pm, Sat 4pm-10pm, Sun 4pm-9pm

Made by Mosey

Made by Mosey products are made by hand with love and care by Madeleine Sargent in Melbourne Australia. Being a mother of two, Madeleine is an expert in all things soft, cute and cuddly. Being entirely handmade, no two products are identical, meaning each is unique.  Her range features super cute cushions, garlands and mobiles.

Homewares by Skulk of Foxes

A Skulk of Foxes is an Australian independent design studio that produce a great range of jewellery, homewares, phone covers and fashion.  I particularly love their timber vessels, which feature beautiful contrasting metallic geometric designs.

They have even designed and produced collections for the National Gallery of Australia and the Natural History Museum in London!  

DIY Faceted Concrete Vases

Wow! In terms of the results, this is one great DIY tutorial, particularly if you're obsessed with geometric and faceted objects like me.

This tutorial from HandMade Modern guides you through the process of creating your very own faceted concrete vases/planters/candleholders.  They provide you with the templates, all you need to do is print, cut and mold.  Simple! You can leave your concrete objects natural or introduce some great pastel or metallic paints.  I'm even thinking ombré fade paint job could look brilliant.  The templates can also be used to make your own candles.   

Resident GP homewares

Resident GP is the brainchild of Melbourne couple, Gabi and Pawel (hence the GP!).  Their stunning store showcases beautiful, unique homewares that will help define your home.  Resident GP believe that one’s home should reflect their individuality and personality, and their shop is truely reflective of this.

Children's Prints from Nomuu

Melbourne artist Simone Downey, is responsible for creating these cute deer, bunny, bear and little children's illustrations. I have been admiring her work for a long time now, they are some of the most unique and memorable children's prints I've seen.  Her work is available through her store, Nomuu, with prints startng at only $20. 

If you don't have a hub of your own, I think these would be great little 1st birthday or Christening presents framed up. What a gorgeous keepsake!

Contemporary Furniture by Liam Mugavin

Australian based designer Liam Mugavin is creating bold and exciting furniture from beautiful Australian timbers, and blending them with other materials like cork.  His designs are unique and exceptionally detailed, his 'Tangle' table is most definitely my standout piece!

DIY - Napkins and Tea Towels

These DIY napkins and tea towels are such a great idea - these could even be a great little Christmas project for the Christmas table or alternatively as gifts for friends and family.

1. DIY Stamped Napkins - Almost Makes Perfect
2. DIY Indigo Dyed Kitchen Towels - Lovely Indeed

Custom Cake Toppers - Grain & Co

A Sydney based husband and wife duo are behind the awesome, Grain & Co – an eco-friendly range of wooden cake and cupcake toppers.  Each Grain & Co product is made in Australia from materials of the finest quality and hand finished with love.

I completely adore their cute marquee cake toppers, which light up via a battery! How cool is that!?  They also customise their toppers and produce a range of wooden wedding stationary.

Lighting by Volker Haug

The creations of German born, Melbourne based, lighting designer Volker Haug are colourful, yet industrial and at times minimalist. From the aptly named Sole Trader to the OMG! Shade, Haug takes his material inspirations from junk shops and salvage yards to create ingenious pendants, lamps and wall lights, which find themselves at home in commercial and residential spaces alike.

The Volker Haug studio and showroom is based in East Brunswick.  Online customisation of some of his pieces is available via the online shop, additionally commission work is available if you just can't find the perfect piece for your place.

Glamourous Garden Tools

Excuse my slight copper obsession, I couldn't help but share these amazing copper garden tools by Cu Reclaim.  Handcrafted timber and copper tools made from reclaimed materials in a Yarraville workshop, these tools have been designed with organic principles in mind. These are so beautiful, tools like the scoops could even be used in your kitchen for foodstuffs!

DIY - Wood and Leather Shelf

This DIY tutorial by Camille Styles is a brilliant idea and looks amazing! Visit her blog to create a wood and leather suspended shelf of your own.

Jewellery by Abby Seymour

I'm totally in love with Australian based artist, Abby Seymour's current range of jewellery and prints! Her pieces are so unique, and the collection beautifully showcases her ability to work with a wide variety of precious metals and mediums.  The collection includes pieces in silver, brass, gold and porcelain - these would make a great Christmas gift for someone special.

Tableware by Katia Carletti

South Australian artist, Katia Carletti is creating stunning handmade porcelain tableware. Her pieces are available from Mr Kitly.  Aren't the spoons super sweet!!?

Rope baskets by Gemma Patford

These bright and eclectic baskets are from Melbourne maker, Gemma Patford.  She creates this beautiful range of rope baskets and other hand made goods right out of her Brunswick home studio. If you'd like to make one of her works of art yours, her products are available for purchase on her website and at the pop-up markets around Melbourne.

DIY - Copper Trivets

The wonderful Riikka over at Weekdaycarnival, has created this simple but completely stunning DIY project for a copper trivet.  Perfect for putting your pots on and looking pretty in your kitchen at the same time!

Bedlinen by Fictional Objects

The folks over at Fictional Objects are creating some of the prettiest bedlinen around! Suitable for both the grown ups and the little ones, their products are all 100% cotton, and available in a great range of prints and colours.  The collections include Pillowcase Sets, Fitted and Flat Sheet Sets and Doona Covers, in all bed sizes from Cot through to King. The best thing is, not only are their designs beautiful and unique, but are also easily mixed together or with your existing linens. 

Finn Cold Press - Juice Cleanse

I stumbled upon Finn Cold Press recently and am dying to try out some of their amazing looking juice creations! Finn Cold Press have created a range of organic, cold-pressed juices and smoothies, with a focus on taste and genuine health benefits. Their range comprises of a rainbow of beautiful, organic products, flooding your body with pure liquid nutrition!  

Finn Cold Press offer a range of cleanse packs, as well as individual juices from their range. Available for Metro Melbourne delivery.

Here's a sample of some of their offerings:

Ivy Blue
ACTIVATED ALMONDS & CASHEWS, 
BLUEBERRY, COCONUT BUTTER, VANILLA
MEDJOOL DATES, SLIPPERY ELM, 
HIMALAYAN SEA SALT, ALKALINE WATER

Rainbow

BLUEBERRY, MANGO, BASIL, AVOCADO, 
MAQUI BERRY, ACTIVATED CASHEWS, 
COCONUT BUTTER, LEMON, CHIA, 
HIMALAYAN SEA SALT, ALKALINE WATER

Roots

CARROT, BEETROOT, MINT, 
APPLE, LEMON

Botanica

KALE, NETTLE, CUCUMBER, SPINACH, 
APPLE, LEMON, GINGER

Concrete treats - Design Twins

The beautiful concrete creations from Sydney based Design Twins are my latest crush! Their range includes both homewares and furniture and mixes the rawness of concrete with bright metalics.  Some of their smaller pieces are also encrusted with jewels - I have my eye on a jewel encrusted planter for my own coffee table.  LOVE!

Furniture from Plyroom

The amazing folks at Australian based company Plyroom, have collaborated with Italian designers to create a unique selection of exclusive furniture to Australia.  All of their products are made in Italy and lovingly worked and finished by hand.  Their beautiful furniture promotes the beauty of wood and organic simplicity by avoiding harsh metal joins and screws.  Stunning and functional.

Have you met miss jones

Have you met Miss Jones is a lifestyle store specializing in gorgeous white bone china, clay pottery, porcelain, wood, enamel and lacquer ware.  I never get bored of looking through their ever changing and very affordable collections.  Best of all they are based right here in Australia and offer free shipping for orders over $50!  Happy shopping.