Friday, November 28, 2014

Holiday Note Cards


It's been a while! Oh how I have missed my blog and how many times I've come here with the desire of writing but seems that lately there's always something coming up demanding my urgent attention. Anyway, life is good, life is busy and I'm happy because of that :)

December is almost here (CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?) and as lately I'm so into making note cards (the picture taking, the printing, the folding, the packing! it sounds silly but I'm loving the whole process so much!) it was only natural the making of a few festive iphoneography cards for your gift giving needs.

There are three different and also, you can get the bundle of three for a little saving. Find them all on my Etsy shop and let's get festive! etsy.com/ca/shop/TheAngryWeather


Find more details on my shop and thank you so much for visiting my blog!
Iveth

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Studio tour with Vuela Vuela Bijoux!


Last week I had the chance to visit the studio space of one of my favourite independent makers in Montreal: Anabel Burin from Vuela Vuela. The happy occasion was due to an even happier event: that I won one of her terrariums on a giveaway she organized on her FB page, yay! Thus I went to pick up my wonderful prize and had the chance to step inside her inspiring workspace that is so magical and whimsical as the accessories and terrariums she designs. 

It was a lovely morning sipping tea from vintage teacups and eating cookies (plus there were also the lovelies seƱorita Cara Carmina and Siam Obregon!). To say that we were chatting like there was no tomorrow it's an understatement! We talked and talked and talked some more. So nice to get together with other people that share the same passion for creative endeavors! 

I asked Anabel about her studio, her work and her inspiration. Read her interview bellow and be ready to get inspired :)

Image via Vuela Vuela on Etsy.

Tell us a little it about yourself.
I was born in Argentina, where I lived until I came to Montreal in 2003 with my family. I must admit I fell in love with this city from the very first day! I loved going around the fripperies, buying second hand clothes and antique jewelry, walking around the plateau, trying different foods from all the cultures that this Island hosts and spending afternoons in the Mont Royal…
I went to Dawson College and graduated from the Professional Photography program. I discovered that I enjoyed portraiture and photojournalism and worked as a photographer for a while. When I finished college, I felt I wanted to complete my education and focus on another realm of the fine arts, so I pursued my studies at Concordia University’s Graphic Design Major.
It was during my studies at Concordia that jewelry design came naturally to me. I designed jewelry since I can remember, and as a child I used to sell beaded animals to my family members and give them to my friends in school as presents. I used to go to my grandma’s house and fix all of her broken necklaces, sometimes I would even keep some beads from each necklace and re-assemble new pieces for her. Jewelry was and still is a passion for me in every sense.

You are a jewellery designer, tell us the story behind Vuela Vuela bijoux.
Well, As I mentioned before the story started since I was a child, playing with beads and antique jewels from my “Bobe Hebe”. But the project of Vuela Vuela was born out of curiosity for playing with different materials, experimenting new media, having a mother that have collected all kinds of antique pieces and trinkets for years and the idea of creating a hand made sustainable product! 
Of Course Vuela Vuela changed and evolved a lot through the years. My education and experience helped me grow and create a mature project that I could eventually present to the public and stores.

Image via Vuela Vuela FB page by Gwylan Goddard.
                        Image via Vuela Vuela FB page by Gwylan Goddard.

How do you describe your line of jewellery.
The main idea behind the line is to offer ludique and playful accessories. Each piece is a unique treasure that tells a story with which its user can relate, a story that is shared between me (the maker) and the person wearing it.

What inspires you?
I am inspired by people, the infinite stories that live around us, the different cultures, styles, colors, textures and smells. I am mostly inspired by my Argentinean identity and family story. One of my favorite things in the world is to browse through our family photo albums and memorize each picture, the outfits, landscape and expressions of the people...I think images from the past is my biggest inspiration.


Where do you create? 
I have an atelier at my place, in St Henry. It is a bright room with lots of furniture, some strange objects and boxes.

What do you like the best about your studio space?
I love having shelves full of souvenirs from the different places I’ve traveled and gifts from my friends and family (usually tiny animal statues and dolls). They keep me company while I work.


Tell us about the inspiration behind your new line of terrariums? how did it all started?
The terrarium idea came to me after a trip to Portland. That city has an amazing weather for vegetation and a community of people who really care about arranging their gardens and growing things. I brought my brother a tiny terrarium as a gift and thought it would look funny to make little garden gnomes for it. So there I went and designed miniature figurines and when I stared at it, it was clear that I had to start creating my own.




What would be your best advice about developing a new line of products.
I think the most important point is to catch an idea that has been in your heard for a long time, focus on it, do a lot of research and practice until you have a result that satisfies you. It might take months or years to come up with the right tools and materials that will make your product be a good quality and unique one.

What do you enjoy the most about being a maker?
I enjoy that when I start creating I find it hard to stop. I enjoy every single part of the process. I enjoy that VuelaVuela is not my job, but rather my passion.

What do you think is the biggest challenge about being an independent designer?
The economic instability is hard. We need to always plan ahead since we don’t know what is coming next month. The responsibility that your success is in your own hands is also a lot of pressure…

What do you daydream of?
I would love to start selling a bit more on my online shop, go to markets outside Quebec, have a bigger working space, get some help and to eventually add different kinds of products to the line.

Thank you so much for your insight and for receiving me at your studio, Anabel! 

And here, look at the VuelaVuela terraium I won!


Isn't absolutely lovely? Honestly, every time I see my terrarium my mind wanders to fantastic places and I feel like a child again, when I used to look at beautiful gardens and imagined a wonderland world within. I love it!

If you want to know more about VuelaVuela, connect with Anabel here:

Thank you!
Iveth

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Etsy: made in Canada Montreal



In this photo: Our main entrance at the Technopole Angus! Des Enfantillages, Anakiel, Lili Pop, Productions DCS.



I know it's two weeks later but better late than never to show you some of the photos I took at Etsy: Made in Canada last month! 

I'll start by saying this: WOW, it was such an amazing experience. Never in my life I imagined to be involved in something like this, I mean, as a seller yes, of course! I am a maker and craft shows are the cherry on top my Sundae! I love craft shows, I love to talk with my customers and be one on one with the people that support my work. But to be behind scenes, at the core of the organization at a big show, never thought of that until I received an email from Etsy Canada back at the beginning of the year asking if I'd like to apply to be part of the organization of this project they were planning for later on the year. I applied because the collective I'm part of loooove to make a good pop-up shop and I though they would be excited to collaborate with Etsy in case I got to be selected. It turned out I was selected and well, we got to do this and it was pretty amazing and rewarding! 

For Etsy: made in Canada, my team (Les Joailliers du dimanche) got to collaborate and work alongside the girls from the Montreal Etsy team (the other team Etsy picked to organize the event) in which Michelle Beausejour is their team captain (team leader for those of you not familiar with Etsy team terms ;)) . What I liked most about working alongside the other team was the chance to step out of our comfort zone and try new things, to mix up what we are as a collective and our ideas with ideas from different individuals and make something new, something that made all of us proud. We learnt so much and we grow so much as well! 

When we were selecting vendors a great responsibility overcame me: These were our vendors, these people were investing their time, efforts on doing this show and they were believing in this project. At that moment the task ahead was immediately defined: we weren't allowed to disappoint them! Of course that was a task I put to myself, it was my biggest motivation throughout the planning process. I was also worried, I guess is normal, I didn't quite know what to expect the weekend of, it was a big mystery to me! until the very last moment when, after seeing all the people that came, all the happy faces, all the great response the weekend of the event, I knew we were good, I knew we had done it. 

I'm never again will see craft shows as I used to see them: my already big admiration for the people that make those shows possible has grown a 100 times! 

Now, the pictures! For more info about the shops, check out the vendor line-up HERE! And if you want to check the rest of the photos I took, find them HERE, on my FB page!

In this photo: Hazel and Hunter, Nanoutriko, Orange and Coco, Ysabel LaRousse and Tanya from Etsy Canada.

Orange and Coco, Cara Carmina, Pops Art, Fannie Gregoire and Des Enfantillages.

In this photo: Rousskine, Cutiful Baby, Double Yellow Line, Vuela Vuela and Unik Printshop.

In this photo: Les Joailliers du Dimanche! Marilie Jacob, Pilar Agueci, Louise Koo, Sabine Pouquet, The Angry Weather (my husband at my table!) and Catrie. We also had a collective table but I didn't took photos of it!


In this photo: Terrarium Obsessarium, Zoe G Kocsis, Amanda Moss, Noir & Black, Cadeaute, Twill & Print, Grotesquely Beautiful Things, N/A, Raymond Besinger, Matelele and Les Charlatans!

And these last photos are from the night prior, during the decoration session!

Thank you so much Les joailliers du Dimanche and The Montreal Etsy team for your great work. Thank you vendors for believing in this project and thank you buyers for supporting the local community of artists and artisans. Thanks to our families for all your help and support during these crazy months! Thanks Etsy, for always finding ways to encouraging us to grow. And thank you to the girls from Etsy Canada (Erin, Nada, Melissa, Tanya, Jennifer) for all your help, support and for the the amazing opportunity!
Let me know in the comments bellow if you attended this or any of the Etsy: made in Canada markets across Canada and what was your experience? :)

Thank you!

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

The Angry Weather look book (second and last part).


Marianne Caron wearing my Raindrop necklace. Photography by S.E. St-Gelais, stylist Maude Boisjoly and make up by Sarah Ladouceur.

So much to say about so many things! the last month has been absolutely bonkers: being behind the organization of a craft show surpassed all my expectations. It was so much work, so much fun, the planning, the doing, the crazy daily to-do lists, so much to coordinate but it was as well one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had! I still can't believe we did it and I still can't believe how amazing it was! 

Anyway, I will write a blog post about that soon telling you all about it but now I have something I NEED TO SHOW YOU: the second and final part of the photos from my look book!

Shot by wonder-girl-photographer Sara Emily St-Gelais
Model is the gorgeous Marianne Caron.
Amazing stylist is Maude Boisjoly
And make up artist extraordinaire is Sarah Ladouceur.

I love with photos: the effortless feel, the dreamy feel, the softness, the simplicity. The team understood my work and did a wonderful job bringing all the elements of it together: sometimes modern, other times more sweet and delicate. Plus working with them was delightful and a lot of fun!

So, here they are, the lovely photos! I hope you enjoy them.


Beautiful, right? You can click on the photos for more info about The Angry Weather jewellery Marianne is wearing. Thank you Sarah-Emily, Sarah Ladouceur, Maude and Marianne, you are truly amazing!

Monday, September 15, 2014

Last days of summer...


Days are getting shorter, mornings are getting colder but there's still the light of the September sun that manages to warm everything around. Summer is not over yet, and we should take advantage of every bit of that sunlight.

The photos you'll see here, were taken on a hot August day some weeks ago by photographer Sarah Emily St-Gelais and even though that day was so humid and hot, when Emily finished editing them and send them to me, they made me feel as if they were taken today, on this fresh and sunny September day. 

I met Emily more than a year ago and since then we have been talking back and forth about a photo shoot for my jewellery and for some reason or another it wasn't until this summer that we started really planing it. She got a fantastic team for this shoot: stylist Maude Boisjoly, make up artist Sarah Ladouceur and model Marianne Caron

This was such an experience for me: the very first time I have ever had professional help with these kind of things and it was amazing to see how this works! Plus I had a fantastic time with these girls, click here at this post I made about the shoot day! 

One of the things I like the most about these photos is that they feel like if Emily is telling a story and that's precisely what I wanted, to tell a story about my jewellery. Up to you to interpret it your particular way :) Come see:



Photographer: Sarah Emily St-Gelais
Make up artist: Sarah Ladouceur
Stylist: Maude Boisjoly
Model: Marianne Caron
All jewellery by The Angry Weather. Click at the photos for more about the jewellery Marianne is wearing! 

Thanks so much Emily for your vision and talent! Thanks so much Maude, Sarah and Marianne for doing this, you are all amazing!

There are more photos to come, stay tuned! Yay!