January 30, 2010
Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend! If it’s snowing where you live, here are some images to remind you that summer really isn’t so far off. When Mina commented on Handmade Evolution earlier this week – I took a peek at her lovely work and knew I had to feature it… Her current collection is a blast of sunshine – and I wish I could put myself right into one of her wonderful photos. See them all for yourself right here.
~Posted by: Amy
January 29, 2010
Tara Gentile of Scoutie Girl blog asked a very important question this past week on her site – and got some very interesting answers. She put the call out to many artists and crafters – asking them, “What will your success look like in 2010″? So I’m asking you today, what is success in your eyes? Before you answer, I encourage you to read the posts from Tara’s blog this week (you’ll find some of my own thoughts amongst the others). I promise you’ll be inspired and you may come away from it looking at success in a new way that is more personal and that allows you to move forward with renewed energy, purpose and vision. Click here to visit the Scoutie Girl blog.
1). I’m a Successful Artist print from: Linocut Boy
January 28, 2010
When I was new to decorating, I thought there was either Ikea, or the gorgeous furniture stores that required a second mortgage to get a new bedroom set. So glad I’ve been educated now by seeing all the wonderful items available on Etsy and at local vintage shops. Some fresh paint, the right accessories, refinished furniture, craigslist, and you can do a lot with a room without breaking the bank. In the long run it’s also an opportunity to do some good for the planet too – vintage is wonderfully eco-friendly and when you purchase from local artisans or sellers who live closer to you, this means a shorter distance the goods have to travel – which can only be a good thing. The above images are from Country Living and Better Homes and Gardens.
The below items are all from Le Vintage Maison – now I’m wondering how I hadn’t found this shop earlier. Searched for Lotus Bowls on Etsy and voila, there you have it. Even more fun for me, Jill lives in Omaha – the city next to my family’s home in Iowa.
I’d love to hear your money saving tips and clever decorating ideas!
~Posted by: Amy
January 27, 2010
It’s not quite winter, it’s not quite spring – at least that’s Vancouver – when we should have much colder temperatures, daffodils and cherry blossoms are blooming – yet we haven’t seen that much sunshine (until today – hello!). The holidays are over and Valentine’s is approaching…
Are you feeling as inspired as you were in early January – as enthusiastic about the New Year? If yes – what’s helping you to stay inspired?
Personally, I had a bit of a “day” yesterday – filled with distractions and didn’t get nearly as many things ticked off my to do list as I would have liked. Got started taking photos for my shop and that alone was a gong show and made me a tad bit grumpy… I’m no photographer, let me tell you! But I feel like I’ve turned it around… I think sometimes we need to concentrate on taking things one step at a time, and accomplishing what we can – even if it’s not everything we set out to do. And take pride in the small steps we are making – interestingly, time away from a project sometimes allows me to come back to it with a fresh new perspective, which is just what’s needed. And at the end of the day it is all about thinking positively – finding the best in yourself and in others. And when you can, employing Magical Thinking, couldn’t hurt right?
1). For me For you 2). Lorena Siminovich
~Posted by: Amy
January 26, 2010
No deep thoughts or musings from me today! Just some fun finds for the home… I think many of you are already familiar with Supermarket – I thought of it today and of course began to look at this and that and here and there. The site has tons of amazing design talent all in one place. It’s similar to etsy in that you are purchasing directly from the designer themself, but different in that the site is curated. On etsy anyone is free to set up a shop – with Supermarket, designers must submit their work for acceptance. Here are a few of my finds from the time I spent browsing today…
1). Pata Pri 2). Avril Loretti 3). Delica
~Posted by: Amy
January 26, 2010
Don’t miss out on a great opportunity this Saturday to pick up some goodies (all for under $10!) at the Portland Garment Factory’s First Annual Flea Market. They’ll have a variety of products including fabrics, vintage items, and music – and if you need to refuel while shopping they are also serving Potato Champion fries and Bipartisian coffee.
The Portland Garment Factory is a great resource for local and regional designers because it gives them a chance to produce their lines in town, keeping their costs down and keeping products local. The Factory can help with everything from pattern drafting to sample construction and full line production. To top it off, PGF also offers tutoring for $20/hr to the general public, so if you’re having trouble with a project or need to use an industrial machine, they can help you out!
Where: Portland Garment Factory • 7910 SE Stark St • Portland, OR T: (503) 752-4030
Date: Saturday, January 30, 2010
Hours: 10AM-7PM
~Posted by: Amy
January 25, 2010
Vancouver is not just the city hosting the 2010 Olympics this February – it’s also the home to a lot of wonderful local talent. Athletes – yes, but we’d like to let you know about some of the other talent… Over the years this great city has come to be known not just for the beautiful mountains, parks and ocean views – but also for its artists and burgeoning design community. We’re happy to highlight several fashion designers whose focus is on eco fashion – meaning their designs are manufactured locally and that they use sustainable materials with a lower environmental impact, and in some cases reworked vintage materials.
To celebrate all of this great local talent, Vancouver’s Eco Fashion Week will premiere April 20-22, 2010.
In the meantime, Vancouver Eco Fashion Week is holding a party February 19th with music, art and a sneak preview of the spring lines from these great designers: Adhesif Clothing, Ashley Watson, Dotted Loop, Kim Cathers Elements, Nixxi, and WE3.
This event is in support of Eco Fashion week and tickets are available online here for $45 with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the David Suzuki Foundation.
Date & Locale: Fri. Feb. 19th at 8pm – Promenade at the Vancouver Public Library (350 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC).
To keep up to date with news about the premiere of Vancouver’s Eco Fashion Week and more party details click here.
Pictured above, clockwise from top: 1). Ashley Watson 2). Dotted Loop 3). Nixxi
Posted by: Amy
January 22, 2010
My two favorite words right now, in no particular order, 1). weekend and 2). spring! I can’t complain too much though, we’re having a lot of very seasonable weather lately in Vancouver and that’s been great…
I hope everybody has at least one fun thing planned this weekend! I’ve been daydreaming all week about the weekend and I’ve got a few fun things planned and some to-do’s to take care of too.
One of my funnest to-do’s – must get my Valentine’s cards ordered – here are a few of my favorites from Etsy:
1). fookaDESIGNS 2). Eva Juliet 3). rachel Ink
Saturday night is date night – I heard about “The Main Event” from a friend and it looks great. Lots of restaurants in and around Main Street are participating. They’re all offering set menus of 3 or 4 courses with set prices ($25 – $35 – $45) so we may take the opportunity to try out a new restaurant as there are some really fun choices. All the details and links to the restaurants websites can be found here.
Otherwise I plan to spend some time reading and I’m sure a cup of tea won’t be too far away. Funnily enough, I only “discovered” tea a few months ago, but now I’m so hooked. I don’t have my favorite flavors/brands picked out yet and am considering this shop on Etsy. Such beautiful packaging and the shop’s owner notes that she is a practicing master herbalist… I like how all the health benefits are noted for each of the different teas.
Hope your weekend’s fun!
~Amy
January 21, 2010
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the creative process – how it works for me, and wondering how it works for others. For me it comes down to being in the right frame of mind – which can be tough to control at times. Every day is different, but when I’m starting a new project for a web design client there are those moments when you stare at your white computer screen canvas and the only feeling you know is doubt. At this point some self-reassurance comes into play and I start trying things, fiddling and moving things around until I look at the screen and it feels “right” to me… If I’m really stumped I’ll have someone else take a look and see what they think. I’ve been a web designer for a few years now and haven’t really worked on projects for myself much – starting this blog and opening an etsy shop have changed that. Both have brought me so many fresh moments of inspiration that pop up here and there, usually at very unexpected intervals! It’s caused me to appreciate other people’s work even more, and to recognize the beauty in small every day moments to a greater degree.
That’s why I chose this photographer from Etsy to share today, the talented 18 year old Hannah of honey and jam – her pictures all speak of those small but wonderful moments. They don’t need to cost much money to be worth a lot. I feel like I can put myself and someone who is dear to me in each of these photos, we’d be enjoying time away from work and our computers – outside, just soaking in the day!
I’d love to hear what inspires you in your day to day life – or as you challenge yourself creatively…
~ Amy
