Fancy yourself as a bit of an entrepreneur? Or maybe you’re just curious to learn more about the big, bright world of online retail? Who better to teach us a thing or two about harnessing our creative dreams than our friends at Etsy! Taking place on June 2nd at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art, Etsy Success Sydney features a jam-packed program of very special guest presentations on everything from effective team management to online etiquette and the basics of product styling. Speakers include Etsy CEO Chad Dickeron, The Social Studio’s Grace McQuilten and Valerie Khoo from the Sydney Writer’s Studio. And we’ve got a double event pass to give away to one very lucky reader! For your chance to win, simply comment below telling us who your favourite Etsy seller is and why. Meanwhile, tickets are still available for all here. {Comp closes May 25th, 2012 at 5pm}.
Attention all market lovers – here’s an event with a twist! Forget finished products and fine crafty creations: Stash and Treasure is all about buying and selling materials in the raw. Bucket loads of notions, papers, material, haberdashery supplies and various other odds and ends will be on sale to help fulfill your wildest DIY dreams. Join stall holders under the roof of Sydney’s gorgeous Marrickville Town Hall on May 12 for some serious recycling fun!
Jase and Matt are two Queensland brewmasters hoping to bring the flavour of the kombucha buzz down under. Using strictly raw, organic, local produce and reusable bottles, they aim to have the wonder drink for sale at farmers markets and beyond using a glocal enterprise model. But what exactly is kombucha, you ask? Basically it’s an effervescent beverage made with fermented tea leaves and a little help from the kombucha culture – a solid mass of yeast and good bacteria. Kombucha is rich in organic acids, active enzymes and polphenols, and is low in sugar and caffeine. Sweet on the tongue (we hear even kids like the taste!) and a great natural digestive aid, it’s hard to say which part of your body will be more grateful for a bit of the old Buchi: your taste buds or your gut! If you’d like to support the project by pledging some funds, you can jump onto the guys’ Pozible page!
No, this is not a strange experiment in ultimate Jenga, it’s a fully functional wall that stretches 10m created from a kaleidoscope of bricks. The amazing creation belongs to the South Asian Human Rights Documentation Centre in New Delhi, an organisation dedicated to advancing human rights in partnership with United Nations. Read the rest of this entry »
Whether you’re a Mac person or a PC person, most of us spend more time with our flat-faced friends than our real life mates – an average of four to six hours per day (a conservative estimate we think!). Anything to make computer time more enjoyable is worth the investment in our books, and now our technology accessories can also do their bit for the planet too! Pure Bamboo have just added these gorgeous keyboard and mouse combos fashioned from all natural Moso Bamboo charcoal to their eco office range. Known for its hypo-allergenic properties, the bamboo is chemical free, biodegradable and all natural. A much healthier alternative to the plastic and silicone we’re all used to tip-tapping away on!
I bet you could name a thousand ways to reuse a milk crate, but what about the bottles they once carried? Turns out that strangely textured white plastic can be used for much more than a funny looking flower vase. Brisbane design store Luxxbox have just launched their new Calcium collection which features a rather stylish range of chairs, stools and tables all made from, you guessed it, the humble milk bottle. Each chair is made up of some 157 bottles and is 100% recycled, recyclable and UV resistant – making them perfect for a life out on the deck under the year round Queensland sun! {View at artisan gallery until May 20}
Say hello to our little friend Helpful Harriet! This cute lil’ creature brought to life by Quill and Ink Handmade is on a mission to find a new home – and brighten your day in the process! Ever the helpful friend, she and her other cuddly mates will be on hand this Friday evening to offer you some company at the BrisStyle Twilight Market. She knows the ins and outs of the BrisStyle stalls and we can’t think of anyone better to share a special market night under the stars with. Show Harriet a good time and you never know, you might just be tempted to take her home!
Hankering for some fresh ideas in sustainability that are as easy on the eye as they are on the planet? Then look no further than the art world. Collingwood gallery Off the Kerb are presenting [in]FLUX, a new exhibition that takes positive inspiration from the things that might typically get us down – consumerism, overuse of natural resources and the irresponsible disposal of waste. The [in]FLUX artists are promoting a mantra very close to our hearts – ‘everything old is new again’ – turning used and abused materials into modern-day masterpieces. Contemporary artwork, furniture and design is all on show at the gallery from tonight, Friday April 20, right until May 11. {Off the Kerb: 66B Johnston St, Collingwood VIC}
As any online shopping enthusiast might tell you, there’s nothing quite like running for the mailbox Katrina-and-the-Waves-style and tearing open that package whose contents you’ve been, shall we say, quite eagerly anticipating. Ebay has forever been the face of the virtual marketplace, but what you might not know is that they have recently launched their very own green offshoot. Turns out the world’s largest hub for used, refurbished and vintage goods – and the team behind the scenes – are green in so many more ways than we first thought. Read the rest of this entry »
The lavish decadence of a chandelier paired with the soft elegance of wool – now there’s a match made in heaven. If I had a ladder tall enough, there’d be no stopping me from reaching up and having a feel of these glorious creations. They are of course lighting installations handmade by local textile artist Katelyn Aslett, each using hand-felted, organic wool. A sight to behold in the light of day, I can only imagine what these beauties look like lit up at night. For a chance to see Katelyn’s installations in the flesh, check out designEX on this May in Sydney or catch her wearable art on parade at Fashion Palette on April 27. Otherwise, next time you’re dancing the night away in a ballroom, keep an eye out over your head – you might just be basking in the warm glow of a Katelyn Aslett original.
