new watercolour

new watercolour, originally uploaded by lori hutchinson.

Taking care of the snow drift

Taking care of the snow drift, originally uploaded by lori hutchinson.

Snow Day

storm, originally uploaded by lori hutchinson.

Winter Storm and Happy Mail

The big storm came this morning. It's not doing much now, but when I woke up I could hardly see out the window. It's supposed to come back later on today. I would like to take some photos outside, but I don't want to leave the house.



This came in the mail yesterday, and I am so excited! I've flipped through it all pretty much immediately, and it's as inspiring and beautiful as you would expect. I know I'm going to be rereading it again and again this winter. It makes me want to draw, and paint and screen print, and never stop... It also makes me want to head over to Studio Violet and go shopping, but that will have to wait.

Mountains embroidery

Mountains embroidery, originally uploaded by lori hutchinson.

Here it is. All finished! This one took a really long time to finish, but there are some things I would change about the way I work next time.

I had some difficulties getting it to iron out smoothly at the end of it all. I'm fairly new to ironing in general. Anyone have any tips?

It's still very snowy here, and the weather forecast says we're getting our first winter storm tonight. What were the last three days then? Friday night we passed three car accidents while navigating our way home. None seemed very serious, but people were sliding off the road.

I like the snow, as long as I'm not out in it.

Last night we baked sugar cookies and did some watercolour doodling. I love watercolour.

What I'm working on right now

I think it's just about finished as of today.



I like this photo of Hamilton taken from the highway last weekend, although the smell wasn't so good.



Lastly, the view from my window today. I love the snow. I am so glad to have it. I definitely miss it when I am in Toronto, where it doesn't come till January (at least it seems that way). It's been snowing non-stop the last two days, and I love it. Just 20 minutes south there is nothing, but here we are in a little winter bubble.

Second Storie Indie Market 2009

Hello.

I am a little behind on posting photos from Second Storie, but here they are. The weekend was really amazing with so many kind, and creative people who were a part of it! I'll post photos of what I came home with later.



I love the banners.




Beautiful jewelery by Foundling



Photo prints by Abby Try Again



I love Vicki Hartman's ceramics.



Quirky artwork by the Maple Ridge

Current favourite

This is my favourite recipe at the moment: G-Nut Special Sauce and Sweet Potatoes

Sorry I don't have a photo of it*, but I assure you it is delicious, and also totally substitute friendly. Cumin spiced sweet potatoes, with spinach, and a delicious peanut butter sauce. It uses a couple more dishes than I would like, but it's always worth it. We've tried it with squash too!

Love.

*but here is a gratuitous photo of Conor from this summer.

And I Walked Tape by Rob Ryan

I so want to order this tape by Rob Ryan, but I'm going to exercise self control. It makes me think back to so many winters past, walking in the cold and snow, thinking about life...

To purchase it, or check out more of Rob Ryan's work, visit his shop here.

Found via Inside Out Blog.

Second Storie Indie Market 2009

is just around the corner! Please come and join us on November 28th, and 29th in Rochester, NY.



More details here.

Necessity is the Mother

I recently came across this beautiful handmade clothing shop, Necessity is the Mother, and I'm in love. Arielle was also recently a featured seller on Etsy.

I really love the new Nancy Drew series, especially the Nancy and the Mystery of the Winter Chill Jumper above. Check out more of her lovely creations here!

Rearranging

I rearranged our bedroom on the weekend. I moved out an extra dresser that we had no room for, and now it is so much more relaxing in there.

I have an ongoing goal of stripping our possessions down to the bare essentials (excluding artwork and pretty things). In our last apartment I felt like I got rid of sooo much stuff, but when it came time to move I wondered where did all of this stuff come from?

Furniture is always a problem, because most of it was given to us, and furniture can be expensive to replace, so I always want to hang on to it even when it is just taking up space and not really serving a purpose. Now I am fighting that tendency and saying goodbye to said dresser, and maybe more stuff soon.

Just need some art on the walls. The cats like it too!

Apple Yarn Drawing

Apple Yarn Drawing, originally uploaded by hello trees.

This is another one of my favourite photos from A Simple Book. My husband and I bought a full bushel of Cortland apples from a nearby orchard in Meaford in October, and we still have quite a few left. When I was photographing my little apple yarn drawing, it was the perfect setting. I love the combination.

I am also selling some of the yarn drawings from the book here, because they are really cute on their own too!

First Snow

I wish I had taken a picture...

Yesterday was the first snow of the season, and it stayed around until morning when I left the house today. It's all gone now. I am drinking a pot of jasmine green tea to myself to keep warm this evening, and still thinking about wraps, and slippers, and mittens. I'm thinking of crocheting something warm.

P.S.
Also wish I had taken pictures at Canzine on Sunday, but I forgot to get my camera out the whole time. Fourtunately for you Blog TO has some pretty great coverage here.

new watercolors

I have added three new watercolour paintings to my shop! I'm trying to keep busy with making more things and accomplishing more tasks, but I tend to run into a lot of mental road blocks. That, and there never seems to be enough time to do all of things I plan to do. Part of those plans include writing more here in order to set deadlines for myself. Let's see how it goes.

Today is a grey day in Flesherton. It's been hailing, rainy, and snowing. As of right now, it just looks wet. It's really nice heating the house with a woodstove though, because I can sit by it and be warm, but I'm also wishing for more warm sweaters and blankets and slippers. Upstairs in my studio is never quite as warm as sitting by the fire. We have to go pick up our share from our CSA today, but I'd really prefer not to leave the house at all! I must figure out how to get/stay warm.

I am going to start by making pumpkin pie later!

A concertina

I made this book the other day. It's a concertina binding which I then added a coptic style binding to, to make the spine hold together.

Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of the spine.

My book binding inspiration (and instructions) came from this book. I'm going to try to make some more books this week.

A simple book

"A Simple Book." Now available in my shop!

highland cattle and canzine

highland cattle, originally uploaded by hello trees.

These are the cattle at our CSA in Durham, ON. I love them!

From my new little self published book which will be available soon!
It will be 30 pages, full colour, approximately 5 1/2" x 4 1/4", and hand bound with waxed linen thread.

They are at the printers today and I'm waiting to see how they turn out, and get them all put together. Really excited!

P.S. If you are in the Toronto area this weekend, don't miss Canzine at the Gladstone Hotel on Sunday from 1 - 6pm. I will be there!

Wild apples

Wild apples, originally uploaded by hello trees.

These are some of the many wild apple trees in the areas nearby. These ones were brilliant red and very sweet. I want to pick all of the apples I see. If I did, I would have quite a lot.

Tree

tree, originally uploaded by hello trees.

From our hike last month in the Flesherton hills. This tree is so pretty with all of the fungus growing all the way up!

2nd Apple Pie

2nd Apple Pie, originally uploaded by hello trees.

My first was a gluten free one. This one is made with the pastry crust recipe in Veganomicon. It turned out really well!

Neighbourhood

Inspired by patterns, and Japanese prints.

water jar

sep3009, originally uploaded by hello trees.

A little behind on my paintings, but here is a new one. Of the jar I use for water when I am painting.

Glass Houses

Glass Houses, originally uploaded by hello trees.

Black Seaman Tomato

September 24th 2009, originally uploaded by hello trees.

Attempting to be creative every day. This is the first of my daily paintings.

What's New

Well, I have been away from here for a little while now, haven't I? We've moved into our new space, and we are loving it! I've been away from the computer much more, enjoying being outside and just focusing on other things. I am trying to have more computer free time, so this is good. I need to focus on making, and living, and exploring. I think this winter will be much better than the last.

As an aside, I will be attending some marketplaces in November, with my paintings and some other fun things:

I will be at this years Canzine, at the Gladstone hotel on Sunday November 1st 1pm - 7pm. This is a great place to see, and buy all sorts of independent books and zines, as well as other alternative crafts.

and I will be back at this years Second Storie Indie Market in Rochester NY on November 28th and 29th. Last years event was so much fun, especially meeting so many interesting people. Also, I hope there will be more apple cider, because that was wonderful.

Follow the links for more information!

First Black Seaman Tomato

First Black Seaman Tomato, originally uploaded by hello trees.

It was delicious.
One more is just about there.
And a new one is tiny still, despite this being a determinate tomato.

New yarn

New yarn, originally uploaded by hello trees.

We're moving in three days. I'm finding myself worrying about silly things like not being able to go to all of the stores I am used to. We're moving two hours away. Way out of the city.

I am going to miss a lot of people, but I am hoping it will be a good change in other ways. We will see. I just need a teleportation device and I will be all set, to visit any time.

The spell checker says "teleportation" is not a word. Hmm.

I rode my bike to Kensington Market this morning and stopped by Lettuce Knit where I got this lovely super soft organic cotton yarn by Blue Sky Alpacas in case you are wondering. I love the pattern and colour! I have something special planned for it.

Black Seaman Tomato

Black Seaman Tomato - August 18, originally uploaded by hello trees.

I've neglected to post more photos from my garden this month. It seems to be flying by, and we are moving at the end of it! Our two tomatoes are doing very well and I think the smaller of the two is about ready.

Summer has finally arrived this week with weather near 30 degrees, and feeling like 40. I am thankful for central air this week. All of the rain this month has really helped the garden too.
The great thing about container gardening is that anything that's not ready to be picked will be packed up and moving with us to our new home.

I'm already planning for next year, which may be an in ground garden!

More garden photos here.

Our apartment is mostly packed already, except for the stuff we're still using -mostly in the kitchen. It has made me glad that I have been sorting through and getting rid of a lot of stuff over the last two years.

Two weeks to go...

First attempt at reupholstery

AFTER | BEFORE

I used an old throw pillow cover from ikea. Three more chairs to go, but I will have to find some more fabric I like.

Dessert

Yesterday was our two year anniversary, and to celebrate, my husband made this delicious dessert inspired by this recipe from Vegetarian Times. Except he doesn't follow recipes-- but I did a painting from the photo in high school and it's hanging on our kitchen wall. It was delicious.

Strawberry

Watercolor

Five Things Feature

Virginia Kraljevic featured me today in her Five Things series. Check it out here.

Also, be sure to check out her beautiful illustrations.

Thanks Virginia!

love

love, originally uploaded by hello trees.

Punched paper gift tag. Available here.

Featured

Rasa, of happyment featured my embroidery on her blog today, in a post about kaleidoscopes. Check it out here!

Thanks Rasa!

mulberries

mulberries, originally uploaded by hello trees.

Surprise mulberry picking at Mt. Pleasant cemetery!

Teacups in space

Teacups in space, originally uploaded by hello trees.

Also today I added a new acrylic painting that I love.

Sparrow Love Embroidery

Sparrow Love Embroidery, originally uploaded by hello trees.

Based on my sparrow love lino print, and now available in my shop!

Pearl Cotton

Some new pearl cotton in pretty peach and grey.
I have some fun things in mind!

And, our first bean:

Waiting for the first strawberry to ripen!

July 2, 2009 Alpine Strawberry, originally uploaded by hello trees.

The Garden today

July 2, 2009 Balcony Garden, originally uploaded by hello trees.

I'm trying to remember to take more photos of the garden for comparison next year.