deck the halls....

Yes, it is that time already, but what a fabulous year it has been. We have welcomed many new fine retailers to our fair and been surrounded by gorgeous wares from the very finest artists, craftspeople and gourmets - many of which are sitting under your trees we are sure!

Nic, Georgina and Brooke, together with the host of Magnolia Square retailers wish you and your families all a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy and prosperous new year. We look forward to seeing you all again in the 2009 where we will continue to bring you the exciting, unique shopping experience that is Magnolia Square.

Image shows Christmas decorations from Flora and Ceres; from left to right; metal birds $3ea, advent stocking - $150, small santa sack- $65 available online.

a whole block of cute...

A world away from mass produced plastic toys comes these very sweet Petit Flanuer wooden blocks. A fresh take on a traditional toy, these blocks span the age of infancy to children in their school years. The generous (5 x 5 cm) blocks give young hands a nice object to hold onto whilst the 3 dimensional puzzle provides older children a fun, challenging activity and the apples and ice cream game (tic-tac-toe) is great for any age!

Creator Sandra Ciganic-McKinney works with everyday objects remaining attentive to both aesthetic and the functional dimensions. All the blocks are hand printed with non-toxic, solvent and metal free inks; sanded; and finished with a food safe oil. The 12 block set contains various types of high quality, untreated reclaimed wood ranging from maple, oak, walnut, cherry, and poplar- each set contains a unique combination of some or all of these woods.

The blocks are $52 (USD) and are available online. International shipping available.

in the blink of an eye....

From the grand pile of favourite finds at Magnolia Square Christmas Fair comes these Silhouette Magnets from Blink Designs.

Belinda Hellier describes her business, Blink Designs as being 'tran seasonal, transporting, trans cultural and trans urban'. Her hand printed homewares and textiles were the result of a love affair with pattern, print and colour. 8 years on Belinda produces a range of quirky homewares and accessories that combine whimsical charm with a great modern edge and a very personal stamp.

Magnets are hand printed in Melbourne on plywood sustainably grown in Australia. A set of four oval magnets and a surround which can also be used to frame your own images retails for $35

havens above....

Christmas is tinsels, beautifully bowed gifts, carols, friends, family and a stunningly laid festive table. The only thing getting in the way is of course time, energy and perhaps lack of creative flair. Claire Jackson from Haven Interiors has all in abundance and specialises in taking away the stress & creating a gorgeous story for you and your guests to enjoy. Whether your festive theme be traditional, understated, contemporary, magical or coastal, Claire can create a signature look just for you.

Haven Interiors is about creating warm, welcoming & relaxed aesthetics, & with table settings, festive wrapping & decorating, the same principles apply. Claire's love of natural colour palettes & textures, is reflected in stunning fabrics and sublime centrepieces.

Haven Interiors are also experts in property presentations, interior styling and all occasion decorating. Contact Claire on 0408 363 529, or email haven.interiors@bigpond.com to discuss your ideas. Consultation fees are frm $75 hour however Claire is offering Magnolia Square shoppers 20% off up until Christmas Eve.

the stockings are hung....

Well if not hung, certainly filled! Filled to overflowing with treasures, gifts and delicacies plucked from the plethora of gorgeous wares on offer at Magnolia Square Christmas Fair.

Malvern Town Hall once again played perfect host to the much anticipated 08 Christmas Fair. Shoppers were spoilt for choice with a network of new retailers such as A Sparkle in Time, Sprout Design and Juliet Horsley
.

Another new talent to our line up was Pip Crompton of Lipp Design who was also the very deservant winner of our Visual Merchandising awards. A breath taking display of understated elegance showcased her delightful children's illustrations beautifully. We understand Pip is drawing around the clock to fill all the orders in time for Christmas.

It was a pleasure to welcome new visitors to the fair and lovely to see the hordes of loyal shoppers who keep coming back. We look forward to seeing you all in 2010!

so much to love...

Magnolia Square at Brighton brought with it a bevy of gorgeous Christmas gift ideas and handcrafted delights, not to mention a glorious summer's day. As well as lots of familiar faces, it was great to welcome a group of new Magnolia Square shoppers - all of whom where delighted with the wares on show.

Amongst the new retailers to Magnolia Square were French Bazaar with a bold, expressive range of French products, Eyetribe with a collection of super stylish eye wear for children and petite art who offered some cute pieces of fabric art for youngsters.

We also discovered Vince Letterpress. Vince is a new generation of letterpress and designer stationery lovingly created by Meaghan Barbuto in her studio in Melbourne. Fusing traditional letterpress printing methods with the latest in contemporary graphic design and artistic originality, Vince is the name behind beautifully unique handmade baby announcements, occasion invitations, wedding stationery, personalised monograms and spectacular paper creations to house life’s most memorable moments. We love these Christmas tags.

See you all on Wednesday to do it all again at Malvern.....