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I am so excited to announce my very first event at ArtsMarket:



Please come by if you're in the area! Event details HERE

A Very Murray Christmas

Bring it on! I'm now ready for the holiday season!



Are you ready?

Prints

I can't get enough of bold, colorful prints! I'm going nuts over at Pinterest. I have a board for Clothing, Tableware and Home...

Follow Katri's board Prints on Pinterest.

Looking at the dates from my older pins, looks like this isn't really a recent interest, but has been sneakily developing over quite a while. Perhaps it just took some time to develop.

Are you on Pinterest? What are you pinning now? Please share, I'd love to see!

Lost and found inspiration

My inspiration for many things went missing for a long time. The things I enjoyed the most, making things and fashion, felt bland. I wore the same things and barely made anything new. I did get rid of a lot of things and with a very brutal purge of items in my closet, I started feeling lighter and even a tinge of inspiration.

I started feeling drawn towards patterns. The bolder and more colorful, the better. I wanted to find something really over-the-top. I got my wish!

I struck gold at the CAFTCAD movie wardrobe sale. I came home with a jacket, two tops and a large piece of fabric.

Value Village was good to me too, I found the amazing skirt on the left!

I won't be wearing all these things as they are, but I want to try my hand at making something new. I haven't decided if I dare to try sewing a skirt out of the fabric I found, but let's see if I feel brave enough!

I figure if nothing else, I can make some new sofa cushions!

What do you think of my crazy patterned finds?

Brinner at Arts Market

It's been a strange year, but many good things have happened too. Things have been moving along slowly, but now that I look back, I can see the progress.

One of the more recent positive changes has been the new opportunities coming my way in terms of my shop. I've hoped to get a chance to sell my items in a brick and mortar store and finally a few weeks ago I was able to do just that! I opened my own little section at the Arts Market.

It's quite the challenge to put together a more permanent set up for a shop compared to a craft show table. At a show I'm constantly there, so I can rearrange products and immediately react if something doesn't look right. Shows are also only a few days at a time, so I don't need to think about the permanence of the display. In a shop you have to figure out how to display the product, how to keep the section tidy and, most importantly, how to make sure your customers can find what they want.

 

Just because I understand the challenge, doesn't mean I have a solution. I'm working on it, so I'm sure I'll post the occasional update.

I am also working on another ongoing dream of mine. Besides expanding my business into a physical shop, I've dreamed of being able to run workshops and crafting related events. I'm currently finalizing the plans for my first ever open event! I'll share the details as soon as things have been finalized!

Remember me?

*Dusts off the ol' blog*

Well, I think I can make it work again... Grease the wheels a tad and tighten the screws...



I feel like not much has changed recently, but things have moved along since I last wrote. Many times I've started posts and there's at least a dozen almost finished sitting around in the drafts section. I wanted to share many things and felt they all were a little silly.

I didn't take many photos for a while, but recently I've picked up the camera a bit more often with the thought that I'd like to share some ideas again. Maybe it's the fall that does it to me... Every time October rolls around, I feel like a new person again.



2015 has been a very strange year so far, but at least the October charm still works...

I've missed you!

This is going to be harder than I thought!

I wanted to start that clothing challenge from something manageable and relatively easy. I was going through some items of clothing in my head doing a rough estimate how many I think I have. I know there will be very difficult ones! Like T-shirts. I love t-shirts. I wear them pretty much every day. I'm wearing one right now...

[It has a Superman logo on it, so it's only for home. I won't be caught publicly supporting the wrong superhero. I'm a Batman kinda gal!]

...so there will be a lot of them. I'm pretty happy in my ignorance when it comes to the amount of them. There might, or might not, be an entire drawer for t-shirts.

I started thinking something I don't wear that much... Shorts? I think I have 5 pairs or so. Three of which are for sports. They are in the basement with the out of season clothes, so I'm not going to bring the box and more stuff upstairs right now.

Ok, skirts. I think I have 10.

These are very typical skirts for me in the colder seasons... A lot of black, zippers and fun textures

No. Wait. I forgot about this one. So, elev... No, I forgot that one too.

Screw it. I'll just go count.

...

18 friggin' skirts!

These, on the other hand, are not typical at all. Even the shapes are unusual for me.

It's even possible that there is one more hiding in that out of season box...

I do wear a lot of skirts in the summer, so I knew there would be quite a few. Eighteen just seems a lot!

I might do an actual post about the specifics of this challenge if you guys are interested. I just wanted to share my astonishment and building dread about what I got myself into!

How about you try this out too! Just pick one category of clothing, make a guess and actually count how many you have! Please share the results! I'd love to hear about it!

What's in my closet and why isn't it working for me?

In my need to reorganize and streamline my life, I know there's a huge challenge waiting for me. My wardrobe is not working for me as it is right now. I am working on getting rid of things that don't serve a purpose and I am dreading the project that is my closet!

This is a photo of my closet taken just now as I was finishing this blog post. 

(Sorry for the quality... I'm still testing the various photo editing tools)

I read about an interesting clothes challenge. It's in Finnish, but that doesn't really matter. The gist of it is to challenge you to count all your clothes and share how many you have. There's no exclusions, you're supposed to count every item including underwear, socks, mittens and scarves.

Now, I like numbers. Statistics and percentages. I like to keep track of things. So, clearly this sounds intriguing to me. It also goes nicely with my need to get rid of stuff.

With somewhat limited free time, I'm not committing to doing this whole challenge, at least at one go. I will, however, go through parts of my wardrobe. If I get really into it, then maybe I'll keep on going... If nothing else, I'll get rid of some additional stuff. This is just a start in a larger quest to really figure out what my style is, how will it work for me and how to reduce the stress of getting dressed!

Some of my shoes... You can see exactly the two types of shoes I love, crazy heels and (Adidas) sneakers!

I've gotten rid of a whole lot of clothing since the move to Toronto just over a year ago. It has been an ongoing project since moving and every time around I get rid of a few more things. What I do with all of the clothes is another topic that I'd love to get into another time, but for now it'll suffice to say they will no longer crowd my limited storage space.

Like I said before, I dream of a closet where everything fits and has a purpose. I'm OK with storing out of season clothes in the basement, but those will have to be in good working order and functional without any crazy prep-work. I also mentioned that since I absolutely hate clothes shopping, I have a lot of things that are almost what I need. Fact is though, that 'almost' means that it'll either stay in the closet or I don't feel fully comfortable in it when wearing that piece of clothing! And neither those sound like a really good outcome to me!

I love fashion, but trying things on can be such a drag. I have admittedly on more than one occasion bought things that are "close enough" instead of waiting for the right one. I am working on my bad shopping habits, but that's what I have to work with right now. 

I promise to share at least some of my clothes counting and wardrobe overhaul results with you!

Do you know exactly what's in your closet? Does everything have a purpose?

Mail Monday

I sent some mail last week. The envelopes weren't particularly innovative, but at least the contents were something a little out of the ordinary. Last week was Chinese New Year, the Year of the Ram started on Thursday. Even though we don't really celebrate it, I still like to send good wishes by mail. I figure no one gets too much good luck sent to them, right?

I really like the stamps Canada Post issued for the lunar new year!

Is it just me or does it look like that ram is shaking it? Like he's hearing HIS SONG and just have to boogie! Maybe he's twerking, what do you think?

I made a few small envelopes out of book pages and added those in the mail as well. It's tradition to give out red envelopes with money in them. I figured chocolate coins will do the trick too.

Incoming

I had a really good mail day on Thursday! I got two letters from the UK, one of them to replace the one that got away. How amazing are those Alice in Wonderland stamps?

Do you ever feel stamp-envy? It happens to me quite often :)

One week, 5 posts

It's now been a week since decided to come back to my blog. It wasn't one of those large scale resolutions, but just the thought that I missed it. I had no real goals about it besides just wanting to write again and I was surprised how easy it was. Somehow I managed to write five posts, including this one, without really having to think too much about it.

I was worried about being able to find things to write about, but that wasn't hard. It was more of a challenge to find the time. That will be an ongoing struggle, but I think that if I keep this up, I won't waste time thinking about what to write, and just do it when I get a moment.

Due to my pedantic nature I am really tempted to make more specific plans and schedules. I feel an urgent need to set goals and a detailed road map...

Have I ever mentioned how I'm a natural project manager? Like, to the point that I like statistics and Excel sheets? I really like to break large concepts into smaller pieces and then make a plan to achieve it all?

Maybe one day I will get there with my blogging, but right this moment it feels too constrictive of what I want to do. I just want to write about silly things and some not-so-silly ones. I'll want to write every day or once a month, depending on how I feel. It's a new way for me, so again, I'll just leave it at that.

Less self-censored writing and a little more silliness.

The biggest obstacle right now is actually photos. I need to get into taking more photos and figure out a new routine for editing them. So far the photos on my posts have not had much to do with the text. I'll take that on as the next issue to tackle!

Letter trauma

Just look at this!

It was quite dramatic! This envelope originally contained a letter from my friend Kelly. Her and I started writing somewhat recently, but hit it off so well that there has been letters fired across the Atlantic at a fairly rapid pace. It was her turn and I was really looking forward to her letter.

And then this happened! I got an empty envelope! Just an envelope with nothing inside!

This made me think about privacy... Now there's a letter out there, somewhere, with a part of our personal conversation. Anyone coming across it could read it. In all honesty, it has probably just slipped out somewhere, maybe with the pages scattered all over, and no one has read it. But, just the idea made both of us a bit uncomfortable.

In my mind, however, it feels a smidgen better if it was read by a stranger. I'll never actually know that they read it, nor will I ever meet that person. Maybe I'd feel differently if it was a letter I wrote...

What are your thoughts on this? How would you feel if this happened? Has this ever happened to you?

Losing my writing groove

I miss writing. There was a time when I wrote this blog almost every day. I rarely had posts waiting to be published for more than a few days, more often than not I wrote and published them the same day. Yet I kept having things to write about.

I miss that unplanned, almost careless blogging. Since then I got into my own head and didn't want to publish anything that wasn't complete. The photos had to be perfectly edited and the text absolutely fine-tuned. I started second guessing my choice of topics and my content. I got to the point that I even stopped sharing my mail-related projects! That was the one topic I felt I could always write about.

I still have a number of photos and a few fully written snailmail posts that never saw the light of day. After rereading them one too many times I thought they were the same thing over and over again. And, to be honest, they were. I've written quite a few letters in the last few months, but instead of trying to come up with something new for the decorations or some clever gimmics, I just did something that I thought the recipient might like.

That has always been the priority for me, but I really like sharing some of the outgoing mail. I like photos of stationery and I like to contribute to the steady stream, especially on Instagram. I feel like maybe if we collectively share enough photos of our correspondence, more people will get into sending old school mail.

But I will not let the desire to come up with new ideas become an obstacle in sharing what I make. It will always first be for the recipient and only then for sharing.

Another writing related thought I've had recently, is that the less I wanted to share about myself, the harder it became to write anything at all. I've always been extremely private, so it takes me a long time to share anything even with people I know personally. I can't let that stop me from writing my blog.

There's so many things I would like to talk about and share with you, so I am learning to share a little more openly. More on that another time!

What do you like to read about bloggers?

Mail Monday - February

Just so I wouldn't stray too far from what I did before, I do have one piece of mail to share.

At least it's something different. Hand drawn paper plane and my first try at water colors in a very long time. It's far from perfect, but it was fun.

Please excuse the awful editing! I'm getting adjusted to this new computer and I haven't really got my photo editing lined up yet. I'm experimenting with new things...

Can you recommend a good online editing tool?

What now?

Mid February is an odd time to write about new years resolutions. Especially when I've only vaguely started figuring out what they might be.

Maybe they should be called something else?

The term itself has a temporary vibe to them. Sort of half-assed if you will. The kind where you're determined to lose weight but start secretly eating cinnamon rolls half way through January. Or sneak a smoke when out with your buddies, because it's just once and Saturday nights don't really count anyway.

"Making Changes in ones life" sounds too serious. Saying that "things need to change" imply that you're extremely unhappy or have just made some grave life decision. Don't get me even started about "decisions". Just writing things like this sounds a whole lot more serious that it really needs to be.

I'm making improvements. Things are good, but need a little tweaking.

There's not a whole lot of big things in the works, just many little ones. I spent new years eve moving furniture. It took three days into 2015 to get them where they needed to be. For now at least. I've been tossing things. There are a whole lot of things.

I've talked about it before, I like to keep stuff. I am a DIYer, so everything is raw material. Everything could be something else. I know, however, that when I have too many potential projects, nothing gets done. So, I've been going through my possessions.

I love fashion but hate shopping for clothes. So I have a lot of clothing that is almost what I wanted. Over the years I have fixed my habit of buying a lot of things for cheap and have started buying better quality. Unfortunately even if the quality is great, if the piece of clothing doesn't serve it's purpose, it's basically a waste of space.

I dream of a wardrobe where everything fits and a home where everything has it's place. I miss the ease of writing I enjoyed a few years ago with this blog. I over-think and under-perform on daily basis. I've talked about all this before, yet I'm still working on it.

I don't quite know where all of this is heading, but I'm quite interested to see. I'm really tempted to make promises about this blog. Things I'll write about and how often and what my goals are. Instead, let's just see if I can get the enjoyment back without setting too many deadlines and goals and milestones I have to reach.

That'll do for now. 

Love & Rummage 7 - Sunday February 8th

Hello lovelies!

I'll be selling at the Love&Rummage 7 trunkshow over at The Workroom this upcoming Sunday, February 8th!

I'm bringing everyone's favorite notebooks, including this rad T-Rex and one of a kind greeting cards.

I'm also bringing some cool new things, like color-coded and themed paperpacks as well as all sorts of Valentine's day awesomeness!

If you're in the neighborhood, please drop by and say hi!

Mailless Monday - Fourth week of 2015

We got a new computer. It's all snazzy and awesome, but nothing is yet set up the way I like. So, no photos. I sent some mail, but it was nothing earth-shatteringly amazing.

I've been working on a lot of new things, yet nothing is finished, nor in a state ready to share.

There's ideas.

And plans.

And started projects.

I'm excited and just a tad apprehensive.

We'll see where the plans take me! More interesting things soon!

How are you?

Mail Monday - Third week of 2015

I had a great, albeit busy, weekend. I tried some new things, visited new events and met some new people. I also hung out with a few people I met previously, you just got to love the crafting community. I'm exploring new avenues for my crafts, so it's been invaluable to talk to people who are already involved here in Toronto.

This weekend I also realized how out of shape I am, so I will need to fix that too... I spent all my summer and fall walking outside, but as the weather got colder, it's been challenging. 

It's funny how all of 2014 felt to me like things were in transition. I just knew things were changing, but I had no idea where anything would end up at. I'm still in the middle of all sorts of changes, but I'm starting to feel like things are heading to more permanent locations. I think that sounds a lot more philosophical than I really intended, but it's the best way to describe it. I once read somewhere that you life moves in seven year cycles. I'm not sure how much I really believe in that, but as I approach my 35th birthday, another seven year cycle sounds pretty damn good to me!

As I'm still working on figuring stuff out, I do try to send at least one piece of mail out every week. Here's the third week of 2015:

Outgoing

It's been a while since I made something with a very specific theme. I bought the tape and was itching to use it, who better than another Batman fan Mary? And once I get started, it's hard to stop. I really wish Canada Post had Batman stamps like USPS, but Superman will do in a pinch. And, as if on cue, I had a magazine on my desk that just happened to have a picture of the original Batman and Robin, Adam West and Burt Ward. 

Incoming

A letter from Jenni. We've been exchanging mail at a leisurely pace for a while and it's always a treat to get something from her. She has a very distinct style, this is a good example of it. I'm also still digging the Tom of Finland stamps. Props to the Finnish Post on those!

How have you guys been? What's new?

Mail Monday - Second week of 2015

Last week was really, really long. I'm usually charged up for the upcoming week on Monday morning, but this time I am feeling pretty tired. Sometimes it happens, so onwards and upwards said the granny in the snow*

Looks like I was so tired that I didn't actually publish this post after writing it... So, Mail Monday on Tuesday!

To counteract the long days now behind us, I am lining up some new interesting things for this week. Call it a resolution or a goal (or at least a cliche), I'm stepping out of my comfort zone. But, for now, it's time for mail...

Outgoing

Just one to share this week. Looks like my mind is already longing for spring. Wasn't really intentional, but I think the message is pretty clear.

Did you guys do something fun this week? Please share!

*) If you're Finnish, this makes total sense to you. If you're not, it's a Finnish saying about being persistent when facing adversity.

My article in Maak Magazine

I've had a really hard time not telling you guys about this until now! My DIY vintage ornament wreath tutorial has been published in the Dutch craft magazine Maak Magazine! Woohoo!

The ladies behind the magazine sent me the page layout before and said I could share it, but I really wanted to wait until I had the actual magazine in my hands. I'm glad I did. The magazine is totally amazing!

The quality of the magazine is so nice, even the paper feels great! And there's just so much cool stuff in it. I don't speak Dutch and understand only a little bit, so I can't follow the instructions written instructions. The photos, however, are amazing and give you a really good idea what the text says.

I should mention that there are goodies that come with it... I was expecting maybe a postcard or a couple of stickers, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw all this additional stuff! Many things were Christmas and New Years related, since this was the holiday edition, but there's a bunch of all-season goodies too! I did order a few other things as well, but I removed those from the box prior to taking the photo. All the other things are extra stationery surprises included with my order.

Please note that this is not a paid ad! I am super-excited to have my tutorial published, but I paid for a copy of the magazine myself. So, yeah, it's really that good!

Mail Monday - First week of 2015

Happy New Year!

I hope 2015 has started off well for you! So far this year I've been reorganizing, cleaning and boxing up stuff. I'm still in the middle of it, but at least I think I'll get it finished soon. Some things just take their time to find their places.

I've yet to forsaken this blog, so here's the first Mail Monday post for this year.

Outgoing

Handmade envelope made from  book page. It was a coffee table book about black and white movies. Some vintage stamps.

Another handmade envelope from patterned paper bordered with new washi tape I got for Christmas. (Thank you Santa, you know who you are!)

How has your year started?