Summer Soundtrack

Bear-ry Day Card...envelope diorama the birthday edition.

Oh man I love summer.  I've been living in pools and watching the blue skies float amongst the water surface.  Bright bike rides and flapping skirts in light breezes which carry the colours of lavender and hot pink roses around our ankles. Who could ask for anything more.

I've also been obsessed with creating a soundtrack to commemorate this lovely season...so far I've got three tracks:

White Sea - Overdrawn

Austra - Lose It

Justice - New Lands

I am open to more suggestions...

Berry Time

Summer Day Dioramas, piled and ready for post.

Toronto summers are certainly a lovely sight, hot hot heat, blooming city gardens, and wildlife signing along with the city scape and car songs. We've been taking it easy in my neck of the woods and that has been a welcome break from what seemed like a whirlwind spring.  With the wedding and some major work projects I let myself get caught up in a whirlwind of fun and deadlines. But those projects are all cleaned up and closed off, and I am feeling focused again! The next goals are to really focus back on pattern and textile design.  I have so much to learn and try that at times it feels overwhelming, like there is no way I can figure it out...and not to mention there are so many talented artists out there it can be rather intimidating, yet at the same time so inspiring. And speaking of awe inducing designers, I am totally in love with Elizabeth Olwen's work! Make sure to check out her site! It's fabulous and her blog is a wonderful read!

Doing textiles is a dream I've had for so long, I just need to go and do it and not let my fears stop me...it's all about the making right? 

I've also really missed making beautiful mail...so to stretch out my fingers and imagination I thought I would start with making a small run of envelope dioramas...it has been so long! This one is about bears (a favourite of mine) and berries...I've been eating so many blackberries I seriously think I may be turning into a some sort of woodland creature.

Unfold and find a hungry bear, a berry for snaking, a tiny meadow and a mini forest friend for company.

Stuffed into their warm wood-like envelope.

Family on the run.

Berry dreams.

Sweet leafy spirits.

Following the storm.

Sharing

Spring time.

sky stories.

It's warmer now. I can cycle, I can run, I can wander the city streets without frost bite.  It's spring!

The other night I took to the track and was witness to a very big performance of sky stories.  It was moody, it was bright, there was rain and sun and all the colours that make your heart burst with exhilaration. It was magnificent.  I ran with my eyes glued to that sky...I suppose it inspired these stories...

I tie myself to a handmade cloud. Sewn out of cotton candy and dandelion fluff.

i lose myself in a spring storm.

lost in sunset now...and ready for sleep.

Make Believe.

Walking with rainbows.

Forgotten lunch.

Mythical beasts.

Wind racer.

Slow poke.

The sneak.

Secret Fort.

Sweetness.

The entire cast.

The setting.

A Valentine Diorama...

Hearts in disguise!

A quick post tonight dedicated to the season of love notes! I've been seeing many tutorials over the tubes that show you how to fold a paper heart into an envelope. It turns out that these heart's in disguise are the perfect home for my valentine dioramas!

Surprise...a folded away friend!

piles of sweetness.

Valentine diorama unfolded.

Team Heart Beat!

Paper Sunshine!

It's January in Toronto...that means...snow...or well it used to.  These days we are flip flopping between freezing skies and rainy afternoons.  Either option would be improved with sunshine. 

So for my latest mailing project, I created some little bursts of sunshine packed up in the tiniest of envelopes! I am shipping them out tomorrow...so hopefully some familiar friends will have a little bit of extra warmth pass through their hands this month. 

Paper Sunshine: inside the a tiny burst of happy!

I am also getting really excited about making some valentines...i have some ideas cooking in my imagination. Next step, put them on paper!  Also, my other life's work, the Monster Factory is running an awesome contest/activity for this very love filled holiday. Essentially you write a monster a valentine, and they will write you one back! All the details are available via the link above. 

Bear in the snow.

Bear making a million wishes.

The tiny envelopes for the tiniest of letters!

A little letter made out of paper sunshine.

And now back to my blanket fort a.k.a. hibernation station!

Breath Out and In - A mail post.

I have finally found a moment to put together a few letters to let loose into the wilderness.  My 'Flurries' dioramas are flying off in these little quiet envelopes.  I think they will be cozy enough wrapped in their paper blankets.

These colourful folks are carrying some special surprises for old and new friends! I hope they move quickly through the woods.

I have also been getting a few lovely treats in the mail myself!  First my friend Tanya sent me one of her own creations.  It's so beautiful, I've been keeping it on my desk and looking at it whenever I find myself craving a pocket of stillness during the day.

I have also been so lucky to have received, not one but two amazing packages from Merissa!  I was introduced to her via my friend J.  Her calligraphy is out of this world awesome and she shares a love of Elvis with me!

Finally, I'm not even 100% certain how I stumbled on Beebee's blog, but I am so glad I did.  We are doing a zine exchange and I received her package first.  Holy smokes...it's outstanding.  Her Workshop zine is so beautiful! But not only beautiful also crazy informative, full of diy projects, and informative tips about stationery and stationery accessories.  Here is a link to where you can get your own copy!  I can't wait for our next exchange, but first I must send out her package!

A little DIY gift you can make!

Kawaii sticker sets! my favourite!

Envelope Diorama: Winter!

The snow is coming, so we bundle our hearts in covers.

The two of us dress in wool, our breath tangles, frosty kisses iced with crisp sunlight.

Long walks...sound of feet and crackling snow. it's a happy kind lonely.

I live in the mountains for the cold months.

Ice bergs waltz together at the edge of the world.

Pieces of winter in piles around our feet.

His eyes are the warmest thing about this day.

We close our eyes and hibernate in envelopes till spring.

My 6x8 Piece.

The finished piece...untitled for now.

Back in the early days of summer, i ran into my friend Petra at the Paper Place (one of my favourite shops here in toronto). We got to talking about making things and I explained how I was really getting into working with paper again and she recommended I enter the 6x8 Exhibition. The deal with this show is the Paper Place supplies you with one 6x8 piece of Etchu Hagaki 300g kozo paper and from there it's up to you to make something out of it. 

Detail of Wolfy Face.

I just put the finishing touches on my piece tonight, and will be handing it over tomorrow! I decided to build up from the paper, using it as my base and background.  I am fairly happy with the final results, though next time I might go a little more minimal.  Cutting out all the flower details was really time consuming, but very satisfying...but again I still need to work on my technique.  On the whole this was a great project.  I got to try a more detailed diorama and explore a whole new world of papers (all found on the shelves of the paper place!).  I can't wait to see what the other artists did, I saw one sneak peek here!

The grasslands.

Waiting on the night.

Eastbound.

before ink.

i love the pencil lines...but they didn't read as well from a far...but i may start working more in this medium.

More process work.

two of these little guys didn't make it into the piece...they will probably end up in an envelope or my journal.