Ornament Treasures

Wow! Hard to believe October is over in less than 10 days!! Where did it go?? It's very true that time flies when you're having fun... Most of my free time, along with allotted hours in the day & night, have been spent on preparations for the upcoming Make It! Vancouver craft show {head over to the page for details & discount coupons for admission} The crochet hooks have been twisting up a storm, creating new treasures since June when I learned I was accepted by the show's jury. It's very exciting to be moving from being "Front Door Meeter/Greeter-Hand Stamp Lady" to being a vendor with my own booth...  and Yes! I'm nervous, too, as this is my first big-city show!!

A holiday season craft show... I love handmade ornaments & decorations ~ combined with my tendency to think outside the box a majority of the time... hmmm... the results? The 2013 Limited-Edition Ornament Collection by Carla's Victorian Heirloom's ~ 4 different motifs; 13 different colors ~ each one individually handcrafted with heirloom quality, a treasure to pass to your future generations along with cherished memories... warm, happy thoughts lovingly wrapped into each stitch ~ the motif-style of these creations are suitable for displaying all year... a wonderful gift to mark a special occasion...

Here's a photo of some finished ornaments:

 Set of 3/$30 {Available at vendor booth beginning 28November13}

And here's what's "on the block":

Out of pins & out of starch... batch #2

This is the big one of the secret projects I've been working on the last few months and teasing you with {I'll show another one of the 3 in a couple of weeks}...

Simple Victorian elegance ~ a treasure sure to become a cherished heirloom for future generations...

Have an awesome week... see you next time... 

... here, In The Parlour =)

*photos by ccthompson

An Invitation

for You to join us 

at our Lower Mainland debut market 

We're on the vendors' list for one of the biggest, hottest handmade juried markets in Western Canada!! {Woot!!} Over 250 talented craftspeople, designers & artisans gather for this awesome 4-day event to bring you a unique shopping experience... accessories, home décor, art, fashion, jewellery, baby items, 'stuff' for the guys, and more...

Come see what beautiful crocheted treasures we've been keeping a secret just for the show!

Thurs Nov 28 (10am-9pm)     Fri Nov 29 (10am-9pm)

Sat Nov 30 (10am-6pm)     Sun Dec 1 (11am-5pm) 

https://www.facebook.com/events/546107335444441/ 

  

Make It! Vancouver at the PNE Forum  

2901 E Hastings Street

Vancouver, BC

'Because You're Awesome' Admission 

Kids 12 & Under Get In Free

Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/210858859077049/ 

for more info & to see the complete Exhibitors List.

Here are some other upcoming fall markets to add to your calendar of things to do in The Lower Mainland:





Sep 28 2013
The Olde Farmhouse Vintage Market  
9am-6pm
2514 - 105 Avenue
Maple Ridge, BC    

https://www.facebook.com/events/148745518651654/
 







Nov 16 & 17 2013
Creative Finds Marketplace 10am-4pm
Sullivan Hall
6306 - 152nd Street
Surrey, BC

https://www.facebook.com/events/389388921075526/
 
 







Nov 23 & 24 2013
Simonds Elementary
10am-4pm
Simonds Elementary School
20190 48th Avenue
Langley, BC

https://www.facebook.com/events/644483365567699

Nov 29 - Dec 1 2013
Gifts Galore
Varied Times 
Gizeh Shrine Centre 
3350 Wayburne Drive
Burnaby, BC

https://www.facebook.com/Gifts-Galore-Show





What's your favourite market in the fall season? 
Feel free to post a link in the comments below to share it to this calendar...

Enjoy the coming season change ~ keep safe & we'll see you next week...

...here In The Parlour =)

Stop & Smell The Flowers...

<3 I love Spring <3   
The season of freshness & renewal ~ Spring is officially still a couple of weeks away, and here in Vancouver, the flowers are in bud, if not already blooming... for those who simply cannot wait, here are some blossoms from Spring and Summer past... Enjoy!!

The first Crocus of Spring...

Sunny Daffodils...

...Sweet Honeysuckle treats for the residents

 

Camillia after the rain...

 

Shades of purple...      Pansies...      Echinacea...

Blushing Peace Rose...

a field full of wild abandon...

 

...or a lone renegade of the bunch 

Keep well & we'll see you next week, here in The Parlour!

Coming up next week: on the hook...

Photos courtesy SD Jackson, PixAppeal Photography; ccthompson

The rebuilding begins...

Sometimes you need to take it all apart a few times in order to get it the way you want it to be...

In our last post, we told you a little about our new direction for 2013. At the top of the list this year, we are working on an exciting new online catalog for our boutique, focused on handmade crochet gifts & accessories. Please note, although our temporary home at IndieMade is closed permanently as of February 21, 2013, our creations will remain available. You can drop us a line by email at carlaATvictorianheirloomDOTca if you wish to place an order, have any questions/comments/suggestions. If you prefer, you can post on our Facebook page, or leave a message in the comments box below. We'll be happy to chat with you =)

Keep up to date on what's happening around the studio by using one, or some, of the many options available. We have some pretty interesting content we'll be sharing with you so bring your friends... maybe you already know someone who is part of our growing little community...

1. Subscribe to this blog. Click on the button under the comment box to have an email of the latest blog post sent directly to your inbox on a weekly basis. You can opt out or unsubscribe at any time by sending us an email to let us know you are leaving, if you choose to do so.
   
2. Join by clicking the button on the right sidebar. Already a member of Google, Twitter or Yahoo? Sign in using your current information. No a member yet? Create a new account by following the link on the bottom of the pop-up window.
   
3. "Like" our Facebook page. Remember to hover over the Like button, then click on "Get Notifications" to receive our posts. You can also click the "Show In News Feed" to share with your friends, and add us to your Interest Lists.
   
4. Follow our tweets on Twitter by clicking the button on the right sidebar. These come direct from Facebook as we post to our business page; however, we do retweet every now & then. We also have a different community of friends in the Twitter-verse ~ you never know who you're going to meet there...
   
5. Check out our pin boards and follow us on Pinterest (username Sweet's Curio)
6. Connect with us on LinkedIn

As a side note: we don't like spam; therefore, we keep our posts to a minimum on all of our social media sites. We also keep all your information private; it's nobody's business except yours & ours.

Thank you for your continued support ~ it means the world to us <3 Have a super day, Everyone!  

We look forward to visiting with you next week, here in The Parlour...

Coming up next week: put your apron on...

photos by/property of ccthompson

A New Year, A New Direction

Many unforeseen challenges have presented themselves in the last few months, including our website host closing up shop. This left us with many options, some of which are still under consideration. In the meantime, we have relocated the boutique at its temporary home to continue bringing you shopping opportunities.

Our Facebook page continues with regular news feed of links and topics related to crochet & other crafting goodness, local markets, and small business. You'll also find pictures of new items being featured in our catalog. We're on Twitter (AT CarlaHeirlooms), and if you're a fellow yarn hooker, we can also be found in crochet communities, including the Crochet Guild of America, Ravelry (hookedon5mm), Hookey and Crochetville (SalishSeaCrocheter). We'd love for you to join us, or drop us a line say "hello" if you're a yarnie in any of the groups. 

Thank you for your continued patience and support as we fine tune our web presence. May 2013 bring you & yours much good health, wealth, and happiness!

Changes at The Studio...

I've been a busy little bee for the past 3-4 months...
As of September 8, 2012, I am open for business at Carla's Victorian Heirlooms Online Boutique     
     YAY!!!

*Photo by SD Jackson, PixAppeal Photography

My boutique is located on the brand new selling site for handmade artisans ~  
Shop For HandMade Built and operated by Andrew McMaster, the website is based in the UK and hosts strictly handmade items created by talented artisans. Andrew took the time to find out what crafters wanted in a selling site and incorporated those features, and then some! (Thank you, Andrew, for this awesome creative community!) For more information on becoming a seller, if you are a supplier for handmade artisans, or if you are a curious buyer, click on the Shop For HandMade link above and message Andrew. He will happily answer any questions you may have...

In the meantime, stop by my new boutique and browse the catalog that features crocheted creations, counted cross-stitch treasures and home-sewn goodness... I use a secure PayPal payment system to accept credit cards, PayPal account transfers, and postal or bank money orders for your purchasing convenience...

I will be creating more unique handcrafted pieces over the coming months. You can follow my Facebook page or Twitter page to receive announcements of when new items are added to the catalog... I'm off to channel my creativity...

May your yarns be tangle-free <3

A Rainbow of Colors...

Pick a project, pick a stitch, pick a color...
machine embroidery and embellishment stitching...

 cotton quilting thread for a finishing touch...

silk ribbon for hand-stitched needlework...

Tea & Stitch Time

Some of the beautiful flowers outside The Studio window

Before she passed away, my grandmother bought each one of her 5 granddaughters a tea cup with the matching saucer. Her criteria:
No 2 could be the same
Each set could not cost more than $1
They were purchased at yard sales only
It had to be English fine bone china

The copy of Hoopla: The Unexpected Art of Embroidery (Leanne Prain) that I won last winter (Yay!!!) reading the Got Craft? blog... Thank you again Andrea @lotusevents for all your hard work put into getting that to me =)
If any fellow stitchers out there haven't seen this book yet, I recommend checking it out~you'll certainly start "thinking outside the hoop"

Keep your "eye on the needle" & happy stitching!

Photos courtesy SD Jackson Digital Studio

In The Works

Photography courtesy SD Jackson Digital Studio

The Studio on 55th

Photography courtesy SD Jackson Digital Studio

Button, Button...

For some reason I seem to have amassed quite a collection of buttons over the years...

This syrup can is probably an inch away from overflow when upright... another "heirloom" passed down to me... I remember as a little girl how fascinated I was by all the colors... scooping a handful & letting them run back into the can...

A mixture of true vintage and modern... some ended up in the stash by being part of a bagful at the local thrift store... others are project spares (just in case I lose one)... check out the pricing! 25¢ for 4 buttons... that's a deal we don't see anymore! We pay that for a single special button these days...

Photographs courtesy S. D. Jackson

On another note, if you haven't seen our Facebook page recently, scoot over & check out our latest project... a crocheted blanket in shades of "grape & mixed berries" that's being sent out to a special little girl...

More Treasured Chachkas

It's so nice to have the space to display the sewing treasures I have gathered over the years. Some have found me... some were gifts from family or dear friends... others fell into the "not leaving here without that" category...

Photography courtesy S. D. Jackson

All our treasures & chachkas have a little story of how they came to be at Carla's Victorian Heirlooms...

Do you have your favorite treasures or collection of chachkas? I'm guessing you can tell a story of how they came to be on your shelves or in your curio cabinet... Do you have any one particular piece that's the first thing to jump to your mind any time someone mentions "collecting"? Any one thing that instantly puts a smile on your face & brings back those warm fuzzies of another time & place? Perhaps reminds you of someone who had or has a special place in your heart?

Treasures Rediscovered...

After unpacking a few of the slowly-dwindling stack of moving boxes yesterday, I have rediscovered even more treasures that I've inherited from my Grandmother's sewing stash...

unused chalk... I have another 5 pieces that are well-used

  
a flat iron used for collars, cuffs, children's clothing

more unused sewing supplies... the fading original price sticker on the back of the box shows .10

 

crocheted lace... not sure of the fiber content but most likely rayon or cotton... 

I do have enough of each of them for an extra special project... definitely an "heirloom" in the making

the cellophane wrappers are still intact on these... more special projects upcoming

So many treasures... so many "visions of creations"...