etsy wedding event

Recently I was invited to submit a cake topper as part of Etsy’s Weddings event! The media event was showcasing an array of cake toppers, invitations, wedding gifts and bridal accessories. Take a peek at my Heart Trees Cake Topper in the pic…. I love how they paired it with a tree slice tray/cake stand. Hmmm... I might just have to go out and get a tree slice now to use in future craft shows.

crunchy leaves

Crunch, crunch, crunch… we have been enjoying our walks this crisp autumn. Every time we come home, it seems like the boys are bringing back another collection of chestnuts and coloured leaves. Too bad I don't like eating roasted chestnuts (is it me, or do they smell better than they taste?)… and now the leaf pile is starting to pile up on our balcony (this was my compromise of having them inside the house). I am sure the collection will keep growing in the coming weeks. 

new cufflinks, eh?

These past few weeks, I have been finishing up some new cufflink designs for the fall/winter season. Carrying on with the outdoorsy theme, the new batch also borrow from some popular Canadian motifs… the classic beer stubby set, the hockey set, and the curling set. Perhaps a good pairing with a Canadian tuxedo, eh? (which is denim on denim, for any of those of you wondering) ;) 

testing and playing

A couple of weeks ago Jasper and I were invited to try a new cute App developed by one of my dear friends. Based on her line of children's books, Windy & Friends is a series of interactive stories using stop motion animation. Not only did Jasper get to play it, but he also got to be one of the kids in their promo video! (OK... don't worry, I don't think this will lead in to any foray into child acting or anything… being on the shy side, I would probably make a horrible stage mother anyways... haha). Check out the trailer here, and more about Windy & Friends here.

bye bye summer

School is in session…. well, preschool for us anyways… and I am still trying to get over the fact that summer totally flew on by. We had one last weekend of beautiful weather, and now it is full on sweater weather…. well, technically sweater + raincoat weather up here in Vancouver. I'm crossing my fingers the sunshine comes back!

website completed!

I am finally back on the blog! These past few weeks, I have been trying to finish my website… and I am happy to say, it is pretty much done! Phew! I have been wanting to update it for a long time, since the old site was not very friendly for phones or tablets (I know… how gauche… a website pre-dating iPad usage… the horror!). Will probably tweak a little here and there, but it is pretty much ready to go… check it out here.

Martha!

OK, it has been waaaaay too long since my last blog post. I have no idea where the summer is going! For some reason, I thought it had only been a couple of weeks… and then I saw the date...ack!

On the news front… something big and exciting! One of my wedding cake topper designs is featured on the Martha Stewart Weddings website as part of a cake topper feature. Yes... MARTHA!! Check out the screen shot as well as the link here!

i scream for ice cream

Nothing better on a hot summer day than having some ice cream… no wait… an ice cream cone (and with a waffle cone, not that weird styrofoam starchy stuff that some places try to tell you is an edible cone). A pic from our recent pic to Ernest Ice Cream… I am really wishing I bought a tub to bring home now… sigh.

custom work

I often get requests for custom cufflinks, and many times it is for ones using individuals’ own logos. So I thought I would share a recent pair I made for another fellow Etsian since I am super happy with how they turned out. Their logo design translated pretty well… I think I may start experimenting more with making different shaped links down the road.

strawberry fields forever

Hooray, summer is officially here! We celebrated this past weekend with some late strawberry picking at Emma Lea Farms. I had my little helper Cedar with me, filling (and sometimes un-filling) the buckets. Now comes the task of deciding what to make with all our berries (although they are pretty darn good plain)… ideas?

painting peacefully

I captured one of my favourite mommy moments recently - Jasper and Cedar quietly sitting side by side creating some art. Ok, technically it was big brother making the art and little brother watching intently at the colours being splashed on the page, but heartwarming nevertheless. 

daddy dearest

Hmmmm… what to get for father's day coming up? I know, why not check out the latest gift guide in this month's issues of Today's Parent Magazine or Domino Magazine. Oh wait, what do you spot there?… looks like my cufflinks! Both the bike cufflinks and canoe cufflinks made the list for both publications. Hooray, a happy Monday indeed!

happy birthday jasper!

Today my cute little guy… correction, my cute big guy is 4! Yes, he is officially a “big boy” now... he has made that very clear. Happy Birthday Jasper! xoxo

Summer brings so many good things, one of them being weddings! This month, I have two new cake topper designs -  a floral set and a trees set (similar to the heart trees, but without the hearts). Check them out in the shop here. I am busy in the workshop coming up with more designs, so hopefully will post more over the coming months. Happy Monday!

just breathe

These past weeks have been busy, busy, busy… design work, craft work, chasing the kids… a bit of a whirlwind. Being in Vancouver though, I feel lucky that nature is around every corner… lots of perfect spots to just stop and breathe.

a punch of colour

An update today on those laser cut felt pieces I was experimenting with earlier this month (see here). I combined the pieces with some laser cut bamboo pieces to make colourful  flower brooches. Now it is just a matter of photographing them for the online shop...

hunter & hare

A new cute shop, Hunter & Hare is opening in Gastown and they are carrying some Cabin + Cub earrings! Check out their grand opening tonight! Happy Weekend ;)

happy birthday cedar!

Today is Cedar's first birthday! I guess I can't call him a baby any more, since he is officially a toddler now… sigh… but he is the youngest, so still my little baby in my heart. Happy Birthday Cedar! :)

brika feature

Exciting press news today! I am one of the feature makers on the Brika site this week… hooray! If you aren't familiar with Brika already, it is a very cute site that features a curated selection of handmade goodness and their makers' profiles. Check out my full feature here or better yet, spend some time browsing all the cute goodies from other talented makers. :)

escape to the east

Sometimes it is nice to get away from the hustle and bustle for some peace and relaxation… a moment of much needed zen. Ok, so it might look like I took off for a trip to China (oh, I wish!), but the garden is actually in Vancouver... literally a 5 minute drive away from where we live. It makes for a great backdrop to pretend you are travelling in China though… one day…. one day...

craft table revamp

This past weekend was the Got Craft show, so I thought I would share some pictures of my table. This season I decided to revamp the look of everything… partly from being super bored with the old display and partly because parts of the old display broke. Out with the old and in with the new! I decided on a rustic outdoors-y look, so gone was the white table cloth and in its place some cozy grey felt. I found some wooden crates at Michaels and after buying them over a period of a few weeks (with that darn coupon they only let you use once a day… yes, I am that weird when it comes down to 40% off), I stained them a dark brown. The cute little blackboard signs were from Michaels as well… they are so cute, I might have to go back and get more (with coupon of course, haha). Oh, and the pinecones you see were foraged by Jasper… yes, I even got my kids starting to help out with the decorating. ;) 

show time!

Time has just flew by and it is that time of year again… Got Craft (Vancouver's largest indie craft fair)! I will be at the show this Saturday and Sunday May 10th and 11th… come down for some good shopping, yummy tasty treats, DIY workshops and, of course, to say hello. And if you happen to be one of the first 50 people through the door on either day, score a swag bag!!! Hope to see you there. :)

Details:
Saturday + Sunday, May 10th +11th
10am - 5pm
Maritime Labour Centre
1880 Triumph Street
Vancouver
Admission: $3

walk walk walk

These past couple of weeks have been very exciting. Our youngest son Cedar has started to walk… and walk, and walk, and walk. So now the chasing game begins. I have a feeling I am about to embark on a very long on-going workout.

swag magnet

It's almost show time! One more week until the Got Craft Spring Edition. My workshop is in high gear trying to get everything ready for the weekend show… and that includes preparing the swag that will be handed out to the first 50 people to the show (each swag bag has tons of goodies in it from each of the vendors… so if you are coming to the show, get there early!). The swag I made for this show are little wood apple and pear magnets - a little wooden touch for your stainless steel appliance. ;)

cotton candy trees

One of may favourite times of the year is when the cherry blossoms are blooming and start falling from the sky. When I drive home with the kids from their grandparents place, we count and call out the “cotton candy” trees we pass along the way. Once these are gone though, I will have to find a new car game… hmmm, hopefully they will be around for at least another week or so.

felt fun

I have been experimenting with laser cutting felt these past couple of weeks, with some pleasant results. With all the spring blooms around our neighbourhood as inspiration, I decided to try and cut some floral shapes. The final goal is to make these in a pin or brooch form (hopefully in time for mother's day). Will post more once the final designs start to take form.

aloha!

Aloha! A special post today after just getting back from some nice fun in the sun. We had a great family vacation in Waikiki last week, and my body is already having vitamin D withdrawal (yes, it is currently raining here in Vancouver….boo hiss). It was our first time in Hawaii, so needless to say, there was a lot of beach time to be had as well as the usual tourist must-dos (luau, scenic drives, and lots and lots of eating out). Now it is recovery mode… traveling with two tikes is way tiring. I think I should have booked a vacation for after my vacation. ;)

craft clear out - part 3

Out with the old and in with the new! Ok, well… no new ones yet (still working on the designs)… but I am clearing out old stock. Only a few sets left of hand burned cork coasters… and each set is now 50% off, so only $6. Yes, that's right, the same price as one of those delicious fancy coffees (ie. whipped cake in a cup… you know the one). Perhaps these coasters can even be a new home for said fancy coffee… heehee. Check them out while they last in the shop here.

oh canada!

A new item in the shop this spring… the Canada map and pin set! This has been long overdue… it was in the works forever, and then life things just kept popping up (ahhh, babies will do that). Available in five different colour options, it is a perfect map for pinning your northern adventures, EH? Sorry, I couldn't resist throwing that in (and since I am Canadian, technically it is allowed).

mmmmm… doughnut

A bit of a Homer Simpson moment recently after buying a box of goodness from Lucky's Doughnuts. The one in the back is one of my faves… apple bacon fritter, but I must say the little nibble (ok, big bite) of the salted caramel one (front right) was pretty darn good too.

craft clear out - part 2

My craft clear our continues! Next up on the lot for sale are some cute wood burned memo boards. Each board is lovingly burned by hand and comes with a little wooden easel stand. They were originally $30, and now they are 50% off at $15. Now that we have two wee ones in the house, I am devoting less time to wood burning… wood burning and children… yah, you get the picture, not the best mix.  Find them in the Etsy shop here, here, and here.

craft clear out - part 1

One of my goals for this year is to go through our entire house and purge, donate and sell anything that we don't need or use. One of the worst areas that I am working on is my craft closet,  which in the deeper reaches have bits and bobs that have sat there sadly unused. A lot of it has been passed on to other crafters, and some donated…. but some stuff still remains, so I am selling it off. First up on the lot are blank maple wood veneer cards…. They can easily be cut, or stamped or written on with pen/marker/pencil. Turn them in to business cards, gift tags, place cards or greeting cards. Check them out in the Etsy shop here.

squawk squawk squawk

There are some things that my son Jasper just loves, which I can't really get that in to… case in point - Angry Birds. He loves them… not sure what it is about them, perhaps their annoying squawks, or the idea of a slingshot, or maybe just the fact that you are supposed to throw them… he is just drawn to them. Well, step in my sister (aka. cool Auntie Carolyn) with these hand made Angry Birds, and I have to say, I like them a whole lot better now. These (as well as the Snoopy she made that I posted about a few weeks ago) just proves that craftiness is in our family blood.

strawberry bike

When I was a kid, my first bicycle was pink with a white basket in the front. The basket was decorated with gaudy colourful plastic flowers, which I thought was super pretty at the time, since it matched the streamers hanging off the handlebars.... oh, yes, how I loved that Strawberry Shortcake bike. Ok, this custom pin I made isn't the exact bike, but it did bring back some good memories.

press shots

These past few months have been great press wise. I should have posted these sooner, but better late than never! Check out the latest February/March issue of Bust Magazine... you will see a pair of my pear earrings in their fresh and fruity section. Next one down are my tennis cufflinks which graced the page of Chatelaine Magazine's holiday gift guide. Scroll one down, and you will see the anchor cufflinks in the Toronto Life 2013/14 Stylebook... and lastly the stag cufflinks, in UK's Perfect Wedding Magazine. A big thanks to all those publications!

lion dance

Year of the Horse is here! We took the boys to chinatown on Sunday to see the parade, and they were mesmerized by all the drums, costumes, and of course the lion and dragon dances. Jasper even got up close and personal with one of the colourful lions (luckily for us, he did not freak out.... you just never know with kids and things in costumes). Happy Chinese New Year and Tet!

crochet cutie

I have never figured out how to crochet.... at most, I managed a few rows and then sort of lost patience and abandoned my attempts.  My sister on the other hand has cracked the crochet code! Check out this sweet Snoopy doll she made for baby Cedar for Christmas. I will post what she made for Jasper soon.... more crochet cuties, of course.