Wednesday, June 24, 2009

teachers...


as school wraps up for little rikrak tomorrow, we're happily wrapping up little homemade gifts for his lovely teacher, and i'm feeling so thankful for the amazing teachers out there.

lots of teacherly folks in my life. my mom's a teacher.
cute hubby is a teacher.
& once upon a time, i used to be an elementary school teacher, and an ESL teacher abroad before that. i'm so thankful for my wonderful new career path of handmaking, but i think i will always feel that teaching is one of the MOST important jobs in the world, right up there with parenting!


i've been so lucky to have had so many great teachers over the years myself. amazing folks who thru patience, their loving & kind ways, and encouragement helped me to learn more about myself, the world, & how to be a better person. when i've had a not-so-great -for -me teacher, it can be a tough haul, can't it? but when i've had a great-for-me teacher... WOW! it's magic!

my parents were (and are) my greatest teachers, for sure! and in school, i think fondly of mrs. d & mr. b , who encouraged me to find my own path, and helped me to have even more confidence in my own creative thoughts, and to believe in myself, on so many levels. in university, to dr. h. , who became a dear friend, and taught me to use "i" statements in all i do, and to try and see the world thru another's eyes. this revolutionized my thinking, and i tried my best, in my own ways, to use all of these teachers' wisdom in my own teaching, and now parenting. it's hard work, isn't it? but thanks to these and other teachers, i'm learning! :)

so thank you, teachers! it's an amazing thing you do!

who are teachers that have made a difference in your life?
tell us about them.
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advertise with the rikrak studio blog!

thanks so much to the nicies who have come on board to advertise in these 1st few months here on the rikrak studio blog! it's almost the end of the month - and so i thought i'd let folks know that for the new month of july, i have three new spots available, if you're interested!

if you feel that your shop, group or blog would be a good fit with the rikrak studio blog feel & focus, and are interested in rates, please email me at rikrakmail@yahoo.com i'm a handmaker & mommy and know it's a challenging economic time out there... so i try to keep the rates nice & low!

i'm also happy to design ads for folks that need them, too!
the rikrak studio blog is young but will hopefully continue to grow & grow! thanks so much for helping to build it, wonderfolk! so come & be part of the fun! thanks so much! k.
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

my favourite things: welcoming summer's light!

My creation


1. vintage summer dress | via mysweetiepiepie
2. candle diana photograph | by benconservato
3. vintage icebucket & glasses | via fabulousmess
4. wool felt fabric | via Litlbrownbird
5. litsea cubeba & lemon soap | by SoapalayaSoaps
6. summer cotton washcloth | by GriffithGardens
7. maria top | by IslaLunaGifts
8. willow photograph print | by ara133photography
9. spring forsythia - linen fabric swatch | by cicadastudio
10. fortune cocktail napkins | by avrilloreti
11.handmade recycled paper panels | by GreenPost
12. mello the monster | by gush4plush
13. pleat pillow slip | by yorktownroad
14. 2 yellow federal mugs | via jaditekate
15.giraffe graphic tee | by isotope
16.whipped sugar scrub | by Thistledelight
17. felted wrap | by vilte
18. yellow brocade bracelet | by becklaces
19. theme fragrance frolic | by themefragrance
20. everyday necktie | by MeandMatilda
21.soleil 1piece pomegran-it! | by PomLove
22.wallpaper lampshade | by drawflowers
23. bud vase, yellow | by barbdunshee
24.the traveler bag in dandelion | by PopulationOne
25. wooden star house bird folk | by urastarhouse
26. trumpet flower hook earrings | by scottshandmadecrafts

.......................................

welcome welcome to you, wonderful summery light.
you're one of my very favourite things.

yellowy & lovely & clear & warm.
happy summer solstice & the beginning of summer, and all good things, lovely friends in the northern hemisphere!
(happy all things good to all lovelies, everywhere!)
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Monday, June 22, 2009

team canada road trip: look what you can win!



happy monday, superstars! hope you had a great weekend!

have i ever got something superfun to tell you about! what a great monday this is going to be!

you know how i just adore a roadtrip!
love it!
well... one of my favourite handmade teams i'm so fortunate to be part of is the cross-Canada sensation, the TransCanada Etsy Team. for the next few days, we invite you to join us for our road trip celebration for Canada Day to learn a bit about our country, stop in and visit our amazing artisans, and take advantage of some great specials.

and what road trip would be complete without some souvenirs? and woowee... what amazing souvenirs they are!!! we've got two amazing prizes to giveaway to participating buyers!

PRIZE #1. a truly fabulous goodie bag (seen above & below) valued at over $350 US, featuring a wealth of handmade delights from across the country!



and then... Prize #2. a gorgeous t-shirt rug designed and woven by the amazing Pegg of Five Forty from repurposed t-shirts donated by team members from all across the country. isn't it gorgeous???



HOW TO WIN!
there are 20 amazing shops participating (including rikrak! :) ... for each $10 US you spend in any of these shops during the promotion, you'll get one e-ballot in the raffle for our two amazing prizes! (winners to be announced july 2nd). you can also get one ballot without purchase by writing a short essay describing your favourite Canadian thing (place, person, food, book, band, artist, etc). find out more here on our the team blog.


here are the participating shops!


PLUS: by using the promo code "road trip" in your purchase message with any of these shops, you'll also get one extra bonus e-ballot, too! woohoo!

so... check out the team blog, or my rikrak top of shop for more details!

and tune in on the team blog each & every day for fabulous features on each of the amazing artists participating as we road trip our way across this fabulous nation!

& hey... folks worldwide are eligible to win! woohoo!
so happy roadtrippin', lovelies!
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Friday, June 19, 2009

happy fathering day!


happy fathering day, nicies.
happy father's day to all of the wonderful daddys & grandpas & uncles & brothers & teachers & mentors & volunteers who help lovingly *father* the wee ones of our world. you're fantastic!


i'm so lucky.
i had a wonderful dad, who was all things loving & supportive & inspiring.
and while i miss him very very much, especially near father's day, i'm so thankful to have had such a great dad in my life.


and i'm so lucky now.
to have such a fabulous, loving, glorious partner in mr. rikrak, who, i think, is just an amazing & fantastic daddy to little rikrak. i so admire how he spends every moment he can playing with and teaching & learning with little rikrak. i love seeing him as the fabulous father he is. we're a lucky little family!

i've said this before, around mothers day, and i'd like to say it again. i certainly agree with the idea that *it takes a village* to raise a child. and i'm so thankful to all of the amazing men that create a community of love for my own child & children everywhere.

so happy fathering day to all of the wonderful men out there who provide love & support & encouragement to children everywhere, in so many ways.
thank you.
have a great weekend, nicies!
see you monday!
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congratulations!


happy friday, lovelies!
what a fun week it's been.
thanks so much to everyone who entered the fabulous bayan hippo totebag giveaway this week!


random.org kindly chose a # for us... and the winner is.... #4.... the lovely lovely crafterall! woohoo!

i'm a grand crafterall fan! i just love her beautiful paper cut artworks, cardworks & more. what a gorgeous sense of design & colour she uses in her lovely designs. congrats to you, nicey! hope you'll love your bayan hippo bag!




one more post to come later today.
til then, have a great friday!
& one more day to shop & save in my little www.rikrak.etsy.com shop sale!
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Thursday, June 18, 2009

father's day: grandpas & handmaking



100+ yr old wood working tool's belonging to
photographer's father's grandfather via purduebob's photostream

last month, when we were all getting ready for mother's day, we talked here on the rikrak blog about the wonderful connection some crafters share with their grandmas. that's a special connection i myself cherish from when my own grandmas were alive. indeed, handmaking & grandmas go hand-in-hand for me!

as father's day approaches, mr. rikrak & i have been talking lots lately about the kindred thoughts we also share with our grandfathers and handmaking.

mr. rikrak had the special joy of growing up in close proximity to his grandparents, and working with, and in, his grandfather's magical wood shop. i love hearing his tales of the shop, filled with amazing handmade machines that whirred and turned and invented fabulous wooden things! i know those are such special, fond memories for my cute hubby, time creating & handmaking with, and learning from, his grandpa.

i have fond handmade memories with my own grandpas, too.
one of my wonderful grandpas has an amazing collection of antique tools that he gathered over the years, and his favourites were always the handmade tools his own father made on his farm. i could see how my grandfather so deeply cherished those handmade keepsakes more then almost any other artifact. he polished and cleaned each tool all of the time. he took such pride in his own dad's handiwork & craftsmanship, and hung them in a place of honour in his own workshop. my grandpa, like my great-grandpa, could build just about anything he set his mind too. indeed, i feel so fortunate to be part of a family that really truly values handmaking.

so as father's day nears, i feel so thankful for grandpas & the way they some share and pass on their love of handmaking with their grandchildren. thanks to all of the grandpas, & uncles & dads & fatherly figures that share their love of handicrafts with our world.

do you have a story or handicraft you think of about your own grandfather?
i'd love to hear about it.
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