tangente

Fall 2011 Collection

2011-09-19T17:34:00.004-04:00

Finally after a hot summer, the Tangente - Fall Collection (part 1) is here. Part 1 consists of basic separates (tops, tunics and skirts) in bamboo jersey. Part 2 will be ready in November and will include tops in organic cotton and a soft fleece jacket made from recycled water bottles.

Thank you to photographer, April, from Ahartphotography and model, Pascale, who had to endure a scorching hot day in long sleeve shirts and boots. You both did a fantastic job!

Here are my favourite styles of the new collection:

Elise top with Mona skirt

align="center"> Adeline top

Wrap around cardigan with short sleeves

Adara tunic

Behind the scenes: Fall 2011

2011-08-22T20:10:00.005-04:00

Can you believe Fall is just around the corner? I sure can't, seems like summer just flew by.

This past weekend, I had the Fall 2011 (part 1) photoshoot in downtown Hull. The model had to wear long sleeve shirts, leggings, tall boots on one of the hottest days of the year. Modelling isn't has glamorous as it seems. lol!

Here are a few pictures I took while the photographer and model were working their magic. More details to come soon..

Photoshoot 2x

2011-06-02T17:17:00.007-04:00

In April, Malorie from Ef magazine borrowed a few styles from Tangente's summer collection for a fashion shoot she was doing in the Byward Market. It was probably the most miserable day for a photoshoot (weather wise: 5C brrr!) but the pictures turned out fantastic. Here the model is wearing my Caryn dress in blue bamboo.

On Victoria Day, I went with my friends, Flora and Yvan, to do a little photoshoot around the former Mill Restaurant on Wellington st. It was a windy day but the area was practically deserted. They both did a fantastic job, don't you think?

I whipped up this top (above) a few days before the shoot. I've been ~~hoarding~~ storing small pieces of vintage cotton for a few years now. I'm glad I've been able to put them to good use.

Thanks again Flora and Yvan !!

Oscar + acupuncture

2011-05-17T14:33:00.006-04:00

You may remember my blog post from last fall when Oscar suffered his 1st episode of IVDD (paralysis of his back legs caused by a herniated disk). At that time we opted for the surgery (not knowing we had other options). He made a full recovery and was back to his old self within a few weeks. A few days before Xmas, Oscar got up on his 2 hind legs to investigate the cat, that was perched on the couch, and unfortunately lost his footing. This little fall was the catalyst for his 2nd IVDD episode. This time around, we opted for acupuncture instead of surgery. Miraculously within 4 weeks, he was walking again with only a slight limp.

About 6 weeks ago, I left the dog alone for 10 minutes while I showered. When I came out of the shower, Oscar had a guilty look on his face. I thought maybe he had eaten cat food or maybe he had an accident in the house but I couldn't find any evidence. A few hours later, someone knocked on the door and he didn't even get up (usually he would go bonkers). I knew from that moment, he had another back injury. We started weekly acupuncture treatments once again but this time his progress is much slower. He has movement in his back legs but he's still unable to stand or walk. Despite this fact, he's still a pretty happy dog and can scoot in the kitchen at lightning speed when he hears a banana being peeled.

If he shows no progress within the next few weeks, we'll stop treatment and get him a cart (aka dog wheelchair) for his back legs. I've heard that once dogs get a cart, they no longer make an effort to walk so we're leaving this for the very last option. In the meantime, we have daily physio and acupressure exercises to do with him to help stimulate the nerve endings in his back legs.

I'll keep you all posted on his progress :)

Taking a nap under the covers

Oscar getting an electro acupuncture treatment.

Timber

2011-04-30T16:21:00.004-04:00

Ottawa was struck with a wind storm on Thursday. We had wind gust around 90 km/h.

That's my house behind the tree. It looks like it's just taking a little nap on the power lines.

At least we still have electricity but the tree did manage to cause damage to our roof were the wires connect to the house. Today they came to remove the tree off the power line but now we have to hire a electrician, a tree removal company and possibly a roofer too. Argh!

Published

2011-04-08T10:03:00.006-04:00

Last year I got the chance to write 2 dyi projects for an upcoming craft book. I had completely forgotten about it until I received this in the mail a few weeks ago: Here's a little sneak peak of my 2 projects:
window panels

scarf top

It's a great book with tons of fun projects. The Craft Challenge book is available online at Chapters or Amazon.

Speaking of Amazon, can you spot the bad translation ?

Spring/ Summer 2011

2011-04-05T11:29:00.004-04:00

Wow, talk about being a delinquent blogger. My last post was 4 months ago, yikes! The fall was extremely busy for me. I received numerous requests from boutiques and many orders from my Etsy store. I tried to manage all of this while still working part-time and completing my Spring/ Summer line.

Finally by early March, my Spring line was completed I needed to plan the photoshoot. I found a new photographer, Van, and we scheduled the shoot at the National Bank/ Currency Museum after a recommendation by local blogger Andrea from A Peek Inside the Fishbowl. I had a last minute model cancellation but luckily Lydia was able to step in at the very last minute. She was so professional and polite, it's hard to believe she's only 16.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the shoot:

Alana top - bamboo jersey in celery

Eva top - bamboo jersey in black

Annabelle top - bamboo jersey in lavender

Caryn dress - bamboo jersey in blue

Fall stockists

2010-12-01T17:23:00.003-05:00

It's been a busy few months for me. I don't think I've ever sewn so much in my entire life. I was able to send out fall stock to 3 new Canadian stockists, including one in Ottawa (Yay!). Not too bad considering I only finished my fall collection in early September. Learning from this experience, I'm trying to get a head start on my Spring collection. I've already started sourcing fabrics and drafting initial styles. Hopefully, a new collection will be ready in 2 months. In the meantime if you live close to one of these lovely shops, why stop by to check out their selection.

the Farm in North Bay just celebrated their Grand Opening

Fall Stockists:

Love Me Boutique
1539 Birmingham Street
Halifax, NS

Victoire
1282 Wellington st W
Ottawa, ON

Farm (pictured above)
154 Main st W
North Bay, Ontario

Snazzi Boutique
6356 N. Guilford Ave.
Indianapolis, IN

Poor Oscar... again

2010-10-25T19:05:00.002-04:00

It's been a whirlwind of chaos this past month. The most stressful has to be Oscar's predicament. One morning he had trouble walking, we thought maybe it was like last time when he had a sore paw for a day. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case. Oscar had a ruptured disc in his back. His condition worsen over the course of a few days. In 48 hours, he went from having a limp to having his lower half paralysed. So the very next morning, Oscar went for emergency surgery to repair the disc and release some of the pressure on the spine that was causing the paralysis. Only a few hours later, I received news that the surgery went well and recovery was almost guaranteed. Now only a week and a half later, Oscar can walk and wag his tail like nothing ever happened. The biggest challenge now is to keep him quiet during the healing process.

Tangente F/W 2010 collection - part 2

2010-09-23T17:49:00.006-04:00

Here's part 2 of the collection. I'm currently working on an order for a new stockist. Very exciting!

After I'm done, I'll be (finally) finishing a tutorial I've been working on for a while now. It's a great little project that recycles old cassettes. More to come...

Chelsey sleeveless tunic - $84

Victoria top - $80

Chelsey sleeveless dress - $100

Chelsey long sleeve top - $90

Laurel cocoon shrug - $76

Tangente F/W 2010 collection - part 1

2010-09-18T10:03:00.004-04:00

After 5 weeks of intense pattern drafting, sewing and fittings, I finally have my Fall/Winter collection ready. I decided to name each piece after a street from my hometown. Actually some are variations of the name since my memory isn't that good. The complete collection is now available on my new official website and I will be listing them over the weekend in my Etsy shop.

Here are the first 5:

Calder top, $68

Moreno top, $75

Webster top, $90

Cecilia cocoon shrug, $60

Millie dress, $140

Fall photoshoot

2010-09-15T16:06:00.003-04:00

Here's a little sneak peak of my fall collection. The photoshoot was this past Sunday. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't on our side. Throughout the afternoon, we got sprinkled by a ~~few~~ many rain showers. It didn't help that I had a cold and was feeling quite miserable. Even with a cold, the shoot was a lot of fun. Once again I collaborated with local photographer, Kristen Lunman. Our model, Shahnaz, did a fabulous job despite the crappy weather conditions. Even my boyfriend helped out by carrying the umbrella and a step stool for the photographer.

I'll be posting more pictures later this week and I'll be re-opening my Etsy store over the weekend. Stay tuned...

Location

2010-09-08T22:01:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, I went scouting for a location to shoot my fall collection. I found a great spot in downtown Ottawa around an abandoned building. I was reviewing the pictures when I noticed the dog squatting in the corner. Poor Oscar is always pooping at the wrong place, wrong time.

So many plans, so little time

2010-08-11T10:39:00.005-04:00

August is always a month with big plans. Right now I'm working on my fall collection. So far I have 2 long sleeve tops and 1 vest completed. I'm hoping the collection will have a total of 12 pieces with a few accessories by the end of the month. I also plan to launch my own website (off Etsy) later in the fall. Hopefully it will coincide with the release of my fall collection. Once the new website is open for business, I'll be sending a coupon to all those that have signed up to receive my newsletter. If you haven't signed up, there's still time. You just need to type your email here and follow the confirmation steps.

I've also joined the band wagon and made a fan page for Tangente. If you're on Facebook, you can "like" me over here.

I'm also hoping to post a few tutorials this month. One of tutorials is for a project I started a year ago!! Talk about procrastination.

Here's a little sneak peak of one of the new tops:

New photos are here

2010-07-28T13:36:00.003-04:00

Not even a week after the photo shoot and I already have the pictures from last Friday. I couldn't be happier with the results. My only regret is not having it done sooner. Here a few of my favorites:

Photographer: Kristen Lunman
Model: Pascale LL

Photo shoot

2010-07-24T08:15:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was my favorite day of the year. I finally had a photo shoot for my clothing line. Not just any photo shoot but a professional one. Kristen, a local photographer, contacted me last winter for a possible collaboration. Of course, I couldn't refuse. Fast forward to summer, where my only job was to find a model. Not as easy as it looks, especially when you're on a shoestring budget. Finally after weeks of searching with no luck, my "day job" co-worker mentions to me that my other co-worker, Pascale, models. Really! All this time, I had a model sitting 4 cubicles away.

Finally the big day.

I really had no idea what to expect. I had 2 dresses and 9 tops that needed to be photographed in 2 hours. Was that even possible? The Weather Network was forecasting showers in the afternoon. Would the shoot be canceled? I tossed and turned all night. I didn't help that the shoot was at my house (in the backyard) so I had to make sure the house was tidy and the lawn was cut.

The model shows up looking fabulous and the photographer is so nice and energetic that it's contagious. As soon as I saw the first outfit in the window of her digital camera, I knew these photos were going to be awesome. The weather was on our side and we were able to breeze through the 11 outfits in 2 hours.

Kristen primarily does wedding/ family photography. So if you're getting married in the Ottawa region, please check out her website. I really can't recommend her enough, she's such a professional.

Pascale is so gorgeous. She really has a natural talent for modeling. You can view more pictures on her portfolio site.

Stay tuned for the new pictures, I should have them by August.

July heat wave

2010-07-05T17:55:00.005-04:00

I'm back from my mini Canada Day vacation at the cottage. As usual, it's was a great time. We had so many laughs. The weather was a bit chilly the first nights but it warmed up as the weekend progressed. It looks like we're having a heat wave this week. I'm working up a sweat just typing so I'll keep this post short and sweet.

Ready for a swimming lesson

Having a handle on the life jacket is not only for safety but for laughs too!

Tired from his swim

Usually Oscar isn't allowed on the couch but we made an exception at cottage

Oscar with his new friend, Gaia.

Where to shop

2010-06-28T18:15:00.009-04:00

Current boutiques and online shops that carry Tangente:

CANADA

Farm
154 Main st W
North Bay, Ontario

Nathalie-Roze & Co.
1015 Queen St. E
Toronto, ON

USA

Snazzi Boutique
6356 N. Guilford Ave.
Indianapolis, IN

Online

http://www.tangente.etsy.com/

http://www.tangenteclothing.com/

Gathers galore

2010-06-18T21:58:00.001-04:00

In between vet appointments, I've been trying to work on my last summer style among other things (alterations, wholesale orders, fall line). This isn't a great picture but it shows the detail at the neckline and along one of the sides. I think this one is really gonna turn out cute.

Poor Oscar & Melvin

2010-06-17T21:29:00.006-04:00

For the past few weeks, it seems I've been spending most of my free time at the vet. First my cat, Melvin, go severely constipated. Yes, that's right cats get constipated! He needed to be hospitalized overnight and given IV fluids among other things (use your imagination here).

The very next week, Oscar injured his leg on one of our walks. I also brought him to the vet but they couldn't find anything wrong with him. He limped for a few days but I suspect he was trying to milk it for more sympathy. My mom sent him a little care package which included a new blankie and stuff toy. The toy has lost some stuffing but the majority of it remains intact.

Melvin had his IV here

Oscar faking his limp

New stuff toy or headrest

Book Art

2010-06-09T19:34:00.003-04:00

My mom was asked to do a book art display for the anniversary party at the Shediac library. The display was to showcase various crafts that can be done with vintage books or atlas. I believe it took her a few months to complete all the projects. The finished set-up looked great.

I not sure if I would have the patience to make all those folds in those books.

Meet Oscar

2010-05-26T16:01:00.005-04:00

We have a new addition to the family. Oscar is a 4 year old rescued Dachshund aka wiener dog. He's only been with us for 3 days but he's already claimed us as his new masters. He was rescued from the SPCA's death row by a wonderful organization in Navan. He's already house broken, crate trained and walks well on a leash. We still have to work on getting along with the cats but no ones perfect!

This toy only lasted 2 hours.

His tongue is a bit too long for him so it always sticks out.

New dress in the works

2010-05-11T18:07:00.003-04:00

Before my trip, I started working on a new denim dress in eco friendly ramie. I hope to finish it tomorrow to be able to take a few pictures this weekend. I'm really excited for this one, it's going to be perfect for summer.

The results are in ...

2010-05-09T11:56:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, I did my first craft show in Ottawa. The weather was not on our side. It was chilly and rainy, although we were lucky when we unloaded the car the rain had momentarily stopped. All in all, I had a good time at the show. I saw lots of friends, met some new sellers and ate some fabulous cupcakes. I had about 11 sales ( 5 tops, 2 dresses , 1 necklace & 3 catnip toys). Many seasoned sellers mentioned the crowd was much smaller than last year, most likely because of the crappy weather.

A few things I learned from this show:
- bring more styles in the darker colours
- bring more signs/displays to describe product

Tarts n' Crafts

2010-05-07T16:33:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited!!
Tomorrow I'm doing my first craft show in Ottawa. For the past 4 weeks, I've been busy sewing new styles (this explains the lack of blog post). I'm also bringing lots of clothes from previous collections that will be on sale. Tonight, I need to make sure I'm all packed up. Busy! Busy!

I'll let you all know how it goes :)

Coral inspiration

2010-05-06T19:26:00.003-04:00

During my recent trip to Cuba, I stubbed my toe on what I thought was a rock. Ends up it was piece of coral. The texture and pattern on it are amazing. I had never seen coral close-up before. I decided to use this as my inspiration to re-design a top I had in my summer collection.

Available here

A much needed vacation

2010-04-26T14:56:00.006-04:00

Last week, I got to travel to Cuba for a friend's wedding at a resort. It was a much needed vacation. It felt great being in the warm sun after a cold winter.

White sand beach

View of the chairs at the end of the day

One of the pool areas

Bride and groom

Salsa classes in the evenings

A catamaran trip (I was too chicken to go lay on those nets)

Visiting the San Pasqual (a cement boat)

Local wildlife

A little snake outside our hotel

Dried flowers

2010-04-01T17:16:00.005-04:00

After my boyfriend reminded me that today was our 4th year anniversary living in our house, my first thought was it took us 4 years to hang stuff on the walls.

To celebrate the occasion, I decided to re-frame an old dried flower arrangement my mom made me about 8 years ago. It's previous frame was ugly and it was banished to the basement. Now I think it's pretty cute and deserves to be on the main floor. One wall down, 6 more to go.

Button stamp

2010-03-31T17:00:00.004-04:00

A few months ago, I saw a tutorial on making a button stamp using old thread spools . I thought these would be perfect to decorate my envelopes. My mom volunteered to make a few button cut-outs for me since she owns a button punch. Today I finally had a chance to test them out. Fun stuff!

New eco friendly fabric swatches

2010-03-17T13:15:00.004-04:00

Organic cotton, Tencel and ramie.

It's so hard to decide, I wish I had the money to buy them all!!

Speaking of doilies..

2010-03-08T17:15:00.005-05:00

I've had this idea about using doilies on a tank top for a while now. Last year, I bought a bunch of doilies and tried dying them myself. The only thing that got dyed was my basement tub and my rubber gloves. Lesson learned!

So when I saw these cuties on Etsy from an Australian seller, I knew I HAD to buy them. She cuts out doilies from old tablecloths and dyes them all different colours.

The only thing that was left was to design a top that would accentuate the corsage but still be fun and unique. As always, it's available in custom made sizes from xs-xl in bamboo jersey.

Doily top

Simple doily project

2010-03-04T20:52:00.003-05:00

During my Christmas vacation, I made a few crafts with my mom. This was one of them. My mom provided the 2 vintage doilies. I provided the double pane frame. Simplest project ever!

Photographed next to my Valentine's gift - a miniature rose bush. I'm not very good with indoor plants, hopefully this one will last more than a few weeks.

New markdowns

2010-03-01T17:37:00.003-05:00

It's only March 1st and Spring is already in the air. We had a great weekend with above average temperature and the snow banks are slowly getting smaller.

Since Spring is right around the corner, I decided to markdown my F/W accessories by 20%. Here's a quick glimpse of my favorites that are still in the shop:

Mittens #10

Mittens #9

Busy Bee

2010-02-23T18:11:00.004-05:00

Hey folks,

First I'd like to thank everyone that have stopped by from Craft and How About Orange. It's always such a surprise to be featured in fantastic blogs.

A few weeks ago, my new cardigan was featured on Etsy's blog featuring "Fashion Items that Rule the Runway". Although, I wasn't one of the nominees, my little cardigan was featured in the related items at the end of the article and this started off my Spring season with a bang...a busy bang. I was so honored to be included among other great fashion stars.

The only downside of being busy is the lack of time to blog and clean. Well I don't really miss cleaning, does anyone? I'm sure things will be back to normal soon and I'll be able to post again on a regular basis.

Speaking of being honored, the Oscars are coming up and RikRak is having a fun little challenge on her blog. Be sure to check it out and post your favorite frock and accessory.

Wholesale ready

2010-02-12T17:38:00.004-05:00

I recently decided to become serious about wholesaling. Over the past year, I had been using a less than stellar line list to showcase my new collections. In my old line list, I didn't have any pictures just a link to my Etsy store listing and a short description in a Word document. Boring!

Between my day job, sewing and my new "watching old episodes of CSI on the treadmill" obsession, I didn't have time to fiddle with Photoshop to design a new list so I enlisted the help of Simone from My Magic Button. She did a great job designing the background and layout of the line list template.

Once I had the final copy, all I had to do was copy and paste my pictures and description. Easy Peasy !

Not so easy was trying to figure how to make a mutli page PDF document. My older photoshop program didn't have the option so I had to download a free trial of Adobe Acrobat 9. Lesson learned!

Here's a sneak peek of the first page:

Glass jar surprise

2010-02-03T13:26:00.008-05:00

For my birthday, I was lucky enough to receive this lovely glass jar with a fun gift card inside from my mom. It was such a cute idea, I figured I would share the steps involved in creating this package.

Supplies:
- standard size mason jar
- 2 piece standard mason lid
- crumpled brown Kraft paper or tissue paper
- 2 x 32" Martha Stewart baker's twine or other funky twine
- shredded sheet music
- gift card

Using a small plate (8-9" in diameter) as your guide, trace a circle onto the Kraft paper and cut out. Place a small amount of shredded paper in the bottom of the jar. Place the card in the center of the jar and stuff more shredded paper on each side and on top of the card until it's no longer visible. Screw lid in place. Place a small piece of scotch tape in the center of the Kraft paper circle and center over the lid. Press firmly to secure. Since the twine was thin, I cut 2 pieces of the same length. While holding the Kraft paper down close to the jar, tie the twine around the neck of the jar and make a bow.

Pretty easy don't you think? My boyfriend also received one with shredded maps instead of the sheet music. Not only do they make a cute present, they also make for a cute decoration. I'm using them on my mantle here.

Slow Cookin'

2010-01-28T19:44:00.005-05:00

I rarely buy myself cookbooks. I tend to find them at thrift shops, get them as gifts or "borrow" them from my mom. When I was doing some Christmas shopping back in December, I noticed this eye catching slow cooker cookbook at Chapters.

After trying a few recipes, I have to say it's my new favorite. Since buying the cookbook, we've implemented Crock Pot Sundays where we each take turns choosing Sunday's night dinner. I usually go for the unconventional recipes, were as my significant other usually chooses a hearty traditional stew. So far my favorite recipes have been Chicken with lemon, garlic and fennel, Pork Stew with fennel and squash and Boeuf Bourguignon.

Do you have a favorite slow cooker recipe?

The making of my draped cardigan

2010-01-26T17:55:00.004-05:00

At my day job, my cubicle is known for being the coldest one of the floor on cloudy days and boiling hot on sunny days. Since I have this heating (or lack of) predicament, I try my best to wear layers at work. So when I was designing my new cardigan, I wanted to make something that had an interesting shape but looked nice with a variety of tanks and blouses.

I used my basic long sleeve sloper to draw the initial shape, then I added tons of volume by slashing open the seams. I wish I could go into details but you know... trade secrets!!

Now it's time for the sample to test out the shape. I use a less popular jersey fabric I bought a few years ago to make the initial sample. My boyfriend has hated this fabric color since the day I got, he's always said it looks like pyjama fabric. My first sample (below) didn't have enough volume at the neckline so it's back at the drawing board to slash some more.

My second attempt was a success and I was able to sew it up in my bamboo jersey in my new shade of grey/taupe. In some cases, I'm not so lucky and I end making a few samples until I get the perfect shape.

Now I can't wait for the next cloudy day to wear this fun cardi. As usually, it's also available for sale in my Etsy shop.

My favorite: patternmaking tools

2010-01-23T14:51:00.005-05:00

This week, I was working a new pattern for a cardigan and I thought I would share some of my favorite patternmaking tools. First is the pattern tracing wheel. It's perfect when you need to transfer your pattern to a new sheet of paper since it has long spikes. You need to use it over a cork board or a large heavy towel so the spikes can perforate the second layer of paper. It's very handy but could be dangerous (speaking from experience) if you accidentally step on it or grab it from the wrong end. Ouchies!

Next is the pattern notcher, I use it to make notches in my final pattern. Adding notches makes me double check that each seam matches up so I don't end up with a side seam longer than the other.

Without a doubt, the most essential tool in patternmaking are the rulers. Here are the ones I used the most often: plastic inch ruler, 2 aluminum Fairgate vary form curve and a adjustable little ruler which is great for adding seam allowances to patterns. I also use a aluminum yard stick (not pictured) a lot that I purchased from Home Depot a few years ago.

Matchbook Cover Collage Tutorial

2010-01-19T20:30:00.008-05:00

Back in 2006, my boyfriend and I bought our first house, an 1950's bungalow. During our first Spring at the house, we discovered a large (and I mean large) bag of matches in our little shed. The extensive collective had been left, presumably by the previous owner, next to an old lawnmower and a can of gasoline. For obvious safety concerns, we brought the matches inside and started rummaging through the pile. There were matches from Ford, motels & hotels, insurance companies, tomato sauce companies (with recipe printed inside the cover), matches made from spaghetti and the list goes on.

Initially I didn't think of crafting with the matches so whenever we would have smokers over at the house, we would offer a bag of vintage matches as a parting gift. After a few years, our pile dwindled down and most of our friends quit smoking so I decided to make a little souvenir of our discovery.

Steps:

With a pair of scissors, I carefully cut the front of about 50 matchbook covers. In some cases, I had to remove the back staple. This part was annoying since most staples were rusted. I suggest buying your frame in advance so you can roughly plan the placement of each matchbook cover.

On a 11" x 15" medium weight paper (made for acrylic paint), I glued each little matchbook in place using a regular glue stick while leaving only a 1/4" spacing between each cover. Once the glue dried, I place the collage in a double-matted frame I bought at Deserres (my new favorite craft store).

Here's a few close-ups of my favorites covers:

My favorite is "Tout pour le fumeur" which means "all for the smoker".

Organic Origami: How to make a liner for your kitchen container

2010-01-17T16:07:00.001-05:00

Here's a cute little tutorial for my fellow green bin recyclers in Ottawa. It fits perfectly in the little bin the city provided. I would also strongly recommend using 3 or more newspapers to prevent any leaks.

Manly Terrarium

2010-01-16T18:53:00.004-05:00

This year, I didn't have luck buying presents on Etsy. Every "potential" present ended up being sold out or the seller never responded to my convos (so annoying!). The only present that worked out was for my boyfriend, I gave him a terrarium with fresh moss and tutorial from this east coast seller. When he opened his present, our conversation went like this:

Him: "Wow, what is it?"

Me: "It's a terrarium"

Him: "What, you're giving a chore for Christmas?"

Me (rolling my eyes): "No silly, you put moss in it"

Him - blank stare

Me: "it's for a plant, for your office"

Him: "Cool"

Last week, he spent the afternoon at Value Village searching for the perfect vintage trinkets for his new terrarium. It was a toss up between the moose and an old He-Man action figure. I guess the moose won.

Craft nook

2010-01-11T18:37:00.005-05:00

Here are a few pictures of my mom's craft nook. Can you tell she likes buttons? It's like a miniature version of Michaels in there. Not that I mind, I always leave with a pocket full vintage buttons.

A Dogumentary

2010-01-06T15:26:00.001-05:00

Yes, that’s right a DOGumentary. Last weekend, I dragged my significant other to watch “Weiner takes all: A Dogumentary” at the Mayfair theatre in Ottawa. You were even allowed to bring your dog to watch the movie. It was a cute movie and it was even cuter to see all the Dachshunds leaving the movie theatre afterwards.

Holiday drive

2010-01-05T20:28:00.004-05:00

A few pictures from our excruciating long drive to NB during a snowstorm.

Brrrr...

2009-12-19T10:17:00.005-05:00

It's been extremely cold here in Ottawa all week. Temperatures dipping down to -22C at night and daytime highs of around -16C (if you can call that a high!). That's -8F and -3F for my American friends.

These frigid temperatures have encouraged me to make a few more scarves and mitts for my Etsy shop. Here are a few of my newest creations:

On a side note, remember my post from Thursday ...

Well now it's time to vote for your favorite entry. Be sure to vote on the CanArtisan blog before December 22nd.

Christmas tree '09

2009-12-17T18:00:00.006-05:00

Here are a few pics of my Christmas tree and the decorated mantle:

Mercury glass ornament

CanArtisan is having a fantastic contest. You have the chance of winning a $25 gift card from Chapters by sharing you favorite holiday memory, photos or tradition. Just be sure to enter before the 19th of Dec., see blog for more details.

A foot of the white stuff

2009-12-10T17:38:00.003-05:00

It's officially time for winter boots.

Contest alert - TCET 12 Days of Xmas

2009-12-01T17:20:00.003-05:00

There's another great contest from the TransCanada Etsy Team. It's called The TCET 12 Days of Christmas!!!

This promotion runs from Wednesday, November 25 to Sunday, December 6th.

How to participate: You receive a ballot for each $10.00 (excluding shipping) you spend in participating shops (see TCET blog post for the full list of shops). The Draw for this fabulous package full of handmade Canadian goodies pictured above will take place on December 7th. This Package is worth over $350.00!

Be sure to check out the TCET blog each day for holiday-themed features from our members including recipes, holiday traditions, and stories! I decided to share my mom's famous shrimp dip recipe!

Auction find

2009-11-28T16:37:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I attended my very first auction. It was at the Salvation Army and I scored a large print by Canadian artist Benjamin Chee Chee called "Friends". The print caught my eye a few weeks ago and I just hoped there wouldn't be too many people at the auction. I was right!

His bio is fascinating and tragic. Here's a small excerpt I got from Wikipedia:

"Benjamin Chee Chee, artist, of Ojibwa descent, born Kenneth Thomas Benjamin at Temagami, Ontario 26 March 1944; died at Ottawa 14 March 1977. His early life was troubled and he lost track of his mother, who he spent many years searching for. He moved to Montreal in 1965 where he developed his love of drawing, moving back to Ottawa in 1973. He gained fame as he developed his unique style of clear graceful lines with minimal colour of birds and animals giving sense to emotion and movement. After finally finding his mother and achieving success as an artist, he committed suicide in an Ottawa jail. "

November challenge

2009-11-23T18:32:00.004-05:00

Every month, the Trans Canada Etsy Team has a creative challenge. This month, the idea was to create or submit something spicy!

I wasn't able to create something new for the challenge but I did submit my Grecian inspired red hot dress. Voting is now open 'till the 29th. Psst, if you vote and leave a comment on the blog post, you'll be entered for a chance to win a super cute Etsy prize.

Vote here

I ♥ Dace

2009-11-19T11:25:00.001-05:00

Last week, I was scrolling my usual blogs when I came across this contest on Lake Jane. Dace, one of my favorite Canadian designers, was having a contest to win a few of her styles.

As I'm scouring the Dace website, I came across the sale section. First, I couldn't believe my favorite styles were on sale and second they still had smalls left. I just had to buy them. Well I received my two dresses in the mail today and I couldn't be happier. My favorite is the green Sheila dress. Although my long torso makes it a bit too short to wear as a dress, it will be perfect with a pair of jeans and sandals next Spring.

fyi, the Dace contest ends Dec. 10th.

New scarf

2009-11-18T11:20:00.004-05:00

I just listed this new scarf and matching mitts in my shop. Both are made from felted lambswool.

Available here for $32

Available here for $12

Wordless Wednesday - shades of fall in the yard

2009-11-11T12:46:00.006-05:00

My Batwing dress on Etsy's front page

2009-11-04T21:19:00.000-05:00

Front page recap courtesy of Craftcult's vault.

Sneeze in your knee

2009-11-04T09:34:00.001-05:00

From the Canadian show This Hour has 22 Minutes.

His and hers pumpkins

2009-11-01T18:32:00.004-05:00

Happy Halloween Everyone. Here's our pumpkins that we carved out:

His

Hers

We placed some dry ice in a can inside my pumpkin. Then we poured some hot water to create the smoke. Unfortunately, the smoke effect doesn't last a long time and it's a bit of a pain to refill every time.

Spooky decoration

2009-10-25T19:00:00.003-04:00

With Halloween around the corner, I decided to do a little decorating this weekend. I found a bunch of empty vintage frames in the closet (bought for another project). I arranged them on the fireplace mantle, overlapping each one. Then I added some fake cobwebs and a few plastic spiders - instant spooky decoration! Total cost of this project: $2.

Recycling sweaters

2009-10-20T17:45:00.006-04:00

My mom had bought a bunch of sweaters with the intention of felting them and making some type of craft. Well I guess the felting didn't quite work out so I ended up with a dozen or so cashmere sweaters. I kept a few for myself but most of them had holes or other faults that made them "unwearable". So with the salvaged parts, I decided to make colorful scarves and mitts. So far I've been able to make 4 scarves and I'm left with lots of little pieces that will be perfect to make matching mitts. Recycling is so much fun!

Here are a few of my favorites:

Available here

Fluffy's wake-up call

2009-10-11T20:34:00.004-04:00

I'm sure this is one of the most annoying sounds in the world (especially when it happens at 6am).

New dress and weekend deal

2009-10-10T13:27:00.003-04:00

In honor of Thanksgiving (yes folks, it's already Thanksgiving in Canada), I'm offering free worldwide shipping on every style in my Etsy shop.

I'm working on a few new pieces this weekend and hopefully I'll have them up in the shop before my sale ends. Last week, I finished this cozy plaid dress. I'm really happy with the way the collar and the cuffed sleeves turned out.

New photos

2009-10-02T19:14:00.005-04:00

I just got my new photos for my Accordion bamboo top (right). The photos were taken by Isis at Paper Flower Girl. Aren't they amazing?

The photo shoot was in Belgium for the fall '09 issue of VivalaModa. This online magazine is focused on handmade fashion and beauty items. You can even click on the links and go shopping from the magazine pages. How cool is that!

Fall cooking

2009-10-01T18:17:00.006-04:00

One of the reason I love fall is all the great recipes I get to make. Move over BBQ, here comes the warm hearty stews and yummy pumpkin pies. On my last weekend at the cottage, I picked up the latest Donna Hay magazine (winter issue) at Chapters. I'm always confused since we have opposite seasons so our summer is Australia's winter. That's too much thinking for the cottage. At least the magazine is filled with great recipes.

Do you have a favorite fall recipe? If so, please share. I love to get new ideas :)

Etsy's gift guide

2009-09-19T10:08:00.003-04:00

Guess who's in Etsy's Gift Guide this week?

Yup, it's me. One of my newest tops from my fall collection made it into Etsy's Sapphire Gift Guide. Although, now I'm wondering why I called that top "Truffle"! It doesn't even remotely look like a truffle. If someone has a better suggestion, I'm all ears.

I also want to say a big Thank You to Necole from the CreativeMixx and TipandFiFI for featuring me their blogs.

Scenes from NB -part 2

2009-09-18T17:48:00.003-04:00

It definitely feels like the end of summer today. A good day to reminisce about hot summer days at the beach. In case you missed my part 1, here it is.

Here I am trying to capture the dunes created during low tide at Parlee beach.

More scenes from the sand dunes. It's fun just to walk from one end of the beach to the other.

In between the dunes are shallow pool of water. They were filled with hermit crabs that got stuck when the tide went down. It was fun to watch them until I realized one of them was on my foot. Eeeck!

Shopping in Syracuse

2009-09-13T16:31:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, we drove to Syracuse, NY for a mini shopping trip. It took us about 3 hours to get to the Carousel Center Mall. We were on a tight schedule since we needed to get back that night for a bbq. Once we got to the mall, I headed to Lord and Taylor. I wandered aimlessly for a while until I found the BCBG sales rack. I picked up the dress (below) and a linen skirt on clearance for like $30.

My next stop was at Ann Taylor Loft. I picked up the sweater dress below and a few summer dresses on sale. My last stop was DSW where I got a pair of Steve Madden boots for fall and a pair of black pointy flats. Then it was already time to go. I had tons of fun visiting these stores that we don't have in Canada. My bf didn't share my sentiment, he was very happy to leave.

Since I had exceeded my daily limit of $50, I would need to pay duty once we crossed back into Canada. I kept worrying that I was going to be charge an outrageous amount that would end my trip on a sour note. Once the agent processed my receipts, I only owed $44. Phew!

Scenes from NB - part 1

2009-09-02T18:18:00.006-04:00

Back in July, we made our way to New Brunswick. We got a chance to visit Fundy National Park. Here are a few scenes from Dickson Falls.

Before going on a second hike, we had a little picnic overlooking the Bay of Fundy. The second hike was the Coppermine trail which was a bit of a let down. It was a long hike and there wasn't much to see.

F/W 09 bamboo collection

2009-08-26T20:26:00.005-04:00

I've listed a few tops from my f/w 09 bamboo line in my Etsy shop. I plan on making more styles but a few of my fabrics are on back order. Next on my "to-design" list is a funky cardigan, a turtleneck and a tulip skirt. I also have a red hot one shoulder dress that's almost finished.

What I'm growing

2009-08-23T17:55:00.001-04:00

Since zucchini is really the only vegetable thriving in my garden, I've been scouring the internet for some zucchini recipes. So far I've found this one on Epicurious. Delicious!

A few snap peas

The first 3 tomatoes make their appearance mid- August.

Mini green pepper

Cats gotta love them

2009-08-19T14:48:00.001-04:00

The making of the garden boxes

2009-08-18T17:54:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it's already August and I've barely blogged about my garden. To be honest, it's been my worst gardening season to date. In July, we had record breaking rainfall and August has turned into a scorcher.

I had such high hopes when we built our two garden boxes back in April.

It was relatively simple project. First we got all our supplies from Home Depot the night before.
1 4x4 (10 foot long)
12 4x2 (8 foot long)

At the HD, we got them to cut the 4x4 into 8 even pieces of 15 inches each and you get them to cut 4 of the 4x2 in half.

This leaves you with
o 8 4x4 (15 inches long)
o 8 4x2 (8 foot long)
o 8 4x2 (4 foot long)

We also picked up 1 box of 2-1/2 galvanized screws for cedar wood (not treated wood, there is a difference as I was told my the Mr.)

Supplies for 2 boxes

The cutting at HD sometimes leaves rough edges so you can choose to sand them like we did.

The first step is to lay 2 4x2 (8 feet) across resting on 1 4x4 on each end. Make sure they are flush at the edges, attach with screws (2 crews per piece, per edge). Do this again to make the other side. Once you have two sides, you add the 2 4x2 (4 feet) upright on one end and then at the other (both on the same side). Once you do this, you basically have a box with 3 sides. Then connect the remaining long side to the rest of the pieces to have a complete box that should look like this:

The extra length on the bottom of the 4x4 is to anchor the box in the ground.

Next step was to decide where to place the box. It's best to place your boxes in the sunniest spot in your yard. As you can see, your project evolved into 4 boxes.

Note to self: this spot was sunny in April, not so much in July.

I removed the majority of the weeds and turned the soil a bit. I covered the bottom with a single layer of newspaper to suppress any weeds I may have missed.

We ordered 5 cu feet of garden soil for the boxes. We ended having extra that we used for the flower garden. This was the most difficult part - hauling the soil from the front of the yard to the back of the yard. My arms were sooo sore the next day I could barely raise my arm.

The finished product in early May.

Weekend deal

2009-08-14T12:10:00.005-04:00

Today I was lucky enough to be featured in Etsy's weekend deals. What's the deal you ask ... free shipping for everyone this weekend only. YAY!

Unfortunately the top that is featured has already sold but there's more styles and sizes in my shop. Free shipping runs till Sunday night, more details are available in my shop announcement.

You can view more weekend deals featured on Etsy here.

Sneak peek

2009-08-12T09:51:00.005-04:00

Last week, I took a few days off to work on some new styles for my fall collection. I have 4 new styles that will be ready in about a week and a half. They're all made with this great eco friendly bamboo jersey. I'm really loving this new fabric. Bamboo is a great sustainable resource . It grows about 1 foot a day without the use of pesticides and chemicals.

A little weekend project

2009-08-07T18:29:00.005-04:00

I've had Rationell pot lid rack since my first apartment in Ottawa. I thought it was pretty cool when I originally bought it. The landlord thought otherwise. I guess he wasn't fond of the the 3 holes it left in his kitchen cabinet. Now that I have my own house, I couldn't find a suitable kitchen cabinet for this gadget. It was only when I was cleaning my closet did I discover its true potential. I decided to hang it behind my bedroom door and use it to organize my clutch handbags. Works like a charm!

Since there was a bit of room left on the wall, I decide to buy an Grundtal rail and hooks to hang up my belts. I feel so organized!

Oven french toast

2009-08-06T14:54:00.006-04:00

A Saturday morning staple

- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 c milk
- pinch of salt
- Baguette or other leftover bread, crust removed and cut in 1" cubes. Approx 4 cups.

Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Mix well. Add bread and let sit 10- 15 min so all the liquid can absorb. Add bread to square baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 min in a 350 degree oven. After 30 min, remove from oven and make sure the middle is cooked. It should be nice and puffy.

Next add 1 tbsp of melted butter with enough brown sugar to make a liquidy paste. Drizzle on top of french toast. I also like to add frozen blueberries and pecans. Bake for another 15 minutes ( foil removed). Serve with fresh fruit and maple syrup.

Few pics from my dining room

2009-07-27T17:44:00.005-04:00

A few pics from my newly decorated dining room:

- Urban jungle decal from Blik

- Dining table (well actually it's suppose to be a desk) and chairs from Ikea

- Place mats from Pier 1

- Vintage owl napkin holder and Vera napkins from Frenchy's

-Vintage American Tourister luggage from Frenchy's
-Vase from Loblaws
-Bamboo sticks left in the basement by previous owners (actually had no idea what these were for until I saw them at the garden center this summer)
- Framed print thrifted at Value Village

Shop update

2009-07-27T17:38:00.004-04:00

Here are few new tops that I just listed in the shop.

This week, I'm working on a few pieces for fall. It's weird to be making clothing for fall when it seems summer still isn't here. Ah well, there's always hope for sunny days in August.

Pink Paisley - Small

Shades of fall - Medium

Bee Balm from the garden

2009-07-22T17:08:00.001-04:00

Canada celebrations

2009-07-16T19:56:00.002-04:00

Here are a few pics from our fireworks "show" at the cottage.

Here's my boyfriend going to deliver more matches to our host on the raft.

Some of the fireworks were duds. Our host had to jump in the lake to avoid getting burnt with this one.

The best for last

Happy Canada Day

2009-07-01T11:37:00.004-04:00

This morning I woke up to find myself in a Canada Day treasury on Etsy's front page. Don't forget today is the last day to enter in our TransCanada Team contest.

I'm on vacation 'till next Monday. Woohoo!!

The only bad news is it's going to rain all week. Blah! I'll post some pics of my Canada Day celebration over the weekend. Happy Canada Day everyone :)

Virtual road trip

2009-06-25T18:14:00.002-04:00

My mini "interview" is up on the TransCanada Team blog. The team is making their way accross the country in honour of Canada Day and our Team contest.

Slug death trap

2009-06-22T18:34:00.005-04:00

This spring my poor basil was victimized by slugs. It was looking limp and the leaves had numerous holes in them. There was barely a leaf decent enough for me to eat. So here was my solution:

1 small container + a little left over beer = 1 eco friendly slug trap.

After one week of "refills", my basil is already looking healthier. (Sorry it rained all weekend, so I'll get a post "slug" photo next week.)

Canada Day Road trip and Giveaway

2009-06-20T15:20:00.004-04:00

The Trans Canada Etsy Team is having a virtual road trip and we are giving away two amazing prizes! The promotion runs from June 20th to July 1st.

During this time, when you make a purchase from a participating shop, you automatically earn one ticket into a prize draw for every $10 you spend (before shipping is added to the total). So if you spend $10, you will get one ticket. If you spend $50, you get 5 tickets.

If you mention the promotional code "Road Trip" in the notes to seller when you check out, you can earn one additional ticket into the prize draw.There are two incredible prizes!A $350 Prize Pack consisting of all these handmade items:

And a $175 Handwoven Rag Rug:

The rag rug was woven by Pegg, FiveForty, using tshirts that were sent to her from all the participating team members across Canada. It's gorgeous and big, measuring 34"x55"! It is a wonderful collaboration bringing together our members from coast to coast, and beautifully executed by Fiveforty through her artistry and skill.

So here is how you win! From June 20th to July 1st, any purchase you make from the participating shops will get your name into the draw. You get one ballot for every $10 that you spend. On July 2nd, we will draw for the winners. Remember, if you mention the promo code "Road Trip" when you make your purchase, you will get one extra ballot!

Be sure to check out the TransCanada Team blog from now till July 1st for mini interviews done with each seller (including myself).

Here is a list of participating shops and prizes that each shop has donated to the prize pack. Remember, you earn 1 ticket for each $10 you spend (prior to shipping costs) in these shops:

Jewelry & Accessories:

www.stringmealong.etsy.com/
www.seaglassdesigns.etsy.com/
www.offthehooks.etsy.com/
www.enthral.etsy.com/

Handbags:

www.paisleybaby.etsy.com/
www.laurabucci.etsy.com/
www.iheartthatdance.etsy.com/
www.rikrak.etsy.com/

Cards & Journals:

www.pixel8ed.etsy.com/
www.myhandboundbooks.etsy.com/
www.piggytailsstationary.etsy.com/
www.prairiepeasant.etsy.com/

Bath & Body:

www.carvelcountrysoaps.etsy.com/

www.bovinebubbles.etsy.com/

Clothes:

www.tangente.etsy.com/
www.inkyspider.etsy.com/
www.willowcatvintage.etsy.com/

House & Home:

www.fiveforty.etsy.com/
www.kootsac.etsy.com/

Handmade Supplies:

www.tooaquarius.etsy.com/
www.claychicks.etsy.com/

We hope you have fun participating in our virtual road trip, Happy Canada Day! Winners announced July 2nd.

*It is also possible to get one entry without making a purchase by writing a short essay describing your favorite Canadian thing (place, person, food, book, band, artist etc) Tell us why you love it and what it means to you. Then, send in your entry by contacting Sara through her Etsy shop.

Things not to do with birdseed

2009-06-15T21:29:00.006-04:00

Leave it outside overnight (insert long sigh!)

Some new tops

2009-06-14T13:33:00.000-04:00

I've been busy stocking the shop with my new style of summer scarf tank top. Each one of these tops is made using 2 vintage scarves. One for the front and a complementary print for the back (not pictured)

Acorn - available in a size small

Vintage bouquet available in a size Large

Quick tomato salad

2009-06-13T13:14:00.006-04:00

Here's one of my favorite tomato salads

- Bunch of tomatoes, cut into bite size

- 1 shallot, thinly sliced

- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- Pinch of salt and pepper

- 1 tbsp chopped thyme ( I used lemon thyme from the garden)

Place tomatoes in bowl, top with sliced shallots. Mix all dressing ingredients together in small bowl and drizzle on top of tomatoes mix. Easy Peasy!

Now if only my tomatoes could grow in my garden (insert long sigh!)

Another weekend deal

2009-06-06T09:35:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know I'm having a weekend sale starting Saturday till Sunday midnight (EST). Save 15 % when you mention "spring graduate" at tangente's checkout.

So many great deals on Etsy this weekend, I may have to go shopping myself.

Is your cat plotting to kill you ?

2009-05-19T21:39:00.003-04:00

Spring sale this weekend

2009-04-24T14:19:00.003-04:00

Today I was featured on Etsy Finds: weekend deals. YAY!

So this weekend I'm offering 15% off every item in my shop (even sale and clearance items). Don't forget to mention "spring" in the message to seller during the checkout process. I will then refund the savings via Paypal.

New contest from TransCanada Etsy team

2009-04-05T10:35:00.004-04:00

Spring has Sprung! The Easter Bunny hopped over to the TransCanada Etsy Team and left some eggs behind! So we decided to host the first ever TransCanada Etsy Team Easter Egg Hunt. 29 shops are hiding 20 eggs and one person will win a $15.00 coupon* to redeem at any of the participating Etsy shops below!!! (*not redeemable for cash)

How to play! Go to all the Shops and find the Eggs, it will be hidden within the first 10 listings. Keep a list of all the shops with eggs then convo us that list! The winner will be drawn from all correct entries on Monday April 13th and announced here by 6pm Etsy time!

SHOP LIST

BabyBunnyNaturals.etsy.com, bovinebubbles.etsy.com , carvelcountrysoaps.etsy.com, claychicks.etsy.com, cleanbright.etsy.com, enthral.etsy.com, fiveforty.etsy.com, inkyspider.etsy.com, kootsac.etsy.com, laurabucci.etsy.com, louloubell.etsy.com, loopy4ewe.etsy.com, mieldesigns.etsy.com, mybellebijoux.etsy.com, MyHandboundBooks.etsy.com, offthehooks.etsy.com, paisleybaby.etsy.com, phunkythreadz.etsy.com, piggytailsstationary.etsy.com, prairiepeasant.etsy.com, rikrak.etsy.com, seaglassdesigns.etsy.com, starryeyedstudios.etsy.com, stringmealong.etsy.com, tangente.etsy.com, minouette.etsy.com, tooaquarius.etsy.com, wildwomanjewelry.etsy.com, willowcatstudio.etsy.com

Good Luck and Have fun!

Pssstt... here's a hint... this is the "egg" you're looking for

A few new tops

2009-04-03T13:47:00.004-04:00

I haven't been sewing at all this week since I've been hit with a massive cold. I did however find this free picture editing site that's really cool.

It's called Picnik and it has all these fun features (including adding a polraoid frame around your pictures). Did I mention it's free !!

I decided to try it out with the latest tops I added to my shop.

Turn off the lights

2009-03-28T13:58:00.002-04:00

Your Light Switch Is Your Vote by Shepard Fairey
Originally uploaded by Earth Hour Global

Tonight is Earth Hour. Be sure to turn off your lights for 1 hour at 8:30. I'll be out having sushi tonight but I'm making sure no lights are on when we leave the house.

Vintage scarves into new tops

2009-03-24T18:44:00.005-04:00

I got bored of making last year style of scarf halter top. So this week, I decided to try something new for the spring. My all time favorite thing to wear in the summer is a tank top. So why not create a tank top using my huge stack of vintage scarves. Sounds easy, right..?

Well it is and isn't. The easy part was making patterns for each size (xs, s,m and l). Then I make my own bias biding using cotton fabric which will be used for the straps. The most time consuming part is trying to find suitable "fronts" and "backs" for each tank in similar sizes and colors. I could spend hours going through my huge bin filled with scarves. Even though I have hundreds of scarves not that many match together.

Here's two that I already have listed in my shop. I'm already working a few new ones and a special one the Transcanada team shop.

Available here

Transforming the old into something new

2009-03-17T18:01:00.007-04:00

Here's a top that I had designed a few years ago. I really like the comfy style of the sleeves but I felt the top was now too short, the neckline too high and it lacked oumf!

So I had the choice to either throw them out or restyle them into something more funky. I've only had time to do the black ones so far but I'm really happy with the result. Although, I do feel it looks a lot better in person. I'll definitely be keeping one of these babies for myself.

Available here

Cat Toy Giveaway

2009-03-14T11:04:00.003-04:00

Hurry! There's an incredible cat toy giveaway on Moderncat. They have 123 cat toys up for grab. You gotta leave a comment before Sunday night.

I even contributed a little critter myself...

TransCanada Etsy team video

2009-02-14T15:39:00.004-05:00

Here's a little video from my TransCanada Etsy team. If you want to shop for any of the featured artists, click on the SHOP CANADIAN button on the right hand side.

New necklaces

2009-02-13T13:24:00.004-05:00

I've been absent from the blogging world for a while now. I wish I could say I'm back for good but I'm not. I'll be posting a few things this week but will likely not resume weekly blogging until the spring.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I started creating these new necklaces made from various types of thread spools and vintage buttons. Since sewing thread weakens over time, these spools aren't very useful to sew but they still make an nice and unique accessory.

I've listed a few in my Etsy shop today and will add 2 more tomorrow. Here's a sneak preview:

Spool necklace #3

Long spool necklace #3

Gatineau Park

2008-10-19T18:07:00.006-04:00

Today we went for a hike in Gatineau Park. As you can see, it was a gorgeous day so park was packed with hikers, mountain bikers, kids and dogs.

We decided to take a break at a dam on Meech Lake. There was a few guys playing latin music on one of the huge rocks. It was actually a lot of fun and I'm not usually an outdoorsy person. We decided to turn back at this point since I realised I had forgotten my Kleenex in the car. My boyfriend kept insisting that I could blow my nose with am Oak leaf but I wasn't buying it!

(Yikes! I think I'll have some sore legs tomorrow)

A banana what..?

2008-10-12T12:00:00.001-04:00

My boyfriend got himself a banana guard at the Glebe Emporium last week. No, it's not what you're thinking. It's actually a plastic case so your banana doesn't get bruised on your way to work or school. Although he has gotten a few weird looks from his fellow co-workers, I think it's a clever idea.

They come in a variety of colors. I think I'll get the pink one for myself. Available for 6.99 on their website.

New reversible scarf tops

2008-10-11T12:56:00.000-04:00

Here's a sneak peek at my new reversible scarf tops. I was a bit hesitant listing these in the fall but I think they're pretty cute with a long sleeve top (or even a turtleneck) underneath. You can click on the pictures to see the back. Sorry, only 1 is still available.

Sold

Size S/M - still availble for $35 here

Sold