Inspiration: Hearts! St. Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and soon an abundance of hearts everywhere- taking shape in paper cut-outs, sweets, valentines, people wearing their hearts on their sleeves!!! Mostly, I admire Valentine's Day for its cuteness to the point of tackiness! Explore the meaning and history of this day here "a landscape of story and a world of delight in the love and affection human beings have for each other."

Here is some sweet and crafty inspiration for your Valentine's Day ...

Display your love at home ... ranunculus and narcissus blooms floating in a heart-shaped ceramic {Floral by Studio Choo}

{Heart Wreath by Design-Aholic}

Woven heart valentines are perfect for storing secret love letters, candy, and little tokens of your affection.
{Image courtesy of CRAFT NIGHT}

{Vintage Valentines from Carmen and Ginger}


{paper heart valentine garland by Amy Butler}


{I Heart You - Origami Hearts Bouquet by My Bohemian Summer}


{Valentine's Day Treats from Big Sis Lil Sis}

Inspiration: cute and childish kitsch ... Here are some still-lifes and photographs I have taken over the past few days ...

A quick little post for today ...

Here is a cute company Minimii. I especially like their dollhouse Arne Jocobsens Own House, 1929 (pictured below)

"Kids can play for hours with a dollhouse. With miniature furniture, the house can be redecorated again and again, differently each time. With dolls, countless stories play themselves out, scenarios that remind us of what happens in a real home. The idea with Minimii is just that, to create dollhouses and furniture that look like a real home which both kids and adults can play with."

Here are some great blogs ... Apartment Therapy Re-Nest + April and May

I love the work of Shana Faust, she is a Toronto photo-stylist who has worked for Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. She is now based in Brooklyn. I love her props/crafts styling ... Here is a sample of her work ...

Katrin May is an internationally recognized professional origami artist. First introduced to origami in France in 1989, she and her partner developed this art in a heretofore unseen way. Now residents of Toronto. Here is their website ORILAND and some of their work is shown below.

Inspiration: all sorts of pretty things

I was recently reading flower magazine and came across this painter Gee Gee Collins. I really like her floral paintings, her loose brush strokes and drips of paint are my kind of thing. Here is one of her paintings ...

(pink and white floral)

I love this jewelry ... Nest Pretty Things by Tamar

(Little Friends Earrings by Tamar)

(Prudence Necklace by Tamra)

Here is a great link to guides for Handmade weddings on Etsy ... Everything from vegan punk style weddings, to vintage-inspired place settings and crafting an eco-friendly wedding.

The Land of Nod have adorable children's furniture, toys, etc. Like these ABC cards by artist Julie Morstad.

And these are adorable, fancy font wallpaper letters ...

And this toy... "And Your Bird Can Sing?"

Last weekend we went to the lake. It is always nice to get out of the city, and anything to get out of the house when you have a little one is especially nice!

Check out this post by Blair Marie Photography ... pictures of my little man at the cabin! Here is a sneak peek - one of the pictures she took of Leo.


I was really taken by this post by Lisa Solomon (her blog: Lisa's Musings) She is an artist and a mom, and her post on the subject put everything I have been thinking and feeling for the last year and a half in words. Here is an excerpt from the post:

people sometimes ask me what it's like to be an artist and a mom. this was something that i thought about - A LOT - before deciding to have a child. i knew that being a mom would become the most important thing and that i would have to learn how to juggle and struggle in new ways. in all honesty - it wasn't even possible for me to fathom how this would all work - even on my best days of guessing. there is no way to know what temperament your child will have [on a day to day basis let alone overall] - there is no way to know how you will respond to demands of parenthood. i was determined from the get go that i would still make art. and i'm managing to do that, but it feels like it's by the seat of my pants and the skin of my teeth.

She doesn't paint motherhood as rosy. She is telling it how it is and I feel for the first time some relief that I am not alone.

It is amazing to witness a baby grow before your eyes. Leo and I have had three photo shoots, all being very different. Here are some of my favourite photographs from them. I love seeing the changes between them ...

(sleeper is Marimekko)

Christine Jordan wrote this about Leo about two months after he was born. Check out her blog Growing Up Toronto

Little Leo Walker

He’s Little Leo Walker
He’s got a shiny quarter
For helping out his Mommy and his Dad
He really thinks it's awesome
This isn’t his first one
He’s even got a special place for his change

On top of Leo’s dresser
Is a majestic tree
It’s made of glass from the beach
And the salt from the sea
It’s a lovely thirsty green and it's almost see through
And when he drops his change in
It’s like he’s planting tiny seeds

When it fills right up
He’ll have his first money tree
And there are lots of great things he can supply
A chicken for his coop
Or some candy for his tummy
Or a bell for his little doggie's collar
Maybe groceries for families who really seem to need it
Or some paint to create-another something great
Or new tires for his really fast bike-might be nice
Or nothing is quite alright too!

He can give, he can share, or just save some more
Since this world is his planet
There's nothing good he will ignore

Inspiration: airplane. Here are a couple illustrations I worked on last night and this morning ...




I have blogged about studio mela before - I love her posters!!! Here are a couple of them:

(Don't wait for tomorrow)

(Love is Everything)

See her work ... studio mela blog or here

Here is how she describes herself: i'm an artist. i get paid to draw. i love what i do. i'm also a wine lover, a beer hater. a mommy. a dreamer. a writer. but above all i'm really just a girl who lives a lovely little life. this is a space to keep the good. the deep. the funny. the amazing. the small. the big. the best.

Redbean Design - the portfolio of San Francisco based designer and illustrator - Melissa Crowley. Melissa's work includes identity, print collateral, stationary, website, packaging, event, apparel and surface (wall, textile, decor, paper) design.

(hatch and terrarium pillow cases)

Tamaishi Kayo is a Japanese artist. She studied art with Setsu Nagasawa, one of the preeminent Japanese Fashion illustrators. Kayo's work includes water painting, book cover design, magazine illustration, T-shirt design and more. Here is one of her illustrations:

(What are you thing? 2007)

In this post, some blogs and websites I have discovered and admired, there are so many, its been awhile, I have been preoccupied with this little dude:



...and I have been keeping busy with my school work as well...anyways, onto some inspiring blogs and websites...

brown paper journal. description: A floral designer with a penchant for all things growing, visually inspiring and deliciously tasty. This blog has loads of visual splendours!

scoutie girl: the blog with a penchant for the passionately handmade

STEEP STREET: musings by Kelty (photography, web design, print work, custom art)

Malea Gadoury: such nice nice nice! design and illustration!!

Fuller Edge Photography (Calgary photographer with an edge...rock and roll!!!)

gibbous. description: gibbous is a miniature fashion house of hearts & hands collecting bits & pieces of discarded history. we hunt decrepit victorian clothes & stained silk slips. we harvest the lost trinkets of the city. buttons, coins, keys...we probably have something of yours. I am unsure of the fashion, but the photographs are a splendour to peruse!

maya*made is a fine and crafty blog. I especially like her easy paper flower craft.

Red Velvet Art: living their dream of keeping a shop full of independent art and super cute handmade goods.

great map: any kind of map imaginable!

The funky patterns and bold colours in Christin Ciaccio Briggs' paintings are amazing. I also love the shots of her studio, any glimpse into a artist's studio is a treat!

I love the antique buttons and found items in the Jewellery by Alexandra Hunt

Because we can: we make great things and we make things great...they sure do, wonderfully designed furniture and themed interiors...who doesn't want a nautical-themed work interior?

things magazine: an online journal (my two cents: of some pretty amazing things!!!)

And finally, when you just want to be inspired...by some inspiring cities, especially some guerrilla moss graffiti!

Here are a few of my illustrations from when I was staying up late at night, the wee babe wasn't sleeping through the night yet...they turned out a little wacky (from lack of sleep, I'm sure?!)

Just some beautiful and inspiring things I stumbled across this week...

Saffron Craig



Domestic Construction



Emily Sutton



Valerie Hammond

This cabinet pictured below is called Monster... I love it! Ellen Seegers designed this unique piece together with Jolanda Slegers.


Bloesem Kids is probably the best blog for children's design, everything on here is absolutely fantastically adorable!

This bamboo bird mobile by petit collage is so cute...


Graphic designer and illustrator Tutti Shafir makes beautiful and cute prints...