the wind dances with the trees: Though we've been knocked down,
the sun will rise ...: Though we've been knocked down, the sun will rise again, friends. We will rise again.
A friend's Hurricane Sandy haiku. (I hope I'm posting this the right way.)
Monday, November 5, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
A Haiku
Even though I started this blog for Etsy, I just wanted to mention this here, too...
I won a poetry contest!
It's sort of silly, but it does accept worldwide entries, which are judged over several months by at least one real established poet. So at least it's a legitimate contest of a decent scale. Plus I suppose entries support our local Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival by "raising awareness" (definitely a silly phrase, but I digress).
This could almost bring me out of the slump I've been in since I received my last rejection letter (because I stopped submitting fiction afterwards >:P) in late 2011. But I was surprised to find that what made me happier than winning was seeing the "like"s from my former wordsmith coworkers. Of course the little thumbs on Facebook don't mean much -- I spam them all the time -- but these are people who work with words themselves, and who usually don't "like" my inconsequential Facebook posts.
My heart is warm, even if my 1-bedroom is not. ("Utilities included" my arse.)
Anyway, my 2011 entries for the haiku invitational didn't even get an honourable mention, so this year I'll be content with 2nd place.
Next year, though... ;)
I won a poetry contest!
It's sort of silly, but it does accept worldwide entries, which are judged over several months by at least one real established poet. So at least it's a legitimate contest of a decent scale. Plus I suppose entries support our local Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival by "raising awareness" (definitely a silly phrase, but I digress).
This could almost bring me out of the slump I've been in since I received my last rejection letter (because I stopped submitting fiction afterwards >:P) in late 2011. But I was surprised to find that what made me happier than winning was seeing the "like"s from my former wordsmith coworkers. Of course the little thumbs on Facebook don't mean much -- I spam them all the time -- but these are people who work with words themselves, and who usually don't "like" my inconsequential Facebook posts.
My heart is warm, even if my 1-bedroom is not. ("Utilities included" my arse.)
Anyway, my 2011 entries for the haiku invitational didn't even get an honourable mention, so this year I'll be content with 2nd place.
Next year, though... ;)
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Photo Updates
Just added a new item to my Etsy shop:
I've finally gotten settled in at my new place, where the house is facing the "right" direction so that I don't have to leave the blinds down every day to keep out the blinding sun. Of course, as you can see, my photos are now suffering from the change. :P
It's a lot quieter here, so I've actually been very productive... I've already made a pair of floor cushions for my new living room, and finished a bunch of old projects -- including a coaster/place mat I've been putting off for about two years now (look under the plate below).
A huge chunk of my day is more or less wasted on cleaning (because the previous tenant stank and the place still sometimes stinks) and cooking (I made an ugly stack of ugly pancakes! XD), but over all I think I've been making better use of my free time.
I've tried several new tea houses already, including the above, which opened just last month.
And here are two of the new projects I've started:
A bit of cross stitching, even though I haven't completed my first piece (a traditional bookmark) yet, and a small teddy bear.
The needlework probably won't be appearing in my shop, because I used a pattern (gasp) and haven't significantly altered it -- at least, not yet. I did in fact alter the face to make the bear cuter, but I've also let the candle's flame get into the poor fellow's eye...
Here are a few less embarrassing photos:
Matcha cupcakes, made with about $12 worth of matcha (plus Mexican vanilla), and later served with English Devon cream. :]
Aaand a little gift I made for the buyer who brought the little Jack-o'-Lantern home! The apple is only about 2/8th of an inch tall.
Which reminds me... Hallowe'en is almost here again! It's my favourite day of the year, but having made my own costumes several years in a row, I've also been getting a lot more stressed out over it. Especially because, after Hallowe'en 2011, I had made up my mind to go as Snow White this year, but now two REALLY, REALLY TERRIBLE Snow White movies have come out...
I've finally gotten settled in at my new place, where the house is facing the "right" direction so that I don't have to leave the blinds down every day to keep out the blinding sun. Of course, as you can see, my photos are now suffering from the change. :P
It's a lot quieter here, so I've actually been very productive... I've already made a pair of floor cushions for my new living room, and finished a bunch of old projects -- including a coaster/place mat I've been putting off for about two years now (look under the plate below).
A huge chunk of my day is more or less wasted on cleaning (because the previous tenant stank and the place still sometimes stinks) and cooking (I made an ugly stack of ugly pancakes! XD), but over all I think I've been making better use of my free time.
I've tried several new tea houses already, including the above, which opened just last month.
And here are two of the new projects I've started:
A bit of cross stitching, even though I haven't completed my first piece (a traditional bookmark) yet, and a small teddy bear.
The needlework probably won't be appearing in my shop, because I used a pattern (gasp) and haven't significantly altered it -- at least, not yet. I did in fact alter the face to make the bear cuter, but I've also let the candle's flame get into the poor fellow's eye...
Here are a few less embarrassing photos:
Matcha cupcakes, made with about $12 worth of matcha (plus Mexican vanilla), and later served with English Devon cream. :]
Aaand a little gift I made for the buyer who brought the little Jack-o'-Lantern home! The apple is only about 2/8th of an inch tall.
Which reminds me... Hallowe'en is almost here again! It's my favourite day of the year, but having made my own costumes several years in a row, I've also been getting a lot more stressed out over it. Especially because, after Hallowe'en 2011, I had made up my mind to go as Snow White this year, but now two REALLY, REALLY TERRIBLE Snow White movies have come out...
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Back to Etsy!
First things first, I've made a treasury on Etsy for the first time in months. It is ballet-themed, but not too childish... Enjoy!
Last Saturday, our ballet school held a "bling party" for the adults. Basically everyone brought a bit of craft supplies or just broken jewelry and beads, and we set them all out in paper plates on a huge table right in the studio. Then we fired up the glue guns! (I brought a boxful of thread and needles, of course.)
I'm sad to say that this is the first time I've ever sat and made pretty things with other women. :/ The craft groups or events around here are always 1) hipster knitters, 2) seniors at a senior centre, or 3) intended for small children.
It really was a lot of fun! If only Vancouver were more like... say, London, I could do this a lot more often.
Here is a terrible photo of the hair combs I made:
I felt like making roses that day, so they are both formed around hand-stitched satin roses. I made the blue rose out of a scrap of reptile satin left over from my Hallowe'en mermaid costume, and the mauve rose out of a bit of ribbon.
After the serious sewing part was done, I added feathers, tulle, beads, pearls, and lace with hot glue! Can you believe I haven't touched a glue gun since grade 1? Oh technology. :P
Here's one of them in my ballet bun -- but they'd work with various hairstyles (J. tested a feather haircomb our teacher made, and it held fast and looked great in her loose hair):
We stayed for about two hours, and then I had to rush off to a barbecue, so I finished this green one at home:
They are all available for sale! Full proceeds go towards the Barbara Ann Hutton School of Ballet. ;)
I also made this plush strawberry house as a "thank you" gift for the couple (and their toddler) who invited us over for said barbecue:
(Around the base is a strip of white lace that reminded me of a white picket fence!)
I'm sad to say that this is the first time I've ever sat and made pretty things with other women. :/ The craft groups or events around here are always 1) hipster knitters, 2) seniors at a senior centre, or 3) intended for small children.
It really was a lot of fun! If only Vancouver were more like... say, London, I could do this a lot more often.
Here is a terrible photo of the hair combs I made:
I felt like making roses that day, so they are both formed around hand-stitched satin roses. I made the blue rose out of a scrap of reptile satin left over from my Hallowe'en mermaid costume, and the mauve rose out of a bit of ribbon.
After the serious sewing part was done, I added feathers, tulle, beads, pearls, and lace with hot glue! Can you believe I haven't touched a glue gun since grade 1? Oh technology. :P
Here's one of them in my ballet bun -- but they'd work with various hairstyles (J. tested a feather haircomb our teacher made, and it held fast and looked great in her loose hair):
We stayed for about two hours, and then I had to rush off to a barbecue, so I finished this green one at home:
They are all available for sale! Full proceeds go towards the Barbara Ann Hutton School of Ballet. ;)
I also made this plush strawberry house as a "thank you" gift for the couple (and their toddler) who invited us over for said barbecue:
(Around the base is a strip of white lace that reminded me of a white picket fence!)
Thursday, July 5, 2012
July Update: Ballet Recital Over!
I didn't add anything new to my Etsy shop in June, either, but of course I had a good reason:
Our annual ballet recital (my first, actually) on June 23 went off without a hitch! (I'm at the very front in the photo above.)
The adult class "prepared" by seeing the Mikhailovsky Ballet's production of Swan Lake together the week before, on June 16. It was beautiful... I think Swan Lake is now my favourite ballet. ;)
The dress rehearsal was terrible, actually, with everyone forgetting their steps and places, and my being too fast as usual while the girls who, frankly, didn't rehearse enough, being too slow... but somehow, after a week of panicking and last-minute "Ohmygod which leg am I supposed to lift here?"s, everything came together!
And here I am at the end of the day, looking sweaty and pink and entirely flat-chested (hahah), with three classmates to my right. <3
I'm also glad to see that ballet is rising in popularity again, as shows like "Breaking Pointe" (now an integral part of my Thursday schedule) and "Bunheads", plus films like Black Swan and First Position (premiering in Canada in July or August!) are popping up everywhere... even though I'm still having trouble convincing friends and coworkers to take up beginner ballet.
But with only a few classes left in ballet summer school, it won't be long before I'm making things for my shop again! I can hardly wait!
Our annual ballet recital (my first, actually) on June 23 went off without a hitch! (I'm at the very front in the photo above.)
The adult class "prepared" by seeing the Mikhailovsky Ballet's production of Swan Lake together the week before, on June 16. It was beautiful... I think Swan Lake is now my favourite ballet. ;)
The dress rehearsal was terrible, actually, with everyone forgetting their steps and places, and my being too fast as usual while the girls who, frankly, didn't rehearse enough, being too slow... but somehow, after a week of panicking and last-minute "Ohmygod which leg am I supposed to lift here?"s, everything came together!
Here we are performing our first group piece of the program: Fall.
Up next (for me, anyway, since I had no solos this year) was a demo of the barre exercises we did in class...
And then everyone's favourite: Giselle!
(I'm the foremost person on the right, in the above photo ;D)
And here I am at the end of the day, looking sweaty and pink and entirely flat-chested (hahah), with three classmates to my right. <3
I'm also glad to see that ballet is rising in popularity again, as shows like "Breaking Pointe" (now an integral part of my Thursday schedule) and "Bunheads", plus films like Black Swan and First Position (premiering in Canada in July or August!) are popping up everywhere... even though I'm still having trouble convincing friends and coworkers to take up beginner ballet.
But with only a few classes left in ballet summer school, it won't be long before I'm making things for my shop again! I can hardly wait!
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