Now available at our Etsy Shop:
Thunderstorm Earrings
These earrings are made with striking zebra jasper beads which dangle from double linked brass chain. The stones are reminiscent of brush marks or lightning strikes. They are very chaotic and dramatic. The ear wires are also oxidized brass.
Free shipping within Canada and the US (regular mail through Canada Post).
This is craft fair treasure number two; a lovely fused glass plate made by Philip Doucette.
I asked him how he made this and he told me it was made with several different pieces of glass that were cut and fused together with high heat. It is heated the first time to fuse the glass, then it is heated again over a mould which the piece slumps into to create it’s form. The glass has to be treated gently and cooled slowly because at high temperatures the molecules tangle.
He also told me that this particular plate was inspired by the colours of the valley here in Nova Scotia. In case you are’nt familiar with the valley it is a lovely, fertile part of Nova Scotia with apple orchards, green farms, earth and mild weather. I can’t help but think of cascades of apple blossoms when I think of the valley. This plate looks like it’s captured a ray of valley sun shine.
(click through the thumbnails below for a better view.)
I got a lot of great hand crafted treasures at the craft fair and I thought it would be fun to share them with the world. The first is from Rustic Revolution Pottery and made by artist Lily Greer.
The outside is white with loopy cobalt flowers, which she created by scratching into it’s surface. They kind of remind me of stars as well. The glaze on the inside is a variegated blue and earthy shades, reminiscent of painterly surf. If you could gaze into it you would see a swirl at the very bottom, like a whirl pool or spinning galaxy. It even has a gentle spout for pouring.
Lily tells us on her website that her “studies in Zen and Pagan spiritual traditions has lead me to believe that the spirituality of everyday existence is of utmost importance. Through my work I try to bring a sense of calm, sacredness to every day objects.”
When I gaze in to this vessel it really feels like something special. This is the magical result of combining clay, time, and sensitive human imagination, intention and hands. I think it is truly lovely.
(PS: The flowers in this image are called Forsythia.)
We just finished up at the Halifax Crafters “Spring Fling” fair. It was so much fun. It’s always nice to see all the friendly crafters and the lovely things they make. I brought home a few hand made treasures as well. I hope to share them with you once I take a few photos of them here in their new home.
We’ll be listing new items on Etsy this week, but you can get a sneak peek at some of our new books and jewellery by clicking through our photos from the show (below).
This classy little knot is constructed from interlocking circles wrapped in soft, wet felted merino fleece, shiny navy ribbon and navy and white baby alpaca yarn which I dyed myself. It has a tiny white lace flower with a small midnight blue pearl at the centre and a sprinkling of white glass seed beads. The lace is stitched around the edge and into place on the surface of the piece. It is a unique, one of a kind little creation.
I’ve decided to leave how they will be used up to the customer as well. It can be a hair pin or brooch with a bar pin back, whatever you prefer. I will use a large sturdy bobby pin if you’d like a hairpin.
Bluefin Tuna stocks are in serious decline and Governments have rejected adding it to the Endangered Species list at a recent UN wildlife meeting. The proposal was backed by the U.S, but the Canadian government said they would “fight tooth and nail” to keep the threatened fish OFF the Endangered List. The motivation behind this choice is the interests of Canadian fishing industries, specifically large scale industrialized fishing operations.
“This exploitation is no longer exploitation by traditional fishing people to meet regional needs,” Monaco’s Patrick Van Klaveren told delegates. “Industrial fishing of species is having a severe effect on numbers of this species and its capacity to recover. We are facing a real ecosystem collapse.”
“We were expecting to have a real debate but it was not possible,” said Gael de Rotalier of the European Union. “There was a strong feeling in the room against any involvement of CITES in marine issues. They were making it a matter of principle and not looking at the merits of the case.”
This type of story seems to be more and more prevalent in the news as ecosystems are slowly being eroded by private interests and greed. As consumers we also have a responsibility not to buy into systems that perpetuate the destruction of the Earth’s complex and fragile ecosystems.
The best way to do that is stay informed, make a list and research the foods you eat and the other products you buy every day, replace the harmful ones with helpful, fair trade, natural products. You can also help by spreading the word, holding those responsible for damage to our ecosystems and encouraging others to do the same.
(quotes from this article- check it out here. Here is another endangered species in Canada Article as well.)
I just found out that my favourite soap maker has a website, so I have to share. I always pick up a few bars at each Halifax Crafters fair and try to make them last. Osha Mae uses all natural ingredients (no petroleum or synthetic additives) and has a great selection of fantastic scents made with herbs, spices and pure essential oils. I love the chocolate mint and lavender lime bars.
I use a lot of soap when wet felting my brooches and other objects, at first I was using a liquid detergent which worked alright. I tried using the Osha Mae soaps and now I only use her soaps exclusively. They seem to make the felting process go faster, a little bit goes a long way and it’s lovely to use in general. (I also try to use local, fresh products over factory produced items as much as possible). Try her products, I think you’ll like them as much as I do.
Karyn and I are pleased to announce that we will be involved in the next Halifax Crafters “Spring Fling”.
We’ll have lots of lovely things to add to your spring wardrobe. We are also working on some great new decore items and lamp designs.This fair will be our chance to unveil some of them.
Karyn just showed me some of her new book designs and I think they are really classy. So much care go in to Karyn’s work, I can’t wait to see the new ones completed. They are precious spaces to entrust your dreams and pen your thoughts, they also make a lovely gift. She uses acid free papers and high quality materials so they will stand the test of time.
I’ve always appreciated a good book for their weight and tactile nature. I also appreciate the intimate relationship we have with them as places for the self to dwell. Journals and sketchbooks are such useful, practical objects that their almost magical ability to be imprinted on is sometimes overlooked. They are time capsules, a record of the past, change and things worth remembering.
I have books and scraps of paper from relatives long past, they are some of my most treasures objects. My mother started jotting down little stories and happenings for me in a book when I was a baby, I cherish it now. A book of family stories is a very precious heirloom object, something that can be handed down over generations. After all it really is the thought that counts.
I think we’re all pretty sick of hearing auto tuned pop songs, it seems that every star and idol on the radio is over produced, every note is controlled and boring. On the bright side there have been a few positive things that have come from auto tuning, some of them are great youtube videos.
Creators have been using this to change ordinary dialogue into sing song lyrics, which makes for a brilliant you tube video. I am a fan of the “scientist” genre of these, tunes that are “sung” by some of our most beloved science figures. These videos are a bit cheesy, but quite charming and inspiring. They help spread scientific understanding and the philosophy of some of these interesting scientists and all round good human beings. Here are a couple I just happened to add to my playlist over the past few months.
I love a good fantasy story (Ursula K Leguin writes some great ones) and I have an addiction to good anime. Since I like to make little wearable objects I often find myself paying close attention to what the characters wear and sometimes they influence my designs. I am especially interested in magical items, which seem to be prevalent in these sorts of stories.
Dan keeps suggesting I make what he calls “wizard wear”, unique hand crafted items reminiscent of fantasy accessories. Based on his suggestion I made this new hairpin. Dan said it reminded him of snow kingdoms, and I said “don’t you mean “Queendom”. In my mind a queen rules this world. It also reminds me of wind and air.
This elaborate hair pin is made with interlocking circles wrapped in natural, wet felted wool fleece. The button at the centre reminds me of the horizon of a faintly glowing nebula, with space and stars above. It’s centre is a brassy colour. There is an arrow of iridescent white shell at the bottom.
It has a small lace wing shape made with small pieces of lace in the shapes of triangles and flowers, inspired by the patterns I see on my frosty window panes and feathers. The piece is stitched together slowly by hand. It is one of a kind.
It has two heavy duty bobby pins attached, which you can clearly see in the first thumbnail image below, click through for a larger view. (You can buy this easily and securely at our Etsy shop).
