Saturday April 12 I’ll be at the Toronto Indie Arts Market!
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Author Archives: sproutspress
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It’s been two weeks since the One of a Kind show started, and I feel I’m as rested as I’m going to be. So much awaits that I cannot sit still for long. I’m talking about things like new projects, re-vamped designs and SPRING!! (I will admit, I’ve got both my winter and spring jackets out. I’m just not quite convinced I won’t need the winter one at least once more). 
I’ve got some re-vamped goodies in the works, just in time for spring: new Hayfever Hankies! Yup, they’re back and just in time, too! This batch will be available in white, pistachio, grass green and mocha. It comes in three lino cut designs, the usual suspects of hayfever; ragweed, timothy/hay and crowsfoot. Look in the ‘Handprinted Fabric Items’ section of my online Etsy shop in the next few days.
I’m also slowly but surely getting some of the brand new designs you may have seen at the One of a Kind show up in my Etsy shop. To keep up to date on this, follow my facebook or other social media feeds here.
Meanwhile, if you’re in Toronto I’ve got two shows this weekend, check out the Upcoming Shows section of my site for details!
The end of the day
Just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who came out and supported Sprouts Press at the One of a Kind Show last week. It was fantastic to meet so many of you and put faces to the names I’ve seen online. I’m still unpacking and organizing my studio, so I’ll put together something a bit more in depth soon. For now, a simple Thank You is in order.
Some wonderful things have come out of the show, so I’ll keep you up to date as they unfold. In the meantime, I think spring might be just around the corner . . .
Around the Corner
If you’ve been following my (rather sparse) posts lately, you already know that I’m an exhibitor in this year’s One of a Kind Show and Sale. I’m pretty excited about this, it’s the largest craft & artisan show I’ve ever participated in, and it’s right here in Toronto! As well as my enthusiasm I’m also a bit nervous, especially in the last minute tasks leading up to the official opening. In reality though, I’m pretty well on schedule and organized.
This is pretty good for me.
No last-minute rushing around frantically. No middle-of-the-night realizations that I forgot to, gasp, order business cards or bring a chair or something like that. Nope, I’m organized and on schedule. That is, until I got my eureka idea for the perfect series of books to bind, last minute of course!
My creative side took charge and the schedule changed! I was no longer on schedule. But now as I finish up these new additions, I have a new plan, and I’ll leave you with some photos of what you can expect to see at my booth (K20G in the Etsy section).
Lots of new designs and variations on some classic bindings.
I’m pleased with how everything has turned out and how the collection as a whole feels connected through materials, colour and transition.
I drew on the changing of seasons for inspiration; winter to spring, bleak to bright, cozy to light, old to new.
I think the growth of this transition is visible across the table, and I couldn’t be more delighted!
If you plan to attend the show and don’t have tickets, click here to get a discounted ticket! I’ll be in the Etsy section at booth K20G. The show runs from March 26 – 30 and if you have any further questions, please visit the show website here.
Hope to see you there!
One of a Kind
If you follow my blog, you may remember that I mentioned being a participant in this year’s One of a Kind Spring Show & Sale. Well, the show is just around the corner so I figured it would be fun to host a contest. One lucky person will win a pair of free tickets!! That sounds like fun, right?
How to enter:
On facebook ‘like’ Sprouts Press and share this photo (found in my feed) for one entry.
On twitter, ‘follow’ Sprouts Press and retweet this photo (also in my feed) for another entry.
Contest ends March 11 and the winner will be announced March 12!
And if you don’t win the contest, don’t worry I’ve still got you covered. Just click here for a discount on eTickets you can purchase online for $11 (as opposed to $14 at the door).
The show runs from March 26 – 30th at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto. For more info visit the One of a Kind Show website.
I’ll be at the show with my hand bound books, in the Etsy section at booth K20G.
Hope to see you there!
An Old Friend
Besides being a bookbinder, printmaker and general maker of paper arts, I also like to grow a vegetable garden. And, every year, I watch in wonder as my seeds sprout and grow into seedlings and eventually make the journey outside.
I won’t go into the story of why I chose to name my artistic practice after the mighty sprout and its incredible journey. Instead, I’d like to tell how it has re-united me with an old friend. (If you like, take a look at my About section to learn why I chose the name Sprouts Press).
I should probably clarify a few things. When I say that I was re-united with an old friend, I’m not talking about a person, but an old love. A former romance, let’s say, with printmaking. But not just any printmaking, I’m talking about printing on a Vandercook press, in a studio, with oil-based inks. Sigh. So, when the annual Grimsby Wayzgoose Book Arts Fair call for vendors arrived in January I agreed, as usual, to submit an original print in an edition of 115 for their anthology. I thought it was time to honour my namesake in print format and decided to dedicate my print to the mighty sprout. Normally, I plan several weeks in advance and use the back of a wooden spoon to produce my 115 prints. Not this time. I’ve been teaching bookbinding workshops lately and my favourite is at a wonderful space here in Toronto, Graven Feather, where there is a Challenge Proof Press!!
After mentioning to them that I used to print on Vandercook press, and how much I loved it and how great it would be to print my 115 prints with something different than the back of a wooden spoon, it was decided that I could print on their press! So, this is how it happened, how I was re-united with printing on a press, with oil based inks, in someone else’s studio, by the mighty sprout. I drew my image, cut the lino block and printed it in a lovely leaf-green on light grey stock. 
In total there are 130 prints in the edition, 115 for the Wayzgoose anthology and 15 for me! What a great day!!
About being creative
In my last post I talked about how wintertime pulls me outside for a bit, and then pushes me back inside once I’ve had enough. While a nice cup of tea is always something I look forward to after a day spent outside, it’s not all. For me, being outdoors helps to clarify my ideas, of which I have too many. Sometimes I cannot focus on one long enough to achieve it before being overrun with the next idea or three. So when it’s time to go back in, I look forward to writing down my more-polished ideas, (I say more-polished because, of course, they will change several times more).
And then the real fun begins: pulling out the possible materials and seeing what fits the bill, what is the right colour, texture, pattern and thickness for my ideas. Of course, I’m talking about paper! So, please, bear with me while I share some of my favourite photos of my stacks of handmade paper. 
This is a mix of the lot; mumble-jumble, mish-mash, all mixed up. While I don’t make paper too much anymore, I always used to use pigments rather than dyes, for more vibrant colours.
These papers were an experiment: hosta paper (yes, I hacked off and chopped up my parent’s hosta garden to make them into paper. Thanks Mom and Dad!) There’s some pine needle paper and then on top my lovely cotton & abaca black-blue super sparkle paper. I’m almost out of all three, so I choose my projects carefully these days.
I have many now because I’m in full production mode as I’m participating in the One of a Kind Spring Show & Sale in March of this year. This is my first year for this show and I’m pretty excited to be in the Etsy Section! I’ll be posting more on this adventure leading up to it, I’m sure there’ll be a few interesting things to talk about! 
For now, I’ll leave you with this one last paper photo. Enjoy the deckle edges and fibers!
Enjoying wintertime.
It’s wintertime and it’s cold out.
I’m grateful for the snow this year as we missed good, lasting snowfalls last year. But as many people do, I have mixed feelings about winter. I eagerly look forward to the first snowfall, packing snow and enjoying a day of cross country skiing out of the city. 
Yet I’m not so enthusiastic come the end of February. I suppose it’s about finding balance between enjoying the season and doing a bit of hibernating, which usually leads to reflection. For me, it’s about books and tea. Reading books, crafting books, repurposing books, sketching and writing in books, even re-organizing the books, you get the idea. And, of course, what goes best with journalling and reading? Discovering new teas and enjoying my favourites! (Mine is chai, by the way. What’s yours?) 
This winter will be a busy one for me as I have big plans for 2014! Some of them have been in the works for a while, others are brand new. I’ll share them with you here, but not just yet.
In the meantime, if you crave learning a new skill while staying warm inside, the lovely folks over at Graven Feather are hosting a book binding workshop I’m teaching here in Toronto. It’s one of my favourite classes to teach and is great for all skill levels (don’t be shy, it’s quite a lot of fun!) Hope to see you there, enjoy the weather if you can and be safe.
Post Holidays
I’m writing this, hoping it finds everyone safe and happy. Here in Toronto, the holidays were a bit different than usual because of an ice storm that left many households without power. Luckily, our place was spared so we hosted ‘Christmas at Carolyn’s’ this year. While we broke our usual tradition, it was still lovely and cozy!
Now, things are pretty much back to normal. So, that means it’s time to announce that I’m having a Boxing Day/Week(ish) sale in my Etsy shop! I’ve added some new items and will continue throughout the sale, so keep your eyes peeled! Here’s my latest:
This sale is part of the Etsy Canada’s Boxing Day Promotion, which includes nearly 500 Canadian makers! You will get 20% off by using coupon code BOXINGDAY at checkout. The sale is on now until December 30, 2013.
Lastly, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for coming out to the various markets, book arts fairs and shows to support me in my book-making endeavors. Your efforts are much appreciated!
Coffee
If you’ve ever been a maker/creator (or know someone who is) you know that this time of year is busy in a fun kind of way! And if you’ve been following my show schedule you will notice that I’m down to my last weekend of shows and fairs for 2013.
This weekend, however, is going to be a special one as I’ve joined forces with the talented writer Michael Laurence Smith (my wonderful boyfriend) to produce a limited edition of his short story ‘Coffee’, hand bound by yours truly. It’s been an exciting process, we’ve both learned a lot about combining literary and book arts. We hope you’ll come out and see the culmination of our efforts! Mike will be on-site at the Toronto Indie Arts Market Small Press & Literary Festival to sign copies and talk about his work. Find him at the Sprouts Press table in the main Ballroom.
And of course there will be a selection of my blank hand bound journals and other bookish creations as well. For the love of books, check it out! See what else I’m up to this weekend for one last chance to shop local and handmade!
Sprouts Press 