Popcorn and crepes!

Finally came around to making another book. For this one I used a colourful popcorn fabric that we sell at the store, as well as a small drawing I had digitally printed on some silk ages ago. I also threw in a bit of ribbon and lace in there for good measure. My fingers froze from how bitingly cold it is at the moment up here in the Arctic, but I somehow managed to use my lovely fabriano paper to make this sketchbook and whip up a batch of crepes for an unsuspecting person :).

Have a great weekend~

I do in fact feel better

It's true, I do delve into the world of retail therapy, although I don't know if this would count as retail.. Purchasing handmade things on Etsy is definitely a form of therapy for me however, I know that much. As does making inconsequential blog posts about the mundane and menial happenings of my life. Looking back at older posts, I was really glad I had made them, being able to relive such lovely moments and memories, and re-reading the re-accounting of them through my own words made me feel happy, and very grateful despite what has been going on this past year and a half.

I found this seller through a tumblr I follow called littlealienproducts. This person brings together all sorts of fantastic goods from the Internet that are unique, odd, and beautiful. And as soon as I saw these little earrings in one of their posts, I knew I had to have them! The link brought me directly to supershygirl's etsy shop. There weren't many of her products listed, but each one was so unbearably cute and unique! I immediately wrote saying I would buy these earrings as soon as my funds would go through paypal, and when they did, I kept my word! This shop's owner has been so sweet the whole way through. 

Nothing could have prepared me however for how carefully and lovingly she packaged her gorgeous product. It even included a personalized letter! With such adorable drawings all over everything. By the far the most beautifully packaged item I have ever received..  

Addresses erased for privacy, but gosh this was so lovely, and so simple.

Cute drawings on the item's box! Couldn't handle it.

But that wasn't all!

There was more! (Even a drawing of the big dipper constellation, which incidentally has some significance to me)

Some bubble wrap and cute tape.

Ta-da!

And the back wasn't neglected either.

Quick-modelling my new earrings. I love the illusion.

Web and real-life colliding!

Another tote!

My originality knows no bounds... (I think to myself with a slight hint of sarcasm).

I've quite enjoyed turning scraps and odd ends into uncommon looking totes lately. And my ideas for more have been blooming! For this one, I used an old t-shirt from my cegep days. As a Fine Arts graduating parting gift, each student was asked to draw a 2x2 square illustration that best represented them (mine is the top right corner one; a doodle I'd been obsessively drawing at that time). The drawings were then compiled and silkscreen onto a white t-shirt. We all got to silkscreen our own, and mine has been in storage ever since. I haven't had much reason to wear it..

But,

sewing it onto this tote with added decos like frilly frills and fringe has given it a new purpose while also allowing me to reminisce about those youthful days while I go about my errands. 

And I do plan on making more! It's turning out to be a great way to express creativity and to use up the ridiculous amount of fabrics I've accumulated over the years.

Whip it good

Had some lovely company recently and good times were had while eating onigiris, drinking a bit of a sangria and laughing our chucks off at Bedazzled. So lucky to have had the pleasure of such sweet and funny people. And even luckier to have been left with a few scraps of gorgeous hand printed or screen printed fabric from Ghana or Nigeria, not too sure, but look, a tote!

(back fabric is from my own stash bought at fabricville)

Demons & Migraines

Learning life lessons too late is sort of a painful burden to bear, especially when they involve (currently) seemingly irreversible physical and mental consequences.

However I have managed to put those botherments aside for a moment long enough to work on some creating. 

This mah my new scratch book.

Another Dick Tracy thing

 Well I suppose I am on a roll. This project came about through a request by an etsy buyer who admired the skirt I previously made with the Dick Tracy fabric and suggested I make shorts out of the same fabric! Lo and behold, the shorts have indeed come to be! 

  The pattern was very simple, I followed a standard men's pyjama pants pattern and just modified the length. I am very much looking forward to recycling/upcycling more hardly used bedsheets, the graphics are so nostalgic and so bold and so lovely.

  I won't promise that this is the end of projects I make using this fabric.. there's still quite some bit of left :) I can promise though that I will give you a breather, yes.

"A superman tag!"

POP

  One of my favourite self-centered  things to do in life is to buy things that I don't need. Specifically, craft things. Things that will allow me to make other things. It's a vicious addiction that needs to be subdued. Although I doubt karma really has it out for me because I look for these things mostly at second hand shops. And oh the wonderful things that there are to be accumulated from such spots! 

  As I like to sew and teach it in my spare time, I'm usually looking for snazzy bed sheets with little wear and graphics that satiate my hungerr for colour and pattern. The second hand isles are rich with these and I recently came across a Dick Tracy bed sheet that screamed POP ART! at me (rude like that). I remember the film when it first came out though it didn't really have as much of an impact on me as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". For some reason my childhood memories confused the two.. 

  All detective films are alike? Nah. I was definitely drawn to the comic style however, it's like a drug.

  Regardless, I couldn't avoid the boldness of it and how great it would look as a bag, skirt, anything.. and for 3$, who am I to not indulge my consumerist itch?

  Thus the upcycled Dick Tracy skirt was born. I used the 2451 Simplicity skirt pattern that Ms Suzie so so kindly permitted me to use on this project. The design really fit the fabric and I was pleased with it from the very beginning.

  But that's not all I've been busy with! I finally used my glow in the dark cat eyes fabric to make a reversible tote bag and bought some super heroine fabric for who knows.. maybe some re-usable sanitary pads? 

  Actually, that would be amazing!!