Happy Holidays

Just a quick post to wish everyone a happy holiday season. Thanks to all who read and comment on the blog - it's so appreciated! I have been busy getting ready for Christmas, and haven't really had a chance to do many posts lately, and I've needed a bit of a break after a busy season. So, I've decided to take some time to try and recharge. I hope to be back in this space by the New Year with some new ideas and work.

So again, all the best for a wonderful holiday season. May you enjoy many celebrations with family and friends!

Flying Away

I've been away from the blog for a little bit, but it's not for lack of news. I've been super busy with double happiness - which is great - and also just getting ready for the holiday season. I guess my big news is that in February, I will be "flying away" for a holiday in Sydney, Australia. My husband is from there, and I lived there for eight years, so it is like a bit of a homecoming. I'm looking forward to seeing family and friends, and also going to some of my old haunts - gelato at Bar Italia, pizza at Moretti, checking out the Paddington and Balmain markets, swimming in warm water, browsing around Newtown, drinking really nice coffee...it's going to be really nice. I'm also hoping to do some shopping for paper and book supplies, and I'm wondering if anyone out there reading might have any recommendations in this regard? I know a few places, but it's been a while since I've been back, so I'm wondering if there is anything new and exciting I should check out?

Right now, it's really hard to imagine going away. It's been snowing lightly all week, and we are due to get another storm starting Sunday afternoon. So, right now I've got some red wine and magazines, ready to hunker down for a long winter evening...

Glitz Gallery

My books are now available at Glitz Gallery in Winnipeg! Glitz is owned by Jennifer, who wanted to create a space for Canadian artists and makers to showcase and sell their work - she calls it a "gallery gift store". She carries a wide variety of work including ceramics, jewellery, wall art and now - books! If you're in Winnipeg, drop by and have a look - I wish that I could hop on a plane and have a visit. I think the gallery gift store is a great concept, and I'm so happy to be a part of it.

The Great Wave

I'm slowly listing more items in my Etsy shop. This "Great Wave" album is available in both blue and red. They're the biggest albums that I make, at 10 x 14, and because they're so big, they really show off the prints on the Japanese paper. I'm hoping to list a few more things this weekend, slowly - but surely....

1, 2, 3, 4...

We went to see Feist on Friday night, and she was absolutely amazing! I can't emphasize enough how much I love Feist's music - and respect her as an artist. This is the second time that I've seen her, and each time she reinterprets the songs from her albums so that it's a totally unique experience. The last time I saw her, she was at a small club venue. This time she was in a large "multipurpose" room - it was actually the place where the craft market I participated in was held a couple of weeks ago. She kept making jokes about the space being a "multipurpose" room, and I think I chuckled a bit too hard and long. The bigger venue meant that she could have "special effects", which I loved. They were so delightfully low-tech - finger painting and cut paper shadow puppets that illustrated the songs. I can't pinpoint one particular favorite song or moment, it was all just great. Amazing music, amazing rapport with the audience, amazing special effects - amazing, amazing, amazing....