Ali McNabney-Stevens is a Melbourne based British artist who earned her Honours Degree in Design and History of Art from Edinburgh College of Art in 1991. She furthered her studies in London at a number of St Martin’s Fine Art Summer Schools where she developed her passion for painting.

Over the years Ali’s versatility of style and courage as a painter has grown along with her confidence. There is a definite sense of self emerging in every new artwork that she creates…she has now made the move to full time painting. 

You may recognise Ali's style, she has had her paintings featured on Offspring and The Block. Ali has also been profiled in some of the leading Interior and Design magazines in Australia.

We are thrilled to have some of her paintings in store and available to our customers. We sat down with Ali and asked her a few questions about painting and life and I think we fell even more in love with her after hearing her answers!

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Most recently and also if I am stuck I seem to sub consciously return to landscapes or images from my home in the UK. Industrial Harbour which is one of the images from my most recent limited edition print series was inspired by the Harland and Wolff ship building yard in Belfast. My most recent canvas Dee Street has come from the same place in my mind….big iconic yellow cranes and cold coloured concrete forms…. I am very very happy with them.

Do you like to surround yourself with certain things when you paint?

More often than not I don’t surround myself with anything other than the mess in my studio, I do however listen to ALOT of BBC Radio Four podcasts the most recent being ‘Great Lives’. The latest Great Life that I have been listening to has been John Steinbeck…. I lose myself in the radio and before I know it its lunch time and I have missed coffee.

What makes you happy?

The sense of achievement that I get from painting something that I am very proud of is happiness in the making but it doesn’t last long because I am onto the next painting and so on. Really good Tom Yum soup makes me very very happy too.

What is your best kept wardrobe secret?

I don’t know that I have one. I am forever trying things on and thinking ‘ why can’t that work with that’, those are too long, those are too tight, I must get a pair of those to work with that, I really need a bright pink one of those…so as you can see if someone has a good wardrobe secret I would like them to share it with me.

What's the thing you miss most about Britain?

Europe, London and easy access to my mother and friends.

Favourite song on your playlist at the moment?

Finlay Quaye/Beth Orton ‘Dice' and Kurt Vile ‘On Tour'

What do you consider your biggest creative achievement?

Biggest creative achievement has been to team up with my Manager Julia Green of Greenhouse Interiors and realise my long term dream of having a career that involves my artwork and is a full time business.

I love it when I receive a beautifully wrapped present! I love it so much, I almost forget to unwrap it and see what's inside. It doesn't have to be lavish wrapping, but we're going to share with you some clever tricks to give your gifts the KA-BOOM factor this festive season!

Also don't forget we have free gift-wrapping on all purchases made at Jumbled and we pride ourselves on 'Jumblifying' our gifts so they look AMAZING! See if you can pick which images are by us!

Images from: Decor8, etsy, studiodiy, woon blog, Joy Hey Blog, Confetti Sunshine, Nooha, Lines Across, Jumbled Online

At some time in your life I'm sure you have had this very romantic idea of working from home. We've all said "I'll be SO productive" whilst imaging yourself typing furiously in your fluffy slippers, rising only to brew a quick herbal tea before retuning to make phone calls and file things away in the cabinet next to your scented candle. We have complied a little 'how to' for creating the very space to make the dream a reality.

Firstly to the desk. Function here is important, although we would suggest sticking to neutral organic colours such as wood, white or dark grey / black to allow for colour in other places.

Wooden tables are sturdy and work well with light floors and walls.

White tables are crisp and clean and work better with darker floors or walls and make the space appear bigger.

Collaging artwork above your desk is the perfect way to ensure you are always inspired. If your eye happens to wander away from your task, at least it will have something beautiful to gaze upon! We suggest using colourful wasabi tape to attach magazine clippings.

Add a pop of block colour with a chair, notice board, or lots of functional accessories.

And lastly, if you really want to add some magic to a shared workspace, you can't go past a colourful throw acting as a curtain or some fun feature fairy lights!

Images from: design sponge, oh happy day, petitvanou, uncovet, decor8 and the glitter guide

For those of you like us, who have regular family and friends visiting (or in my case babysitting) you will appreciate the need for a stylish, yet comfortable guest bedroom. The simplest things can make the biggest difference in a bedroom for example, a jar of gorgeous flowers next to the bed, some great design books to browse thorough in the early morning sun, or an antique map or original abstract to create a talking point.

Colourful bedding, a special cushion and some fun towels will complete your guest room and show your visitors you really appreciate their company!

If your visitors are the type who often arrive without much notice, have some quality faux flowers on standby to pop on the bedside table to add that extra special touch.

Images from mimi and me blog , apartment therapy, kip and co, 79ideas,  les ateliers, petit sweet, HGTV,  Fancy design blog.

Shop online - jumbledonline.com

You may have seen the exciting and energetic artworks of Kezz Brett adorning the walls of Jumbled - some of you may have been lucky enough to get your hands on one of her pieces...they never seem to last very long. 

Kezz has been working with colour and design all her life so to give more time to painting seems a given. In recent years she has really notched up the 'brush mileage' to supply fabulous fresh abstracts to Jumbled.

What makes your paintings different to others around?

A true love of colour, painting with no rules and just an innate quality of what works and what people want. Most of my work can be hung any which way - and that's why I don't sign the front. You can always make them fit your space!

How would you describe your artwork?

Each painting is a happy accident, which goes with the flow. I add and subtract as the painting develops and often I am surprised with the outcome. Colours and shapes are determined by whim.

Each painting is made up of multiple layers which add all the depth and definition, vim and vigour!

Do you have a favourite artist?

Yes, Van Gogh for his colour and vision - he painted under such dire circumstances. And Brett Whitely for his fluidity of stroke. 

Who or what are you most inspired by at the moment?

Everything! I love flowers, lighting in nature, perfume from Paris, Marimekko fabrics...the list is never ending! I love the soft mint green and turquoise which looks amazing with pinks and oranges, lime and mauve. I love using house paints (the Dulux dog and I are great mates!) The bigger the tin, the bigger the brush, the bigger the canvas, and the bigger my involvement. I love using clashing colours and pushing the paint around the canvas.

How do you fit in your painting with your life?

I don't have to make time because I simply let everything else slip back a notch or two. Housework, ironing, paying bills etc don't seem to have priority when it comes to anything artistic. 

Yes, I do get 'writer's block' and just have to ride it out (without resorting to drugs!) It's frustrating but unavoidable in a creative line of work - or in the pursuit of happiness. Paintings can take from 4 days to 4 weeks to complete and they can never duplicated (one of the main reasons I don't take on commissions.)

Describe your studio and your painting process.

I've got a huge studio at the back of my shop, where I stop and start depending on the flow of customers. I often help customers with paint up to my elbows and mint green in splatters on my shoes. It's a juggle but fun (and much better than book work) I'm lucky enough to have a light filled studio at home too so I can paint to my heart's content. 

Your favourite place in the world?

This would have to be India and that is simply because of the colour – my heart beats the whole time I am travelling around India. The oranges, reds, saffron and hot pinks are so stunning and vibrant and I am moved when I travel there.

Orange’s best kept secret

I'm not telling! But we all love Orange for so many reasons!

If you have been contemplating painting a wall in your house a dark colour tone, then you have come to the right place. We have sourced some fabulous inspiration to give you courage to take the plunge. I am sure you have heard the old cat call 'dark walls create confined spaces' but this is simply not true... (at least not all the time!)

Dark walls work perfectly with wooden floors or an organic natural carpet or rug. And can be easily made to feel bright with artwork, maps and wall hangings. If the painted walls are in the same room as large windows or exposed brick walls you can easily create a feeling of the industrial style.

Adding lightness and colour to a dark wall is the key to making the most of the darker tones. White or colour can sometimes become toned down when placed on white walls, however when they appear on dark walls they instantly become highlighted and their impact is much more dominant.

Yellow and natural wooden tones work so well here with the dark wall. The mix of colours is ironically bright and warm. 

In the bedroom a dark wall can create a dramatic and intense feature when combined with light bedding and colourful artwork

You can really make the most of a mixed media and multi frame wall when they are combined with a dark wall. Mix and match frames, colours and textures to get this style to work.

Images from: Smitten Studio Online, fraupilli.blogspot.de, Fawn and Forest, Working Girl Designs, Planete Deco, The Design Files

We enjoyed the delights of florist Jane Lampe of Floreat Floral at last weekend's Jumbled Floral Styling Workshop. Jane worked her magic by showing us the ease and simplicity of flower arranging that is quite simple and nowhere near contrived.

By following a few simple design tips, we were all thrilled to see how ordinary blooms from the garden can be turned into stunning arrangements (even if we do say so ourselves!)

The favourite blossoms included the humble rosemary bush, along with crab apple branches and simple daisies. It seems that you don't have to spend a fortune to end up with a florist's touch in your home.

The food was delicious, the champagne and coffees delightful, but the warmest feedback came in terms of the lovely company we shared. Yes, it's true - girls really do love an excuse to get together.

The feedback from our guests included "I really enjoyed the workshop, especially the relaxed atmosphere and the delicious food and bubbles - such a great afternoon."

Be sure to sign up for our Jumbled Newsletter to stay in tune with the next Jumbled Workshop. Sign up here

We couldn't help but be blown away by the stall holders that we shared space with at last weekend's One Fine Day bridal fair. It's not until you take time to talk to business owners that you realise how they can make an amazing day even more amazing for brides and grooms.

We were in a studio full of awesomeness at One Fine Day and we just wanted you to know how we would organise our next wedding (should we feel the urge!) Let's take a fast paced look at the organisation of a wedding....Jumbled style!

Once the proposal is made - often the hardest part - we would pop along to August and Pemberton jewellers to have them work some magic on the ring finger. The coloured stones are amazing and let's face it, we deserve it!

Before getting too carried away, it would be a good time to call Melissa Bowman who is a wedding planner extraordinaire! There's a certain feel about a wedding planner that's super duper organised, shares home made lemonade and oozes calm. Yes, she is the one who is going to bring this whole day together.

After chatting with Melissa, it turns out that a marquee is exactly what you picture on your special day. So it's over to Jock at The White Umbrella for the most spectacular marquees you have ever seen. There will be no stilettos stuck in the grass, no these marquees have timber flooring so you can dance the night away. Magnificent!

Now that the big ticket items are organised, invitations need to go out quick smart. So with some wonderful advice and clever design from Starry Night Paperie, it looks like guests will be actually be attending.

But they will need cake. And sweet treats. Enter Short and Sweet Designs, which was well worth the taste test by Sal and Pip! A 'cottage' industry that we have a feeling is about to turn into a 'mansion'.

And of course the big event wouldn't be complete without a fabulous Jumbled wedding registry. Picking out bright artworks and homewares is quite possibly the most fun you can have - and to know that your friends and family will purchase something you have handpicked (and will love) is the best bit. Read more about our Jumbled Wedding Registry here.

So at last, while all of the capable people around you take care of business, why not put your feet up and indulge in a little reading of White Magazine. It's one of our favourite mags for inspiration and all things lovely and white. Imagine if you ended up with your photographs of the big day in there! Best send them an email...

Instagram is the new buzz word - and if you have been sitting on the fence, and not sure how to get involved, then we're here to help! It's really a fantastic new tool to capture your favourite moments on your phone, (without having to think up loads of clever text to go with it!) You can decide to share your pictures with everyone in the whole wide world, or just family, or just for your own memories.

The thing we like about Instagram is that it's really easy to use and if you live away from family and friends, it just the perfect way to share special times.

Here we take a quick look at the way to set yourself up to enjoy the delights of Instagram - so you too can 'talk the talk!'

Step 1: Locate your mobile phone from the depths of your handbag. Throw out a few old dockets while you're at it.

Step 2: Click on the 'app store' icon on your screen - it's purple. Type into the search bar 'Instagram' and it will come up, with an picture of a camera - this is what you're looking for - and just press the 'free' button (we love it when apps are free!) Then click the 'install app' button.

Step 3: This is the tricky bit - you will need to know your password to your account. Safe yes, annoying yes.

Step 4: Now the Instagram app will appear somewhere on your screen. You will need a user name and password.

Step 4: The best tip - for quality - is to take photos using your actual phone camera (there is an option to take photos using the instagram camera, but we don't think the quality is as sharp.) So start snapping.

Step 5: Arrange all the tins, flowers, books, candles etc that you can put your hands on and take a photo with your camera.

Step 6: Take another 20 or so shots of the same thing (trust us, that's what you will end up doing!)

Step 7: These images will all be saved to your camera roll so now open up Instagram, click on the camera icon that's right down the bottom in the middle, and choose one of your images that are to the bottom left of the screen.

Step 8: Now it's time to get a little bit fancy (but we think keeping it simple is stylish) You can add filters - which change the colour of your image, the tone, the mood - actually it can make things appear totally different to the original picture. Kind of cool, but can be a bit overwhelming.

Step 9: When you are happy with your image (which may take hours to begin with) you can add a caption - which is to the right of your image. Keep it short and sweet because Instagram is all about the image, rather than the text.

Step 10: Hashtag it! Now hashtags are a whole new concept - we might save that for another day - but basically they are used to categorise images. So for example if you take lots of pictures of shoes, apart from other fashion items, then you might like to create hashtags to help identify your images, #cutepumps or #killerheels. The hashtag thing can also be quite hilarious with ones such as #ithinkimighpassoutifidontsitdownsoon.

Step 10: (Yes, there are 2 'step 10's' but we like even numbers) hit SHARE!

And like any great thing, this takes time to develop. So have fun with it. But Instagram should come with a clear warning - IT IS COMPLETELY ADDICTIVE. And we have it on good authority that women have resorted to checking their phones in the bathroom, so they don't get caught by their husband.

And be sure to follow us! Just click on the little star at the bottom left of the screen and type in jumbledonline and you're all set!

It's not often that we get to meet such amazing artists and find out about what makes them tick! Stewart Russell is the man behind one of our most loved art and design houses - Spacecraft - which is located in Melbourne.

The works he produces are rich and varied and, while it is hard to pinpoint an actual description of a backing cloth artwork, Stewart refers to them as 'complex' and if they had a personality it would most definitely be a split personality!

We had a chat to Stewart about his latest venture and the love he has for his art form.

Your current job title: I am the founder of Spacecraft and witihin that I wear both hats that involve the art practice and that of the design practice.

Something from your childhood that shaped who you are today: I was brought up in a rural Scottish village, and from a young age I had a sense of adventure. I knew that coming from such a small community meant that I wasn’t going to stay. I began to imagine from a young age where I was going to go in the world.

A typical day for you: It is certainly mixed due to the large breadth of what we do. I am currently working on a large new show for National Gallery of Victoria, as well as many design projects including an artwork plan in Nagasaki, Japan. With so many projects I feel I have to 'flip about' and be across all of them.

Where you are currently gathering inspiration from? It largely is dependant on what I’m working on. My artistic projects are are all ideas led. From the sight of something amazing, actually almost anything can (and has) provided inspiration. Inspiration for the design work often comes from day to day life, generic textiles, high street movement and how it creates an understanding of the world.

Do you use Pinterest, Facebook, instagram or the like? The people around me do – I am aware of them! We have our own accounts and social media is so valuable in reaching out and getting your ideas known.

The best thing about your job: The practical elements are by far the most enjoyable. But I have to ensure that they are built in to the day to day (rather than being drawn in by the administrative side of business.) The physical structure of the store facilitates this creativity (however I do lock myself away to finish off backing cloths at night so I am not interrupted!)

A Spacecraft backing cloth: Is a complex diary piece of what happens in the studio - so there is very little control over the finished product! A backing cloth is the fabric that covers the felts on the tables (we have 3 x 8m tables covered with felt.) Over a period of 3 months the backing cloth becomesso saturated that they are no longer flat enough to function as a print table - so they’re taken off and that becomes the starting point for paintings. A backing cloth is amazing as they are actually the the sum of many parts – individually the projects are amazing, however the final result is even more interesting and intricate.

We currently have 2 amazing Spacecraft backing cloth artworks in store. Shop Spacecraft at Jumbled online here.