Amanda Riley - invitations and graphic design

We received a package full of the works of Amanda and have to say we were very impressed by the quality and freshness of her designs.

Her sleek and easily navigated website can be found atwww.amandariley.com.au It has an array of products to choose from including invitations, cards, canvas wall art, corporate design work and even matching accessories! Amanda can even design a website for you.

The canvas wall art (pictured below) caught our attention as we all thought it was a terrific gift idea! You can have your favourite picture put onto a canvas ready for hanging or simply have it on a poster format ready to frame. What a great idea for the Grandparents!

The corporate section was also surprising as Amanda caters for all areas of your business. Newsletters, brochures, tickets, even car signage! She really does offer a complete service. Her printing on chocolates says it all.

The accessory section is a must see - the personalised stubby holders would be a great hit for a party! Do you have a funny photo of one of your friends?

If you are as impressed as we were by Amanda's ideas then visit her website at www.amandariley.com.au

Here's how easy it is to order from her website:

After you have chosen your design or one you would like changed to suit, please e-mail your photo’s (if required), party details and any other information you would like on them to orders@amandariley.com and a draft will be e-mailed to you to start the process. Alternatively, if there is something in particular you are after but cannot see it, one can be done from scratch especially for you. No confusing order forms to fill out, it’s easier to communicate one on one!

The Fairy Ring

This week we are reviewing the beautiful felt and wooden handmade toys from The Fairy Ring. The owner, Paisley, has created a wonderful website full of the most gorgeous handmade toys that are sure to be a huge hit for any child!

Paisley has been hand making dolls, toys, decorations and other items from wool, felt and other natural materials for 13 years. In addition to hand crafting the items on the fairy ring website, Paisley teaches craft and holds numerous workshops on felting techniques - even doing children's parties.
She is actively involved in the local Rudolf Steiner (Waldorf) school community, having previously occupied positions in the executive committee and contributing to fund raising and other efforts. All of the dolls, toys and other items offered on this website are consistent with the broader philosophies of Rudolf Steiner education and will inspire truly imaginative, learning play.

We had the pleasure of reviewing a selection of toys including some little wooden cars made from renewable plantation wood and brightly painted in non toxic colours. They were very cute and kept our little reviewer happy for ages! These cars were very well made and sturdy. Pictured below is the little red tow truck.

The felt toys were all delicately and lovingly sewn with great attention to detail as you can see in the photos. Made from hand dyed 100% wool felt and natural stuffing these toys are hand cut, hand sewn and hand made using age old techniques. We were very impressed by the quality of these gorgeous toys and can highly recommend them to you and your children!

The toys are beautiful to the touch and come in a range of sizes and colours.

The Fairy Ring is a collaboration of craftspeople, lead by the talented Paisley, who have developed a unique, educational and safe range of toys that would be an asset for all children.

You can find them at www.fairyring.com.au and we hope you do!

Paisley has kindly donated the toys for a giveaway! If you'd like to win a selection of her handmade toys then simply subscribe to her mailing list and let us know you did! It's that easy - we'll be drawing the prize in two weeks so get in now for your chance to win!

Funky Friends Factory

This weeks review is for Funky Friends Factory who supply kits to make your own soft toys - these kits are very funky and include absolutely everything you need to make a delightful creation of your own for someone special. They come with easy instructions that help you make your toy within a day! We got to make 'Gertie Gecko' as shown above and also the cute 'Kiki Koala'. All of the toys available on the site are cute, cuddly, safe and definitely great value for money!

Pauline, the creator of Funky Friends Factory says "I began making 'baby-safe bunnies' for all my friends with sewn on faces and no chewable, chokable bits. They were so popular that I moved on to mass production and that's where the 'factory' bit comes from!"

The patterns clearly take you through the process easily step by step and the kit comes with all the fabric and fiddly bits you need and a picture of the completed item. If you've ever thought of making something for someone then these kits are definitely the way to go. And because you get the pattern you can continue to make the toys in any fabric you like for as long as you like. Very economical and a wonderful gift idea!

Funky Friends Factory is a web based business and the site is a pleasure to visit. Easy to navigate, easy to purchase from and you can even join as a member for even greater savings on their products. Instant download patterns are available and they also have just released a Fair Trade Toys area which gives you an idea of just how devoted Pauline is to her toys and her business!

This is a true Aussie business that you can easily support - feel free to share this blog post on your own blog and help spread the word about Funky Friends Factory! They deserve it!

They have so many great toys to make we thought we'd show you a few more of Pauline's fantastic creations!www.funkyfriendsfactory.com

A Sewing Sister

A SEWING SISTER REVIEW -
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CUSHION COVERS

NEW LIFE – it's all about re-using fabrics! A Sewing Sister have scouted St Vinnies/Op Shops to find interesting fabrics from various items, such as T-shirts, doona covers.... anything really, all in a bid to REUSE items people didn't want. The used items are given a new-life by turning them into cushion covers.

Reuse, by definition, is to use an item more than once.
Bonus - it reduces my costs therefore cheaper for you.
Cushions are a great way of updating the look of any room.
Personalize the kids bedrooms with their own style.
An inexpensive way of changing the look of a room.

A SEWING SISTER 10/10

A great little site on Etsy by the name of A Sewing Sister sent a cushion cover for review. We were pleasantly surprised by what we received. A funky retro hibiscus cushion cover! Included was a little note explaining the fabric had been sourced from St Vinnie's/Op Shops and thanked me for being environmentally conscious.

Visit A Sewing Sister

As it turns out, this cushion cover use to be something else and has now been designed into a 16 x 16 inch cushion cover. It seems to be A Sewing Sister's way of being eco-friendly is by reusing vintage fabrics and even clothing items. With an envelope opening the cushion insert slips right in without a worry and I don't have to worry about busting a zip. I love the cushion cover but love the fact of reusing older, perfect good fabric, a great idea.

Add a touch of style with these eco-friendly bargain cushion covers buys. A Sewing Sister has a section dedicated to reused cushion covers called New Life and prices start a $9.00 US.

A perfect score by all reviewers is impressive! We all liked the sentiment behind the business and the cover was flawless and safe - we all loved it!