Travel sketchbook, Art exchange oh my!

A custom sketchbook for a friend who is just about to begin her summer travels to far away lands that are close tot he heart. It all began with me lusting over one of her paintings and asking if she would produce a small version of it in exchange for a handmade book, tuque and wrist warmers. The two latter items have been half produced, but their seasonal timing is a bit off.. I will have to hand those over later.

This book cover is truly a delight, it is 100% silk with a printed photograph of a forest by Mazi Javidiani, a fellow alumni with more talents than I can count. When I saw his photograph, I knew right away I wanted it to be on a book cover. Initially I was thinking on semi-glossy paper but then the opportunity to print it on silk presented itself and so I went forth with it! The soon-to-be owner of this book had chosen a different fabric for the cover but I happened to have the silk when I met up with her and she fell in love with it too:) And thus is the result of such a story.

I hope to perhaps one day design my own book fabrics for covers..

Moi César, 10 ans1/2, 1m39

Here is a movie I paid 2$ for. It isn't new, it was released in 2003 and is truly a gem. Lately I've been having bad luck with purchasing movies. Mind you I'm not spending big bucks, but it has accumulated and I wish I could have some of that money back..but not for this one! Looking at the cover and reading the synopsis I imagined it would be sort of a quirky tween film, which it is, but it had so much more depth and heart than I expected. If this were a Hollywood film, it would be absolutely horrible. Luckily it is raw, funny and painful, like much of the memories I have of my own in-between years.

Chocolate Tutorial!

As I had previously promised, here is my (sad) attempt at showing you how I make chocolates! I hope it is easy to follow for anyone who stumbles upon this tutorial. I have to say it is a bit time consuming (a good couple of hours if you want them to turn out well), but so worth it because of how unique they are and how delicious they come out to be!

** click for larger views **

   

   

Dollarama mania

Lets start at the beginning.. many years ago, at the tender age of 7, I discovered the dollar store.. a place where I could actually afford to buy things, because everything... was a dollar! And my weekly allowance was 2.50 (twas only for a short while, but I felt very independent bc of it!) I used to buy random chocolates, small gifts for family and party favour rings to "marry" some of my friends at school (cheeky). I remember declaring to myself at that age that I would buy everything I ever needed from the dollar store, bc it had EVERYTHING. Of course my opinion has slightly changed due to ethical reasons, and questions of waste... I'm not too entirely sure if people are being paid well to design, manufacture and pack the products we buy from the dollar store, or if they use hamful materials.. I do know that I have cut my purchasing to a minimum, but every now and then, I will pop by for a bit of nostalgia, craft and 1.25-1.50-2.00 goodness.

A super useful-cute elephant phone stand!

Something I wish the dollarstore had when I was younger, this is nuts!

squeeeeal....

And lastly, A set of impressively illustrated stickers after my own heart.. I wish there was a name to the person/s who did this!

Second Etsy purchase!

Alright, so I imagine I might be posting about my Etsy purchases in the future just because I am so incredibly pleased with them and they are made by other people who also like to craft and so it is that much more special..

Also, you can learn a lot about how to be a good seller if you gain experiences as a buyer..

That said, LOOK AT MY JooSweetie PRETTIES!

p.s: I recently re-discovered Napolean Dynamite and the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy, and you should too ;)

O_O

In less than 5 minutes, I've..

...possibly made the mot amazing dessert EVER.

p.s: ok more than 5 minutes, the mini bunt cake and heart shaped minicake were made earlier.

First Etsy order, shipped!

Here she is! The very first of the many (I hope) to come. It is an upcycled sweater, designed by the researcher I am working for. Its final destination will be the UAE. The person who ordered it was incredibly nice (and patient!!), the whole experience is really amazing. I am essentially learning how to run a small online business (very VERY small!). I hope I'll get to the point where I am sick of getting too many orders but then feel incredibly happy at the thought that that means I am self-employed *dreams*.

And! Something to look forward to... I just got a bookmaking commission but this won't be just any book, I will have to create the book layout, print it and design the cover, all of these I am REALLY looking forward to:)

A simple thank you card.

Brooches made from the cut-off waste of the upcycled sweaters.

A lavender pouch with a hand-felted and hand-beaded embellishment.

This was painstakingly hand-stitched (and could have been slightly large but oh well..) I hope to have a few of these machine embroidered if it isn't too expensive, should be fun :D