patience made | stationery sets

two years ago i began creating the mail art challenge. i compiled all of the bits and pieces that i had collected and couldn't bear to throw away. people seemed to love it! they created some beautiful pieces and sent me their photos with pride!

but now the mail art stationery set is all grown up. i've curated the pieces a little more closely and this is the result:

shop stationery sets

creator | rifle paper co.

so here's the thing...after nine months of working at the papery, i've become a bit of a stationery snob. i like to see things that are unique and creative! it's hard to see the same things in every store when i know how many talented handmade artists are out there. but sometimes things become popular because they are so unique and creative that everyone loves it!

rifle paper co. is a huge stationery company. you can reference this list to discover just how many stores it is sold in. when i was on my west coast road trip (i.e. my one week stationery haul) i bought at least four different rifle paper co. products! (many of which can be seen below) but earlier today i read an mini interview with anna bond (the creator) in frankie and i was tickled by her. we share many of the same thoughts about stationery and note cards.

when asked "how do you walk the line between a cheesy hallmark greeting and being memorable?" bond responded "all of our cards are blank on the inside. there's never a cheesy poem or something to just sign your name under. i love that, because i think a personal note from the sender is always the best way."

i couldn't agree more!

here are some of my favourite picks:

art | andrea burgay

i am 100% in love with this artwork by andrea burgay. i've always been attracted to pieces that contain the infamous "mixed media" moniker. in fact, when i think about it...i don't think i own any art that is composed of only paint!

andrea burgay's collages are highly organic and full of surprises. pay close attention to the last image which shows the way the shapes come alive and seem to crawl right off the canvas. 

musings | starting and finishing

last week i completed my first day at a new gallery. and today is my last day at the papery. starting and finishing have never been something i enjoyed - maybe that's why i have a never ending to do list!

i hate starting new jobs. of course there is the excitement and the honour of being chosen. but for about three weeks I feel totally helpless. you can't answer questions, or find products. you don't know how to busy yourself during downtimes or how to give yourself tasks. i'm always just wishing i could jump in at the two month mark and know everything already!

i don't love finishing either. it's always a bit sad and it usually means change. and it definitely takes me awhile to get used to change!

i guess i would rather always be in the middle of something...working on something interesting and creative and inspiring...

it's a wonder then why i've chosen the field of art. a career which will consist of constantly starting exhibitions, taking them down and changing to a new one!

snail mail | crafty foxes and mother's day mail

i've sent out a lot of great mail recently (and received some too but i'll save that for next week!)

a crafty postcard for a friend - i bought this card at the beautiful museum of contemporary craft in portland.

a long overdue letter for a friend in calgary who just came back from an adventure with a broken pelvis!

an awesome cd from our roadtrip which i sent to a friend in ontario (my husband didn't like it, but she did!)

mother's day cards for my mom, my mother in love and my lovely aunt keke.

patience made | mr. yen inspired bridal shower invites

my best friend anne-marie is getting married in august. and i'm planning her bridal shower so obviously i wanted to do something special with the invitations. i racked my brain trying to think of ideas because i wanted to send something that could act as a little piece of art. the type of thing that people might hesitate to throw out. i've been pretty obsessed with looking at papercuts lately - especially those of mr. yen. when i found this tutorial of his i knew what i was going to do. i think he used the typography classic "Aa" because it's the beginning of the alphabet - but you can see how it worked flawlessly in this situation. mr. yen...my fingers hurt but a big thank-you all the same for allowing us use of this beautiful template.

here are images of my process:

so that's how the invites looked but then the one i sent to the bride included a frame and was wrapped as you see below (with the cuts offs as packing materials!)

oops

...uh...sorry for dropping the ball this week!

patience made | camera crazy!

i thought i'd put together a little collection of the camera pieces in my shop!

creator | upper tiny

i think i've always been into unique presentations of artwork. i see so much artwork that when i find a painting on something other than canvas i am tickled pink. i love it when meghann rader painted landscapes on wood here, and i also love these little trunk paintings by jenn smith from upper tiny on etsy. i love jenn's use of shape, line and of course the colour pink.

according to jenn "if this shop had arms it would hug you awkwardly."

see more upper tiny

art | dale chihuly

this is a post that is going to be chock full of dale chihuly artworks. 

so, my husband and i pulled into seattle in mid afternoon on a sunday. i spent a few minutes in the hotel  researching the local public galleries. and guess what? they were all closed during our visit! (whatever happened to sunday being the day where everything was closed? but that's a post for another day) and why are they all closed on mondays? can't they take turns so that i can go to at least one?

but alas! the chihuly gardens and glass was open till eight pm! all was not lost. after some serious time spent getting lost near the seattle center, we finally found our destination. and in front of the gallery were messages written in chalk. they said things like "artists against chihuly" and "do not go in here!" that was slightly unsettling but my thoughts process went something like "well...why not? where are these artists who don't want me going in here? can somebody give me a pamphlet on the subject? no? okay, well, maybe if you were here right now/didn't close all major public galleries during my visit..." i mean, i probably care about artists more than anyone - but even i need more than a mysterious chalk message. 

so we went in. and let me say (though it will be a grand understatement)...it was transcendental. i have never enjoyed a gallery quite so much as this one. chihuly knows how to put on a show that's for sure! the ambience of the rooms was dark, with a distinct lighting focus on the beautiful glass. they played music lightly from above and the didactics did not use "art speak" so i felt encouraged to read each and every one. 

below are my pictures of the exhibits and i highly recommend you check out this museum if you are ever in seattle! (plus there is a connected restaurant called "collections cafe" which features all of chihuly's crazy collections! see my instagram for photos)