It's been one of those days: some not-so-good news (although it could have been worse) followed by great news! I like balance -- I'm always striving for it. (Yes, typical Libra.)


Both news had to do with work. I'll just report the Good News. I was asked to send in some work for Stampington's  Art Quilting Studio. I picked my best ones, including one very close to my heart and sent them on. Today, I heard that the one very close to my heart (I can't show you -- you'll have to wait and buy the magazine!!) was chosen for the article that I'm going to be writing (the others will appear in the Gallery).

Interestingly, just before I got this news I was telling a friend what a joy it is to freelance for Stampington, that they treat me so well and are very professional.

My next appearance is in Somerset Memories (coming in a month). That's a very exciting one for me too because it features a little visual journal of my neighborhood! Toronto, take note!!!

Almost Silent Sunday

I found this at the Sunday flea market on Front Street a couple of years ago.
It spoke to me.

Recipe

Take half of an antique collar, wash and iron, admire how wonderfully aged it is, look at it and imagine a design. Stitch, appliqué and transfer an image on it. Create a little cushion to display it on.

[If you're wondering about the other half of the collar, I turned it into a cuff.]

Friday's child (It's almost Friday)

I spent some time on Etsy, exploring some recommended shops that Etsy gives you based on your favorites.

When I saw this photo in thumbnail format, I thought it was a painting. Seriously. You could forgive me for that -- I mean, look at it! And that background is pure perfection.

Out of New Orleans, a favorite city of mine (I wrote a novel set in New Orleans, which will give you an idea of how well I know the place, how connected I am to it), comes Creolesha. Eco funky clothing that I fell in love with, and the palette is so completely to my taste.

Shrug

This is ART

A skirt you can fall in love with

Tag stories

I've stamped, collaged and stitched them. It was time to draw and paint on them. Tags are one of the most versatile items I know, which is why I love them so much!

A butterfly

and two painted tags

But I must stop and finish that article. The deadline in looming.

While writing an article about this sheer fabric, I took a break and made this piece. What often happens is that as I write about something I've already made, my mind busily comes up with new ideas... It never ends. And I hope it never will.

Textile on paper, (c) Colette Copeland

Today is "Family Day" -- a holiday created some years ago by the provincial government to ease those February blahs. It's a nice sunny day, so I wish families a fun day together.
As for me, I have work to do ;)

This idea was in my head, but I didn't have the right kind of bird. I wanted it small and in flight. So I carved it myself.

New collage

After painting, my first love, comes collage. So I always go back to it. I finished one, and began and finished another yesterday, in between Saturday chores and feeding the cats next door while their keeper is away.

Both collages are available in my Etsy shop.

I save my scraps because they come in handy!

I love old books that fall apart, because I don't have to mutilate them!!

Wacky Saturday

Made you smile!!!!

Friday's child

I've been taking advantage of these warmish days to walk to my destinations. Yesterday, while walking to the downtown area, I stopped at SHOPNYLA, a block or so north of Rosedale subway, a sweet boutique with lovely clothing and the nicest people running it. What caught my attention were the espadrilles in the window.

As a child, I wore espadrilles every summer. As an adult I continued to wear them, often buying several pairs at a time at Galeries Lafayette in Paris, and also in Toronto. And then the local supply stopped; flying to France to buy them was not an option!! I couldn't find the real ones anywhere except online, and I never buy shoes online. In any case, buying them online costs too much.

And here they were, the real thing -- these are made in Spain -- at at a very reasonable price. I had to choose between black, red, navy, beige, white, seersucker blue. I went for the navy, and I'm thinking I'll be getting the red ones next.

Chocolat!

I've written about Dufflet's carrot cake before, the best I've ever tasted -- and I tasted countless foods in my former career as a food writer -- and it's the only carrot cake I will eat.

Lately I've discovered chocolate. I was never a chocolate eater, not even as a child, preferring the salty, like nuts and olives. My taste for chocolate runs to the dark, plain and dark; one truffle in the mouth, and I'm happy!

Then I came across Dufflet's chocolate tart, a blissful, chewy, pure chocolate concoction covered in chocolate ganache, in a chocolate shortcrust pasty. It's the middle that has me conquered; I don't eat the pastry,  I cut it away, and I also discard the lump of  "white chocolate" on top because I don't like it either. It's not really "chocolate", it pure fat, albeit the fat of the chocolate, which is why it's....white.

I like chewy textures, so to make this even chewier, I keep it in the freezer. It doesn't freeze, but it does get blissfully chewier.

Another little wooden block, using what I already have: mica, millinery flowers, old paper.

The Winner is....

PrairieGirlStudio is the winner of the Silk Dress quiltie!

Thank you everyone for participating. I wish I could send all of you something. I'll just have to do this more often. It feels good to give away a little something once in a while.

A giveaway to say Thank You

THANK YOU!
I get so many wonderful comments here, and today Cynthia (thanks for de-lurking!!) and VintageSue just made my day. So....... I want to do a giveaway, from the heart. What better than St. Valentine's Day?

Leave a comment here (make sure I can contact you) if you'd like to put your name in the hat for this, by Wednesday (tomorrow) at midnight :

Finishing things

I don't remember when I bought this huge cabinet card or even if I knew what I was going to do with it, given its size. I collect smaller ones, and only ones that appeal to me. Alter it, I thought. So I started, but I got bored with it. I didn't really know what to do next. I put it aside and moved to something else. I have a surfeit of ideas rolling around in my brain: with me it's never about artist's block, but wanting to do too much all at once, so I've learned to set something aside and move onto something else, knowing that it's be finished when the time is right. I recommend it!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Almost Silent Sunday

Where my head is right now. Yes, tags.....

If you know me, you know that I love tags. Every so often, I coffee-dye a bunch and decorate them. I've been working on my St. Patrick's Day (coming up next month) tags which were popular last year. They'll be in my Etsy shop soon. these two were made with my stamp, available here.

Meanwhile, I broke open my little pile of French General  Moda fabrics, delicious little échantillons (samples) of their new line, and they found their way onto more tags.

Friday's child

I've been wanting to paint on wood. So since I have these ATC-size wooden block from Outside the Margins I thought why not try it? I find it difficult to work in miniature, so I kept it simple. I love the way the wood took to the paint. I could get used to this.

It was icy cold today, so I looked at more of my Florida photos; they warm me up!

Looking east

Looking west, about the same time.

Footprints in the sand, bird footprints, that is.

Movement

Smile! The birds are watching you.

Drawing (c) Colette Copeland

Can you hear me now?

The King's Speech was terrific. The movie theatre was full, and yet you could hear a pin drop. The audience was captivated. If you haven't seen it, do. It's one of the best movies ever made.

Altered postcard.

It's good to wake up to blue skies and sunshine after the last few days of overcast gloom. I took a bracing walk this morning and it felt really good.

A friend and I are going to see The King's Speech this evening. I must be the only person I know who hasn't seen it yet, but my sister assures me it's very, very good, so I'm taking her word for it.

Meanwhile, work continues and I invite you to visit my Etsy shop for some new items.

Scrappy happy

Why I can't live  without my fabric scraps (well, I can, but you get my drift).

 I don't trim my scraps; instead I look for a shape within the scrap of fabric and gather/twist/sew the shape that manifests itself.

Silent Sunday

Long, grey days need some colour.

Wood Tales

When I came across ATC-size wooden blocks here, I was instantly smitten. I'd been thinking about working on wood, and had started with my little printer's blocks, so Aileen's wooden blocks were perfect for me. I've used two so far.

This one that I made for my friend Jc and which now resides in Bonita Bay (Florida).

 And this one: It was dented in places as wood can tend to be, and I loved it even more for that. I added a little paint to "age" it further.

Home sweet home

After a warm few days with my friends in Florida, living the good life, I'm back in the land of Winter. It only took 10 hours to make a 2.5-hour flight. And it had nothing to do with the weather!! Our plane was expected from Toronto, but a water pipe burst and the passengers and their baggage had to be disembarked and ... a new plane found. I have to give kudos to Westjet who took such good care of us that there was not one disgruntled passenger in the 100+ waiting at Fort Myers for our flight to Toronto. They gave us meal vouchers, answered questions, lifted up spirits, and then offered us more vouchers. Talk about taking care of your clientele. Other airlines take note; this little Canadian company can teach you a thing or two.

I had a marvellous time. I was spoiled rotten for one thing -- by this beautiful woman.

  

I did the blogger thing and photographed my feet (getting an airing from all the boot-wearing of late.

And, naturally, the birds posed for me!

More later.I need to get groceries. Because woman does not live by beaches alone!