I just found this great video through Smashing Magazine.
I used to extensively practice calligraphy about 10 years ago…and since it’s such a great fit with book arts, I should really get back into it…
what a strange day. Farrah Fawcett AND Michael Jackson? Wow.
Just read this news:
Romeo LeBlanc, Canada’s first Acadian governor general, dies at 81
If you scroll down the article and read about Acadian history, you’ll understand why this is a big deal…
I’ve just confirmed my participation at the Mini-Crafternoon Tea event on Saturday, July 4. The event is organized and curated by nathalie-roze & co., so you know some pretty awesome vendors will be involved! Check out the Events and Workshops page for all the details. Be sure to check out my upcoming workshops while you’re there!
Been spending a fair amount of time online these days – creating a Facebook Page for myself (become a fan!) and learning the intricacies of Twitter. Enjoying it immensely, perhaps even a bit too much…
Although I have been producing a fair amount of handmade books, I haven’t managed to take any good photos to show them off. Soon, I promise!
Hope you’re all having a wonderful [and crafty] day!
Three new workshop dates (and the brand-new workshop project below) have been added to the calendar – check out the Events & Workshops page for more information. And don’t forget to register soon!
Accordion Crimes
Last night I had the most amazing opportunity to see The Canadian Songbook: A Tribute to Neil Young’s Live at Massey Hall, as part of the Luminato Festival. It was a recreation of Young’s 1971 concert by an impressive roster of talent, including Colin James, Holly Cole, Jason Collett, Cowboy Junkies, Issa [formerly Jane Siberry], Stevie Jackson [of Belle & Sebastian fame), Colin Linden, Steven Page [of Barenaked Ladies fame], Carole Pope, Sarah Slean, and many others…
Interspersed between songs were stories about Neil Young, his life, the recording of the famed 1971 concert, and so much more. What impressed me the most, I think, was that by the ripe old age of 24, he had already written such gems as Old Man, Heart of Gold, Ohio, and The Needle and the Damage Done. Makes everyone else look like a slacker. Hmph.
It was a fabulous night with fabulous entertainment. Well worth the price, even though my seat was partially obstructed by enormous speakers! I’m simply grateful for having gotten tickets in the first place…
If you weren’t able to enjoy this concert in person, it will be broadcast on CBC Radio 2 on June 29 & July 6. Check it out!
I am thrilled to be offering some new workshops at Urban Scrapyard – yay!
Piano-Hinged Album – Saturday, June 13, 11 am-1 pm
Tied Up In Knots…On Steroids! – Saturday, June 27, 11 am-1 pm
For details about the workshops, visit the Events & Workshops page.
I will also be participating in the 5th Annual Leslieville Tree Festival on Saturday, June 20 – be sure to stop by the booth I’ll be sharing with nathalie-roze & co. and say hi!
The (almost) summer is already off to a great start!!!
More Greece updates to come later, but for now:
A crappy photo of my latest project – an LP journal made for a friend who is graduating from law school (did I mention she’s really, really smart?). I didn’t want to give her a standard, lawyer-ly graduation gift (briefcase, pen, etc.), and when she mentioned that she used to carry around a HAIR album from apartment to apartment until she finally got rid of it (before she met me), bells went off in my head. Voilà!
I normally make an effort to take better photos of my work, but it’s late and I don’t have access to natural sunlight at this moment. Meh.
This past weekend I went to see Little Ashes (with above-mentioned friend) – I’d never hear of it, but quite enjoyed it. It’s the story of Salvator Dalì and Federico Garcìa Lorca’s friendship and eventual love affair. Dalì is played by Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame. This role was certainly risky for a teen idol (there is almost-full-frontal nudity as well as several homo-erotic scenes), but I do have to commend Pattinson for taking a chance and going out on a limb. Good job!
I’ve made a mental note to explore the works of Dalì and Lorca in greater detail – I really don’t know much about either of them and am now quite curious…
Athens
I arrived home from my trip to Greece 10 days ago. I’ve had lots of time to blog about it since then, and really had no excuse for not posting anything. Except that I’ve been depressed and melancholy since coming home to Canada. I’ve been sulking around the apartment and at the office, wanting so desperately to go back. Today is the first day I’ve truly felt happy and productive since my return. Finally.
I spent the first two days of my trip on my own before meeting up with my friends. Since I was only going to be in Athens for a total of about 30 hours, I really needed a clear plan in order to maximize what little time I had there. The morning I arrived, I was already wiped with exhaustion (I suffer from severe motion sickness, which tends to drain me of all energy when I travel), but I made an effort to stay awake. After a quick shower, I set out to discover the Monastiraki, Syntagma and Plaka districts.
What a charming (if touristy) area! It was so much fun to walk along the narrow streets, peeking into shops that sold anything and everything: leather sandals, sea sponges, food, t-shirts, jewelery, pottery, kitschy souvenirs… If I happened to glance up down one of the side streets, I sometimes got a peek of the Acropolis, which sent shivers down my spine. To think that just ahead was THE ACROPOLIS. Incredible. I wanted to save my visit to the Acropolis for the following day, when I wasn’t so tired. Oh, the urge to go at that moment was so very strong, but I resisted.
I stopped at a small restaurant late in the afternoon and sat alone on the terrace. The waiter came and took my order, and soon thereafter an older man came to greet me. He may have been the owner of the restaurant, but he didn’t look Greek (he was much taller and thinner than the Greek men I’d seen, and his hair was completely white). This was the gist of our conversation:
Him (with thick accent): Where are you from, my dear?
Me: Canada.
Him: Canada? I LOVE CANADA! And you are here in Athens alone?
Me: Yes.
Him: Ah. Let me give you some advice: When it comes to Greek men, you have to be FIRM. You have to know in your head what you want, and you have to be FIRM. Otherwise, they will take advantage of you. Ok? BE FIRM.
Me (trying my best not to burst out laughing): Ok. Be firm.
Him: Yes.
And then he left. But then he came back.
Him: When is your birthday?
Me (confused): Pardon?
Him: What month were you born?
Me: Uh, January.
Him (almost violently): I KNEW IT! Me too – I am born in January! It is like WE ARE BROTHERS!
Indeed. Just like brothers.
After this most amusing dinner, I spent over an hour in Monastiraki Square, just people watching. It was fascinating to hear the numerous languages and accents all around me. When darkness fell, I walked back to my hotel room and went to bed early. I slept for 12 hours straight.
The next morning, I had a quick breakfast at the hotel, then headed out. My first stop: to buy leather sandals from this guy. Actually, his son sold me the sandals – regardless, the pair I bought is so incredibly comfortable, I’ve been wearing the sandals non-stop.
Next on the agenda – the Acropolis. Now, I’ll blame it on the jet lag, but for some reason it never occurred to me that the Acropolis was at the top of a hill (it looked really flat on the map!) and that I would have to actually climb the hill in order to reach it. Mentally, I was NOT prepared for the uphill hike in 30c+ weather. In fact, I thought I was going to die. But I made it – along with about 20,000 other people (or so it felt). If this is the off-peak season, I cannot even begin to imagine what the busy season looks like…
Walking through the gates of the Propylaea and arriving face-to-face with the Parthenon was one of the most awesome experiences of my life. I remember being frozen in awe and disbelief as the monumental building stood there before me. I can’t even put my feelings at that moment into words. I decided to sketch the Parthenon in my travel journal, to better to savour the moment and remember every detail. Of course, the drawing doesn’t do the original justice, but I’m glad I took the time to sketch it nonetheless – it’s now engrained in my mind. (More on my travel journal in another post).
After spending some time walking through the rest of the Acropolis and seeing the Erechtheion, the Theatre of Dionysus and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, I headed back down the slope and stopped for lunch near Monastiraki Square. Since I only had a few hours left in Athens, I knew I couldn’t visit the numerous museums and archeological sites within the city. I therefore decided to focus on one more site: the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Walking through the narrow streets of Plake, I was once again rendered completely awestruck and speechless by the sheer magnitude of the ruins as I arrived at the site. There seemed something inherently wrong about cars being allowed to zoom by just a few feet from the temple – it was a strange mix of modern and ancient civilizations. Walking back to the hotel, I was amazed (and amused) to come across the ruins of a Roman bathhouse, smack dab in the middle of one of the busiest streets in Athens! Incredible!
I soon thereafter took a bus to the airport, and that evening flew to Rhodes Island (Rodos), where I remained for the rest of the trip. More on that soon…
This conversation really happened at Newark International Airport (New Jersey), when I stopped at a shop to buy a bottle of water -
Cashier: What’s them strange coins you got in your hands – what country are they from?
Me: Uh, Canada. That’s our one-dollar coin.
Cashier: Right – them’s strange coins. And they have a strange name, too, like “duck” or something.
Me (trying really hard not to laugh): Uh, actually they’re called loonies.
Cashier: Right, right. And you have something like a double-loonie too.
Me: Uh, yeah – they’re called toonies.
Cashier: Right, right. Man, them’s strange coins you have.
And thus the adventure began…
Yes, the song by Bonnie Tyler. Except this version is by the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra – and highly addictive:
I’ve been listening to it ALL DAY. I can’t get enough of it. Help!
While you’re at it, check out their live cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya” – way cool!
If you look closely, you might notice that the second guy from the left is Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame. No wonder they’re so damn cool.
It’s finally starting to dawn on me that in 9 dodos (French for “sleeps”), I’ll be on a big plane heading to Greece. Until now it seemed like an abstract notion, something casually mentioned during conversations, but not quite real. Today I spent the whole day plotting my itinerary – since I’ll only be spending about 30 hours in Athens before heading to Rhodes Island, I want to make the most of my time there. I discovered that the hotel where I’d initially booked a room (several weeks ago) is in a not-so-great part of the city. I hadn’t much time to investigate and booked one of less expensive rooms I could find (now I know why it was so cheap!). I’ve managed to find a better hotel, closer to the Acropolis and the Athens market, two attractions I so desperately want to visit.
My question for anyone who knows Athens:
Can you recommend any good stationery / paper / art supply stores in Athens – ideally in the Plaka, Syntagma or Monastiraki quarters? Any must-see shops or restaurants I should visit while I’m there?
Although almost every minute of my time in Athens will be plotted out in advance, I’m mindful of keeping my days on Rhodes Island wide open. After all, my mission will be to spend several days relaxing and hanging out with dear friends and eating and drinking wine in the lovely village of Lindos. Here’s proof of its loveliness:
(Yah, my life sucks. Cough.
I am sad to admit that my attempts to learn Greek have been quite disastrous,although many people have told me that I will likely pick it up in Greece, once I’m surrounded by it. At least I can read the alphabet and pronounce words correctly – but I still have no idea what they mean! It’ll be interesting to see how much I really am able to pick up once I’m in Greece…
Meet my new friend Tweet.
I made him this afternoon during a lino-block printing workshop with Katie Muth at nathalie-roze & co. I feel a new obsession coming on. Here’s proof:
Too many tweets to count. Sigh.
Have been spending a great deal of time updating my Etsy shop – taking and re-taking photos, posting new products, even creating a whole new banner and avatar. It’s been a lot of hard work, and quite time-consuming, but definitely worth it.
I received a message informing me that one of my notebooks was featured today on the FoundHandmade blog. Mine is the notebook shown below, in the April 20 post titled “Journals and Albums” (unfortunately I don’t seem to be able to link directly to the post…):
Exciting stuff!
Should’ve known I’d jinx it…mention spring and it disappears immediately. Argh.
Yesterday: 11C (52F) and warm, bright sunshine on a cloudless, carefree day.
Today: OC (32F) and a miserable, slushy snowstorm. Sigh.
To cheer myself up tonight, I’ll be watching a few episodes of these guys:
Flight of the Conchords are my newest obsession – and I don’t even watch TV! However, I’ve managed to watch every episode of season 2 (and a few of season 1) online. And now a co-worker has just lent me her DVD of season 1. Woo hoo – It’s Business Time!
They’re playing at Massey Hall later this month – the show is sold out, but I’m determined to find tickets somehow, somewhere. Got a few tricks up my sleeve yet…wish me luck!
With spring making a reluctant appearance every now and again, I’ve decided to update my blog look with a new theme and a new header (coming soon – gotta put my newly acquired Photoshop skills to the test!). As much as I loved the other look, it was too dark and dreary now that the snow has melted. Time to brighten things up around here!
For the first time in a long time, I’ve finally found the energy to start creating again. A few of my projects from this weekend:
This Flashdance (What a Feeling – yeah !) notebook is relatively small – approx. 5″ X 6″. I made three other small notepads in a similar format (using Saturday Night Fever and ABBA albums) but forgot to take photos before dropping them off for sale at nathalie-roze & co. this afternoon.
The two books in the photos above are large – approx. 8.5″ X 11″. I looooooove large books, though they can be intimidating at times… The one on the bottom (with crazy flowers) is filled with several sheets of 300lb. watercolour paper – I made it so I can improve my rusty watercolour skills before the big trip to Greece in May.
I also upcycled several boxes (popcorn, cereal, etc.) and leftover paper scraps into these nifty notepads:
I’ve starting trimming numerous brown paper bags to make super-thick, super-cool notepads. I love love love kraft paper and can’t wait to see how these turn out!
As you can see, the ideas have definitely been flowing…it’s the energy that was lacking. I feel a certain awakening now that spring is here (for good, I hope) and the Greece trip is becoming reality (5 weeks to go). Watching Mamma Mia (and Colin Firth!) while making the upcycled notepads last night were great motivators!
In addition to making all these books, I spent some time updating my etsy shop, which has been sadly neglected of late. Here are a few of the beauties you can now find in the shop:
(I’m quite in love with these russian dolls…)
What about you – do you feel a certain awakening or energy increase when spring is in the air? What have you been inspired to create?
I know I haven’t been posting much lately – between travels and crazy workloads, haven’t had the energy to do much of anything, really. More on that in a later post.
I just came across this video on screenprinting techniques using common, inexpensive materials. I was looking at the new Yudu machine online, and was actually thinking of purchasing one – until I saw the $300 US price tag. Ouch!
The techniques shown in the video below are not only much less expensive, but also seem much simpler than the Yudu machine. Screenprinting is definitely on my list of things to explore this spring… Enjoy!
Here’s a little something so make you laugh, by Canadian sketch comedy troupe Kids in the Hall (man, I miss them!)
I’ve run into Mark McKinney (the headcrusher) twice since moving to Toronto – it was quite the experience for me to come across someone I had idolized so much as teenager growing up in smalltown New Brunswick!
I remember when the episode below aired – I was giddy because Perth Andover is so close to where I lived!
Reading… Snow by Orhan Pamuk
Listening to… I’m Yours by Jason Mraz
Watching… Dexter (season 2 on DVD)
Discovering… This blog (it’s hilarious – watch the SNL skit with Beyonce and Justin Timberlake found within this post)
Learning… To speak Greek (at least, trying to without much success)
Loving… The sun finally making an appearance more than once in a blue moon
Hating… The freakin’ cold (will this winter never end? What’s up with -27C windchills in March, forgodssake!)
Feeling… Creative (got some ideas brewing, just gotta find the time…)
Wishing… I can really afford a trip to Greece for an old friend’s wedding…sigh.
What have you been up to lately?
If you’re looking for something creative to do next weekend, I’ll be teaching a workshop at nathalie-roze & co. on Saturday, February 28 – check out the Events and Workshops page for more details…
Be on the lookout for lots of new workshops starting in March!
