merry christmas!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!! We are very excited, since this is the first year Jasper is really excited about Santa Claus... here is a sneak peek at what will be under the tree this year. I can't wait to see his reaction! Will post more photos over the holidays and do some much needed blog catching-up (hmmm... will note this for resolution making for the new year). Happy Holidays! :)

counting days

It has been a super busy week catching up on orders and shipping... the holiday rush has began! I was starting to forget what day it was, at times.... which then reminded me... I hadn’t posted the new 2013 calendar in the Etsy shop yet.... eeeeeek! Better late than never... and especially better that it is still only November. Ta-da... here it is! It features 12 lovely months and comes with a cute easel stand... and in case you don't need the stand, there is the refill version available as well. :)

OMG... I'm the Etsy featured seller!!

Ok, I am finally posting this exciting news... it has been quite a busy weekend. I am the featured seller this weekend on Etsy!!! (Yes I did the biggest happy dance, if you were wondering,.... as in full on running man with transition to sprinkler - sorry for the scary visuals). It still feels like a crafty dream. The feature will be up for one more day (running Nov 9-11th) so swing by and check out the article here.

ps. if you happen to be in Vancouver today, swing by the
Make It Vancouver. I will be there selling my crafty things. :)

whooooooo, me?

 I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! Here are some snaps of Jasper's costume... he was a little grey owl. It started with a fleece track suit I got at Old Navy.... and some felt additions sewn here and there... and then voila!... a fluffy grey owl emmerged... not too shabby for a non-sewer (just, maybe, don't look too closely at the stitch work). The last pic is of our hallway of bats... which are soon to come down... sigh.

pumpkin patch time

Ok, I am just catching up on my Halloween postings right now.... so there's going to be a bunch of Halloween themed posts today and tomorrow. This past weekend we went to the pumpkin patch.... well, this was actually our second trip... the first trip (as you can see from the bottom pic) there was quite a bit of rain so it was a rather short and soggy one. Second time faired much better, so I was able to get some more snaps of all the decorated jack-o-lanterns. I will post more photos soon of our decorated house and, of course, Jasper's Halloween costume!

little pieces

About one month to go until my first holiday show of the year (yes, it is in early November!), so I am in production mode now. I still am finding it a bit of a guessing game trying to figure out how much of each style to make for the accessories for each of the shows... will this ever get easier to predict?! Agh! Here is a sneak peek of the laser cut sheet (lots of brooches and earrings that you see there)... next step, assembly!

bye bye birdie... time for a sale!

I love wood burning, but alas it has come time for me to retire my little wood burned panels. I have been making them for years, but now I am shifting focus on to my laser cutting items and collages. So what to do with the panels I have left in stock?.... have a sale! All wood burned panels small and large are now 50% off! Check out the sale here!

falling leaves

The leaves are changing colours all around our neighbourhood... and it is making for some nice autumn walks... well, ok... except for the rainy wet weather... that dampens it a little bit. Still makes for nice snapshots though! Happy Monday!

neglectful me

Ok, I have been a very bad neglectful blogger. This past week just flew by without a post... eek! There was some reasoning to it... I had a birthday (hooray!), and then this past weekend was Thanksgiving up here in Canada, so it has been back to back feasting and family visits. And now it is officially catch up time - time to catch up on the blog, work, and craft making for the upcoming shows... so much to do, so little time!

how studly

I have been working on some new styles of earrings for the upcoming holiday season... and ta-da... here is a peek at two of them, well technically four since they are in pairs, hee-hee. Mini elephants and mini squirrels are a new addition to the other bamboo studs in the collection. Hmmm... so I guess I could technically call them studly elephants and squirrels. ;)

my little mountain man

Just back from a camping trip at Manning Park... our first camping trip with a wee one. I was a little nervous and anticipating a lot of “me go home, me go home” type crying, but fortunately Jasper loooooooved it. Actually he proved to be quiet the little mountain man... it was mommy who found it a tad too chilly and was a bit of a baby... haha. I think I will need to brush up on my wilderness skills for future trips to come.

fuzzy little monsters

It is no secret that I like to make crafty things... so it was only a matter of time before my crafty preoccupations started influencing little Jasper's play time. But what craft to do when he is only two, and the thought of paint on the walls and carpet seemed a bit horrifying? Hurray for pompoms and google eyes! We had a fun afternoon making “fuzzy monsters” (his words by the way). Thanks to my friend Robin who had such a cute and easy idea (see her awesome blog Windy and Friends here). Hmmm... now what to do with two dozen fuzzy little monsters that keep popping up around the house....

links to more wildlife

As promised, another show-and-tell update of the new cufflinks designs this season. As a continuation of the outdoorsy theme of the last batch, these ones feature some Canadian inspired wildlife. To be honest, I have only spotted three of the four animals on this list in my lifetime (owls, squirrels and deer). I have seen a stuffed beaver at the museum, but I don't think that really counts.

a day at the farm

On the weekend, we headed out to the country, the Westham Island Herb Farm to be exact, to check out their 7th annual “A Day at the Farm” event. The highlight for me was seeing the shaggy cow... I mean, just look at him... he’s such a cutie. I would want to just brush its hair for hours. Due to it’s large size though, I think little Jasper preferred looking at the goats a lot better. Bleet.

funny faces

I spotted these funny faces on some telephone poles (to the delight of little Jasper) during one of our stroller walks in our neighbourhood. There were tons of them, actually. I like finding art in unexpected places (well, I am hoping it is art and not some weird viral marketing campaign)... I kind of wish I knew who made these. The tags were intentionally blank, but I took one anyways... it's like they wanted me to take one. 

food paparazzi

This past week, Roger and I celebrated our anniversary (6 years)... which meant date night... hooray! So, during our meal, I became one of those people who takes pictures of their meals with their phone... yes, you know you've seen them, or have been one... but really, I couldn't resist. My sushi looked really yummy, so in my mind, worth sharing. Part two of our anniversary date night continues this week when we head out to see Jerry Seinfeld live! Exciting!

wheeeeeeee!

We went to the local summer fair a few days ago (the PNE) and had a super time. Little Jasper got to go on his first rides - the carousel and the mini train, and I ate enough mini donuts to not touch them again until next year’s fair. Hmmm... also learned to never give a 2 year old a bite of sugared mini donut before getting into the car (wheeeee, indeed). No big rides for us this year though... I think I enjoy viewing them much more from the ground for now... well, until Jasper is old enough to drag us on them anyways. :)

good morning, hello and hi

Good morning, hello and hi! A little splash of pink in a cheery print for the start of this week. This one is the magenta version of my Hi print... one of a few colour selections (yes, that is me being a bit indecisive). See some more of the colours here. :)

pick me pick me

After waiting for what seems like forever, one red tomato on our little plant was finally ready to be picked. And now the waiting game for the others continues... hmmm... maybe if I stop looking and checking on them they will ripen faster... one can hope, anyways.

link to the great outdoors

A bit of a blog break last week, and now I am back online! And what better way to start the week than to have a show-and-tell day. After showing you a sneak peek of some new cufflink designs a few weeks ago, here are some pictures of a few of the final designs (yes, finally!). Here are some of my woodland themed ones. Will post more soon!

park hopping

We took a little day trip this past long weekend to Joffre Lakes Provincial Park (top photo) and to Brandywine Falls Provincial Park (bottom photo). Summertime is always the best time to explore one's own surroundings, especially if they look like this. Enjoy the views! :)

all you need is love

A new print to share with you today before the weekend (long weekend up here in Vancouver... woohoo!). Some colourful hearts just to remind you that “All You Need Is Love” (in the shop here). Have a happy weekend!

fresh off the press

I was running low on business cards for my Etsy shop a couple of weeks ago, so I figured it was a great time for a design revamp. Ta-da! Here is the new card design... double sided and colour... oooohhh... ahhhhh! These will accompany every little package I ship out. ;)

seeing green

Spotted yesterday... a wee green tomato (well, two actually) finally making their appearance on our tomato plant. At the rate we are going, we'll have some ripe tomatoes by the end of summer... sigh. Fingers crossed there will be more than two.

crafty canadian picker

I love watching the TV show American Pickers... perhaps it is the treasure hunting aspect of it all. Anyways... my own recent picker moment was finding this stack of 60s era vintage children's books. Granted it was technically at a garage sale, but the sale did have an old barn full of stuff on the property, and I did dig them out from under a stack of stuff... so it did add to the picker-feel. Best of all, they were free!!! Score!

island time

This past weekend we ventured to Salt Spring Island for some summer rest and relaxation... well as much relaxation one can have with a 2 year old, anyways. We rented a little cabin in the woods and explored the tidal pools and shores... yes, that is a little purple starfish you see there in the second photo. Oh, I am wishing I was still on island time now... so hard to get back into the work week!

summer press

A little bit of press news for show-and-tell today. My little bird cork board is in the new issue of Luri & Wilma (Washington DC's eco-chic e-magazine). This month is the home issue, and it is chock full of super cute green things for you abode. Check out the cute issue here... a good read for the weekend! ;)

off the cuff... a little sneak peek

A little sneak peek today! Freshly cut designs for some new cufflinks I am working on. Mmmm... nothing like the smell of fresh laser cut wood... it is like a campfire in my house, but without the worry. I will be assembling these the next few days and launching them in the etsy shop next week.... will post more photos soon!

some fun in the sun

What to do when you have days of hot sunny weather and a 2 year old with, what seems like an unlimited amount of energy. Introduce him to some sand and new trusty friends — the bucket and pail. And yes, that is Jasper's trusty sidekick you see on the left there... his new best bud Spider-Man!

love makes the world go round

I am on a real illustration kick lately... not that I am complaining, of course. This makes up for those writer's block, well, in this case, artist's block moments that sometimes creep in and stay a little too long. Anyways, here it is... some colourful little hearts and love to brighten the day. Enjoy! (Check it out here).

food on sticks = goodness

The arrival of hot summer weather means that it is a perfect time to visit the Richmond Night Market - basically a replication of the popular street night markets popular in Asia. There are actually 3 big night markets that take place here (yes, 3.. I'm not kidding)... so this is the first one we have visited this summer so far. And what does one do at a night market, you ask? Um... well gorge on all the yummy diverse street food of course. Dim sum on sticks, grilled meat on sticks, deep fried tofu on sticks... yummy. I even spotted deep fried potato spirals on a stick as well as cheesecake on a stick, but by that point I was too full - I was feeling quite the opposite of a stick actually. Can't wait to check out the other night markets in the coming weeks!

hello hello

A bit of a lazy week for blogging this week, since we had a long weekend here for Canada Day this past weekend... and for some reason the mood has lingered. I don't even have the 4th as an excuse (Happy July 4th to those of you down is the US, btw). So, yes, it has been just pure laziness... well, just blogging laziness. I did work on a new art print... check it out here.

a bucket of sunshine

A sweet surprise from Jasper the other day. After a fun afternoon in grandma and grandpa's yard, he came back to give me a pail full of yellow buttercups. A little bucket of sunshine from my little sunshine. :)

craftiness is happiness

I am admittedly addicted to crafting. I can't picture myself ever coming to a point where I am not making something... it is my little happy place. And thusly, a new art print is born! Craftiness is Happiness (available in three lovely summertime colours). Check them out in the Tiny Cub shop here.

my little strong man

Summer time means local fairs, festivals and celebrations are underway for the next few months. Perhaps still a little too small for most of the rides at a local fair over the weekend, my little man still got to have fun by flexing some muscle. Actually, I am a little relieved he is still too small for most of the rides... it makes a great excuse for me to bow out of going on things called Kamikaze (and the like) without looking like a woos. ;)

bamboo brooches - part 2

Hooray it is Friday! Almost time to kick back and relax.... so I figure, how about sharing some cute eye candy with you today. Here are some more designs of bamboo brooches I designed recently... this batch taking on an animal/bird direction. Sigh, I love bird-y things... I can't seem to get enough of them. 

i was found!

Hooray! Hooray! I was floored on Monday when I found out that my Map + Pin Set was featured in the Etsyversary Etsy Finds! This is the first time I have been in Etsy Finds... so yes, I danced on the spot a little... ok, ok, a lot. And yes, I'm talking full on running man with a gradual fade transition into the cabbage patch. I would have done the robot too, but I am not very good at it. 

coffee and chocolate

Two cappuccinos and two pain au chocolats (chocolate croissants) at Le Marché St. George (in my opinion, one of the cutest coffee places in Vancouver) for father's day. And no, I did not eat all of the above by myself, although tempting. Mmmm... I could really go for another one of these today though...

The winner is...

Yes, I waited until the end of the day on Friday to make the draw... oh so evil making everyone wait... hee hee. Ok, enough rambling. With the help of my cutey assistant Jasper... the random winner of the cameo brooch is: T@PoppyPlacePDX!

Congratulations! What is her favourite thing about summer?: “My Fav. thing about Summer is having my kids home from college and all going to the Oregon Coast in August (when Summer actually has started, He! He!)”

Oh I love the Oregon Coast... and daydreaming about it now.

Didn't win this time around?... no worries, there will be a giveaway again soon. Happy Weekend!

june giveaway - win a laser cut cameo brooch!

Summer is just around the corner... so a perfect excuse to have a giveaway! Well, that and I haven't had one in a little while... so, yes.. about time! This month's winner will win this cute bamboo laser cut brooch (a new design, btw).

Enter to win by posting a comment telling me your favourite thing about summer... perhaps it is having an ice cream cone whilst walking on the beach and feeling the sand in between your toes?... or maybe it's the smell of campfire (oh, you pyro, you)... or maybe it will be sporting this cute brooch on your new summer dress! 

A random draw will be made next Friday (June 15th), so check back to see if you win. Please remember to include some sort of contact info (etsy shop, blog, website, or e.mail address) and please only one entry per person. Good luck!

wee birthday wishes

This weekend we had family over for Jasper's birthday. Hooray! I can't believe my little guy is turning 2 already. Since mommy is not a very good baker (and the wee one loves ice cream), I thought I would just fancy up a store bought ice cream cake with some crafty cake toppers. A little paper bunting and cardboard cut out of Max and Ruby was met with the biggest smile. Happy Birthday Jasper! :)

sun print, rain print

Thank you to everyone who made suggestions of turning two of my greeting card designs into prints! Ta-Da... here they are. Just added to the Tiny Cub shop... my "Hello Sunshine" print and "Rain, Rain, Go Away" print. Oh yes, also wanted to mention that there will be a giveaway next week (not going to tell you what it is yet... will keep it a surprise)... stay tuned!

two is better than one

With the warm sunny weather finally arriving, it was time to do one of my favourite things... shoe shop! Hmmm... so which ones to get became a bit of a dilemma... would I get the Toms or the Saltwater Sandals? After agonizing on which would result in the most number of cute summer outfit combinations, I came up with the perfect solution. Get them both! Two is always better than one, especially in the shoe department. :)

play it by ear

Why is it that there is a solid week of sunshine and warm sun, and as soon as the long weekend comes, the rain decides to pour and pour... sigh. Well, with rain on my brain... I figure that is a good segue to my show and tell... some new rain cloud bamboo earrings (as well as some more flowery blossom ones too). These are some more designs from my new experimentation with laser cutting. Check them out here. Maybe if I take off the cloud ones I have on and put on the blossom ones, the sun will appear... a bit superstitious... but worth a try. ;)

digging around

After many months with a very sad looking and neglected balcony, we decided to bring in some green again. Last year's plants all died from a combo of aphids/lack of watering/and one darn pesky mouse that kept eating our tomato plant (ugh!!)... so this year is a fresh start. My attempt includes: mint, chives, chocolate mint and another tomato plant. I am crossing my fingers my green thumb doesn't turn brown again!

happy mother's day weekend!

Happy Mother's Day weekend! Hope all you mamas out there have a good one. :)

new bamboo brooches for summer!

Bonjour! Ok, I have finally finished working on those mysterious laser cut pieces I had kept mentioning in previous posts. You are totally thinking to yourself, “Finally!, she sure is dragging her heels...” I always forget how long it takes to photo document everything and then list them one by one on Etsy.... (yes, I know you know what I mean). Anyways, to the news now... new for this summer are bamboo wood brooches! Pictured here my Bonjour model, Cherry Blossom model, Rain Go Away model, and Rain Cloud Cameo model. More to come. Check them out in the esty shop here.


ps. Thanks to everyone who came out last Sunday at Got Craft! It was a great event. Until the next batch of shows in fall and winter.

got craft this sunday!!!

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! (I am yelling this in my monster-truck announcer voice, btw). Got Craft is this Sunday! Come one and come all to the coolest craftiest event of the spring. I will be there with over 50 other vendors... in addition to some DJs playing music, a sewing lounge DIY workshop, and yummy food carts. Oh, and did I mention first 50 people through the door get a free swag bag full of crafty goodness? So yes, it pays to be early! Hope to see you all there!


When: Sunday, May 6th, 10am, - 5pm
Admission: $3 (kids under 10 FREE)
Where: Royal Canadian Legion
2205 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

beachcombing

Last week we took a family trip up to Tofino, BC's surf town. No surfing for us (alas, we will have to wait until Jasper is a little older)... but we still had some good times with nice long beach walks, puddle splashing, wave watching, and lots of eating. (*note to go to the local taco truck, Tacofino, if you visit there... so good!). Here are some pics from our trip. :)