Alright, so... I finally got around to making a fantastic idea that i found/stole from some amazing people at Tokyo Pistol. Below are some steps, and photos of the process. The quality is not the best as I took them with my iPhone (still can't find that cord, prolly should buy a new one). Without further adeu....


First Step. Find an old book. This one is from a small collection of reader's digest books that i have. Its binding is in sorry shape, and so i thought it might be happier as a flower pot.


Step 2. Cut out a large portion of the book which will become the actual "pot". My book was 639 pages long, I cut to page 466.


Step 3. Find a plant/clippings that are easy to grow. I dont remember what this guy is called but he roots easily and is a clean air plant. You will also need some soil. Mine is an all-purpose potting mix. You could of course, buy a little plant already living in some soil.


Step 4. Put some soil in the book.


Step 5. Plant the plants. Give them a small amount of water.
And there you have it! I will update later on how the plants are doing.

My favorite model

Sometimes the mail holds wonderful surprises. Today is magazine day. Fashion Magazine and Saveur came today.

Saveur is a lovely foray into cuisine. My only complaint is that they use too much red meat, which i don't eat. But i know many a carnivore who disagree whole heartedly.

Fashion Magazine is canada's answer to/attempt at Vogue. It was the real treat this morning. My favorite model is on the cover- The amazing Jessica Stam! Not only is she homegrown but she seems to be a photographers dream. A veritable chameleon (without the creepy eye movements). It is my dream to one day do a shoot with her.
Fashion has also gently hopped onto the Tavi bandwagon. It's about time. Page 26!

Torpor

I have been a very special kind of lazy as of late. Special in that i can do things like knit, sew, paint, cook, even clean, but im finding it hard to go out. I have an occasional tendency towards social withdrawal. And boy howdy, is it ever hitting me hard right now!
Daily life is stacked against activity right now. Winter, self-employment, lack of love life, super amazing kitten, busy friends... these things add up, and their sum is torpor.
I want to do something in response to this. Something about hibernation, sleep, acute social withdrawal, self imposed isolation... in short a ひきこもり (hikikomori) bear in winter? No. But something. Don't ask me what, i am still working that out.

In other news, got some new yarn, dont like it much but it will become something pretty.

PS

My places to go- I have added the blog of the lovely and talented yuula benivolski
She has a lot of her work on her main page and her blog is always interesting and usually kind of touching.

Rooster says Merry Xmas

Here is a tiny painting i did for my mum's present. She likes chickens and roosters in her kitchen. She will probably like this painting.

A rooster is a somewhat funny christmas present. When i think about all of the christmas mornings that i acted as a rooster/alarm clock, it just makes sense as a christmas gift.
The colour in the photograph is a tad washed out, but im not too concerned.

I also managed a close-up detail by using a magnifying glass over the lens of my iphone. (I still cant find the connector cord for my digicam... so iphone photos is alls you get)
It is below.

i seeeeee youuuuuuuuu

labour of love

Coincidence? maybe. The documentary the secret world of haute couture is on cbc newsworld's "Passionate Eye". I stumbled upon it as i sit here working on yet another beaded brooch. That's not to say that my work is anywhere near the amazing beauty of couture but it is also labour intensive, at least for me. My workmanship is not even near the same level as the artisans in Paris, but i still feel a connection, probably stemming from my longing.
The film discusses the socialites that collect couture pieces as contemporary art. Maybe there is more of a connection than i had originally thought. I am, after all, a contemporary artist.

humbug!

So, I have started telling a few people about this blog... about three. Their instantaneous reaction is "what's it about?" and i sincerely dont know! My best guess would be "me"?

Is that enough?

No, probably not. But here it is anyway.

It is christmas tomorrow and i am not excited in the least. It just doesnt feel like it is. No snow, no snow, no snow!
I am having a handmade christmas, all my gifts have been handmade by me. Sounds romantic doesnt it? Well, its not entirely by choice. I am BROKE! sooo I have been putting my talents to good use. I will try to post some pictures after christmas (gotta preserve the surprise).

However a brand new decade is just around the corner. I am being optimistic. Perhaps this will be my year, decade even.

it's like the renaissance or something

My head is simply crammed with lots of ideas! there are all sorts of things that i want to make. Very little of it is what i would consider art pieces, but i am sure they will be beautiful just the same, or at least fun.

I have made a few beaded broaches over the past month. Broken heart, bling heart (pale) and bling panda, are just three of them. I was thinking of listing them on Etsy, but they may end up as christmas gifts instead.

I also finished off a scarf today (picture to come later). It is black and was knitted with Clover Jumbo 15mm needles! I love the giant holes that are inherent with such huge needles. The yarn was interesting to begin with... thin to chunky and back again. It's created such a lovely texture. I was definitely contemplating gifting it, but the more i think of parting with it, the less i want to.
Perhaps this particular scarf will just be a gift to myself. I guess i could always wrap it up to later open it on christmas morning.

The other odds and sods that i'll be making will end up on here sooner or later most likely as i complete them. I am pretty sure one of them will show up tomorrow (exciting), but again, it's a gift for myself, under the guise of a prototype.

I dont have a whole lot on my mind tonight. Just wanted to take a picture of the chaos currently living on my bed.
Today it doubled as a craft table for the purpose of making some wrapping paper/writing a letter on said paper and then wrapping a small handmade gift in (once again) the afore mentioned paper.

A haiku about the situation

Bed needs to be cleared

Clutter impedes my sleeping

My eyes grow tired

Complaining is ok if it takes the form of a poem, right?

"that place in time - so gold"

Last night i had an awful time of it, sleeping that is. I could barely do it. My eyes were feeling all buzzy and red and swollen but for some reason i just couldn't sleep well. Usually the cure for this is listening to radio podcasts (see places to go), but that wasn't the case last night. Even reading did nothing but make my eyes all the more angry. I thought of writing here, but couldn't concentrate enough. So, i wandered (very quietly) around the home.
Mostly i was chasing the little face (my little cat) from room to room. I can't say that either of us enjoyed it much. He was trying to have some alone time before my usual wake-up mauling, and i was trying to have some affection from my favorite creature. Opposites! But the cold sneaking in through the windows distracted me enough for his get-away.
Looking out at windows is an often pastime of mine. Rather, i should say "peeking out", as i often attempt to spy on the street below or the garden behind my apartment. It isnt often that i witness much- An old asian man and his toddler grand-daughter out for a walk, some raccoons chasing after each other, squirrels and birds going about their business, or some such thing. But I am getting off track. This particular morning i witnessed a special treat.
There is of course one bonus to being awake from 4:40 am to about 7:30 am and that is dawn. Pre-dawn really. Just those beautiful tones in the sky before the sun is up... it's... great. I didn't take a photograph, i thought about it, but i was transfixed. I watched the colours change ever so slightly for about 20 minutes, as more and more light creped into the sky. That seemed to be enough. I felt (finally) relaxed and decided to give sleep another try. What success!

something more like a feeling

Lately i have had this feeling, this sinking suspicious itchy feeling... It is mainly a longing for something i am not sure i can ever attain- not sure even what it is completely.
Its all pearly nail polish, and pale patterned paper. It is entirely light blue winter skies and pale skin with freckles. Its like i already know what it is, but can't remember because it is from a dream.
I keep trying to remember exactly, but i can't quite wrap my mind around it.
If i am to think about it in terms of something practical i should apply this itch to my art practice.
It is possible that I am just trying to work out a new project, which could mostly have to do with me wanting to expand my photographic repetoire from dark and glammy scary night shots to cloudy, light and breezy day shots.
To the left, you will see a small example of the kind of colours i want to showcase, taken (expertly by me) with my iPhone. Oooh!
However, it is also entirely possible that i am not being practical. Perhaps i am actually just trying to remember a dream.
Or it could just be that i want it to snow!

bla bla Blog

"For once in your life, finish something!" I am sure i am not the only one to have heard these words, and really its unfair. I have finished a multitude of things! I finished putting away the dishes, i finished dinner tonight, i finished my afternoon nap! And that is just today. However, i can see where the words are coming from. Perhaps, they need a revision, an addition... "for once in your life, finish something meaningful!"
Which brings us to this blog.

It seems like everybody and their favorite aunt has a blog these days. I, myself have had several. But like most things that i do in life, i start it and then forget all about it. It is quite possible that the same will happen with this blog too. But i hope not.
Now, dont get me wrong. I am not pretending that this will actually be anything meaningful, or that i even really know what that means... Honestly, I just wanted to write about things that are attractive to me. Something interesting beyond... something.
It seems that i can't quite put my finger on it, fear not, I am sure i will.