Textile Thursday: Puppies & Cookies

My poor little studio rarely gets used, but when a special occasion comes up that calls for a handmade gift, the results are pretty cute.



I made this polka-dotted dachshund using an easy-to-follow pattern created by Kim Kruzich for her Etsy shop, RetroMama. What I love about this pattern are the illustrated step-by-step instructions, the helpful hints and tips on triple stitching and sewing tight curves as well the ready-to-print, full size pattern pieces. This pattern would be perfect for a novice sewer to complete in an evening or two and the project uses less than a metre fabric making it a pretty inexpensive as well. (I skipped the fusible web for securing the felt pieces since I couldn't get the web to stick.)

For more experienced sewers, I love this "Stuffed Ollie Doll" pattern by Brooklynite Sian Keegan. Ollie is also a dachshund, but his three-dimensionality and his hipster bandana take his cuteness to the next level. You can expect a lot more hand-sewing with this project and keep a seam ripper close at hand if you have trouble attaching pattern pieces to the right places. I had Ollie's arm attached to his stomach at one (or two or three...) point but he turned out all right in the end!

My next studio goal is to DIY these cheerful biscuit pillows from Lisa Angel Homeware and Gifts:

Jammy dodgers are the BEST and the embroidery on that custard cream cookies looks pretty fun to make too.

What are you up to in your studio lately? Spring is almost here and I'd love to hear some new project ideas!

♥

PS - For a fun Sunday afternoon browse, pop over to Sian Keegan's website to see her colourful array of cake toppers, product illustrations and other crafty hand-drawn tutorials!


(Image 1, 2 by Lai Mai Ng; image 3 via Not on the High Street)

P.S. My Weekend was Awesome

Sorry things have been a bit quiet here lately, but I've been busy preparing for the 3rd Annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, crafting some holiday gift guides, and of course, meeting the fabulous Erica Domesek from P.S. I Made This!

Erica was in town promoting her new craft and lifestyle book, P.S. You're Invited and it was super fun covering the event for my sister's blog This Beautiful Day. Please pop on over to see all the pics including the scoop on Jelly Modern Doughnut's DIY doughnut station...(P.S. I'm still trying to figure out how to install one of these stations in my office cubicle.)

Happy Monday and I'll be back again soon to chat about pie!

♥

Back to School: Leather & Mint

Whether you're going back to school in the fall or simply taking mental stock of projects you want to tackle when the weather gets cooler, let these smartly designed work essentials be your guide...

Earhart Carry Case by Materials + Process
($88, Of a Kind)

Longitude Case in Weathered Leather by Infusion
($40, Etsy)

Colour-blocked Tote Bag by Rouge & Whimsy
($50, Etsy)

And for those of us whose bank accounts are currently in detention, here is an adorable (and free!) DIY geoball tutorial from French blog ZU to deck your desk! 

Which item is your favourite?

♥

(Photos: 1, 2: Materials + Process via Of a Kind / 3: Infusion / 4: Rouge & Whimsy / 5: ZU) 

Soft & Snappy

Even if you're camera shy, it's easy to smile for the camera when you're looking back at a cute and colourful softie from Etsy shop Yellow Heart Art!

Each "squishable art" piece is hand sewn and features a fun complementary patterned fabric on the back as well.  With softies as low as USD$10.00 for a mini and USD$30.00 for a large, you'll want to snap up one of these retro cameras while you can!

♥

(Photos by Leonora of Yellow Heart Art)

Snapshots from the Weekend

Mother's Day High Tea @ The Ritz Carlton (Toronto)

Top to bottom: 

Egg salad & cucumber sammies

Chocolate mousse / macaron / croquembouche / madeleine / red velvet cupcake

Plain & raisin scones / white chocolate 

Smoked salmon croissant sammies

Totoro modelling the DIY collar I'm making based on a tutorial by Honestly WTF

How was your weekend?


♥

Little Curiousities

Only one more day until Valentine's Day!  What are you doing to celebrate? 

I spotted this charming mini ceramic heart factory over at Pearson-Maron and instantly fell in love! 

Heart Factory by Pearson-Maron. (USD $18)

Crafted by husband and wife duo Adam Maron and Quincy Pearson, their collection of handmade curiousities also includes ghost, balloon, and cloud factories.  My favourite part of these mini sculptures is the cheery stripes that lead to a burst of colour or a touch of whimsy at the end.

Cloud Factory by Pearson-Maron. (USD $25) 

Ghost Factory by Pearson-Maron. (USD $22) 

Balloon Factory by Pearson-Maron. (USD $25) 

Besides collecting them to hide in various nooks and crannies around the house, wouldn't it be fun if Monopoly got a crafty makeover and the real estate game pieces could be as imaginative and endearing as these ones? After all, I'd much rather build a cloud factory than a house or a hotel! 

xo.

Art Exhibit: Thank You for Playing

Remember that exhibition I mentioned a couple of weeks ago when I shared 10 things I learned from my first art show?

Well this week will be the very last chance to see it at the Living Arts Centre before it closes on January 22! Please stop by to check out all the amazing video game inspired artwork and you can also catch an interview with me and our curator Cole on The Electric Playground airing tonight on CityTV :)

In the meantime, here are some images to whet your appetite (but don't forget that you can only play with my Pixel Painter piece in person..!)

Can you spot the Green Lantern reference in the above photo? ;)

PS - Double milestone! This entry officially marks my 100th blog post...hooray! 

(Photos by Cole Swanson)

Tea Towel Thursday

Cute 'kitchen shelves' tea towel from modern design & paper shop, Lagom. The primary colour scheme would be super cheerful in the kitchen and I wouldn't mind owning that entire top shelf in real life :) Screen printed in Solvesborg, Sweden.

(Image via Lagom)

Geometric Perfection

My heart skipped a beat when I saw these neat faceted origami candlestick holders featured on Kersey's blog, ardor. Constructed from a sheet of maple wood veneer or mother of pearl cardstock, the polyhedron is precision cut and carefully assembled around a solid interior structure for extra sturdiness.

Would these minimalistic beauties make it onto your dining room table? :)

Image: Revisions via ardor

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope you got your sweetie something as adorable as this handmade Lenora Love plushie from Etsy shop, The Sleepy King! xo

Get ready, Get (Letter) Set!

Sycamore Street Press is kicking off 2011 with a huge sale on their letterpress goods starting today :)

A model for eco-friendliness, Eva and Kirk Jorgensen print and assemble their cheerful creations using a vintage Vandercook #3 letterpress (with no motor or electricity), 100% recycled paper, soy based ink and low VOC solvents.

If your new year resolutions include writing more letters and keeping in touch (without the Blackberry or the iPhone), make sure your stop by the sale to browse and handpick some lovely ways to say hello!

Images via Sycamore Street Press

Sweet dreams are made of this

A polka-dotted petite patisserie pincushion from KupKup on Etsy and the Kings of Pastry documentary currently playing at the TIFF Bell Lightbox until January 3.

No. 16 | Fabric, Felt, Beads | USD $33.00

Certified 90% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes

Stay tuned as there's a rumour floating around that my friends may be challenging each other to a macaron throw-down Bobby Flay style in the kitchen afterwards!

City of Craft, Toronto

A little Sunday afternoon visit to handmade heaven...

Cute chain link garlands decorated the DIY area

The party in full swing inside the charming Theatre Centre

Images via me :)

Library Cards

How cute are these letterpress library greeting cards from SimpleSong studio?

image via SimpleSong

I predict these cards will make the perfect companion for the all the books you plan to gift to your loved ones this holiday season :) Each set includes: a manila pocket, flat card and outer envelope for a perfectly polished A+ presentation!

PS - while you're at it, don't forget to check out Susan's lovely blog filled to the brim with exciting design inspirations!

Wabi-Sabi

Discover the art of wabi-sabi, or finding beauty in imperfection, at Open Studio’s Annual Artist Proof Sale! Known as one of Canada’s leading contemporary printmaking studios (and producer of the very popular Printopolis symposium), artists will be offering original, one-of-a-kind screenprints, etchings, lithographs and relief prints ranging from $50-$300. The sale kicks off on December 2 and runs through December 18, Tuesday through Saturday, from noon to 5:00 pm.

♥

Image via Open Studio