Uncommon Goods // Gifts for Kids

As much as I love flesh and bone shopping, when it comes to kids gifts, more and more often I am drawn to online stores that sell original and unique toys (instead of the big brands that that our local toyshops sell). I recently discovered US company, Uncommon Goods, a treasure trove of such products for young and old. Their kids collection is especially good. I think I could find something for everyone in there. Here are some of my favourites...

Dreamland nightlight / Petit Collage baby book / Giraffe and Penguin booties /
Rainbow sound blocks / Swamp monster and Silly horse hat 

Playon crayons / chalkboard with alphabet scroll / Magnetic vehicles /
Storybook Puppets / Prismania blocks /  Build your own city

Make Some Great Art book / Make your own Kaleidoscope set / Pixel Colouring book /
Felt mosaic game  / Rorys Story Cubes / Stack the carrots game

Another thing that makes them fabulous is their 'better to give' program - for everything you buy, you choose a charity to donate $1 of the cost to it. They've raised aLOT of money for some great causes. Hoorays all round!

If you're after uncommon adult presents also, then their Christmas gift selection is a good place to start (especially good things for Dads.. Dads are so hard to buy for don't you think?!)

This is a sponsored post. All product choices and opinions presented are my own. I fully support and admire Uncommon Goods as a company, so am very happy to represent their products. 

Village voices nomination

I'm so honoured to be listed  in the Village Voices 2013 Top 100 Blogs in Australia. This here space, The Daily Smudge, is nominated in the top 25  'Creative and Home' blogs category.

I've already been discovering some new and fabulous reads across all categories and so happy to be amongst such fine company as part of the year long festivities. Thanks so much whoever nominated me :-) and a cosy warm hello to any new folks passing by xx

An animalian alphabet // Wee Alphas

I'm sure if this gorgeous looking app had been around when I was growing up, I would have learnt my alphabet in half the time! Called Wee alphas (and created by Wee Society), this interactive and divinely illustrated alphabet teaches you in each instance to find the letters within an animal and then to explore each illustration for its secret power (ie. hidden animation) At the end you can pick your very favourite letter and perfect your tracing skills. Never too old for abit of alpha practice right?!



The accompanying giant sized screenprint and smaller print are quite divine too (after all things are always better on paper really aren't they!? hehe)

Stationery online // Quill, London

Online stationery wonderland, Quill - London, is the passion (& stationery sleuthing) of Lucy Edmonds. Quill stocks the products of some of my very favourite studios (Rifle Paper Co, Darling Clementine, In Haus Press etc etc) aswell as a bundle of new and exciting independent designers that are new to my ears and eyes.



These cards make me excited about christmas being nearly here again (instead of the 'eeek' feeling I usually have)... bring on that festive spirit!



Some pretty amazing calendars on the horizon for 2013 too...  Spring Once More / Pawling Design Studio/ Rifle Paper Co. / Sebastian Bergne

Clemens Habicht on The Design Files

I've posted about Clemens Habicht's talent before, and so I'm excited to see more of his extraordinary collage wonders over on The Design Files guest blog this week. Go check it out.

(Don't you just love the above illustration?! It was created for Good Weekend Summer Fiction last year)

Thankyou Finders Keepers

I feel very honoured to be on the Finders Keepers blog today (thankyou for asking Jade!) Go over and check out their other lovely online picks too.

Handwritten Letters

I love the work of Mary Kate McDevitt so was really excited to hear about her letter writing project: she will send a letter a day for a full year, all in the spirit of keeping postboxes happy and writing alive (letters of the alphabet that is, not letters about the weather!) Sadly I was too slow to sign myself up but am looking forward to seeing all the letters displayed on her tumblr site here

(you can buy the handwriting print here too)

Dear blank

I had many a chuckle over at the Dear Blank site when I discovered it awhile back... and today I was even happier to see that Sapling Press have converted some of those chuckles into real living letterpress letters.



(found via Design Crush & Design Work Life)

Papier mache magazine

Found this super cute online childrens magazine the other day. It's full of fairytale type handmade wonders and with the most adorable photography and creative shoots. How fun it looks to be a kid in these worlds! There are 3 issues already out and it's released 4 times a year. Go see for your self...

The Package Project

If you like sending and receiving curious snail mail packages then you should apply for The Package Project too... I've wanted to be a part of one of these exchanges for a long time and now there is an Australian based and lovely one from folk at Cupcake Couture. Go and sign up now...

We're on facebook!

Hello dear readers... The Daily Smudge is now on Facebook!! Will promise not to bombard you with things, but if you would like to receive some post updates and bonus info please do join up here

Silhouette fun // Color me Katie

Stumbled on a brilliant blog today called Color me Katie. It is full of fresh and colourful photography and can't help but feel happy looking at it all... especially loved this silhouettes idea she did for Time Out New York... much more fun than the usual profile head shot!

Poolga // iPhone desktops

I don't usually care much about gadgets, but today I do kind of wish I had an iPhone so I could download one of these lovely illustrations to fill it's shiny screen!
(left to right, top to bottom: 1. Alot of life - Maria Simo, 2. From me to you - Jijimiji, 3. Go - Pablo Lobo, 4. Love - Lazlito Kovacs, 5. Slave - Rubens, 6. Shut up and dance - Dubassy, 7. Speak and Spell - Ernesto Kofia, 8. Smile - Nathan Chan, 9. Rouws - Eika)

Moon Rocks Magazine // Issue 4

The new issue of Moon Rocks Magazine has hit the interweb and I was lucky enough to be included in amongst some other very talented folk!! Beginning as a brighton based printed zine, the move to web has enabled Moon Rocks to spread its geographical wings. Their strapline 'no agenda, no adverts, no cost, no colour' says it all really - begun quite simply to encourage and spread creativity as far afield as possible...

This is the first issue solely published online (at the touch of a download button) and its a damn good un too!! Contains an interview with Robert Sabbag (author of Snowblind) aswell as a bucket of wierd and wonderful fiction, photography and illustration.

Instructions: Look, download and carry around in pocket until you feel like being entertained!


You can sign up to the mailing list or the facebook fan page for more updates or even better contribute to the next issue (theme = 'the sea')