Come sail away with me

 I managed to find a few things to spruce up the mantle a couple of weeks ago.  The oval mirror was a free find, but I picked up the framed embroidery on linen and camera at Value Village.  It's nice to shake things up a bit for spring and have something 'new to look at. 

It has been quite a busy week- thank you to everyone who stopped by my updated website and spent time watching my new video.  As someone who, after 5 years, is still trying to make a living (i.e. not just pay my studio bills) at selling what I make, I do hope you can appreciate the thought, time, and effort that goes into what I make and do.   I didn't launch the video as a 'how to' make ceramics the way I do, but as a bit of insight to the amount of work and care involved.  While the online craft community is a little over-saturated these days, I felt that opening up about my process would validate that there are makers out there that are really working hard to create beautiful, hand-made objects from scratch.  So thank you for your encouragement this week!

We are off to Princeton for the long-weekend to have a much needed break as a family at an amazing camp!  I was able to stock up on Polaroid film to try out an old polaroid camera that I have had for a couple of years, so I'll be back with hopefully some really beautiful images of the landscape!
Hope you have a great long weekend!

Hello Teacup

Thanks to this little Russian teacup, I might just have to enter a bit of a blue and white phase.

Fungi

I found an old copy of 'Edible Fungi' that my sister had in her bookshelf and poured over the illustrations.  And then on a walk with the boys I found a myriad of mushrooms in the forest, mostly in dark corners so my photos weren't so great.  Nonetheless, I wasn't about to test my new found knowledge.  With so many being poisonous, I would only trust an expert to compare the illustrations to the real thing, confirming that yes, indeed, this was one that could be eaten!

Embracing the gold within

Just in time for the golden hues of fall, I'm  managing to embrace this colour with a few finds from the thrift shop.  I couldn't resist the sunny pattern of this enamel plate, which fits rather well into our kitchen.  It's one of those things about our place that I wouldn't change even if I owned the house... our kitchen, that is.  Albeit an odd layout, with a very small eating area, I love the cheeriness of the tiles and golden counter.  I'm sure I would have cringed at this colour in the 80's but I can't quite seem to get enough of it now!  So much that I also bought this blanket for the kids bed.  Whenever I look at it I think of a summer cabin- it kind of has that feel and look to it, like it belongs in someone's cabin.  

Perhaps it's because it's mis-matched and a bit odd. 

Well, here's to the weekend- the long weekend!  School starts next week and I have a bit more to do to get the boys ready, lots more to work on in the studio and I'll be saying 'goodbye' to Sarah, my summer studio intern.  I'm sad to see her head back to school- she's been amazing in the studio with me this summer!  Her enthusiasm and hard work has made this massive undertaking all the more do-able.  I really couldn't have asked for a better assistant for the summer and wish her all the best this year at school. She's got big plans for her career: with her hard-work, attitude and talent, I have no doubt she'll make it happen! 

good neighbour thrift

The good neighbour thrift store is something to behold.  If you aren't really observant you might miss the signs to the back warehouse where 'couch. chair' are located.  There you will walk in as though you are walking onto a stage with an entire audience of couches facing you.  Scores of chairs to sift through, I managed to find myself a 'fixer-upper' with good bones worth doing a little re-upholster and possibly paint.  For $15.  Although I had my doubts as I was trying to get it into the back of our car, knowing that our luggage and Dean's bike still had to fit into the car...somehow it all managed to fit in:)

Weekend projects

I did finally get to sewing a tote bag out of fabric that I had dyed this last summer.  I used an Ikea cushion cover that had a broken zipper on it for the lining.  It feels good to re-use something for another purpose or another life. 
This weekend the boys and I took a trip to the Family farm.  Johnny has a school project that he's working on about documenting a family treasure- he has to interview someone about the treasure, take photos and tell the story behind the treasure.  So out of a few possibilities he chose a friendship ring given to his Great-Grandmother as she left Russia to come to Canada in 1924.  We looked through old letters from family that stayed behind during Soviet Russia.  One of her brothers who was thought to have died in a work camp during Stalin's reign was re-united with our family about 12 years ago, only a few years after the death of his sister. 
I particularly liked the wallet that the ring was found in- such a great design.  Each of those corner flaps opened up to a pocket.
And check out the 'Rules for the baby' Great-grandma Dahl got when she had one of her son's in 1949.  'Most important of all.  Leave Baby alone.'  It really is a wonder babies survived with advice like that!

Finds & Fancies: Vintage Maps & Atlases

I'd been looking around in thrift stores for an old atlas for a while and hadn't spotted one until  my trip to the Sally Ann today when I found 2 of them.  One of them is a 'Canadian Oxford Atlas' from 1957 and the other, a 'Reader's Digest' version from 1977- both being a really large size, perfect for using for craft or art projects! I've had a few ideas about using them as gift wrap, covering books or making cards out of them.  I'm sure if I really got into it I could frame some of the ones I really like, or use them as a back-drop for a collage.  It's kind of nice to have 2 of them- I get a little sentimental just looking through the maps and start to getting cold feet about actually cutting pages out of the books, but with two I can save one for just looking through and one can be for making crafts with.  I know this isn't a new idea to use vintage maps for projects; just typing in 'vintage maps' on Etsy brought up a whole list of shops and makers that use maps in their work.
Here are just a few craft how-to ideas I found to use vintage maps with:
How to make a bangle from a vintage map by the CraftStylish blog
Vintage Map blocks for kids by the Craftzine blog
Map Coasters by Martha Stewart Crafts
I'll let you know when I actually get around to getting crafty with my new atlases. 

Vancouver Etsy Shop Local: April 9/10

 Subway Roll Inspired Sign, Vancouver, by Signs of Vintage: $43.55

Owl Nesting Set- from the Great Grey Owl to the Smallest Saw Wet Owl by SavageArtworks

 Beach Fun vintage photograph from Drawing Room.

I'm off to the studio for the day.  For those of you with special orders- they are all coming along really well- going in the bisque kiln this weekend and being glazed next week!
Have a great weekend!

Local Etsy Outfit...

It's nice to make connections online, and the other day I thought I recognized Heidi Denessen's name through her husband Ron, who I went to Art school with. Heidi has a sweet Etsy shop where she sells some of her artwork along with some great practical items such as fingerless gloves, hats, notebooks and decals.
On November 29 12-5 PM at 1495 Richards Street in Yaletown Heidi and her friend Jody of the Etsy shop Nanna are hosting a Holiday Sale. I think their work goes so great together, don't you?

Hold: for the Home

I'm excited to introduce you to a new local Vancouver Etsy shop called Hold! I think what first caught my eye when I stumbled on this shop were the great colours that Maria uses in her felted bowls! Modern and minimal but at the same time soft and cozy looking, I love the idea of giving these as gifts for those hard-to-gift people on my list, filled with nuts and a nutcracker at Christmas time.

I asked Maria to fill me in on some of the how and the why she started her shop. Here's what she wrote:
"I love the feeling of wool in my hands, and magical transformation of stitches into a felted fabric, sturdy and durable. It's a practice that allows me the equal satisfaction of working on a contained project from beginning to end. For the bowls, it takes several days to complete each one.
The process begins with colour selection, then wools are then crocheted into a floppy bowl. The bowl is then agitated in warm, soapy water, which causes the wool fibers to interlock more and more tightly. The result is a thick, felted fabric, a sturdy container. To complete, the bowls are blocked, dried, trimmed, then steamed one last time."

What a cool process and transformation the wool goes through to get to it's finished product! Thanks for the insight, Maria!

Shop: Hold

The Letter 'L' is for Lovely!

I got some really great news on my birthday this summer that I feel I can start to share with others! My only sister & her husband are having their first baby in March!

So when I came across The Letter K Design on etsy, a North Vancouver mom/designer & maker named Kate Whyte, I was pretty smitten! These little wall blocks have a vintage, yet contemporary feel, great for the baby room, but also very sweet for other little corners of the house! The custom letters are personal and classic, but I think the unexpected letter pairings are what really caught my eye! 'A is for.. Artichoke'?! Ok, the kid probably can't pronounce artichoke, but won't they sound cute for trying? These hand-drawn images transferred in limited editions on Birch blocks with Nursery Rhymes and even Anniversary Blocks are an amazing gift idea for your next baby shower, wedding gift or for yourself! The details (sides and backs have lovely little images and words) are really amazing and definitely worth checking out!

Back to School

We get an extra week of summer this year, but my head is getting into 'back to school' mode! I'm organizing my office, along with buying supplies and some new cloths for the kids. I've been doing some thrifting as of late and found these cool back-to-school items to spruce up my desk. I wasn't sure what to do with the index file, but it's been the perfect spot to hold all my cords and battery chargers!
And for more Back to School cool stuff, you ought to head over to the Poppytalk Handmade Market for an amazing selection! Sure beats standing in line at the big box store...

Home from Holiday Part 1

Well we are back from a week in Vernon, where we stayed with our good friends Marvin and Jenny and their 2 daughters that are the same ages as our boys. I'd love to tell you all that it was an amazing holiday, but to be completely honest, I was sick in bed for much of the week... Yuck. We arrived last monday and I was already feeling really tired and a bit off, but managed to make it with the family to the local farmer's market and up to SilverStar Mountain (middle image) for a hike. The fresh mountain air and wild-flowers up and down the hill were really something special to see, especially since we usually go up there in the middle of winter. I also managed to enjoy an amazing meal that Marvin made while he had his day off. From that point on I was pretty much flat out in bed for a whole day+ with a fever of a 104, the chills, the aches, an incredibly sore throat and so tired. It wasn't until friday that I finally made it to the doctor to find out that I had Strep Throat and needed to be on antibiotics. Amazingly, my boys had a great time, dispite the cloudy/wet and cold weather that was highly unusual for Vernon's usual hot and dry summer climate.
I will say that my two big highlights were going to the Value Village and finding a score of stuff- both for the boys and for myself (will share more tomorrow!), and I got to see the movie Julie & Julia! I won't spoil it for any of you who haven't gone- but I was smitten!
We are home for a couple of days and then off to Vancouver Island for the weekend... as long as no one else gets sick.

Weekend Fun

A backyard camp-out, complete with a pit fire and some smores, good company and a sleep-over in the tent to boot!
And some vintage camera finds at the local Salvation Army. For a sweet deal too!
This week I'm spending my mornings helping out with a kids club that my boys are attending, so I'll be a little slow on the studio front.

Recent Finds & Fancies...

If you know me well, you will know that I don't often buy things for myself. For starters, I don't have a lot of time to shop- having 2 active boys is part of that, and we live over the bridge in North Vancouver so the great places to shop take some co-ordination with our shared vehicle. Nevertheless, I did find some new things recently that fit my budget and suited me just fine and I wanted to share them with you!
I more recently needed some new earrings for spring and found these extremely cute, hand-woven beaded earrings by TQB Designs on her etsy shop. I love them and they've been the perfect little accessory for me for spring and into the summer: especially because my glasses are lime-ish green on the inside of my frames!
My recent score happens to be my new desk for my office spot at home! I found this in the alley by our house and walked by it a few times before having the kids come out and haul it home with me. We had this huge long table that both Dean and I shared for an office and I was tired of the eyesore taking up half our living room. We could work side-by-side, but I wanted a more compact option. I'm thinking of painting the bottom part of the desk: the top part is actually melamine. Right now it looks kind of shabby-chic scuffed up with paint chipping here and there- but it's got great lines and great legs!
My other purchase not so recently, but which I'm still looking for a frame for, is this great print from Sycamore Street Press. I really like Eva's designs and the letter-pressing on this one is really lovely. Inspired by Blue & White Dutch Pottery- I just had to get it! She only did 100 prints- I got #93 and I have a feeling they're all gone by now. I've photographed it in a recent 'Sally Ann' find of mine- an old crate that I'm excited to use for displays at Craft fairs this summer.
Well, we've had a busy week over here but I'm looking forward to a glorious, sunny weekend. I'll be gardening, turning on the sprinkler for the boys, doing a little clay work on our porch as the studio's a little stuffy in the summer, and finishing off some applications for the up-coming fall season. I'm sure there will be a couple BBQ's with friends in there to round out our weekend, so it should be a good one!