hudsonny

finally, a terrarium

2012-01-10T23:54:00.000-08:00

i finally made a terrarium to call my very own! walking on main street last week i found a weed-whacked bunch of living moss. i'm not sure why it was lying on the sidewalk, but i couldn't just leave it there, orphaned and alone. so i rescued as much as i could carry and toted it home.

searching for the perfect vessel, i noticed a vintage le parfait french mason jar, found last year on a thrifting expedition through the yard sales of new westminster. it was perfect! the addition of a teensy bit of soil and a tiny little fern is perfectly simple. i have a few spray-painted golden rocls to add to the mix, but they're drying and i'm impatient. ;)

blood orange marmalade (with scotch!)

2012-01-05T22:10:00.000-08:00

so i must admit, i do quite like marmalade. just the right combination of citrus, tartness and sweet. in years past i've made many versions, but i can say without a doubt that this one tops them all! the sweetness of blood oranges and meyer lemons combined with the smokiness of a great scotch. this is as good as it gets - especially once a slice of sourdough toast gets involved.

after sifting the many recipes online i ended up modifying the basic certo marmalade recipe. it's as easy as can be. i canned two separate batches, and both times it worked like a charm.

blood orange marmalade (makes about 5 1 cup / 250 ml jars)

7-8 small organic blood oranges

2 meyer lemons

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups water

5 cups white sugar

1 packet certo liquid pectin

1 oz good scotch (optional - i used aberlour a'bunadh, what i had on-hand)

sterilize jars and lids using your preferred method.
slice the top & bottom off of two meyer lemons and three blood oranges.
peel using a sharp knife or veggie peeler.
slice rinds as thinly as possible, in about 2 cm lengths.
place peels, water and baking soda in a small saucepan.
bring to a boil over high heat.
cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
chop the peeled fruit and reserve (i quarter oranges and chop into 1 cm segments)
peel and chop the remaining 3-4 oranges and reserve.
make sure you've removed all the seeds!
combine boiled peels with enough chopped fruit to total 3 1/2 cups. place fruit in a stock pot.
bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes over medium heat.
add the sugar and stir well to combine.
bring back to a boil, stirring constantly.
boil hard for one minute.
remove from heat.
add certo liquid pectin.
add scotch if desired.
stir to settle any foam that rises.
pour into hot jars and seal immediately.
place on wire rack to cool for a few hours.

holiday show schedule 2011 + swag peek

2011-11-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

every weekend from now until the middle of december you'll find me setting up camp at a vancouver area craft show. i'll be at:

sunday november 20: BLIM community market

chinese cultural centre

west pender @ carrall streets

12:00 - 5:00

thursday november 24 - sunday november 27: MAKE IT

croatian cultural centre

3250 commercial drive @ east 16th

thursday 4:00 - 9:00

friday 11:00 - 8:00

saturday 11:00 - 6:00

sunday 11:00 - 5:00

sunday december 4 - GOT CRAFT?

royal canadian legion

2205 commercial drive @ east 6th, vancouver

10:00 - 5:00

saturday december 10 - sunday december 11 - GOT CRAFT at river market

810 quayside drive, new westminster

saturday 9:00 - 6:00
sunday 11:00 -6:00

friday december 16 & saturday december 17 - NICE BALLS xmas market

little mountain gallery

160 east 26th street @ main

friday 5:00 - 10:00

saturday 11:00 - 5:00

and a sneak peek, while we're at it:

the first 45 people in the door at the got craft show on december 4th will score free swag bag of awesome goodies from each vendor! my contribution this year is a hand-stamped hudsonny button and a mini aromatherapy mist from my new line, feest. you've got to get there early to get one of these much coveted bags, but you not only get the goodies - also, bragging rights (and a tote to carry home your handmade finds!).

more on feest soon! had better pack the car - leaving to set up for blim in a couple of hours!

eating: cafe medina inspired tagine

2011-10-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

i love love love vancouver's cafe medina for brunch (if you haven't been you should, post haste!), and my favourite breakfast item has to be the tagine. it's a savory tomato & chickpea stew over merguez sausage and topped with poached eggs. this morning, too tempted by the overcast weather and cozy fireplace, we decided to stay in and try making this at home. oh my one word: delicious.

we just jotted down the recipe on our kitchen chalkboard as we went, improvising based on what we knew was in the dish, and general flavours of moroccan cuisine. everything was added rustic-style, in order, to a deep skillet:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, slivered
1/2 red onion, slivered
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
1 can plum tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
pinch of chili flakes
pinch of sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4 preserved lemon, slivered
1/4 cup sundried moroccan olives, pitted
1/2 can chickpeas, drained
2 merguez sausages
poached eggs
cilantro, for garnish

so - easy. you simply heat the olive oil. add the pepper, onion & garlic & sauté over medium high heat until tender. reduce heat to medium low and add tomatoes, including juice. break up the tomatoes a little with a spoon. add cilantro, seasonings, lemon and olives. simmer for 30-45 minutes.

meanwhile, cook sausages in a cast iron skillet. once your sausages are cooked through, remove from heat, slice on an angle and return to skillet. allow edges to crisp slightly. add stew to the cast iron skillet. leave on low heat while you make eggs.

softly poach eggs - two per person. i use this tried & true method from everybody likes sandwiches. meanwhile, plate stew, remove eggs with a slotted spoon. add on top of the stew and sprinkle with chopped cilantro, a few slivers of preserved lemon and freshly ground pepper.

you can serve with a side of warm flatbread or grilled focaccia. i might add a side of roasted zucchini as well, if i was trying to stretch this into a family-style meal for a large group. as this is, it serves 2-4 people, depending on how hungry they are.

inspiring: portland

2011-09-28T22:58:00.000-07:00

earlier this summer we traveled to portland, oregon. for me, it was the first time. and then the second time in rapid succession. this city is everything i had hoped! inspiring, creative, small yet personal, full of foodie goodness and crafty love. i would live here in a heartbeat, and in terms of vancouver pricing we could probably afford it without selling major organs or winning the lottery! alas, for now, my love must be captured in a few meager photos.

my favourites? in no particular order: powell's books | ruby j ice cream | the tin shed | pambiche | little big burger | mcmenamins kennedy school | townshends tea | flutter | the doug fir | the florida room | ken's artisan pizza | king burrito | bolt | stars antique | skidmore bluffs | the lowbrow lounge | portland farmer's market | voodoo donuts | the waterfalls. so much more too! vintage & yard sales, food at every turn, outdoor spaces and people and everything you could imagine. i hope to go back this fall. really, try to keep me away...

for those who wish to go (or go again!) check out the rad city guides from lotus events. they were key for me in finding nooks and crannies. also, tips from everybody loves sandwiches were top-notch sure-fire too! i'm sure most of my recommendations were originally from each of these places!

homemade: sea spray for beachy hair

2011-09-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

i have just-about-shoulder-length hair and lately i've grown quite tired of the usual ponytail. my hairdresser suggested the messy pin-up as an alternative, and succeeded in getting me hooked on bobby pins just the other day. it's easy - just pull your hair up a bit at a time and secure the ends with bobby pins at random and frequent intervals. this is what mine looks like today after a day in the wind & a nap:

one of the tips she had was to use a sea salt spray on dry hair to create a bit of texture. i've paid a pretty penny for sprays in the past to get beachy waves, with varying degrees of satisfaction, but i've been working with essential oils and i wanted to create my own. after some helpful googling and a bit of experimenting, i have come up with this recipe:

1 8oz / 250 ml spray bottle
fill with distilled water
2 tsp / 10g sea salt
1 tsp / 5ml vitamin e oil
15 drops peppermint essential oil
10 drops vanilla essential oil

add all ingredients to the bottle and shake well to blend. simply mist liberally on dry hair and let dry. it gives a bit of that texture without being too heavy or sticky, and the vitamin e oil helps to keep your hair from drying out.

making: vintage paper buttons!

2011-09-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

i have added a few new products to my line up in the last few weeks! first up: 1" pinback buttons made using recycled paper from thrifted vintage children's books. each button is handpressed and one-of-a-kind.

this project began as a wisp of an idea some time back - i acquired nine golden book illustrated encyclopedias from 1959 a few years ago at a thrift store on main street. the information was spotty, but the mid-century illustrations were delightful, and i couldn't resist. it wasn't until this summer when i realized that 1" buttons were the perfect use for these treasures. once i started cutting, it was addictive! i began scouring thrift stores up and down the pacific northwest coast for additional books and have since found some great ones - cub scout manuals, music books, kids craft tomes. each book is specially selected for just the right style of earnest yet tongue-in-cheek appeal.

i'm packaging the buttons in 3 packs, on say-it-yourself text bubble cards and as pick 'n mix singles. they've been a resounding success at the last three craft shows! i've named the button line "awesometown" - a family in-joke about a vintage playschool sesame street toy as well as a throw-back to that mid-century flavour of moderated perfection, a la pleasantville.

we sometimes take the press on the road - on a particularly productive night we pressed buttons while eating late-night breakfast at lucy's eastside diner (excellent eggs benny with bacon & avacado!). it's quite the crowd-pleaser. we did a quick diy freebie button tutorial for our server and several other guests, and the table next to us purchased several fresh-off-the-press.

summer turns to fall

2011-09-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

we vancouverites had a rather rough start to summer, if temperatures are anything to factor in. july was a bleak affair, but somehow - as it always does - this fair city turned things around and we've gotten our summer after all. a few photos that remind me of mine:

summer is always one of those busy times where i seem to be getting a lot creatively accomplished but not always seeing the results straight away. it's a time for spending out of doors, for living, for loving and for embracing the moment. for me it was also a time to do a bit of west coast traveling & creating - more on both soon!

showing: little mountain craft

2011-07-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

i took part in a swell show on saturday this past weekend - little mountain craft, at the studio on 26th off main. as luck would have it, the sun was shining - a rare event this summer in vancouver, it seems - so the assortment of cool folks selling handmade and vintage goods set up along the sidewalk. lots ice cream was consumed, a free terrarium-making workshop ensured everyone had a little greenery in their homes, and i brought out a few new items - 1" pinback buttons handmade from vintage encyclopaedias (more on that soon!).

it's a recurring show - drop on by the next one on saturday, august 20th. 11-5 at little mountain studios, 195 east 26th right off main street.

vancouver: car-free day

2011-06-19T23:10:00.000-07:00

we took a stroll up main street today and caught up with friends & folks at the car-free day festival and blim craft market. sweater (and coat) weather in june aside, a great day all around!

loving: yarnbombed trees in seattle

2011-06-12T00:19:00.000-07:00

seattle is a city that i haven't explored enough, which is a shame considering how close to home it is and how much i really like the atmosphere! i took an impromptu overnight trip to seattle yesterday and dropped by some new and old favourite places - the library, the kubota japanese garden, thai tom for lunch - and i couldn't resist these beautifully yarn-bombed trees downtown.

i am feeling inspired and think i just might have to hop on the yarn bombing train a bit on the late side! and at a basic level, this is totally within my scarf-knitting capabilities.

t is for tiny

2011-04-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

i've recently taken on a new role as the designer-in-residence at tiny, an adorable little shop at the recently-renovated river market in new westminster. tiny carries a curated collection of specialty foods and whimsical crafts made by artisans from around british columbia. some of my favourites:

cards and dutch birthday calendars from the beautiful project

sesamo bianco, white chocolate sesame from cocoa nymph

the cutest resin bottlecap and tile magnets from firefly notes

and of course, tiny is carrying my line. i'm happy to be working on my craft while at the store - i love a chance to spread out on the tables and answer questions about what i'm making.

last weekend i started a new batch of tooth fairy pillow kits and this week i'm working on new smiling felt pins and barrettes. next week i hope to haul in my sewing machine and get down to business!

stop in for a visit the next time you're in the area.

inpired by: pallets & fancy tables

2011-03-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

am totally in love with the use of pallets (aka skids) in design... when i spotted this beautiful wall made of recycled pallets over at the always-inspiring blog poppytalk, it got me thinking... rather than doing a wall (my new landlord might not approve!), i'm going to take the same idea and build a table!

as far as a table design goes i'm undecided. i could go quite lo-fi and basic, or i could gear up a notch and try something that looks a little more challenging... i think the pallet shape lends itself quite well to this table that i've been coveting: the simple & functional table/desk belonging to textile designer lotta jansdotter. i do so love all that lovely storage space - not to mention her other decorating tips for small-space dwellers!

something like this will be perfect in my new space - i'm moving house tomorrow! even in an apartment of a respectable size - 800-900 square feet and two bedrooms - finding adequate storage is always on my radar.

and there are pallet ideas for every ability and space, not to mention budget. pallets can be found many places for free or nearly free - they seem to make the perfect building material! i might have to try these other ideas too:

rustic glassware shelves

and this amazing pallet house is a concept project designed to be transitional housing for those in need. i think the basic idea would translate well to a treehouse. oh, for the want of a tree to call my own! i'll have to tackle that whole matter after the table comes to fruition!

now, to find some pallets, post haste...

loving: massive chalkboard wall

2011-03-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

how awesome is this chalkboard wall installation from artist and urban planner candy chang? she turned this wall of an abandoned building in her new orleans neighbourhood into a collaborative public bucket list.

in the spirit of things... before i die, five things i want to do:

visit scandinavia, casablanca, india, thailand, italy, iceland, the south pacific (can you tell i love travel?)
live on a boat
make homemade coconut marshmallows (on my list for a while!)
see my son grow up and do what he loves
learn to use the manual settings on my camera (finally!)

via: plenty of colour

hoping: for spring

2011-02-16T16:27:00.000-08:00

it feels like the bleak post-christmas phase of winter has been going on indefinitely and with each day of overcast skies and brisk rain i feel a yearning for milder temperatures. thankfully, in vancouver anyway, that time of year is just around the corner. it's a slow transition, but by mid-march the trees should be blossoming and it's all uphill from there.

earlier this week i saw some forsythia blossoms for sale at a sidewalk floral vendor and their yellow blooms cheered me up on a dreary, challenging day. it made me feel that much closer to springtime, even if just for a moment.

in print (sort of)

2011-02-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

the delightful gastown boutique, one of a few, was profiled in the february issue of chatelaine magazine and one of my gnomes is in the photo! so, while it doesn't actually say anything about me, there is one semi-famous gnome out there really enjoying his fifteen minutes of canadian fame.

doing: the drawing game

2011-02-08T01:51:00.000-08:00

my favourite game of late: the aptly-named *drawing game*. simple as can be - pen, scrap of paper, two people or more. each person draws a line - a squiggle, a straight one, you name it. the other person draws something incorporating that line element. switch, repeat. good laughs will be had by all, trust.

this collaboration took about an hour, fueled by a couple of wet cappuccinos on a blustery february afternoon. just how many birds, severed hands, moccasins, balloons and woodland elements can you put on one skinny little starbucks receipt anyway?

loving: romantic travel

2011-01-12T00:42:00.000-08:00

how sweet is this print, city of love, from montreal-based irene suchocki of etsy's isphotography?

ah, bleak january does make me want to travel. paris wouldn't be my first choice at this time of year but it's never too early to start dreaming of springtime and romantic escapades.

loving: old schooling your iphone

2011-01-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

love the tendency to time-warp flashy modern gadgetry - how about a polariod decal for your iphone? quite the steal at $6 too.

photo: photojojo

all wrapped up!

2010-12-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

the holiday craft show season of 2010 is officially done for me! with shows almost every weekend for the last month it has been a busy season.

on saturday i did the excitingly-named nice balls xmas sale at little mountain gallery on east 26th in vancouver's mid-main neighbourhood. it's a very cool art and music space and the show united a good selection of hip vancouver crafters. put on by melanie of a farmer's daughter, we had good music, were well-stocked with mind-meltingly delicious treats made by elisha of sweet valentines high tea catering, had awesome vintage clothes from melanie of sassy vintage and many great makers.

and sunday wrapped up the season with the artsy fartsy craft market at the carousel theatre on granville island. it was a first-time event and a fundraiser for youth theatre. it was also a good chance for me to do some of my own christmas shopping - i am woefully under-prepared this year. favourites were the sewing kits made by sam of sammade (and i had to treat myself to one of her awesome buttery-soft gold leather pencil cases!), the beautiful environmentally-conscious paper goodies from note + emote and i couldn't help squeeing at the super-cute gnomes and creatures from jocelan at cutesypoo. i love buying local and handmade, and am even happier giving or enjoying something knowing about the person and process behind the product.

a big thank you to everyone who visited these events, who has cheered me on and supported me and all the talented local crafters this year. and thanks so much to all the fellow makers for continuing to inspire me, for sharing tips and techniques, and for working together to create a vibrant and welcoming handmade community.

2010 has definitely been one of transition for me and i am looking forward to some big changes in 2011 - stay tuned!

got craft awesomeness

2010-12-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

thank you to everyone who dropped by the fantastic got craft event on sunday! it was my first time as a vendor at the holiday show and man, it did not disappoint. some events are more fun on the shopping side of the table but not the case on sunday. from the long line of folks who started queuing at 6am to get a much-coveted swag bag to the round of closing applause from the other vendors, it was a blast.

i managed to finally start my christmas shopping there too, so bonus! i have never thought of myself as a terribly last-minute shopper but for the past few weeks i seem to have run into every person in the lower mainland who is comfortably reclining on their satisfied laurels on top of a heap of gifts. having started, i now feel a little more like a functional adult! of course my finds are still a secret...

and for myself, since i can't resist, i got a swell caboose tee from locomotive clothing and traded the lovely valerie of cabin + cub for a beautiful woodburned birdie panel. have wanted to add a piece from her collection to my den wall forever. trades rock! so does winning - free morrocan mint lipgloss from the awesome folks at olive bath & body for completing a scavenger hunt they tossed up on twitter.

and thank you to a few wonderful craft-loving folks who mentioned hudsonny in their got craft reviews. check out these lovely blogs by other talented local folks. many thanks to carli of the terrific blog stitch rabbit, shalyn of ars gratia artis and yukirat of vancouver portraits who did an adorable sketch of me at the table - so cute!

and in case you missed it, here's a great time-lapse video taken at the spring show. it shows the entire day's set-up, craft event and tear-down in two minutes!

Got Craft from blueolive on Vimeo.

back in the saddle

2010-12-08T11:43:00.000-08:00

oh i have been doing such a poor job of communicating in this space recently! this fall has, in turns, flown and crept by but all the while i've been to-the-gills busy. which is great, except when it comes to finding time.

i've done a few shows for the season and there are a few more to go. this past saturday i displayed at royally crafty, a mini fair in the recently opened river market in new westminster. the space is opening in stages and has been totally recreated into a bright, modern and stylish shopping and community venue. it's a fantastic development in a city on the verge of big changes. with exciting boutique shops tiny (where small is beautiful) and great wall of tea (wow, check out that awesome wall!), a donald's market and eye-catching art and light installations it was a compelling space for a craft event.

for more photos of the developing river market space, check out this great post at the new domestic.

emily carr student art sale

2010-11-14T18:46:00.000-08:00

i stopped by the emily carr student art sale today after my relief printmaking class let out. there were lots of great things left by the time i rolled by (on the last day of the three-day event) - prints, original art, ceramics and sculpture, as well as some jewelery and wearable pieces. while there were finds at every price point, sadly my favourite things were a bit out of my yard-sale budget! i didn't even see the tag on this piece, but i covet it. doesn't everyone need a fixed gear bike complete with knitted cozy?

need: a vintage leather jacket

2010-11-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

love this vintage leather jacket from etsy's wisconsin-based thrush. the colour, the shoulder stitching, that hem. the fact that it's actually leather! i bought a delightful and cheap pleather jacket this week that is serving me well (aside from being not very warm!) but i would gladly let this number bump it to the rear of the closet. and how cute is she?

i'm alive!

2010-11-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

you can now find my gnomes at the super-cute brand-new dilly dally kids on commercial drive here in vancouver!

owner claire hutch runs the cutest place. it's beautiful inside, full of inspiring fun stuff - i really wanted to travel back in time to kindergarten just being there!

(also, post serves purpose to prove that i'm still alive. october was busy and interesting. keep tuned in - rejigging ahead and news about holiday events!)

ogling leads to hinting

2010-09-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

i have been ogling these lovely photolettering blocks from house industries for an awfully long time. they're one of those things that i tell myself i should buy for c, what with the perfectly educational alphabet and block format and all. but that's just an excuse. really, they would be for me and i would be quite dismayed to see them treated as a two-point-five year old would. so, anyone out there buying me random and slightly expensive christmas gifts - you know our address. ;-)

starting simple

2010-09-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

not that it wasn't long enough already, but lately i've added many home projects to my "to-do" list. one of those projects is to revamp the art throughout our house. i'm starting in c's room - we have some lovely prints already from matte stephens and berkley illustration, but i need to mix it up a bit. i'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of these:

abc poster trees from isak

reading is cool from etsy's dazeychic

i also have a new quilt and a banner on my list for his room. we recently had an incident that resulted in bleaching his baby quilt (i don't normally use bleach unless it's a laundry emergency!) and apparently our blue, lime and gray blanket is now a rather icky blueish, brownish and yellow! i might add another bookshelf too as his collection of books are creeping into ever more nooks and crannies. and since i haven't really gotten around to getting rid of diapers yet i might recover the change pad to match the future quilt (unless we have underpants triumphs soon!).

other things to-do include getting new stuff into my etsy shop, finishing the scarf on my knitting needles, making c's halloween costume, sewing many wee person clothes, making a respectable handful of christmas gifts, upholstering an ottoman and chair, recovering the dining chairs, refinishing a vintage end table, many photography projects, still that plan to figure out screenprinting and the list goes on and on. so i'm starting with simple - ordering artwork. that gets something checked off my list with relatively little effort! done and done.

smile - it's sewing cards!

2010-08-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

had to reshare the free pdf download for these adorable mini sewing cards for kids, found on the lovely mineco blog via ohdeeoh. if i can find a needle stubby enough i will try these in our house, stat!

i remember having a toy sewing machine when i was quite small, probably four or so... it was threaded (by mom) with red acrylic wool and i think you had to turn a wheel so it would punch very slowly through cards. i wonder if something like that still exists (and not just in my thrift/vintage store dreams!)...

dust jacket blocks

2010-08-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

i almost never keep the dust jackets from books. they're too much trouble to keep track of and as long as the book cover includes the same (or other also good) graphics, i just don't see the point. most of the time i recycle them, but every so often there's one so lovely that i can't part with it.

one of our most frequently read kiddo books is all kinds of families! the story itself has a touching message and the artwork by french illustrator marc boutavant, one of my favourites, keeps this at the top of our story rotation.

i kept the dust jacket from this book for a while before finding out the perfect use - decoupaged blocks!

with $2 worth of mini wooden blocks (2.5 x 2.5 x 1 cm) from daiso, some scrap japanese stationery papers and a jar of mod podge, this was a quick project (drying time not included!) and basically free. they've been played with a lot since i made them six months ago, so they're looking a little scrappy at the corners but they are a favourite around here. this was the first time i'd found all 16 at the same time so i could finally take the photo!

the 99 cent toddler shirt

2010-07-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

i've been a woman on a mission lately, thrifting for pillowcases. recently, i randomly found two awesome vintage pillowcases at the salvation army for 99 cents and i had to get them. both prints looked like something usually reserved for granny's best baby shower teacups. once they were home i flipped around looking for something to make out of them. cue weekend sewing and the kai shirt pattern:

there was just enough fabric in a normal-sized pillowcase to make a size 2 shirt. i was able to preserve the pillowcase's original hemmed opening which gives the shirt a lovely and slightly odd deep bottom hem. i had been meaning to make this pattern for a long time but the collar and buttons made me nervous. the collar was actually easy - as with most patterns, reading the instructions was more confusing than doing it. and to get around the buttons and button holes quagmire i opted for snaps. i love snaps. plus they add to the lovable hipsterish dweeb look nicely.

cole loves his new shirts! i've made two so far and don't think i can stop now.

and we have lift-off

2010-07-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

finally - a photo of the finished baby quilt for my nephew! i finished it over a week ago but this and that conspired to slow me down.

i love how it turned out! it's not perfectly perfect, but it is perfectly right for my brother and his family. i used a lot of prints heather ross' out-of-print lightning bugs series - obtained at great difficulty on etsy, a tiny bit at a time. the vw campers, gnomes and wiener dogs are family references and there are other favourites in there, including a few vintage pieces of 60's aqua with line-art flowers from my mom's stash. the little raindrops from the hushabye collection are my little "hello from vancouver!" and the back is a solid piece of aqua dashes on cream from the girl friday collection. ah, i love baby quilts and the ability to use a solid piece on the back. i washed it a few times so it's nice and rumply-looking. i love a worn-in looking quilt and it's so soft for a wee one.

now, i just have to finish up the stack of pants, drooling kerchiefs and bibs that i want to send along with. sew, sew, sew!

six times the fun

2010-06-24T21:58:00.000-07:00

i might be slightly influenced at the moment by the fact that it seems quite hot in my house, but i am coveting this wooden 6-pack crate from etsy's hobo hut in a major way. love! i don't have much of a beer tooth, although i do like one now and then, but it would also be very cute with hard lemonade. ;-)

one stitch at a time...

2010-06-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

over naptime today (hallelujah - we've had a few rocky days) i was able to put the finishing touches on the crib quilt for my new nephew, david. i'd been putting in a few stitches along the binding whenever i could grab a second over the last few days, but i finally got a good stretch to finish.

so, the final shot? tomorrow - it's tumbling around in the dryer now after a once-over in the washer. i can't wait!

twice as nice

2010-06-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

two awesome kids turned two recently and i made each a copy of my favourite number shirt. i've got to start screenprinting one of these days, but because my t-shirt projects tend to come up on me at the last minute, it's not the time to be fiddling about! i use iron-on transfer paper and toddler shirts from american apparel. the numbers get pleasantly derelicte in the wash over time. the red one needed seeing-to - of course as i was about to wrap it i noticed a little edge hadn't stuck and had to redo it! apparently you can take off an iron-on transfer, if you have enough time, patience and really good tweezers.

i also made a skirt to go with the red tee from some delightful apple dot fabric that i love. instead of doing a single wide piece of elastic for the waistband, i sewed three narrow 1cm channels and fed through three strands of 8mm japanese underpants elastic.

it made a smock-like waistband that can comfortably fit a wide range of waist sizes and will probably last an age. it was an easier bet when the child's waist wasn't nearby to measure!

ok, back to the baby quilt. top pieced together, sandwiching and quilting up next.

sneak peak: quilt for my first wee nephew

2010-06-14T15:07:00.000-07:00

my brother and his beautiful wife welcomed a brand new little boy to their family almost a month ago. they went the traditional route of not finding out the gender, which i give them props for. it's got to be the world's best surprise, that anticipated announcement "it's a ---" in the delivery room, and i had always thought i could stand the suspense myself but i couldn't do it!

i had been waiting to find out who the little person was before starting on the arm's length list of homemade baby things i have in mind, not out of a blue=boy and pink=girl mandate, but to put a personal spin on things. the moment i found out i ordered the fabrics and as they've come in i've been busy planning, cutting and getting ready.

first up, a simple crib-size quilt. a lot of dots, some chevrons, japanese elephants and many lovely hard-to-find fabrics from heather ross' long out of print lightning bugs series. here's a sneak peak at the colour scheme:

grand opening: spool of thread

2010-06-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

had to swing past the fab new sewing lounge spool of thread today for their official grand opening.

i'm sure i wasn't alone in singing "hallelujah!" from the corner of fraser and 15th! there is much to sing about: a shop full of hand-picked fabrics and a space where you can drop in and sew by the hour - six machines, room to move, tools of the trade and a welcoming, bright, modern atmosphere. they offer classes too, from sewing 101 to a variety of project-specific workshops. and looking at the row of gleaming machines, i had such an urge to hold a crafternoon in the space!

of course, i had to leave with a little something... cream fabric with aqua dashes for the back of a quilt-in-the-making and some lovely hatched charcoal fabric - possibly, hopefully a skirt for yours truly. or many dresses for little girls. ;-) i suspect i will be going back for more very soon, and a class to boot.

a cozy robe for a cold june

2010-06-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

i am hoping that, as i type this, the universe will do me a solid just to prove me wrong. so far, spring has been rather dismal and rainy - at least lately, and that's all the weather one can report on with accuracy. i have a recollection of a few weeks of really nice weather, but it's kind of hazy. ok, now that i said it and made plans for tomorrow that account for the rain, please switch it up universe/mother nature/local meteorologist from channel x.

since we're rolling around inside while it rains outside, i made cole a new robe. flannel lined with flannel - doesn't get much warmer than that! it's from the serviceable book making children's clothes. the book is one i stumbled upon randomly, and while i recommend it, it's with the caveat that the styling is too cutesy for my taste and there are some improvements to be made overall in the assembly and instructions department. structurally, the clothes are great and sized well, but if you have any kind of sewing intuition, use it when you question the patterns on the first go-round.

cole loves his robe. i made it all, save the waist tie, at a crafternoon on the weekend, and when i came home i was excited to show him. he seriously dropped what he was doing and ran over to try it on. gotta love that. i did have to use a little bribery today to get him to pose straightforwardly in it, hence the chocolate mustache (made locally by the delightful samantha of sam made).

speaking of fabric love...

2010-05-25T20:25:00.001-07:00

just discovered this awesome cloud print fabric from australian designer and creator penny eager of pocket carnival. i love it!!! it's so perfect for vancouver.

fresh fabric

2010-05-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

new fabric from japan arrived in the mail today! cole was as curious as i was to open the package, particularly when he spotted bubble wrap on the inside. this kid loves bubble wrap - he even accosted a lady in starbucks last week when he spotted the bubble-wrapped frame she was carrying.

this shipment, the latest from a string of late-night fabric buying binges, contained a nice little bundle of japanese linen/cotton blend mid-weight prints from etsy's this and that from japan. i love them all!

they are swirling around in the dryer now after their first wash - can't wait to tuck into them.

mmm - the perfect combination

2010-05-19T13:19:00.001-07:00

truth be told, i didn't like peanut butter until i was halfway through my twenties. my mom would buy the (excellent) natural peanut butter and i was a wee bit difficult in balking at the easiest lunch around. but now i do love a good pb&j sandwich, and i am crazy for anything spicy and thai with peanut flavour. so this satay-spiced grilled peanut butter sandwich over at craft is driving me crazy - and haven't eaten lunch yet. i wish i had some bean sprouts on hand - i have everything else. must try this post-haste.

yard sale season

2010-05-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

it's been an awfully long time since i went yard sale-ing (a made-up word that looks wrong no matter how you spell it!). this past sunday i took advantage of the local queen's park annual community yard sale and made up for lost time. armed with a few tote bags and a jingling purse full of change, i started out bright and early. six blocks up and six blocks across, lovely tree-lined streets of heritage homes - promising!

i had been hoping for some vintage finds and lucked out with a tin recipe box, an kitchy lamb planter, a swell french canning jar - the kind with the glass lid & wire clamp, a hanging mail sorter and a highball glass to add to my collection of one-off retro bar ware. i also found some great 60's-ish french designer men's ties for free! jamie said he'd wear a couple of them, and i might use some of them for fabric if i can bring myself to cut up a vintage dior tie! i haven't taken any photos of this stuff but i should - it looks so lovely and oddly all together. and the best part was coming home and waving things in front of jamie and saying "twenty five cents - can you believe it?" like a maniac. ;-)

many other finds went to mr. cole - he ended up with three pairs of pants, two pairs of shoes, more lego, a puzzle, a keyboard, a book, a music box and i'm sure some other things that i can't remember. including his stuff, my stuff, a box of girl guide cookies and the greasiest bag of popcorn ever, we came away with quite a haul for about $20.

i didn't buy any barbies, but i couldn't resist taking a few photos of them in their neglected state, naked and smiling, crammed into cardboard box. there's a commentary there, i just know it...

self: if you finish one thing, you can start another

2010-05-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

i might have to buy a copy of clothing for toddlers because i like the photo of this elf-like child (and the fairly nondescript pants he's wearing) so much. i've only made the simplest of pants using the last (very awesome) japanese pattern book that i bought because i've been somewhat intimidated to tackle the harder, complicated projects in a different language. i'm having a hard time justifying buying this new book, but if i can make something else from the book on my shelf i'm going to reward myself... deal? deal. it's so pleasant negotiating with one's self. ;-)

shop update!

2010-04-26T14:20:00.001-07:00

finally! after a coon's age, there's new cute stuff in my etsy shop!

bunny plushies - i've given them all little quips and greetings. so far there are two to choose from: bonjour bunny and yoo hoo bunny. more to come!

tooth fairy pillows - they're made from organic cotton flannel and various cute japanese fabrics on the back pocket. each comes with twenty tiny envelopes, one for each wee baby tooth.

cute and cuter 1" pinback buttons, the same ones i've put into the got craft swag bags. i had extras and i love them so much!

one of my favourite items to make are these zakka tartlet pincushions. they're small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and made using tiny bits of my favourite japanese fabrics.

and there's more to come soon! a few other items and more styles of the ones listed...

if you're local and want to save on shipping costs, definitely swing past my table at this weekend's got craft? show. sunday, may 2nd at the royal canadian legion on commercial drive in vancouver.

covet, covet, covet

2010-04-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

i stopped for a peek today at the local blim craft market and spotted many lovely locals who will also be at next week's got craft? event. one of my many favourites?

loved, coveted, drooled over the beautiful ceramics and jewelery by claire madill of hey day - particularly the awesome vintage jar series. i love them all! there's something about the contrast - the essential usefulness and practicality of the jars against the clean, modern finish. they're porcelain, slipcast using molds taken from the original vintage glass jars. lined with a shiny clear glaze, they're functional as well! especially love the beaver jars!

smile factory

2010-04-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

it's looking like an assembly-line of creatures in here: row upon row of organic flannel bunny faces with features painted freehand using non-toxic paint.

i've moved from using wool felt for my bunny faces to organic flannel. it's so much softer and cuddlier, and it makes sense because i make my tooth fairy pillows from the same fabric. i buy my flannel as leftover trimmings from a local organic mattress and bedding manufacturer. i love knowing that i'm using something that would otherwise be going to waste. the pieces i get are just the right size to cut a row of tooth pillows and a row of bunny faces, so what i'm throwing out at the end is basically just bitty little corners.

they're all eerily staring at me now from the table where they sit, drying, waiting to be sewn to bodies.

sneak swag peek

2010-04-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

lately it's been work, work, work around here - building up my stock of tooth fairy pillows, gnomes, bunnies, pincushions and pins for a very good reason. i'll be at the upcoming got craft? spring show!

i'm so stoked to be a vendor at this event - it's vancouver's best indie craft market and it's my first time doing one of their big shows. one of the best things about this event is the swag bag - it's becoming a much sought-after score. the first 30 folks in get a bag containing goodies from each vendor.

i hemmed and hawed about what to put in. i have been meaning to try out an order of custom 1" buttons for an age, and finally this moved me to take a crack at it. i'd heard great things about a local shop, six cent press (they ship everywhere!). ordering was easy, they provide a template to help you set-up your files and the turnaround was amazing. i'm so, so happy about the results:

bunny faces! woodgrain! cuteness! love them. they turned out so perfectly and i keep looking at the little bags full of buttons and smiling. i'm pairing up one of each button on a little card, and i'll have a few extras for sale. check out some of the other recent designs on the six cent press blog.

photo: six cent press

in case...

2010-04-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

joy! uppercase magazine's issue number 5 is out. i love this publication - inspiring content, amazing eye candy and canadian to boot. this issue's cover art was done by the venerable matte stephens. two of his prints are hanging in our home now and every time i have a space to fill i go back to his etsy shop and ogle.

hey, four eyes!

2010-03-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

i am all about the quick projects lately. with our move coming up soon it feels as though all i've been doing is box packing. this can be satisfying, in a box packing kind of way - but it does pose it's challenges. like when, for example, you're in the middle of a few projects and you realize that you've packed your sewing gear in a late night packing frenzy and now that box lies at the back of a room full of boxes.

but the tuxedo t-shirt project from last week left me with a package of iron-on transfers and few ideas, so i satisfied the project fix by making cole another custom tee. specs!

he does love the novelty glasses after all, and i can't resist a good pair of nerd-chic horn-rims. the graphic was designed in illustrator, based on a photo of a pair of vintage rayban wayfarers. i had wanted to put an abbreviated snellan eye chart on the back but figured that amount of lettering would be better done with screen printing. mental note: unpack and try out screen printing kit that santa brought asap!

if you'd like to make your own personal-use specs t-shirt please feel free to use this pdf template. just save, print & iron using the instructions for your particular paper. the graphic is already reversed and printed at 100% on letter-sized paper it would be suitable for a grown-up shirt; i printed it to 70% for cole's 2t size. enjoy, four eyes. ;-)

for those black tie playdates

2010-03-05T21:20:00.000-08:00

couldn't resist whipping up a wee tuxedo t-shirt using this awesome pdf template from how about orange. i just happened to buy iron-on transfer paper the other day for another project so all i had to do was find a plain white toddler t-shirt... seriously, apparently it's nigh on impossible to find a shirt without logos, emblems, pockets and other frippery. i actually found this one at old navy. it had a pocket but i plucked it off my trusty clover seam ripper. even better - nothing says elegant like a faux lapels and the pin prick outline of a ghost pocket!

fyi - to fit a small person (this one is almost 2!) i just used the 1 page template and it was perfect.

ink & spindle sale

2010-03-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

get the deals while they're hot! ink & spindle, australian makers of drool-worthy natural fibre screenprinted fabrics, are having a sale! they're consolidating their range and there are some steals to be had on discontinued prints & colours. fast!

wish you were here

2010-02-15T15:21:00.000-08:00

love this printable google map envelope concept. so easy - you just enter in an address and a personal message if you like, and an printable envelope template is created using a google map of that location. just print, fold, glue and mail. by designer beste miray dogan via craft.

happy love day!

2010-02-14T21:47:00.000-08:00

couldn't resist making valentines day cookies using this great vanilla sugar cookies recipe from craftzine. i keep trying different sugar cookie recipes at every holiday, and they're all quite similar but i like this one the best. lots of vanilla, smooth cookies, easy too. and the icing alone makes it a winner. it's the best-tasting cookie icing i've ever made - yum! the pink ones are just iced but the white ones are double-decker, with a thin dab of strawberry jam sandwiching them together. double yum! 2/3 of these are onward to friends tomorrow - all these cookies in the house is too good for someone who likes sugar as much as i do!

not that i need another project...

2010-02-07T09:03:00.001-08:00

i have been coveting this oliver + s school days coat pattern for a few months now, and i can't decide if i should try it yet or wait until... until? well, until i have time to start something new, until i feel more confident about trying something that looks hella complicated, until fall when i can make it up as a wool coat instead of now as a rain coat. but one thing is for certain - i must try this one. anyone else try it yet?

i love their entire line of patterns for kids, and have tried a couple so far with great results. maybe i'll start by making cole some new bedtime story pajamas, since his old ones are rapidly becoming too small. and i have yet to finish the buttons on a sundress for my neice using the same pattern that this playsuit for cole came from (although i have a while, it's for 12month size and she should be born soon!) and i have a copy of the sandbox pants that i've not even touched yet, so i could go there after those... ok, probably best to wait for fall. is blogging about something you want to do supposed to convince you to wait?

paper + glue

2010-02-04T15:39:00.000-08:00

a few weeks ago i attended the night of social crafting event and the art of craft exhibit at the vancouver museum with my friend kim. we dug in with diy gusto with the collage materials, and ever since i've been addicted to the paper + glue process. there's just something so perfectly imperfect about it. 'collage' may not be 100% accurate for what i've been doing - i have generally been just gluing favourite papers to favourite wooden things - but the air in here has certainly smelled a lot like mod podge lately.

one of the easiest and oddly satisfying things has been sprucing up a boring ikea desktop organizing drawer. i had a good plan for this thing apparently at some point, but once i got it home i never bothered with the whole lot of hammering required to transform it's flat-packed state into a set of drawers. after rediscovering it, unassembled and under the bed, i put it together with a craft hammer last year and it has sat on my desk in it's basic unfinished form since then. until last week, that is, when i went on a mission (one needs missions) to find the perfect piece of paper to make it more exciting.

or i should say, the perfect piece of pale pink paper to match the mental picture i have of my new and organized office space. we're moving in the spring, and our new home has a fab small/tiny/doorless OFFICE. capitals intended and well-deserved. it's the one area of the condo that i absolutely had to have the dimensions of, stat. it's new, so it will be freshly painted in neutrals. although i have some weird long-range plans that may or may not come to fruition, i know in the short-term i won't be doing anything to the neutral walls. but i'd like to use some knicknackery in pale pink and mustard tones, add some fun indie artwork, and a lot of space-enlarging white along with my white & blackish brown desk. this little gem will look perfect in my not-as-imaginary space:

it now sits proudly on my desk, complete with cleaned-out drawers containing logical desk and art-related items. i know it's just paper and glue, but it makes me happy.

and i should mention how much i love the little ari cat doll sitting on top of the shelf. it's by the talented mia hansen - i actually won it at the mov craft event. a miracle - i never win anything, let alone anything so cute. it has a permanent home there, along with my 50 cent owl mug (my only truly awesome value village find to date), a pinecone that cole picked up at the oxford botanical gardens last spring, a rotating number of oddly things that i love and library books that need returning.

pink & lello

2010-01-25T09:29:00.000-08:00

just a sneak peak at the back of the quilt i've been making for my lovely sister-in-law jasmine, who's expecting her first baby, a girl, sometime in february. cole couldn't resist scrambling all over it yesterday... the front is patchwork and the back is too, basically... i've kind of made it up as i go, using favourite fabrics in white, pink and yellow on the back, and pink, yellow, magenta and orange, cream and some blue too on the front, trying to make it girly without being too much so.

beelightful

2010-01-17T21:41:00.000-08:00

found the cutest shop on etsy this weekend, and had to mention it. beethings is full of adorable bird prints and other lovely treasures. this print of bluejays caught my attention.

jamie and i quibble fondly about what constitutes the "true" blue jay. being from ontario, home of actual blue jays (in my opinon) with pointy blue heads and very blue bodies and a team named after them and of course i learned the words to "ok blue jays" in elementary school gym class, i tend to think that the real blue jay is the one i've always known. jamie makes the case that the bc jay is the stellar jay, therefore superior because it's name idicates an above-average level of jay-ness. i still disagree - it's just not blue enough. so i couldn't help buying the print. nobody uses stellar jays when the want to show a blue jay. ;-)

cozy time

2010-01-16T20:12:00.000-08:00

we drink an astounding amount of tea. all kinds, all the time. we had to recently buy a new teapot (again) because our last one leaked excessively and eventually cracked and leaked even more. i had made a tea cozy for the last pot, but the new teapot is huge - as big as an elephant's skull, jamie says - so "new tea cozy" was one of the things on my to-do list.

it's just a simple cover, but nice and thick. the outer fabric is a heavy weight japanese linen cotton blend and it's lined on the inside with cotton, as well as two layers of cotton quilt batting. i meant to make a template as i went, but it was so quick and easy that the whole thing was done in about 15 minutes. now that's a satisfying, quick project.

tea time! gotta run. or walk - the tea will stay warm...

pattern chaos, resolved

2009-12-29T09:44:00.000-08:00

i have a desk, which sits in between our living room and dining room (terms used lightly - it's one room) and in that desk there's a drawer filled with patterns. pattern pieces, patterns in packages, my own hand-drawn patterns and traced patterns and cut template pieces. anyone who has a small space knows how precious a drawer can be, and it's irked me that this chaos hogged a whole one. plus, it was none too easy to delve in and find all the parts for anything without sifting through the whole lot...

i had grandiose ideas of a slick box & folder storage system (which would so easily slide onto the empty shelves in my dream office) but really, i don't have anywhere to keep that either. so, while wandering at daiso yesterday i couldn't help raking over their selection of organizing supplies. this great item jumped out at me:

it's just a simple lightweight binderish book containing 40 transparent plastic sleeves, and it was only $2! i love it's cutesy bent polkadot weirdness and language mumbo jumbo.

i've tucked each pattern and related pieces into it's own individual sleeve and presto - organized! i can now tuck this into my craft books shelf (conveniently located near the front door, where it fits) and have a whole new empty drawer! now, if i can just figure out something for the other four drawers...

good reasons to welcome 2010

2009-12-26T14:13:00.001-08:00

truth be told, i myself am not in the running for the world's best schedule planner. no one has ever glowingly said of me "wow, is that woman ever punctual!" you would never mistake me for a watchmaker, someone who wears a watch or even someone paid to be on time! i often forget things, mistake dates and miss birthdays of folks i adore... this year i am hoping to change all that through the acquisition of an adorable calendar or two! i figure that at least if i'm still putzing around at this time next year, i'll have had 365 days in which to enjoy lovely treats like these:

topping my list has to be this sweet 2010 desk calendar from local cabin + cub. each calendar includes 12 cards featuring prints of valerie's whimsical mixed media collage images and it includes the mini wooden easel!

love this limited edition 2010 letterpressed calendar from ink + wit. the seven dreamy prints were inspired by travels in iceland, england, france and the us, it comes ready to hang or can be displayed framed as well.

if you can find an image you really really like, why not look at it all year? i love this letterpressed sweet mama mini calendar from yee haw. love the colour, the graphic and who can resist cotton candy?

what about something a little softer? there's this swell under the sea calendar in linen from linea carta! my mom always used to have a linen tea towel calendar hanging on the wall in our kitchen, and they can be kind of hard to find nowadays...

for a calendar that serves both it's intended purpose and manages to provide project ideas, you can't beat the calendar from purl soho. it includes photos and instructions for 12 knitting, sewing and patchwork projects from the shop's always inspiring blog, the purl bee.

and, because knowing the date is all well and good, but knowing important dates is even better, there's the fab dutch-themed birthday calendar from another local gem, the beautiful project. it's not year-specific, so you can use it for ages! the perfect place to jot down which person's birthday is on what date.

more last-minute ideas

2009-12-23T18:45:00.000-08:00

this afternoon i whipped up a few ties for our little guy, the idea being that he could wear one ironically at christmas dinner. recently i'd downloaded a copy of this cute leila & ben pdf pattern (via magpie patterns, but they also have an etsy shop). it includes sizes from 1 - 5 years and was only $4! i printed it off, gathered a few japanese linen/cotton scraps and got to work. each tie took about 10 minutes max, including cutting & ironing. so fast!

it could not be easier - raw edges, elastic tucked in, topstitch around and you're done! i also created my own variation (elephant print, in front) with finished edges. i'm going to have to make these for all the little guys i know - so cute!

i love you, pillow boxes

2009-12-22T15:21:00.000-08:00

be still my heart - i am in love. i spotted this pillow box tutorial on the spotted sparrow recently and couldn't wait to try it out.

i was fresh out of cute cardstock (dear santa...) but i did have white 110# cover weight paper and a few very cute lino stamps from etsy's mayberry sparrow. using the template, i just cut out the shape, scored, glued and folded and voila:

i made these in true last-minute style for a few small stocking stuffers but i'm so in love with them that i'm going to design one for packaging my pins and barrettes at shows as an alternative to paper bags.

giving the tree the trim

2009-12-21T18:51:00.000-08:00

we have just a small tabletop tree - one that's about 3 feet tall and not very realistic at all. we don't have room for a bigger tree (not without moving a chair into the hallway!) but i like it small anyway. one of the best things about a small tree is how easy it is to decorate! a small handful of decorations are enough, along with two strands of tangled lights.

i dug out some silver ornaments from last year - little balls and three sparkly glass owls that were hidden in a box marked "breakable hooters". and this year we changed things up a bit and added some new ornaments. there are some white and red acrylic squirrels and birch birds from lovably and some handmade felt smiling creatures that i whipped up.

i made these for my table at portobello west and thankfully had some extra leftover since i didn't make any specifically for us! these are my favourites of the collection - mitten, snowman, gingerbread house, matroyshka and polar bear. they're lovely soft wool felt, with embroidered faces and stuffed with a little organic cotton filling.

i love the tree this year - it makes me smile. happy holidays all - hope they're filled with good cheer and love.

barefoot for the holidays

2009-12-18T15:47:00.000-08:00

i am so, so, so excited to share the news - my stuffed creatures are for sale locally in barefoot contessa, the fab vancouver boutiques located on main street and on commercial drive!

my gnomes, tooth fairy pillows, bunnies and drooling kerchiefs are all there and were specially made just for the shops.they're all nestled amongst the other lovely items - i adore the way the kids sections of the stores are displayed. this is the display in the main street shop

they're up in time for christmas - actually, they were there a few weeks ago, but man alive it's been a busy few weeks and my blogging is catching up! there's only a week of shopping time left, so if you're looking for something fun for the baby, kid or child-at-heart in your life, stop by and adopt one! ;-) i'm sure you'll find loads to fill their (and your) stockings while shopping - the stores are heavenly and filled with lovely treats of all sorts - fashion, jewelery and trinkets galore, many from local and independent designers.

happy shopping!

for my imaginary office

2009-12-15T09:22:00.000-08:00

the holiday portobello west market was a success! traffic was a little on the slow side on saturday, but still ok and sunday was much better. thankfully the beautiful and seasonally appropriate snow stopped in the morning - i was worried that if it kept up then people might not be able to come! as a native ontarian, i can't manage a straight face if i call a snow-day for anything under 30 cm of snow (or at least 1 cm of solid ice), but you've gotta roll like a local... in the past i've stayed home from work for just a skiff and now i wear gum boots and carry an umbrella in the snow.

thank you to all who stopped by to see my table! it absolutely makes my day seeing how people react to my little army of stuffed creatures.

i was able to check a few items off my xmas list too - good news, since i was so busy with prep that i hadn't started! of course i can't share, since i don't want anyone to get the inside scoop on their gifts!

but i did fall in total love with one thing for myself. i promised that i would be good, but i couldn't resist the amazing mobiles from lovably. i kept going back to look at the most beautiful laser-cut neon pink translucent acrylic and birch bird mobile. cole is too big for a mobile now, at least in the traditional sense, and our ceilings are concrete so not the best for hanging things. but i really needed one for my office. future office, make it. right now my office is a desk in the middle of our open living space (pros - i can see the tv and it's close to the tea kettle) but i have visions of a space with a waist-high cutting table, a l-shaped computer/sewing space, a little table & chair for cole, exciting light fixtures and the kind of elaborately organized closet usually reserved for shoes in homes of the very wealthy. it is in this space i hope to hang this beautiful mobile.

it's called 'birds fly by'. mine has four pink birds and one birch, and the fancy top part is pink too. i can feel the relaxing, creative environment already. and if there's space beside my bay window with leaded glass panes i might put a big cozy chair. and a tea kettle. ;-)

day one: portobello west holiday market

2009-12-12T20:31:00.000-08:00

today was the first of a two-day holiday edition portobello west market - the last one before christmas. here's a quick (not-very-good) shot of the table:

i displayed some new stuff: fleecy baby hats, felt xmas ornaments, some new felt pins. and of course all the faves: tartlet pincushions, gnomes, tooth fairy pillows, bunnies, pillow clubs, barrettes, baby accessories and more.

if you're in the area come on by tomorrow! rocky mountaineer station (map) from 12-6. awesome shopping to be had!

upcoming: got craft? holiday edition

2009-11-24T23:06:00.000-08:00

sadly we will be away and missing the upcoming got craft? holiday show, but i must remind everyone to go - it's gonna be good! and the first 30 people who get in get a nifty goodie bag of swag!

crazy for umbrella prints

2009-11-23T08:24:00.000-08:00

i recently found these very cool hand screenprinted fabrics from australian umbrella prints. they also sell kits, skirts, jewelery, cards and much more... outside of australia, you can buy their fabrics through their etsy shop. they're so so cute - i want them all!

the fabric trimmings sampler might have to do for me for now - i've spent so much ordering fabrics lately and my addiction really needs a proper support group!

and how cute is this nimbus lion kit from their shop? it's got it all - cute print, smile, cuddle factor:

pipes - not so good for your health, but great in artwork

2009-11-10T14:59:00.000-08:00

i'm always finding and falling in love with new artwork featuring quizzical animals smoking pipes. maybe pipes are the new owl? ;-)

so i love this print from wayne pate featuring a nautical (think beachcombers) seagull smoking a pipe and wearing gum boots. love his fisherman-meets-frenchman sweater!

i also love this merman print - beards! fish tails! berets and striped sweaters!

both are large, poster-sized silk-screened prints and at $35 each they're a steal. i really need more wall space in here!

stuff that stocking: city mini blocks

2009-11-09T07:15:00.001-08:00

i love christmas, and at about this time every year i start seeing every small, cute object that i come across through the lens of "that would be perfect for a stocking!".

and so i can't resist the small-size + cuteness factor lure of these adorable city mini blocks from etsy's fidoodle. they would, of course, make a perfect stocking stuffer...

they're made of locally-sourced hardwood maple and non-toxic inks. the images - doodles of rooflines and urban icons and folks - are adorable and on the reverse side is a puzzle of the scene. they come packed in a 3 x 3 inch cube.

fidoodle is based in toronto, by the way. go canada! check out their website as well for more info.

diving whale family print

2009-11-03T15:20:00.000-08:00

i couldn't resist ordering this lovely 2nd edition woodcut print of a diving family of whales from tugboat printshop of pittsburgh. it's part of their woodcut series "the deep blue sea" and i fell in love in a second.

the three deep-blue whales reminded me of our little trio family. there's something about the number three; my favourite high-school english literature teacher, mr. newbigging, used to say that three is a magical number. i see threes everywhere, sneaking up on me like little ambassadors of the number world. it seems a good family size number too - one that really requires participation from each member, like a shaky three-legged stool!

the artists behind the brand are paul roden + valerie lueth. their prints are all limited editions and actual prints, not digital reproductions. their pieces are "100% original drawings that are hand-drawn, hand-carved and hand-printed on archival paper in our in-house printshop". how cool is that?

you can buy it - and many other awesome prints - online through their website or in their etsy shop.

for your little gnome

2009-11-02T21:57:00.000-08:00

it's been a while since i've updated the blog. sad! having a week long visit to family back east back-to-back with preparing and showing at portobello west and then the festive brouhaha of halloween somehow kept me from blogging. i've been meaning to, but it took something really cute to get me moving:

how awesome is this hand-felted merino wool gnome hat from etsy's wee little robin? i adore it!

it's custom-made to your fit your munchkin's particular head and available in candy apple red or tangerine.

weekend project: bedtime story pajamas

2009-10-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

i'm so excited to have finally made up a pair of real pajamas for cole using the fantastic bedtime story pajamas pattern from oliver + s, the best kids pattern line in forever.

every pattern is that perfect combination of modern and classic, and thankfully for me, not by nature a reader of instructions, they are foolproof. well designed, simple and illustrated, the step-by-step instructions are easy to walk through. this was a quick project - about 2 1/2 hours start to finish.

they're mainly constructed using a 1 metre piece of funky monkey flannel (similar options here) that i've had in my stash for a while. turns out though that i didn't have quite enough... so, rather than try to drum up more or shelve the project, i dug out enough of a different flannel to make contrasting sleeves and ties.

since they're called bedtime story pajamas, i thought it would be appropriate to get a photo of cole during his actual bedtime story... it started out well enough - he loves to read together, but it soon turned into an episode of mug and wrestle. good to see they don't impede his movements! ;-)

one of a kind - you must go!

2009-10-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

just got back from a stroll through the delightful one of a kind vancouver show. it was my first year making the trip - in the past i've somehow missed it for one reason or another - and it was well worth a visit! it's on for the rest of the weekend - all day saturday (10-9) and sunday (10-5) at the vancouver convention centre (the original site, under the five sails). tickets are $10, or $8 if you buy online and there really is something for everyone.

there was everything from jewelery to fashion, foods and home decor, art and of course my favourite - paper goods and eccentric little creations.

i should have taken photos of all the amazing displays but i always feel kind of conspicuous! thankfully i worked up the nerve to ask permission to snag some photos of these favourites:

the fab hobsnobs booth featured the work of jeannette of the beautiful project, valerie of cabin & cub and sasha of track & field. i loved the way their pieces complimented each other and the simplicity of their display really let their work take centre stage, as it deserves. if you're looking for a beautiful gift, cheeky card or little treasure for yourself it's a one-stop shop right there! i especially love the holiday cards, the collage and woodburned wall panels, the laptop bags and the little bird pins.

i fell in absolute love with the dresses, hooded caps and capes for wee girls at the patouche booth. meticulously crafted and beautifully displayed, the clothes are a dream - definitely the kind that become heirloom pieces. i'm not in the mood for more babies, but the girl clothes would almost make it worthwhile! the small-batch clothes are getting a lot of press, and there's a great interview with creator kessa over at make something.

and i spotted (and sniffed) the most delicious-smelling premium natural skin care products from matter company. i really loved their mama & baby range - gorgeous products infused with essential oils and made with ingredients such as shea butter and beeswax.

just a few of the many other favourites that i didn't get photos for were the organic linen baby slings & nursing covers from toronto-based ollie go lightly, the whimsical creations from roxypop and little red caboose and amazing work from the emily carr university of art + design.

and if all that isn't enough - there's fudge! mmm... going to dig into mine now. maple! i'm hoping to go back tomorrow or sunday to pick up a few things i didn't get a chance to go back for today. once we ran out of crackers it was time to hit the dusty trails... good news though - your admission is good all weekend!

new felt pins - halloween ghosties

2009-10-05T08:35:00.001-07:00

just added these seasonal felt pins to my etsy shop. there are two versions - scout, the smiling ghostie and radley, the spooky ghostie. yes, i adore to kill a mockingbird - why do you ask? ;-)

they're about 2" high and 1" wide, made of high-end wollfilz wool felt, hand-embroidered and stuffed with organic cotton fill. a large brooch closure is securely sewn to the back.

murder, she embroidered...

2009-10-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

so we are some mega dorks around here. i loves me some murder she wrote or columbo on a lazy winter's day, and we have amassed a nice collection of truly bad tv mysteries. thankfully our mystery collection in general also includes all of the british-made poirot and marple collections too, and everything made by alfred hitchcock!

we just added season 6 of murder she wrote to our stash, and man, it's truly bad! the dad from friends is in one really bad episode, there are a lot of flashbacks and jewel theives, plus add in a cast of hollywood nobodies and misfits and enough '80s hair & makeup to fill the grand canyon and you're getting the drift.

a while back i'd sewn a stack of plain linen tea-towels and they've been collecting dust in a drawer for ages waiting for inspiration to strike. i've been meaning to learn to screen print up at blim on of these months, but for a quick and silly project i decided to embroider jessica fletcher's lovely busybody face onto one of them! yeah, so it didn't turn out so well...

i took a photo of her from google images, created an outline in illustrator, traced it onto my tea towel using a disappearing fabric marker and started to embroider. well, the marker started fading straight away, so i ended up kind of going freestyle. and the photo of her looked fine but somehow just doing her head lost the perspective and just looks odd. we've since washed this too, and of course now it's a little puckery and her chin looks more like she's got the mumps. of course, my basic embroidery skills may have also been part of the problem! the tea towel, however, is sewn to perfection! ;-)

funny though! cole either laughs at or slowly backs away from this when he sees it hanging in the kitchen... i'd back away, kid.

weekend project: a wee bunny

2009-10-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

recently, while catching up with the lovely crafty blog so happy, i was drawn to an adorable baby bunny made from a free wee wonderfuls pattern. it looked like such a sweet little creature, perfect the nursery - handy since we're in the midst of another family & friends baby boom! of course, once i downloaded the pattern, i had to make one right away:

this one is made from japanese linen/cotton on the back and a panel of the softest unbleached organic flannel on the tummy. the nose and mouth were embroidered freehand and the eyes are painted on using non-toxic fabric paint. it's stuffed with organic cotton filling. oh, and i added a little touch of blush to the cheeks for fun.

it was a quick project - just an hour or so - just the thing if you need a last-minute but perfectly thoughtful baby gift.

the littlest helper

2009-10-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

just a few shots of my little guy, cole, "helping" me stuff bunnies with organic cotton last week.

usually i do all my work, design, craft or otherwise, while he's napping, but it was crunch time so we did our stuff side-by-side - he played with his toys and proudly brought me pieces of fluff he found on the floor while i stuffed and hand-sewed bunnies closed. of course, he always likes to be a part of the action, and i'm not one to turn down a helping hand!

yay portobello!

2009-09-28T23:20:00.000-07:00

i was so happy with how yesterday's portobello west market went. it was my first time on the other side of the table, and truthfully i was a little nervous for the few days beforehand. i am such a fan of so many folks i've seen exhibiting there, and more than a little in awe of their talent and creativity. but i was feeling good once we started to get the table set up. my trusty and crafty friend kim of milkybeer was there to help all day and i am so grateful for both the moral support and help - and bathroom breaks! ;-) it's so wonderful to me to meet people face-to-face and see their reactions to my smiley creatures and creations.

for this event i brought my always-popular gnomes and bunnies (and this time a version stuffed with organic cotton fill), my felt pins and vintage button barrettes too. and i had some new lovely stuff - coin purses, modern caveman pillow clubs (which drew many laughs) tartlet pincushions that seemed popular (and suprisingly so with the kids!), and also tooth fairy pillow kits!

my tooth fairy kits (in the etsy shop later this week) are one of my very favourites. they're made of unbleached organic flannel and stuffed with organic cotton, both industrial leftovers from a local supplier who makes fabulous organic bedding. shaped like a tooth, and with a lovely pocket on the back made of japanese linen/cotton prints - perfect for stashing lost baby teeth in preparation for visits from the tooth fairy! and to keep those little teeth all organized, each pillow comes with 20 tiny envelopes stamped and ready to inscribe with name and date for posterity. so many folks, i mean the tooth fairy, keep baby teeth, but nobody really seems to know what on earth to do with them!

i'll be at the market again on october 25th, and also for the christmas show on december 12 & 13. there are so many lovely, lovely vendors and so much to tempt. i had to restrain myself from shopping while there! instead i've started dropping not-so-subtle hints to jamie about christmas stocking shopping.

please do come see me at one of the next markets! and for anyone looking for something specific that isn't in my etsy shop yet, please just drop me an email.

coming soon - a use for teeny envelopes

2009-09-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

i've been working like mad, wrapping things up for this weekend's portobello west... am just about to finish a batch of something fun that uses these little teeny envelopes, and i couldn't resist a tease. more info tomorrow!

25/500

2009-09-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

the first 25 pencil crayons of my subscription set of 500 arrived today!

looks like my first batch is set #5 and it includes a fine set of reddish hues, each with an awesome name, written in both japanese and english. fun names like 'plum crazy', 'scarlett o'hara' and 'little red wagon'. funny, i picture scarlett o'hara as a deep, rich emerald colour...

i'm not sure if i'll keep going until i get all 500 because, let's face it, that is a hell of a lot of pencil crayons, but i love the idea and the potential so much. and really - i need all of those colours. now... do i play with them as i go along, or wait until i get them all?

lovely mondays: wooden toys

2009-09-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

we've tried very hard to stick to wooden toys around here but more plastic sneaks in that i'd like to admit. i'm ok with duplo, but the rest of it can go. just leave us with our books, handmade stuffed animals, delightful wood toys and our art supplies and i'm happy. there are such fun, unique and handmade finds on etsy that it's easy to see the light!

and i must, must, must have that checker set. pirates vs ninjas? all kinds of awesome. all these delights, clockwise from top left:

pirates vs. ninja checker set from goose grease

vintage graphic choo-choo block puzzle from tiny giraffe

robot parade figure set from moo shoo pork

rainbow of mushrooms collection from wee wood

lovely pinecones from lovely design

2009-09-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

i was delighted this morning to see that sharilyn of local favourite lovely design has just issued a second, limited edition run of her beautiful conifers of canada and beautiful leaves of canada posters. they're hand-screened on coasterboard and measure 12" x 16".

i've had my sights on the pinecone poster for ages and am really looking forward to getting mine, framing and hanging it in our home.

tartlet pincushions

2009-09-09T10:31:00.001-07:00

i could not resist making a fresh batch of these lovely tartlet pincushions. the idea is based on a pattern from the lovely book zakka sewing. they're small - about 2.5" across - and perfect for folks who routinely end up stabbing themselves with needles poking through the bottom of their other pincushion (um, that would be me). the fabrics are all sturdy home decor weight japanese cotton-linen blends.

they'll be in the etsy shop too, once i confirm the shipping cost, but i really can't wait to put these out on my table at portobello west.

shop update: the modern caveman pillow club

2009-09-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

so, a while back i was able to locate a wholesale supplier of the fantastic woodgrain fabric that i use to make my gnomes. i bought a huge bolt of the stuff and it's lovely woodgrainey-ness has been keeping me up at nights with new ideas. i couldn't resist creating this:

the modern caveman pillow club. styled after the club prominent in the type of neanderthal life made popular in comic strips, it's soft and squishy and silly. i love it!

it measures about 24" long x 5" wide and 5" deep, and such fun. interested in beating those around you but not going to jail (probably, no guarantees implied)? need a good conversation piece for the sofa? sore neck? - it makes a remarkably comfy neck pillow. need a good non-violent halloween costume accessory? check it out in my etsy shop for more info.

shop update: felt + vintage button barrettes!

2009-09-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

there are a fresh new batch of wool felt and vintage button barrettes in my etsy shop!

each one is completely unique and handmade using my favourite one-of-a-kind authentic vintage buttons and lovely bits of super-soft wollfilz felt. and i'll be displaying an even bigger selection at my table at portobello west later this month!

sock monkey toddler pants

2009-09-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

is it even possible to not love a sock monkey? they're so... oddly, i guess. not uncommon anymore, but they seem both endearingly homespun and kitchy and creepy all at the same time.

i bought a few pairs of red heel brand socks ages ago, intending to make one, but i've never gotten around to it. yesterday i had a random flash of inspiration and became obsessed with the thought of a pair of sock monkey toddler pants... as soon as cole went to sleep, i hauled out the socks and started cutting and sewing, making them up as i went along, and voila:

these made me laugh so very hard, and it was all i could do to wait until morning to try them on him. oh my goodness:

the best part - the tail, of course. and the fact that they took only about 45 minutes to sew! working with the limited (and sock-shaped) fabric was a cool challenge - my initial sketch showed kind of a gusset/seat section and then separately attached leg segments, which is what worked really well. i tried to keep the overall look of an actual sock monkey - the brown legs, white feet, red bum on the tail... i made them up as i went, but basically make the bum part of a pair of pants using the bottom halves of two pairs of socks, the legs out of one sock top half each and use the spare white sock tops for the waist band. a scrap for a tail and you're golden.

i adore these pants. cole wore them out today for breakfast and again when we ran errands this afternoon and yeah, other folks seemed to enjoy the sight too. oh, and sometimes he notices that he has a tail and then spins around trying to catch it. cute overload.

i would walk 500 miles (and then another 4146)

2009-08-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

The Longest Way 1.0 - one year walk/beard grow time lapse from Christoph Rehage on Vimeo.

hi ho, hi ho

2009-08-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

making gnomes for my next craft show. am so excited/nervous about my first table at portobello west in september... am simultaneously working on the graphic design project that will.not.end and trying to make enough stock for my table, and then there's that caring for a baby thing that i do all day long...

but i'm super excited about my gnomes. i do love these fellows so. and hoorah - have added "girl" gnomes. they have pink hats and chocolate bottoms, but they do still have beards. ;-)

weekend project: smocked sundress

2009-08-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

spotted this smocked dress how-to over in etsy's the storque. it's a step-by-step guide to making the adorable sundress from heather ross' weekend sewing, using the instructions and diagrams right from the book! there's still a bit of summer left (or a lot, depending where you live!) so there's no time like the present to try this one.

i made this dress recently and was so surprised by how easy it was. smocking ahoy!

500 coloured pencils, how i covet you

2009-08-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

five hundred coloured pencils! felissimo relaunched this set of 500 coloured pencils recently, and they're available to purchase by subscription - you pay $33 each month and receive 25 pencils at a time, for 20 months. that price includes shipping from japan. i can just picture the inspiration bursting out of my mailbox every month! you can buy the subscription over here at social designer.

i am so coveting these, both for the range of colour and the coolness of the whole idea and am really, really considering ordering them, although the overall cost of (i don't want to know but am still mentally calculating it - who said i wasn't great at math?) is a little frightening, i really would love to see them in the flesh. i would use them down to nubs myself, of course, but i can just picture opening my pencil crayon stash up to cole one day and him going "ba-ga? 500 pencil crayons!?!". picture that with cartoon bulging eyes, please.

dresses for wee girls

2009-08-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

new dresses! i recently made these two sweet dresses for little girls that i know. it was a nice break from all the pants and shorts i've been making for cole.

the first was this quick and easy dress from lotta jansdotter's simple sewing for baby. a size wasn't given, but it looks like it'll fit approximately 12-18 months as a short baby dress (very short - maybe add pants!) and then i think it'll fit for a little while longer as a top. love the heather ross spooky octopii fabric from her mendocino collection.

and the second is the smocked sundress from weekend sewing by heather ross. i've always thought that smocking must be complicated and awkward - not so! it was the easiest thing ever. you simply buy elastic thread and use that in your bobbin. stitch straight lines across a rectangle of fabric and voila - smocking. it could not have been easier. this dress was given to a little girl of two, but because it's elasticized and has adjustable tie-straps i think it'll fit for ages - maybe even as a skirt!

yummy: abc cupcakes

2009-08-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

you simply must check out the abc cupcakes by alicia of the red deer. she's going through the alphabet and making cupcakes featuring ingredients of each letter, one batch per week. get in on the weekly vote to help select which ingredient to feature, and touch back in every monday to see the result and the recipe with step-by-step instructions. seriously delicious and mouthwatering. i love that she picks unusual feature ingredients, things like guinness, irish whiskey and nougat.

my favourite so far? i love lemon, and these look like the best lemon cupcakes i've ever seen. now that it's getting cooler i'm going to have to find some folks to feed (so i don't eat them all myself) and get cracking.

lovely mondays: for all your chalkboard needs

2009-08-10T10:11:00.000-07:00

they're black, so they go with everything! chalkboards and chalkboard-inspired art from etsy, clockwise, from top left:

chalkboard alphabet limited edition print from the small object. and check out maker sarah neuburger's the small object site for more small, adorable and all 'round loveliness!

embroidery hoop chalkboard - cameo boy edition from the local bliss in a teacup. love! a 10" embroidery hoop with lovely cameo outline on chalkboard, it can be used as art or as a chalkboard too - it comes with chalk and a little wipe to clean up your dusty scribblings. check out the vancouver-based duo's delightful blog for more.

whale chalkboard from perennial favourite suddenly it's real!. for more on the duo behind the shop, check out their site or their etsy featured seller interview from a little ways back.

victorian-style vinyl wall decal from spell it out designs. this adhesive vinyl wall decal can take your messages and doodles in chalk and then poof - remove it from your wall when you're moving along.

how to: juice box boats

2009-08-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

found these swell juice box boats and how-to over at the inchmark journal. made of such simple elements and such a quick and kid-friendly project. and of course anything that floats is bound to ring a few bells.

i adore the inchmark journal - endlessly inspiring and easy on the eyes, it's one of my favourite crafty reads. and i am so in awe of creator brooke reynolds and her many talents - she has such a stylish, modern yet approachable and quirky aesthetic, and her touch as a designer is evident in so many of my favourites in the realm of craftdom.

weekend project: upholstered toddler bed

2009-08-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

gabrielle blair aka the rad design mom came up with this inexpensive (about $40), easy, functional and - perhaps even above all - adorable toddler bed design. complete step-by-step instructions over at design*sponge.

cole is fifteen months old now, and the other day some stranger mom at the park asked me if he still slept in a crib. i have the feeling that i looked at them blankly, blinking for a few moments while wondering if they were crazy. um, yeah - the bed with the bars that prevent him from a) escaping b) rolling out in the night c) escaping and d) escaping? yeah, he still sleeps in a crib. but in a year or so this will be awesome. ;-)

lovely mondays: a yellow nursery

2009-08-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

my lovely mondays have fallen by the wayside lately. so much so that i've not gathered up a fresh bunch in ages, despite visiting etsy all the time. and it's tuesday already by the time i got this one together! (in my defense, yesterday was a canadian holiday...) ah summer, time for daydreaming and lollygagging - plus an extended heatwave and a baby who, at fifteen months, is not a sleeper.

couldn't resist these soft yellow finds for the nursery, built around that adorable knit lamb. too cute! clockwise, from top left:

the original bubbilicious mobile in yellow from mobilosity.

five little elephants print from amandakindregan.

yellow ashleaves print pillow from appetite home.

winnie, what a lovely little lamb from kellienoelle.

shopping while sitting

2009-08-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

i really like online shopping. i don't buy much - the desire to reduce consumption combined with my general lack of funds (working from home while taking care of a baby - it's fun! it's not that well-paying!) means that i browse more often than i buy. but i do so enjoy filling up a shopping cart full of fabrics at purl soho or superbuzzy or picking sale t-shirts over at threadless. the added benefit to online shopping is, of course, that you need not be distracted by silly things like oh, a baby who seriously does not want to watch you try on jeans or contemplate zippers at dressew.

speaking of threadless, they're having a sale. it seems like they're always having a sale, but i can't resist. i actually have scored some great deals in the past - especially on kids t-shirts. their lowest priced ones used to be just $5 but they've gone up to $8. outrage, i say! still, there are a lot of cute ones. i haven't had a lot of luck finding the "perfect fit" with online t-shirts for myself (unless you count the oversized lay-about kind) so instead my ogling tends to benefit jamie and cole.

i like this simple one for jamie, mainly because i remember the elementary school teacher that first taught me to write a haiku and the way she insisted we only write about things like cherry blossoms and streams. i still managed to love the form, but it would have been such fun to learn with more humour.

and this one for cole because hey, animals and eye patches? how can you go wrong??

charley harper needlepoint canvases

2009-07-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

wow - purl soho just landed a stash of these awesome charley harper needlepoint canvases. love them! lots of info in their latest blog post on the subject.

the biggest canvases - like the lovely mystery of the missing migrants, above - are seriously pricey, and that's before buying the needlepoint yarn, but they really do look like a fun project for a rainy fall day.

yes, i said it - a rainy fall day. i know it's july (i say that a lot, as it turns out) and i'm enjoying the summer as much as the next person whose favourite season is fall. and it's not yet mid-august, which is the time when i really start making my autumn-related yearnings heard around our house - oh sweaters - oh apples - oh crispy sunny days. but still, there's something about a needlepoint project that makes me think of curling up in a window seat (must get one of those) with tea and a little mist outside and just focusing on a lovely hand-held project.

ok, back to prepping our bbq for tonight and picking mint for mojitos. it is, after all, a lovely summer day.

weekend project: birdie snack shack

2009-07-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

since it's summer, i'm guessing you're out enjoying your deck, balcony, patio, porch, backyard or stoop a lot lately. why not add a little something for the birds too? love this adorable birdie snack shack diy birdfeeder from the good folks at design*sponge. it uses just a couple of inexpensive items and could be painted to your liking. i'm sure the birds (and possibly a squirrel or two) will dig it.

brand new sketchbook

2009-07-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

there is nothing - nothing - quiet like the inspiring blankness of a new sketchbook. every time i start a new sketch or notebook it's such a promising feeling - all the potential and the creativity yet to be explored. and all the new lists that will get accomplished, all while writing with lovely, even penmanship... i keep stacks of old ones and love looking back and re experiencing that "aha" moment with fresh eyes.

love these sweet little brand new sketchbooks from the talented folks over at brand new, one of my favourite blogs dedicated to a discussion of rebranding and identity work, and a member of the under consideration network.

at just five bucks a pop they're too good to pass up... the pages are edged with thoughts on logo design from brand new's friendly readers. saw a tweet today saying they only have 100 left!