what a difference six months make.

accoridng to my sources, this comforting neighbourhood sight the handiwork of anna pantchev.

it doesn't hurt that today's shoot was on a gloomier day. forgive me, but i don't mind all this cloud and drizzle.

adventures in babysitting.

this guy's the best even though he almost lost his marbles entirely at the price chopper.

ps - my apartment's a mess. see?

funny people.

here is a new custom button order i have been working on. i only sometimes manage to write about the custom work i do, but these buttons were extra fun for me.

they are being made for rapid fire theatre, an improv outfit in edmonton, alberta. one of their new upstarts happens to be deaf and in order for his comic genius to be understood by a non-signing audience, the theatre needs to supply a translator for all the shows he is in. while not massively expensive, this service is also not free (or in their budget) so they approached me to help with a small fundraising campaign.

starting from the one 'deaf people are funny too' design, we came up with a whole 48 types of people (from fat to glib) who were also funny. coming up with adjectives was especially enjoyable for me. personally, i would like to see the company use these buttons as character suggestions for some improvised scenework, but maybe that's only because i'd like to see a scene between a dead person and a bland person. instant comedy!

if you'd like to purchase some buttons and support the cause, they will be available at rapid fire shows in edmonton as soon as the package gets to them.

montreal sojourn.

today serena and i went out for some classic art girl montreal sightseeing - drawn & quarterly, general 54.

it was leisurely.

i wish i could stay here longer. i always wish that when i visit.

puces pop.

that composite picture up there can be seen in larger format by clicking on it.

as exhausted as we are after day one, puces pop has been amazing. there's a level to which the laissez-faire of montreal always stresses me out (classic toronto), but these shows are always fantastic - even if the guy next to me shows up two hours late.

it's packed, the people are nice and, more importantly, they understand this art and craft stuff. sure, there is less wealth here, but there is an interest and knowledgeability about design and expression that i don't take for granted anymore after our travels far afield. merci, guys.

oh yeah, i also get to sound a like a blathering idiot all day as i stumble back through my french. at least people are forgiving.

french phrase of the day: "je m'excuse; je suis un peu stupide."

la belle provence.

toronto to montreal with a bunch of letters.

...i'll tell you why later.

pop!

puces pop artwork by sara guindon

with all the mania and exhaustion going on around sweetie pie hq, i entirely forgot to mention our weekend trip to montreal. it is true, we will have a table of handmade goodies at the city's annual puces pop craft show. for those who don't know, this is a big two-day craft fair that operates in conjunction with pop montreal.

so roll out of bed before the evening, drunk rock stars, and come visit us. we'll have buttons and envelopes and art and crochet for you to puke on.