a couple holiday sales!

i'm way mega happy to announce i'll be at two little holiday markets in the toronto area in december so you could pick up some handmade goodies and support some local makers and artists this x-mas, that's a sure way to gain a few more points with a certain miss karma!

on friday december 5th, get an extra little point for bringing a food or gift donation for the Younge Street Mission Food Bank and Toy Drive for them true hearts in need.

the second holiday sale is a more intimate and small one on saturday december 13th held at 1610 gerrard st. E. there will be both handmade goodies and treats to partake in!

i'll be bringing most of my shop stock including a new stock of envelope snap wallets (these fit both iphone 4's and 5's!) and new crewel embroidery pin designs i've been working on.

hope to see you at the sales!

internally yours,

sister valentine

envelope snap wallet production

after the Etsy made in canada sale, i was left with three envelope snap wallets!
they've always been a personal favorite and at craft sales. the original pattern was fitted perfectly to use as a iphone 4/4s or ipod case but with the new iphone 5/5c being slightly longer, i had to adjust the pattern slightly for this new batch of snap wallets to fit both phone sizes.

after cutting the linen, i then pre mordant it to have the dye color stay put. in this case when i say dye color, i mean coffee.

when they're still wet, i brush on the coffee just along the edges and where they'll be folded giving it a great old parchment paper look when dried. they don't look like much when wet so the next morning when i piled them all up, it was pretty great to see.

it's kind of funny how just a few stitches can bring much more life to a piece. it tickles my heart some  how the vintage look of the dyed linen looks with the machine embroidered line work of the stamp and postal stamp waves.

since i designed these to be used as iphone cases, i sandwich a light cotton batting padding to each wallet to keep your devices a little safer from dings and falls. i usually would have used different fabrics to the inside separating flap to make each its own but this time i rooted for only a select fabrics to help make easier choices.

i also designed some new stamp designs to make these a little more unisex.
as in all my small batch productions, i maybe already found a favourite!

i'm down to the last few stamps left to hand embroider and then it's on to sewing these together. they'll be put on my etsy along with a couple of other new items in time for xmas shopping.

internally yours,
sister valentine

a wee announcement

i am so happy to announce that i'll be part of the first Made in Canada Etsy Pop-Up happening september 27th!

i graduated from a three year textiles program in 2012 and during that time i was still just playing around with ideas, motifs and projects to find what not only made my old bum ticker happy but also grow into my own voice as a maker. 

i am quite proud with the work i've knocked out these last two years and can see that found voice come through in my work which feels pretty neat. 

also really neat, checking out the lookbook they put together.

i'll be selling more toasty gear for this sale so think hobo gloves, wolf-moon knit hats and scarves.

internally yours,

sister valentine

production mode photo dump pt.3

with days away from the Indie Arts Market, here is the last photo dump for your true eyes.

i had enough time to knock out four new wolf portraits, a personal favourite item. they tug hard on my heartstrings with how so much life is given to those little faces with just a little collar or set of glasses.

you know what to do.

found a touch of a lovely burnt gold suede

hearts pops at every stage

for scale, each portrait is mounted in a thrifted 5x7 picture frame so each is one of a kind

deciding the gentlemen and ladies

this gentlemen are too hip to quit

lady monocle for a touch of class

based the suede one on the Maned Wolf of south america, its color is similar to a fox

waiting on their frames and names

i did a little inventory and planned out my table display but you'll have to come out and see for yourself!

even had a pinch of time to sneak in a little gift to my mounbound self

tomorrow i'll be announcing a little bit of good craftlife news so tune in then and come adopt a wolf thursday!

interally yours,

sister valentine

production mode photo dump pt:2

yet another photodump! which you may see more of, i'm beginning to be a fan. 

i used to always want to write longer posts but sometimes you just can't beat a good ol' picture show.

now go on, git to it!

hand sewn little ears, these are my two favourites. miss pinky there has already been adopted!

not even the entire litter, craftlife satisfaction is what that is

  

i just love packaging these cutie pups up for adoption, them quiet little ears!

i gave a couple pups blue eyes and it won't be the last, oh my heart

finally got to use my handcarved moon stamp on the pup's care tags

individually hand written, when english begins to not look like english

leave no scrap behind. 

dipped into my scraps jar for a new batch of scrappy bracelets

each has a button closure with a vintage or reclaimed button,

these measure about an inch wide and 8" long for a loose fit

found a few favourites, some just always stand out

just so you don't forget, hand stamped cotton canvas backing.

i'll have just one more photo dump and a little announcement so peek back on here soontimes!

internally yours,

sister valentine

a true heart in the Gladstone Hotel

mark your calendars and come out to say hello to some new handmade goodies at Toronto Indie Arts Market held at the Gladstone Hotel on thursday august 21st!

i literally stood up from my chair when i got confirmation that my hearts and crafts will be part of a pretty fun market at the old beauty of a building, The Gladstone Hotel in toronto.
before i could even sit back down my craft brains opened the flood gates and my heart was racing as fast as the ideas were flowing! in the weeks leading up to the sale i'll be doing some photo dumps on how things are coming along and maybe it'll tickle you enough to come out and say hello.
ready set: production mode!

                                 

just days before the confirmation, i had finished cutting out a pack of 12 baby and toddler safe wolf pup dolls. they're an original pattern i designed from a comission last year, with little hearty paws and filled with 100% cotton balls for little arms to give a good little hug to. its floppy arms and tail pop my heart pretty hard as i'm sure it will yours!
they'll be available with different accent colors to make it just a little harder to pick one from the litter.

               

i'll have more of a picture show to dump here next week so keep them eyes peeled or follow my instagram (@sistervalentine) feed for some eye candy and heart pops!

internally yours,

sister valentine

a craft sale & new goodies!

next weekend is the date!

come out to Sheridan College (trafalgar campus) for the open house and craft sale from 9am to 4pm. you can find me there with all the new goodies i've been busy making this past month like patchwork zipper pouches in several sizes,

some pretty adorable wolf portraits ready to hang and watch over your true hearts

 and iphone hardcase packs which i'm probably most excited about!

in each themed pack you'll get one clear hardcase and  three interchangeable faceplates made with images from vintage textbooks and children's books.

i have packs for both iphone 4 and 5 whith themes from cowboy, shark, anatomy, hair and undersea. i can't wait to see how people will react to them.

also excited to be selling my wolf-moon knit hats, which i can not seem to stop making despite what my sore knitter knuckles may say.

there will only be a select few of these happy pom pomed goodies along with striped knitted hats and cowls. what better way to join a pack than with a happy pom pom?

i'll also have some old goodies like a few more spaceboy scarves which are naturally dyed and silkscreen with some love letters written to that imaginary boy who lives on the moon.

they're all light weight cotton and triple or double wrap infinity scarves, making it perfect for chilly spring or fall days.

i also came across a whole herd of pillow monster friends that were hiding in my petite workshop and they all need happy homes.

i always have a fun time at this sale but i'm especially excited with all the goodies i've made this time around. invite your friends and family to come say hello at my table and don't forget to check out all the open studios in the arts and crafts wing, it's where this funny little craftlife of mine stems from!

internally yours,

sister valentine

mega production mode

thought i'd show some snip bits of this production mode i've been in, a pretty big change from the creative funk i was riding a while ago. 

take note: this is all for a craft sale i have coming up at the end of april but more on that later.

onto the show!

best thrift find is my wolf picture book, great for coat references.

finally a good use of all the scrappy bits i've been saving

glad i found a jackpot of salvaged  zippers!

i'm excited for these the mostest! feels nice to see a kind of old idea come to life.

internally yours,

sister valentine