thank you's & shout out's

(above photo by wolfie & the sneak)

I've recently been featured on a few blogs and I'm so grateful for the nods! So thank you very much to wolfie and the sneak for featuring my Good Morning Sunshine art printable in her blog. If you aren't familiar with wolfie and the sneak, you should take a look at their etsy shop which always has some lovely posters. I even own the very lovely Pods poster which will soon find a permanent home in our bedroom.

I was also smitten to find that Modish wrote a post about my printables. What's even more awesome is that Modish also featured Bliss in a Teacup. Becka & Richard who make up the dynamic duo of Bliss in a Teacup are my neighbours! Not only do they live in Vancouver, but they live in the same co-op building as we do....just one floor down. We've recently gotten to know them, and they are stunningly awesome. So how exciting that we are featured right after the other in Modish?! Amazing.

Today I was emailed by the very talented English Muffin who just featured The Beautiful Project on her blog. It's funny because I had stumbled on her etsy shop a week or so ago and loved her prints. I think it was her ice cream prints that fueled my gelato cravings last week!

cute tote and other crafty things

I LOVE this scalloped tote that I saw via Creature Comforts. I'm not usually a purse gal, but giant totes are totally useful for lugging around books and groceries. I'm putting this on my birthday wish list...May's not that far away. Snow started falling last night and it's still falling this morning. Maybe spring really is far far away. I'm not pleased.

And another new card for my shop. Rainbow coloured blobs are always a good thing. More good things? I will be at the Got Craft? sale on Sunday May 3rd. Check out all the other great vendors here. I've also designed the poster and the postcards for the sale which will be printed and posted around town soon. Got Craft? has also gone mini and they will be doing a twice-a-month sale starting soon. I did the posters and postcards for that event too. Check out the postcard design here.

In other crafty news, the craft collective that I'm a part of, Hob Snobs, has been accepted to the One of a Kind craft fair happening in Vancouver in October. This is a giant event, a HUGE trade show kind of thing. I've never done anything quite so large so I'm very nervous and very excited too. At least Val and Sasha will be shaking in their boots right along with me!

get ready, get set, plant!

While the flowers and blossoms have been out since early March, Vancouver still doesn't feel quite like spring just yet. I'm so eager to start on my balcony garden but have no idea how to begin again since all my old plants are dead. The picture above was last year around this time when things were hopeful rather than dismal. Thankfully, I've come across a couple of blogs to get me started.


The first is my number one gal pal, Kyla who has a great new blog called Make! Do! Manifesto. Her latest project is about reusing and gussying up some old cardboard canisters for planting. I love the idea of re-using rather than tossing old containers for plants...and making them cute to boot!


Blogger Beth also tackles some old tomato cans, paints them a pretty turquoise and sets them on her window sill. Pretty!

Now all I need is the weather to cooperate with me and I can finally get started on my own balcony garden.

Hey, thanks. Sincerely, The Earth.

"And of course, it goes without saying that white people who ride bikes like to talk about how they are saving the earth. If you know a person who rides to work, you should take them aside and say “Hey, thanks. Sincerely, The Earth.” Then give a thumbs up. That white person will ride home on a cloud."

From the hilarious blog, Stuff White People Like.

hump day

My new holiday cards were featured over at one of my favorite blogs, Poppytalk as part of Jan's 2007 Holiday Card round-up! There's lots of great cards featured, including this rum & eggnog card over at pinecone + chickadee. Awesome.

It's a busy week. Not only do I have my own design work to attend to, I'm putting on my corporate graphic designer suit and working in a real office for somebody else. I'm covering for my old collegues since someone is out for vacation this week. I don't mind it too much. It means coffee breaks and socializing which is always okay by me. Luckily, my commute is pretty good...I've decided to walk to work rather than bike it. I turn up my iPod loud and I walk really speedy and make it to the center of the corporate office universe in about 25 minutes, door-to-door. And hey, it's almost Friday! Whoop.

featured

One of my cards was featured on Decor8 this morning! I woke up to a bunch of orders on my etsy shop, so that was really nice. Especially since I took new photographs of all my cards and even managed to add some new designs! Yay!!

homemade candy bars

When I saw this post at Chow Magazine (via not martha), I got all excited. Why not make your own homemade candy bars! They'd make lovely stocking stuffers, I think. Love it.

crafty tutorials

Wow, 2 really great tutorials found on my blogroll this morning. The first comes from The Small Object on how to sew up some great no see-thru curtains.


The next tutorial is from How About Orange about how to stretch your own fabric to make wall art. So easy!

thank you, decor8!

Whoooo! Decor8 somehow stumbled onto my lil' etsy shop and wrote up a very nice review of my stuff!

And speaking of my shop, I should have some seasonal cards in my shop by early November. Keep your eyes peeled and start doing some shopping!!

going rural

One of my favorite blogs is Going-Rural. Two artists, Tyler and Serena, leave Vancouver and head to small-town Saskachewan to start a new life. They are friends of ours and I read every word, struggle and triumph with envy. Start reading from the beginning and enjoy.

passionate.

Trying to catch up on blog reading this morning, I stumbled upon this photo at Stilinberlin. I was so taken by it and love everything about it! Kisses in public are awesome, especially when they are of the face-cusping variety. There's something so tender and passionate in that. Of course, since this is a photo from Stilinberlin, the clothes are wonderful: her shoes, her dress, his shoes, his jeans. But there's much more to this photo for me than that. I love the little cartoony foot dangling above their heads, the mohawked boy and the little toddler in the background and of course, a bike (cuz bikes are sexy!). A little bit of morning passion before I finish up my coffee, eat the last of my coconut yogurt and hop on my bike for downtown.

an abandoned city

A little while ago I found some amazing photographs along with the story of an abandoned Japanese island known as "Gunkanjima". Now, I've recently stumbled upon these very cool space-age homes in the outskirts of Taiwan. Once again, this housing project is totally empty and falling apart and possibly haunted! I love the photographs and I'd totally live in one. And if you can't get enough of these homes, there are more photos in this flickr set.

marcel dzama

I just returned from a 5 day camping roadtrip in the Kooteneys. It was hot and we canoed and swam and ate like kings. Pure joy. There was also some thrifting to be had and I scored some wonderful pink '70s floral pillow covers that may make it's way into an a-line skirt. We'll see about that! I should be purging my closets and cleaning the apartment, but instead I'm online wasting time. And what did I spot on 16sparrows? The cutest little salt and pepper shakers by the wonderful Marcel Dzama. Oh, I really want these!! Anyone want to buy me a $50 present?

retro style

For the longest time, I've been on the hunt for the perfect livingroom curtains. They had to provide some privacy but still let in light...and above all, they had to look good. And if they blew about in the wind, that would be nice too. I'm always one to fall for something a bit retro and so when Design Sponge posted these curtains from Urban Outfitters, I knew that those curtains would be mine!

Well, thanks to a Portland, OR friend whose US address enabled me to order these curtains directly to her address, enabling me to bypass nasty shipping/border fees, I am now the proud owner of these stylish window coverings! The extra bonus is that while in the store, my friend just happened to find herself the same style of curtains in the discount bin but in pink & green for only $9.99. Total score!

Who knew that UO had such nice little treats in store?