Wordless Wednesday 08.06.16
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Author Archives: sproutspress
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I understand that not everyone is into social media, totally fine. But sometimes you still want to stay in the loop, which is why I write a monthly eNewsletter, delivered right to your inbox! I write about many things, all related to book arts; leading a creative life, inspiration, creations of fellow makers, and sometimes I share news about upcoming events, contests and workshops.
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The Studio on a Sunday (on a Monday)
The last few days I’ve been working on swag for this year’s Toronto Etsy Street Team’s Midsummer Market!! If you’re one of the first 50 people through the door, you’ll get an awesome swag bag filled with goodies from local makers!
This year is a bit different, there’ll be an outside space AND an inside space, at the gorgeous Campbell House. I’ll be inside, keeping my paper goods safe from the elements, but be sure to stop by and check it all out!
Bonus Tip: The show is right by Osgoode Subway station, so convenient!!
Paper Fair at Toronto’s First Post Office!
Save the date, the Paper Fair is just around the corner!
Join myself and a curated selection of other paper vendors for the second Paper Fair!! Last year was fantastic, this year is going to be even better!! There will be illustrators, card designers, snail mail enthusiasts and local stationers vending their wares! Not to mention that the whole thing takes place in the beautiful and historic First Post Office!
What: Paper Fair!
When: Thursday June 16, 2016 6pm – 9pm
Where: Toronto’s First Post Office, 260 Adelaide Street East, Toronto
For more info and to see this years vendors, go here.
Wordless Wednesday 01.06.16
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Studio Sunday (on a Monday): Mobile Ink Factory
Today I’m going to talk about yesterday in the studio. Actually, I’m going to talk about yesterday outside of the studio, creating in a different space, in a different way.
This past weekend was doors open here in Toronto, it’s an opportunity to get a glimpse into buildings (or spaces/ideas) not normally open to the public. I had the chance to participate in just one tour. Opting for an ‘open air’ tour rather than a ‘doors open’ tour, I checked out the Mobile Ink Factory that was setup only for the weekend!
If you’ve been following along for a while, you know my interest in using and testing natural dyes on paper, like my Indigo post. So when this ink-making tour/event came up, you know that I was pretty eager!!
It ran along the west Toronto Railpath, and was led by the folks at The Toronto Ink Company and DeRail. An informative walk taught us about the natural and man-made materials that can be used in ink-making along the railpath. That’s right, this wasn’t just an ink-making tour (which in itself is pretty awesome), it was a tour detailing materials found exclusively on the West railpath that can be made into ink!!
After the walk, everyone emptied their bags of collected finds (there are rules to foraging responsibly on the railpath, I’ll list them below). Then we sorted them, mixing and matching with everyone else’s finds, into possible ink recipes.
In the end, I made a beautifully deep and intense black ink. It’s made from the charcoal dust of burned virginia creeper, mixed with water and gum arabic. Of course, the folks from Japanese Paper Place were there to help guide ink testing on paper. Because who does paper better than JPP?? This was my kind of day!!
Three rules of thumb for foraging (as per the Mobile Ink Factory handout):
- Harvest from the second patch (don’t pick the only instance of something).
- Harvest only the top third (don’t pull the whole plant, let it keep growing).
- Leave the space better (pick up trash along the way).
Thanks to all the folks who worked so hard to make this happen, we all had a great time!
Last Weekend for the Bees Gallery Show!
It’s the last weekend of this year’s Bees (& the Birds) show at Graven Feather! If you haven’t had a chance to see it, definitely go! Last day is this sunday!!
Bonus: 10% of all proceeds go towards helping the bees via the David Suzuki Foundation!!
For show information, go here.
Save the Date!
Mark your calendars! The Toronto Etsy Street Team’s Midsummer Market is just around the corner and we’d love to see you there!!
This year, the show is at the beautiful Campbell House, just steps from Osgoode subway station at Queen & University (so convenient!!)
As always, the first 50 people through the door get a coveted swag bag filled with handmade goodies!! Doors open at 10 and admission is free!
What: Toronto Etsy Street Team 6th Annual Midsummer Market
When: Saturday June 18, 10am – 6pm
Where: Campbell House, 160 Queen Street West, Toronto
To get a sneak peek at vendor’s wares, see the lookbook here.
Wordless Wednesday 25.05.16
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Routines
After moving house, getting back into a routine is always a bit of a learning curve. A new space means a new studio setup. I’m happy to say that I now know NOT to plan for shelving on a wall that is secretly concrete! Unless, of course, you have a special, fancy concrete drill bit. Needless to say, I’ve finally settled Sprouts Press into it’s new home and things are getting back to normal.
That being said, there was some catch up to do with my Etsy shop. Everything’s in order now, some new items listed and more on the way! To see these items (some new, some old favourites), go here.
Sprouts Press 