Little Blue Bird

I have to start thinking of some better titles for my artwork! This is Little Blue Bird - another chiyogami and cut paper collage, mounted on canvas. I'm really enjoying making these, and although I like the birds, I've got another idea brewing. Hope to bring you more on that soon. (: Anyhow, this little guy is now residing in my Etsy shop, if you'd like to have a look.

East Coast Sessions

I spent the weekend working in my studio and listening to East Coast Sessions on the CBC website. It's a great series, taped here in Halifax with lots of local talent. I'm especially liking the music of Jenn Grant. I saw her open for Feist a few years ago, and I've thought she was just great ever since then. I also read on her website that she paints - I'm not sure if she did her own album artwork, but I think it's lovely.

Attenborough - watch your back!

There is a new naturalist in town..hee, hee. My friend Matt (now known as "Mattenborough") took these amazing shots of birds for me in his garden in the Blue Mountains, outside of Sydney, Australia. He thought I could use them for inspiration, and he was right. I love the vibrant colour of the birds, and the contrast of their green feathers with the orangey-red japanese maple. Also, it looks like the bird is wearing some cute little glasses. I love these shots - thanks Matt!

Monday

What is it about Mondays? Things were just not going right for me in the studio this evening. I get a bit frustrated because my studio time is limited, and that makes things even worse...sigh...time for a gratuitous puppy photo, a cup of tea and a bit of chocolate. Goodnight!

Paper Shirts

Walking past the public library I saw a cool art project - paper shirts swaying in the breeze, along with a book full of secrets for everyone to write in. An anonymous way to "air your dirty laundry."

More Random Things...

I want to travel to Iceland since discovering the kooky and hilarious Iceland Socks website. A country that could come up with this fun little site is my kind of place!

I have been selling a few more things on Etsy - which is fantastic - but it also means that I've been dealing with Canada Post a bit more. I have to say - the costs of shipping things are just crazy! I sent a package via international mail today, and when I enquired how much it might cost to ship the same package to Vancouver - the cost was double! I don't understand how it can cost more to ship within my own country than it does to ship overseas. I hate to do this - but I will have to look at changing all my shipping costs on Etsy. Blah.

I've been enjoying reading the blog wikstenmade. It's author, Jenny Gordy, makes beautiful clothes and has a personal style that I find really inspiring. I really have to update my sidebar to include the great things I've been reading, coveting, watching and listening to - but my computer is about to run out of battery power, so I'll be off!

Best Purchase Evah!

I recently bought this McGill three hole paper drill - I have to say, it was the best $60 that I ever spent! This drill powers through up to 250 sheets of paper effortlessly. I recently had to make a stack of post bound albums, and this little beauty made them in half the time it would have normally taken using my old manual punch. I would recommend it to anyone who needs to punch holes in a lot of paper. It changed my life!

All about me....

I had a really busy week - I was working on a project that needed to be completed quickly, but was quite involved. It's all done, which is a great relief, and it worked out and was well recieved, which is an even bigger relief! But, this weekend finds me tired, headachy, and just worn out. So, I'm taking a break from work - it's all about me! This is what I've been up to -

-visiting my mom and nana. Just some nice relaxing family time. Milo loves it there too - especially when he gets fed pieces of molasses cookie with butter.

-shopping - got some fun things in the very tail end of the winter sales. It's still chilly here, so I'll get to wear them a bit more before spring. I can't find photos online, and I can't rouse myself to take any, but I got two cute high waisted skirts and a velvet jacket from Kensie, an amazing pair of black wide leg pants (I feel like Katherine Hepburn!), some linen-y type wide leg pants, high-waisted wide leg dark denim jeans, a coral coloured balloon sleeve cardi...now that I write it all down, it seems like heaps, but it was all on sale, and I was in a real clothing rut. I also notice that a pattern is emerging with the high waisted stuff - I have to say that I really like it, and find it a bit more flattering for me. I feel like scooping up everything high waisted I can find before this trend is over! A side note - the jeans are from Suzy Shier - a bit like the photo above. I like some of the denim stuff they have, and it's so cheap!

-a new hair cut and colour. I love the cut - my stylist is the greatest - but the colour is taking some getting used to. I did it at home, and the shade was called "Espresso Bean" - on the packet, it looked dark brown. It is black. Not a super dark black, but black all the same. I'm usually a medium-darkish brown, so this is taking some getting used to. A couple of people have said they like it - I'll keep it for a bit. Maybe I'll grow to like it.

-I want to buy a few books - Bazaar Style, The Boss of You, and Why does my dog act that way? (that little dog is an enigma wrapped in a riddle, let me tell you).

-We're having salmon for dinner. It's a little recipe that I kind of made up. The salmon is marinated in soy, honey and mustard, and I serve it with brown rice and savoy cabbage that's dressed in rice wine vinegar, sugar, lemon and a bit of mayo. I find it quite yummy (and hopefully) rejuvenating.

It's me, on Apartment Therapy!

Apartment Therapy L.A. featured my studio yesterday! And, they also made some lovely comments about my work, especially my bird collages. So - thanks to Grace and the crew at Apartment Therapy L.A.

There's one thing I have to say - the blogging community is really amazing. I just think it's so great that I'm in a small city on the east coast of Canada that is not often recognized (even in our own country) for it's rich arts and crafts community, it's culture, or it's sense of style - and people all over the world are looking at my studio and work. I have lived in big cities and travelled around the world, but this is the place that I came back to, and that I'm proud to call home. Yay - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia!

Things....

It's been a while since I last posted, but not really for lack of news. I've had a busy time, with family get togethers, a lovely greek meal with friends, a girly craft night, some shopping, a trip to the vet, and of course, working on my books and artworks. Above is some experimentation I did a while ago when I was coming up with my collages. I knew that I wanted to use Japanese paper, but wasn't sure how to define shapes without the pattern overwhelming them. Although I don't think this is entirely successful, there is something I like about it.

What else can I tell you? Martin has become the manager of my etsy shop. No one told me that selling on etsy was such an art form! I just popped my stuff in there and hoped for the best. It's a bit difficult getting noticed in such a big group of beautiful work - so Martin has been listing and re-listing my items - and it's worked! Some of my bird prints and cards are winging their way to new homes right now, and - I just think that's lovely.

Oh - and Jeu de Paumes books are now available from Yvestown. I bought one from Kinokuniya when I was in Australia, and I just love it. I think I might have to get another one - maybe Paris Brocante or Stockholm's Ateliers. I just love books about studios and shops. That reminds me, the magazine Paper, Scissors, Cloth has just put out a studio issue. There are some amazing spaces and organizational ideas in there.

So, that's what I've been up to. How about you?