Unique German Couple Move To Richmond

Unique Egg-Cups

This lovely couple, who originate from Bamberg in Germany, have just moved to Cache Designer Furniture in Richmond, Australia.  They are a one of a kind, extremely well travelled and seem very happy with their new residence.  That said, they are looking for a permanent home, so if you think they would fit in well at your place you can buy them online here, or if you live in Melbourne you can pop into Cache Designer Furniture to meet them in person and purchase them from there (and while you are there you can admire the unique, one-off pieces of furniture made from reclaimed timber).

Yarraville Markets

We hope everyone in Melbourne is in a market mood, because there is a fabulous market coming up this weekend!  The Yarraville Markets Christmas Market is on both Saturday & Sunday this weekend so you really need to get on over there and stock up on lots of hand-made, Australian made Christmas presents (as well as some lovely treats for yourself of course!).  Thanks so much to Lou Pennisi for providing this information and photos.

At the Yarraville Markets there is only handmade and/or Australian made products.  The market is held monthly over 2 days between 10am and 3pm in the Masonic Hall in the heart of the Yarraville Village (corner Willis and Canterbury St, Yarraville).  It is the sweetest little hall with fairy lights and an atmosphere all of its own.  There is free art and craft activities for the children, as well as free face painting and a monthly colouring competition with prizes for the most creative design.

There are different stallholders attending on both days, and they sell anything from photography, childrens products, honey, giftware, cushions, skincare and jewellery.  Handmade.  Australian made... Just the way we like it.

The next market is on Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th of December.. it's the last market for the year and the Christmas market is always the biggest and most festive for the year, so make sure you get along to check it out.  2011 dates are to be released very soon.

Winner Of Narelle Badalassi Giveaway

We are very pleased to announce that Christina is the lucky winner of our most recent giveway.  Congratulations Christina! Thanks to everyone that participated, and a special thankyou to Narelle for providing the gorgeous giveaway prizes.  To check out Narelle's unique range of products (including this lovely linocut teacups print) click here.

Teacups print

The John West "Canned Film Festival" Competition

Hey Hey It's Saturday recently ran the "Canned Film Festival" where you had to submit a short film (up to 2 mins in length) which had to feature a John West product in it.  We thought it would be fun to enter and that it would give David an opportunity to hone the editing skills that he has been developing working on the "Robins On The Loose" video series.  Anyway, we didn't win (BOO!) so we thought we would post our efforts on our blog so that at least a few people get to see it!

Here it is...  Song written and performed by David Cosma.   Let us know what you think by commenting below.

Giveaway With A Christmas Touch!

The lovely Narelle Badalassi from Tasmania, Australia has supplied the gorgeous array of products that form part of this giveaway.  Narelle's original stationery and prints have been extremely popular at Robin Street Market, and it's easy to see why.  Narelle's work is all hand drawn, hand carved & printed on antique printing machines.

Included in this giveaway (as shown below) are:

• pack of 5 "Merry Christmas" tags
• pack of 5 "To/From" Christmas tags
• pack of 5 "Merry Christmas" Notecards
• pack of 4 "Joyeux Noel" tags
• Tiny Teapot Linocut print 

To enter, all you need to do is visit Narelle's artist page and leave a comment on this post before midnight on Friday 26th November (Australian Eastern Standard Time).  A winner will be drawn at random and announced on this blog on Saturday 27th November  - good luck!

David Cosma: The Tale

We have just added "Music" as a new category of products to our store, and considering David is an independent muso, this category is very close to our hearts.  So, wherever you are in the world, if you know of any independent musicians who deserve a plug by Robin Street Market, please let us know. You can send us an email or just leave a comment below with suggestions.

As a follow up to his debut album "Hanging From Aldo", David will celebrate the release of his new EP "The Tale" with a performance at Pure Pop Records, 221 Barkly Street, St Kilda on Saturday November 27th at 3pm.  So if you are a  fellow Melburnian who enjoys the experience of kicking back and listening to some live music on a Saturday afternoon, come along, we'd love to see you there.

For a little taste of David's music (including a free download) here is a link to his website.  Both "Hanging From Aldo" & "The Tale" can be purchased on iTunes here and physical copies are available on Robin Street Market here.  You can also hear some of David's tunes as the soundtracks to our Robins On the Loose video series.

Mini Journals Added To The Nest!

Miniature Journal

Unique.  Tick.  Handmade. Tick.  A special gift.  Tick.  Welcome to the Nest!! These lovely, miniature journals are lovingly hand-bound by Susan Green in Dorset, England.  They are available in a number of different colours and would make a fantastic Christmas present for that person you know who appreciates uniqueness.  Click here for the full range.

Miniature Journal

Maribyrnong Makers Market, Melbourne, Australia

This is the official launch of our "Feature Market" series of blogs. Our plan is to feature a market on our blog on a regular basis. That way we can help promote some of these wonderful markets around the world and at the same time we are building a resource for travellers - to make it easier to incorporate a visit into a colourful, local market into your itinerary. So, wherever you are in the world, if you know of a great market that we should feature on our blog, please send us the details, you can either leave a comment below or send us an email.  Thanks to Jessica for providing us with the information and photos below - Maribyrnong Makers Market is one of my personal faves - if  you are in Melbourne next Saturday 20th November get along to this lovely market to browse the stalls and to meet some of the creative artisans.

The Maribyrnong Makers Market is a delightful hub for the creative talents of artisans in Melbourne's nestled Western area. These community run markets are hosted three times a year (2011 dates are 26 March, 17 September and 26 November), with the next market a Christmas event on Saturday 20 November at the Uniting Church Hall and Harris Reserve, Gamon Street, Seddon.

With a focus on new and emerging artisans, these "made in Melbourne" markets are the perfect place to purchase unique pieces, textiles, jewellery, children's clothes and paper products. A full list of artisans and market details can be found at maribyrnongmakersmarket.com.au.

Vietnam: The Robin's Next Adventure

We have been talking about going to Vietnam for a few years now, and finally, we have decided to just get our act together and organise it.  We are thinking about going in March 2011 to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary and that's really not that far away, so we thought we had better start with some itinerary planning.  And what a better way to start planning than to ask all of you knowledgeable people out there in internet land that have already been to Vietnam for your tips about where we should go and what we should see.

It's probably no surprise to hear that we love getting to local markets and sampling local food, but other than that, we just like the experience of being in a different country and mixing it with the locals. So if you have some tips that you think will be helpful, please either leave a comment below or send us an email. 

To get you in a Vietnam kind of mood, here are some photos taken by my good friend Taryn White when she was in Vietnam a couple of years ago - we thought they would be good for a bit of travel inspiration (thanks Taryn).

Gorgeous New Handmade Goodies Added!

Vintage Lino & Felt Brooch

David and I spent Saturday afternoon at the Substation Artists Market in Newport.  It's a really lovely market - David played a set of his original music (with our good friend Nick Caraffa) on backing vocals and percussion), while I browsed the market stalls, chatting to the artisans and stocking up on unique, handmade goodies made by some of Robin Street Market's most popular artists.  So.. here are some of the new acquisitions just added to the Nest! The brooch and badge are handmade by Michele Hume from vintage lino (1920-1950s!).  Very cool indeed.  We also have some groovy wall tiles made from this amazing material.

Vintage Lino Badge

And I also picked up some new handcrafted, lampwork jewellery pieces made by Di Bloomfield.  Love these summery, multi-coloured lampwork beads on corded silk.  The perfect way to add a bit of colour to that outfit! I loved them so much I kept one for myself.  Ah, the perks of running an online market :)

Lampwork Glass Beads On Corded Silk

So, pop over to Robin Street Market to check out these lovely new unique items (and more!).  If you would like to be kept updated of new additions to the store and other promotions you can join our mailing list (on our home page).

We Have A Winner!!

The random generator has chosen Susan K as the winner of the Lindy Stice Giveaway - congratulations Susan!! Please send us an email to customerservice@robinstreetmarket.com with your address details so that we can organise for those gorgeous one-off shoes to be sent your way.

Thanks to everyone that participated, and a HUGE thankyou to Lindy for taking the time to make those beautiful shoes for the giveaway.  To check out other shoes handmade by Lindy (including these ridiculously cute kimono shoes) click here.


Have a fantastic weekend (the sun is shining in Melbourne, YIPEE!).

Stunning New Prints Added!

Friends

We are buzzing with excitement here at Robin Street Market. We have just added some gorgeous new prints to our Nest - they are cute, quirky and just fantastic really.  They are based on original artwork by Michele Maule from Portland, Oregon, and there is not much more to say as these prints really speak for themselves. And if you love them as much as we do and would like to check out the full range and read a bit more about Michele, click here.  Let us know what you think by commenting below, we love hearing from you!

Winter Friends

Letting Go

Korean Food, Festivals And Other Facts

Over at Robin Street Market, we have been trying to decide where to go on our next trip - we are keen to go searching for some more unique and handmade goodies to add to our nest!  Korea is one country that really interests us - particularly because our love for Korean food.

Korea is located on a peninsula in far east Asia and has four distinct seasons.  It is because of these seasons that Korea has an amazing variety and abundance of natural ingredients that Koreans use in their cooking. Korean wisdom says that "food and medicine are grown from the same root" and this shows how important food is to the physical and emotional well being of the Korean people.

Food that is popular in Korea include rice, noodles, porridge, soups, stews, casseroles and lots of delicious side dishes.  And to swill down that yummy food, popular liquor choices include rice wine, soju, flower & fruit wine and medicinal wine. 

Table Manners

These tips made us smile so we thought we would share.  These are the main things to be remembered when sitting down for a traditional Korean meal:

• respect for elders:  do not pick up your chopsticks or spoon until an older person has commenced eating.  Also, do not continue to eat after an older person has finished eating.  When drinking wine, turn your head away from the older person;
• eat quietly: no slurping or talking with your mouth full! Be careful not to lift your bowl when eating and if you really feel the need to have a natter, do it in low tones.
• eat hygienically: do not rummage through side dishes with your chopsticks (because they have been in your mouth!).

I must admit to a creeping concern that David and I will be kicked out of every Korean restaurant we go to!

Street Food

Ah, the joy of walking down the street and being enticed by all the delicious food being cooked by the side of the road. Depending on where you are, you could pick yourself up some candied rice cakes, a sugar filled pancake, some roasted chestnuts, skewered potato chips or even a bottled (or plastic bag) cocktail! 

Food Festivals

There are lots of food festivals that you could incorporate into a trip to Korea, here are a few to take note of:

• Gwangju Kimchi Festival: held annually in October  
• Ganggyeong Fermented Jeotgal Festival: held annually in  mid- October 
• Busan Jagalchi Festival: held annually in  mid- October
• Yangyang Songi Mushroom Festival: held annually between late September and early October

Thanks so much to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) for providing some of the information above and for providing the lovely photos of delicious Korean food.  And if you are interested in finding out more about Korean food (including recipes) here is a link to a KTO website.

If you have been to Korea, we'd love to hear from you, so please comment below and let us know where you recommend as well as any travel tips that you are happy to share.

Lindy Stice Giveaway

It is Melbourne Cup Day here today and we thought we would celebrate by having a giveaway!  Lindy Stice, one of Robin Street Market's gorgeous crafters who lives in Fiji has been lovely enough to hand-craft a special, one-off pair of baby shoes just for us! 

The shoes are VERY sweet - they are made from red and natural linen/cotton with a red felt ladybug detail, hand embroidery and a layer of soft quilt batting (cushion) throughout.  The soles are grippy, and they are a US size 3 (to fit approx age 3 months old).  And the lucky little bub who ends up with these on their feet will be happy in the knowledge that they are wearing a one-of a kind!

To enter, all you need to do is visit Lindy's artist page and then leave a comment on this post telling us which of her unique, handmade shoes are your favourite before midnight on Thursday 4th November (Australian Eastern Standard Time).  If you comment as an "Anonymous" user, please leave your name so that I can announce you as the winner.  A winner will be drawn at random and announced on this blog on Friday 5th November  - good luck!