This Saturday!

Posted on August 4, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 301/365

Mark your calendars!! I’ll be at the Blossom and Bloom show this saturday alongside many other talented makers and craftspeople!

If you’re wondering what this show is all about, here’s a snippet of the concept behind this show. ‘A public outdoor market showcasing Canadian creative businesses, local florists, artists and artisans in a single event’. To learn more about their vision and what else to do when in Unionville for the show, go here (it’s a gorgeous little town, seriously worth checking out!)

When: Saturday August 8, 11am – 4pm
Where: Varley Art Gallery (in the courtyard), 216 Main Street, Unionville

For more general information about the show, go here.

Next Show!

Posted on August 1, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 298/365I’m so inspired by the warm weather and sunny days that I find myself really looking forward to Sprouts Press’ next event: the Blossom and Bloom show! I’ll be there saturday August 8th with a selection of my handbound books, kits and such.

I love how this event showcases handmade but also the local talent of Unionville. Just spend a few minutes chatting with show organizer, Pheoebe (of Pheoebe Lo Events), and she can tell you about the best of the best in this amazing community!

For details, please see the show website found here.

See you at PechaKucha #33: Toronto!

Posted on July 28, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 294/365I’ll be at this amazing event tonight, selling my wares. It should be a fantastic night of story presentations, drinks and learning!

To purchase tickets online, go here.

Blossom and Bloom: August 8

Posted on July 26, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 292/365

Join me on Saturday August 8 at the Blossom & Bloom Show in Unionville!

It’s a well-curated selection of makers, floral designers, artists and vintage sellers. Come out for the day and explore picturesque Unionville!

When: Saturday August 8, 11am – 4pm
Where: Varley Art Gallery Courtyard, 216 Main Street, Unionville

For more information, please see the show website here.

PechaKucha Toronto

Posted on July 24, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 290/365

I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be at Pecha Kucha on July 28, selling my wares as a maker! Since this evening event is a part of the Maker Festival, it’s sure to be extra special and fun!

Don’t know what Pecha Kucha is? No problem, go here to read all about it.

This edition will be a gathering of a diverse range of makers, each sharing their stories and thoughts on the realities of making. (I know, sounds so good!)

What: Pecha Kucha Night Toronto
When: July 28, 8pm – 11pm
Where: 918 Bathurst Street, Toronto (just north of Bathurst subway station
Cost: $10 in advance, $12 at the door

To get tickets and register ahead of time, go here.

To Wear Books

Posted on July 23, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 289/365

To wear books as jewellery give me great joy, who’s with me?! Today I’m talking about the book jewellery I make, some of it’s functional and some of it’s purely aesthetic. Either way, they’re all pretty awesome!

Paper Moon Book Earrings As most makers know, when you create things by hand, you usually end up with off-cuts and bits and pieces that are in perfect condition, but just a bit too small for your main projects. That’s how these earrings started. I love making them because it means using up the whole sheet of fancy-pants paper, and crafting items that bring joy to others.

They’re perfect for sunny summer days! Perhaps reading at a cafe, lounging at the beach or spending the day hunting for the perfect collection of used books. I love that the front is decorative, fancy paper, and the backs are from novels, with a peek-a-boo hole for a pop of colour.

Mini Book Necklace As a kid I was really into pendant necklaces that were functional; little harmonicas, little pouches, tiny sundials, and I’m pretty sure I had at least one book necklace (cotton candy pink!!). So designing a Sprouts Press mini book necklace was an obvious decision.

While these gorgeous leather necklaces aren’t the bright pink versions from my childhood, they are not only beautiful, but functional too! They open, you can write in them, and keep your ideas and dreams close to your heart. They even showcase fancy endpapers in the front and back. Made from reclaimed leather left over from larger leather projects, the colours usually change seasonally, so keep your eyes peeled and when you see one you like – grab it!

Did you know that I have a whole section of my etsy shop dedicated to Book Jewellery? Check it out here.

Class Schedule

Posted on July 21, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 287/365

The next bookbinding workshop is coming up – this saturday, July 25! I’ll be teaching the new class: Hard Cover Arrow Stitch over at Graven Feather on Queen St. West here in Toronto.

In this workshop we’ll be making the binding shown above, as a hardcover book and there will be a couple of colour choices for participants.

Also, a few of you have been asking about the size of the book we’ll be making. The finished project will measure 14.5cm x 10cm and be around 2cm thick at the spine. It’s a great book to use as an art journal because of it’s handy size. But also because the spine has room to allow for paper ephemera to be added. Fun!!

For more details and to learn how to register, go here.

Painted Notebooks

Posted on July 20, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 286/365

Today I’m reflecting on one of my favourite projects to date; the painted journeys journal!These journals are a combination of painting, printmaking and bookbinding. I’ve written about the joys of creating in multiples and mixing mediums before on this post, but I haven’t talked about all three series together.

It all started with the set of pink journals in the bottom left corner, these were my first foray into this series. It was a lovely afternoon of painting, printing and then bookbinding. After they all found new homes (excepting the one I saved for myself as a photo prop) I wanted more! Then the blue series happened! This time, I made a different shape and size, and used the off cuts to make cute little mini books, which is all I have left of this series. Lastly, the most recent are the Journeys Journals in brown. Inspired by a not-so-Canadian winter that left my snow boots more muddy than icy. I plan to write a more detailed account of these books, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, you can take a look at the Journeys Journal in the Artist’s Books section of my Etsy shop, there are a couple left.

I’ve enjoyed working on these books as they develop in slightly different directions with each series. I switched up the binding for the blue series, but went back to the Japanese Stab Binding for the Journeys Journals. I really appreciate the construction of the matchbook cover and the geometric shapes created by the stitching.

The Studio on a Sunday

Posted on July 19, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 285/365

The last couple of weeks have been the start of holiday production time here at Sprouts Press. I talked about this a little while ago in this post. Today I’m making ornaments, thinking about the last time I made ornaments, which wasn’t for Christmas at all!

This is an ‘in progress’ shot of my Valentines Starburst Book Ornaments being made, with pages from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. I really enjoy pairing up appropriate literature to the holiday to make these decorations. Last year I used Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, which I plan to use again, but I’ll have an additional choice this year – stay tuned!

Online Sale!

Posted on July 18, 2015 by sproutspress

Day 284/365

Don’t forget! There’s a sale in my Etsy shop happening right now!!

You may remember this post from last week, announcing the sale. Well, it’s still on, right till the end of July in fact! Time to stock up on holiday decorations and avoid the madness that is holiday shopping in december!

Sale details:
-Runs now until the end of the month, July 31, 2015.
-Discount is already applied, and offer is exclusively for items in the ‘Christmas in July Sale‘ section! Easy peasy!!