Natalie's Story

Natalie is an art and ceramic artist from Kimberly, British Columbia. She will be doing a regular feature on her experiences as an artist and the ups and downs of working from a home studio. Combining home and work can be a challenge, and I think many artisans will recognize some of their own experiences in Natalie's story.

I had this dream of being a stay at home mom so that I could also work at home making pottery. I thought I would have all the time in the world since all of my kids are at school. Sounded all great! Right?

At first when bought this business my studio was not in my home. I went to the previous owner's studio and worked from there As it turned out, I liked leaving the house again to go to work. Even more so, I was doing something I love doing.

After a while, I moved most of my supplies home where I set up shop in my basement in a small bedroom studio. I wanted more space but the bedroom is all my husband would give up for me. At the beginning it was easy; I was all full of excitement, and I worked from 9 am - 3 pm with a short lunch break.

But as the months went on, the orders dropped, because of the season or economy. I started taking more time to clean and socialize with friends during the day. It also became a struggle to get all the house work done, especially because my husband wasn't very supportive of my new endeavour. He figured that I should be helping him with the home renovations we were doing as well. He wanted me to work only at night. Sometimes I do work at night if I am on a deadline. But I couldn't do this all the time.

I know there are some amazing women out there who juggle it all with ease and success . This post is for those of you like me, that question what they are doing every day trying to learn, improve and make life easier. In the coming weeks I will post some episodes of my struggle with working from my home studio. Don't get me wrong. I love being an artisan/artist. But it is a difficult relationship, that's for sure

Eco Chic Wear for Baby from Bamboo Lily™

I often complain to my friends that there is a lack of smart looking, environmentally friendly, made in Canada clothing available in the marketplace. I find that to be especially true for children's wear. That is changing though, and there are options popping up that are chic, locally produced and earth friendly.

One such option is Bamboo Lily™ which was established in 2008 by Toronto based designer Lillian Chiu. Lillian saw a need for a more natural children's clothing line when she discovered her Goddaughter suffered from eczema; a skin condition that causes an intense itchy rash and dryness. Eczema is often caused by allergies and can be triggered by chemicals used in the production of fabric and clothing. In response, Lillian created a line of mostly natural clothing, created without the harsh chemicals that can contribute to the skin condition.

The absence of harsh chemicals in the production process is one way the clothing is environmentally friendly, but Lillian's concern for the environment caused her to go one step further. She chooses to use fabric that is made from bamboo. Bamboo is a sustainable plant that grows quickly without the use of chemicals and fertilizers. Where it is grown, it helps to improve soil conditions, prevents erosion and gobbles up C02 from the atmosphere. Bamboo fabric is biodegradable, hypoallergenic, more breathable than other fabrics, less prone to wrinkles, is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, wicks away moisture efficiently, and launders very well. All of these characteristics make it a fantastic choice for children's clothing.



Bamboo Lily™ offers a delightful line of clothing and accessories for baby including Onsies, T shirts, beach robes, baby blankets, Kung Fu pants, and Tooth Fairy pillows. Any of these items would be perfect as a baby shower gift, or for your own little one. And all of it is made in Canada!

































For the monthy of October, Bamboo Lily™ is offering free personalization on Beach Robes and Baby Blankets. In order to take advantage of this offer, place your order online at Bamboo Lily and enter a word or name to be added to your item. Send Lillian an email after you have made your purchase and mention that you read about Bamboo Lily™ on CanArtisan. Lillian will refund the personalization fee to you.

To keep up-to-date on news from Bamboo Lily™, follow Lillian's twitter feed: www.twitter.com/bamboolily

Trans Canada Etsy Team Monthly Challenge

The very first Trans Canada Etsy Team monthly challenge was to create something that fits in with the theme of autumn, gathering, sowing or scattering. The members of the team rose to the occasion, and members submitted thirteen absolutely stunning entries! Now comes to hard part: choosing which of these will be named the winner of the first monthly challenge.




This is how it works:

1. Read through the entries and pick your favorite.
2. Vote for your favorite entry using the poll at the end of the post before September 30th.

You can view all of the entries and vote for your favorite by clicking here.

*Do you have any Canadian Etsy Street Team, Canadian Artfire Guild, or other Canadian artisan collective news? Use the contact form to tell us about it and we'll post it for you to help get the word out!

Random Canadian Goodies

A random selection of Canadian Goodies

The Trans Canada Etsy Team

The Trans Canada Etsy team is a group of Canadian artists from all across Canada. They've come together to help promote their businesses and their art. The official team statement is:

"The Trans- Canada Etsy Team envisions an online, global market where Canadian artisans are successful, respected, and competitive. It is our aim to support each other by establishing professional relationships, sharing knowledge and participating in collective marketing opportunities.''

The team has an active blog with content about team members, special promotions and contests, and a complete listing of participating members' online shops. Whether you're looking for clothing, jewelry, rugs, reusable produce bags, wool, hats, housewares, wood work items, journals, or anything else you can imagine, you can probably find a team member that makes exactly what you want. Buying quality handmade in Canada items just got a lot easier!

You can find out more about the Trans Canada Etsy Team on their blog.

Sunday at Home ...In Black and White...

In Black and White

I once walked into a house that was done almost entirely in white: white walls, white furniture, and white floors. I almost got the feeling that I could float away in there, except that there were these punctuations of black accessories here and there that made the whole place feel grounded.

If you're contemplating a similar colour scheme in your house, here are some accessories that will add visual appeal, drama, shape and texture.




The Black and White collection from LenkArt of Ottawa offers a contemporary take on the black and white combination. These silk accent pillows are handmade into interesting geometric shapes.

Lenkart also offers a variety of other pillows in traditional, romantic, kid themed, and contemporary collections. They use a variety of fabrics and colours so you'll be sure to find something that suits your particular style.



This Winter White 8 inch Ceramic Wall Clock by Lure Arts of Toronto will lend some romantic texture to your room and the black arms give it some modern punch. This lovely clock was hand carved, textured, glazed and then fired in a kiln.

Lure Arts offers a wide variety of items for your home, including mugs, dishes, olive trays and soap dishes.










This photo titled Vanilla Dream and taken by Jennifer Squires would be a great focal point on a white wall. Varying shades of white, grey, and black help to pull this entire theme together. This particular print is available in different sizes upon request, so you can get one that will be the perfect scale for your space.

Saturday's Season ...Fall...

Fall is my favourite time of the year. And not just because the kids go back to school. I love the crisp fall air, the bright red apples and orange pumpkins and the incredible fall leaf colour that we get out here in Nova Scotia.

Fall also gives us a break from the heat and humidity with cooler evenings and nights. This is the perfect time to get some new fall and winter fashion pieces. I've found some indie clothing designers with items that will look great on you through fall and winter.


This winter white, knit skirt from EterKnity is made from 100 % Merino wool. Merino wool is extremely soft and comfortable to wear. The fibres in merino wool are much smaller and finer than regular wool, and it doesn't cause the itching and poking that is usually associated with common wool.

This skirt looks fantastic when paired with black as shown, and I think it would also look great paired with a pair of tall, brown leather boots.



The fall fashion staple for teens all over the country is the almighty hoodie. The Candy Hoodie in crimson red by Salts is made from 80% Certified Organic Cotton and 20% Polyester fleece fabric to help keep the chill off. This is a nice shapely hoodie with a body hugging cut and a fitted waistband.




This fun T-shirt from D&Mo is hand screen printed with a fall tree motiff. The shirts are made from certified organic cotton and are dyed with natural dyes to minimize impact on the environment. It has a nice body hugging shape so it won't make you look boxy.