Thrifty By Design

And even more projects for the workshop

2013-06-18T21:00:00.001-07:00

Here are the final projects I prepped for the Get Crafty Upcycling Workshop using old wool sweaters. First I made a quick and dirty wrist band using an old wool scarf and old buttons.

I first cut a strip of the felted wool and picked out the buttons.

Here's the start of my wrist band.

I added some stitching around the edges then added the buttons. After that I cut buttonholes. And it's done!

And another brooch made using felted wool and a teeny bit of script.

Finally I made a simple purse. I cut out a long strip of felted wool then pinned the sides.

I sewed the sides together...

I added buttons and some felt applique.

That's it for projects for the workshop. Next I'll post photos from the workshop. It was so much fun! And I found homes for my projects.

Quick project for the upcycling workshop - coffee sleeves

2013-06-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here's another project I presented at my Get Crafty Upcycling Workshop this weekend... Easy peasy coffee sleeves using felted wool sweaters.

I made three using old wool sweaters, buttons and felt applique.

I started by using one of the cuffs from this thrift store sweater. Love the colour!

Then I cut a design out of felt using a cookie cutter.

I stitched the heart to the cuff then added a buttonhole stitch to the part of the cuff that I cut. Hopefully this will help stop the edges from fraying.

Here's the final coffee sleeve. The colour combo is pretty darn happy, isn't it? And the sleeve didn't take long to make.

Here's the second coffee sleeve also using the cuff from a thrift store sweater. I've used a couple of buttons to accent the design and then stitched up the side with a buttonhole stitch.

Here are the two coffee sleeves I made using sweater cuffs.

I made the third coffee sleeve differently. I cut one long piece of wool then added some text and felt applique. First I started with the text...

Here's the text and felt applique.

Then I used my sewing machine to stitch up the side of the sleeve.

And here's the final sleeve...

Coffee sleeves are a fun and easy upcycling option for old wool sweaters or maybe even remnant fabric. I created my three coffee sleeves in a jiffy!

More creatures for the upcycling workshop

2013-06-17T11:47:00.001-07:00

This Saturday was my latest upcycling workshop and was through the North Vancouver District Library. The workshop took place at the Capilano Branch in Edgemont Village - my old haunt growing up in North Vancouver. I had a ton of prep work to do. I worked on a few ideas for old wool sweaters which meant I got a bunch of sewing done beforehand. Fun!

First off I made more 'creatures' or 'stuffies'. I made the cat before going to Cuba. Next I made a cute owl using a couple of different sweaters.

First I cut out the wool then created the face using wool and old buttons.

Then I made feet that I stuffed with eco fill then sewed to the front of the owl.

After stitching the face and wings then adding the feet, I stitched the front and back together.

The back has a pocket for storing things.

Next I created a monster... With funky hair, crazy arms and legs... Love this guy!

Here he is before I added his legs... Looking super cute!

I added eco fill and the striped legs then stitched up the bottom.

Check out the face and legs of my monster. So darn fabulous!

And here he is all done. Yay!

Next I'll post a few more projects using wool sweaters. Love my stuffies and all of them found happy homes.

Craftiness in Cuba

2013-06-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Cuba! What an amazing trip! It was intense, challenging, fun and full of adventure. It took me a bit to get used to the heat... Plus Havana is under construction with streets and buildings being restored. I was constantly sweaty and dirty. And looking gorgeous as ever with splotches of red. Yup despite loads of sunscreen I have a mini tan now.

Most of my time was spent in Havana. I stayed in a beautiful hotel in Old Havana and managed to walk a lot. I took some day trips then spent a few days in an all-inclusive in Varadero. Was one of my best single girl treks ever.

The architecture in Havana is stunning. This is my favourite building. An art deco masterpiece with loads of gorgeous details.

This is the metal work on the door.

This is a detail above the entryway of an apartment building. Loved just trekking around finding kewlness.

And there are tons of markets throughout Cuba. This is the big art market in Havana. There's loads of art to buy!

The market is quite big with lots to see.

I bought a couple of funky necklaces from this stand.

This is the necklace and ring I bought made out of shells that are native to Cuba.

And then I bought this choker with a pendant made from cutlery.

You can find funky paper mache pieces as well. Love these masks! Might be a great idea for an upcoming upcycling workshop!

This is one of my favourite photos - these are baskets made from banana leaves. I happened upon these outside of a cave in the Viñales Valley.

And purses made from pop can tabs found in Varadero.

My Cuba trek was so great in many ways but now I'm back to reality... And ready to get crafty! Yesterday was my latest upcycling workshop so I'll be posting pics of the projects I prepped plus photos from the workshop. And this week I'll be confirming dates for more workshops. It's gonna be a great summer my crafty friends!!

Thrift store goodness for my upcoming workshop

2013-05-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

I've been scoring at the thrift store these days. Thankfully! I was paranoid about not finding appropriate wool sweaters for my workshop on June 15. But the night before my trek to Toronto I scored four wool sweaters!

I wasn't sure this one was wool but loved the pattern and colours.

I also found these items that only required a bit of TLC...

I'm painting these bright colours for a kids room. Maybe white and robyn's egg blue!

Love this metal and wood piece. It's made in Denmark so it must be teak! I'll sand and oil the wood then it'll be perfect!

And there I was the night before my trip to Toronto working, laundry, packing and yes felting wool sweaters. Yup a typical night indeed...

And it looks like this guy is wool. Looking forward to making a monster with this one - the squares for the front, the stripes for legs and arms... Yay!

I've got buttons, jewelry and now felted sweaters... Might even bring my trusty sewing machine to the workshop. Hope to see you there!

And there's more good news...

2013-05-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

Well back at the end of March I applied for a grant to help fund three upcycling workshops. Big moment for me and I wasn't sure if it was going to happen. Today I got some good news - yes I got a grant!! My very first grant. Yay!

The grant is through Neighbourhood Small Grants. Neighbourhood Small Grants help connect and engage residents in their community by encouraging them to come up with their own ideas for how their neighbourhood can be strengthened. Vancouver Foundation then funds those ideas.

I'll start working on some dates for the upcycling workshops when I get back from Cuba. I'll be partnering with the North Vancouver City Library for the workshops. So pumped!! Stay tuned!

I can't believe all the crafty goodness coming my way these days. Life is pretty darn fabulous my friends. Hope everyone is rockin' 2013!

Craftiness in Toronto

2013-05-27T20:49:00.001-07:00

Here are some crafty pics from my adventure to Toronto this past weekend. I ended up in the Junction for my final 2 days in Toronto. Great area for kewl coffee shops, crafty stores, etc.

Here's the CN Tower from my first night in town - so Toronto I know!

I checked out a few nifty stores on Dundas Street West... Electric Revival, a vintage lighting store, was pretty darn amazing.

Loved this hanging lamp with bronze wings!

Not sure what this was about... Random weird art...

Great sign outside of ARTiculations. They have art supplies, a gallery and tons of workshops.

Here I am with my crafty friend Andrea. We met at my Culture Days upcycling workshop from last September.

We found ourselves in this great shop called Wise Daughters Craft Market. Found so many nifty, crafty pieces! And they also host workshops! Cute owls made from upcycled sweaters...

Sock monkeys...

Felt purses...

Felt robots...

And crafty cards...

Love finding crafty inspiration! Definitely loved the pieces made using felt and upcycled wool. Need to work on more pieces for my workshop on June 15th. I'm feeling pumped about making stuff these days!

Culture Days National Congress 2013

2013-05-26T21:58:00.001-07:00

I'm back from Toronto! I had a great 4 days away - 2 days at the conference and 2 days catching up with old friends. The Culture Days National Congress was first and it was great!

We flew in first thing on Thursday, May 23. I checked into the hotel then it was time for the reception. So much fun! And so many great people!

Here's my North Shore Culture Days team. They are the best!

Here's my new buddy Dean Vargas. He was interviewing everyone for the Culture Days website.

Here he is in action...

And here I am with David Moss the Project Director for Culture Days.

They set up this neat area for making items out of paperclips then everyone put them on display.

The following day was the conference. There were a few discussion panels, speeches and lots of time for networking. It was such a fun, informative and actually quite exciting day.

Yup here I am on the list of participants. Yay! And one of my workshop photos was used in the info brochure.

Here's the discussion panel on success stories - really got me revved up for September!

I'll post more info as we get closer to Culture Days. I have a couple of workshops in mind and some potential partners. First though I'm off to Cuba for a couple of weeks. My blog may be a teeny tiny bit quiet the next while.

Workshop project #2: A basic brooch

2013-05-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

Next project was a quick and dirty brooch using the same materials. I'm going to try a few brooch designs - simple to a bit more complicated. My first attempt is super simple and took maybe a half hour to make.

Here are the materials other than the wool sweater pieces...

A selection of buttons...

A flower pattern on the left and a butterfly pattern on the right...

And then the bar pins for the back.

I chose the turquoise flower button then used a piece of turquoise sweater for the back. I cut out the flower pattern from a grey sweater.

I sewed the bar pin to the back piece and then the turquoise button to the front piece.

Then buttonhole stitched the front and back together. And it was done!

Next I'll be making another stuffie, more brooches, more barrettes, a bracelet... And more!

Workshop project #1: A cutie pie cat stuffie

2013-05-18T19:12:00.001-07:00

I'm prepping projects for the Get Crafty Upcycling Workshop at the Capilano Branch of the North Vancouver District Library next month. I'm presenting a bunch of projects using old wool sweaters, remnant buttons and junky jewelry. I've got ideas for all levels and all ages. My first prep project is making a stuffie cat.

Meet Felix... He's made from a few felted wool sweaters, a couple of buttons and then eco fill.

Here's the initial drawing I doodled as a pattern.

I folded the drawing then cut it out. This way both sides were exactly the same.

I cut out a face then placed the buttons and nose.

Here's the initial stitching.

I pinned the front and back together then started to stitch the sides up.

I realized halfway through the stitching that I forgot the whiskers. So I took apart a bit of the stitching, added the whiskers then stitched him back up.

Here he is. All done!

Next I want to make a monster stuffie. Fun!

Get Crafty Upcycling Workshop

2013-05-14T22:16:00.001-07:00

Well looks like I have another workshop coming up! Hope you'll join me! It's June 15th from 1pm to 3pm at the Capilano Branch of the North Vancouver District Library. I'm pumped!

Love how serendipitous life is right now... So many kewl things seem to just pop up. The talk through the Craft Council of BC last month and then the upcoming Culture Days National Congress on May 23 and 24 in Toronto and now another upcycling workshop. Super yay!

I was mulling over materials and ideas... And a title. I'm calling it 'Get Crafty Upcycling Workshop'. Materials will include old wool sweaters, remnant buttons and junky jewelry. And what will we make?! Tons of stuff!

I need to work on some projects this weekend prior to Toronto and Cuba. So gosh darn it I'm making a creature out of an old wool sweater and buttons. Then a brooch, barrettes, bracelet and more! I need a range of projects for all ages and all levels. I figure those will get me started!

And thankfully I've started finding nifty things to repurpose! Found some swanky necklaces to relove. On the left is the necklace from the Eastside Flea Market for $5 and on the right is a necklace from the Lions Gate Thrift Store for $2.

The beads are super cute and perfect for some barrettes or the center of a brooch. Who knows!

I'll post my workshop projects as I finish them up. Happy crafting!

My Mom's Day frame update is done

2013-05-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

I finished up my Mom's Day frame update tonight. It was an easy peasy update and the frame was well worth $6.99. I hope Mom likes the frame and photo!

AFTER

BEFORE

I love the soft white finish. I added a coat of white craft paint then rubbed the frame with a sponge to remove the white from the details. Then I varathaned the frame. I was able to 'hide' the imperfections in the frame or atleast make them less obvious.

I had one hiccup. I added the photo then realized I needed a cushion between the photo and the back of the frame so the photo sat flush in the frame.

Luckily I save things that I think I can reuse. I found this sponge type object from some pushpins a friend gave me.

I placed the object in and it fit perfectly. I sealed up the back and it's good to go!

Next I'll grab a voucher for a pedicure and a card. Mom's Day is going to be great!

BC Champion for Culture Days

2013-05-08T19:33:00.001-07:00

What a week! Holy smokers - I've had a few great moments lately. I'm feeling super blessed these days.

One big piece of news is I applied to be the BC Champion for Culture Days and well I got it! Yay! I'm being flown to Toronto for the Culture Days National Congress on May 23 and 24. The flight, accommodation and conference are being paid for. So kewl! I'll be promoting Culture Days as well as organizing a workshop. I'll keep you posted on the day, time and location for the workshop - Culture Days is September 27, 28 and 29. I have two ideas I'm going to try to set up so we'll see!

I'm so excited! Yes I do love Culture Days!

I also was asked to host another upcycling workshop in June. This time it's through another North Vancouver library. It'll be at the Capilano branch of the North Vancouver District Library. I've got to figure out a plan ASAP and get the details sorted out. I'll post the day and time soon!

Lastly I booked a ticket for Cuba. I'm off for a 2 week trek at the end of the month. I still need to figure out an itinerary, accommodation, etc. I've been thinking about a trip the past while and now it's gonna happen. This month may be a teeny bit hectic but man 2013 is pretty kick butt!

Mom's Day giftie in the works

2013-05-06T14:51:00.001-07:00

I went to the Salvation Army on Saturday in search of frames. I want to update one for my Mom as part of her Mom's Day gift. My Dad recently took a lovely photo of us which is perfect for framing.

These are the frames I found. A basic wood frame for $3.99 and a lovely ornate one for $6.99.

I love the detail in the ornate frame. There are some chunks missing from the frame but once I paint it no one 'should' notice.

Yesterday morning I ordered prints from London Drugs. Next is to paint the ornate frame. I may just sand the plain wood frame and then stain it.

I'm super excited about refinishing this frame - it's going to look gorgeous!!

I want to finish it like this frame - add a white wash over top of the silver.

This was a mirror a friend gave me. It had a silver leaf finish that was a bit too much so I painted the sides a solid white then rubbed a layer of white paint into the surface to give depth and to soften the details. This is one of my very favourite pieces!

This should be an easy peasy update and hopefully my Mom will like it. I already have the sappy card and just need to pick up the voucher for a pedicure. Love my Mom!

Craftiness out of old & new buttons

2013-05-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

I made a few things this weekend out of old and new buttons. Plus old jewelry. I have a stash of buttons and junky jewelry thanks to my crafty buddy Edytha (EBar Designs). I've used the jewelry for a few crafty projects lately. They've come in super handy!

One of this weekend's projects was to start making funky barrettes for a friend's daughters. Dollar store plain barrettes turned into funsie designs.

I also worked on the leaf buttons from Button Button that I wanted to turn into drop earrings. Here's my start...

I looked through my bag of buttons and jewelry to find a few things I could use for the barrettes.

I decided to include a felt applique accent. I first stitched up a flower then sewed the button and flower to the felt piece.

One set will have flowers and the other will have stars...

I looked into the correct glue to use. Someone at Michaels suggested Crazy Glue so that's what I used. If anyone has a better suggestion - just let me know!

Here they are ready to go. Easy and super cute!

Next I grabbed some silver wire from Collective Stone in Lonsdale Quay. I paid $2/foot. Thankfully I bought more than I thought I needed. The first button now earring went smoothly. Uh well the second one - not so much. I ended up having to redo the wire a few times!

The back doesn't look too elegant but it's hidden so I figure that's OK.

Here are the finished pair of earrings. Hope to wear these to work tomorrow!

Next project is part of my Mom's Day gift. I'm painting tonight!

Culture Days 2013

2013-05-04T15:19:00.000-07:00

The past week or so I've been out and about at markets, volunteering at the North Vancouver ReStore and I also went to an info session about Culture Days 2013. Last year I put on my very first upcycling workshop through Culture Days in partnership with the North Vancouver City Library. It was so amazing! And I'm stewing on some ideas for a couple of workshops for Culture Days 2013.

Visit the Culture Days website for more info or to post an event. This year Culture Days will take place on September 27, 28 and 29.

This info brochure was created through The Arts Office - and check it out... There's my woodworking photo!

Join the fun - create, participate & celebrate! I know I will be!

Gotta love crafty dates

2013-05-04T11:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was one of my first Fridays off in awhile. I'm back to my usual schedule which allows for crafty dates, more time to make stuff, etc. I jammed four friend dates in yesterday! Left the house at 10am and got back in just after 1am. A long but super fun day!

First I met up with LaVerne. I met LaVerne at the Engaging Community Through Creative Cardmaking workshop I attended last September. We hit it off and have kept in touch since. We were finally able to coordinate an outing and have date #2 already planned.

First we grabbed coffee then hit Button Button in Gastown.

We both admired the mirror with the button frame. This may be a project we work on together. I know I have a bunch of buttons that have been donated to me that could work!

We checked out a few funky stores in Gastown then on my way to date two I stop in at Salmagundi West at 321 West Cordova Street. These assemblage art pieces reminded me of art school. It's like a memory box which could be an interesting addition to my 'wall of kewlness'.

Also thought these light fixtures made from old musical instruments were pretty nifty!

Here are the buttons I purchased. The big wood button I'll use for a sweater. The pale blue button will be a broach. The heart buttons I'm not sure of yet. And I love the leaves!

These are going to be drop earrings. Maybe I can work on these today. I love the colours and I seem to have this 'thing' for leaves these days.

I cut up these earrings so now have five mini leaves that hopefully will be studs soon enough.

Can't wait to finish up a few easy peasy projects!

Refresh Market | Vintage, Handmade + Pop-up

2013-05-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

Crafty season has arrived! Tons of craft markets and creative events are happening these days. This past weekend was Got Craft?, the Vancouver Hop and then Refresh Market. So many things to choose from on a Saturday afternoon!

I chose Refresh since I've been to Got Craft? a few times. And it's in Squamish, BC. I ended up going with some of my work peeps from Squamish which was a nice change. Then we went to a craft beer event, Tap Takeover 2013, at Howe Sound Brew Pub. Can't complain!

It was at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park which is a funky location for a craft market! And so many different vendors than I'm used to.

I saw a few offline and online peeps like Amanda at The Mill. Love these guys!

They have some kewl stuff! Their store space is gorgeous.

I also met up with Brick & Mortar Living. A couple of my friends sell stuff in their store which is in New Westminster. I never get out that way! So it was fun to see their stuff in person. Love these painted mason jars.

They also sell my buddy Andrea's stuff, Pattern & Pin. She makes a unique line of coasters made from vintage sewing patterns and books.

I checked out and then again upcycled cutlery. You can find jewelry made from old cutlery which is quite lovely...

Or stamped cutlery with fun sayings like 'eat your greens'. Very sweet!

Overall it was a great event! Definitely worth the trek... The caramel sea salt chocolate from Urge Chocolates was so darn yummy too. Local handmade pieces + chocolate + craft beer = a pretty darn fabulous day! :-)

'(owl) always love you'

2013-04-30T18:43:00.001-07:00

Oh ya baby - I'm back! Yowzers... You don't know how much you miss something until you get back into it. I actually pulled out my sewing machine last night. My poor Singer missed me. And I it. Here's a pillow cover I meant to sew at least a month ago for a friend - '(owl) always love you'... Thrift store material with felt applique. Cutie patootie!

First I worked on the stitching... Added the owl then the heart...

And then the script...

I used a pinky orange thread for the edges.

Here it is! It's ready and waiting for its happy home.

Still love this font for the text.

And it looks like I'll be making another one soon enough. I posted this to Facebook and well I am now making one for a very dear friend.

Next I'm working on updating these thrift store earrings. I paid $1 for them. One is broken so I've decided to turn them into studs. Leaf studs. I have a few holes in my lobes and apparently they never grow over. Phew! It's been years since I've worn earrings! I'm going to make these studs then have leaves in my lobes. For some reason, I'm really excited about that! Long, dangling earrings are difficult to get used to these days!

And then I'm also going to make some custom hair clips for my friend's daughters. Maybe use old jewelry and/or buttons... Or maybe even make felt applique flowers. Should be a fun, easy project. Hopefully!

Kewl links for crafty peeps

2013-04-26T13:13:00.001-07:00

During and after my presentation at the 'Craft, The Environment and Our Community' talk, I mentioned a few kewl places and organizations to check out. Here are a few for you to peruse:

BIRD ON A WIRE
2535 Main Street @ East Broadway
www.birdonawirecreations.com
Crafty store showcasing local hand-made items plus they host tons of fun workshops at a reasonable cost.

BUTTON BUTTON
318 Homer Street
www.buttonbutton.ca
A small store with tons of buttons. How could you not love this place?!

LIONS GATE HOSPITAL THRIFT SHOP
128 West 15th Street
This is my favourite thrift store. It's a hidden gem where you can usually find something - I've scored some fabulous jewelry! And the volunteers are super wonderful!

RESTORES: HABITAT FOR HUMANITY GREATER VANCOUVER
Various locations
www.vancouverrestores.ca
I'll be volunteering at the North Shore ReStore which is opening this week. Great place for furniture, tools, etc.

ROUNDHOUSE COMMUNITY CENTRE
181 Roundhouse Mews (Davie & Pacific)
www.roundhouse.ca
This is where I took my intro to woodworking course. Love the Roundhouse! Find a course, go for an event, etc. Such a wonderful community centre with good vibe-age.

SPOOL OF THREAD SEWING LOUNGE
101-649 East 15th Avenue (at 15th and Fraser)
www.spoolofthread.com
Not only do they sell fabric but you can sign up for sewing classes. Yay!

TERMINAL CITY GLASS CO-OP
1191 Parker Street
www.terminalcityglass.com
Terminal City Glass Co-op is a non-profit co-operative where you can take a glass arts class. I definitely want to check them out!

VANCOUVER TOOL LIBRARY
3448 Commercial Street
www.vancouvertoollibrary.com
The Vancouver Tool Library (VTL) is a cooperative tool lending library. They also offer affordable workshops on tool related skills and projects. Kewl!

VANCOUVER TRADE SCHOOL
Various locations
www.tradeschool.coop/Vancouver/class
Trade School Vancouver is a non-traditional learning community that runs on barter. Pay for class with items and services, not money. Either take a class or give a class. Check their site regularly - the classes fill up FAST!

Outside of Vancouver...

GIBSONS RECYCLING DEPOT
1012 Venture Way, Gibsons, BC
www.gibsonsrecycling.ca
This is my fav place. Barb and Buddy are the best. Check out their Share Shed for books, clothes, furniture - anything and everything can be found here for cheap.

MAKERHAUS
122 NW 36th Street, Seattle WA
www.makerhaus.com
MakerHaus is a studio environment with a professional staff from diverse backgrounds in design, manufacturing, creative strategy, and business. They offer some pretty nifty workshops and classes. Too bad they're in Seattle! They just look so darn great!

SECHELT LANDFILL
4905 Dusty Road, Sechelt, BC
www.scrd.ca/Sechelt-Landfill
Either check out the Share Shed or dig through the wood pile. Have found some gems here. Everything in the Share Shed is one dollar!

Feeling crafty & lovin' it!

2013-04-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

I finished up my cutie patootie wooden cars. Yay! And luckily I found happy homes for them. I have two more to update. I kept the painting simple. I love these colours - citron and robins egg blue.

I added a couple of coats of varathane and they look shiny new!

BEFORE

Here they are looking super shellac-y. Not my thing and usually I don't like to paint wood but in this case removing the shellac would have been darn near impossible even if I used a chemical stripper.

AFTER

Next project - I'm going to sew. Maybe some pillow covers. Or maybe I'll track down some furniture to update. Happy days!

An amazing evening at the Craft Council of BC talk

2013-04-25T11:22:00.001-07:00

Holy smokes! What a night! Big thanks to Bill, Camila and Penny at the Craft Council of BC (CCBC). The evening was so much fun and I met so many super lovely people. And I survived speaking in front of a bunch of strangers - phew!

Here's the intro from Penny Parry, President of the CCBC. I've adopted her! Everyone at the CCBC are just so darn fabulous. And well she's quite the dynamo! We actually had more people than in this photo. A lot of people streamed in during the talks. I was last. A bit nerve-racking but I think my talk went well.

Here a couple of shots of my table. I brought a wide selection of projects to show people the variety of things you can make from second-hand items. I gave away a bunch of fridge magnets, wooden clothes pegs and both of my wooden cars found new homes.

And my cookies were gone - they were a hit! My Mom made these - gosh my parents are the bestest! No matter how old you are - you're never too old for your Mom to make uber yummy cookies for you!

I made some new friends last night. Carl and Janet from ReVision are like-minded souls. They brought this old Electrolux vacuum that has been turned into the kewlest art piece ever. This was my favourite item from the evening. Not that I could see myself owning this but it's so darn neato.

The details are great!

After the talks we hung out at our tables and mingled. I met so many wonderful people. They ate cookies, grabbed a free fridge magnet and wooden clothes peg and then shared their war stories... Apparently lots of people have dumpster diving stories or kewl finds from the dump. I feel so fortunate to have been involved in the evening. Big thanks and love to Bill, Camila and Penny of the CCBC!

My friend Carol Browne came for the talk then took some pics of me. She's quite the social media queen - she's crafty, into photography and has that whole Twitter/Facebook/etc thing down. Here are some of the shots she took... Me with my chair.

A few 'action' shots...

A couple of shots of my pieces...

And then here's my presentation and then my new friend, Penny.

Tons of thanks to everyone who came to the talk and all the crafty peeps who dropped by my table for cookies and for a chat. Such a perfect night. I'm feeling inspired and so appreciative of everyone. Crafting is definitely a wonderful way to connect with people. Gosh darn it - I'm sewing this weekend! Bring it on!

PS Visit Carol's blog post about last night. I really enjoyed having her there to cheer me on!

A day of painting

2013-04-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

I've had a super duper day of painting! Feels so fabulous to work on some projects that had been hanging around for a long time! And some not so long. I finished updating this candle holder. It went from a gaudy, bronze finish to an art deco (I hope!)/Alice in Wonderland finish. I like it. I might rework the finish but for now it's good to go.

BEFORE

AFTER

I also worked on these wooden cars from months ago. I have a total of four that I picked up at the thrift store for $0.25/each. They had a shellac finish. I decided to paint them so they were more fun.

Here are the two I started updating...

And here they are finished. I'm varathaning them this evening then they'll be done.

I also picked up my prints this aft. The teak frames I used for photos from a recent trek to Victoria, BC. In one frame is me and in the other is one of my besties, Will. The other frame includes four photos of some of my FAV friends - Rachelle at The Regional Assembly of Text at their monthly Letter Writing Club, Emiko with her origami at a pub crawl, Marnie and her lovely daughters on Canada Day and then Mike at a masquerade ball we went to a couple of months ago. Love these guys!!

The teak frames are in my bedroom and the shabby chic white frame has been added to the expanding 'wall of kewlness'.

Now off to add more varathane to my wooden cars. Yay!

Giveaways for the Craft Council of BC talk

2013-04-21T11:19:00.001-07:00

I had a fabulous crafty afternoon yesterday. Felt so darn great to make a few things, hang stuff, etc. I decided I wanted to make a few things that I could giveaway after the Craft Council of BC talk on Wednesday. I'm going to make a few more items this afternoon. I'm feeling very zenful.

First project was one of my FAVs - fridge magnets! Yay!

I used a flyer from my last trek to Trader Joe's.

I loved this elephant and it was the perfect fit for one of the larger glass jewels I have.

Here's the final fridge magnet.

Here are the other ones - I love the people ones and then the ones that say 'wish' and 'fly'.

Next project was to jazz up some wooden clothing pegs. I decided to use items that had been given to me. My friend Edytha (EBar Designs) gave me a ton of old buttons and then Tiffany at Zing Paperie and Design gave me a bunch of scrap gift wrap.

Here are the ones I've created so far. It was a super easy projects... Got out my modge podge, glued the paper, trimmed the sides then glue gunned the buttons. I love my glue gun!

This is one of my favourites with the leaves and then the flower button. Cute!

Hope everyone is having a wonderfully crafty weekend. I'm off to pick up some prints for my thrift store frames. Fun!

Having fun with thrift store frames

2013-04-20T18:04:00.001-07:00

Well things are getting back to normal - FINALLY! I miss my crafty time these days so hope to spend more time making things, updating things, etc. This weekend I'm zen-ing out. First I prepped photos this aft then sent them off to be printed. I have TONS of thrift store frames I want to fill up.

I bought this crazy brass frame from the Lions Gate Thrift Store for $12 a week ago. It's pretty ornate... And was extravagant for me.

It has cherubs along the sides and then the top has a woman's head with loads of floral details.

I decided to take these old photos of my parents and use them in the brass frame. Seemed like a perfect fit. I also love these teak frames I picked up for cheap at the thrift store ages ago.

After a bit of maneuvering I got the photos in the frame. I want to add this frame to my ever-progressing 'wall of kewlness'.

I found the perfect spot above my cow photo.

And done! Soon my whole wall will be taken up with mirrors, photos, etc.

I sent off photos for these frames - the white frame and then the teak frames Not sure what I'll be adding to the other frame which has yet to be repainted.

While I'm at it I still need either photos or prints for these frames I refinished ages ago.

I also added this to my 'wall of kewlness'. It's something I picked up a long time ago that I decided to add to my wall. I want to sand the paint down some more so you can see the metal.

While I wait to pick up my prints for the other frames, I'm going to paint 'stuff' this aft. I'm revisiting these silver/grey wall pieces. I want to make them lighter - maybe add a coat of white over top to soften the finish.

And while I'm at it I'm finishing these candle holders. Breaking out the paint and having some fun today. Feels so good!!

Tomorrow I'll be working on some other crafty items. Maybe some quick and dirty fridge magnets to give out after my presentation on Wednesday. Sharing the crafty love!