hooked on hookd

We are definitely keeping our eyes peeled on Jacinta Preston and Tanya Dammerer's new online shop 'hookd'! From simple design to the ridiculously luxe, hookd have some beautiful and unique gift ideas (err /treats for yourself...!). My current fav's have to be their i-Wood 'first laptop', skateboard mirror and recycled table leg candlesticks! What better place to carry out that last minute Christmas shopping?!

christmas aussie style...

...replacing snowflakes with ice lollies!

tis the season to be jolly

Indeed yes it's December ALREADY! Where did the year go I hear you cry?! Well the busy little elves at Lula & Bella have been gluing, sticking and goodie hunting to create some wonderous wrapping ideas just for you! 

With our brown paper and Christmas tags in mind we began gathering any pretty bits and bobs we could get our hands on! Buttons, ribbons, vintage lace, wool, string, beads, foliage and seeds (...Aussie inspired of course...not much holly or
mistletoe round these here parts!).

E voilà..

....Preeeettiness! With an abundance of wool we decided what better thing to create...than a pom pom or two! If you too want to relive your primary school days follow the steps below! And if you like our tags and want some for your own you can find then in our shop! 

Happy wrapping my friends! xx

What you will need to create your pom pom extraordinaire:

* Cardboard

* A compass or two circular items you can trace around

* Wool

* Scissors

* A darning needle (if poss!)

Method:

1) Find a circular object to draw around which is roughly the size of the pom pom you want to make. Draw around it twice on a piece of card. 

2) Place a smaller circular object in the centre of each circle and draw around it. 

3) Cut around the outer circle and cut out the middle leaving you with two donut shaped pieces of card.

4) Cut roughly a 2m length of wool, fold it in half and then half again. Thread your wool through the centre hole and make a lasso around the card to secure it in place.

5) Continue wrapping wool around the cardboard, repeat step 4 until the centre hole is full.

6) When the hole becomes too small to use your fingers continue by using a darning needle.

7) Once finished, insert the scissors between the two pieces of card and cut the wool all the way round.

8) Loop a strand of wool between the two pieces of card and tie it tightly in a double knot.

9) Carefully tear the card donuts to remove them.

10) Ta-daa! A quick trim of any uneven strands and your pom pom is complete!!

fuzzy

Is it a bird...is it a plane...no it's 3D printed jewellery!! What I hear you cry! The clever clogs at Smug use 3D modeling software and rapid prototyping to create these unique pieces. Fundamentally about simplicity and clean geometry, Smug's jewellery is 'printed' using hand-dyed nylon. Layer upon layer gradually build up to form these super light, tactile pieces. Très intéressant we say!

summer we salute you

Quite possibly one of my favourite ways to spend a sunny afternoon...sat on the beach doodling...oh Manly how I love thee x

adrienne & rob

Congratulations to Adrienne & Rob who tied the knot in Ontario, Canada on September 8th! Another stunning occasion with another stunning bride! Being avid travellers, our Suitcase invitation made the perfect match to their big day. Based on a vintage ticket it's complete with a tear off RSVP card. We'd like to wish them all the best in their new journey together and thank them for choosing our stationery! Love Lula & Bella x

Many thanks to Erika at Rowell Photography for their fab shots.

shopping for charity

Jewellery, homewares, limited edition prints, candles, bags, massages, reflexology, live music, organic creams the list goes on...oh yeah and a psychic for good measure! Along with Lula & Bella they were all onboard to raise money for the shining a light foundation this weekend, a charity which aims to empower women and their families in Tanzania through employment training, education and spiritual enrichment. We'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone who came along to support us. If you are interested in finding out more about the charity or to make a donation visit www.shiningalight.org

courtney & matthew

Ta-dah!...save the date...tick....and now Courtney & Matthew's pretty pretty invitation pack...tick! We totes love this letterpress design (if we do say so ourselves...!) with it's subtle blind debossing, hand stamped tag and hand-drawn map. Their wedding is to be held back in their native South Africa on a picturesque farm...a perfect stationery match we think with it's earthy tones and natural stocks. Keep your eyes peeled for their wedding pics in a few months time!

kelly & gareth

How sweet it is indeed! Congratulations to Kelly & Gareth on their stunning candy coloured wedding! Beautiful scenery, beautiful flowers and beautiful people. We loved working on their custom designed stationery which included a little stitched booklet invitation with maps, directions and accommodation, menus, table numbers and various signage. Wishing you all the best guys! Love Lula & Bella x

Photography by Dean Demos

bizarre bazaar

I was off to met the girls for a cheeky Thursday night vino when I stumbled across bizarre bazaar!! Nestled in the cozy Angel Place laneway just off George, this twilight fashion market oozes atmosphere. It's hosted by the creative nuts at A Series of Fortunate Events on the last Thursday of every second month....you with me?! Absolutely love the suspended bird cages (of which there were hundreds) and the models striking their pose at every corner! A few of my favs were Generalao, Doury, Lonely Kids Club and Veblen's Vice. Well worth a visit!

fiona verity

Say hello to our new friend and talented artist Fiona Verity,  you can see more of her work at fionaverity.blogspot.com.au. Working in intaglio print and watercolour we love her fresh, vibrant take on a very traditional printing method.

easels on the esplanade & manly artist market

A bit of rain and wind but all was not lost - we thawed ourselves out in the sun and enjoyed prime waterfront views,  thank you to Manly council for organising such a fab event! So great to have an opportunity to showcase local talent, such creativity on our doorstep. Some of our favourites on the day were live illustrations from Nicky Crowley (check out her blog Forestonia) and George Hambov (check out his site here) also have a look at the beautiful print work of Manly artist/illustrator and teacher Fiona Verity.

juliet & blake

We'd like to say a massive congratulations to Juliet & Blake who got hitched last month!...And what a beautiful, quintessential English affair it was too! Thanks for allowing us to bestow our creative brain on your stationery, yeay for you and yeay for letterpress! Wishing you all the best for your lifelong journey together...love Lula & Bella x

Photography by Liz Gaythers - lizgaythers@gmail.com

so long single!

Champagne and cupcakes, decadence and frivolity! Thank you beautiful ladies for a wonderful afternoon. We thoroughly enjoyed designing the invitations, and the bits and bobs that added to your smorgasbord of patisserie delights!

planet o' wonder

Welcome to the wonderful world of Planet! If you've never been it's so worth a visit. Located on Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills they focus on natural fibres, handcrafting, sustainability and above all they ooze style....and yes you guessed it they are now stocking Lula & Bella cards! Fabulous!...Prepare to max that credit card, you won't walk out empty handed! Enjoy!

painters' gallery

We are chuffed that the home of talented artist Ceasius Kakius, Painters' Gallery in Mona Vale, now sell our cards too! Their exhibitions showcase Australian and Latin American artists and they even host an artisan market every second Saturday!

courtney & matt - save the date

Congratulations on your engagement Courtney and Matt, we had a great morning on the shoot and think your digital Save the Date turned out beautifully! Looking forward to designing the letterpress invites! Watch this space!

oh pretty flower

We are very happy to announce that White House Flowers in Manly now stock Lula & Bella cards! Yippee! We've always been big fans of their creative, organic style and look forward to seeing our first card nestled in one of their beautiful bunches!

vivid

If you haven't had the chance to check out vivid in Sydney yet do it! A fab nighttime wander awaits!...Is it just me or does it make you feel all warm and Christmassy inside?!

dodo case

We love a bit of old with the new! What a clever idea, these ipad cases are handcrafted in San Francisco using traditional bookbinding techniques and materials. The bamboo inner is eco-friendly a looks a whole lot scrummier than the usual hunk of plastic on an ipad case! Nice work Dodo!

it's sunday

Handmade goodness! Loving the texture and colours of Not Tuesday's polymer clay collections, simply devine!

porcelain porcelain pooooorcelain

Porcelain is definitely one of my favourite materials at the moment and these beautiful pieces by The Mod Collective are just beyond fab. Tactile, delicate and precious...in a word...Yum.

grannies keep your mitts off

We came across this wonderous nugget of cleverness over the weekend...hello cross stitch necklace kit!...well done Delilah Devine stunning idea!

tags of wonder

Nothing like a bit of 'show & tell' to kick off a Monday morning! Ta-dah..a few cups of tea and numerous pencil sharpenings later...we can now proudly present present our new Vintage Animal Tags! They are litho printed from our original illustrations on 335gsm 100% recycled Enviro Board using eco-friendly black soy ink. Check out the packs of 6 on our online shop! Happy gifting my lovelies!

marvellous maya

Organic and honest, we love Maya Muse! Screen printed by hand on natural fibres using hand mixed, eco friendly inks, the range stretches from cushions to tea towels, door snakes to door stops. They've even got a 'Pamper Pack'...oh really is it too early for a self-indulgent Christmas present I ask?!

geometric genius

Loving the sharp geometric wonder of Minnen's hand crafted pendants! Bold and funky...nice work!

yippee our new collection has arrived!

Yippee our cards have arrived! Introducing our 3 new collections, litho printed onto 335gsm 100% recycled Enviro Board using eco-friendly inks! Happy environment = happy us! You can purchase these packs from our online shop or keep a look out for them in stores! For more photos check out our facebook page!

botanical range

The Botanical Range. Weee pretty pretty pretty...if we do say so ourselves...

say it range

Say It...and get posting peeps!

 

kaleidoscope range

Hand drawn, bold & brash. The Kaleidoscope Range.

press check - tick!

Just been to our lovely printers to see the Heidelberg in action! Very excited to be picking up our new range of greeting cards this week!....Watch this space!

antiques antiques antiques

Cream teas, countryside and collectables! We love a wee Sunday drive to the Southern Highlands...oh how middle-aged I hear you cry! This is one of our favourite stops, Peppergreen Antiques, a moochers delight!

tying the knot: tasha & julien

What can we say, a beautiful couple, a beautiful venue, beautiful friends and of course a beautiful day. New Years Eve proved to be the perfect day for Tasha and Julien's wedding, blue skies, sunshine and white sands. What more could a girl ask for? Recycled tins filled with wild flowers made the perfect centre pieces whilst candles and trinkets hung from the weathered beams. Littered with old fishing apparel and pure white bunting, this was a rustic beach wedding to be in awe of. Honest, organic and relaxed.

And yes, we were lucky enough to create the stationery for them! Tasha and Julien chose the suite 'Fairground' and we helped chose the colours, pale blue and grey, prodominently inspired by their choice of venue. Being from different countries, Julien from Reunion Island and Tasha from South Africa, meant that their stationery had to cater for two languages. So we decided to dedicate one colour to the English copy (blue as Tasha's bridesmaids were to be dressed in the same shade) and one to the French (as Julien's suit was to be grey). This formula dictated the design of the whole stationery suite. In total we created 6 pieces, the invitation, faire part (which is a French tradition), menu, table numbers, seating plan and place tags. The majority of pieces were litho printed on 300gsm stock. 

We are so pleased to have been a part of their big day and wish them all the best in their life long journey together! We'd also like to thank Allan McCreadie for supplying such beautiful photos and of course Tasha and Julien themselves for their review.

sixhands

Eee we can't get enough of these funky fabrics and furnishings from the girls at Sixhands! From rugs to lampshades and cushions to wallpapers their bold designs fill a room with confidence, colour and creativity. Take a look for yourself at emilyziz.com 

Now... has anyone got a spare mansion we can furnish?

ruby & sage

Resin jewellery at it's best. I love the soft, waxy, matt, handcrafted finish Megan's pieces have. They feel so organic and natural. Mixing resin, pigments and found objects like feathers, buttons and leaves make Megan's pieces truly unique. She even caters for kiddies wrists too! Check her out at rubyandsage.com.au

fabulous flatout frankie

We all know kids love the packaging more than the present right?! For those of you with little cherubs and an eco conscience, keep your eye open for these flat-packed gems! They are produced in NZ and are fully recyclable, check them out at flatoutfrankie.com

moorigin

Recently we stumbled across these nuggets of beauty, so delicate, intricate and precious! We can't get enough of them! Clean, timeless and unique...well done Moorigin!