Blog Hop!

My very first Blog Hop!!

I was nominated by the lovely and talented Alex of Hydrangea Girl. Her quirky love for skulls, graffiti, and all things slightly geeky are right up my alley, so it was only natural that we would end up blog friends. I kind of want to eat her up like a Zombie with a wagon full of brains. Please check out her fantastic DIY projects at Hydrangea Girl, and see her nominating post here.

So, here we go... as best as I can tell, I am to answer 4 questions and then nominate 2 more bloggers. This, I think I can do.

What are you working on?

I am definitely working on making a baby. In fact, though I have been fairly subtle about it up until now, we are expecting a baby any day now. We do not know if it is a boy or a girl at this point, but hubby is hoping for something with wings or a tail.

Some would think that the 'nesting' instinct has likely kicked in, but alas, I am preoccupied with creating a shoe display in the nook in our bedroom. Terrible priorities, don't you think?? Especially considering that most pregnant women can no longer wear their nice shoes after birth due to a hilarious gag by Mother Nature. Perhaps the desire to not push a child out has me trying to distract myself with shiny things??

Okay, before you think I am the worst mother ever, (ha!!) I have done/am working on a couple of things for the little squidbilly; namely the nursery. We are going for a Canadian Cabin theme, so I am inspired by classic Canadian images.

http://www.blogto.com/fashion/north-standard-trading-post-toronto

http://decorbychristine.com/canadiana-style-eh/

I have only gotten so far as to put up a cardboard moose head, and make this adorable pillow from an old Canadian red/black check work jacket. Also, not the onesie. Amazing gift from a colleague.

I still need to add the hutch (from a couple of blog posts back) and refurbish the mid-century school chair (future post) and post better photos of my pillow making.

Other things half finished: new cushion covers for outdoor patio furniture; hutch design; flower beds; repurpose vintage wooden kitchen chair; birch tree installation; new chalk design; reupholster chair for guests. So, really, not much on the go...

How does your work differ from others of its genre?

I don't know that my work differs all that much from others. I think all of us DIYers like the concept of adaptive reuse. It is a way to re-think an item and make use of it in a new way.

Repurposed Suitcase: Table the Discussion

And I think a custom piece is a way to inject a little person style into a home.

I love lamp: MCM lamp reveal

Why do you create what you do?

I create because I have to. What I mean is that as a designer you are always designing for other people. You are channeling your client's wants and needs into a project, but with home DIY, it is all me. The greatest thing that happened for me, was moving into this 140 year old house from a small condo. We suddenly found ourselves with 4 bedrooms and 2 living rooms, and barely enough furniture for a single room/living room. It unleashed the junking side of me, which has become a passion unto itself.

Retro Cabinet: Painterly Approach

How does your creative process work?

My creative process is all about the hunt. Sometimes I search out something specific, and other times, I just find something that speaks to me. Weekend junking and flea market trips are not unusual for us. Once I get something home, it oft times sits for a good while, but the creative juices are always percolating. Then one day, a burst of energy and a plan overtakes me, and I just charge forward with no regrets and no hesitation.

Also, I think perfection can ruin creativity. If I am too careful or too worried about the outcome, the piece inevitably ends up unsatisfactory. If I just let myself go, wonderful things happen. I suppose this goes back to my university days - I always hated perspective drawings that I laboured on for hours; but the last minute thumbnail sketches turned out fantastic and showed the vision much better.

Sometimes I think I DIY and blog, just to take silly photos of my husband...

Easy Artwork: Medical Illustration

On to the next nominated bloggers!!

Vera of BeautifulBitchMonsterIdiot.com

To call Vera a creative, would be an understatement. To me, she is much more than an actor, a writer, a performer... to me she is the embodiment of courage to follow dreams and fill life with art. One might even be able to call her a visionary. I thoroughly enjoy her musings and ideas. I hope you too find something interesting in her blog. At the very least, I hope it inspires you to go see a play!!

and...

Leila of Melting Plastic

Leila is not only a great advocate for art, but an artist herself. Her graphic art/illustration is undeniably creepy, which appeals to me in a ridiculously fantastic way. She is also a junking goddess; I always enjoy getting out to the various honey holes in Ottawa and the surrounding area to see what kind of things we can find. And most recently, an entrepreneur on Etsy! I am so inspired by her hand-made pennants, pillows, and banners. I can't seem to stop purchasing them!