Sydney Link-a-palooza

As I've said before, Sydney was so inspiring art/craft wise that I could talk about it forever. But, it's time to move on from my trip (sigh) and return to real life - so, although each of the shops/artists/designers/crafters below really warrant a post of their own, I'll just provide a link so that you can be inspired too...and, possibly spend way too much money at a few great indie shops!

Miljo (pictured above) - a Swedish design shop, but nothing like Ikea. Beautiful wallpapers, sandals and brushes were among their wares. I especially loved the mobile/installation in the middle of the shop made of paper and twigs.
Materialistic - saw this lovely stall at Paddington markets. Gorgeous hand printed fabrics.
Kjash - beautiful vintage inspired jewellery, also found at Paddington.
Feed the Dog - hand printed, hand crafted pillows and wall hangings. Another Paddington favorite. I really loved this work, and I'm kicking myself for not buying something, but there is always the etsy shop.
Kate Raffin Handbound Books - Everything about these books is hand made - the covers are even hand painted with Kate's own designs. They are really vibrant and funky! Umm, if you go to Sydney, I think you have to go to Paddington Markets because I discovered these there as well.
Bholu - Hand embroidered fabric journals, pillows and other fabric goods. A fair trade company with products designed in Australia, and produced by artisans in India.
david met nicole - a great home store with lots of vintage products. This shop was located in Surry Hills which is another great indie shopping mecca.

This is but a short list of all the great places in Sydney, but it should keep you clicking for a while! I hope to post tomorrow with some things I've been working on.

Winter Vacation Part Deux - The Beach

One of the nicest things we did on our holiday was rent a cottage in Hyams Beach for two days. It's a small village about two hours south of Sydney - I guess you can't even really call it a village - there is just one cafe/general store (which was very trendy - with amazing coffee!). Above are some old cottages on the main street of Hyams beach.
The cottage we rented was more modern, set back amongst the trees. It was very relaxing - lots of eating, drinking and flipping through the piles of Australian home decorating magazines a friend had lent me. We spent a bit of time at Iluka beach - it's a beautiful beach in a national park.
A huge expanse of white sand. And, for most of the time we were the only people there. Looking at these photos makes me wish I was back....

If you'd like to see more of my holiday photos, check out my flickr.

Paper Couture

There were so many inspiring paper related destinations that I wanted to visit in Sydney, and the main one was Paper Couture. I had heard great things about the work of the owner Jo Neville, and although the shop does not have a web presence, I had seen a photos here and there that I found inspirational and intriguing. I have to say, my visit to Paper Couture did not disappoint! Both the work and the shop were amazing.The shop has the most exquisite paper goods - from cards, to tags, to invites - so simple and so beautiful. Jo Neville incorporates lots of sewing into her designs - as in this beautiful paper chandelier... All the prints are also designed by Jo. I love the colours she used, and the gradiations of colour, and how it all looks against the gorgeously understated colour on the walls.

If you are in Sydney, I would recommend a visit to Paper Couture. I also visited lots of other lovely paper shops in Sydney, and for this I have to thank Jesse of Follow Studio. She kindly provided me with a list of great paper shops, and her blog has many inspiring images from Australian shops, cafes and designers - a must read!

Paper Couture is on 284 South Dowling Street in Paddington.

What I did on my winter vacation - part one

We spent one of our first days in Sydney at Circular Quay - site of the iconic Opera House. There are lots of other things to see there - for us there was the Museum of Contemporary Art, where we took in two amazing exhibitions by Tim Hawkinson and Shazia Sikander. While very different - Tim Hawkinson does some amazing constructions and Sikander has these intricately detailed Islamic minatures - I loved both exhibits for the way that they combined art and craft. After looking at the exhibits, we had a coffee and I bought a Camilla Engman teatowel in the museum shop. Then, we wandered around a bit and ended up at the Opera Bar having beer and sweet potato chips. Martin took one of his famous "self portrait with long arm shots" which only served to confirm that we are the palest people on the planet, well in Australia anyhow.

Nancybird

I am slowly getting over my jetlag and poring over photos and memories of our trip to Sydney. Our main reason for going was to visit family and friends - my husband is an Australian, and I lived in Sydney with him for eight years. It was fantastic seeing everyone again after four years, and we had many great times together. As an added bonus, I got to explore Sydney again, and see lots of amazing Australian art, design and craft. The nancybird wallet you see above combines both time with our family and Australian design. I admired it while on a shopping trip with my sister-in-law, and then the family bought it for me as a combined Christmas/birthday present. I love the wallet - all the fabrics are hand-printed, and it's got birds embroidered on it - what's not to like? And, everytime I use it I'll be reminded of everyone back in Sydney. So, thanks to everyone for the lovely gift, and the lovely time.

More posts on Sydney to come soon, right now it's time to go and blob with "The Darjeeling Limited." In the meantime, if you want more info on Australian design, check out the Design*Sponge guest blog by Real Living's Natalie Walton - also author of the inspiring blog daily imprint. It's been great to read more about a lot of the amazing designers I saw in Australia in Natalie's guest blog posts, and I can see daily imprint becoming a daily read.

Back

We arrived back from our trip to Sydney on Sunday night - two days later than planned due to airline delays. We had a great trip, and some wonderful visits with family and friends. And, from a craft/design perspective, Sydney (and Australia in general) is an amazing place. I'm a bit overwhelmed about how to blog about it all - and also a bit overwhelmed by jetlag - so I'll leave you for now with this view from under the Harbour Bridge.

Closing up shop

Things are beginning to wind down for me business wise prior to my holidays. I finished up some books over the weekend, and delivered my final pre-trip order today (thanks Henhouse!). I have put a notice on my website and etsy shop letting people know that I will be away. I'm looking forward to my trip, but I'm also looking forward to coming back and really getting stuck into the business of crafting - new products, maybe an etsy shop/website revamp using the great tips in this article by Suzy Jack - and especially more papercuts, I've been itching to do a few more of those.

But for now, it's so long! I will try to post from Sydney occasionally, but I'm planning to devote a lot of time to socializing, shopping, eating and drinking - so I'm not making any promises....

Sydney surfing...

I've spent part of this afternoon (quite unproductively) surfing the internet and planning my Sydney trip. I found some really cool links and sites - this one called Superfuture has reviews of lots of cool shops and cafes in Sydney, and other cities around the world. The reviews are submitted by readers, so they're totally honest and real. Another cool link I found was on the H&M website - they do all these cool city tours, and Sydney was one of them. Watching two ultra-trendy Sydney-siders strolling around the shops, cafes and clubs on Bondi Beach (above) makes me really look forward to my visit. On the artsy/craftsy side of things, there is also a one-day workshop on making resin jewellery that I'm interested in signing up for. I'm a huge fan of Dinosaur Designs, and would love to learn how to make my own pieces.

Well, between surfing the web, having tea and chocolate cake, surfing the web some more and a lovely phone chat with a friend - the afternoon now seems to be gone. And, maybe it wasn't so unproductive after all!

Now - it's time to get ready to go out to Morris East for dinner. Yum!

Don't let de boo hag ride ya...

I got a wonderful surprise yesterday - a parcel from the lovely Shona containing the planter you see above, as well as a card with one of her prints. The print is called "Don't let de boo hag ride ya" and I think it's really fitting. I have had the boo hag on my back the last little bit, sucking out all my positive energy and replacing it with negativity. Getting the card and parcel reminded me that I need to be more positive - the world isn't conspiring against me, I'm the one making myself miserable.

So, with my new mindset - rid of the boo hag - I went out shopping for the dinner party we had last night and bought some flowers to put in my beautiful new planter. The night was a great success - we enjoyed our friends and a few bottles of wine - as you can see in the "aftermath" photo. Thank you Shona - I love your gift and it came along at just the right time. ( :

No Knit Scarf

I found this project on the Martha Stewart website, and I just love it! A few of the comments on the Martha site say it's made with Twinkle yarn, which looks absolutely delicious! I have been thinking of things to do to pass the time while we are on our 25 hour plus journey to Australia, but I wasn't sure if I could take knitting needles on the plane with me. This could fit the bill - but do you think I can make it in economy class on a tray table? Maybe not...

New Glasses

I got new glasses. You can't really tell from this photo - but they are tortoise shell on the front, and pink (!) on the back. And, they were designed in Canada. I always have a love/hate relationship with my glasses - I'm really nearsighted, so I need to wear them all the time, and I hate that - but I'm loving wearing these right now.

Second Sister Jewlery

I was recently convo'd on etsy by April of Second Sister Jewelery. I am so glad she contacted me, because not only do we have a shared love of vintage clothes and all things Asian, but it allowed me to discover her amazing work! Case in point, the Double Happiness bracelet pictured above - I just think it's so beautiful - the beads, the colours, everything. Second Sister has a full range of pieces including bracelets, earrings and necklaces made using a variety of materials, but all with the same lovely style. If I wasn't saving up for my holidays, I could do some serious spending in this shop! But, enough of my blabbing - just check out the shop and you'll see what I mean.

Need a Snuggle-Hug

These days, it's dark when I leave for work in the morning, and dark when I come home at night - so it's hard for me to take photos for my blog. So - please see above a photo I took this weekend of a "snuggle-hug" salt and pepper shaker set. My mom recently received a lot of old china and glassware, and these two cuties were amongst them. They fit together in a "hug" so that you can pick them both up at once to dispense your salt and pepper. Apparently, they are quite rare and sought after by salt and pepper shaker collectors the world over - who knew?

Anyhow - hope to take some more photos this weekend and resume normal blogging. Meanwhile, I am sitting in here in the winter dark, drinking a mug of tea and planning to pop on the second episode of the box set of "The Riches" that I rented.

Meow! Want Wool

Went antique/junk shopping with my mom this weekend and found one of my favorite things ever - a yarn bag with kitties on it. You put your yarn in the bag, and pull the string out of a hole near the big cats bottom creating a tail - so cute! I am halfway through a knitting project - this hat from Treats and Treasures - so I can't use my kitty bag yet, but I'm looking forward to it. No more tangled yarn!

Anthropologie New Years Resolution Outfits

Seems like pretty much everyday, I get an email from Anthropologie tempting me with some great new clothes. Today, they featured a series of outfits each linked to a resolution. The one above is "journal daily" - which I have never been able to do. But, now I know what's been wrong - I haven't had a cute little outfit to wear! (: Seriously though - I am totally addicted to looking at clothes on the Anthropologie site. Fear of high duty fees keeps me from ordering anything, but it's a great source of inspiration.

Speaking of internet addictions, I think that Etsy pounce is going to be a pretty dangerous one for me!

New Books in Shop...

I've listed a few more books in my etsy shop. The one above is a particular favorite - it's bound with a pearlescent bookcloth which is really lovely and shimmery - it's quite wedding-y. And, I love the interior pages - they are papaya coloured. Yum.

And, is it just me, or does it take everyone forever to list things in their etsy shop? It seems to take ages to go through each step. Maybe my photos are too big?

In totally unrelated news - Goldfrapp is releasing a new album, and I like the sounds of it.

Watching

I watched quite a few films over the holidays. Thought I'd share them with you - I'd love to hear your opinions if you watched them too:

Once - I really loved this movie. The music is great, and the whole thing was so real and heartfelt.

Eastern Promises - A bit violent - but an interesting glimpse into the underworld. I really like Cronenberg, and it's not just because he's Canadian.

Atonement - This film was excellent - beautifully shot and an amazing story. Go to cinema, see now.

Stardust - So much more than I expected. This film reminded me of the Princess Bride - which is to say that it was funny and whimsical and I liked it very much.

Zodiac - I had read some lukewarm reviews for this film - but it was really very good. Suspensful and creepy without being gory. I loved the fact that it was focussed more on solving the crimes than on the crimes themselves. After watching - I googled the Zodiac Killer to get more information and it's so interesting - I can see how people become obsessed with solving these crimes.

Paris Je'taime - Another film to love. 18 little stories about Paris - just unrelated little snapshots of life in the city each created by a different director. Highly recommended.

I'd be such a crap movie reviewer - I don't know enough adjectives and I seem to like just about everything. Well, that's not true - we also watched Ocean's 13 which I thought was style over substance, Mr. Bean's Holiday - turned off after 5 minutes because it was so idiotic (and I usually like Mr. Bean!), and La Vie en Rose - the story of Edith Piaf which was a well made film, but her life was so unbearably sad that it was difficult to watch.

So, how about you - seen any good films lately?

Tout changer c'est possible....

...roughly translated, that's "all change is possible." I took the phrase from the cover of the November issue of "Marie Claire Maison." That's what I've been doing over my holiday break - relaxing, eating, drinking, flicking through my magazines and thinking about change. The change that Marie Claire is talking about is the home variety - the November issue is great because it talks about how to change your home with basic items on a budget. An example - the bedroom pictured above - the headboard is made of placemats! I love the slightly rumpled, messy aesthetic of the French home - for more inspiration check out the website of artist Nathalie Lete and the Jeu de Paumes books.

I like this photo too - it looks like something you might find in my house. But, I'm digressing - the subject of this post is change. I'm hoping to change lots of things in my home - just try to be more tidy and organized, and make my house more an expression of "me" - and do it all on a budget, of course. Another change that I want to make is in my art and craft work - I want to be more focused and accomplish more in the time that I have available. Right now, I'm working in fits and starts - I always seem to be scrambling to meet deadlines. I think that slow and steady is the answer, I'm hoping that I can make it work.

That brings me to a final change - I'm hoping to claim back some time from my day job and art and craft work to do the "little things" - cooking yummy meals, spending time with friends and family, taking walks with Milo, learning new things. Just being present in the moment and enjoying - without stressing about work and deadlines. I had a great year and feel that I worked hard and accomplished a lot - but I think that if I get find some more balance, I can do even more.

So, that's me. Back from a wonderful relaxing break, with a muddled resolution of sorts. Wishing you a happy new year, and hoping that all your resolutions come true!

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....

Etsy!

I have just opened an Etsy shop! Right now, I just have my Hummingbird and Sakura Bird cards listed, but I am hoping to have books, prints, and perhaps even some originals there in the near future. I have even had my first sale - Lyndsay of LouLouBell bought one of my Hummingbird cards. Even if I don't have another sale - it's just nice being part of the Etsy community. And, I think that Etsy is going to be huge this holiday season - the Globe and Mail even did an article this weekend in their "Style" section.

A New Roost

My humming bird and sakura bird collages are now on display at Henhouse. They couldn't have a better home, but it's bittersweet - I worked really hard on these little guys, and sort of became attached to them. Does everyone who creates artwork feel this way? I hope that they sell, but feel like I might need to interview the buyer to make sure they're going to a good place and that I'll have visitation rights. I plan on making lots more, so I hope it will get easier with time!

Back from the Market

I spent this weekend at the NSDCC Christmas Craft Market. The prep was hard work - but I had a great time. The weekend started on Thursday afternoon, when we loaded in our booth. Because of my crazy perfectionism - it took us about six hours to set up, but I was happy with the results.

I really wanted the booth to feel cozy and homey - like an extension of my studio - and I hope that I acheived that. All the furnishings either came from my studio, my nana's house, or were bought on a (very tight) budget. Lanterns and fairy lights always make a space look warm. (: So many wonderful things happened, I don't know where to start. I met lots of Nova Scotian artisans, and had such supportive feedback and comments. I met Austen of Stripey Pebble who bought a photo album from me, and is as lovely in person as she is on her blog.

The market took place in a renovated cargo warehouse on the waterfront. It was nice to be in a market space close to the water, with floor to ceiling windows. I love these industrial views. I also had my first Oscar nominated customer - Emily Watson - who is in town shooting a film and stopped by the market and bought some of my work. But, everyone who came by, said hello and had a chat is a star in my eyes. Thanks to everyone for their help, support and kindness. I couldn't have done it without you! I've taken tonight to sit back and reflect with a glass (oops! nearly a bottle!) of red wine, but tomorrow I'll be back at work for the holiday season.

A few more photos on my flickr.

Happiness is...

...a warm puppy. It's been a while since I posted. In that time, I've made lots of books, Milo has turned 1 and got a sweater (don't judge me - it's really cold here!), and I've been reading a lot about Charles Schultz.

Now, it's back to making more books. I might not post again until after my show. So long for now...

Double Happiness is now Online!

Well, I'm already online, but now even more so - I have a website! You can find it here. I absolutely love my website. I have been working with a local artist/designer - his name's Matthew - and he's been really great. We met, and he totally understood my obsession with everything Japanese and built the website around it. There are a couple of finishing touches to be completed - but it's 99.9% done - so I'm just going ahead an announcing it now. Oh, and did I mention that I love it? I hope you love it too. ( :

Thanks Matthew!

LouLouBell

I recently picked up this cute little pouch from etsy seller LouLouBell - and I love it! LouLouBell is Lyndsay - one of Martin's workmates - and I had no idea that she was making these lovely things and selling them on etsy. And, it really is lovely, so many great details from the denim lining, to the gorgeous Amy Butler fabric, to the cute little ribbon tab on the side seam. It's amazing that there are so many talented people out there - sometimes right under your nose. Thanks LouLouBell - can't wait to use my new pouch! ( :

More books...

Another busy weekend making books. I ordered some new papers that are a bit of a departure for me - a bit more modern. I like them a lot, especially these little bunnies...
...I love pink and green together.....
...and here we have a more modern take on the traditional cherry blossom....
....in lots of different colours.

Japanese Paper Handbag

Each year since starting Double Happiness, I buy myself a little present to reward myself for working so hard during the holiday season. This year, I've decided that I'd like a new colourful handbag. Whilst shopping over lunch hour today, I came across these great bags from Mat and Nat. They are a Canadian company with a great philosophy, and their products are completely vegan. Best of all, the handbag above is from the Japanese paper collection. I'm not sure if the bags are actually made of Japanese paper, or if they are just inspired by it, but I don't care - I love them! My obsession with Japanese paper is well documented - so I am thinking that I must have one of these.
The hard part will be deciding what style/colour....

Getting all my ducks in a row...

Production for the upcoming season is in full force. Everywhere you look in my studio is filled with books and collages in production, and these fellows are lined up on top of a cabinet in the living room. I took my collages off to a printer, they were scanned and this is the result - some greeting cards! I'm really happy with the way they turned out. They're not really ducks, but birds just didn't have the same ring. Anyhow, these are samples printed on a number of different cardstocks - I've decided which one I like and will be having them printed up very soon. I'm really excited about this - making the books and collages is so labour intensive that I can never seem to keep up. Having the cards (and possibly some prints?) will hopefully allow me to get my work out there in an affordable, accessible way. I'm kind of excited about this - I'm really hoping this card idea will fly. Sorry, couldn't resist another corny pun...

Hummingbird

I finished another paper on canvas piece the other day. I was inspired by all the hummingbirds out in our garden, feasting on the bee balm. Hummingbirds are one of my favorite creatures, I think they are so amazing. I hope that I have managed to capture at least a little bit of the sense of movement - and the extreme cuteness - that the hummingbird embodies.

I even gave my hummingbird a little friend, peeking around the corner. And now, back to work on all my other books and pieces for the show.

Also - an update on La Moustache. I thought that I was going to be viewing a lighthearted French comedy - but it was actually an existential-type thriller. The fact that no one noticed his moustache was gone - in fact, they insisted that he had never worn one - leads the character, and the audience to question the notion of existence and reality. It was very good - I'm still not sure what it all meant - but maybe that's why it was good?

Mini Milo

This is Mini Milo - a little fuzzy poodle doorstop that I bought this summer while visiting my friend in the country. He was at a little farmer's market - and I just had to have him. I took a lot of heat for this purchase - it's incredibly kitchsy - but I like it!

I have been absent from this space recently - just super busy filling orders, and getting ready for the Christmas markets - but I have lots of things to report. I will try to post when I can - but I might be more sporadic than normal in the lead up to Christmas.

Must go - a movie is starting called "La Moustache" - the description says it's about a man who shaves his moustache off, but no one notices. I find this type of film irresistable.