We have heaps of new gifts in the shop at the moment, and some of them are so cool I want to take them home for myself. I’ll probably settle for sourcing a few of my Christmas gifts from here.

We get new Paperblanks designs in all the time, and the “Embellished Manuscripts” series are among my favourites. Each one has a cover that’s beautifully decorated with a facsimile of the writing or drawing of a famous artist. Here’s the F. Scott Fitzgerald version, decorated with the first page of The Great Gatsby in the author’s handwriting. The magnetic flap has Fitzgerald’s signature. This one would be a great gift for a book lover, which goes without saying. Hint hint!

We have heaps of weird and silly stuff, too: talking hand mirrors, mp3 amplifiers and an angle grinder pizza cutter. Here is one of our newest gifts: a “blood-stained” apron. It might not be everybody’s cup of tea, bit I think it’s fun. We have a Psycho-esque blood-footprint bathmat, too.

Speaking of cooking, we also have some new cooking-related gifts for kids. We have “apprentice chef” sets with a canvas apron, tongs, burger recipes and mitt, and “kids in the kitchen” kits which contain a kid-sized chef’s hat and apron, as well as a mixing bowl with recipes or a set of recipe cards. Good to get your kids interested in cooking, especially around Christmas.

Picture from Alperstein Designs.

Happy shopping!
-Agnes.

‘How do I love thee? Let me count the ways’… Elizabeth Barrett Browning

New Envirosax. Gorgeous, handy shopping bags that you can fold up and put in your bag. Lots more instore, $9.95 each. This one is one of the NEW La Boheme range. I love them so much that I want to take them all home.

 L’Yan

I’m not much of a cat lover, but I just had to post about this book that just came in. It’s full of cats and very Japanese, and it’s called Kittens in Japan (unsurprisingly, perhaps).

The dust jacket tells me that the book is a companion volume to “… the ever popular KITTENS ON VACATION…” It seems that some people can never resist a kitten, and after flicking through this book I can see why.

Obviously, it’d be a great gift for a cat lover, or a great desk/coffee table book. And for the more internet-savvy among us, I can imagine that it would be great lolcat fodder.

Take a look! Let the cuteness take over!

We have quite a few catty books in the shop at the moment (including Christmas Carols for Cats and A Curious History of Cats), so come in and take a look.

-Agnes

Lovingly hand made, these journals contain 100% Australian Made post-consumer recycled paper. The covers and contents of old books are recycled, re-loved and transformed into a spiral-bound book you can use as a journal, a notebook — whatever you want.

You can rest assured that these books didn’t die in vain: old books with writing, torn pages and other damage have been preserved as much as possible in the process of making these journals. What results is a charming, one-off book that inspires. I would recommend these to be used as a notebook, a journal, a place to jot down ideas, a book for children to draw in. They’re also a great gift idea for anyone who likes something a little bit quirky and handmade. The spiral bounding is sturdy and there are plenty of pages, as well as in many cases a whole book to look at.

In stock at the moment we have Golden Books, Children on the Farm, The Amazing Duke, and many more. For a great gift or some inspiration with your writing, come down and have a look at one. They’re sturdy, come in all sizes, and start at $9.95.

The back of the packet says “WARNING: DO NOT USE ON YOUR OLD TIMETABLE”. Although I don’t think there’s any chance I’m going to mistake one of these for a record and sit it down on my Symphony turntable, they are very cool.

With five in a packet they’re not really suitable for economy use, but I think they’ll be great to burn CDs for listening to in the car and on my stereo. They add an extra personal touch if you’re burning a CD for a friend, too. Something a lot more professional looking than a regular CD-R. 

So if you’re sick of boring old blank CDs or you know someone who likes burning their own playlists, have a look at these in our gift section. They’re $12.95 for five, and they come in set of cardboard sleeves good enough for presentation.

A micro size journal is small enough to keep in a handbag, or a pocket, ready for all the everyday notes that need a nice place to be jotted. They come in a range of stylish colours, to suit any mood or purpose. These cute little journals are available at JimmyD’s for $9.95 each.

Read in bed? Read on your stomach? Read on the beach? Cup of tea going cold while you are busy holding your book?? Let the bookseat do all the work for you…

The adjustable elastic cord lets you move the clear bar forwards or backwards to hold the book in place, it has a handy pocket in the back for those of us who need to wear glasses (or should be wearing them), and it comfortably sits on your lap or on a table/bench/chair etc.  The Bookseat is an Australian invention, it comes in a range of colours and can be sponged clean with woolwash.

For comfy, cosy reading! JimmyD’s stocks Bookseats at the rrp, $39.95.

Piggy puppet does not sneeze or cough so everyone is safe. This is the friendliest piggy you’ve ever met. A big smiley face ready to tell your little one a bedtime story.  And when you’ve finished Piggy will stand next to the bed just waiting for the next cuddle.

Piggy is one of the Folkmanis rage of puppets we keep in stock. These high quality puppets are designed in California to encourage play and discovery by children, an important part of their development.

The Pig Puppet is 30cm long. RRP $39.95

Gold leaf blocking on leather and parchment has been use since the early sixteenth century in Europe, to produce brocaded paper. The designs reflect the silk damasks of the time

Paperblanks journals come in a range of sizes from a tiny 7 x 9cm to the Grande format which is 21 x 30cm, and in lined and unlined as well as Address books. Their designs are sumptuous and practical. The paper is made with sustainable forest pulp and the boards are 100% recycled.

Prices range from 9.95-34.95. The journal above is priced at $24.95.

Shantelle is a beautiful soft fluffy owl. She stands nearly thirty centimetres tall and gazes at everyone who passes her by. She can flap her wide wings to fly away and her claws are ready to pounce on any little mouse that might run by. Shantelle loves to have her tail stroked.

JimmyD’s has a range of Folkmanis puppets for children and adults to enjoy.