Hasta La Ideas

I would love to pop by The Workroom, but alas no trips to Toronto are in the near future. If you’re lucky enough to be in their neighbourhood this Sunday, they’re hosting a Kid’s Trunk Show. “While the show is themed for kids (complete with cupcake decorating, button making, and lots of kid-focused crafty things to buy), there will definitely be something for everyone,” says Karyn. Looks like fun!

We love to hear from our subscribers, to see what they do and what inspires them. This morning Asya Palatova introduced herself via email. In visiting her portfolio, I realized that I am very familiar with her work! She has art directed numerous books, Martha Stewart’s Living and Body & Soul magazines, and created the memorable logo for Purl, among many other things. I invite you to visit Studio Palatova to view more of her design skills.

Asya also makes lovely ceramics, adorned with simple typographic accents and flourishes. {Available in her etsy shop.} Her blog, My Mama’s Table, chronicles her ceramic works-in-progress and documents her visual and culinary inspirations. Thanks, Asya!

I’ll be Banff this Saturday afternoon, so if you’re in the mood for making 1-inch pins in a camper trailer in the mountains (for free), then I’ll see you there!

Saturday, August 8, 2009: 11am – 3pm
Banff Avenue Square

This summer the Walter Philips Gallery in Banff will work again with TRUCK Artist-Run Centre for the Banff Culture Walk event presenting an all-ages button-making studio. Make 1-inch button pins from art created with found images, drawing, dry-transfer lettering and typewriters. The workshop is led by Calgary-based designer Janine Vangool. Through her company and gallery, UPPERCASE, Janine publishes books and magazines on visual culture and makes unique handmade papergoods. Playing with Banff National Park’s international draw for outdoor recreation and leisure, the workshop will be hosted out of TRUCK’s Contemporary Art Mobile Public Exhibition Rig, aka CAMPER, a refurbished RV that brings art workshops and artists’ projects to outdoor festivals.

Urban Source is a few blocks away from The Assembly of Text and it was a fun discovery. Offering bits and bobs from various sources such as industrial offcuts, overstock and all variety of remnants and scraps, this is the ultimate in creative recycling. I coveted the empty movie film canisters; lined with some tissue paper or fabric remnants they’d make a cool package for a gift of cookies or candies.

Bolts of fabric are so beautiful!