As a kid Madeleine Stamer didn’t really like school, but she did relish day-dreaming and aspiring to draw like Dick Bruna, collecting swap cards and watching Ray Harryhausen's phantasmagorical movies. Ray's portrayal of supernatural skeletons, beasts and mythological creatures paved the way for her love of fantasy, parallel worlds and all things surreal. These days Madeleine is dead keen on all things Mexicana, natural history, skeletons, traditional folk art, vintage print and pattern and things that are nice to touch. She also likes holding little exhibitions in cool shops. Victorians can see her latest stuff at Bob’s Boutique in Bendigo from May 2nd to June 18th. The rest of us can shop online.

Random Collective is happening tomorrow people! The exhibition of up and coming artists will be held in regional Victoria in a small town called Leongatha in South Gippsland to be precise, at Mushroom Crafts (40 Bair Street, Leongatha). Random Collective is a collection of varied styles and mediums from illustration to textiles and stencil works. The exhibition is on from Saturday 30th May (2pm – 4pm) till Saturday 27th June. 

We may have found the origin of the term 'they had them eating out of the palms of their hands'. We can't verify this, but we think that it may be something to do with Victorian boys Gold Fields' performance at Falls Festival over the New Year. They may as well have been Mother Theresa at St. Mark's Squaure in Venice, a handful of dance-rock grain extended to the thriving masses of jivving pigeons. Hailing from the gold mining town of Ballarat (hence the name), this five-piece is the proverbial nugget in the rough. Once to watch in 2011. Have a listen at goldfields.bandcamp.com