Day 58/365
It’s Late Night Shopping day at the One of a Kind Show!
For one night only we’re open till 11pm; trees a dj, free parking after 5pm, free coat check after 5pm, door prizes and drinks!! Let the holiday parties begin!
Stop by the Rising Stars section and say hello to me in booth D49.
Day 32/365
On thursday I had the pleasure of attending the opening reception of ‘In the Round ll’, a group show at Graven Feather here in Toronto. If you haven’t heard of this show, there are over 150 artists participating, all producing art on a set of three, 5″ birch disks.
Once on the wall, it makes for a stunning display of rows and rows of artwork. I love how everyone interpreted the use of the circles differently, creating a beautiful diversity of 2D and 3D pieces.
While I wasn’t able to participate this year, it’s always fun to attend this annual show and see the beautiful works of fellow artists. And as usual, the pieces submitted were all spectacular!
The show runs for the month of November, go here for more info.
If you’ve been following my blog posts lately, you will already know that there has been some exciting news for Sprouts Press! Well, there’s more. That’s right, Sprouts Press has started a new adventure; we’ve joined the ranks of many other talented artists and artisans selling their work in the popular Toronto shop: Arts Market on College! Yay!! I couldn’t be happier with this decision and look forward to seeing what the future brings.
This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while now, but wasn’t able to until recently. If I’m going to be honest I must admit that doubt made an appearance once (or twice, maybe) when a little voice in my head asked ‘what on earth are you doing!?!’. But I got over that, put the first coat of paint on my space, measured out where my shelving would go (shelves that my dad made a long time ago, before I was born, that I re-finished) and really felt a sense of accomplishment. When it was all done and everything was in place and displayed just as I wanted, it was a truly great feeling!
If you’re in the area, stop by and check it out at 846 College Street, Toronto. There is probably something for everyone at the Arts Market; stationery, home decor, vintage, flora/plants, clothing, jewellery, you name it!
Even though all my pieces are there and up for sale, this is a soft opening. Stay tuned for the dates of the ‘official’ opening, coming soon.
ps. I tried something new and made a short video about setting up my space! I will upload it to social media and provide a link.
Some fun on a Thursday evening; I’ll be vending my hand bound journals, book themed jewellery and hand printed fabric items at the first Toronto Indie Arts Market ‘Summer Sunset Series’!! Come out after dinner for an evening stroll and stop by the Gladstone Hotel for a drink and to soak up the handmade wares in the Ballroom.
We’ll be there from 7pm till 11pm and admission is FREE!
Hello everyone, just wanted to post a quick note to say Hello and let you know that I’m still around! My apologies for the radio silence lately, but there are a lot of exciting things in the works! I cannot spill the beans just yet, but soon!
In the meantime, a big Thank You is in order for everyone who has come out to support me at the various shows, workshops and fairs that I’ve been participating in lately. This weekend I was at the Small Press & Literary Festival by Toronto Indie Arts Market and the Annual Printmaking Fair at the Cambridge Galleries, where there were so many talented printmakers. When at shows, it’s always so nice to see a familiar face and meet someone in real life that I’ve been chatting with online! If you haven’t had a chance to check out one of the many artisan/maker/book arts fairs/craft shows I participate in, check out the Upcoming Shows section on my site. And keep your eyes peeled on the Workshops section for upcoming bookbinding classes that I will be teaching.
In the online world, I was a featured artisan earlier this month over at Small Batch Magazine! It’s a wonderful and eloquently written piece that really captures the drive and satisfaction of being a maker in the modern world. I’m proud to be featured on this all-Canadian website that profiles makers and artisans, something I’ve been looking forward to for a while. I encourage you to take a read and check out their website (it’ll be worth your time, I promise). Otherwise, if you’re interested in what I’m making in the studio, new items are being posted to my Etsy shop on a fairly regular basis these days.
I thought it was about time to formally introduce my latest project; Hay Fever Hankies. I know some of you have seen them on my social media, in my Etsy shop and maybe you’ve even seen them in person at a market or fair! I’d like to share a bit more about these little gems and show you where they come from, what they’re made of and all about.
This is a product that is proudly made from reclaimed materials. This means that each edition or collection will be different, depending on what fabrics are available and most appropriate for the season. 
You may remember the first collection of Hay Fever Hankies, as pictured above: crisp white fabric with imagery in summer colours.
This time around I decided to change things up and refresh my original idea. I started with fabric in four springtime tones: Mocha, White, Pistachio and Grass Green and kept the images in a neutral grey. When looking for fabric I always hunt for 100% cotton, no scratchy fabrics! 
The prints are lino cuts based on my sketches of local plants: Timothy/Hay, Ragweed and Crowsfoot. These are printed onto the fabric using water-based earth friendly inks. They are heat set, sewn by me and then pre-washed.
I really like how the Crowsfoot turned out. Since the printing is done by hand, each handkerchief is a bit different, giving uniqueness and character to each.
If you’re into getting outside in springtime, check out my Upcoming Shows to snap up some hankies of your own! This saturday, April 26 2014, I’ll be at the Wayzgoose in Grimsby! Otherwise, they’re available online here.
Ps. You may have noticed that the prints on the Grass Green fabric seemed to have disappeared. This isn’t your imagination, I’ve decided they have a different purpose than hankies . . . this is all I’m saying for now, so stay tuned!
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 . . .
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!
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!
Sprouts Press 