Friday Find: Heather Kent

This week's find is none other than Etsy's Heather Kent! She is an extremely talented artist who makes adorable hand-painted accessories! Check out the cat party:


Hehe! I love the little hats and (of course) wide set eyes! Eee! So cute! Cats not your cup of tea? How about feathers, or flowers, or...tea!


How charming! I love the simplicity of her illustrations and the wonderful muted colours. Add in some shiny resin and brass findings and you've got a handful of swoon-worthy accessories! Which is your favourite?

More post!

Oh internet, you never fail to entertain me:


Okay, so this isn't totally true in my life, I am pretty over excited about both emails and post - but I must say for the amount of addresses I gave out before I moved (we're talking 30+) the letters certainly don't seem to be rolling in. Alas, I know September is a busy month but even though the month is almost over I'm hoping to have a most successful October! Hopefully this will be a universe wide productive phenomenon and my pen pals will find time to write too (especially since I've misplaced my address book...eep)! Aha! I'm hoping to even finish unpacking a big, finding my camera, and getting back to some Kate filled blog posts! Hurrah! Happy Thursday! Did you get any mail?

foxy moment

One of my most favourite things about selling crafty things is when I get a chance to see them in action! Yesterday Carmila from the ponycat blog did a post about the fox pin I sent her as one of my "thanks for being a loyal reader" giveaway prize over the summer. Isn't that sweet of her? and boy oh boy I am absolutely in love with the charming pictures she took! Just check out that soft lighting, interesting angle, and (of course) totally cute pin:


OoOo and even a close up:


Thanks Carmila! It makes me feel so warm and fuzzy to see my little fox drawing and handmade pin in such a fashionable way! Looks like I need to whip out the camera and take more pictures to see how versatile I can show my items as! Neato! What do you think? How would you wear one of my buttons?

My trip home from the airport.

Sadly, yesterday Lindsay had to travel back to the interior leaving me once again best-gal-pal -free and alone (sort of) in Victoria. We had a fabulous time together, she did a really good job of making me spend my money (on amazing worthwhile investments of course) and I really enjoyed every moment we got to spend together. Unfortunately the trip home from the airport was a little rough for me (beyond having to say goodbye to Linds). I have always had a problem with motion sickness but I have very quickly realized that moving windshield wipers (and the large amount of rain requiring the use of them) make car trips even worse. However, it wasn't a complete disaster of trip because when we were pulled over on the side of the highway (where I was keeled over in the ditch) I saw something wonderful:


An owl! Okay, no it wasn't a brightly coloured crochet one (although that one is adorable), it was a real, live, fluffing his feathers owl! What a bird watchers delight! Even though it was very dark and I was in a rough state of things, I tried to take note of his markings so I could double check what type he was when I got home (which, by the way, took a good three times longer than the trip there). He was mostly a mottled brown colour with big yellow eyes and a V-shaped white strip down his chin! Three of the four bird books I have hint at him being a Great Horned Owl! Perhaps just like this guy:


OoOo! How I wish I had my camera with me! I'm still not totally set on his identification since he wasn't enormous (more mid-sized) like most Great Horned Owls so it is possible he's a Western Screech Owl! Cool! Too bad I've misplaced my "Birds of Victoria" book for another region specific reference, but regardless it did turn a normally awful situation into a somewhat more pleasant one! Next time you're car sick and vomit-y on the side of the road maybe you'll see an owl too! Neato!

fat and sassy

Looks like it is the beginning of another week and boy oh boy am I ever beat! After my super exciting lovely weekend of friends, shopping, and music do I ever feel old. I think all that excitement will require at least a week of rest before I reach full recovery - so instead of a recap post, instead I will show you how I wish I was spending my day - laying in the sun soaking up the rays to a big fluffy kitty belly:


Okay, I may not be that large, but that cat is super cute! Thanks to Heather for finding him for me (well...the picture anyways....). Now to hopefully make it through the week! Hooray! How will you be spending the last week of September?

Blogerado

Hello there blog friends! Guess what? I've been having the most magical weekend with the wonderful Lindsay and Rifflandia has been fabulous! Yesterday we did some discount shopping followed by a day in the park with Glosettes, yellow benches, and sweet tunes! After watching Hollerado's set Linds told me we'd have to go home and watch the video. So we did...and it is everything you could ever ask for in a music video. So I thought I'd share it with you. In fact, I even think my mom will enjoy it:

Do do do do do do! Isn't it fun? I loved it! Happy Sunday! How's your weekend going?

rikrak's sweet giveaway!

Wonderful news friends! My dear pal K over at the rikrak studio is holding a giveaway over on her blog giving you the sweet opportunity to win $20 worth of stuff from my (or many other amazing crafters') etsy shop(s)! What do you have to do you ask? Just check out her post and leave a comment (or 20) there:




How lovely! So enter away! Happy Saturday!

Happy 1st Bday Jean!

Happy Friday and a very happy 1st birthday to my wonderfully adorable neice Jean!


Ahaha! What a sweetie! Even though I'm sure she's enjoying taking all the presents I sent her and either 1) putting them in her mouth 2) throwing them across the room or 3) smashing them and trying to hide them inside things I can't share any pictures of that since she's all the way up North and I'm busy living up the wonderful sights and sounds of the Rifflandia Music Festival! Hurrah! If you haven't had enough cute Jean (which, clearly, you haven't) you can come check out my facebook fan page and see the sweetest little 12 second clip of her awkward attempt at walking, and while you're there, feel free to like me too! Yay! What are you up to?

Speaking of looking back...

So since I posted yesterday about how fun it is to look back and see what you were up to a year ago, let's take a moment and look back at last year. What was I doing? Why I was in Victoria attending the Rifflandia Music Festival. What was I doing the year before? Why the exact same thing! And what is it that I am doing this weekend? Aha! You guessed it:


Hurrah! Third year in a row! This time we've got it all planned out (Lindsay and I that is...). We're going to skip the "I want to get my money's worth and see every single band we're semi-interested in and then completely wear ourselves out and be sick for weeks to come" and replace it with "let's pick a chose a few well researched artists we're into and see them at our leisure with lots of shopping, hanging, sitting, and resting breaks in there for our old lady bones!" Sounds great doesn't it? I think so! Wish us luck!

One line Journal

Every few years I decide to start a daily project. In 2001 I did a daily journal, in 2009 I did daily blog posts (which I am more or less still sticking with), and in 2011 I started a daily sketch book. If you've ever committed to a daily task I'm sure you know how difficult it can be. In fact, I've completely misplaced my sketch a day book and think that excuse of it being m.i.a. with the move is a perfect excuse for me not drawing in it since July. Well I'm happy to find out that I am not the only person who can't find the time to dedicate to once a day projects and Kate Pruitt from Design Sponge came up with the perfect solution. Now you can have the wonderful pleasure of your very own window into the past and only have to commit to one line a day with your very own calendar journal:


Isn't that neat? I think I'd like to switch the berry basket out for something a bit more decorative (perhaps a recipe box of sorts?), but otherwise I'm all over this! Sure it will take a good while to get to that "hey, two years ago I binged on candy corn and went to the fair", but I think it would be fun to start! What do you think? Will I be able to keep up with this?

More washi tape please!

When I saw this cute washi tape covered agenda over at oh, hello friend I fell in love! What a simple and charming customization using decorative tape! Take a peek:


I originally planned to do my own recreation of this agenda cover to show you, but I'm still quite a ways from unpacking and organizing my crafting stuff so it will have to wait for another blog post. Also - I already have a collaged schedule agenda I keep in my purse so I think I'll washi tape up a journal instead. Perhaps with some stickers on there as an interest point? I think so. I'm also dying for fine more pattern tape to amp up my crafting collection so looks like I'll be keeping my eye out for that as well! What do you think? Ever experimented with washi tape? What would you cover?

oh martha...

It may be a while before the end of October, but after chatting with my mom this past weekend (someone who loves all things halloween) I really wanted to share these fanged pumpkins with everyone!


Ah! Aren't they adorable! And surprisingly simple too - just cut a hole big enough for the plastic fangs, carve out some of the pumpkin guts, then insert teeth and push some pins in for eyes! Perfect! Who would think of such an ingenious spooky new take on pumpkin carving? Why Martha Stewart's team of course! I don't know how they do it, but boy do they ever come up with some amazingly awesome craft projects - especially around halloween! Looks like I will need to try my hand at this one a little closer to the 31st, but for now I'll stick to smiling over this picture instead! What do you think?

Spruce up your Sunday Tea

Sundays are the perfect days for tea! A nice end to the week and a good time to catch up on laundry, relaxing, and blog reading! Okay, maybe that is just my ideal Sunday - but even if you aren't on the same page as me you must agree on how cute these custom tea bag tags are from Freckled Nest:


Isn't that a wonderful image? I love the great colour combination and slightly irregular shapes. Yup - just charming! Even though this is a pretty simple project I can't see myself taking the time to make special tea tags just for me to drink right away. I love LA's idea of putting three in an envelope as a nice little surprise gift for someone (perhaps a pen pal? I bet they are mail friendly!). Oh! How about at a wedding or baby shower? They'd also make great little party favors for my next old lady gathering/tea party! Perfect! Now all I need to do is make some friends in this city...hmm...easier said than done. What would you use the cute tea tags for?

3 is 1

I'm finally making headway on our new place. The kitchen is more or less settled, the living room is cleared and vacuumed, and the bedroom is set! I've just got my crafting area to tackle and then it is onto the final decorating touches! Hooray! Since I've got thrifty decor on the mind this project over on Apartment Therapy caught my eye:


I just love all the chair patterns and colours and I would never think to get three old thrift store chairs to make a bench from! Wouldn't this be cute in a kitchen? Or maybe by a front entrance or a boot room? Fun! It totally inspires me to give some old furniture a new life, but I think I'll stick to looking for a coffee table for the time being to fill up our giant bare living space. Hopefully I'll be up for showing some pictures of the move one of these days...we'll see. How's your weekend going? Any furniture based plans?

Friday Find: My Friend Monster

Today's find is Victoria's very own My Friend Monster. I met Terri (the head monster creator behind the shop) a few weeks back at the Sunday market here and totally fell in love with all of her lovely upcycled friends! Take a look at Mikey:


She certainly has skill when combining some old sweaters, safety eyes, and a little thread and stuffing! I totally recommend taking a peek at her shop and if you have the means you totally need to see her at the market! She has loads of fun one of a kind monster creations it's hard to pick a favourite! Keep up the good work Terri, you're making my old sweaters jealous...

Cat Beret

Just in case you thought you've seen it all - behold - the felted cat beret:


Ahahaha! Do I ever love pictures of cats wearing hats (let's not forget the bear cat hat I posted about on Monday - or maybe this cat hat from my Pinterest page?) but that beret is particularly priceless. Pink not your cat's colour? Not to worry, Etsy's Scarborough Fair has lots of different cat berets to chose from:


At first I was amazing at how much that little grey kitty much enjoy beret wearing...but that image in the middle with the purple hat (and immensely grumpy expression) makes me think otherwise. I wonder if Percy would appreciate a beret? No? Then I think I will just have to get one instead. What do you think? Could I pull off the beret? (and will my sister felt me one?) I'm thinking navy. How about you?

One of the easiest DIYs ever!

Today's project from Heart Handmade UK is (as my post title describes) one of the easiest DIY's ever! What is it you wonder? Some wonderful homemade button magnets:


Aren't they darling? All you need to do is get some cute buttons (Mom - I know you have hundreds of those) and glue some magnets to the back! Awesome! I however, will not be participating in this project because although our new condo is beyond amazing - it has one flaw. THE FRIDGE IS NOT MAGNETIC. *Gasp!* Okay, not exactly a deal breaker in my books, but it does mean I need to cut back on my magnet making. So looks like everyone is getting these for xmas this year! Haha! What do you think?

Herb Wall

Not just a Housewife brings us an amazingly inspirational project combining a few of my favourite things - mason jars, inexpensive wall decor, and herbs! Take a gander:


Oh what a fun idea! I had never thought of hanging little planters on a wall, but what a great project for our new place. I'm a little hesitant starting too many new plants here since with fall (and endless rain) approaching that precious sunlight the little green friends will require may be at a minimum... Perhaps I'll modify the wall planter idea into a wall of mason jars full of organized craft supplies? What do you think? Where can you get those metal jar wrapping things?

Cuteness for a Monday

Being in a new city means a few things:

1) new exciting shops and places to check out
2) an unbelievable amount of work to unpack/get settled
3) new work mates and new people
(and therefore...)
4) missing your old friends!

Since my life currently seems consumed with trying to switch my sleep schedule (I'm going from many years of working the late shift to an abrupt change to working the early early shift) I haven't had much spare time to yearn for my old life and friends. Being an avid pen-pal-er certainly helps keep the communication up between my Kamloops pals (as well as cell phones of course) but with my limited spare time I'm finding Pinterest to be a quick friend fix. Sure it's not like I'm actually seeing any of my chums, but seeing a few pins each lovely gal is like a friendly little reminder of what each of them are thinking about and sharing on the internet! Hooray! Okay...maybe it isn't a very good substitute for all the close and fabulous relationships I had in my hometown, but still..pinterest is awesome...and I like to pretend that the internet can continue to build our friendships...

The other morning I came across this most adorable kitty in a bear costume image Cindy pinned for me:


Ahahaha! I am totally in love with him! Look at that adorable little grumpy expression and fuzzy little paws! Aww! Maybe Fraser is only allergic to pure cats, and not bear costumed ones? Okay, a bit of a stretch - but that is pretty much the perfect kitty (assuming he isn't totally evil and okay with being renamed Karl)! Plus it is a little extra sentiment from far away Cindy that reminds me that adorable kitties (with bow ties) still remind her of me! Yay! Happiness for all! How do you stay in touch with old friends? Any tips for someone new to a new city?

The Pyrex Collective

Happy Sunday morning to you! Even though I have been extra busy with the move and never ending unpacking/organizing/cleaning that is associated - I thought I'd take a moment to tell you about my progress with my Pyrex collecting! You may remember my first 4 pieces (link, link, and link) but I'm happy to welcome another wonderful addition to my kitchen! What is it you wonder? Well looks like you'll have to hop over The Pyrex Collective II - a lovely collaborative blog with loads of pyrex lovers just like me:


What fun! I love sharing my pyrex finds with other collectors and although I am still very new to thrift shopping for pre-loved casserole dishes, I have been a pyrex fan for ages and am always thrilled to see other people's fantastic collections! Oh - and if you're a new visitor (perhaps from the PCII post) - welcome! I may not be the most consistent blogger of my collection, but I try my best. Oh, and since I'm still a bit behind on my posts (a house full of unpacked boxes and my m.i.a. camera make picture taking a little difficult) I assure you there are more pyrex finds on the way! Hooray!

DIY Tile Coasters

Today's project from the hostess with the mostest blog caught my eye as soon as I stumbled upon it and I'm sure you can guess why! Take a peek:


That's right! Coasters! Not just any coasters but owl and russian doll hand-crafted coasters! Oh my! All you need to do is pick up a few tiles from the hardware store, grab yourself some fun prints (like wrapping paper or anything laser printed) and then whip out the ever useful mod podge! Throw a few scraps of felt on the bottom to protect the tiles from scratching and your'e done! Lovely! Then you will have all the table protecting custom goodness you could ever use! Okay, so there is one flaw with the project -it takes a good 30 days for mod podge to completely harden. Not a problem as long and you avoid using your new coasters with any hot beverages for a month (which sort of counteracts the whole "coaster" thing). Alas - if you're extra impatient you can spray some sealant on them and then they will be ready right away. Perfect! So what do you think? What designs or images would you want on your new tile coasters? Hmm?

Happy 2nd Birthday Blog!

Two years ago today my blog was born (9/9/9 - easy to remember hey?)! It feels like just yesterday I took the plunge into blog-dom and haven't looked back since!


Over the last few years the blog has grown from 3 readers to over 100 and I've been trying my best to keep my posts frequent, interesting, and (of course) Kate-like! So happy 2nd blogiversary to my little internet creation! Hooray!

The ninth hole

Today's project combines a few of my favourite things - polymer clay, quick craft projects, and buttons! Take a peek:


Oh Design Sponge, you think of it all! Just think of the stitching possibilities with homemade 9-hole buttons! Heck, why stop there! Wouldn't it be fun to make buttons with holes that stitch to make other shapes? Like hearts or stars! OoOo! Looks like I've got another project to add to the list! What do you think? What kind of buttons would you make?

Zombie Kate

My internet may finally be hooked up - but my brain has been eaten by zombies! Okay...not really...but a jam packed few weeks of packing, moving, and attempting to unpack has left me brain dead! Ack! And speaking of zombies...have you ever noticed how much zombies and babies have in common?:


Thank you Pinterest (go Lindsay and the spam filter yet again)! I figure the best remedy for my zombie-ism is a week full of plenty of rest and watermelon! What do you think? How have you been without me these last few days?

internet fail = blog fail

Bad news blog friends, our internet provider (*cough couch telus cough*) has failed us! When we moved (back on August 27th) they told us we would have our account transferred over to our new home in Victoria the same day! Too good to be true? Yes. Apparently. They then told us our internet would be up by the 31st at the latest....and.....no luck. No internet makes running my etsy site extra difficult and writing this blog near impossible! Ack! I am so bogged down with unpacking to do that I'm afraid my daily trips to the neighbourhood sbux (with their free wifi) will have to cease and the blog will be going on temporary hiatus. Yup, yeti is here to enthusiastically bring you the sad news:


I hope everything is going well in your life and that you won't miss me too much while I'm away! Here's also hoping that I am soon back online and back to the wonderful world of the internet (you have no idea how much I miss it!). In the meantime feel free to send Telus lots of nasty messages or words of encouragement to get me hooked up soon! Hooray!

more cat organization

Way back in February of 2010, my sister came across this image of "how to store and organize cats":


Yup - I still think it is super adorable, so I'm sure you can guess how I felt when I came across and entire page of organized kitty images:


Is your heart melting? Mine is a puddle at this point...time to conquer Fraser's allergies so I can have my own seven kitties to play and sort! Well...perhaps not. I'm having hard enough time unpacking and organizing our condo, so perhaps throwing some live moving objects (kitties) in there might be too much of a challenge! What do you think?