News In The Parlour For 21June13

Did everyone have a great weekend? Did you get a chance to soak up some real Vitamin D? Or, like some of us "whiter shade of pale-skinned people", perhaps you turned a bright shade of red?... Ouch!! Remember to use that SPF Mega number {a.k.a. Shirt In A Bottle} even on those cloudy summer days...

Wellll.... the jury verdict is back... and... WE'RE IN, BABY!!! We are officially a vendor at the 2013 Make It! Vancouver Holiday Show. This is soooo exciting for us on so many levels!! From small city Prairie market to our first-ever, world-class, strictly handmade, arts & craft show in a world-class metropolis ~ WOW!!! {Such an amazing feeling to know our creations really are in that top class of artists & artisans~ really, really!!} Adding to the exciting news: Make It! is moving to the PNE Forum (Pacific National Exhibition) for their next get-together here in Vancouver... bigger & better than ever!! {Cue sitcom song: We're Moving On Up} We'll certainly keep you updated on all the preps and happenings... We're still doing a happy dance, with hook & #10 crochet thread held high, knowing our summer and autumn months are about to get much busier... and lovin' every minute of it!!

{*Catching our breath for a second or ten*} On a calmer note... the Octagon & Squares Afghan for our grandson's birthday gift is coming along nicely... all 26 motifs are finished... half of them are stitched together... the other half will be finished over the weekend. We'll post an "all done" photo as soon as it's "all done"... This grandma is pretty excited we'll be making the 2-day trip to hand-deliver it him, too <3

In closing today, we want to take this opportunity to say "Thank You to all of our friends out there in Net-land. We like that you like us. You make our happy dancing that much more happier when we can put some happy & smiles in your dancing. You're all super awesome!!" 

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! 

*photo courtesy Carol A. Thompson. All rights reserved by Carla's Victorian Heirlooms. 2013.

Until next time, Happy Solstice/Merry Yule!! Enjoy gazing at the supermoon {weather permitting, of course} ~ Keep well ~ Keep your happy dance going In Your Parlour!!

We're Back At It...

How has everyone been? Got all the spring planting done? {Or the autumn clean up if you live below the equator =) } Vancouver is starting to show signs of summer approaching ~ lots of flowers & shrubs in full bloom, fresh veggies are beginning to appear at the local markets... Personally, I'm super excited for the fresh berries... strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries... Yu-ummm!!

The past few weeks has seen us busy putting together an application to our first-ever juried show ~ Make It! Vancouver Holiday Market. The market is moving to the PNE from The Croatian Cultural Centre and we find out this Monday who the vendors will be. Fingers & toes are crossed... Here are some of the fruits of our labours~

Our new official display booth banner...

*photo by SD Jackson

The new hang tags for larger items...

*photos by SD Jackson

And here are the colours coming off the hook...

*photo by ccthompson

The 'Octagons & Squares' hasn't had a lot of attention recently due to the other preparations going on... now we can go back to hookin' on it... gotta make sure it's ready to travel to Alberta with us next month...
The yarn for our next afghan project is waiting patiently in a corner of The Studio for its turn at the I-9 hook and it's been tagged by a lady to keep those Northern chills off when she's curled up with the family to watch movies...

'Ocean Waves' rising...

*photo by ccthompson

Before we say 'see you next week' ~ to all of the dads, step-dads, moms-who-are-also-dads, & the angel dads watching over us ~ may you have a wonderful, relaxing Happy Father's Day!! {We love you & miss you, Dad T. and Dad J. ~ see you in 6 weeks <3 } 
What are your plans for the weekend?

Keep well, enjoy some gorgeous weather, relax... and we'll see you next week, here In The Parlour!!

 

Out For... A Little Bit Longer

Back Soon

We're working feverishly on the booth display for the photo shoot this weekend... stay tuned for a new blog post next week ~ stay safe & keep well!!

Our Make It! Adventures

What a fantastic time last weekend at the Make It! Vancouver craft festival!! It was so nice to see all of our favourite designers & aritsts... and make some new friends =)

Photo by ccthompson

Yapes Paints (April Lacheur) had a fabulous selection of original paintings & art cards available. Sadly, we missed out on the lady owl with the pearls and hair fascinator ~ she was sooo cute!

I visited with Tracey Tomtene and oooo-ed & ahhhh-ed over her gorgeous selection of jewellery and photographic work depicting her worldly travels. What an eye this girl has!!

Tasty authentic chai tea, and a delicious ginger pear spearmint, were among the tea blends we sampled from Trudy Ann's Bombay Masala Chai ~ yummm!

The charming GG, from creampuff by gg, hooked me up with some sassy girlie boxers and a sexy bandaid top. I must say that these are definitely *the* most comfortable boxers I've ever worn! And the top will be for sure be a cute replacement to the camisoles peeking out from under a sweater or blouse.

Some very exciting news from the weekend is that Make It! Vancouver has outgrown the current space at the Croatian Cultural Centre. The fall show is being held at the PNE November 28 to December 1 of this year ~ room for almost twice as many vendors, all in one room!! Fingers crossed our application is accepted & we'll see you at our booth to help you with your Christmas shopping (I know ~ sheesh! ~ it's only April!) We'll be sure to keep you updated on all those goings-on...

Photo courtesy SD Jackson, PixAppeal Photography 

Team photo of Neil Mangan (Jenna's "partner-in-crime"), Myself (Meeter/Greeter), Jenna Herbut & Chandler Herbut (Sister/Brother Team Co-producers of Make It! Productions)
 
To Jenna, Chandler and the entire gang behind the scenes ~ I'm pretty sure I speak for all "The Makies" and the fans out there ~ thank you so very much for all you do and for putting on another awesome show ~ you guys ROCK!!

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

Our Crafty Biz Heroes

We have a change of subject in The Parlour today... We promise to bring you a post with links about our Hooker Heroes at a later date =)

Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing info & tidbits about our fav craft market ~ Make It! ~ a twice yearly artisan market in Vancouver, BC, & Edmonton, AB, featuring handmade crafts, fine art and delicious homemade treats & snacks. The first shows of the 2013 season take place in the Edmonton, AB, area at The Enjoy Centre in St. Albert this weekend, followed by the Vancouver, BC, show at the Croatian Cultural Centre next weekend. 

Today, we want to share with you something near & dear to our hearts... Make It Happen! is a documentary being put together by Jenna Herbut, (Make It! craft show, Make It! University) and her partner, Neil Mangan. Together, this amazing couple are seeking to spread the word that it is possible to quit your day job and be a success at your creative pursuits. Their film features inspiring interviews with several artists sharing their personal stories about how it is possible to be a full-time artist & entrepreneur working whatever craft your heart, hands & soul desire... We no longer need to be a "starving artist" ~ we now have "living proof" of that!! *all humor intended in that remark*

You can view the trailer & fund-raising campaign by clicking on the right sidebar. Since the start of this project on April 5, 40+ supporters have contributed a little over 1/3 towards Jenna & Neil's goal of raising $15,000 to help cover the production costs of the DVD being released in the spring of 2014. Be sure to check all the fabulous perks for being a Make It Happen supporter too!!

Share the links, follow the Facebook page, contribute financially ~ your support in any way you are able, for this special project will be so very, very much appreciated by creative entrepreneurs the world over!! 

From the bottom of our hearts, "Thank You Muchly & Big Huggzz" ~~to Jenna & Neil for all the hard work, talent and commitment being put into this project ~~to all the artists for sharing your stories with us ~~and to all those behind the scenes of every artist choosing to follow their creative passion, for giving the love & support you do every day...

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

Photo by ccthompson

Coming Next Week: More Fav Local Artisan Markets 

In the Feature Gallery: Trinket Bags

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

Wow! it's been a busy few days again here in the studio... we've managed to get some decorating done and our miniature tree looks so pretty... the last bit of sewing is winding down for The Commons Christmas Craft Fair... only the hand-stitched embellishments left to do... then on to the dry run for merchandising the show table.

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

Our last product for the upcoming market is a Trinket Bag. These bags are wonderful for holding smaller gifts that are so hard to wrap... perfect for those little stocking stuffers or for hanging on the tree...

 

...Limited edition for 2011~ the prints and fabrics we used are the left over pieces of fabric from the gift bags and bread bags 

...Eco-friendly ~ no need for wrapping paper

...Reuseable; sturdy; versatile

...Finished size is approximately 5" wide by 8" tall

      

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

So that ends our showcase of some of the cloth gift bags available at Carla's Victorian Heirlooms for the 2011 Holiday Season... there are so many we possibly couldn't photograph them all! We hope you enjoyed the sneak peek... it certainly has been fun sharing with you!

Make sure the craft market is on your "to-do" list this coming Saturday December 3... all the information can be found under the "Craft Market" tab on the right. Stop by to say "hello" and mention you read our blog... we have a special "Thank You for reading" gift just for you...

Until next time... the countdown is now 25 shopping days left 'til we hang our stockings... keep safe, be happy.

Gift bags galore...

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

Good evening to all. We are up to our elbows in cloth bags here in our Gabriola Island studio! These are the first round of gift bags, with another stack being prepped for stitching... and more bread bags and some trinket bags to follow... and our countdown days are at 8 to our opening market at The Commons Christmas Craft Fair...

In the Feature Showcase this evening: a versatile Gift Bag

...Choice of print or plain outer fabric (poly/cotton) 

...Lined with contrast fabric to compliment the outer fabric 

...Built-in handle for easy transport or for hanging on a stocking hook 

...Attached ribbon tie 

...Plain outer fabric also has a medallion embellishment hand-stitched to the front ...Trimmed with decor stitching along the handle

Photos courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

...Finished size approximately 6¼” wide (12½” diameter) by 14½” tall ...Large enough to hold a bottle ...Smaller version measures approximately 10" tall 

...Either version makes a great bag to fill with jams & homemade preserves, bath salts, an assortment of candles, or anything else you may be able to think of to put in it 

...Environmentally & tree-friendly; reusable 

...A gift in itself!

What features do you look for in a cloth gift bag? Sturdiness? Uniqueness? Versatility? What features would you like to see in our gift bags? More colors? More print outer or plain outer with embellishments? Bags for other holidays and special occasions? Please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions or questions below... we are open to all feedback regarding our blog and our products. Join us on our Facebook page too! Or if you prefer a private communication, please email Carla's Victorian Heirlooms at the address on the sidebar (use the @ symbol in the address)... And we are accepting orders for Christmas and New Year's delivery. 

Until next time... one month today is Christmas Eve! who's left on your shopping list?... stay safe, be happy.

Feature Gallery: Cotton Bread Bags

First an update...

Good evening to all. It was a long day spent behind the desk to catch up on paper work again... finish one file and on to the next. Plans have changed for the weekend... no Vancouver trip to visit the Make It! show... no Parksville visit either. We are instead going to stick closer to home and visit a couple of the small local markets going right here on Gabriola Island... The Feedlot Studios is running a market Friday November 25 (5pm – 9pm) and Saturday November 26 (10am – 4pm)... As well, the 2nd Annual Gabriola Artisan Christmas Fair is taking place Saturday November 26 & Sunday November 27 at the Rollo Seniors’ Centre, 685 North Road.

That’s the news of the day from the studio... now on to our feature of today... 

cotton bread bags! 

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

The bags are ...Reusable and environmentally friendly (no extra plastic in the landfills) ...Made right here in our studio, with 100% cotton fabric (toss them in with regular kitchen laundry instead of washing bulky plastic containers) ...Have a drawstring at the top for easy open and close (no more broken plastic clips or worn twist ties) ...Finished measurements are 8½” wide by 15½” long to fit a loaf of artisan bread nicely ...Add a unique touch to your kitchen decor ...Each bag is completed with a finishing "artisan's touch" of the hand-stitched embroidery “Bread” in a contrasting color to compliment the fabric ...Makes a great bag when you want to take that fresh bread to your next dinner invite!

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

Up next in our Feature Gallery will be the small version of a gift bag with a built-in handle... until then...

stay safe, be happy.

Studio update...

The last few days have seen us without power for a stretch of 27 hours. A freak wind storm blew through unexpectedly Friday afternoon, taking down trees and branches and a couple of power lines close to us. In all, it was reported that approximately 50,000 hydro customers lost power. Of course, with the power went the internet... out came the extra blankets and all the candles we could find. Stitching without decent light and heat was not option... the bit of paperwork that I worked on ended when I began to consider putting gloves on to continue... you know it's cold when...

Today is the weekly tea & stitch session in the city... the carousel horse will be finished and the first Victorian heirloom decoration for the booth display will be ready to go for our upcoming show in December... details are in the craft markets listing below... Watch for a picture of that ornament to be added to the gallery this week...

The next couple of weeks will be spent sewing and stitching for the Christmas market... with some business workshops in between... only 20 more sleeps to go until market day... and hard to believe it's only 45 days until Christmas morning! (sure can sneak up on a person when there is so much going on around the studio...)

Until next time... stay safe, be happy.

After some trials and tribulations...

After a couple weeks of waiting and some tribulations, as of late this afternoon, Carla's Victorian Heirlooms has a web page under construction. We have also obtained the domain for the .com address to make sure everyone can find us on the net. Plans are for the website to be up and running for late spring 2012, with a full-color online catalog of product and ordering information. We will keep you updated with the progress as it comes together... and we can always be found on Facebook

In the meantime, our talented photographer from S. D. Jackson Photography will be busy building a supply of product shots to fill the catalog with... including detail shots of the embroidery or beadwork or other hand-worked embellishment that make each and every item created in our studio unique.

Tomorrow is a production day in the studio to build inventory for the upcoming market in December... good thing we have a steady supply of green tea around here...

Until next time... stay safe, be happy.

Wonderful weekend...

Good evening to everyone...

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. Did anyone have snow over the weekend? It sure felt like it was going to drop some big, fat, wet flakes on us yet all we got were cold raindrops overnight and a bitterly cold wind that is out of the norm for this area. Felt like I was back on the Prairies in winter...

The Nanaimo Professional Craft Fair was a delight to attend. Many talented artisans and crafters filled the room with everything from soup mixes to welded nuts on metal sculpture with several choices of sweet treats for dessert... including melt-in-your-mouth shortbread! It was well worth the hour & a half spent wandering the aisles. Christmas 2012 will be our turn to be behind the table instead of wandering.

Next fair on the list for us is the Parksville Kris Kringle Craft Market that runs November 24th to 27th. This one has almost twice the vendors so I'm thinking it will take about twice as long to wander... As soon as we are finished in Parksville, it's down to Departure Bay ferry to cruise over to the Lower Mainland for Saturday's (November 26) visit of the Make It! Vancouver market...

Photo courtesy of S. D. Jackson Photography

 Now for the best news of the weekend's ventures... Carla's Victorian Heirlooms has secured a table for our first ever Christmas market! Yay!!! Stop by the Gabriola Commons' Christmas Craft Fair on December 3 between 10am and 4 pm and check out our growing selection of reusable bags... 

These particular bags are suitable for a bottle of wine (or other smaller gifts) and another bag will hold a yummy loaf of artisan bread. The bag collection is only the beginning of our household linens selection that will be available over the coming months...

Photo courtesy of S. D. Jackson Photography

The best part about all the bags we will be making here in the studio is they are reusable, time and time again. This line of gift bags is made with poly/cotton fabrics... we have a range of jewel-toned colors with contrast prints to choose from available year-round... each one can be ordered with a hand-embroidered monogram for a more personal touch... and they cut down on waste in the landfill sites...

Until tomorrow... stay warm, stay safe, be happy.

Updates from the Studio...

The last couple of days here in the studio have been full of internet wanderings and discussions about the upcoming Christmas craft market season. Today, the itineraries were planned and the budgets set for 3 markets for us to visit in November. (which, of course, means a couple of road trips *gosh, darn*)

The markets are in Nanaimo, Parksville, and Vancouver... the links to the web pages are below if you wish to check out some more information. It will be hard not to shop but it will still be fun to look. We're going for business-related purposes instead of as shoppers. The preparations for market season 2012 are underway with plans to participate as vendors in our first show as early as spring... very exciting! More on that subject down the road... back to the current upcoming markets...

First stop is Nanaimo Professional Craft Fair tomorrow (Saturday November 5). The show runs from 10am to 5 pm at Beban Park. An early ferry sailing and a short bus ride will get us there and home. A Serious Coffee stop in between is definitely in order. As always, my handsome roustabout will be accompanying me on the expedition. (Must remember to check the weather forecast too...)

Some new photos of our product gallery are on their way as well... keep checking back to see those and to see some of the hand-embroidered artistry created in the studio. We are also on Facebook with regular updates on the studio events and musings... we’d love to hear from you so feel free to stop by there and say hello or reply to a post... 

Until next time... have a great weekend... be safe, be happy

Happy Hallow's Eve

photo courtesy of S. D. Jackson Photography

Good morning to all,

Hope everyone had a great weekend with all the parties and festivities. As today marks the end of October, tomorrow marks the official grand opening of Carla's Victorian Heirlooms. Long hours and hard work to get to this point, and it won't be slowing down anytime soon. It certainly has not been without its challenges but that has just made it a bit more interesting. Challenges help us to see if we are actually up to the task. They can also guide us down a different path to the same result; I like to think of it as "taking the scenic route". It may take a bit longer to get to where we intended, but we get there eventually with a bonus of seeing different sights along the way. So even though it took us almost 25 years to get here, it was definitely worth the detour of twists and turns along the way.

The weekend had its challenges as well. A new project went smoothly up until a point. The bags were cut with casing lines and buttonholes marked in no time. However, the transfer pencil took its sweet time transferring to the fabric. It eventually showed up after about 5 minutes under the hot iron and the motif is ready to be hand stitched today before I stitch the seams. Another challenge is the fabric has a pattern that is somewhat hiding the lines of the transfer... easily dealt with under good light. The 'scenic route' again.

Stitching time yesterday was fun. I met some ladies that also have a passion for needle and threads. I also had a quick lesson in lace making. I have heard of it but had never seen it done so now my curiosity is satisfied. The results are absolutely gorgeous to behold... an heirloom art for sure. I am still undecided as to whether I will attempt to learn the technique. It would definitely fit with the repertoire of the studio...something I will ponder. I actually didn't get much stitching done on the little project I took with me as we were too busy chattering about threads and patterns and the different cloths we use for our art... next week's sit & stitch will see the finish of the first piece in a set of Victorian Christmas ornaments in the works for the craft market booth display. 

Today will be a stitching day as we have sunshine and a break in the rainy weather... A day of work and then over to Twin Beaches tonight for some cocoa by the bonfire and watch the Halloween fireworks. To all the ghouls and goblins out there... safe trick or treating and have a Spooktacular Halloween!