I’ve signed up for an exciting swap over at cloth.paper.string …  for art of the note, participants in groups of ten will exchange sets of original gocco’d note cards (52 people have signed up in total)! Paper/stationery fiend that I am, I can’t wait to see what my swap-mates produce, and I’ve already started some sketches for my contribution.  I’ve been doing a lot of ‘cute’, and I’m thinking something more subtle is in order … 



(A doorway in my neighbourhood.  I somehow didn’t even notice the horse when I took the picture, I was just looking at the numbers!)  

p.s. There’s a giveaway too, until end of the day Wednesday July 30.

I really love the work being done by Mingus Designs of Australia … I’ve had my eye on their pouches for a while (there are elephants, paper airplanes, and birds, all in this great origami-gridpaper design) but now I see that they have cards too! (in their etsy shop)

Pile of Rabbits 2 ~ Originally uploaded by Mingus Designs

Trying to do something a little different for the photos in the shop. Finally we had a bit of sunshine but it still seems a little dark … some day I will get the hang of this!

First of all, a big thanks to decor8 for including Stockton & Co. in yesterday’s Etsy Take Five Tuesdays, and welcome to any of you finding your way here from there. Holly has a real knack for finds and her Etsy posts are no exception … I just love these letterpress frames by Sycamore Street Press, such a great idea!  Speaking of Etsy, look who I found in my front garden early this morning: 



What do Etsy & a snail have in common you ask?  I don’t really make new year’s resolutions but at the start of this year I tried to take a step back and look at my habits, my household, and see if I could slow down, do some things better, and more thoughtfully. I was never a rabid consumer but I am as guilty as the next person of making weird, dumb, unnecessary purchases. In addition to not wanting to be a slave to debt my entire life, I’d like to do as little harm as I can while I’m here.  I won’t bore you with the laundry list of changes we’ve made (and it’s definitely an ongoing process) … but one of the things I’m doing differently is always thinking ‘handmade’ first. I’ve purchased probably 80% of all gifts & things for myself from independent artists this year, (whether on Etsy or elsewhere).  Whenever I need something, I first ask myself - can I get it on Etsy? Or from a local craftsperson?

That’s the purchase-decision-change I’ve made, and it’s pretty simple … what’s harder for me to articulate is what this process has been like … the amazing people I’ve ‘met’, whose care for their work and their customers is evident in everything they do, and who make me feel like the activity of buying can mean something … the vintage sellers with shops full of perfect, loved items with a charm that’s sometimes hard to find in newer mass-produced goods … the artists whose work I’ve fallen in love with and whose shops I basically stalk, because I can’t wait to see what they do next.  So over the next few weeks I’m going to start sharing some of my purchases, showing the amazing things & I’ve found and a little bit about what they mean to me. 

I’m going to leave you with a couple of Kate Bingaman-Burt links, who’s Obssessive Consumption work says more (and more thoughtfully) on the subject than I can!   

A few weeks ago I sent off a small packet of gocco-printed scraps to Holly of decor8 for her “Inspire Me” project, and today she’s posted some pictures of the all the amazing contributions she received! I don’t even know where to start … there are some great looking fabrics from Pixie Dust Decor and Hable Construction … stacks of lovely paper scraps (including lots by M. Patrizio [see also so softies]) , and make-your-own gift tag packs … but I think my favourite thing is the way the paper packs are colour-themed (if you look closely you can see my little elephant on a round piece of scalloped cardstock in the neutrals pack, and some pinwheels on blue in one of the lavender packs - it’s so fun to imagine where all these little pieces might end up, and they’re in such good company!). If I was entering I’d definitely be crossing my fingers for a yellow-green one … oh did I mention you can win one of these beauties? Get going!

Speaking of being inspired, I definitely am … here’s a little hint of what I’ll be up to this weekend (okay, the paper is really the hint, the candy is more about motivation!)

I really loved this week’s Type Tuesday post over at Uppercase Journal. The pictures are simple, yet so personal and evocative. It inspired me to try and dig up some of my old notebooks from elementary school and … I’ve got nothing! At least not in my house. Hopefully there is a box somewhere at my parents’ house full of old treasures like this. I did find this though:

… neat end papers in a “Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls” from 1947. Not quite the same old school aesthetic that Janine is doing so well over at Uppercase, but still nice - speaking of which, I am so looking forward to getting a look (even if only online) of the Uppercase Old School show which starts in August. If you live in Calgary you can check it out in person!

The July Pika Package is in full swing! As I mentioned, I am a participant in this excellent project, the brainchild of Amy of pikaland (an amazing blog unto itself, dedicated to the ‘illustrated life’). The July Pika Package includes some amazing illustrators and I am very humbled to be in their midst. The packages are now available for sale, and even better, there’s a giveaway you can enter simply by leaving a comment or signing up for the mailing list.While you’re at at, don’t forget to check out the Pika Package zine, which features profiles of all the participants. A big thanks to Amy for all the work & care she put into this!

zine image : Amy at pikaland