My Life As A Magazine: Melbourne

Melbourne

Showing posts with label Melbourne. Show all posts

Thanks to Notemaker the official Japanese Masking Tape company came to our Aussie shores recently for a pop-up space in Melbourne Central. Off-course I made a special trip from Sydney to check it out! I was in heaven looking at mt's new range, limited edition and special edition aussie themed tapes. Loved seeing the polka dot cardboard boxes and big rolls of washi tape hanging from the pop-up space walls - so used to seeing these in instagram snaps (#mtmaskingtape) at mt expos all over Japan and Singapore. How cute are the cubby houses? I want to have a go at making one!

Did you all have a fabulous weekend? I headed to Melbourne for a shopping mini break. Can you see a recurring theme in my purchases? Picked up some polka dot tapes, happy socks, stickers, picnic mat and a Baggu bag - such a cute little invention. Finally bought an Emily Green necklace (been wanting one for yonks) and a little notebook for jotting down ideas found at sweet Japanese stationery shop Kami in Fitzroy. Must stores to check out if your in the city also includes Yen store Tokuya, Vincent 2, Craft Victoria, Wilkins and Kent, Little Salon and Ganim's - who stock the original surprise balls by Gina Namkung!Check out some other cool stores from my little trip in the snaps below.

Issue 52 of Yen magazine is HOT HOT HOT with technicolour fashion that jumps of the pages, interview with my recent fave actor Emma Stone, pastel watercolour artworks, profile on Melbourne based Japanese zakka/book store Mr Kitly (it's on my 'must visit' list) and a feature on Zine making and distros + much more!

I love picking up Yen for it's fresh fashion page layouts that always give me lots of great colour inspiration and their interesting features on creative peeps.

Nestled in the historic country town of Daylesford, Melbourne is a quaint emporium of delight - a shop called Lark. Lark is run by the wonderful Allison Jones and her family. In the shop decor you can see glimpses of the UK and Japan, it's like a gallery of handmade where Lark stocks some of our most loved international designers like; Cath Kidston, Rice, Belle & Boo, Beci Orpin, Paumes and Rob Ryan etc.

Their focus is to bring us gifts from around the world for you, the home and kids. At Lark you can find books, zines, Japanese Zakka, prints and stationery.

I attended some of the Paper Convention Collective workshops at Sydney Finders Keepers this weekend. Workshops were held by Paper collective members Lox+ Savvy (Lisa), Dear Plastic (Yumi & Taka). Melbourne creative paper makers Trial & Error where also there to say hello and wow us with their AMAZING paper city display!

Trial & Error's Paper City installation introduced The Paper Convention Collective with a big wow...or Ahh!

Had a nice chat...about paper to the Melbourne Trial & Error peeps who were lovely! Nice to meet you guys! They were making and giving customers origami paper folded heart and tribal Lox+ savvy inspired headbands...all made out of paper!

Say...paper! Click!

Stationary paper goodies on the Lox+ Savvy table

Dear Plastic Milk carton paper making kits

Yumi's (Dear Plastic) handmade watercolour gift tags & zines at Finders Keepers

Paper workshops included; Flower Paper bomb making (Lox+Savvy, Dear Plastic), Milk carton paper making (Dear Plastic) and a creative gift wrap workshop!

Yumi's colourful paper flower bomb mobiles were hanged from the roof of the workshop area

Lisa (Lox+Savvy) & Yumi (Dear Plastic) showing us how to make paper flower bombs

The table was a colourful explosion of tissue paper!

Yumi showing us how to make the flower mobile

My paper flower bomb creation on the day. I decided to attach the cut-out excess paper bits to dangle down the back of mine!

Paper colourful....wonderful!

Dear Plastic never wastes any bits of paper- as you can see Yumi has made a colourful paper bunting using the leftover paper scraps from her flower bomb mobile making.

Milk carton paper making workshop area

If your wondering where I have been for the past few days, the answer is Melbourne! I went for a much needed break as well as to do some quality retail therapy. On my short trip I took along my journal to record my visit and stay in illustration (see above) and photographic form, along with a written shopping guide. I might make this into a zine when I'm done! Let me know if you would be interested in buying this too!

As well as shop all over Melbourne's CDB, China Town and Brunswick & Gertrude Streets in the Fitzroy area I went to four Exhibitions! Tim Burton & Screen Worlds at ACMI, Melbourne Museum Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition and The State Library Melbourne Shopping history exhibit; Til you Drop! I will be posting a review of each in the future.

Melbourne really is the shopping capital of Australia....sorry Sydney. They just seem to go all out on their visual merchandising and store window displays, here are some of my faves;

I was in awe of Sportsgirl Melbourne's Bourke Street Store! Loving these rainbow raindrops that were hanging from the front. Inside was also a dream with vintage tea cups hanging from the wall, a hot dog stand filled with accessories and a big postbox at the back for you to send a Sportsgirl postcard FREE to anywhere in the world!

Lindt Cafe on Collins Street, obviously after seeing this macaron tree and creative macaron paint palette...I just had to have some!

Now for some great Fitzroy Stores!

It was the bunting flags that caught my eye with this Gertrude Street Cottage Industry store that sells, threads and other vintage items. It was also a location for a scene in the Aussie Melbourne Drama Offspring!

Little Salon also on Gertrude Street was my fave Fitzroy store that sells a lot of handmade wares, MT Tape, cards and prints from Frankie magazine fave Bell and Boo as well as Bec Orpin notebooks..I bought this one in the picture!

Babushka Dolls in Brunswick Park

Liked the confetti in this Fitzroy, Johnston Street window display

This is the BEST window display I have ever seen! A shop called Harem on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Being a big fan of Disney I just loved it's Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs inspired display- how cute are the owls?

After hearing so much about this wonderful art/design gift and novelty homewares store, Third Draw Down was a must visit on my list. Check out the back room for the colourful streamer and confetti art display.

You can't go to Brunswick Street, Fitzroy without visiting the Queen of craft and all things handmade, Pip Lincolne's Meet me at Mikes! Loved her scrapbook wall display and vintage Golden book pages with newspaper that covered the entry doors.