Truffle top

Truffle top
Originally uploaded by tangente

''Part of my new F/W 09 line. Made of eco friendly bamboo.''

This beautiful blouse was added to our group flickr group by Tangente.

Happy Halloween from the Trans Canada Etsy Team!

The Trans Canada Etsy Team is once again running a monthly challenge. This month's theme is Halloween, and members of the team have created some stunning items for you to vote on!


There is everything from Pumpkin Soap to Funeral Home Scent Spray to Journals and much more. Plus, of you leave a comment on their blog when you vote, you will be entered to win these great notebooks!

So, what are you waiting for! Go vote now.

Demi tablier reversible 2

Demi tablier reversible 2
Originally uploaded by zenzhey

''All the aprons are pleated, lined and fully reversible.''

This lovely apron was submitted to our group flickr pool by Zenzhey.

New Canadian Shops on Etsy......The Wood Garden

Hello everyone!!! Wow, I can't believe that October is almost over already and Halloween is this week! Yikes :) Well I'm back again, Kim from A little bit of pretty, with your weekly instalment of New Canadian Shops on Etsy! This weeks feature is on - The Wood Garden!

I can't believe it, but my little baby niece is almost 1! Which is what drew me to The Wood Garden's shop in the first place - the thought of heading down to the local Toys R Us to buy something for her birthday that is mass produced and in every other child's home just doesn't appeal. I mean, that is why communities like Etsy are so popular - people are starting to appreciate the concept of handmade again, and that is so great :)

The Wood Garden is a husband and wife team that began the business creating natural wood toys for their own children and eventually it grew into a selling at craft fairs, and now a shop on Etsy. They make their toys using sustainably harvested hardwood, or in some cases reclaimed wood. There are no dyes added to the wood for colouring, just the natural colours of the hardwoods themselves. And each toy is finished with pure certified organic flax seed oil.

This is definitely a shop that I will support! While reading the policies page, I was particularly impressed that they have chosen to share a list of their values with their potential customers, and this one in particular stands out to me : "We believe that unique, handcrafted items are superior to items mass-produced in factories". I 100% wholeheartedly agree - for what could be better than giving your child or loved one a gift that you know has been made by someone who takes pride in their work and loves what they do?

Until next time, Kim XO

Natalie's Story........Part 3

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. This is part three in a continuing series.

Booooo!

Well I am officially in Halloween mood I started decorating my porch and the living room..My kids will have some friends over for trick or treating and my husband even took the night off to take our 6year old daughter out.

So far it looks like it will be snowing (all of the previous snowfall has melted now). I hope it is not going to snow, snowsuits and costumes don't fit together well!

I finished my soap dish order and started an order for a speed skating club. I have to make 151 medals for their championship in December. This will keep me busy till mid November.
But who knows what I will be doing after that. The economy seems to have had a big effect on my business this year.

Orders have dropped 50 % in 2009 . The orders I get are for shops in Banff and Edmonton mostly. All touristy places. But most of the tourists stayed home this year and didn't visit Canada as much as before the economy crisis.

I have to see what the new year brings and what to do with my business.
I have question to other Artists and Crafters reading this .

"What are your experiences of this year's economic down turn regarding your business?"

Happy Halloween to you all.
Natalie

Navy Storage

Navy Storage
Originally uploaded by Red Twig Brown Twig

''Navy Storage Hand dyed and tea stained reed with seagrass accents and handle.''

This gorgeous handwoven basket was added to our flickr group pool by Red Twig Brown Twig.

Holiday Gift Guides - Gifts for Him

This category features gifts for the guys! I'll be updating each category periodically until mid December, so check back often to see what's new and exciting.

Sunbrella Fabric Hammock

Created by:
The Bay Hammock Company






Wine Stopper in Spalted Maple Burl

Created by: Greenleaf Wood









Show Me Your Muscles Anatomy Journal

Created by: Prairie Peasant




Manitoba Pride Shirt

Created by:
Dandee

Otis one ear

Otis one ear
Originally uploaded by puncezilla

''Otis One Ear'' a sock money with a story to tell!

This awesome item was added to our flickr group pool by Puncezilla.

Cobalt Blue

Cobalt Blue
Originally uploaded by Sea Glass Designs

''Little drops of cobalt blue dangle from hand formed sterling silver earwires.''

These beautiful earrings were submitted to our flickr group pool by Sea Glass Designs.

New Canadian Shops on Etsy....Shimmering Sky

Hello all! Wow this last week went so quick and its time to write this column again already :) Well here I am again - Kim from A little bit of pretty back with your weekly instalment of New Canadian Shops on Etsy. This weeks' feature is on Shimmering Sky !

As the readers of my blog know, I have recently moved and have lately had a very strong affinity for artwork :) Anything to dress up the walls of our new house - and I tend to gravitate towards artwork, photography, paintings, etc that feature bright colours, landscapes, wildlife, or quaint little village scenes. Thus the reason I picked Shimmering Sky this week - Bobbie has some really great eye catching photography! I especially like that her shop is stocked with an assortment of autumn photographs, because fall is one of my favourite seasons!

Bobbie has more than photographs in her shop though - there is also a selection of quotable ACEOs, digital collage sheets, photo notecards (with a lovely pink shawl on the front to bring awareness to Breast Cancer), and Halloween themed photo note cards and images. There is some wonderful things in this shop, and it hasn't been open that long either - I think Shimmering Sky (and Bobbie) of course has amazing potential!

I have an exciting inside scoop about a brand new product line that Bobbie is a debuting in her shop in conjunction with this feature!! She has designed a line of clutches - the first design is called the Seliia, and the first one of that design is the Hellebore Handbag. It is a fold over clutch with a sturdy snap closure, and inner lining to match the photo on the front (a signature feature for all of Bobbies' upcoming designs). The Seliia clutch would make a great night out on the town accessory, and the design on the front gives it that perfect personalized detail that is sure to be noticed! Check out the great product photos below and get to Shimmering Sky quick to your very own hot off the press! Happy Shopping :) As always, until next time Kim XO.

Holiday Gift Guides - Gifts for Pets

This category features gifts for the pets! Treats, toys, beds and other pet related items will be included here. I'll be updating each category periodically until mid December, so check back often to see what's new and exciting.

Organic Catnip Teddy Bear Cat Toy

Created by:
Jewelz Creatives





Dusty Rose Cat Collar

Created by:
Paws 'n Claws





Custom Pet Portrait Painting

Created by:
Ivaart








Peanut Butter Dog Treats for your Pooch

Created by:
Poocheze

New Canadian Shops on Etsy...Wry and Ginger

Hello! Hope everyone had a wonderful week and a Thanksgiving filled with so much turkey you're still in a coma :) It's Kim from A little bit of pretty and I am back with your weekly installment of New Canadian Shops on Etsy! This week I have picked.... drum roll please.... WryAndGinger ! Woot woot!

Most people may not know this but I LOVE greeting cards! Actually I love pretty or cool stationary in general, so much so that I seem to buy and buy without having enough people to write too :) I have some particular qualities that I look for though: I like bright colours, I don't like fussy/frilly designs, and please oh please no Hallmark-type sappy greetings!

Thats why I love WryAndGinger - not only do Cheryl's designs fit all my criteria, but they also go one step further with their sharp, sarcastic humour. And I am not the only one loving these cards - by the looks of Cheryl's sales so far, they are pretty popular with lots of other people as well.

Cheryl's shop stocks an wide assortment of greeting cards, but it also has a selections of custom card sets, laminated mini notes, and recipe cards all with the same "funny, rude, witty, biting, hilarious" sense of humour.

When I took a peek at Cheryl's profile and learned that she works in research, it made sense why she crafts the kinds of cards that are in her shop. I have worked plenty of jobs where I have had to spend a lot of time alone, and believe me you start to talk to yourself, talk to inanimate objects, talk to your pets..... its nice to see Cheryl has found a creative and funny way to get that all out! LOL I don't care how these come about, I love her work and I'm sure you will too. Christmas gift idea perhaps???? Happy shopping! Until next time, Kim

Natalie's Story.....Part 2

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. This is part two in a continuing series.

Well first of all I like to show you what we woke up to this morning . I know there is snow almost everywhere here in Canada put here are my pic's from out of our window .

We got 3-4 inches of snow!

I had also a very important personal matter to deal with this week but will leave it at that .
I am working on 50 soap dishes for the Rocky Mountain Soap Co. They 're one of my whole sale accounts.

The dishes are all for the upcoming Christmas /Winter season and of course I had to paint winter scene on them: snow, snow, snow. So I guess it is my fault that there are 3 inch's of snow out there now!

Today is a short school day. School is out at 1:20 pm so less time for me and my work. It is also the weekend which means I have to clean the house, wash close etc..and I am wasting time writing this blog post..... oops! Some times I work on the weekend if one of the kids has a sleep over or is at a friends all day. But I don't think that is happening this time.

I was thinking this morning it is sure great to not have to get up at 6 am, hop in to the shower and wrestle the kids out of bed early to get to work. And, I did not have to brush the snow off the care either.Ha ha !! I guess working at home and taking care of my kids for a small amount of money is worth the trouble .
Natalie

By the way I started a blog to show my creative work in progress. Check it out!

Holiday Gift Guides - Gifts for Kids

This category features gifts for the kiddies! Clothing, toys and other items will be included here. I'll be updating each category periodically until mid December, so check back often to see what's new and exciting.

Reversible Dress

Created by:
Barefoot Tams

Farmyard Animals: Set of Three

Created by:
The Wood Garden

Dinosaur Bones Soap

Created by:
Creative Wanderings

Blue Dress

Created by:
Squid Kid



Peanut Robe

Created by:
Bamboo Lily









Felt Blue Whale

Created by:
Pistacia

Holiday Gift Guides - Ways to Mark the Occasion

This category features gifts that will allow you to mark the holidays in a special way. Cards, food, and other creative celebratory items will be included here. I'll be updating each category periodically until mid December, so check back often to see what's new and exciting.

Oh Christmas Tree Earrings

Created by:
Chicki

Personalized Felt Stockings


Created by:
RikRak

Set of 6 Christmas Gift Tags

Created by:
Suzie's Cards



Holiday Note Cards

Created by:
The Beautiful Project




Red PinWheels

Created by:
Twirlie Whirlies Handmade Paper Accessories








Special Occasion Cakes

Created by:
Cake or Death

Holiday Gift Guides - House and Home

This category features gifts in the house and home category. Get your family and co-workers something unique that they'll love, support the Canadian economy, and feel good about spreading that Holiday cheer this year. I'll be updating each category periodically until mid December, so check back often to see what's new and exciting.

Bees Wax Pillar Candles

Created by:
Smallbones




Flycatcher Limited Edition Fine Art Print

Created by:
Girl's Can Create







Winward: A Painting

Created by:
Laura den Hertog







Reversible Seasonal Hand Painted Wall Hanging

Created by:
Audrey's Country Crafts







White House Lighthouse Print

Created by:
Alice in Paris







Dinner Set

Created by:
Dyluzo's Designs

Holiday Gift Guides - Gifts for Gals

This category features gifts for the special ladies in your life. Get her something unique that she'll love, support the Canadian economy, and feel good about spreading that Holiday cheer this year. I'll be upd ating each category periodically until mid December, so check back often to see what's new and exciting.

Bonnie Bag Red

Created by:
Sew Mo Purses and Bags







Candy Cane Earrings

Created by:
The Moss Garden

Hand-painted Little Clare Pillow

Created by:
Pricilla Mae

Molly Bat Wing Dress in Eco Friendly Bamboo Jersey

Created by:
Tangente







Sterling Silver Love Knot Bracelet

Created by:
Sunny Skies Jewelry






Fine Silver Crocus Necklace

Created by:
Enthral Designs







The Keri Necklace

Created by:
A Little Bit of Pretty




Lotus Petal Sterling Silver Hoop Earrings

Created by:
Luttrell Studio






Sunny Stone Bracelet

Created by:
Beajoux






May Flowers Bag

Created by:
Elan Knits

Holiday Gift Guides

Very shortly, I will be starting to launch my holiday gift guide posts. I've been asking for submissions all fall, and have a great list to start with. There will be some exciting handmade products featured in these posts, and you can feel good shopping from them because not only will you be supporting an artisan, you will be supporting a Canadian artisan!

I will continue to take submissions and update each category until mid December, so if you are an artisan wishing to have your work featured, use the contact form to submit your information to me.

For more great gift ideas, keep an eye on Indie North where a fabulous and very extensive gift guide will be launching soon. Canadian artisans, you want to get listed in their guide while you still can. Indie North has a great readership, and they work hard to promote Canadian talent.

Thursday's Art Gallery.....Debbie Lamey-MacDonald

''It is the elusive and mystical quality of light that continues to play a great role in my art work. Light inspires me both visually and spiritually. '' Debbie

Many times when I'm out in a rural area I get caught up in looking around old homesteads. My imagination starts churning out all sorts of images, sounds and smells from a past that is just barely out of reach. The old buildings that are hidden behind overgrown trees and grass are the ones that mystify me the most because it seems that there is no longer any living person that can provide a testament of the history and past of the property.



When I happened upon Debbie Lamey-MacDonald's blog and her art work, I immediately recognized in her paintings that same sort of wonder at the past. She manages to capture the dignity of older properties in a way that makes them seem alive. Somehow, she is able to conjure up a sense of story and that same sense of mystery that I feel when I'm out poking around in the country side.




Debbie is from Nova Scotia, and many of the images that she paints seem familiar to me even if I've not seen them for myself. There is a distinct sense of place in her work. Maybe it is the style of house, or the variety of trees and plant life, but there is a definite sense of the maritime way of life that shines through.



In addition to painting larger works, Debbie also has a collection of smaller paintings that are described as the bookshelf collection.


You can view more of Debbie's extensive body of work here.

New Canadian Etsy Shops....Sunny Skies

Sunny Skies Jewellery

Hello again! This is Kim from A little bit of pretty - I hope everyone had a great week, and I really hope you liked my last post. Here I am again for your weekly instalment of New Canadian Shops on Etsy! This week I have chosen…. Sunny Skies Jewellery.

There is nothing I love more than drooling over jewellery! I guess that’s why I started making my own while I was in university – I was too broke to buy any!!! :) And now I love to look at jewellery shops and see how everybody else does what they do. It’s a thing that most self taught artists do I think – we are constantly trying to educate ourselves and better our art! So when I picked Christie’s shop Sunny Skies Jewellery , I have to admit I was doing just that.

Christie has all these amazing silver chainmaille inspired pieces that I am a huge fan of! Chainmaille is something that I have admired for quite awhile, but still have not worked up the courage to try. And as I read Christie’s profile I learned that she make the rings herself as well!!!! Ugh – uber jealous! Not only that, I learned that Christie also has quite a demanding day job as an elementary school teacher. Wow! And she still has the time to create and open a great shop.

I think the best thing about this shop is that Christie is selling something unique – she has a niche and not a lot of competition. The majority of items in her shop are dangly earrings, however I think that as she perfects her craft, Christie will branch out and you will find much more. Just wait and see!

So if you are a lover (perhaps even a connoisseur?) of jewellery you should really check out Sunny Skies Jewellery – after all it’s not about NEEDing a new pair of earrings or a bracelet, it’s about WANTing them and making all your friends jealous. Happy Shopping :) Until next time, Kim.

Monday at Work...Dress Up Your Desk

Dress Up Your Desk

Monday. You're at work. You're thinking, ''Where did the weekend go? Where's my coffee? Am I gonna make it through the day?'' You stare down at the papers on your desk, shuffle them around, then decide to check the email. Looking around your cubicle you think to yourself, ''Gee, this place could use some sprucing up.''

So, spruce it up already. There are options out there for holding pencils that don't involve an old soup can. I just ran a quick search on etsy for the words ''canada and desk'' and came up with a whole list of really neat items that will make your work space a little more tolerable.



About that soup can pencil holder. Get rid of it. Replace it with something original and cool looking like this rectangular clay pencil holder from Emburr of Toronto. The tribal textures on this piece of art will give you something to trace with your finger so you can get all zen and tune out the co-worker in the next cubicle as she tells you about her cat Mr. Jingles for the umpteenth time.

Next, get yourself a cool day planner. Forget those uppity black leather day planners. They have no personality. Get something that will remind you there is another world outside of the walls of your cubicle. Something like the Earth Traveller Day Planner, made by Double Booked of Calgary. Then, start planning your weekend and your time away from the mind numbing monotony that is your job.

If you simply must open those company snail mail letters sitting in your inbox, do it with some style. The Ebonised Oak Wood Letter Opener from Canadian Wood Crafts of Morden, MB will help make short work of those pesky, glued shut envelopes. It may also catch the eye of that attractive intern sitting across the aisle. He or she will ask to use it, you'll start talking, and before you know it, you'll be having coffee, catching a movie, and planning your lives together.

Ok, maybe not. But it is Monday. The mind tends to wander. And that isn't too unpleasant a thought is it?

Etsy Alberta Street Team Sale

Members of the Etsy Alberta Street Team are having a sale. The sale runs from October 3-9, 2009, and there are some amazing deals to be had on some fantastic handmade items. This is the perfect time to start your holiday shopping!

Visit the team blog for details.

Blog Round Up

What Canadian Artisans Are Talking About

Many Canadian artisans reach out to the world through blogs to talk about their creative process, their newest products, and their lives in general. I have a blog roll here that you can check out to read what's going on in the Canadian artisan scene, but I thought I would do a brief round up of what some of them are talking about this week on their blogs.





On A Life Designed by RJ, the upcoming movie Alice is causing some excitement, and inspiring some very Alice in Wonderland themed jewelry.







On Poppy Seed Creative Living, you can read about the latest furniture refinishing projects including the beautiful yellow dresser you see pictured to the left.







On the Trans Canada Etsy Team Blog, you can see the results of their last monthly challenge, and read about the new monthly challenge. Obviously, the theme is Halloween!






On Wild Woman Jewelry, you can check out a some earrings that were inspired by the 70's disco craze.








On the Etsy Alberta Street Team Blog, you can view several treasuries featuring team members that made it to the front page.










And last but not least, Zen Dot Studio is sounding very philosophical in her Surrender and Small Comforts post.

Thursday's Art Gallery

Dream Gallery

Hello everybody!!!! I’m Kim from A little bit of pretty on Etsy. I am really excited to be writing this weekly blog post for you on CanArtisan – every week I will be focusing on a different new Canadian Etsy shop. So let’s get started! Drum roll please…..my first post will be about DreamGallery.

I’m not sure why but I have really been loving the art shops lately. Maybe it’s because I just recently moved into a new house, but I have really been drawn to original paintings, prints, and art cards with bright vibrant colours. Luckily, that is exactly what you’ll find at DreamGallery!

Suzanne from Kaslo, BC (in the heart of the Kootenays) is the creative force behind DreamGallery. She is a self taught artist who draws inspiration from the beautiful nature surrounding her home, and then uses it as she paints onto canvases using bold bright colours. If you are a collector of art this is definitely a shop that deserves a look!

What I love about Suzanne's collection is that everything is done in such vibrant colours! Each original acrylic listing includes (in the description) a little snippet of the creative process that went into the painting, and a list of the colours used - a very helpful feature in purchasing online because every computer monitor displays colours differently. If you decorate your house in neutrals, like most people do, the best way to accessorize your room is with well placed, brightly coloured accents like pillows, collectibles, or a great painting on your wall :) .

And don't worry - if you can't afford an original acrylic painting, Suzanne sells a variety of prints and art cards! Happy shopping :) Until next time, Kim.