Mistuk

The joys of Etsy!

2011-12-28T09:09:00.000-08:00

All That Glitters: The History of Shiny Things

I run out of inspiration sometimes, not of project ideas, but of reasons ton do so much loads of craft and arts. And sometimes I need a boost to keep glueing glitters to stuff, here is what I resort to in times of needs ;)

Make clocks turn back, I think I might paper maché mask for an exhibiion project, gotta think of it...

Ah! Mabel! I loveto see this video and hope I am as cool as her when I'll be a 90 years old beader!

WISH OF THE DAY : Stop running like a headless chicken and just enjoy creating

It's gettting to look a lot like christmasssss!!!!

2011-12-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

Bowls of balls...

Peppermint bark...

Christmas tree debate : Real or fake?

Snowflakes...

Ornaments...

And snowballs...Oh no wait!

Life keeps us busy when all is well!

2011-08-14T23:26:00.000-07:00

Hell yeah! When all is well, you dont ear from me. I have been granted a very good year for 2011. Jack is still my muse! I got a super interesting job in the winter and for the first time in almost 6 years, i dont work on the weekends! So free weekends means VAYCAYCAY!

We got to go in my hometown of Mingan (Ekuanitshit) and went camping on our islands. They are unique for their special climate, geology and whale passageway!

We had so much fun during our two days of camping on Quarry Island! Guess why they call it that...

I even got the luck of catching wild ribs, they where running by and i was fearless!

WHALES!!!!

This was the night we had a private island for ourselves! No one else on the campsite until the morning. Martha's Vineyards eat my short!

WISH OF THE DAY : Get more sun in before summer is out!!!!!

Inventory for my studio!

2011-03-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

As i've been working hard as hell lately, i also took time to start mainking an inventory of my stuff photographicly. So here goes a hell of a lot a pink!

WISH OF THE DAY : Get all that to my studio without killing my husband...

What's happening? Life!

2011-03-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

Yep life! I'm getting the fruit of my labor. I FINALLY have an artist studio! I'm sharing it with three other artist, it's exactly where i always dreamed i'd have my studio : The Groover Factory!

Groover Factory

I will be getting in beginning of april, you know i'm excited as hell! Joy!

WISH OF THE DAY : April 1st be here now!

My other blog!

2011-02-28T07:46:00.000-08:00

http://2gros1resto.blogspot.com/

Finaly, it's here! My Montreal restaurant's blog. I've been elaborating this project with my husband for a while now. It's in french and it's about being two food lovers! Because we love to eat and we are good at it.

I want spring!!!

2011-02-25T06:47:00.000-08:00

As i am visiting different blogs, i see that spring is arriving in some places. But here it is CANADA. Soooo.... I can still wait for at least two months before that wish is granted. So what's left? Shopping for summer clothes!

I did find a couple of accessories while thrifting. The belt will become a Ipod case and a wrist band. The tie has nice sail boats on it. Still thinking of how i'll be changing that one. The scarab necklace is so cool! But to big, so that too will change. Please come early, Spring!

The sweet life

2011-02-20T22:13:00.000-08:00

Back and better! Still got a croaking voice... I'm glad to be back in town. I hopped from town to town for my work, animation and filming. But now, i just want to enjoy my home! Saturday, on my trip back from my last trip in East-Broughton, visiting my husbands family, we stopped in a gas bar and found candies of my youth!!! I did a rampage, and bought all those candies i had'nt seen in years! One of the strangest i used to buy where these wax pop bottle.

You would bite off the top of the bottle and suck the juice out. I used to chew on wax for hours. Might explain a lot a things... : s

The taste is close to one of a warm popsicle. And there is not a lot of juice, it's mostly wax... But still, it brought out memories.

Food takes a lot a place in my life, i guess in everyboby's life. As i was in Trois-Rivières, i got to go to a good sushi restaurant wich is named Sushi Taxi. God those were good sushis!!! It was so good that when i was in Quebec, i had them delivered to my hotel room. *LOVE*

So these arrived and i got to stuff my face. The sushi pizza was particularily delicious. They also had different sauces, different levels of spicy and sweet.

So now i'm going back to watching The Exorcist while eating candies. And that my friend is a weird mix...

*WISH OF THE DAY* Get my art stuff inventoried this week.

All hail Morgan! Queen of the sea! Aaarrrrrr!

2011-02-13T06:21:00.000-08:00

You know how sometimes you accumulate tons of cute fabric, lace and ribbons for no particular reason except the fact that they are gorgeous. I tend to collect a lot! Yesterday was a good day for that stash. I made a sundress and a beach bag for my niece's big 1st birthday. Since she is named Morgan in honor of the queen of pirates, i tend to do he nautical theme for her. I had a cool boat square from a batch of quilt squares i found while thrifting, it finaly served me good, for i made her a bag (i could have kept it!Gnark!Gnark!Gnark!) For the sundress, it's totally inspired by SOULEMAMA's book, Handmade Home

In there, there is a totally cool baby sundress made out of a pillowcase. I had a case that i fell in love with, just needed the occasion.

I used some blue and white lace to do some "3D" waves. (I think i found myself a little to clever on that one...) I love doing stuff for the kids!!! And now that there is half a dozen children in our family, it makes for a lot of birthdays to cover!

*WISH OF THE DAY* Enjoy the Carnaval de Québec, while i'm up there.

Try a little tenderness...

2011-02-12T09:43:00.000-08:00

This song from Otis Redding is what helped me feel better these last days. When i was a young girl, my mom would make us watch Pretty in pink. Except for the part where she made her own clothes, i love when Duckie does this song.

Today, i'm starting to get my voice back, wich is PRIMORDIAL since i'm filming on monday. For the rest of the day i'll be crafting and memorizing my texts. My husband, who is also sick, is attending shows in the same City as me! Yeahhh! So let's all meet up in Quebec City for the Carnaval!!!

*WISH OF THE DAY* Get better!!!

Finaly...Ebola won...

2011-02-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

Flu + stomach flu + cold + voice extinction = maybe the worst of all my winters!

Yes i have been silenced by all of this. Imagine a communication officer that cant communicate... I think my body is telling me something. I'm getting old and i cant keep up as i used to. So now my weekends must be used to recuperate and not to work some more!

*WISH OF THE DAY* Health...please....

Ebola or bust!

2011-01-31T10:51:00.000-08:00

I survived! I survived the flu and a stomach flu one after the other! Nothing else can happen! I've been paralysed in my home for the last 24 hours and this morning i feel like a brand new women! You never lie when you say all you really have is your health. But i'm on the road this evening, for work, so i wont be spending my free time loafing around the house this week. I'm attending the Forum on dependencies. It promises to be interesting. But sadly, i wont be attending the conferences. As the communication officer, i'll be promoting our organisation at the event. It's something i love to do. You get to chat with people and sometimes you get long free time periods. So i dont mind, i'll be bringing some kniting. Jack is kinda worried i'll make him a new hat...

I did get to have my brother over on friday, and we went to see Gallerie at the BELGO, where the exhibits were quite good. He loves museums in particular. He commented on the fact that one of the thing he dont like about Galleries is that they dont use up all the spaces on the wall. For a 12 year old he's got good opinions (hey, he could have said he hated there was no candy machine...). We explained to him it was done on purpose to concentrate on each piece. He accepted it.

Since our Dad died last year, me and my husband are trying a little to hard to teach him about housework (since he IS a little spoiled by our Mom since is birth. Hell! She still cuts is meat!) So we make him do is room, he changed a lightbulb and he did is first Shepperd's pie! It might not seem big an exploit, but he is always proud to do stuff at our house v.s. tantrum at Mom's house. So here how it ended up looking like. It was super good and he even signed it!

*WISH OF THE DAY* Gaze at Jack getting a Snooki tan in front of our patio window (granted!)

God give me the strength!

2011-01-27T18:58:00.000-08:00

I am starting to feel waaayyy much better and at least I wont be starting february sick! God knows i dont need that. I will be officially starting a month with no pauses. I'm roaming the province to work, even on weekends!But this upcomming weekend, i'm having my little brother sleeping over. I'm planning a weekend of craft, puzzle making and movies! Cant wait! We were supposed to go ice fishing, but time and other considerations made us change our plans. Still, i get him for the weekend, he might be in his teens but i can still get him to use pencils, scissors and glue!

Since i am feeling better i'll make someone feel crappy. This someone is Jack. Since we had a cold wave here in Montreal, the dogs i know have been freezing up each time they go out to...

Jack even froze right on the spot, i had to rush him in the bathtub and run warm water on his paws gradually so he could move them again. So we started to dress him up a lot so he could go out safely. I noticed his head was unprotected, for a bald dog that's not good. So I knitted him a emergency hat and here is how it went when we tried to put it on...

I guess it was only a good idea in my head....

*WISH OF THE DAY* Knit a bit.

Because i'm sick i roam...

2011-01-24T17:30:00.000-08:00

I'm getting around my sickness, but i cant get to do nothing at all. So instead of crafting, i look for blogs. I cant wait to make stuff again and to be creative... Cough*Cough*Cough* I'm going to watch Amélie Poulain for the 1001th time *LOVE*

Here are the great finds i made on the web

knitty gritty thoughts

bellemaison23

minie co

craftgawker

*WISH OF THE DAY* Get better SOON!

Malade, je suis maladeeeuuuuuuhhhhh!!!

2011-01-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

I am so sick! I feel like a petri dish of hurt... I know everyone HAS to get the flu at some point. But now my face is wanting to give me it's two week notice. I hurt! Worst part is i had to go to work yesterday morning 'cause i had important stuff to do. But as soon as i was finished i ran back home and slipped into self-induced coma. I'm just waking up from 18hours of sleep, eat, read blogs and watch movies in my bed. I could only bring myself to concentrate on The Count of Monte Cristo with Richard Chamberlain in it.

God i love that story! I totally love the fact that Mercedes dont take him back in the end, that his quest for revenge costs him all the good things he could have in life. It's so karmayish. Love, love, love!

I also roamed the internet checking out Nostalgia Chick's movie reviews and stumbling on sites. Here area few of the sites and blog that made me feel better during my coma...

BOSTON TERRIER

Luna's my dog

All mighty clothes line

FIRST NATIONS AND NATIVE AMERICAN

CRAFT

ART

*WISH OF THE DAY* Stop the face hurting!

These are few of my favorite things!

2011-01-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

Some people smoke during their break, i read blogs!

Miley and Howey at www.kevinandamanda.com/

Urban Native Girl Stuff blog

Nostalgia chick movie review

Etsy promoting native american craft by it's elders!

http://theprincessblog.tumblr.com/

It puzzles me...

2011-01-18T21:08:00.000-08:00

I kinda went overboard with buying puzzles lately. My mother-in-law is not helping either. She bought for my nephew's birthday this puzzle/3D theatre about the Three Little Pigs. It's a dollar store find but it's rather cool. She's a daycare woker, so she knows her kids tastes.

Now i just need to assemble it all...

On the other hand i prefere to buy old vintage ones. I found this domino/puzzle game that you have to join the animal to it's call. The graphics make me go back on memory lane. Love it!

But this one! I neve saw one like it. A gigantic wooden puzzle. There is twelve animals that are whole. It's marked from England. Marvelous! Cant wait to make it with the kids!!!

Now, what can be cooler than going in a magazine store, catching up on youre favorite art magazines and stumbling on a picture of one of your own performance. It rocks! This is my pink ass on the streets of Montreal! My day is done.

*WISH OF THE DAY* Get some order in all the stuff i buy, or i'll finish burried like a wild hoarder.

Around the waterhole

2011-01-16T11:22:00.000-08:00

The toy i made for my nephew's birthday was a success! I'm always afraid they wont like the things i make for them. But they do! And they play with them a lot!!! I might not give enough credit to todays youth... They fished for a while. They could catch fishes, a shark or a boot (old nephew's sock). The boys LOVED it! I used leftover fabric my sister-in-law gave me from IKEA that as crabs and seaweeds on it. Everything can be put away in the waterhole(Fishes, pole and sock).

Sadly, my niece did'nt want to wear the tutu we found for her at value vilage for 5$(Bella Dancerella). She said "It hurt, it hurt, it hurt" until we got around to understand the tutu was to stiff and scratched her legs, now she is afraid of it. But i think the trauma wont last. : ) She is the the princess with the pea...

*WISH OF THE DAY* Craft some more!

I think i found my new project!

2011-01-14T12:21:00.000-08:00

Uncovering Toy Cameras and Polaroid Vintage Effects

(With Photoshop Tutorials)

My man is back! So we took the day off...

2011-01-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

I got him back, so it was payback time! He left me all alone, so he had to ride me around to do some shopping. We got a huge bag of food for the rats, 12 rats do eat alot even if they're just babies. And then i thrifted with him, he also got excited about baby stuff and buying sofa cushions. I found some plastic crystals for cheap light fixtures, i'll be making a mobile out of those i think...

A few of the nice finds i did are these two toys (Goldielocks Blocks and wooden beads), i found this bronze indian head bank.

I also got this great gift from my sister, a quilt made by one of our friends that passed away last year of a Cancer. She had made it for her son when he was born and she passed it on to my sister for her three kids. Now she passes it on to me. It's, silk with an embroided bunny on it. Lovely! She gave me this hoodie with little duckies on the buttons. She knows i'm collecting with lots of hope! I go back to work tomorrow and get back in my working groove. But febuary is promissing to be a tough one! I have almost NO time off.

During the weekends i got contracts to animate and storytell at Ottawa's Winterlude. So when my week is over i go to Ottawa by train during that month.

*WISH OF THE DAY* Have no colds in febuary! PLEASE!!!

Day four : Finaly over!

2011-01-10T20:50:00.000-08:00

I made it my first completed quilt! Ok i did'nt use a very elaborate pattern. But collecting the jeans and cutting out squares...Sewing them...Padding... ALL those steps took me three years to do! But finaly, i made it! And now we have a fresh bedspread for our guests. Tomorrow my man is back, it's back to work. So i'm glad i used my free time to make myself usefull.

I also got extra time to roam blogs that are so cool. Personnaly, i just want to eat chocolate since i've heard of the Mast Brothers. They could wrap a brick with their wrappers and i would eat it!

I just love their rug! : http://www.etsy.com/shop/ladiesandgentlemen

*WISH OF THE DAY* Find a nice family for my baby rats.

Day three : I spend my money!

2011-01-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

What is a girl to do when she got nothing to do? Shop! I did a tour of my favorite Thrift shop in Montreal today and went crazy. Although i don t have kids yet, i'm already collecting toys and clothes for them. It's more about me being sentimental about my own childhood, but who cares! I dont like Disney stuff, but do i like old vintage toys! I'm tring to find a lot of the same toys i had when i was a kid myself. It'll be easier for me to play with my future kids if i already like their toys...

I'm also trying to find nice homemade clothes. I hit the jackpot today three knitted baby vest, one with matching booties! A sun dress and leather sandals. I'm getting a few girl AND boys thing. But for the moment, i'm more into girly stuff. I also found puzzles,one from Star Wars. Linen, bed and tablecloth. Christmass stuff(ok i have no honour whe it comes to that) and tins full of magnetic letters.

This morning i also got ahead on my quilt. I might just finish tomorrow...Yeah!

robot portrait of my husband i did on a stumbled upon website (lost the link)

Still two days to go without my husband.. If i can give him a good advice : Come back before i get used to all the free time, fast food and television monopoly!

*WISH OF THE DAY* Get my house clean tomorrow, cause i have friends coming over!

Day 2 home alone... With Jack... Bingo!

2011-01-08T23:30:00.000-08:00

http://www.playbingogames.info/

What happens when your husband leaves you to go to NYC... You eat junk food (a lot of it), you catch up with your crafting (a lot of it) and you go out with your mom to bingo and win!(not a lot of that one...)

I won at Bingo! Yes i enjoy the kitschy side of life (ok i just go or the donuts). But i did won a 100$! That i had to share with another winner, that i split in two with my mom(we always share our winnings) and that i had to give her back 10$ i borrowed to buy the donuts. So i'm left with 15 $ all for myself. Joy

Since good things come in batch of two, i found this beautifull boat quilt. It just needs the padding and back layer. It's a 5$ find! I,ll be padding it myself. So just for the savings i'm excited, but the nautical theme makes me think of my dad.

I did manage to make something out of my day. My sister and brother in-law came over to keep me company. We played scrabble and watched funny videos on youtube. Thank you Ray William Johnson!

We got up, i went and did a little thrifting, got back home and continued on my quilt i started to finish yesterday. It is three years in the making... I hope my man will like it, it's intended for the friends bedroom. The bedcover we have is nasty. If i burn it, it might free the evil spirits imbedded in it...

Anyway i just cant wait to get my man back. I'm talking to the dog, i'm so lonely!

*WISH OF THE DAY* Get some house cleaning done(bet it aint happening)

One is the loneliest number...

2011-01-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

Day 1 of my husband being in New York City... There is a pool going on in my family, as to when i'll be so hungry that i'll have to eat either my own arm or my dog... They dont believe i can make it without him. HE told me he was afraid i would end up eating spaghetti all week long.

They are kinda right... For someone who likes to eat, i do hate to cook. If i need to accomplish more than more than 3 steps of a recipe it's to much for me! My best friend is the can openner. So i had a dlicious breakfast of Apple Jacks and coffee. Who needs croissants anyway!

HONEY! COME BACK! (sighing on my own patheticnessitude)

To keep myself occupied, i roamed the net and discovered some good blogs and websites, here are my finds:

MOUSTACHE!!!

http://www.matirose.blogspot.com/

http://www.notmartha.org/

http://www.annawilihighfield.com/

Since i have a 4 days weekend starting today, i'm gonna use my first day to craft and go see a movie with my sister and brother-in-law tonight. Let see if i'll survive to my husband's absence! Love you honey!!!

*WISH OF THE DAY* That no snow falls, so i wont be trapped in my house.

Pwinssess part II

2011-01-04T19:15:00.000-08:00

So, BÉ came to finish some craft for my niece's princess kit. She brought one of her dress. I was not really convinced, it was kinda overwashed. She got it at a thrift store, so it's been worn...

But like that apostle that had to see to believe, she rocked it! We transformed the dress into a pretty purse to put all her stuff. BÉ tells me she's gonna be filling it up with her brother's little cars...

She made it with a ribbon badge. So nice! Now we'll be doing a kit for her boy. My nephew will have is birthday in two weeks, so i'll be having some work to do this weekend.

Of course me and my sis' had to got thrift! I brought back this cool set of velvet fruits! All in good condition!!! (Not shown a bag of christmas satin balls that i paid 50% off and that after the promise i made in my last post, i am to ashamed to show... Yes i'm a bad person...)

*WISH OF THE DAY* Go to work with a smile tomorow morning.

Boredom = Trip to the bookstore!!!

2011-01-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

My makeshift sofa...

When it's back to reality, i tend to get bored. More even, when my husband as to go work and it's the end of the holidays setting in. I ended up waiting for the couch fixers and now i lost my workplace in the corner of the living room. So today i sulked around the house with 5 000 000 projects already started that i could have finished but did'nt. So when he came back from work, he found me in a foetal position saying : I'm sssooooo bbbbooooorrreddddd!

To make me happy he brought me to the bookstore. One my favorite cheap activity is reading in a bookstore. Specialy magazines. Specialy contemporary arts, crafts and decorations magazines. But since i was in an extra crappy mood, only these two magazine could cheer me up!

Fortunately, my sister is coming over tuesday to finish the Princess crafts we did for her daughter. I also got a good idea for her son's (my godson's) birthday coming up this month.

http://shop.playwoodtoys.com/

I'll make him a mash up of these two games. The fishes will be made out of felt and i think i'll make him a kind of trophy display to put the fishes away... I'm planning it already. My mood ,being super up, thanks to my man and free reading!!!

http://www.domesticcents.com/

*WISH OF THE DAY* Making the most of my upcoming alone weekend. Husband's in NYC!

2011 : The year that is already givin'!

2011-01-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

In my house, this is what happens with leftover turkey! My honey made a pie for tomorrow's supper! Yum!!

Ok... My name is Melissa and i am a junkie... A thrifting junkie!!! I SWEAR this is the last and final time i buy christmas decos before the next christmas. But since people are trowing their decos at Value Village, i went over there and found two bags for a total of 5.65$ One of the bags had mini tiny christmas glass balls. The ones in the bowl. And then i found a bag full of of velvety santas, mother Claus, deers, elves and such. My mom got for me and my man the cute mugs with mooses.

So i cleaned them up and packed them with the other decorations. So see you next year guys!!!

Tonight we had our last family diner of the holidays. My mom made us a turkey (third one in tree days!) and i got to see my family (Yesterday we were in my husband's family and ate turkey again). So my sister's in-laws, to wich my family is very close, gave me some of the old stuff they have in their home. They never throw anything usefull. But once in a while they throw away stuff that is treasures to me! A gigantic rat trap, a stow away with the cardboard still on it. But the best, was the antique spouts that are used for maple collecting.

There was even wooden spouts!!! This is a treasure of history!

And last but not least! Friends were invited at my mom's and they had'nt got the chance to give us a weeding gift this summer. So they gave us three great books on native american culture. These have the best pictures! They will be usefull in my line of work.

Here in the book Hall of the North American Indian, good picture of my Nation's traditionnal women's cap. The last to be still worn in Noth America daily (but only by our elders).

*WISH OF THE DAY* Get some work ahead, since i'm blocked at home tomorrow waiting for the couch fixer!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2011-01-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

Great party but 'm ssooooo tired. My husband got up early and started the turkey. Ok, i know some people think I should be preparing the meal, but it so happens that in our couple it's him the cook. For my part, if a turkey does'nt come in a can that i can open with a can opener. I think people will pass on my offer of eating at our place. But EVERYTIME we invite friends over they are all excited by the possibility of a soufflée or a good cheese platter with selected wine and so on... I just like to do bakery!

This is our turkey at 10 am..

Stuffing it : Wich will prove to be delish!

This is our turkey at every hours. I juiced it once and now i dont have anymore hair on my right index!

Family arrives!!! It was as an intimate party of 8. Bella, my father-in-law's dog is now a full flegged Great Dane.

This is no tofurkey!

Table set. My mom even brought a bannock bread for my In-laws to try out and for me to eat. There is so much leftovers. I will be eating turkey for a while now...

Selections of desserts...

In-laws full? Check!

Mom and Jack full? (Cause you know i gave him tons of turkey) Check!

And now, i'm leaning over tired and happy to be starting a New Year!

*WISH OF THE DAY* I hope to enjoy my four days left of vacations!

Princess and Thrifting lovin'!

2010-12-30T18:47:00.000-08:00

BÉ has come to craft with me. My husband thinks that it might be our lack of playing with Barbies that make us go Princess on her daughter. So we got our fingers working!

She got a crown...

A star necklace...

A star bracelet and a tule rose pin...

And since she is also an Indian Princess, i'm making her a oh so not PC headress!

Piggies in their blanket snack...

And she got a hairpiece with a P for Phoenix and Princess in this case!

Today, we had friends over for brunch. In the afternoon we went over to the town to go thirfting!!! I think i was very good. Only 10$ of 50% off Christmas decorations, a Miss Piggy head and Copies of Martha Stewart's Living. It's the very last and final time i hrift for Christmas decorations...This year!

Tired of our day we had some coco...

A little computer time and we are getting ready for tomorow's turkey party!

*WISH OF THE DAY* Have a good New Year!

Ima pwinssess..

2010-12-28T22:45:00.000-08:00

My niece as been all about being a Princess lately, so much that she flutter's her eyelashes and poses. Being an ex-princess myself, i invited my sister to come over tomorrow and we'll start making a princess kit for her. Soooo... Of course i need ispiration! I roamed the net and found a couple of advertisement from the perfume i wear. Camilla Belle is so Princessy!

I also found two blogs that are totally princessy to. So i'll be posting orgies of sprinkles and pink!!! I'm going to work on it now!

The art of indecision blog

The Princess Blog

*WISH OF THE DAY* Take my vacation slowly

Christmas is over!!

2010-12-27T14:35:00.000-08:00

Another year with Christmas passing over faster than you can say Bahumbug! God i wish i could see the season go slowly as when i was my niece and nephew's age...

We kinda just had made a small gift exchange for the adults. I got frames and a terrific antique shaing mirror from my brother-in-law. But i had more fun seeing the kids open their's. They jumped on me and opened my present without asking when Santa put it in my arms. I figured that if i did'nt move they would let me live...

I also received from my father-in-law a super cool beaver skull! He said people at is job did'nt believe that is son's wife REAALLLLY wanted to get a beaver skull for x-mass. Oh yes! Was i happy to get it! My husband made me one of my favorite treats in the universe : Sugar flavored with vanilla beans!

He's so sweet! He went out to get the beans just to do it for me! I love him!
I remember feeling, as a kid, that Christmas was soooo far away! But is till get to enjoy the excitement threw them. They made my night on the 24th! Love them!!!!

*WISH OF THE DAY* That next year i get to buy gift for my own kid ; )

Baby rats, baby humans and still thriffting for Christmas!!!

2010-12-23T13:37:00.000-08:00

We thought we had just purchased a new fat rat. No! She was preggers!!! We had 11 cuteness on december 17th. My sister's (BÉ)birthday!!! Son in her honour, we'll name them B1, B2, B3... Sadly, one of the baby did'nt make it through the night. But i'm still buzzing around the others in hope thy'll get bigger. I know people are'nt crazy about haireless rats, but i cant stop loving them. It's the only animal that as never bitten or hurt me. So, hail all rats!
Christmas is also about friends and human kids. So we got together with our friend Louise and her bor Felix and made tons of homemade cookies! I'm particularly proud of "My friend Willy" cookie i made her, complete with a little Jessie on the back.
The day before we went to the McCord Museum to visit an exhibition on toys that was super! We got to play around and the exhibit was fun for young kids.
Felix was so terrified by the puppets, but in less than an hour he understood how they worked and all was good in Toyland!
Even if i had promised to stop buying thrifted items for Christmas, i sill got to go to the Salvation Army and found vintage lights and a old wired Santa.
Still, since it only costed me 1,50$, i dont think it counts...

*WISH OF THE DAY* Stop spending before Christmas, since i have all i need.

Chritstmas thrifting!!!!

2010-12-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

This is what happens to my house when i get around town and thirft for old decorations!!! JOY!!!
I went a bit overboard but i like it! Now that decorating is over, i'm up to getting my crafting going. Jack is getting a scarf soon.

Now i am getting to chill with my dog!

Christmas, love and crafts!

2010-12-04T22:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas is around the corner!!! So after breakefast with the family, it started snowing hard! So since it's my last chance of closing up the courtyard, me and Jack went to do everything outside that needed to be finished for the winter. But guess who played in shallow snow and got icky smelly of poo???
Culprit!!!

A good shower and we started doing some decoration inside the house.

Still aint perfect yet, bu we are not yet decided if we'll put up a tree this year or just do some wreath or assemblage around the house... Or some settings with themes...

Or tons of christmas bowls of balls...

I'll have to do a lot of crafting for my pleasure...YEAHHH!

My last project in the making is a traditional bandolier bag that looks a little like this one.

Here is the beadwork that i already finished. I decided not to do the raised beadworks, but to use the crouched one, it last longer. And since i am beading in front of th TV every evening... My husband says that he never thought he'd meet people that liked to use tiny needles to thread tiny beads. He still goes crazy when he finds beads in the crack of the couch. Beats smarties if you ask me!!!!

*WISH OF THE DAY* On the seventh day she rested!

Winter and animals

2010-12-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

Winter is apon us! In Montreal it just is a time of snow that turn to slush or rain! But for me it's a time when my pets are trying to get warm. I dont know if their is a tropical climate in Boston, but my Jack is always sunbathing in the pation light. He heat's up my feet at night, he's so warm !

I'm already having fun preapring arangements around the house for christmas. I think i'll go get Martha's last magazine for idea's.

But i cant stop noticing that me and my husband are having problems keeping legs on our animals : living and ceramic made... - Our mariage boston
- A super swap gift that HE amputated(an accident???)

Our canari , that we renamed from Sing Sing to Stump. He had a nasty infection in is leg, we thought he would die, but guess what he survived the loss of is leg. In the bird world that makes him Shwartzenegger strong! Bless him! He also like th carrot pâté so much he as now gone from pure yellow to marbelled orange.

*Wish of the day* Be crafty and get at least one project finished!

2010-09-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with this flower that is planted a the entrance of the Montreal Botanical Garden. , Everyday i pass by and the red intensefies if the sun is up or down, it changes. Red is bursting everywhere! Next year this is what i'm having in my garden!!!

Je suis tombée en amour avec ces fleurs, elle s'embellissent à chaque jour. Le rouge devient de plus en plus intense, selon le soleil. Le rouge ressort dans tout le Jardin Botanique! L'an prochain c'est ces fleurs que je veux dans mon jardin!

Other red! This pictureframe was made in a raised beadwork on red satin. It was a gift for my friend Isa's birthday.

Autre rouge! Ce cadre est fait avec un perlage sur satin rouge. C'était un cadeau pour mon amie Isa pour sa fête.

Wish of the day : * Finish off my other picture frame *

Killer!

2010-09-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

My dog is a killer! He totally destroyed this squirrel in the butt!!! Since i believe that you use everything in the animal you hunt, i kept the skin of the poor beast and will include it in some project. Can you see Jack's murderous eye gazing at you...

Mon chien est un meurtrier! Il a complètement défait le derrière de cette pauvre bête! Je garde sa peau pour de futur projets. Sentez l'oeil sanguinaire du chasseur que Jack nous lance...

*Wish of the day* Get Ray Lamontagne's album! Listen to the song "Winter birds" Sa chanson est Magnifique *sigh*

Pirate musique!!!

2010-09-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

*wish of the day* : must see a good music show - absolument trouver un bon show de musique!

Things on track!!!

2010-08-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

This year was pretty crazy in bad and good ways. In september on the 17th, it will be the first anniversary of my father's death. If you can ever live something harder than loosing a close one, i cant even imagine. The good filled in afterwards, do. I think my father is watching over us. Two babies added in my family (niece and nephew), my wedding, my first trip in France and on the carreer level everything is going great! I also just built my first website!

http://www.mistuk.ca/

Cette année fût un peu folle de manière bonne et mauvaise. Le 17 septembre, ça va faire un an que mon père est décédé, rien je crois n'est plus dificile que de perdre un être cher. Mais après mon père s'est assuré que tout se passe bien pour nous! Deux bébés (neveu et nièce), mon mariage, mon premier voyage en France et au niveau de la carrière tout vas pour le mieux! J'ai même bâtit mon prmier site web!

*wish of the day* Take pictures of a few projects i did over the summer and post them!

Prendre des photos de quelques projets que j'ai fait au cours de l'été et les publier!

Back at last!

2010-04-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

Two months of performances and filming, i can finaly get back to my projects! I developped a obsession for neon orange over the last months, and while out of town, i collected tons of materials for future projects! Now back to work!!!

Thank goodness for kidz!

2010-02-21T21:42:00.000-08:00

If there is one thing i love in this world, it's my kid brother, my nieces and nephews. Children, i cant wait to have my own! My sister gave birth on febuary 12th, and i got to babysit for her during that weekend. We did lots of arts and crafts! My sister gave me the idea of using 2L. coke bottle for a game of bowling. We decorated our pins and played, the kids loved it for ten minutes and then had more fun hitting each other in the head with the pins. Hilarious!!!

Babysitting gave me a break from my work ,i have to finish a lot of crafts for a performance i'm making in march. One good reason i have'nt been here lately, but it's all worth it.

WISH OF THE DAY : Go to the gym today...

When spring is far away...

2010-02-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

This must be the most depressing winter i've ever encountered! This month has been made of ups and down. Luckily, i have finally found my winter rythm. I got a lot to prepare this month, tons of crafts for an art performance. But the best part is that tomorrow my sister third and last baby arrives! All hail Morgan, queen of the pirates!!! I cant wait for spring, it's smell, the plants an flower... Still i'm getting prepared for a season back at my beloved garden. I made this bag for my animations, to put plants and other nick nack's . It's all beaded in a raised beading technique. It's all handmade. Mighty proud of it!

WISH OF THE DAY : Go to the museum in the afternoon, just need a kick in the a**

Busy New Year!

2010-01-15T14:12:00.000-08:00

We had on of those busy New Years. Two weeks of party, mingling, kid's birthdays and wedding planning! We changed our date and place for the wedding. Behold an historical protected cabaret! Le Lion d'Or!

We'll be having our cocktail wedding there! The ceremony might happen in the park where we first dated. Sooo romantic : )
For my niece Phoenix, I made a bag for her out of a recycled rice bag, Phoenix Brand, so the design and name on the bag are like her's.

My niece and nephew had to take turn to put on the bag. They both like to wear one.
You can even follow the instruction for cooking rice on the back of the bag.

We also had friends over for dinner and roasted some marshmallow in our fireplace.

All in all, it was a good two weeks.

WISH OF THE DAY : Be less stressed about the wedding

Happy New Year and toy galore!

2010-01-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

I'm back from the Christmas Tour '09! Happy New Year!

I got to do a lot of crafts during the last month. I forgot to take pics of some of the gifts i made for my nieces, nephews and others. But I got to make a lot of peeps happy! That's the best part of christmas. I'll be posting the pics soon.

One of the fun things, i got to do, was babysitting my niece that came over from 12 hoour car drive away. We made optic toys. I love simple handmade toys, it's always the ones that stick in our memories.

Super nice toy and template from the Museum of Childhood

I also found this site with templates for paper toy!

Fantastic Toys - Five toys PDF

Enjoy!

Random Christmas loveliness!!!

2009-12-19T20:44:00.000-08:00

I love crafting for this time of year! I get to fantasize a lot!
Forest in a bubble!Centerpiece! I cant wait to eat it!

Paper doilies snowflake!

My moustache collection.

Mickey and Jack, wishing you a Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Noël!!!

2009-12-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

We got our Chistmas tree yesterday and decorated it. Finaly, I fell in the spirit of the partridge in the pear tree.

I filled bowls with vintage decorations and put my nativity set up.

Since we needed a reason to show our tree, we invited my sister, brother-in-law and a friend over. We had fondue. 1 kilo of cheeses! Venaison's and smoked salmon. For desert, my love's delicious pear and ginger cake.

I even got time to frame my moustaches! Idid tons of craft over the weekend, but i cant show any, some are going to be gifts.

WISH OF THE DAY : Finish in time my gifts!

Wintertime and moustaches!

2009-12-10T19:50:00.001-08:00

First real snow fall of the season, and we get 25 cm in Montreal! Geez, we could have been spared, by spreading it over the last month. It has been a warm november with almost no snow fall, and even then it did'nt stay on the ground. Oh well... At least Jack's happy, he love hoping in the snow like a bunny, but he cant stay for long.

Received my first set o moustache from Missxpistol at Swap-bot! Was super happy! I even got two zines!

I think i'm gonna mount them in a frame. Put them up on my wall...

WISH OF THE DAY : Make all the gifts for christmas by hand. Except the secret Santa ones.

Happy Birthday B !!!

2009-12-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

My biatche of a sister just got her big 3-0! Welcome in tha club! We where busy all week long getting the surprise ready. She never gets a decent party since she's close to Christmas, so to surprise her, we threw it two weeks earlier. She got surprised! The theme was pirate, so it did'nt change her natural looks. Notice the moustache, it's really hers...

My week was full of fun and weird moments.

Weird : My rat looks like an alien

Fun : I found a cardboard nativity set
Weird : The figures are glued on !?!
Weird : This is a diaper cover in wool ... It shrunk in the machine and it's worth a fortune

Fun : My friend asked me to tranform two of those into hat and mittens for the baby... Still weird.

Fun : Found also these test tubes with holes on the cork
Weird : They where full of wool samples... Who does that? Still i got lucky and they where not broken, so the tubes are becoming icicle and the wool is becoming pompoms for a christmas tree!

WISH OF THE DAY : Leave some crafting for later this week and concentrate on writting stories!

Martha Stewart eat my s...

2009-12-01T21:20:00.000-08:00

SUGAR COOKIES!!!

Straight from a recipe of the Queen herself! Viva Martha Stewart Living!!!

Ingredients Makes about 2 dozen 4-inch cookies
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.

Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy.

Mix in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture.

Divide dough into quarters; flatten each quarter into a disk. Wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Let one disk of dough stand at room temperature just until soft enough to roll, about 10 minutes.

Roll out dough between two pieces of plastic wrap to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove top layer of plastic wrap.

Cut out cookies with a 4-to-5-inch cookie cutter. Transfer cookie dough on plastic wrap to a baking sheet.

Transfer baking sheet to freezer, and freeze until very firm, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet from freezer, and transfer shapes to baking sheets lined with nonstick baking mats. Roll out scraps, and repeat. Repeat with remaining disk of dough.

Bake, switching positions of sheets and rotating halfway through, until edges turn golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

http://www.marthastewart.com/

First of all, i geared up! Since i dont have a chef hat, i put my beret on.

Second got my copy of Living and all you need to get industrious on cookie making.

Nice sifter hey!

Instead of plastic sheet, i use waxed paper. It made it easier to flip the dow (doe?). The cookie cutter are my honey's B-day gift, from IKEA, the adult Toys R' Us.

Disaster stroke on the first batch! Did you know you could want to cry on spilled cookies?

Shazam! Perfect cookies!!!

Of course, i had some time on my hand while the cooling down periods, so i made cupcakes.

A good secret for the sanity of my love life, is to do my cooking when he's at work and wont be tempted to barge in. He's my naked chef, so trying to stop him, is like getting me away from a pile of glitters. But he did manage to participate, by frosting away his workday!

Of couse, tasting is a complete part of the experience. Notice in the back the envy. Well dont worry he got his share when i dropped my first batch!

WISH OF THE DAY : Walk Jack tomorrow for the sake of my futur wedding

Plush you!

2009-11-29T16:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I took a break from writting, to make a plush for my friend's baby. Took me an afternoon to make this hare. What bugs me his that I had previously crocheted a head for the plush and i could'nt find it! I started from zero, but still i'm happy with the results.
I also went to Indigo and found this cute book! Gives great ideas for future crafts. But now I go back to my writting.

WISH OF THE DAY : Tomorrow make cookies from my Martha Stewart's mag. *granted*

Thifting! And horrible cuteness (sigh*)

2009-11-27T12:06:00.001-08:00

It's fantastic what 20$ can get you when thrifting around. I know i said i would stop buying materials and craft stuff. But i cant. Ribbons, laces and doilies are porno for the soul! But i did manage to stop buying new materials, i stick to the thrifted kind.I also got to say in my defense, that we are on our way to preparing our wedding, and we are sticking to a lot of crafting for decorations and centerpieces. Our theme is a camping garden-party! We'll have kitsch and good taste clashing, like ballet and mexican wrestling!

Talking of porno of the soul... Me and my futur husband (so good to the ear!!!) we where discussing how the hell our pets got to take such a big place in our daily lives. I was running around our pics and i found the answer. Enjoy!

WISH OF THE DAY : Sort pictures of last 4 years! And print some.

Twilight sighting, disco bowling and wedding date!!!

2009-11-21T21:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was running around town with my baby brother and guess what?!? Twilight sighting in Montreal! I was waiting on a stoop and I got to see Marcus (aka : Christopher Hayerdahl). I look kinda geeky asking him "if he was the guy in Twilight". But he was nice answering back that yes he was. It kinda was a big night, since it was my sister in-law's birthday and we went to disco bowling wich was pretty cool. My arms hurts today. But the best of that day, was that we chose our wedding date. It has been a year on the 17th that we've been fiancéed. So on July 30th we are getting married!!! We where supposed to elope to Hawaii this summer, but we kinda noticed that our families really wanted to be part of it all. So we'll be doing two ceremonies. A civil garden party wedding and a private justthetwoofus beach wedding.

Doll and quilts

2009-11-18T15:56:00.000-08:00

I've got to say that I dont know what to do with this creepy old doll I've been given, It's cool because It's so old but it has creepy little theeth and makeup?!?. So if anybody out there has any cool idea what to do with it, please...
Here are also some of the quilts i have to finish. I get excited all the time about new quilting projects and I end up not finishing the ones I already started. So this week is about finishing at least one of these.

Baby quilt

Scraps throw

Story quilt : This one it's the ribbon embroideries that are making me stall.

SWAP : Moustaches and upper-lip adornement

2009-11-16T00:32:00.000-08:00

Link to swap : http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/49248

Swap Coordinator:Mistuk (contact)
Swap categories: Crafts Handmade Themed
Number of people in swap: 1

Location: International
Type 2: Flat mail
Last day to signup/drop:November 30, 2009
Date items must be sent by: December 7, 2009
Number of swap partners: 2

Description:
In my quest to put up the most delirious moustache collection, I have decided to invite whomever might be looking to also collect the evasive face hair and create a swap to get a chance in exchanging different specimens. This invitation is limited to moustaches only, a beard and goatie swap might be in the making later on.

All type of craft materials are accepted : felt, wool, beads, pipe cleaners, cardboard, paper, plastic, recycled ...
All styles are also accepted : square, round, twirly, fu manchu, celebrity look-alike...
They must be mint condition (no stealing it off an old mans face)
They must be pined or not in a box (so they wont escape)
They must be theorically wearable (carved out of a log might be difficult to wear)
They cannot be bought (no poaching!)
They come in groups of 2 (male or female)

Since this swap demands a lot of investement in the collectors, I give myself the right to refuse flacky or bad swappers. Newbys are accepted, but with a full profile.

Image source : powderedwig.blogspot.com

Hapiness is a warm camera

2009-11-15T22:40:00.001-08:00

Impulsive purchase? Maybe! But oh so necessary to my happiness : A Fuji Finepix S100
I have never taken such good picture! I'm still strolling the guide book for all the options. God, I can now retire my litttle Canon Powershot A530. I never could do Macro before, it was one of the reason I needed to renew the camera, it has been four years. I'm splitting my time between the camera, writting and quilting this week. Being unemployed during the winter, do get my arts and craft project going on. Also got a good news today, we are filming season 2 of Shaputuan in march. Cant wait!!!

Crafty sunday

2009-11-08T18:05:00.001-08:00

Great sunday! Got to go shop for some cupcakes. YUMMY!!! Had the raspberry/chocolate first!
Did also some crafting, for my nephew : a camper plushy!!! My brother and his girlfriend are responsible for a campsite. Evidently... Camper lovin'!!!!! The fabric was bought on ETSY from http://www.etsy.com/shop/Leannegraeff.

Swine flu survivor!

2009-11-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

Finally, my boyfriend DID have the swine flu, we had to go in a hurry to the hospital, and they told us it was definately it. I, on the other hand only had a bad cold. They told me to just pass threw it. We've been quarantined for the week and could'nt get to see our family. He got threw it ok, he's better now, but he still get's tired kickly. It gave us time to do some cleaning. My workspace was a mess, got around to clean it up and do some inventory. How much ribbons does a girl need!
Since I'm not contagious, I got to go thrifting a bit. Got this great bag for 4$!!! I was looking for this type of messanger bag, with lots of space. The cheapest I got across was 80$. It's a 76$ rebate!!!

Our new pet rats are getting along fine! Here is Ghengis and Mariouche. MIA : Dexter(been catching up with season 3 this week, so i got inspired for the name). Rats are way better pets than hamster and gerbils. First, they dont bite and are super social. They dont smell like mices. Go RATS!

Filming, simili-swine flu and vacations!

2009-11-02T22:38:00.000-08:00

I'm finally home and starting to feel good again! My two weeks of filming went well, except on the last 4 days, the air was so dry and hot in the studio that my throat started hurting.

So it's been two weeks I've come back, but fighting of my bug was so straining, that I did minimal tasks in my workday (and oh yes, i had to go to work). My honey, on the other side, also got a cold, but not same as mine. Both where so violent,we thought we had the swine flu, just to be told by the doctor it was a very bad cold. I was the lucky one, my symptoms all stayed in the throat, as my boyfriend got it in the lungs. I can now sing like Janis Joplin!

In any case, I am now back and human again!!! Getting pampered on set was so cool! Of course it was not hollywood, but I got to get make-upped and coiffed every mornings. Still stayed at the Four Points with the pool-spa, but had to work long days and missed my family a lot...

It's been a month and a half since my dad passed away, and it get's really hard sometimes. But i am writting brand new stories all about or inspired by him. I hope to get a show out of it, about pirates, natives and booty ; )

The garden is closing for the winter, so I'm getting a vacation = crafting time!!!!

WISH OF THE DAY : Writting one good story before next monday

Dog Life

2009-10-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

What is this that I just received by swaping ? It's Junkin' Jane's fabulous button jewelry and goodie box! Incy Wincy Stiches set up a very cool swap and I got lucky with my partner. Got to say I'll be sending a bonus package, it was so cool!

Jack got a little edgy when he saw the french bulldog figurine. But major licking went on after that.

Got cool necklace, brooch, earing and more...

Today was babysitting the dogs day. From left to right : Jack Monoloy, Charlie, Jonathan (my little brother) and Mr. Wilkins.

Presenting my father-in-law's futur dog, a great dane, Bella-Rose. She'll be there in two weeks.

WISH OF THE DAY : Hope that my two weeks out of town passes in a flash!

Preparing for filming!

2009-10-07T11:53:00.001-07:00

Shaputuan

I'm gonna be out of town for two weeks, filming the sitcom Shaputuan. So I might not be writting a lot but I'll try to keep posting.

Crafts of all sorts

2009-09-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

Of all things in the world, crafts are certainly one of the things I NEVER get tired of doing. I finally finished my whimsies, and am now using the sam pattern to make an picture frame. Got to say that beading outside at the First Nations Garden, keeps my hand from freezing over.

Tonight andtomorrow we are having an activity outside of the garden, at La TOHU, on First nations View of the astronomy. A walk under the stars .

I also have to say that swap-bot rocks! Almost everyday i come home, and a letter waits for me full of ribbon, ATC or stickers. Makes my day! Loooovve my Pirate ATC's! Preparing my button jewellery swap for a while now, I should be good to send on monday.

But for now I'm going to bed...

WISH OF THE DAY : Get 5 craft projects done before monday *Granted*

''Fields of dream'' or ''How to make a good apple pie''

2009-09-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

WARNING: All that you are about to read was written by a hatetocookbutlovetoeat person after experiencing last sunday an outing with her lovetocookandgreatatit boyfriend. Some graphic violence involving apples may occure.

Here are the steps to making delicious apple pies:

First step, get to the orchard and pick 20lbs of fresh apples. Rain or shine!

Of course you pet the goat.

As you go, choose a pumkin ou squash.Check freshness with your dog or other reliable pet. Then start cooking!

Get into an argument with your fiancée over the pie crust texture. Win that argument.

Prepare the sugar that goes in with the apples.

Lick the mixer's. Not when spinning!!!

Break n.1

Stab the apples to be sure they are dead.
When your conscience is clear, peel the apples.

Make a visit to the compost.

Break n.2

Curse as you try to do the plaiting on top of your pie and let the last one topless, since you are going to kill someone!

Enjoy fresh squash soup.

Testing of the pies.Somebody get me a spoon...

Perfect crust and sweet smell. Get closer, you might be lucky enough to smell it.

Tired, but happy to be finished with cooking! Happily enough we are still together.

Super Lip Dub!

2009-09-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

This is a gottosee video, it was even featured on CNN. It's my University! Go UQAM!!!

LIP DUB UQAM

2009-09-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

September 25 was my father's funerals. He was the greatest father I could wish for. I took a picture of the sky, the colours where like candy or ice cream colours. He leaves even more courageous and life-loving than before. I will make him proud!

Fall

2009-09-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

If there is a season i love, it's fall. Since i'm always hot, even in winter, i like it when you get rain and cool winds. Today was grey and foggy in Montreal. Nothing gets you more in a crochet mood than falling leaves! I'm preparing pumpkins to put on a bonnet, for my niece and nephew. Or on my sisters orders, this beaver hat.

Got my hands on a few craft books that are pretty well illustrated and are full of easy and interesting projects. But i do have to finish a few, before starting new ones.

But over all, this dog needs love! Hot marshmallow love!

WISH OF THE DAY : Prepare a plan for world domination by Boston Terrier's! *Update: Not yet achieve, but in the making...*

Swaping!

2009-09-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more fun than receiving a package with the mail. I received yesterday a letter from England full of ribbons. My first swap package! I suscribed to swap-bot and now i get all excited, each time i look in my mail box! I sent my packages yesterday, i hope they make it sound and safe to the US and Australia.

Whimsies

2009-09-09T22:18:00.001-07:00

I love whimsies. They are fun to do and give a spectacular result. All day it's been calm in the garden, so i had a chance of continuing with the one I had started. Except for the beads, all the materials are recycled or repurposed. The felt was a giveaway, the person who gave it to, me was going to throw it away. The turquoise in the middle, was also a gift. The giver found the earrings to big for herself. So i ripped the clip off and beaded down the stone. I also used a beading technique that raises the work.

It's an old tradition of beadwork, that was used to sell crafts to tourists. It often helped the family survive.

Very nice site on native american whimsies

Beadworking is a craft that has it's importance in lots of First Nations cultures. Here you can see my collegue Claudia, working it. She's a newbie beader, but she so gifted! She helped me out with the hairpiece on the desk. Ipersonally cant stop beading, i think it could really kill me if i did. Really...

WISH OF THE DAY : Get my house cleaning done before tomorrow afternoon. Big visit coming over.

Au festin de Babette

2009-09-07T17:18:00.000-07:00

Why such a serious face? Because we are in pure bliss, with our ice cream from Festin de Babette! My love had a cone, and I had a moka milkshake. Delish! We where a little bummed by the fact that they had changed their menu. Our favourites : Litchi and pear sorbet where taken off the board, but it still cool to go there.

The inside and outside reflects the goodness of the ice cream (Miskumi in Innu).

I found it hard not to be sad, after visiting my dad in the hospital, but a ice cream break was good for me. It made me feel real good,

We walked around on St-Denis, found a miniature cookie toll, cutter, pastry roller, pie plates... I'm going crazy on collecting toys and books for the children i dont have yet. I think it's my leftover willpower that prevent me from playing with the toys. Hmmmm toys....

WISH OF THE DAY : Getting my rabbit plush ready for my friend Louise's baby shower.

Pirate flag

2009-09-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

I finaly got over my native/pirate flag! It's all hand appliqué, so it looks really handmade. Only steps left are ironing and hanging. Aaaarrr! It's gonna be a tool for storytelling to the kids and also the adults. The legend of my ancestry. Aaaarrr!

Next pirate deed : Birchbark chest

My ancestors would be proud and confused, but it's all in good spirit. Here are a few pirate and native stuff i found on the web, they are pretty AMAZING!

Wallpaper!

Very cool kintting bag!
Very nice beadings in this shop!
Make your own pirate bird!
Kid's tipi!

Beadwork!

2009-09-03T22:43:00.000-07:00

The work was mainly on my bead stash. It's the end of season for the First Nations Garden. This means less crafting and more group visiting. So i brought back my beads and started a cleanup. The result wont last i know, but it's a good pretense for doing a listing of the colours and types i have. And give me a reason to buy more beads! I have to say the box now weighs at least 25 lbs.
Here's a nice trick to divide big and small beads, spice bottle!

I've also cleaned up my woolstash as well. Found a nice apple basket this summer for 4$. The girl that sold it to me, gave me a rebate when my fiance said i could'nt afford more junk in my workspace. She said it was women solidarity. Go girl power!

Illustration

2009-09-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Today, i've been working on a fabric and recycled materials illustrated book for kids. Might be one of the craft i'll teach next year at the First Nations Garden's eco-craft workshop. I used to love books as a child, i was very geeky (still am). But the ones i prefered were always made out of different textures. You could not touched them, but i think it's on of the reason i loved them so much. Kid's books are still a section i browse threw at the library. I love children illustration! Here are a few of my favorites :

Very funny, about the habits of the Wolverine, it's in french

Who does'nt like Martine?

These little fabric animals make me melt!!!

WISH OF THE DAY : Get one project finished, anyone! *granted*

The perfect picture!

2009-08-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

I started my day, with the idea of taking the perfect picture... Ok, it might be a little exagerated. But it's kinda cool that people would come together over time and form a wall of colour on a opened gash in Montreal's metro station. Guess wich one... I also got a couple shots of plants and nature, but this one marked me the most.

When you study art on the university level, it kind of changes your mind about what is art, how you can evaluate it's value and mostly how you can have other person understand it.

I went in art to paint, draw and do watercolour(wich was not my forte). Now i fall in love with walls of gum. God i love my life!

People might think it's gross, but i cant help but remember that a can of poo sold for a couple thousand bucks - PIERO MANZONI

WISH OF THE DAY : Reach an upper level of conciousness ... Naaahhhh! Just wish i could get my metro pass without waiting three hours in line! *super granted!*

Birch bark bitting!

2009-08-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

Today at the Botanical Garden, we had a specialist in birchbark bitting. It's a very old artform that involves your teeth in the making of design that can be used for storytelling, beading, embroiderie and much more.

Thérèse Bégin is on of the few person left that still do and teaches this artform. In Quebec, Firsts Nations, have a tendencie to bite flower and plant patterns. As for the south, they do mostly bugs. Let me tell you that you are never certain of what you might end up with, but it's almost always beautifull!

I did a few that were kinda cool, but she always gets it right!

WISH OF THE DAY : Get a perfect picture tomorrow of anything! *granted*

Beading is like a box of chocolate!

2009-08-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

I did a little beading this morning, setup a few exemples for my workshops. I used my big beads and my Charlotte beads, wich gives me headaches (but how good the feeling!). My pattern for my next bead weaving is this :

My banner before and after being pixelised on photoshop. It will be 34 beads by about 213 beads. I found a nice grey bead that will give it a nice shine. I found myself compelled to buy more beads. 20$ to be exact. Like i said to the owner of the bead shop: ''Some persons do crack, some bead!'' Shoot me up!

Good social reminder, but...

2009-08-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

District 9 is a very violent movie, but a good reminder, that if we are not carefull, intolerance can become the social standard.

http://www.d-9.com/

WISH OF THE DAY : Finish planning my craft workshops. *granted*

Buttons and jars

2009-08-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Why does anything and everything look cool in a jar? Floss, beads, candies, pompoms, severed fingers... But most of all buttons! This is why i just popped a vein, when i came across THIS blog.

I think, that any craftmaker on the planet, has at least obsessed once on granny's button stash. I did. I have always been lucky to meet people who give me their old stuff, 'cause i reuse a lot. Buttons i receive a lot of those. Lots of vintage one's, so big you wonder what they where used for. Each time i received a button box, it felt like the person gave me money, you want to treasure it.

When talking of treasuring, i also think of wool, that is laying in a top drawer, i got to sort it! That, and all the rest of my crafting material. I got to make an inventorie, if i wish to be able to give workshop this fall.

WISH OF THE DAY : Finish illustrating my fabric book

So tired!

2009-08-24T19:25:00.001-07:00

Beautifull sunset in Quebec's old port. I'm back in Montreal, tired but happy to see my baby Jack. Might have another Boston Terrier this week, i'm keeping my finger crossed.

Beauty with fur! Cant resist!

Really cute bushes in Wendake, beaver, deer or turtle. They have many! I might like a beaver on my lawn.

WISH OF THE DAY : Get to make a shaped cedar bird on the lawn of my first house.

Quebec city!

2009-08-22T21:07:00.000-07:00

I'm in the capital for the weekend, and i'm loving it. Staying at the Four Point, wich is beautifull!My room is huge! And the view is a plus plus!

We went to se the Image Mill, wich is so cool and is a must see.

http://www.quebecregion.com/e/moulin-images.asp

And i think that this is a pretty cool piece of art/craft/utilitarian work. From http://kootoyoo.blogspot.com/

I got to find ideas for keeping efficent my workspace, that is our closet.
We have an extra room, it's a room for visit, but we hop it becomes a baby nest! Fill it with plush toys....uhhhmmmm plush toys.......
This is why i'm cleaning it up and organizing it before september arrives. Wish me luck!

WISH OF THE DAY

Get to go see Wendake Museum tomorrow if we have the time *granted*

I had to buy this!

2009-08-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

I know i made a promise to myself that this year i would buy mostly used or thrifted material, but i needed felt pens, and God knows you cant buy those used. So i went to a craft supply store and bought felt pens for 99 cents... and scrapbooking paper... and a virgin rubber stamp... and felt balls! And you know you can never have to many felt balls! I stopped at that, but i could have gone on and on with my bad self.

One purchase i DONT regret is my future baby's(the one i will have in the next two years or less) first bio bag by Les Fées Mères, i got to choose the veggies to put inside the beautifull bag i bought. I took a beet, an eggplant, a potato, a carrot and a salad/cabadge. It's made of bio or recycled materials. Love it, love it, love it! I found it soooo cute i had to get it even if i aint expecting. It was during la TOHU's eco-responsible fair, in wich i was giving a workshop about native foods, games and legends.

Today, i started a fabric book made of recycled and reused materials, i'm only in the process of preparing the materials, but as i go on, i'll post pictures. It represents a old legend about Wolverine and the Skunk.

WISH OF THE DAY

Finish my pirate flag soon

It's alive! Muuuuaaaahaaahaaa!

2009-08-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

After multiples tryouts, i finally got the blog i wanted! Now to see if i'll be able to keep it up!