Nina needs a breaky

Mamma Ribena is in town, and we will be touristing etc.
Back soon with more fabulous style next week,

Love Nina x

Ps: check out my brand new and gorgeous Tango and Jame store on Etsy (in the side-bar).

Papercuts never looked so good

I've been spending far too long these last few days cruising around on Etsy and checking out the clever Canberrans we have on there. Tamara showed us her extremely cool Florence Broadhurst Gnome back in January, but just have a look at what she's up to now...

"I've been creative for as long as I can remember, trying my hand at many different arts and crafts. However, it was a year spent in Denmark that opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of papercutting, which the Danes call papirklipning. This is a craft that takes great concentration, precision and a steady hand because a simple slip can ruin hours of work.

My favourite time of the year is Christmas. I guess it has something to do with the special food and making an effort to catch up with friends and family. And the decorations, of course! (handmade only!!) So it's only appropriate that the first items I've listed in my store are Christmas ornaments. I hope you enjoy looking at them (and maybe purchasing a couple!) as much as I've enjoyed making them."

These amazing papercut ornaments are so perfect to pop inside a Christmas card for someone special... check them out now at Tamara Designs on Etsy... just beautiful.

Bringing IKEA to Canberra

Here's a little something sure to make a large portion of Canberrans I know rather ecstatic... a new service to male Ikea accessible to Canberra...

Bring it Home - you love Ikea, we bring it home.

"Frustrated at the thought of Ikea never opening its doors in Canberra, best friends Michael and Loyzek decided there must be a way to bring Ikea products to Canberra.

While they loved the stylish and budget friendly cost of Ikea products, travelling from Canberra to Sydney to buy Ikea products made Ikea shopping very time consuming and expensive."

"Ikea is a 'cash and carry' business so it meant that they couldn't order online and they needed to travel to Sydney to pay for the products. If they purchased bulky items like furniture, and didn't have a large enough vehicles available they were up for hefty charges for delivery."

So Michael and Loyzek came up with the idea to provide an affordable, door-to-door delivery service for Canberrans that love Ikea, saving them time and money.

The first Ikea trip goes on December 13, just in time for Christmas! Woohoo! Order online here.

Brilliant, now off to make my list and check it twice!

Now that was a REAL market!

I'm not sure that anyone could have dared dream the gob-smacking success of Canberra's first Handmade Market, held on Saturday. Despite the rather inclement weather, the crowds streamed in and most were well pleased to finally find style at a market filled with only handmade goods.

That's me and my almost empty stall (image by Ink & Leather)

Every stall holder I spoke with enjoyed record sales, many selling far more than anticipated and some ran out of stock! I personally had a fantastic day and thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and feedback from shoppers who loved my work. I was particularly excited to have so many readers come and chat - it's absolutely brilliant to meet you and I hope you had as much fun as I did!

And because I was so run off my very impractical pointy shoes and was unable to take my own photos, with many thanks, our photos come via The Riot Act and the lovely Grant from Ink & Leather.

A crowd shot from my own vantage point (image via Riot Act)

Even the outdoor stalls enjoyed a roaring trade (image via the Riot Act)

One of my favourites: Florence Broadhurst-y goodness Canvas Wall (image via the Riot Act)


And the sun even made an appearance! (images via the Riot Act)

A huge thank you and congratulations to event organiser and superwoman all-round, Julie Nichols - what a coup for you. How about we blow that up the skirts of a few pollies!

And to quote a perfect stranger who quipped "Now that's how a real market should be!" Welcome to Canberra Handmade, I can't wait for the next one in February!!! Yahoo!

Don't Miss: Handmade [up]market tomorrow!

I may have casually mentioned this already, but... Tomorrow sees the gathering of over 50 very talented designers to showcase @ the first Handmade Market ...

1. Unique and fabulous home slippers by Karmen Sega 2. Gorgeous jewellery by Sinead Buckney 3. Urban Threads for kids, t-shirts and amazing printed dresses 4. Beautiful felted goodies by Heartfelt 5. Sassy handbags by Tango & James 6. Stone jewels by Epiphanie 7. Too cute kids clothes by Littel Angel Little Devil 8. Va va voom handmade lingerie with a difference by Bombshell 9. Julie Nichols design jewellery 10. Another sassy handbag by Tango & James

Handmade: Canberra's UPmarket Saturday 22nd 10-6pm at Albert Hall, Commonwealth Ave (next door to the Hyatt).

Gift wrapping will be available from 11-3 on the day. A $2 donation to MND will be all it costs.
Giving Tree there will be a giving tree set up in the foyer of the hall. To make a contribution, just buy a gift from any retailer at handmade, grab a tag from the tree and place them together under the tree. Gifts will then be passed onto charity.

ATM Remember there is no ATM at Albert hall.
Handmade is wheelchair and pram friendly.
Free entry & Parking.

Come and say hello to me, I'll be spruiking my wares inside the hall, up on the stage... and buy something handmade!

See you there, love Nina x

Handmade [up]market: something unique

1. Tiny vial pendants by Origami Ornaments 2. Unique jewellery by Epiphanie 3. Bejewelled accessories by Rockstars and Royalty 4. Sassy purses by Tango & James 5. Silversmithing by Emma Kidson 6. Screen printed teatowels by Moyou 7. Florence Broadhurst for your wall by Canvas Wall 8. 'Some Like it Ruff' necklet, by Tango & James

Only at Handmade: Canberra's UPmarket, this Saturday 10-6 at Albert Hall

Hot hot hot: Designer furniture goes to auction

Ooooh, tingly excitement... It's on again, Cite are clearing some of their ex showroom gorgeous designer wares via online auction site Allbids (formerly DOLA). I went nuts on this last time, having had the opportunity to get to know all of the pieces very well, some going for rediculously low prices, I struggled with the idea of people who did not realising their worth. With the information on the Allbids listings so limited, it's difficult to gage exactly what the items really are. So let me help you with what I know, here are some of my favourites...

1. Meeni chair, by hot Canberra expat designer Matthew Sheargold. From his series Eeni, Meeni, Myni and Mo, this is a gorgeous compact chair with fab retro appeal.
2. Speed stool, by Gary Galego, award winning Aussie designer. This is a beautiful piece, timber veneered formed frame, upholstered all-round in brilliant Lustrell vinyl (in stone) with perfect detail.

3. The Oliver lounge, by Norman & Quaine. The Sydney based duo certainly took my breath away when I saw this one for the first time. The seat cushions are injection moulded, the look is totally retro, but the technology is brand new. Gorgeous and courageous fabric combo in pistachio green... l.o.v.e. i.t.

4. Estambul rug, by Spanish designer Nani Marquina. This is a casual interpretation of traditional kilim rug designs, very cool. Using New Zealand wools.

5. Ping Pong table, by Melbourne based family of designers, Tait. They found their niche by designing some of the most unique and fab outdoor furniture anywhere, love this fairly new design, and don't miss the listing for the Fat table and benches also by Tait.
6. Oku floor lamp, by Luzifer Lighting, Spain. This is engineered timber veneer and this light is the most stunning thing in the room when lit (and quite tall) A-MAZING!

7. creme de la creme... The Charles Wilson 801 corner lounge suite... {drooling} this is the most gob smackingly divine lounge, by Aussie designer Charles Wilson. This also utilises some amazing technology... you can't tell from the pic, but the arm is scoop shaped, moulded to curl up in - load up your cushions, you'll want to sleep on it! Top comfort and built from steel, it'll last forever, I promise.

Please do yourself a favour and check it out, there's so much more and some amazing collectable pieces (Kenneth Cobonpue - incredible!), I really could go on... {sigh} enjoy!

Glam wheels: Scooter Gals

This beautiful summery spring weather has had me thinking about ways to get out there and enjoy our beautiful city and surrounds, I spoke with Tess Ryan who, earlier this year, kicked off Canberras first and only all-girl Scooter club, Scootergals...

Tess how did this all-girl scooter club come about? I have only been riding for a year, but have always had a fascination with anything two wheels. Once I began to ride, I discovered that the majority of Scooter clubs in Canberra were male dominated, some by invitation only and rather elitist. I felt that this excluded a large proportion of new inexperienced female riders, who needed to build up their skills and confidence, as well as doing it in style.

What sort of activities do you partake in? As we are a new club, we are having monthly brunches and rides to get to know each other first. As the sun begins to come out, we are planning on having a vintage shopping tour, and arts based tour and a foodie tour around Canberra and its surrounds. We are also in talks with one of the Scooter shops in Canberra for some regular maintenance and mechanics nights, to further educate women so that they feel confident about scootering. Our future plan is to produce a calender of Scootergals, done in various retro styles, to sell once again for charity. It is early days yet, but that's what makes it so exciting!

What are the benefits of Scooter riding for a stylish Canberra girl? Some of our members are university students who need a quick and cheap commute to lectures. Others are women who love the idea of riding in such a picturesque place as Canberra. Lets face it, any scooter is the epitomy of style, with each rider becoming the topic of conversation around the water cooler. It is also economical, easy to park, and there are so many different styles to choose from you are spoiled for choice.

Scootering has come a long way since the glamourous ideals of Audrey Hepburn in Roman holiday, how does a styling girl deal with the safety clothing and how important is it? One of the things Scootergals hopes to instill in its members is the need for safety gear. A well fitting jacket, helmet and gloves are paramount, and there are some great designs out there to choose from. I myself own a red scooter, and don a red Cordura jacket, gloves and helmet. There are some wonderful retro style helmets and goggles also, as well as pants and jeans available. We aim to provide as much information on safety as we can, and feel you can have a balance of both style and protection when riding a scooter.

So where do I get a Scooter in Canberra, are there any fab retro ones? which ones are the coolest in town? There are two scooter shops in Canberra, Moto Central at Mitchell and Motorini in Phillip. Both stock a wide variety of scooter brands, and depending on how much money you want to spend, you can find some great retro styles out there. Of course, Vespas and Lambrettas are old school style, run fantastically and are the envy of most. But there are also modern brands with a retro feel for the starter rider out there.

What are you planning for your next Scootergals meet? Our next Event is another brunch, and a ride out to Yass for afternoon tea and antique browsing. We are also hoping to contribute to the Christmas Toy run in December, with a view of doing more charity rides and events for women's issues.

How can we find out more? We are in the process of setting up a website, in the mean time we can be contacted through our email scootergals@y7mail.com, or on our facebook page.

Looks like so much fun!