Summa This... Summa That

How was your weekend? ~ sunshine, decent weather, feet up and relaxation with friends & family? Or busy, busy, busy with projects?

We were privileged to have summa this & summa that =) Sailing on the ferry for 90 minutes each way contributed to the stack of octagons getting higher. Tally after the weekend is 3 red & 3 blue completed with border... only 7 more of each color to go and then it's time to stitch it all together... I'll be updating with more pics of the afghan-to-be in a couple of weeks...

Sunshine on the deck with a glass of wine was a perfect way to pass some time before we all headed down to Nanaimo Harbour for the Victoria Day fireworks display Saturday evening. A beautiful day followed by a fabulous evening stroll with SD, Miss B (our grand daughter) and family... the issue now is Grandma & Grandpa need a few days off to recover from the weekend ~ we still got it in us after *ahem* several decades! =)



We are also extremely busy at the moment with preparations for our first-ever vendor application to Make It! Vancouver craft market taking place at the end of November. A brand new name banner for our booth display is in production at the sign shop... tagging & packaging is tweaked... the hook has been smokin' off some new designs... the studio work table is loaded up with supplies and tools for the new product line... consultations for custom requests... ordering, receiving, tracking supply inventory... Wow!! I love! love! love! our busy life =)

Here's a sneek peek at a few of the supplies currently being used to create some beautiful & practical handmade goodness... and if you're guessing jewellery ~ sorry, wrong answer... and that's all I have to say about that... for now... the rest is "Top Secret" until show time ;-)

Asian Bamboo & Midnight Crystal Pearls

Blossoms & Pink Crystal Pearls

What's your latest project? Takin' it easy? Or busy little bee? 
Keep well... Stay safe... We'll see you next week, here in The Parlour... 

Weekend Craft Market Reminder: If you are looking for something to do this weekend (May 25, May 26) for about an hour, hop over to False Creek to the Creekside Community Centre and meander through the Portobello West Summer Market  Perhaps we'll see you there in our wanderings...

*photos by ccthompson

Octagons & Squares Project

Greetings to all!! Hope you have all been keeping well. Seems we are having a heat wave here in Vancouver as the last couple of weeks has brought us some gorgeous sunshine and summer time temperatures after what seemed like a never-ending rainy winter (by far better than the -40 stupid Celsius I grew up with on the Alberta prairie so I'll stop complaining now lol)...

Here's a few updates before we show off the next project coming off the hook...
First ~ Congrats!! to Jenna & Neil on reaching, and surpassing! their goal of raising $15,000 in support of the Make It Happen Documentary. We love you guys for what you do for all of us handmade artists and can't wait to see the final results next year. Way kewl!! You 2 rock!! Have a super summer and we'll see you at the Holiday Make It show at the end of November.

Next up ~ a couple of reminders of upcoming craft markets... 
May 11 & 12 is the Great Canadian Craft Spring Fling at Canada Place. A fantastic way to spend Mother's Day with Mom, Grandma, aunts, or any other special "mom" in your life.
May 25 &  26 is Portobello West Summer Market at Creekside Community Centre. Check out some of Vancouver's own fabulous designers and have a stroll along the water's edge at False Creek.

Now... coming off the hook...
This project was The Crochet Crowd's Afghan Club début challenge. Sponsored by Red Heart Yarns, this free pattern is called Octagons & Squares. Over 500 photos have been sent in to date, with more being uploaded all the time. Ours is a personal project for our grandson, Cole ~an old-school Spiderman fan~ for his upcoming 5th birthday.

Photo by ccthompson

We did change the recommended yarn to get the perfect red and blue needed, with the black and a darker grey for accent. The gauge is the same, as is the size of skein. It does cost a bit more per skein, but the Bernat Super Value yarn is definitely worth it if you're looking for extra softness to snuggle under. The grey centers will become the large blue and red octagons, with the smaller red- and blue-centered squares in between. We'll share our progress with you in upcoming posts. In the meantime, follow the info links above if you're interested in starting your own Octagons & Squares afghan...

What's on your hook (or needles) right now? Any special handmade art projects on the go or recently completed? Go ahead & share them with us...

Keep safe & keep well... we'll see you next week, here In The Parlour =)

 

Upcoming Spring 2013 Craft Shows

The 2013 Spring Craft Show Season is here!! Woot!! We're excited because we love seeing all that talent & creativity. Awesome stuff!  

Photo courtesy SD Jackson, PixAppeal Photography

We put together a calendar of the next 4 markets for you, starting with this weekend ~

First up: Make It! Vancouver
@ Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Drive
Friday, April 19           4pm to 9pm
Saturday, April 20      11am to 7pm
Sunday, April 21         11am to 5pm 
Admission is $5 (12 & Under Free) & that covers your admission for the 3 days. Follow this link to get your discount =)
Lots of goodies for everyone, including a Grand Prize Giveaway! 
We'll be a ''Meeter/Greeter/Hand Stamper'' at the front door ~ See you there!!

P.S. Check out the Make It Happen documentary trailer on the sidebar ~ WoW! The support is fabulous!

Next up: Got Craft?
VENUE CHANGED DUE TO FIRE AT MARITIME LABOUR CENTRE. NEW LOCATION IS:
@ Templeton Secondary School, 727 Templeton Drive (corner of Templeton & Turner in Hastings Sunrise neighbourhood)
Saturday, April 27  
Sunday, April 28         10am to 5pm   Both Days
Admission is $3 (12 & Under Free) 
The first 50 paid admissions each day receive a free Swag Bag filled with goodies from participating show vendors & sponsors ~ be there early! 
There's also scheduled DIY Workshops running throughout both days for those feeling crafty (click the link for info on those)...

Mother's Day Weekend: Great Canadian Craft Spring Fling
@ Vancouver Convention Centre, 1055 Canada Place
Saturday, May 11      10am to 8pm
Sunday, May 12         10am to 5pm
Early Bird tix are $8 (order here) 
General Admission is $10 at the door (12 & Under Free)
The First 100 paid admissions each day receive a free Swag Bag of goodies.
You may need to clear your whole day for this one as there are over 500 exhibitors! And for the guys ~ this one has a Men's Section! Door prizes, live music & more...

And Then: Portobello West Fashion & Art Market
@ Creeekside Community Centre, 1 Athlete's Way 
Saturday, May 25   
Sunday, May 26          11am to 5pm   Both Days
Admission is $2 (12 & Under Free)
Situated at the water's edge in False Creek, this is the Summer Market of four seasonal markets for Portobello & features over 50 Lower Mainland area artisans & designers... 

Show your love for handmade goodness by supporting local craftspeople, artists & designers! Mark your calendars, set a reminder in your iPhone, get a notification from your email calendar! Let us know of more markets and vintage shows coming up & we'll be sure to share the date with everyone ~ ~ Let The Season Begin!!

Keep safe & we'll see you next week, here In The Parlour =)

Coming Next Week: Our Adventures at Make It!