make :: spicy beans canning tutorial

Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out Jackie's spicy beans canning tutorial over on the DIY Vancouver blog at granvilleonline.ca.

the lunch box project

My apple cozy is featured on Lisa Orgler's website today! Started in January 2009, the Lunch Box Project is Lisa's resolution to paint an image of food daily. As you can see on her website, she has already achieved her goal of 365 illustrations, but has decided to carry on the tradition by adding a new twist. For 2010, Lisa's goal is to pick monthly themes to focus her food paintings.

In her own words:

"After many weeks of nagging from my nine-year old daughter this month I bring you... Beatle Food.... On a five hour car ride to Wisconsin, while listening to Beatle music, my daughter started noticing all the food references in their songs. This month is the list of titles she jotted down in the car that day."

Apple records was a record label founded by the Beatles. Check out some green apple art that Lisa curated here including my apple cozy pictured above!

inspire :: daisy lew

(found via Eclectica)

Check out these New York City mixed-media, pop-up books by designer Daisy Lew. Pop-Up NYC is a series of books inspired by New York City icons (the Big Apple, the Chrysler Building). From one angle (top view), the image represents an icon while another icon, represents the cityscape (side view).


Check out Daisy's full portfolio on her website by clicking here. I highly recommend it.

buy handmade :: rosie music

When I was running my Japanese supply store over on Etsy, I was contacted by this fine lady asking if I was interested in a trade. To be honest, I am always a little hesitant with trades. What if you don't see anything that you like? Do we trade dollar by dollar? What if I want the money and not more stuff? You know, concerns like that.


Of course, when I visited Rosie Music, she took all of my concerns, packaged them into a bag and slapped me in the face with it, because her work was that amazing. All of her prints are fantastic especially the ones which she prints on a paperbacked natural wood veneer which uses less renewable and unrenewable resources to manufacture than the material required to make ordinary paper. That, teamed up with the $1.00 wood frames I picked up in Portland from a random shop, just makes them the perfect wall piece. As a matter of fact, I just sent her a message to see if she is interested in doing another swap. Loving this and this.

inspire :: miniature masterpieces

found via Tanis Alexis Laird and telegraph.co.uk

Dalton Ghetti is a Brazilian born, Connecticut based artist that carves miniature masterpieces from the tips of pencils. Using a razor blade, sewing needle and a sculpting knife, each piece takes anywhere between a few months to a few years. You can see more of his work here.



You can read more over at craftgossip.com. Simply amazing!

buy handmade :: Huiyi Tan

found via cargoh

Loving these colour pencil earrings by Huiyi Tan. Her new collection, Pencil Lover, is inspired by one of her childhood hobbbies, collecting colour pencil sets.

An accredited jewellery professional (GIA), Huiyi uses the best quality of colouring pencils she can find and applies a special treatment to them to make them suitable for jewelry making.

Next time you are left with pencil stubs, think twice before throwing them in the garbage!

Track and Field Designs - feature #39

Name: Track and Field Designs
Website links: Etsy, Blog

What do you make?
I make a variety of items, currently sewn & screen printed accessories - laptop bags, messenger bags, pouches and brooches. Sometimes purses and mittens. I have a very short attention span, making a lot of different things keeps things interesting for me.

What or who inspires you?
I find inspiration everywhere! I get inspired by fabric. I adore fabric. I even get inspired on my daily walk through my neighbourhood - all the heritage houses! I totally want one!



How did you get started?
I have always been a maker-of-things. I grew up sewing and knitting thanks to my Mom who is an expert sewer/knitter/crocheter.

What are your favourite materials to work with?
I have a serious fabric addiction. I can't get enough of the stuff! My favourite fabric is linen. It's just the best.

What is the hardest and most favourite part of crafting?
The hardest part for me is marketing. I am shy and awkward and not at all comfortable with promoting myself. My favourite part is the creative & creating part! The whole making-something-out-of-nothing thing. I find the process of building something from a heap of fabric pretty satisfying.



List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them
I check these websites obsessively:
Etsy: Obviously
FaceBook: Because I am nosey.
Twitter: I still don't "get" Twitter, but I find it facsinating
Typepad: Home of my blog
Modcloth.com: It is very dangerous. You've been warned.



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
I don't even know what I am doing half of the time! But I think it's important to make items that you love. Continually improving your line and creating a strong "brand" will make your line stand out.



Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
I will say....designer. All my patterns are my own..dreamt up and made by me.

(photo images courtesy of Track and Field Designs)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...
Irit Sorokin Designs - feature #38
Clockwork Fantastica - feature #37
Divesin - feature #36
Flight Path Designs - feature #35
Plantscapes - feature #34
Olive - feature #33
Uncle Phil / Flipside - feature #32
Kim Werker - feature #31
Haiiku - feature #30
Smidgebox Designs - feature #29
heyday design - feature #28
Smeeta - feature #27
ACageyBee - feature #26
Maked - feature #25
Firefly Notes - feature #24
Florence Ann - feature #23
Him Creations - feature #22
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1

buy handmade :: Nora Aoyagi

Nora Aoyagi is a California (Berkeley to be exact!) based artist and illustrator. She draws inspiration from common folklore and fairy tales, Japanese wood block prints and children's book illustrations to draw, print and paint her work. I spent much of our trip to Renegade last December oohing and ahhing over her work. If it wasn't for the fact that we are paring down for our big move to the UK next year, our walls would be plastered with many of her prints such as this and this.


I must not forget this one to. You know how much I love my silhouettes!

Thanks to poppytalk and guest contributor Eva Jorgensen of Sycamore Street Press for reminding me about her wonderful work on your Renegade Spring 2011 post.

things to do :: Handmade Market

Astrosatchel Accessories and friends will be heading up the Handmade Market @ Artful Sundays coming up this Sunday, August 22nd on Commercial Drive.

Vendors include Cul de Sac Ceramics, Bliss in a Teacup, Laura Bucci Handmade and Sumiya Clothing.

Here are the details:

When:
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where:
Britannia Community Centre 1001 Cotton Drive - Napier and Commercial Drive, Vancouver

For more information, visit astrosatchel.com

buy me :: Colin Beadle Original Art

This is another shameless promotion post where I am announcing more stuff for sale, because we are moving in six months and need to begin paring down.

One day, I was flipping through a magazine and read about this event called Dinner in the Dark. At the time, I had left my job at Impark, had completed my Event Coordination certificate and was looking for something to do. Of course, me being me, I said "Hey, this sounds fun. I can totally black out and restaurant and do this.". Gah. Thankfully, after 20 or so cold letter calls to various restaurants, we received one reply from the infamous Jay of DV8 Lounge. Although, we knew nothing at the time, he took us under his mama bird wing and gave us the support to successfully run six Dinner in the Dark events throughout the summer of 2004. It was the first time that the event was held in Canada and the first in the world to include live entertainment. No one could have asked for more press, more support and a Canadian Industry Award for Best Entertainment Event nomination on their very first event.


Flash back a few years during our first site visit. An unknown artist named Colin Beadle of Giant Lizard Collectibles, had his work displayed at DV8 Lounge. Although, he has moved on to other things, he was an animator that painted / illustrated to help pay for school at Emily Carr. Known for his drawings inspired by animation, you can see some of his other work here and here.

*******************************

For sale :: A set of Four Star Wars Themed Original Paintings by Colin Beadle

Each panel is 10 inches wide and 20 inches high.

Yellow background and each panel features a different character - Princess Leia, Hans Solo and Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Asking price is $200 CDN for the set. Would like to see the paintings go as a set, but if you have your heart set, we can talk about it. Perfect gift for the Star Wars fan in your life or to decorate a kid's bedroom. Have loved them for many years, but am ready to see them off to their new home.

Interested? Drop me an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com. Pick up only from Vancouver.