I'm so sad that I'm traveling for work this week, as it means I'll miss having a one night stand tomorrow night. Well, I suppose if I tried really hard, I could probably have one here, but not the one I'm thinking about.... But, I want all of you to have a one night stand! Artist Charlene Walker is presenting One Night Stand, her newest show at La Petite Mort Gallery in collaboration with Lydia Rogers-Stewart: Vicarious Travels.

I met Charlene this past Canada Day through a mutual friend, and had instant hero envy as she talked about getting her hands dirty following her passion - painting. She's been exhibiting as an artist for a few years now and is enjoying local success. Our mutual friend was in the process of buying a new piece of hers, and once I saw it I knew I wanted (needed!) some of her creativity in my home too. I was drawn to the way she blends colours, and also instantly loved the texture in the pieces I saw that day.

Her newest work, Vicarious Travels, is an expression of her desire to travel. Charlene used to travel a lot, but hasn't been able to recently since she's been diagnosed with fibromyaligia. Despite this, Charlene has been able to fulfill her love of travel by interpreting her friend Lydia's photos into paintings. In this way, not only does she get to imagine herself in these places and reinterpret them into her own personal experiences, but, she also makes a connection with her friend through what has now become a shared experience. In a world where people can beome isolated (through technology, illness, or other reasons), it is important to come together through shared experiences. The artist is asking you, too, to come and share the experience, and put yourself into these connections. Both Charlene and Lydia will be showing their work at the gallery.

• One Night Only Exhibit
• Charlene Walker and Lydia Rogers-Stewart
• Vicarious Travels
• Vernissage: Thursday, October 28, 2010, 7-10pm
• La Petite Mort Gallery - 306 Cumberland Street
• Tunes by Big Mac Daddy
• Sponsored by CKCU 93.1FM

This is my newest little stash of fabric. I got it at the Fabric Flea Market at the Glebe Community Centre here in town. From top to bottom they are:

• cute vintage blue and green embroidered ribbon   $2
• fat quarter of cotton print. retro cool   $2
• gorgeous soft pink raw silk   1m for $12
• nubbly linen in natural, my favourite   3m for $15
• oh so groovy 70s curtain panel. Will make an excellent pillow or two. Maybe even a minidress??   $8
• Light blue/grey silk linen. So soft and it just makes me happy to touch it.   4m for $20
• Navy cotton seersucker. Aprons? Summer skirt?   5m for $5

I was pretty happy with my haul. But, holy cow, I had no idea I would have to fight so hard for a pile of fabric.

My young friend S who made the random act of handmade earlier in the summer is in the middle of a sewing frenzy. She is sewing up a storm right now on a vintage sewing maching that her mother took to the Sewing Machine Hospital for a few repairs after buying it at a thrift shop. She even signed up for her highschool fashion show in a couple of months and will be designing some of the fashions! I will definitely bring you that story in the next few weeks. Anyway, S asked if I wanted to go and I jumped and said yes! I could picture it in my mind - sipping coffee, slowly going from table to table, surrounded by a few young do-it-yourselfers but mostly blue-haired grammas buying some quilting material, knowing that I'd be able to pick up a lot of bargains since I could easily spot the good stuff in amongst the crap, er, I mean, super cute fabric with chickens printed on it.

Boy, was I wrong. I nearly got a black eye from one of those grammas.

First of all, we had to pay admission! This was the first clue that these were not amateurs. Mind you, it was only $2, but still. The second clue was the fact that the centre looked like the mosh pit from some ska punk concert I went to in the 80s, except for the fact that instead of beer bottles and studded doc martens flying around it was seersucker and gingham. There must have been about 500 ladies of all ages pushing and shoving and screaming to get their hands on some really great fabric.

I was in shock for about 10 minutes, and then decided to try to get a lay of the land by wandering around figuring out where I wanted to spend more time. I knew after about 2 mintues that this wasn't going to work. I could barely get within 10 feet of some of the tables, and when I did, I was jostled around so much that I felt like I was in that SNL skit where they dance really vigorously on either side of the girl, except without the head-bopping music. I did get up to a couple of tables that had some great fabric, and settled on going through a few tables thoroughly. I had just settled in to a moment of peace, when I reached for a piece of linen, and nearly fell to the floor with the force of being bodychecked by an elderly woman running up to grab the same piece. This woman was on! a! mission! I never found out what she so desperately needed the fabric for, but I figured she needed it more than I did. Plus I wasn't sure how far she'd go in the physically-maiming-me department.

It was crazy, but it was a lot of fun, after the initial shock. We all lasted only about 45 minutes, but were all really happy with our hauls. And happy to leave unharmed. Who ever said crafty ladies are boring? Sewing is laidback? Fabric is yawnsville? You've never been to the Fabric Flea Market, then, have you?

Hi everyone! Just a quick note to tell you to go and check out Holly Knitlightly's brand new etsy shop! I met Holly on a business course I took this summer (more about that later). She is the nicest and sweetest girl you've ever met from Brantford, Ontario. She's been knitting up a storm all summer to get ready for her shop launch that is TODAY! Her knitted goods are super cool (er, warm?) and she's done a fantastic job styling all the photos. AND, because she's so fantastic, for every item she sells, she'll be donating hand knit squares to the charity Knit-a-Square in South Africa. They create blankets for orphaned babies and children.

Yay for Holly! Yay for new shops!

I'm so excited. And I just can't hide it! The business cards I ordered while I was on vacation came in and they are beautiful if I do say so :) They were done by the fabulous Ian Bristow at We Do Printing in Cornwall, Ontario. I found him through the website for the Wed by Hand show. This is a small wedding show here in Ottawa that started this past year showcasing people who make things for weddings all by hand - invitations, jewellry, cakes, you name it. Lucky for all you newly-engaged folks, they are doing it again this coming winter - Febuary 6, 2011 at the Glebe Community Centre.

OK, back to me and my cards. Of course the cards have the logo and the website and the email address. But if you run your fingers over them, you'll notice that they are letterpress cards on nice think cotton. So not only is the cardstock a lovely solid textile stock, but the logo is litterally pressed into the cotton card, giving it depth and another texture. I wanted something that gave an idea of what the business is about - they are textural, but they are also fun as they are bright. The pink flowers look great on the think white paper. I LOVE THEM! EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

So sorry for screaming with delight at them for so long. Are your ears ok?

It is a little unfortunate that I won't be able to use them at the craft I show I recently applied to - I wasn't accepted :( However, I will be passing them out left, right, and centre to anyone who wants one. I am actually ok with not doing the craft show - it's going to give me a bit more time to get things ready for the online shop. And there are ALWAYS more craft shows to apply to.

I promise to post a few more pictures in the near future of what I'm actually working on. Maybe I'm just a bit scatterbrained, or maybe, I'm just trying to keep you in suspense!