Posts

Loopy Mango Cowl

Got An Hour? Knit A Loopy Mango Scarf!

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by
Super chunky yarn + giant knitting needles = the coolest handmade neck warmers on the planet

il_570xN.312352187 1

 

EASY & QUICK | Got and hour? Why not make yourself (or someone you love) an arresting hand-knit cowl with gargantuan yarn from Loopy Mango. Clueless when it comes to knitting? No worries. Loopy Mango’s merino wool kits for infinity and super long scarves come complete with monster-loop yarn, giant birch wood knitting needles and instructions so explicit rank beginners will be churning out neck-wraps in no time.

Read more

Gift Tag - Fifth & Hazel

Our Top 3 Printable Holiday Gift Tags

/0 Comments/in , , /by
If you ever buy another gift tag, you will be wasting money. Here are a few of our favourites among the hundreds of printable ones you can find on the internet.

Gift Tag - Fifth & Hazel

FREE & EASY | While most of us put thought, time and money into the paper and ribbon we use to wrap Christmas presents, gift tags are apt to receive only brief and unsympathetic treatment. My brother, for example, doesn’t bother with tags at all, preferring instead to use a Sharpie to scrawl the recipient’s name across the top of his offerings. I’ll cut him the tiniest amount of slack given he’s an overworked business exec with a partner who’s not into Christmas, but the rest of us have no excuse for going such a lacklustre route with so many gorgeous, printable gift tags available for free on the internet. Here are three of our favourites, plus tips on using printable tags effectively. Read more

Wayne Ngan's Ceramic Work

Wayne Ngan Ceramics On Sale

/0 Comments/in /by
Here’s your chance to acquire older works—some priced as low as $40—by Wayne Ngan, one of Canada’s most distinguished ceramic artists.

Wayne Ngan - Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden

SALE ALERT | (25-10-2013) If there were such a thing as ceramic arts royalty in Canada, Wayne Ngan, just named the recipient of the 2013 British Columbia Creative Achievement Award of Distinction, would be considered a crowned head. Not that the much-honoured Ngan, who for the past several decades has lived and worked on coolly bohemian Hornby Island, would remotely approve of the moniker. He’s way too humble—not to mention too busy firing beautiful presentation pots in the Sung-dynasty-inspired kiln in his studio, or casting large-scale bronze sculptures in China—to spend time thinking about things like that. Read more

Beautiful Stack Of Letters - Louloubelle5

The Write Thing: Send A Handwritten Note

/1 Comment/in , /by
This perfect Mother’s Day gift costs nothing more than thought and time—plus proves the pen is mightier than the charge card.

Beautiful Stack Of Letters - Louloubelle5

 

KEEPING IT REAL | Wherever you look on the internet today you’re going to be clobbered with last-minute gift ideas. Since when did Mother’s Day (this coming Sunday), an occasion honoring maternal bonds and the influence of mothers on society, become so hyper-commercialized that we now feel compelled to prove our mother love by purchasing the sorts of presents typically reserved for birthdays or Christmas.

Flowers and corner-store cards are one thing, says my friend Tansy Palmer, “but gadgets and gift certificates for Mother’s Day? No way. Mother’s Day is about gratitude and emotional connection not buying stuff.” Read more

Art stands 2- C. Hussey

Easy Make Stands For Your Little Art Works

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by
Make this classic art support for small images from a simple block of wood.

Art stands 2- C. Hussey

 

While not everyone has huge pieces of art gracing the walls of their home, most people do have plenty of little pieces, whether they are favourite photos or original, miniature works of art. But just how do you display these smaller things? You can hang them on the wall in thoughtful groupings to create a tableau, or you can find a way to set them on a table. For years I had been looking for an elegant way to display framed art or photos on a table top. I have never liked plate stands and using an easel seems derivative; finally, I designed an easy-make support of my own. Read more

Red Roses - iStock

Where To Buy Red Roses Right Now

/826 Comments/in , /by
When it’s buying long stem roses for your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day, it’s more like how deep are your pockets.

Red Roses - iStock

 

SHOPPING AROUND | A rose is a rose is a rose except the week before Valentine’s Day when it turns into 18 karat gold. At least that’s what it feels like as we watch long stem red ones everywhere jump in price. It’s not uncommon to find red roses that were $50 a dozen last week costing $75 this week. So are there bargains out there? We found a few. Read more