happy international women's day

happy international women's day. i am thankful for the rights i enjoy as a woman in canada and for all the women who continually fight for those rights for women and girls all over the world. and not to make light of it, but i am also really glad i have the choice to wear pants if i want.

warming up

spring is on the way. it's a beautiful sunny day - the perfect opportunity to practice a bit with the camera. the rainy, overcast days have been a great chance to get re-aquainted with my grandmother's sewing machine and there's quite a little stockpile of pouches and bags gathering here in my studio. i'm gettting warmed up to re-launching my etsy shop.

happy making

i almost kissed the postie when she delivered this yesterday. a few weeks ago i was checking out lotta jansdotter's site and saw on her new ledger that she has a contest to see what people will make with her fat quarter pack from her echo fabric collection. the cotton is great quality, the designs and colours gorgeous. what to make for the contest? how can i possibly cut into this fabric? my sketchbook is full of so many ideas...

packaging is lovely too - 'happy making' indeed.

inspiration in progress



available here or here or your local bookstore

my tools



i've been feeling a little overwhelmed by all the great stuff on the internet. it can be so inspiring but also be very intimidating. we chose not to have cable tv back in september and it's been great but my time on the computer has greatly increased. i'm going to step back from viewing so much and fill the time with more making.

sometimes i need a little kick or shove to get me motivated. this talk by kate bingaman-burt on creative mornings is very inspiring. constraints or self-imposed rules can create a framework to force creativity. who hasn't done some of their best work while pulling an all-nighter?

keri smith has published several brilliant books to expand imaginations and fuel creativity and her latest, F INISH TH S B  K, is no exception. they really bring out the kid in me and take me back to the times i made my own books or created treasure hunt maps or made dollhouses out of old boxes. my daughter absolutely loves Tear Up This Book. i don't know that i will show anyone my finished book but it is a lot of fun to work on and gives me a little creative goal every day.

i will love you...

come rain

or come shine

Happy Valentine's Day

tools of the trade

these are my absolute necessary items in my sewing kit. missing from the picture are my beloved Rowenta iron, tackle box, pincushions, chopstick, loop turners, and measuring tape. the skein of beige fluffy cotton thread (bottom left corner) is amazing for basting and making tailor's tacks. i was introduced to it at fashion design school in japan and recently ran out of it (my stash held out for 15 years!) and it took me a week of driving all over vancouver to find some more. it can be bought at daiso in richmond for about $2 and comes in a few other colours. all the driving around was worth it - some tools and supplies are simply essential.

Reading

from Interweave Press

last night i rushed across town to attend a meeting that is actually scheduled for tonight. frustrating. my husband suggested i keep on driving and hit the nearest bookstore. so i did.

i spent a couple of hours checking out magazines, cook books, art books, craft books, and art and architecture books. heaven. this came home with me and on first glance it is just what i've been waiting for. two of my goals for 2012 are to take more pictures and to get my etsy shop up and running again. one of the things that has been holding me back is my lack of photography skills (and the rotten gloomy weather!). so no excuses now. Heidi Adnum gives clear explanations, great examples, 'practioner spotlights' and featuring gorgeous product photos. in addition, there is information on workflow procedure - very helpful for someone like me who needs to break things down into smaller tasks. (what mom doesn't have a little ADD?)

for years i have been using my airmiles points to buy gift cards for the big bookstore and was very disappointed to find that they no longer offer this service. my kobo e-reader is great for novels, but i really like to have hard copies of magazines, art, craft, and cook books. so in case any of my family members are looking to get me a gift, here's the wish list:

• Art of McSweeney's
• Printmaking Bible
• Undecorate
• Classic Turkish Cooking
• Home Made
• Open Studios

there are more to add to the list but my favourite 4 year old boy needs me to play cars with him and i don't want to miss the chance to have some fun.