Ceramics: Bison

Based in the Australian Capital Territory, and drawing inspiration from the ancient art of applying colour and decoration to stone, the creative team at Bison produce handmade, durable ceramics. Bison's range are oven, microwave and dishwasher safe and come in a most delicious palette of colours. 

We were the lucky recipients of a set of 'penguins' in the shades of 'gun metal' and 'green tea' quite recently and I've been eyeing off some table pots in 'raspberry' and 'willow' for sometime.

To view Bison's range, find stockists, or buy online, go over here.

Handmade: Rebound

We had a quick wander around the Rose St Markets yesterday morning after having a sort of breakfast/brunch at the Vegie Bar. As we circled the little stalls of handmade goods it was Rebound Books that caught our eye. 

Melbournians Ben Mason and Natalie Crupi have coupled their love of old books and creative writing to found Rebound. They rescue the best looking hard cover novels from dusty shelves in charity op shops, filling them with 100% recycled denim paper (completely tree-free and made from denim offcuts and scraps) and bind them with a sturdy wire to create one of a kind blank journals. Each Rebound journal is hand made, each cover is unique, each page is hand cut and each binding is closed by hand.

You can get your hands on one of these unique pieces at various markets around Melbourne or online. For more information, take a look here. 

Handmade: Gift Guide for Valentine's Day

Leo and I are aren't particularly big on the commercial hoo-ha of V. Day. We do however like an excuse to get a bit smoochy and remind each other how awesome the other one is. So, we've gathered up a few handmade bits and pieces to express your feelings to a loved one, anytime.

Kiln fired, pure white porcelain clay gift-cards and bowls, $18.00 (set of 6)/$16.00 US, from Etsy seller Paloma's Nest

Printed illustrative greeting cards, $4.00 US, from Etsy seller Making Strangers

Hand-drawn prints, $20.00 US (left) and $16.00 (right), from Etsy seller Dazey Chic

Cute illustrated greeting cards, $8.00 US (set of 4), from Etsy seller Wooke

Letterpressed gift-cards, $3.50 US, from Etsy seller Pistachio Press

Vintage Collage Sheets, $3.50 US, from Etsy seller Candy Connection 22

Design: Mozi

Lately we've been admiring these lovely products by Australian brand, MOZI. 

Sisters Camilla & Olivia Tipler started the brand from their parents' garage, drawing inspiration from their beloved childhood pets including Peter Rabbit, Max the Giant Poodle and Pepper the blackbird.  Also heavily influenced by their faraway travels and love for all things exotic, MOZI's designs are a fusion of colour, pattern, theme and subjects that inspire the imagination. The designs are currently applied to over twenty- five products falling into six main categories from kitchen textiles to stationery.

From its humble beginnings, MOZI has transformed into an international success with much praise and recognition.

To get your hands on these unique wares, check for a stockist near you or buy online.

Magic Bean: News

The last few weeks here at Magic Bean seem to have been centered around our tuition sector. Leon has had the pleasure of helping out several lovely people with their technological needs and has received a ton of positive feedback (he really is very good, though I may be somewhat biased). 

If you reside in Melbourne and have any questions, issues or concerns in the realm of Mac or creative software, Leo's probably the man to save your day. Take a look here for more info and please feel free to contact us any time. 

This month, we're hoping to get our online store jam packed with handmade goods (workload permitting), so stay tuned. 

We're also going to post a call out for Australian, particularly Melbourne artists and designers to send their work through to be featured, so look out for the details in a few days.