Paragraff Clothing are a small Australian clothing business that I came across at the last Fashion Exposed, fashion trade fair in Sydney. I was immediately drawn to their  beach wear as it reflected the key ingredients I look for in throw on casual day dresses; style, natural fibres, value ($47 - $92). Who wants to spend a fortune on something that is going to be covered in sun block and sand, and rolled into a ball at the bottom of your beach bag? We have limited stock of the first three designs to arrive in store. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have.

(BTW, you can tell it was my turn in the office to model the dresses can't you..? The headless woman strikes again!)

We have a new Australian design brand to tell you about. Part of our philosophy is to engage with and be built by our community, and Go Home, a Sydney based design brand was brought to our attention as a direct result of this practice. Self described as "fresh, young and bursting with ideas"  their mission statement is synonymous with our own in that they aim to provide "exclusive lifestyle products, which are as functional as they are innovative, without the usual pretence and inflated price".

That can certainly be said of the two products we have begun to promote from this range at ArteryStore.com. The fluid lines of the Orbital Herb Planta make it instantly appealing and the product is a very practical problem solver. How many times have you witnessed the death of your herbs because they have been relegated due to the ugliness of their containers to an unfrequented corner of your home, and often forgotten as a result. This product enables your herbs pride of place as a centrepiece on a table, and is a great space saver for unit living. And, the price is amazingly good value at $39.95.

Go Home products are designed by Donna Gee and Ben McCarthy, both Bachelor of Industrial Design graduates from the University of New South Wales and both now residing in London.

We are proud to offer this Australian brand to you, and thank you for your contributions and suggestions, and for helping make ArteryStore.com what you want it to be.

When I'm buying homewares to include in ArteryStore.com's stock range, I assess them using a number of criteria.

Firstly, the overall design and quality are of immediate impact and importance, the origin of the item and manufacturing process, value for money and recommended price point, and the relevance and usefulness of the product are also paramount. As we sell homewares online, the ability to send items easily by freight also comes into the equation.

When I came across Craft Studio at a recent Trade Show in Sydney I was immediately drawn to their stand because of the great colours, natural fibres, simple design and excellent quality, then I found out the pricing and became a customer!

Craft Studio, an Australian owned company that designs and manufactures a range of homewares using 100% natural cotton textiles, imports from India.

Last year was the International Year of Natural Fibres, an incentive originated with the purpose of educating people as to the importance of choosing natural fibres over synthetic, cheaper fibres.

The Craft Studio range is beautiful. The hammocks (under $100) are already a best seller of ours and are proving to be a very popular choice given our beach culture and climate. I don't recall ever having seen better value in a tea-towel, and at $5.50 it makes you question the $27 price point we often see these items pitched at, doesn't it..? Craft Studio cushions are also very pretty and exceptional value too. I love the Ornamental Blue range. And what child's birthday party table setting couldn't be amped up a notch with these tablecloths?

I rest my case.

If it's stripes in natural cotton textiles you seek, then your journey ends with Craft Studio, at ArteryStore.com.

I recently stumbled across a superb find in the form of One Rundle Trading Co. and already our customers are loving the natural pearl jewellery and buffalo bone homewares from Indian artisans.

Especially of note is the group of five pearl bracelets on elastic bands for $55, the silver charm bracelets for $45, and the most jaw droppingly gorgeous 15 strand, twisted pearl necklace, tied at the back with grosgrain ribbon for $440. Very Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Yes, there may have been a couple of presents to self in there... after all, I work very hard...

One Rundle Trading Co. I like it. I like it a lot.

Hats are one of the essential pieces of clothing needed to combat our harsh climate, however this shared, daily problem, has not ignited an explosive design frenzy from hat manufacturers Downunder. Nor has it ignited boldness amongst the general public to go much beyond their comfort zone. Wearing any fashion item that is not the same as everyone else takes guts. However, I believe that Constitution have balanced that fine line between not being an attention seeker, but being just plain, stylish fun.  Recently when trawling through the good, the bad, and the ugly at the fashion trade show in Sydney, I came across this gorgeous little local company whose product was gob-stoppingly 'weekend'. As a perpetual pursuer of such good times I was very pleased as their products not only emitted this vibe, but I could virtually feel the sand under my feet immediately. On my list of items to attempt to track down at the shows were a couple of unisex, limited edition, unusual (but not ridiculous) designs, at good price points. I believe I had a win. What do you think? Please post your comment.

From my perspective, what I love about these beautiful, play based products is their artwork. Djeco dream up and design all their original products from their HQ in Paris. Generally it takes a year from inception of the idea to the product being presented in a box.

Before entering the market the item undergoes a series of tests. Djeco first of all meet their own requirements, "which have always been very rigorous... but it must be in accordance with a number of safety standards that are absolutely draconian!” they say.

I've never seen such imaginative themes, tasteful colour hues, and inspiring illustrations. These are pieces that you would easily hang on your child's bedroom walls once completed, as there's no finer. There are themes that suit older children as well, which as any parent of an 8-12 year old would know, is a tall order. Consider the Stitch Cards, Witch, Owl and Cat. The subject is deliriously offbeat, and just a little dark, with a colour palette that is not screaming primary colours or run of the mill tones. The detail of the illustration close up is divine, with pretty patterned prints on clothes or drawn on feathers and hair. Even the beads are first class.

Djeco is truly a benchmark brand. If your child is artistic and a right side of the brain user, then this one needs to be seen to be believed. I'm in love.

There comes a certain time in some women's lives when they decide that all they want to wear is "real jewellery". And by real jewellery I mean, jewellery of good quality, real gemstones and artisan crafting. For me that moment is best portrayed by the work of Ari Athans who produces incredibly classic contemporary pieces with no trace of conservatism. She best describes her work as "devastatingly simple with a post modern twist" and that about sums it up.

Ari works primarily with stone and precious metal with a strong preference for unusual gemstone cuts and raw geologic samples. She sources her stones from around the world and locally through gem fairs and likens this process to fossicking. Her inspiration combines science, geology in particular and fashion.

Her minimalist approach to design enhances the raw geologic samples and gemstones in each piece and reflects the randomness and order that occurs in crystal growth.

Brisbane based Ari studied gemmology and geology at the  University of Technology, Sydney and worked in the mining and exploration industry before turning her creativities to jewellery and object design. It was a natural progression and clearly has had a significant influence on her jewellery.

Ari's jewellery has appeared in solo and major group shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Edinborough, London, Munich, Singapore , Tokyo and currently Milan... and also on ArteryStore.com

As Designer/Director of children's lifestyle brand eeni meeni miini moh and Article homewares brand, Elizabeth O'Connor Cowley is passionate about the design process and creating timeless pieces of the highest standard. Brisbane based Elizabeth and her husband Philip began their thriving business eeni meeni together 7 years ago out of frustration with the choice available to parents for their babies and children. Eeni Meeni's objective originally was to combine natural fibres, assorted textures and a distinctive palette to a collection of essentials that nurture and shape a newborn's environment. Today eeni meeni miini moh is sold around the world in approximately 180 upmarket Childrenswear Boutiques and Lifestyle/Gift stores throughout Australia, New Zealand, Spain, U.K., U.A.E., U.S.A, Switzerland and the Netherland and is a great Australian success story. Their range covers Apparel, Bedlinen, Toys and Accessories for children 0-12 years and is distinctive for its harmonious colours and design language winning the Kids Category at the Australian Fashion Design Awards in 2006, and The Innovation Category winner in 2005.

Recently Elizabeth and Philip launched Article, a collection of homewares with a strong connection to Elizabeth's work as a visual artist. Article textiles depict bold and simplistic representations of selected subjects inspired by Elizabeth's immediate surroundings.  Great importance is placed on the manipulation of universal elements - colour, form + line and the exploration of the spirit of space.  Elizabeth, who studied a B.A. Vis Arts (Major: Painting) at QUT in Queensland, Australia, enjoys working in a variety of creative disciplines whether it be painting (her instinctive passion), graphic design or textiles. "Blurring the line between art and product, article is a means of expressing myself across a variety of mediums in a form that can be shared.  My objective is to create usable art in limited editions from natural renewable resources".

We wish Elizabeth and Philip all the best with their ventures and look forward to witnessing more of the fruits of their creative force in the future. Click here to see more eeni meeni and article.

Article Bean Bag, Aqua Circle

'Hot like your Mom, tough like you Dad', is how designers Ryan Wither and Paul Lewin describe their range of accessories. 'Tivi is an intercourse between industrial materials and intelligent designs', and yes, I'd have to agree (innuendoes aside) that both of these forces are at play in the Tivi, Clutch Handbag. I haven't come across a woman (nor a man) yet who fails to appreciate the sheer beauty of these clutches. Wooden panels are constructed in Sweden and are formed from plantation birch and zebra wood. A hidden magnet holds the clutch closed, and a satin lacquer finish is added to provide a resilient protective coating to the wood. All metal parts are stainless steel and machined in the US. The leather is a super soft goat skin and the purses are hand sewn and assembled in the US. Multicultural!

Unlike most fashion accessories designers and brands these guys draw on their backgrounds in furniture design and engineering to create these amazing peices, which are a juxtposition between hard and soft, industrial and craft, sculpture and jewellery. This pair do have have a certain cockiness about them which leads me to believe they're keen observers of the female form, and they know what dings their buzzers. It works for me too, so they must be onto something.