Sponsor Spotlight

This month's featured artist on Lobo Luxe is the brilliant jewelry designer Clare Hillerby, who incorporates beautiful vintage letters and other paper ephemera in her work. Clare extracts intriguing pieces of handwritten messages, and then combines them with new metalwork to create a contemporary and mysterious story. Shown here is the lovely Circles Bracelet, but Clare also has a beautiful selection of necklaces, bracelets, brooches, earrings and cufflinks in her collection, too — in limited editions and one-off pieces. Shop her collection (and check out her gorgeous vintage stamp earrings!) here. And to make it even more appealing — Lobo Luxe is offering free shipping September 1 to 3!











Great news for those of you who love the delightful Keepsake Boxes from Small Equals — Liza has been able to streamline the production so much that the price has been reduced accordingly — these high quality, locally made, sustainable, re-usable and adorable products are now a very affordable $15, down from $22. And to get you even more inspired, you can watch a fun little video of the making of the boxes here, too. Each box is unique — Liza uses images from her collection of vintage ephemera for each one — so be sure to visit the shop to see her full selection.











Pamela of Bates Mercantile Co. has been busily building up the vintage section of her always fascinating shop, and she's made some great finds! This cheerful little 1970s teal green fondue pot is just one example of what's new in the shop, and it would definitely look fab at a retro dinner party — or as a part of your kitchen decor, to add a pretty note of colour. See more goodness at the shop here, too.

Meet the Sponsor

I'm very excited to introduce you to lovely new sponsor Deborah Flanagan, whose beautiful silver jewelry combines delicate modernity with a warm, tactile quality. Each piece is hand made by Deborah, and is versatile enough for any occasion, whether it's with jeans and a tee or a classic little black dress. See more of her beautiful work here.

Sponsor Spotlight

Brighten up your kitchen or yourself with a pretty palette of sapphire blue and white from Leif! Make any meal instantly fun with the playful Guinea Pig Salt & Pepper Shakers, handmade and hand painted by the designer in Ohio — or add a touch of sculptural colour to your wardrobe with the lovely Felt Necklace in Cloud by Magdalena Hartleb, made from soft, non-itchy merino wool. The perfect way to add a little crispness to summer!






Dreaming of Paris? So is Izabella of FifiduVie — her recent vacations in the City of Light inspired her sweet new print, Paris is Paradise. Available as a signed, limited edition of 10, it measures 14" x 11" and is printed on Canson Edition White 90 lb (185 gsm), acid free, archival quality paper in two shades of pink non-toxic acrylic ink. One of these prints over your desk would definitely inspire happy daydreams of the sights and sounds of one of the world's most beautiful cities!






Interested in adding a little mystery to your life? Lobo Luxe is now carrying these beautiful flower earrings by Tasmania-based jeweler Shauna Mayben, with a secret message on the reverse side. Called He Whispered Sweet Nothings in Her Ear, they're created by cutting up old romance novels and juxtaposing them with floral images, and offer a new perspective on the meaning of flowers. Each piece is also one of a kind and is responsibly made from upcycled perspex and 100% recycled sterling silver. Why not add a secret romance to your summer?






Pamela of Bates Mercantile Co has a pretty new series of classic furniture illustrations in the shop, such as the lovely Louis XV chair shown here. These delicate drawings would work equally well in both traditional and modern settings. And as they're available as a downloadable file, you can choose how you'd like to print them, too — on a classic textured paper stock, or even on something with a fun pattern. Frame it and you have a perfect housewarming gift!






Exciting news! The Small Equals line of cologne and facial elixir is now available, and it's utterly delectable. The Jasmine scent is light and flowery, and is the perfect size to stash in a purse, pocket or car for a quick spritz. And the deliciously scented Coffee/Jasmine Elixir is a fine blend of pure facial nourishment that can be used alone or under make up — perfect for all skin types, its exquisite emollient and firming qualities won't clog pores, making it ideal for summer weather. Indulge yourself!

Giveaway Winner!

We have a winner! The (randomly chosen) lucky recipient of the gorgeous funk dimension earrings from Lobo Luxe is Amber of fabricatedends — congratulations!! Thanks so much again to Lobo Luxe for this wonderful giveaway.

Sponsor Spotlight

Just in at the beautiful Lobo Luxe shop — the stunning handcrafted Dragonfly Necklace Belt by New Zealand artist Caroline Bassett. Featuring a gently textured dragonfly set off with aventurine and amethyst stones, this versatile piece can be worn draped once or twice around the neck, in lariat form or as a belt, fitting up to a size 14 (Australian) comfortably. A simple catch means that changing how you wear it is a snap, too. And to make it even more appealing, free shipping on this item is available worldwide until midnight of June 30 2011 — though lucky automatism readers are eligible for an extension, with free shipping until midnight of July 2 2011! Visit Lobo Luxe for details — and happy shopping!

Sponsor Spotlight

The Geometric Thank You Card Set from Leif is just one of the exciting new arrivals at the shop! Designed by Yellow Owl Workshop, the boxed set features four different geometric prints (two of each design) made with vegetable based ink and packaged with recycled envelopes. Add some style to your day — use these to dash off a sweet thank you for the little kindnesses in your life!






Looking for a bit of urban chic this summer? The wonderful White Moth Jewelry is here to help, with a lovely offer of 20% off just for automatism readers! All you have to do is use the checkout code of Auto20 before July 30. There's loads of lovely pieces to choose from, so happy shopping!






If you've been thinking of adding a little bit of sparkle to your summer wardrobe, now is the perfect time to enter an amazing giveaway on the 100 Applegate blog! For a chance to win a $100 gift certificate from the 100 Applegate vintage jewelry shop, pop by the blog before July 10 and leave a comment on the giveway post. Good luck — and hope you'll be wearing some vintage loveliness soon!






Marisa of modulem has just launched Book Flora and Fauna, a new series of photos featuring maquettes of her book structures, or sculptures. These lovely and ethereal images of her work — all tiny fluttering books linked by delicate silver wire — would be a perfect gift for both book lovers and art lovers. So pretty. See the full series at her shop here.






Liza of the wonderful Small Equals shop has just introduced the luscious-sounding new Jasmine Grandiflorum Cologne, specially blended for Small Equals by Lunaroma Aromatic Apothecary in Burlington, Vermont. There's also an intriguing Coffee/Jasmine Elixir, which offers something a little different for fragrant summer evenings. Available for pre-ordering — though Liza does have a small stock on hand, for those who just can't wait!






Pamela of the delightful Bates Mercantile Co. now has a blog! The Mercantile Muse offers readers a peek behind the scenes of their little shop of prints, photography and vintage items — illustrated with lots of personal photos by Pam herself. Be sure to visit their shop, too, for such items as the charming little bean pot shown here!

Giveaway

I have a great giveaway for you today, thanks to lovely Charmaine of Lobo Luxe — a pair of gorgeous funk dimension earrings in mango, hand made by Australian designer Felicity Peters. Made of sterling silver and acrylic, they're perfect for adding a colourful punch to your summer wardrobe! For a chance to win, all you have to do is first like Lobo Luxe on Facebook, and then return here and leave a comment below — with an email address or link where I can contact you, too. Contest closes midnight EST on June 30 2011. The winner will be announced here on July 4, and the earrings will be shipped out directly to the lucky reader by Lobo Luxe. Good luck!

Sponsor Spotlight

Tina of the wonderful English Muse blog is in the process of moving to a new site very soon — can't wait to see it! In the meantime, do drop by to visit her present location — and check out her beautiful and inspiring tumblr Ms. Muse (where this image is from) too. I always find something new to read or think about every time I visit.






Izabella of Fifiduvie now has tote bags in her lovely shop! Available in two styles — the one shown above and another one that reads in the madness there is love — these cute and affordable totes would be great for trips to the farmer's market, the beach, picnics and more. The most mundane errand would definitely become extra stylish with one of these slung over your shoulder!






It's been a busy and exciting month for Liza at Small Equals — first a mention in the New York Times, and now a moving sale! Liza will be closing her tiny bricks and mortar store in Burlington Vermont within the next couple of months, but her online store will stay open — and that's where you'll find the sale! Automatism readers can get a jump start on the sale by using the discount code Spring11 at checkout. It's a great time to pick up something special, like this beautiful necklace by Saada from Mali, made of roots, glass beads from Ghana and bamboo. A real statement piece, it's perfect for adding a finishing touch to a summer dress — or a tee and jeans.






Looking to add a little shimmer to your summer wardrobe? For a limited time the lovely Lobo Luxe shop is offering $20.00 off shipping — just use coupon code LoboLuxeMay before May 31st! It's a perfect time to pick up a pretty piece or two, like the Wave Bangle and Landscape Ring by Felicity Peters shown here. And while you're visiting, take a moment to sign up for the newsletter, where you'll not only get to hear what's new at Lobo Luxe, but will be in the running to win a $50 Gift Certificate, with a winner drawn every month. Happy shopping!






It's easy to see why the charming I Love You Eye Chart from the Bates Mercantile Company has been their most popular printable yet — it's just so clever and fun. And as customers print out the image themselves, delivery is super quick — Pamela sends the files as soon as she receives the order. And if you're looking for something a little different for a special someone, customized printables are also available upon request, too. A fast way to give your home a new look!

Atelier: Adele Brereton

I've admired the lovely sculptural work of jeweler and silversmith Adele Brereton for a while now, but have only just realized that I've never shared it here. So here you are — Adele's beautiful pieces inspired by nature. See more loveliness here, too.