TCET Feature

I'm currently the featured seller on the Trans-Canada Etsy Team blog. Check it out for the interview (& a special offer).

Trans-Canada Etsy Team 12 Days of Christmas

things from secret minouette places and team mates from the Trans-Canada Etsy Team are having our annual 12 Days of Christmas Sale. Check the team blog to find all the participating shops' deals on offer. Shops include:
minouette, RJCharms, MyHandboundBooks, Pixel8ed, bnazar, mythicalmatters, TooAquarius, stringmealong, motivatedmotion, PenelopeKuhn, prairiepeasant, prairiethreads, rikrak, ellecools, paisleybaby, and the TCET shop.

Join us over the next 11 days as the participating shops share some of their favorite things about Christmas.

And, now for the most exciting part of this event!! We once again have a fabulous prize package filled to brimming with exciting gifts from all the shops listed above.
There are two ways to win:
1) Make a purchase from any of the shops above and for every $10 spent per shop, you will receive a ballot.
2) Write a letter to Santa, telling him which item/s from our shops you would like to find under your tree this year. Just type it into our team blog's comments.

We will draw for the prize on Dec 5th.

Remember to check back daily for lots more fun. And thank you for visiting with us today.

Poppies

A group of poppies is illustrated in this original first edition linocut print, with chine collé. The poppies are printed in black ink on white and red Japanese kozo (or mulberry) paper. Each sheet is 32 cm high by 24 cm wide (12.5" by 9.5") with a deckle edge. The first edition is limited to eight prints. It's a very graphic print in red, black and white.

The Trans-Canada Etsy Team selected the theme 'Red for Remembrance' for the month of November. I thought I would be direct about it and illustrate some poppies. They are beautiful, laden with symbolism and very graphic in red and black.

Masks

In the spirit of Hallowe'en, the lovely rikrak, etsy seller and blogger extraordinaire, has featured my mask collection as part of her "The Collectors" series. The feature includes photos of my collection, an interview with me, and a few pieces of my art she says she would like to collect (she's a sweetie). Read the interview 'a collection of masks with minouette' here.

Amongst her questions was, "what (‘s a crazy/interesting story behind one)?" which I couldn't answer without alluding to the late, great border collie/German Sheppard Agua, and her people faunalia and reynardin, and two, rather than one mask.



Thanks to RJH for photographs!

March: in like a lamb out like a lion?

So the Trans-Canada Etsy team has a challenge for the month of March: in like a lion, out like a lamb. In fact, I'm hosting. So, I knew I had better get on it. I half want to carve a lamb block (that sounds all wrong - out of lino, I mean) but I'm not really feeling it. So, I made another lion pillow.. This one is backed not with a lamb, or with an elephant, but with the zebras. I like yellow and turquoise.



I do like how the lion is sort of confrontational. I mean, this is the apex predator and my Mom, the photographer, was in his 'hood. I'm happy that that expressiveness of his face comes across in the print. The lioness looks more shrewd - like, "I see you there, but I haven't yet decided what to do about it." Cats. They watch, and consider.

It's very hard to get good photos when it's so dark and gloomy out. While the balmy 19 C weather is long gone, at least there is no snow. I can deal with light rain.



So it's a stripe of wild paisley with the dotted turquoise fabric with the leopards in the corner.







I was looking at the fabric, and you know, I think, I need to stop buying fabric.

There. I said it.

Feathers and Snowflakes

This month the Mad Scientists of Etsy challenge is the Feather. As some of you know, I am allergic to feathers. I made a block printed Guinea fowl feather fabric (feather-free, vegan even) brooch.




Meanwhile, the Trans-Canada Etsy Team chose the theme of snow. Bizarrely, we currently have no snow. It felt like spring out there today (though, I'm not sure I believe it... it might change at any moment). I carved two snowflakes (based on microscopic photographs of individual flakes) and printed them on irridescent silk. Here's a sneak peek of a two-brooch set in the works.

More Handmade Goodies: The TCET Christmas Promo

Check out the Trans-Canada Etsy Team blog for details! For every $10 you spend in any participating shop, such as things from secret minouette places, within these 12 days, gets you one ballot to the draw, for all this loot.
****1 bonus ballet can be earned by posting a "Letter to Santa" in our team blog's comments section; or blog your letter to Santa and mention this promo (please come back and leave your blog link here). This letter must contain you favorite item from each of 3 different participating stores: minouette, Trans-Canada Etsy Team shop, Chichi, La Paperie, inkyspider, kootsac, lotus paperie, mythicalmatters, tangente, pixel8ed,enthral, loopy4ewe, fiveforty, OffTheHooks, PrairiePeasant, PrairieThreads, RJcharms, rikrak, MyHandboundBooks, cleanbright, StringMeAlong, Intuibead, seaglassdesigns, WildWomanJewelry, & paisleybaby.

You can see my block printed butterfly pin in black ink on red silk up front.

Also, I've put all winter-themed block prints, including Vixen in the Snow, Winter Walrus and The Cottonwood Trail on sale for the next month.

MEGA handmade giveaway!

Check out this spectacular giveaway by the lovely rikrak! The incredibly generous gift pack (valued at over $450 US) of handmade items in red and silver, includes my moon ornament. There are many easy ways to play, for a chance to win. You can even enter by simply post a link to your favorite minouette item on her blog. Check her blog for all the details.

Garlic and spice

I've made another "Natural History" ornament. I had no plants (only fungi), but now I have a garlic bulb - which serves double duty as my entry to the Trans-Canada Etsy Team challenge for November: SPICE. I think of the textured cream fabric on the reverse as echoing the lines in garlic paper. Part of me wants to print this block on paper I make from hand with garlic skins, but more of me would like to preserve my sanity. I've made enough paper by hand to know what a monumental task that would be. Despite its papery texture, garlic skins are low on fibres, and brittle.

The Trans-Canada Etsy Team has a great give-away planned... I'll let you know when it begins. My fellow TCET member, the charming rikrak does a lot of give-aways on her blog. Soon there will be one involving a secret thing from a minouette place. Follow her blog or watch for a mention here. I'll let you know when there is a chance at free minouette loot.

The second interview for the Toronto Etsy Street Team will be with me. Check the blog tomorrow to find out what I had to say. I find this interview process interesting - like a means to learn something about myself.

waterlily

InkySpider, textile artist extraordinaire has featured my Frog and Lily print in her Trans-Canada Etsy Team round-up of gifts for CANCER - The Crab. Thanks Inky!

Edit: Oh, I wish I could spell.

on-going birthday

Thanks to the Trans-Canada Etsy Team! The team just started their monthly round-up of birthdays of team members. Apparently, I am the only one born in May.

Etsy Visit to Toronto

I made a long-winded thorough post about the Etsy Admin's visit to Toronto on the Trans-Canada Etsy Team blog.

Easter bunny on the Trans-Canada

Spring has Sprung and the Easter Bunny hopped over to the TransCanada Etsy Team and left some eggs behind!
So we decided to host the first ever TransCanada Etsy Team Easter Egg Hunt. 29 shops are hiding 20 eggs and one person will win a $15.00 coupon to redeem at any of the participating Etsy shops!!!
Join the fun, check out all the details at our team shop! TransCanadaTeam.etsy.com


So, go poke around some shops of talented Canadians on etsy, find some eggs, win a prize!