Crochet Necklaces for all!

I've been making more of the crochet neckpieces of an evening.
I had a couple of requests after I posted about the first one, so I've been working away!
Thanks you!


I've just popped a reserved listing for Christine onto Etsy, and I'm having tea with Andrea next week where she'll get hers!


I have a few extra ones that I finished up as well, that I will pop into the shop tomorrow. Here's a peek!






But this afternoon we're off to winterize the cabin a little bit more, I heard that the lake is up PAST the back deck! I am excited to see this! And I hope everything is okay and dry up there!

I'm taking the camera so I'll share when we get back!

where I apologize to lady on the street.

While I was driving home from dropping Geoff off at school today I turned onto a side street and there was a lady jogging with a toddler on a bike. They had stopped on the corner (the little guy wobbled into a tree) so I drove on.
Well she wasn't watching and I clearly scared her because as I drove by she yelled at me and glared at me with her hands on her hips.

I feel AWFUL right now.

I know that they are fine, I kept my eye on them as I drove away to make sure that they were okay, and she jogged on. But I am feeling so shaken. Like I should have done anything else but drive on. And I am feeling guilty/terrible/anxious/sorry for making her scared.

So instead of working on something productive right now I am fretting.
What if she is still mad and tracks me down to yell at me?
What if she calls the police? (I know that I am getting ridiculous here, but I feel like I need to talk it out and no one is home to listen to my anxiety.)

So from now on I am going to drive even more like an old granny (Geoff gives me the gears for diving so slowly through the neighborhood, but he's seen NOTHING yet!)

And I am really very sorry for scaring a (probably) nice lady and her kid. It was unintentional and I hope that they feel better than I do right now.

Sorry.

For Sandra

I know it's not your birthday or anything, but...


Because I lurve you

(and he's a DREAMBOAT!)

xox

winding down and I need this cookbook

This has been a busy busy weekend! I feel like I haven't stopped yet.
Friday was a good Get Things Done Day (almost everything but vacuuming! The machine is lurking- no looming at me from the other room as we speak. I've left it in the middle of the living room so I HAVE to do it tonight)
And yesterday Mom, Kristy and I went and shopped the ut of Hand Craft fair.
Like the old days!

(We've gone every year since I was 14, except for the last 2 years when I was selling)

It was in a new location this year so I wanted to scout it out before I decided to do it again. But it was pretty good I thought. There were lots of people (I was jostled several times) and the energy felt better than it has in the last few years.

Last year was a wash out.

But I think that I would do it next year. I spoke to a couple of vendors who were happy with it and a couple who were not. So I guess it depends on what you are selling and who's shopping.

(no pictures, we ate pretty much nothing but Tickleberries all day (chocolate covered food) so the wits weren't entirely on our side.

AND THEN! I played badminton at the nearby highschool for a while! So much fun!

And today I had a coffee date with my lovely friend Kathryn (who designed my website and many other amazing things) who just got back from travelling, then worked on a few things when I got home.
Had a bath (which I almost never to, more of a shower girl if you need to know) and then had a long distance phone date with my lovely friend Sandra. Which was awesome.

So GOOD WEEKEND people!

And I just saw this and I need it.



I've been wanting it for a while, then forgot about it, but I just discovered it again!
(check it out here)

Just look at those uniforms!
Ack!

To do today

I make lists people

1. Laundry
2. Clean/organize small items in studio (item tags, small bags, scrap silver etc)
3. Design and draw commission ring
4. Crochet 2 neckpieces
4. Vacuum
5. Feed Norman
6. Feed Marny's cats
7. Format and print off Mailbox flyers for FGI
8. Call packaging company for FGI
9. Feed myself
10. Drink some tea (cup number 1 in the works as we speak)
11. Call my sister
12. Work on new Prints for FGI
13. Start thinking about Christmas Presents for the Fam.
14. Get dressed (why is this so far down the list?)
15. Sample new pendant design (it's a cute one)

That seems like plenty for today. And will likely flow over to tomorrow.

Off to it!!

How I feel about my studio sometimes

Minus the evil empire and the clone.

Well, minus the clone.

Studio shots!

Oh studio, who can I describe how I feel about you?
You drive me so crazy in the best way (and sometimes in the OTHER way, as in I hate you)
But I keep coming back over to hang out, make up with you, and be friends again.

You complete me.
(picture Dr Evil and Mini Me here please)






This is your second incarnation in this new space of ours, and I am sure that you will change again, when we realize that we can be more efficient in another set up.
But for now, you are wonderful (we'll work out the last few organizing kinks soon I promise- we need a place for etsy items, better sorting for tags and things, but we're close my love, so close)

My bench sits in the light from the windows now, better than before when it was tucked into the corner where the most beautiful red toolbox now sits (the toolbox doesn't mind) and there is usable space for my "craft table" and my drawing table. Better.

Now we just need stuff on the walls.
INSPIRATION!
ART!
CORK BOARDS FOR LISTS, PICTURES, THINGS TO DO!

Studio, I love you today.

Feather series

I've been working on these new pieces for a little while and I am liking where they are going.
I've made earrings in two styles and three different sizes of this pendant.
(only the largest are hung on deerskin, the two smaller pendants are strung on silver chains. Really cute!)

I tried a ring, but it's a bit wonky.

I just dropped off the last couple that I had finished at Heart & Sole here in town, and I've got to get some more materials to make some more.

alternative apparel cuteness

Just browsed these cuties,



Thought I'd share
(plus, how cute is her hair?)

bedroom plans (woo woo!)

You are such a perv.

I am talking about DECORATING!
So!
I painted the bedroom this really soothing lovely grey/twilighty colour and I lurve it.
But then I got busy with work and realized that I should be spending my money on groceries like a responsible adult and not on trips to the thrift store for baskets/mirrors etc.

So the bedroom is a little forlorn!
We've got some lovely new white bedding thanks to my Ma, and I've been searching out online sites for dressers (thanks to Geoff's generous Dad that's totally acceptable! THANK YOU AGAIN!)
I am really looking forward to taking an afternoon to check out some used furniture places here in town because I bet there are some GEMS in there that just need a little love.

I could give them that.

But here is the plan as it currently exists in my head...

(do you love my mad photoshop skills or what!)
So I am thinking that getting some pictures from the wedding framed above the bed, maybe 4 equal sized frames.

And the Art Project!
This will have to wait until after Christmas but the plan is to DRAW MY OWN MURAL BITCHES! There is this wall paper that I LOOOVE so MUCH!
(this one!)

(via now cancelled Domino Magazine. :( yes I just typed a sad face. I am very sad about it people! in an aside, I am almost finished going through and rereading all my Domino magazines, I have them all you know. It's been really wonderful)
Ahem,

But I am not in a position to afford real wallpaper in my life right now. But paint pens? I can swing 2 or 3 of those and an afternoon of my time.

REALLY looking forward to doing this.

Art Wall and The Loveseat

I mentioned (what feels like AGES ago) that I would share pictures of The Loveseat that we sneakily acquired when we moved into our new apartment.
It had lived upstairs at Marny's house for as long as I can remember and I always coveted it. It's such a good shape and the colour is insane.
It's a gold loveseat.

And now it's MINE!!
(I am actually laughing like a mad scientist and rubbing my hands together. No joke)

Mwa ha's included.

Anyway, here is the picture that I promised.

It's sitting in Geoff's study nook, which will also house our slowly growing art collection.
The Norman portrait was a gift for Geoff a few Christmases ago, I painted it on a piece of the house that he and his Dad built together.

I've got a couple more pieces to add to the Art Wall, but I need to get frames for them.

Soon enough, my lovelies, soon enough.
(I am absently stroking an imaginary cat right now.)

(more maniacal laughter)

heartbroken (sniff, sniff)

I was just perusing through my etsy favorites and BOTH of these buggers are sold already.

Very sad. For me. I am glad that they have lovely new homes. Grudgingly.

Oh Melissa, you make amazing things

"AFTER" lamp (with no before picture, sorry!)

I wish that I had a picture of that blue lamp in the corner before I painted it.
My parent's received that lamp as a pair for their wedding almost 30 years ago.
It had been sitting in my parent's garage for AGES (like a year) so I scooped it up when Geoff and I moved back West from Halifax and needed some things.

(It used to be dark brown with a taller narrower shade.)

(and the green love seat is the only piece of furniture we brought back with us, my friend Sandra sold it to me when she moved home to Montreal when we graduated. Geoff actually unloaded the entire U-haul we rented and reloaded everything in torrential rain to make it fit, because he knew how much I love it. Good man.)

But I got some robin's egg blue spray paint and now it's a bright shiny thing in my living room.

Another thing that one us of grew up with. Cool.

Shop Update

It's been a while, but I've finally got some new stuff in my etsy shop!
These beauties are in there now!



Leather Feather Earrings!
Brand New never before seen Woozy Earrings! (sterling silver, 14k yellow gold beads!)
and the Classic, Woozy ring.

sigh.

I am trying to be VERY good here and not keep any of these for myself.
(look at me being a business woman)

You can go there by clicking on the link above, or right here

this is where we live now.

I really love our apartment.

This is mainly the living room with a sneaky peak of the dining room. The fire place is a working gas one, and the absolute JOY of flipping a switch to have a cozy, snuggly fire is pretty awesome.

Just saying.

Single serve brownie in under 5 minutes. Sweet Jesus.

The more I think about it the more I think that I was emailed a link to a recipe for Brownies in a cup, maybe from Mom? Hard to say now since I have now MADE this recipe, tweaked a little bit from this recipe I found when late the other night I NEEDED A BROWNIE RIGHT THEN.

Ahem.
I made the recipe directly from the recipe above (here it is again) and the first one didn't work.

Of course, I WAS making it with gluten free flour and I didn't add any binder like xantham or guar gum that time.
So I followed the recipe and it was a bit runnier that I expected a brownie batter to be, but I gave it a shot.
No go. It was still super runny and uncooked after the first 2 minutes.

I gave it another minute to see if that was all it would need, but alas, it burnt.
And burnt BAD. (I had to soak the mug over night in soapy water to get it out of there)

So I looked online a bit more and noticed another recipe that was EXACTLY the same except that it called for another 2 Tspn of flour so I gave that a try.

I really wanted a brownie.

That worked pretty good.

But it still wasn't the fix, the thing, you know what I am talking about.

When you need a brownie it is not something you can rationalize and make do.
NO! It had to be RIGHT.

So I tried this the next day...

Jana's One Cup GF Chocolate Cacophone
(you like that?)

Take one mug.

Into this mug put:

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (I used grapeseed, it's what we had)
2 tablespoons Almond Milk (or regular milk, whatever. Juice would probably be good too)
2 grinds of sea salt (the salt REALLY makes a difference here)
4 tablespoons Brown Sugar (I bet brown rice syrup or honey would also work)
4 tablespoons GF flour blend
1/4 teaspoon (or 2 pinches) xantham gum (this made a HUGE difference)
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon chocolate chips
1 cap of Vanilla (it's the perfect amount, why measure?)

Mix it up well with a teaspoon and microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
(the batter should be a little bit thick, like a regular brownie batter.)
Mine looked like this...


It came out hot and cakey and cooked all the way through. (I bet if you wanted a "molten" effect, you could microwave it for just 1 minute.)

It looked like this...


It made just a bit more than I would have liked to eat (for lunch the day after I made one for dessert the night before. Don't judge me) but it was REALLY GOOD.

Much better than the one from the night before.

I would DEFINITELY make this again.

(yes that is "Breaking Dawn" on the table, 4th read through. [Geoff was away for the weekend] I don't care what anyone thinks about that either. I love it like a Teen loves swoopy emo bangs. Or Twighlight, whatevs.)

My straight laced Dad

(that's him on the left.)

you can barely see his newest tattoo.

I've been feeling crafty

Something that I have been trying to do lately is always be working on something.
Sometimes it's hard to get into the studio and hammer out (literally) something new, but it's nice to sit on the couch with Geoff.

So what can I do to be productive while still getting in some quality time?

The last couple of winters I've knitted, and I will likely start a project in December... knitting is time consuming.
But crocheting something like this guy isn't so bad.


I really enjoyed making these guys (I've made 5 or 6 of them now, the RED ones are particularly fun)

Now that I think about it it's been about a month since I made one.
Maybe I'll start a new one tonight.

Are you kidding me??

If cuteness in overdrive is something you can't handle then LOOK AWAY RIGHT NOW.

found this via Petunia Face.

Good god they are the cutest freaking nappers I have ever seen!

rearranging

I spent the day puttering around the house, organizing and setting things up.
It feels like I am doing a lot of that lately.
This is the first house that we've lived in that feels really me, which is kind of hilarious since Geoff is the one who grew up here.

Did I tell you that before? The suite that we are renting from Geoff's Mom IS the house that Geoff grew up in.

The space is EXACTLY what I would look for if I was house hunting on my own, and I think that being married is making me feel like nesting or something. Like now that we are married I get to decorate like an adult.
Weird I know, but there you have it. It's been really fun too. I really enjoyed painting by myself (Geoff was in class when I painted the bedroom and the dining room, and while I can't say that I usually LOVE painting rooms, it felt really nice to do it all myself.)

The dining room is as sorted out now as I can make it, I am still collecting art for The Art Wall.

(I'll start taking photos this weekend, hopefully I get a bit of sun)

The kitchen is also at that same point. I've got a wall that is getting a smattering of thrifted and flashy plates, I saw something similar on a design blog months ago and couldn't get it out of my head, so I'm going to make my own!
(again, I will share pictures this weekend)

The bedroom still needs some TLC, but I've got a great idea that my mom inadvertantly gave me while we were having lunch last weekend, so I now need to get my hands on a projector and some paint pens to draw my own tree "wall paper". (maybe free hand? don't know yet)

Plus run the idea by Geoff.
That seems fair right?

And after today I feel like my studio is in a better set up for productivity.
I've got a new print for work on the go on my drawing table, some new earrings to work on, on my bench and a Fork Fork Fork Spoon wall plaque to fix for Geoff.
(a wedding gift that the glue has come undone on.)

Feeling good about the space these days.

Now I just have to invite some friends over to hang out in it!

xox

Mable

Remember when I was telling you about my sister's new dog Mable and the House of Dogs we had at my parent's place at Thanksgiving?
Well I finally got the pictures onto this computer so now I can share.


That's Mable in the first picture, looking very alert.
And the second picture is to show all 6 dogs in the same room.
You can just sort of see Murphy tucked in next to my dad on the couch in the bottom corner.

This is what that room looks like every Thanksgiving and Christmas at their house.

This Breeze is Nice

I saw these on Design Sponge last night and I am SWOONING! They are such an adorable and great idea!

This Breeze is Nice makes these hand knitted hanging planters out of recycles yarns so they are all unique. So cute! Kind of a modern throwback to the crochet hanging planters I remember when I was a kid.

These two are my favorites that she had in her shop

Bethany's ring

Lovely Bethany just got a new dog about a month and a half ago.
Ruby (how cute!) is a year and a half old Puggle and she is intense and adorable and just the sweetest thing.
And Bethany wanted a ruby ring for her new best friend.

So. This is what I made her.
(She actually told me exactly what she wanted and I just made it for her, but it's beautiful and now I want one.)



(it's actually a garnet, rubies are mad $$$, and she wanted gold so we had to work with the budget. but I like this better I think. Rubies are very pink and this stone has so much depth.)

It feels really good to be working in the studio again. With the move and work I feel like I haven't been in there in months, but I have got a pair of earrings sitting in there now for Miss Imrie's birthday tomorrow, and a couple of rings that I want to finish so I can post them on etsy. The shop has been sadly empty for too long and I am determined to get it going again.
I'll let you know when I do.

I've also got a slice of basswood that I am excited to paint. (I can't decide if I'm going to paint it or what yet, watercolour pencils maybe? I thought I might try my hand at wood burning, but then I'd have to go out and buy a tool, and I've still got to get my hands on an electric engraver so I can work on a ring for my cousin (I'M SORRY TY! IT'S COMING I PROMISE!!!)

so. back to it!

IT WORKED!!!

The new system I was talking about? Well its a little bit ridiculous, but it totally works. And since I am the type of person who doesn't mind taking extra steps as long as the outcome is the desired one, it's all good.

I say that now.

But until I can afford my own laptop ($1500 later, eesh! Although I am halfway there thanks to birthday cash! I can almost see it glimmering in my near future. Oh 13"aluminum Macbook! One day soon you will be MINE!)

Ahem.

TA DAAAA!!!


???

okay so something is still not working, the pictures won't upload, blogger is telling me that they are corrupt or in an unrecognizable format. I saved them as jpg's so I am not sure what the deal is right now.
VERY FRUSTRATING! THEY ARE ON THIS COMPUTER!!!

grrr.

ahh, I saved the pictures of Bethany's ring as pdf's. I guess blogger doesn't work with them?? Question mark??
But the jpg's apparently are fine.
See?

(a close up of some of my jewellery in the Floating Gold Iceberg Boutique)

So I guess then I will go back to the pictures on the old computer and re-save them as jpgs?

jesus.

Community might be my new favorite thing

We caught it a couple weeks ago (Geoff wonderfully tapes TV for us, I will admit happily that I am grateful because I would NEVER remember to watch anything myself. I try not to watch too much TV, I feel guilty if I get into to many shows, like I should be more productive, but am really enjoying a few right now, and there are a couple that I REALLY need to watch, you know)

Anyway we caught this between Parks and Rec (which is letting me down. Amy Poehler you are better than this) and 30 Rock and it is SLAYING the other shows on Thursday night!

And I just found out that one of the creators also created Arrested Development, so now I straight up love it.

This trailer is a bit long, but it really sets it up for you.

And if you get a chance to watch the Halloween episode I highly recommend it.

Sorting out a system

Since we moved back into the city I have been using Geoff's computer for all of my computer needs.

But it's a tricky system because for WHATEVER reason my camera WILL NOT upload onto it.

Very frustrating.

And I've been taking lots of fabulous pictures to share with THE WORLD. But I can't damnit!
Also the laptop doesn't have photoshop. I needs it.

So I am going to try a NEW SYSTEM.

I am hoping that I can get the pictures from my computer onto the old computer (with no internet connection, boo. Hence the problem here) then into photoshop, then onto a USB, then onto the laptop and onto The Internet.

I am a makeshifting nerd.

Got to blog.

We'll see how this goes!

Surprising find on usedvictoria

Danish Mid Century modern?

It's got good bone structure, and I would be tempted if we had any extra room.

Oh if I had a decorating budget.

Check it out here!

In like a lamb, so far

November is starting off pretty mildly here. It's warmish and bright this morning after a really clear night (not too spooky I'm afraid).

We didn't get up to too much last night. We don't usually do the Halloween thing. Every year I think about it, but costumes don't come together in time (or at all) and Geoff isn't very fussed on dressing up because he's expected to. although he'll dress up for no reason, go figure.

But our new neighbors asked us if we'd help out scaring the kiddies in their elaborate haunted house last night, so we suited up in warm clothes, had our hands and arms painted white, and stuck our arms through some holes cut in some walls and creepily reached for the preteens as they walked through. Pretty hilarious.

The house was broken up into a bunch of different spaces...

1. when you first walked in, there was a girl chained up in a little cage, crying to let her out. Of course everyone that went through it wouldn't go near her (she did a really good job of looking scared, mascara running down her face and all grubbed up like she'd been there for a while) And she would pitifully ask that whoever went by would at least push her hair out of her eyes. If they did go in for it, they were rewarded with a near bite or a scream, and getting pushed into the next section.
Us.

2. There was a live chicken on a table across the hallway from us to distract from the wall that the hands would come out of, then on a signal we'd all (there were three of us) reach out grabbing at the same time.

3. The kids would then go into Santa's room where he was on the phone checking to see if they were "on the list" for some candy. He'd get off the phone and attack with a skill saw! There was also a dead clown that would shoo the screaming kids into the next section while Santa laughed brandishing the saw.

4. Then the kids would crawl through a little room that would get flooded with insane light, to blind them just a little bit, then chased out by a big guy screaming with a real chainsaw.

There was a candy section at the very end, but most of the kids came running out of there so fast that they screamed right past without stopping!

Apparently they do a haunted house like that every second year! The whole family gets into it, everyone with their role to play and everyone seems to really love it.

We were cold but laughing for most of the event.

I would definitely help out again!