If your wardrobe is anything like mine it’s full of hand me downs, op-shop gems and the occasional smell that reminds you of grandma? If you’re unfamiliar with Melbourne’s second hand shopping scene then you might be a bit crap at shopping.

These kids are about to become your new best friends. Jessica, Jenny and Richmond are three clever munchkins who have taken their love of all things preloved and turned it into the 3rd best job I’ve ever heard of (closely following video store attendant, but not so close to being MacGyver; I’m pretty sure that’s a job).

For a small fee these cats will show you all the best second hand secrets in Melbourne and even help you with those annoying little voices in your head that go ‘do I really need this chiffon dress?’ To which the answer is always yes! (unless it’s beige…)

Read the rest of this entry »

(Leave it alone. By the Focl’s)

A group of geriatric anarchists are giving the Sex Pistols a run for their money and ruffling a few feathers in the little ol’ town of Colac. Members of the band ‘The Focl’s’ (Friends of the Colac Library) are causing disturbances in council meetings and vexing in the recording studio to express their objection toward plans for a new and improved library. Somebody call ‘Lawsie’…

There is so much good coming from this little studio down on Smith St it’s difficult to describe them in a nutshell. The Social Studio’s primary aim is to give refugees a safe, welcoming place to learn new skills from experienced designers so they can then find employment in their new homeland. The offshoots of this project are: a fantastic shop where you can pick up one-off designer remakes, a coffee shop and sewing workshops that are open to the public. All the revenue raised from the offshoots go back into funding the primary project.

Read the rest of this entry »

Wooden Toy is one of our favourite local art and design publications which means we’re happy to announce a new competition for the next edition of their magazine. The Music Edition will feature an 8 page reader submitted gallery, this means Wooden Toy are calling out to designers, artists and illustrators to submit unpublished work under the theme of music. Wooden Toy will also be running an online gallery for all of those submissions that can’t be printed so stay tuned to WMSG for updates.

What: Wooden Toy drawing competition

When: Deadline for submissions is Friday November 6

Guidelines: All works must be created at 225mm x 225mm at 300dpi print resolution and cover the theme of music. Only send screen resolition 72 dpi jpegs (under 1mb) to submit@woodentoyquarterly.com. If Wooden Toy digs your submission they’ll send you an email.

.

These posters by Atlanta’s Mark Weaver would look awesome on the sad, white walls of our new house. Shame we’re all so poor. Read the rest of this entry »