Day 173/365
Today I’m in a different studio, teaching my craft to others! It’s the Bookmaking Workshop at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga!!
If Mississauga is your neighbourhood or you just want to take a workshop with me, there are still a few spots left in the next workshop. To learn more and to register, go here.
Otherwise, keep your eyes on the workshops section on my site for more classes local to you.
Day 171/365
I’m proud to announce that this sunday I’ll be teaching my first workshop at the Living Arts Centre in Mississauga!
It’s a bookmaking workshop, using the Longstitch technique, as pictured above. I really enjoy teaching bookbinding and am so happy to be branching out and offering my workshops around southern Ontario. (Yes, there are more in the works!! Watch the Workshops section of my site to find out!)
While this sunday’s workshop is sold out, there is a second date in June that still has some spots left. Go here for details and to register.
Day 170/365
Spring is in the air, the snow is melting/melted and many of us are eager to help welcome the new season.
Usually, springtime means spring cleaning. Oh joy.
Today’s post is a mix of ‘Use Your Journal’ and spring cleaning, specifically; getting your books, journals and sketchbooks organized and accounted for! In a fun way, I promise!
My secret weapon to accomplish this, if you haven’t already guessed, is with Ex Libris bookplates.
Ex Libris bookplates are labels that go in the front cover of your books (journals, sketchbooks, novels, biographies, etc). Ex Libris is latin and roughly translates to ‘from the library of’. Therefore, when you write your name in the space provided on each bookplate, you are creating your own library! What’s more organized than a library!?
My Ex Libris bookplates are my own designs that I carve into lino blocks. Then I hand print each one onto self-adhesive paper, making it easy and convenient for you to label your beloved books. I’ve printed two different designs, each in a few different colours, you can read about my process here.
I’ve even got gold bookplates! They’re actually quite beautiful and classy, and make a great gift when tucked in the front of a special book for a friend. 
To recap, here are 3 steps to incorporate Ex Libris bookplates into your journalling, sketching and book-collecting lives, making it even more fun to use your journal!
1. Choose a selection of journals/sketchbooks/books to be labelled.
2. Write your name in the space provided on the bookplate. Some people also like to write the date they start the book.
2a. If you’re giving a special journal/book as a gift and want to put an ex libris bookplate in the front cover, you can write the recipient’s name and the date. You can also write the occasion for the gift, as a memento for life milestones or achievements.
3. Once you’ve written the info in the space provided on the bookplate, peel off the backing and adhere to the inside front cover of the book/journal/sketchbook. Repeat for all your most fancy and special books!
Have fun!
Day 163/365
In just two days it’s the Bellwoods Flea!! 
What: Bellwoods Flea Spring Edition
Where: Hashtag Gallery, 801 Dundas Street West (this is where I’ll be)
AND
The Magpie, 831 Dundas Street West
When: Saturday March 21, 11am – 6pm
Come out and support local makers and artisans! There will be handmade items, vintage, food and drinks! It’ll be fun, I promise! Sprouts Press will be there with handbound books, journals, albums, bookbinding kits and book jewellery. Find a fun Easter gift or the perfect present for Mothers Day!
Day 162/365
Day 155/365
Day 153/365
If you’re like me you might like to plan ahead! Today I’m giving you a heads up that NEXT weekend I’ll be a vendor at the Parkdale Flea here in Toronto!
When: Sunday March 15, 2015
Where: Goodfellas Gallery 1266 Queen St. West, Toronto
I’ll be there with a great selection of my handbound journals, sketchbooks as well as some book jewellery and my bookbinding kits! Many other talented artisans and makers will also be there, so check it out if you can!
Day 151/365
Today is the grand opening of a new shop in Hamilton, Studio 205! Sprouts Press is proud to be a part of this shop alongside 22 other talented makers and artists.
If you’re in Hamilton stop by for treats and coffee (and some loose leaf teas, we’ve been told!) and check out the diversity of handmade products! Sprouts Press has a full line of products showcased, including journals, sketchbooks, book jewellery and bookbinding kits. And keep your eyes open for workshops in the near future as they have a classroom space in the basement.
147/365
Time to use your journals!!
Today I’m taking a trip down memory lane and sharing a journal I haven’t worked on in years. There are still several pages to go, but that’s the nice thing about journals: they don’t expire or require the latest download to function properly. You can pick up a journal anytime and continue where you left off.
Today I’m going to talk about keeping a dream journal! And yes, I totally went down memory lane when putting together this post. I even searched my bookshelves for my old dream dictionary, which was right beside my well-used but very dusty book on palmistry, and my old tarot cards. If you’re into all of these things then this is the journal for you!
My little dream journal is a small case bound book I made while in art college. The dark and inky colour palette was inspired by Edward Gorey. 
Six tips for keeping a dream journal:
1. Keep your dream journal, with a pen or pencil, beside you when you sleep. On a bedside table is good.
2. Choose a fairly small journal so it doesn’t take up too much space on small bedside tables.
3. When keeping a dream journal, the idea is that the memory of the dream stays with you for only a few minutes after you wake up. By keeping the journal and pen beside you, everything is at hand when you wake up for an easier, more enjoyable journalling experience. I’m a visual person, so the main image stays with me longer than the details of the dream, so I write first to get it all down. Then I do a quick sketch if it adds to my entry/if I’m awake enough.
4. It’s most likely not going to be pretty; it’s utilitarian and a record-keeping practice. Don’t worry about it.
5. Sometimes I start to lose the memory of the dream and details fade away while I’m writing (it’s kind of like taking notes during a lecture with a very fast speaking prof who does not slow down). When this happens I just make a note that something else happened, but I don’t remember the exact details, instead of trying to remember all the details.
6. It’s fun to look into the meanings of your dreams as well! There are many different interpretations of dreams and their meanings, find a dream dictionary that suits you!
This is a fun and easy way to keep a journal. It’s also quite interesting looking back and recognizing patterns and recurring dreams. I’d love to hear about your experiences keeping a dream journal.
Sweet dreams!
Day 145/365
Today’s post is all about some screenprinting I did a couple of days ago! I did 115 prints for the Wayzgoose Anthology. If you’re in southern Ontario and into printmaking, book arts, and the like, then you should check out the Wayzgoose Book Arts Fair in Grimsby at the end of April!
I always mix my own colours because I enjoy it, and it gets me the exact colour I want.
Just a sneak peek at a corner of my print. And also the wonderful zebra print duct tape I usually use. (It gets the job done and puts a smile on my face!)
I’ve been practicing calligraphy on a fairly regular basis. So when it came time to come up with a design for my print, I naturally turned to ink, but this time to brush and ink rather than my calligraphy pen. I decided to draw my design right on my screen rather than use photo-based techniques.
This is my small, portable setup to screenprint. It works really well and stores away neatly in a minimal space.
If you’ve ever wanted to try screenprinting you should! It’s fun and not too invasive, take a workshop or a class if you really want guidance on how to get started.
Sprouts Press 