everything old is new again

Well, maybe not EVERYTHING. Some things should stay old and in the past. Like acid wash jeans. Seriously what is up with them? Every now and again I see some random person wearing them. Sure they are young and still trying to find themselves, but still... I. Just. Can't.

Anyhow… we're here talking about old cards getting a fresh makeover.

Yep. Part of the thunderpeep re-branding will result in the re-design of pretty much all the old cards. There are a couple of the newer ones that are safe, but everyone else better hold on to their acid wash pants (no really, I think I'll have to find a way to work some of these hideous jeans into a design - and NO this does not mean I'll put any of the Trolls in acid wash jeans Lindsay!!! ) Out of the 8 new designs coming to the shop, 3 of them are actually re-designs.

With the exception of the BFF card, both the 30th birthday and You're Old were not huge sellers, so they made sense to be first up for re-design. Now, for the BFF, the greeting card side of thunderpeep is moving away from the character driven illustrations a bit, to fit in better with the new aesthetics (don't worry I have a post coming up that gives you the ins and outs of the re-brand) 

These, along with the new, new cards will be available in the Etsy shop this Sunday. Wondering about the new, new cards? Well you'll have to wait until the weekend to get your first peep at those ones, but I can tell you that there are 2 new birthday cards, an engagement and 2 new friendship cards. Well maybe 3 new friendships. One is still not quite right, so not sure if it'll make it in time.

Midsummer is Coming. Only 6 more sleeps!

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the year that can go away now

that was 2014 for me. Until December rolled in. 2014 was a challenging year. Both professionally and personally. But as I sit here on the first day of 2015 I remember that it's the challenges in life that truly define you. Or should I say, how you overcome those challenges is what defines you. And I feel soooo ready to get 2015 started!

If you follow me on social media (instagram is my personal fav so go follow me now because 2015 is going to be even more fun to watch play out) you'll know I took a step back and hibernated after the One of a Kind show ended. I was completely burnt out and honestly needed to digest everything before I could share it. I'm kind of introverted that way. I don't really like to share personal stuff with people, honestly even with friends (except for those handful of close ones!) And my personal life was suddenly the most interesting part of my day. Well sort of. Lot's of unexpected business stuff was playing out as well but it was all too overwhelming for this little peep.

And since I'm navigating away from Facebook I thought all of this makes for great blog content. And I do need to write more. I feel like a different person going into this year, and I want to share that journey of growth. I learned so much from others this past year, that I want to be able to share my growth with you.

Oh My God. So sappy. Not what some might be used to. But that's the way I'm rollin' these days. I'll do a post more on the challenges that were 2014, but this is New Years Day, a day to celebrate and look forward.

This year the business is moving into some very different directions. Can't tell you all of that now, but here's some fun new things.

I'm not sure if you've noticed but I have a huge green heart. I love the outdoors and yes I'm not afraid to admit I have Tree Hugger tendencies (or if we're talking winter I prefer the term Iceberg Hugger - but we're talkin trees here) I definitely feel out of sorts here in Toronto. It's not that the city doesn't do great things for the environment, but it's definitely not as much of a focus as I am used to, and what I think it should be. So not only am I making the personal pledge to do more (yes you can always do more) but thunderpeep is going green too. Not only that, I'm also pledging to do more to remind the world why the human

As of January 1st I'm switching over from the great FSC papers I've been using to a 100% Post Consumer Waste card stock for cards and any paper products will be printed on a wheat/fibre mix paper (yes I said wheat paper). Envelopes are going to eventually all be the awesome new brown bag envelopes you may have noticed I used for the Holiday cards. 100% recycled and 20% post consumer waste material. I won't be using anymore coloured envelopes. Cards sleeves are a necessary evil but I've found some that are actually certified compostable. What??!!! Yesssssssssss! So excited. All these things are great and I'm so happy with the move, but it will also bring a slight price increase, but that won't come into effect until February 1st. So head over to the online shop and stock up at the old prices ;)

I'm really excited to launch the first new collection of 2015. I'm feeling a lot of love lately. I've been spending a lot of time with some great friends and well, this single lady has a very fun new secret crush, all of which has led to some very fun new lovey cards (you know I don't really like to use that Vday word ). All this love and going green led to the naming of the new collection, The 50 Shades of Green collection. I know right! So Excited. These cards are a bit more sweet than saucy. That's just how I'm feeling these days. And they are the first cards to come out with the whole Tree Hugger treatment. I'm aiming to fully launch them the week of January 5th to give you lot's of time to get some for your special friends.

Lastly, my trip to Iceland has been postponed. But don't be sad, I'm sure not. You're going to be super excited when you hear the travel plans I have instead. And just between us, I'm now aiming to spend next New Years in Iceland so that'll still totally happen.

Oh yeah, I'm also dubbing 2015 as the year of the Trolls.

More to come…. How about you? What are your big plans for 2015?

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We're celebrating a wee bit over here….

My {not so} little Etsy shop is oh so close to a milestone 1000 sale and that means it's time for a little bit of celebrating.

Now, maybe I can't clink shot glasses with you BUT I can offer you something {not really} even better. For the next 24 hours the ENTIRE shop is 50% off - yes even the custom listings - just use the code: 1000AWESOMES at checkout for the deal of a lifetime {seriously I haven't had any shots yet….}

All orders using the code will get some extra love with their order - and if you're lucky #1000, well you'll be getting some serious extra love.

Thanks for hanging out on this journey with me. No matter how far or how close I've had fun with every single order!

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Mothers Day cards

So, what do you think? You have noticed the make-over… right? I finally decided to fold the website and blog into one site, too much trying to maintain them both. And time is something that I seem to have very little of these days. So now, everything you need to know about thunderpeep is all right here. Links to both shops and all the social media outlets I hand out at.

I can't claim all the credit for this great looking page though. I got the template from one of Canada's great bloggers and designers Wonder Forest. Check out her site, the blog is fun to follow and she's got a great shop full of all sorts of blogging tools to make you look oh-so-swank! And her blog is super pretty.

Now on to some thunderpeep news. The new Mothers Day card is up the shop already, but I thought I should give it a bit of promo over here, since it's pretty awesome. I'm not particularly close to my mother, so this particular occasion was never really an easy one for me to design for. But this one was inspired by one of my good friends, who's quite cheeky and her mom has been known to give it back even cheekier. I love their relationship and I knew this particular saying was probably one she's said to her mom at some point - or would say. What's even more awesome is when she visited me at OOAK recently and saw the card she automatically bought one for her mom. She said it was "totally something I would say". Inspiration comes from all the little nooks and crannies of your life.

for the Best Sons and Daughters in the Universe!

Last years design is also still available in the shop!

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New adventures

OOAK Spring 2014: I never got a full finished booth shot (bad me) / The Home print from the calendar was a hit / Ferdinand the Fox and I filled up on yummy lemonade

Yesterday was my first full day of NOTHING. I slept in (waking up at 7 is still sleeping in if you went to bed at 9:30 the night before, right?) lounged and tidied up and napped and lounged and watched crappy movies.

It was really nice. Sometimes you just need nothing days, and I needed that one. So much has been happening lately, and still so much more to come. It can all be overwhelming at times. But so exciting that I can really only mellow for one day then I get itchin' to get back on the wagon and get shit done.

That's where I am today, as I work on the new To Do list, that is much more complex than I anticipated. The Midsummer Collection is starting to take shape and I'm pretty excited about it. It's going to expand into some new (well not so new - more like reborn) pieces, there's a a book all about Trolls, there's a pretty freaking awesome collaboration with my good friend Quilter Steff and I've already got Christmas back on the list. What the….??? Yep, seems June is when all your favourite card selling stores want to take a peep at the Holiday collections.

Crazy. Right?

But I figure that gives me July to kick back and plan my big trip next year. And other BIG adventures. And to figure out how the heck I'm going to fit in a big 40th shindig one week before the Holiday One of a Kind show.

Small Business never stops plotting and creating and planning and conquering. I know this because I'm just finishing up Arlene Dickenson's "All In". Highly recommend it to anyone and everyone on an entrepreneurial path, or even for those who have crazy entrepreneur friends and loved ones.

Don't forget to follow me over on Instagram (thunderpeep) for all the sneak peeks and if you want to share your card giving or card receiving adventures tag your pics with #thunderpeep and I might just share it with all my peeps! I'm all about sharing the love (and non-love ;)

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Hey, where'd you go?

Ok, so the lead up to this One of a Kind Show was probably the most chaotic. Life just hasn't slowed down, and to be honest burnout is starting to set in. It makes me a bit sad that all the things I had planned for the show couldn't get finished. But this is the reality of running a small business solo. Only so many hats I can wear, and the Michelle hat has been neglected a bit lately, so a rest period is long overdue.

But don't be sad. Rest time = super creative time. And all those things that are boiling around in my head will be created and this Midsummer we'll be having one kick ass parté!!! And you know that I'll be sharing the process here on the blog and on Instagram (stop laughing I really will be blogging about the road to this years Midsummer collection)

For now, if you're in the Toronto area come on down to visit me at the One of a Kind show. I'll be hawking my stationery goodness in Booth N06 (this Wednesday to Sunday at the Direct Energy Centre)

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a little helping {hair} hand

I have curly hair. Pretty nice curly hair that is fairly low maintenance (you can be jealous, it's ok!) That is until I moved back to Ontario and we had a real winter {because the first 2 really weren't that different than Vancouver winters}

I love wearing toques (that'd be a knitted winter hat for all you non-Canadians) but between the toque, the super dry air and the static my hair is a flat mushy mess.

The lovelies over at Simple Smiles know all about these dramas, being makers of super fine knitted head wears (and other goodies). So they made up a little video tutorial to give us all a couple of sexy options for hair and headwear solutions.

Here's the video, and you can read the full post here

Have a FUN weekend I'm off for some BFF time and to soak away the past few crazy months at the spa. You'll be even more jealous when you see the pics!

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the lost art of handwriting

You remember those books you got in elementary school, the ones with all the lines to help you practice your letters with? I still love those books, and they've become even more useful to me know as I've taken on the task of learning Modern Calligraphy. I found this amazing class through Skillshare (what you DON'T know about Skillshare -> go look now!) I really want to start working more hand lettering into my work so need to up my skills.

January has been a tough month. Still trying to reclaim all the spent energy from the Holiday. It seems that sometimes once you stop and take a moment it can be hard to get back into a groove. At least for me. And so many distractions!

I've got a couple of new collaborations in the works that have helped to get the creative juices flowing. And all this time spent getting the house & studio back in order were accompanied by great tunes. I love just putting random music on and was getting bored of my same old itunes selection, so I headed over to Songza (if you don't know it you must check it out) Being that I love most things Nordic and Scandinavian I decided to search to see if there was anything under either of those categories. Gold Mine! I found this amazing Scandinavian Folk mix. I'm not really a fan of any one specific genre and really the only folk I like is the more modern Of Monsters and Men and Mumford and Sons style. So I was a bit skeptical, but it also listed Bjork on the playlist and I love her quirky tunes.

One thing I do tend to lean towards in my music is dark and moody lyrics. Might surprise some, considering the style of a lot of my work, but there it is. Along those lines I found a couple of great new bands that are great for working to, just getting lost in the words and melodies, so I thought I'd share them.

First up is First Aid Kit, a Swedish girly duo. So pretty and moody and you just kind of want to lay in the grass and stare at the clouds all day music. Did I really just say that???? Listen for yourself

Next up is the adorable Jens Lekman, who is also Swedish but his record label is called "Secretly Canadian" so you have to love it for that even if you don't like his music ;) He's a bit more pop jazz??? Not sure what to call him, but he's cheeky and I like it. He's got a song called "Some Dandruff on Your Shoulder", of course I'm going to like him!

He doesn't seem to have any videos that I can find so this will have to do. Turns out this was actually on the Whip It soundtrack (bonus points for that because that movie was rad - still trying to bring that word back ;) And he may remind you of a certain British singer…. 

It seems with all this Swedish music being thrown into my universe I may have to actually add it to my big 40th birthday trip itinerary. 

Any new tunes you've recently discovered that you want to share?

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hey there!

So much has been happening for usually slow January. You will notice the blog looks a wee bit different today, it's undergoing a bit of a facelift. Not quite fully functioning at the moment, but it'll get there. And we'll all have a fun as we get there :) So first thing, the super sweet Ashley over at chic.toronto did a feature on thunderpeep today and it's fantastic. It's a funny thing, seeing yourself through someone else. But the most exciting part… there's a super fine giveaway happening on the post so GO check it out. You could win!

A couple of super exciting collaborations are in the works, I can't quite tell you about them yet, but hopefully by early February I can spill the beans. It SO hard not to say anything!

The Spring One of a Kind show is coming up really fast… and this marks a bit new step for thunderpeep. A big booth. Like a mini storefront. Scary or exciting or perhaps a bit of both. I'm starting work on the booth now and you know there'll be sneak peaks up on Instagram as it's being constructed. Lucky for me I have an incredibly talented co-worker who is quite versed in carpentry and has offered her assistance. The ideas for all the new designs are slowly being worked on, some of the Midsummer collection will launch at the show with the rest being debuted at Midsummer in June.

For now let's all bundle up and enjoy the winter weather!

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2013 Year in review

It's kind of overwhelming. Looking back at the past year. So. Much. Went. Down. Since I'm much for a visual person than a wordy one, I thought I'd do a bit of a montage of some of my fav moments. From massive snowfalls to Spring OOAK, to smashing Etsy shop goals to the surreal Christmas OOAK. Overcoming some personal barriers and orders from super fun peeps from all across the globe. Learning new tricks and fancy new haircuts! So many milestones, so many good times. 2013 was a bit of turning point. As with any great success, there are always fallouts. Many old relationships fizzled out but so many shiny new friendships were started this past year. I am blessed to be surrounded my some truly amazing a supportive peeps as I head into another big year. Many some resolutions for some new *friendships* too {but that one you'll just have to see if it plays out on the blog ;}

As for 2014… well there are lot's of thunderpeep goals I hope to achieve, a handful of personal goals and one HUGE resolution.

Etsy has some really fun stickers if you ever see them at an event. I was super excited to get my hands on one of these at the Toronto Etsy Street Teams Christmas Show. Now, I love stickers {who doesn't really} but they come with a certain kind of commitment. So, in order to stick with my one big resolution for 2014 I stuck this sticker right on my Big Poppy Imac. Yep, My focus this year is on building thunderpeep into my 100% money maker. There's a blog post solely on this resolution coming up, for now just enjoy the pretty sticker!

What about you… any lasting thoughts on 2013 or goals for 2014 you want to share?

Happy New Year peeps!

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Black Friday all weekend long!

As has become the trend the past few years, Black Friday sales are going online and have invaded the Canadian market. What was once a US based Holiday sale day, coming the day after US Thanksgiving, is now becoming a worldwide event.

Last year was my first year hosting a sale and it was well worth it. I wasn't sure if I'd do it this year, as I'll be at the show, with most of my stock. But last years sales during this weekend were too good to not do one again. Luckily for me I have a couple of great friends who are willing to help me out with posting the sales too!

Black Friday ONLY the entire etsy shop is 10% off BUT.... for the entire weekend (that's Friday all the way through to Monday night) I'm offering you FREE shipping*. And that's for EvErYoNe.... EvErYwHeRe in the world :)

So hit the Etsy shop tomorrow, stock up on all sorts of stationery goodies!

You can also get in on the sales this weekend in the thunderpeep Society 6 shop. Free Shipping all the way through Cyber Monday! That's all sorts of prints, phone cases, mugs, tees, totes and now.... onesies and kids tees.


Looking for more Black Friday deals from small creative businesses? Check out all the deals at the Poppytalk Marketplace!

*Unfortunately by Friday I cannot guarantee Christmas delivery to Etsy purchases outside of North America unless you purchase express shipping, which isn't part of the Free Shipping sale.

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The weekend has been all wrapped up!

Wow, even I can't believe how quickly this month has gone by! This was the first weekend in the last year of my 30's (yes my birthday on Wednesday saw me turn 39 - holy crap) It's the last weekend before the One of a Kind show. Saturday was our first snowfall this season, it didn't last long but it's still awesomely frigid here! I finally have my living room back as the packing station was itself packed away, and all my stock is boxed are ready for move in on Wednesday. Lot's more happened in the past 24 days but honestly I don't even remember half of it, it's been such a whirlwind!

I started putting the final (and best) parts of the booth together. And man, is it looking sweet. I can't believe it looks pretty much the way it did in my head.







































If you're in the Toronto area, come on down to the show to see the final booth, it's pretty fun! If not you'll get the whole post show wrap in a couple of weeks. I have some fun posts all ready to go during the show too.

I went searching and searching for a specific video for today's post. Unfortunately this one's an oldie (but goodie) so there's only audio. In honour of our first snowfall, this is one of my favourite Holiday songs. Because I love snow. And marshmallows. And sweethearts.

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Weekend Rap - not really

This weekend hasn't wrapped up yet. Even with that extra hour this morning, there is still an ever-growing to-do list, as I sit here and type. I was staring at it while trying to think about how I'd sum up my weekend for this post. You know, to make it more interesting than just saying "hey, I packaged a lot of shit this weekend". I did also do some crafting and burnt my finger with the glue gun. That was exciting, there is still glue stuck on my poor finger.....

But instead, I wanted to say something else.

I'm stressed. I'm not really sleeping. I work all the time. And yes, I'm happy. Maybe not in the exact moment I'm wondering if I'll have enough money in the bank to pay the bills or if I'll get my display perfectly built, or if I'll make all my money back at One of a Kind. But I love what I do and I'm doing it for myself. I'm not stressing myself out for someone else's gain (ie: someone else's business). I don't want to be one of those people who constantly complain about my job, but stay in it for YEARS without doing anything. Too often I hear them say - they're waiting for the right time, to get their portfolio ready, waiting for blah blah blah..... no excuses. There are too many excuses in the world and not enough doing. Been dealt a crappy blow, that sucks. I feel for you. We've all had rough times in our lives, some more so than others, but we've all had them. But it's how you react and respond to those bad times that makes you the person you are. I've always been a fighter. And I'm going to fight for my little business right now. I've made the conscious decision to take it to the next level and I knew there would be some tough times (and they are tougher than you ever think they are going to be) but it's not always going to be like this. The sleepless nights will turn into being able to set my own hours. The stress over finding money for all the things I need to get done, will turn into me being able to do all the creative things I want to do. And one day I won't have to work for someone else to pay my bills, I'll be able to do it all on my own, with my own little business (hopefully sooner rather than later) I'm always going to push for things to be better, so there are going to be good times and hard times. That's business and that's life. To all those people who keep asking me why I'm doing it all, is it really worth it, you are going to kill yourself (insert any stupid question you've ever heard) I feel sorry for them. Some people are happy to just go to work, come home, cook dinner etc. But most of those people I know aren't happy. At the end of my life, I'm going to know that I did something (I've done a lot of somethings already)

I guess this was a bit more of a rant than a rap. But you can blame my lack of sleep and social interaction on this one. Or you can just take it for what it is meant to be. Me just telling you that's it's ok to live your life the way you see fit, no matter what anyone else has to say on the subject. And if you don't understand someone elses dreams or goals, you don't need to. They're not yours.

I don't have a video to share, but I do have a song that has the same spirit as this post. The first time I heard it I was on a train trip and in one of those down moments where I started to doubt myself but I realized something. I've done a lot of things most people won't. I tried. Sometimes I failed, sometimes I succeeded, and everytime I had fun and wouldn't change any of them (except maybe moving back to Toronto - I really, really miss Vancouver) but when I die my life will be a pretty interesting tale - and it's not even half over yet ;) There is no video, so it's just a picture of pretty Ryan Tedder and the audio to the song "I Lived". You'll get it.

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Meet the 2013 Polar Nights Collection

I'm super excited about this years Polar Nights Collection. I got so busy last year and didn't plan well ahead and well... you know the fallout. No Polar Nights at all :( I am such a bad winter lover.

So, this years collection had to be Extra Special. Super Awesome. SpEcTaCuLaR. And honestly I'm in love with this years collection, it's especially close to my heart (and not just because of that giant Troll ;)

The story started back in the summer when I decided I really wanted to expand upon my Troll characters, give them more of a story and maybe even a new Troll. And then I started watching Frozen Planet. Haven't seen it? You should. Since humans are doing such a great job at destroying the Arctic I figured a big intimidating Troll would be the best Defender of our frozen wonderlands. And he'd be the biggest and baddest of Trolls.... the GrandDaddy of Trolls. And he needed a catchy name (and leg warmers) As much as I'm inspired by so many Nordic and Scandinavian stories and design, I did want to try to do something a bit closer to home, and with a large part of Canada being in the High North this works perfect for an Arctic themed collection. So Arctic Troll's name is a Inuit and a bit Scandinavia. I found the word Siku, which in Inuit means "Ice" and this word is so close to a scandinavian name I love = Suki, so I figured it was the perfect name for this new Troll. His decoration is inspired by Norwegian sweaters and Inuit boots and his colourings are all shades of ancient glacial ice.

Here it is.... Starting with Suki - Defender of the Arctic, and his 4 Arcticland wildlife buddies. For the next 4 Fridays I'll be showcasing a different featured animal, to help you learn a little bit about all that is at risk right now, in our Arctic regions. If you are looking for more info, you can learn all sorts over at the WWF's website.

The Polar Nights will be available starting at the One of a Kind in Toronto (November 28th to December 8th) show with card sets and prints, and during the show $1 from each piece sold will be donated to the WWF and it's efforts to help protect the Arctic. As of Saturday, the Society 6 shop will have all the illustrations available as canvas prints, totes, iphone/ipad cases etc. The Arts Market will be stocking the card sets after OOAK as well as framed prints. Hopefully more venues will be stocking this goodness soon too!

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Weekend Rap with no paper cuts!

Whew. This past week was exhausting. Even the weekend, gone in a flash. Mind you it was a fun flash, but still. It really is true when they say "the older you get the faster time flies". Gosh....

I had stacks of Christmas cards, and notepads and paper all sorts just waiting patiently for the big packing party weekend. I thought, no biggie, it won't take us long. Lesson learned. Plan LOADS of time for packing piles and piles of cards. Like more than one evening kind of time.

Packing and tying and stamping oh my! Plus my first attempt at gluten free pizza. Successful weekend all around.

This time of year is busy for everyone, so trying to get a group of my friends together in one place, at one time was challenging. Life happens. But my friend Steph was a trooper. She came, I fed her, she packed, and cut and folded and tied for hours. She also brought Kettle Corn. And good chats. I have to say it's the first time since we met last Spring that we really sat down and chatted about all sorts. I got to know her a whole lot better. And I'm really happy for that. She's definitely a refreshing addition to my life!

And did I mentioned we packed? It was overwhelming how much work packaging really is. Cutting all the cord for the tags, cutting enough cord for the hundreds of card sets that needed to be tied together. That alone filled Friday evening (along with more of the Halloween Horror Fest). But it's almost all done. At least my One of a Kind show stock, forget about the Etsy and Brick and Mortar stores I have to stock. Being a small business is draining, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It's funny how this kind of work for some random workplace would be crap, but when it's for yourself and you're surrounded by friends and good chats (not to mention good eats) it's an adventure. Oh yeah, did I mention I made my first gluten free pizza. I used Bob's Red Mill pizza dough - so not totally from scratch, but it was so tasty. I think next time I'll have to add some spices to the dough, it was a bit bland. But I found some Sheep's Feta to top the pizza and holy moly it was SO tasty. Unfortunately the cupcakes I attempted failed miserably. I blame that on the oven, I've made the recipe a billion times with tasty results. But my current oven has some issues....

Hopefully next weekend I can wrap up the majority of all my packaging, and turn my attention to my display. I have it planned out in my head, just need to build it now. 1 month to go, plenty of time ;)

This musical Monday contribution is for my packing minion Steph, and all the other small business ladies out there. A little Annie & Aretha for you!

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I spent the weekend in the park

This past weekend was one of my favourite outdoor events of the year. No, I take that back. It IS my favourite. I live in the East end of Toronto, just off the Danforth (remember the Taste of Danforth madness?) and a bit farther east from my place is East Lynn Park. Home to the East Lynn Farmers Market, which I learned is put on by the very same folks who put on the Danforth East Arts Fair.

Outdoor shows have always made me uneasy. Rain and dampness are the arch nemesis of paper goods (and I don't really like them either) But DEAF, in the 5 years it's been running, has always been blessed with good weather. Have I said how much I love this show already? Anyhow, this year was my second year participating, I had some great expectations, but I was also looking forward to hanging out with some of my crafty buddies and getting some facetime with my giggling customers. It was a long summer of creating and packaging and plotting, not enough socializing. 

it's amazing what you can fit into a Mazda3 - into a 10x10 tent - what treats you can hide behind your display!

This weekend was well worth the wait. Eastenders are extremely engaged shoppers. They're always interested in you and your story, the story behind the products. That's golden for a creator. You know whatever it is you are selling is going on to a good home. And they have the sense of humour to hang in the thunderpeep tent (although listening to a mom explain the new Marriage card to her 10 year old son was a bit awkward, until she just said "one day you'll have a wife and understand" - loved them!)

hello baby goodbye sleep card is in the show now! Catnip ball is available at Lynn's Lids shop

Saturday was gorgeous and sunny (although a bit chilly in the shade of my tent) and tons of locals came out to play in the park and browse all the awesome vendors. it was a perfect day in the East End. Sunday was a bit more overcast, but it was still warm and a surprising number of dogs in the park. It was a fun break from all the cute babies the day before. The East End is really family oriented, not a surprise then that the new Hello Baby card (in Lavendar) was the big seller of the weekend. Do I know my Eastenders or what?!

high fives for this best t-shirt of the weekend! Goodies from Heart's Haven & LureArts Pottery!

I didn't get a chance to do a whole lot of shopping unfortunately. I did wander a bit when the moment arose, and ordered myself a new iphone case (custom made too) from the super fun Dolalee and picked up a felted catnip ball for the critters upstairs, from my booth neighbour Lynn's Lids.

Now the focus is all on the Holiday rush and One of a Kind Show. I'm also starting a newsletter (shocking I know) I wanted to do an actual mailout one, but no one wants to give me their address. Weird, right? If you want in on the email version you can email me your email address and I'll add you in, first one is due out beginning of November. If you want me to mail you a physical copy... I'm still game ;)

How was your weekend?

Now, it's Monday you know. So I'm obliged to provide a soundtrack to your day. There's no particular theme, I wish I could have gotten some video of one of the musicians playing in the park this weekend. But that didn't happen so you get some Smashing Pumpkins since they are currently playing at Casa Peeps at the moment! Happy Monday peeps :)

To note.... I just discovered that one of my friends has one of those fun little video cameras that are so popular these days. Perhaps so silly thunderpeep videos to come?

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Happy Friday the 13th!

Tomorrow is a big day. And Sunday too. It's finally here. The official kick-off of the craft show season. Well the second show season of the year.

The Danforth East Arts Fair is a great big arts party in the park (East Lynn Park that is). I LOVE this show, who can't enjoy spending 2 days outside in the park, meeting other incredible artists and getting to interact with so many fun loving paper lovers. And the East End is home to some amazingly supportive peeps. Last year was my first time as a vendor and I was blown away by how involved the shoppers were. People didn't just stroll past your booth. They came in, they asked questions, they were curious... and they laughed. Boy did they laugh. I can't wait for all the giggling over the new products this year. They make me feel happy that I took the leap to pursue my little stationery company.

If you're in Toronto hopefully you'll make the trek to visit, and make sure to stop by and see all the new products and maybe, just maybe, I'll have some of those famous PB+Chocolate cookies with me ;)

And not to forget my Blog Challenge duties.... I leave you with this awesome portrait I got done a few years ago by an amazing artist in Calgary (todays challenge was a self-portrait, this counts - right?) AND it's Friday the 13th so extra bonus points!

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Weekend Rap

This past weekend was the first of 2 Long Weekends for me. yay!

Last Friday I took off from Le Day Job to finish installing my new setup down at The Arts Market. Thursday night I worked (and sweated in the uncomfortable heat) away at painting and hanging the new shelving... all in preparation for the new collection. I'm so excited to just finally put it out there for all the peeps to have fun with. Lot's of new Birthday cards, Fun cards, Baby & Lovey cards as well as the introduction of Gift Tags and... Wrapping Paper. I'm so excited about the wrap. I've been trying to figure out a local and cost effective print run and finally have the first design ready. It's a Birthday wrap based on the Manon retro pattern. There will be more coming for the Holidays too! Here's a bit of a sneak peak for you.

I also got the chance to meet up for a coffee date, with a friend I haven't seen in a very long while. She's going to be in the One of a Kind show as well this Christmas, and one of the reasons I love coffee dates with this friend, is she's a great person to discuss all things crafty business with, and she's pretty fun too!

There was lot's of packing and detailing and finalizing and planning... whew I'm exhausted just writing that all out. So much to get done between now and the launch and next show (FYI that's the Danforth East Arts Fair if you're in the Toronto area). As well as getting addicted to the BBC show Broadchurch!

And since this is Monday... you know you're getting some super fun musical ending. There was lot's of singing and dancing while I worked this weekend - but I figured I'd share a bit of something from my evening down at the Arts Market during the stall update, with the blaring 80's mix.

Happy Monday Peeps :)

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weekend wrap

To be honest, this weekend wasn't as productive as it should have been. There was a Hell on Wheels marathon on TV. I got sucked in. I got some work done between lounging on the sofa. The September launch of a whole new line of product is coming together as well as some of the Holiday pieces. Oh yeah and there was a huge Food Festival going on in my neighbourhood, so i spent some time with good friends wandering and munching on awesome Greek Foods! I'll have to write up a bit more for you guys on that later this week.

The one project i was able to cross of this weekends list was a photoshoot of the new products, including my very first gift wrap (which I'm super excited about - but it was a challenge to shoot I do have to admit) You should be seeing sneak peeks of them in the next couple of weeks. The new line will for sure be up in the swanky new stall I am working of for the Labour Day weekend (that's the weekend of September 1st for everyone outside of Canada & the US) Hopefully up in the Etsy shop as well that weekend.

But I feel really bad not giving you some sort of musical treat so here's one of my favourite fun songs...

Hope you're having a Happy Monday Lil' Peeps :)

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Learning to listen

A couple of weeks ago I had an event that was going to have super awkward me mixing with media types. I was so nervous... Not only do I dislike small talk and even more so talking about myself, but doing the 2 at the same time on one of the hottest days of the summer. Oh Man.

It just so happens my co-worker was reading Arlene Dickenson's book Persuasion so I asked her for some advice on how to be more assertive and to sell myself to the media, in person (it's a whole lot easier when you have the time to think about what you are going to say) She just looked at me, and in a matter-of-fact voice just said "you already have it, just be you" Her message, you aren't selling yourself, you're letting people get to know you, because you are a reflection of your product.

The one thing I don't have a problem with is being myself. In all my glorious awkwardness what you see is what you get. I like to think, no matter what kind of weird things I might say, that's what people like about me and as a result, what customers like about my cards!

 Another reason I think people are drawn to me and the second lesson my co-worker taught me.... to listen to a person's whole story before you speak. Thank you. That last one is a lesson for us all. Listen. I love to listen to people's stories, but even I sometimes jump to speak before someone is done (mostly because I'll forget what I want to say - my brain tends to run 10 times faster than my mouth!) But it's important, especially nowadays with texting, etc... we are always in such a hurry but taking the time to really listen, not just to the people in front of you, but the sights and sounds of your daily life.

All this being said, it turns out the evening wasn't so bad. Most of the media just came and went. I met some really great other local makers and bloggers, and got to catch up with some of my artsy buddies. Oh yeah, and made a super cute floral crown, which will be perfect for next summer's Midsummer launch!

And.... today's motivational message was brought to you by this awesome cutey I found on etsy

Jedi Master necklace by Rapscallion on etsy

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