2018

Happy 2018!  

As we endeavor into another year of unchartered waters, I thought it fitting that my first handcrafted pieces of the year feature koi fish..the Japanese carp.  Large and powerful in the water, their fluid movement also embraces a serene elegance..a quality many strive for in life.  While different colors and patterning dictate good fortune in specific areas of life, they are often associated with prosperity, success, courage and ambition to name a few.  

A favorite subject amongst artists in traditional brush paintings, whether simple or more detailed, their beauty is undeniable. 

Selective breeding practices have resulted in a showcase of incredible markings and colours..the more ornate and striking, the higher their price tag.  The Imperial Palace in Tokyo is home to some of these beautiful creatures..a popular destination for locals on New Year's Day to pay their respects and hope for a glimpse of royalty.

I'm hoping to have a couple of pieces completed for Monday morning..with school still on holidays, studio time this week has been limited and what little time I've had has been slow and full of interruptions.  Despite the setbacks, it's been great to get back to the bench!  

I hope your holidays season was a restful time with plenty of love and occasion to catch up with friends and family.

Here's to another great year!

xo Tina

As we start this new year..

Happy 2017!  

Wow..to think that my last blog update was in August of 2016 seems somewhat surreal.  Since then we've sold our beloved house in the middle of the "big stink" (as my 5 year old likes to call the downtown location of Toronto..) and moved our family and lives onto 40 glorious acres in the rolling hills and forests of Caledon.  It was a tremendous decision to leave the hustle and bustle of the big city permanently and move, a responsibility we didn't take lightly. In the end however the move to the country won over our hearts - with over 5kms of trails on the property and endless ways to occupy the curious mind of a 5 year old in the enchanted forest behind our home, this is the childhood we wanted our wee beans to have..the move back to the big city later on is a decision they could make when the time came.  Five Maples is still alive and well but the extra 25 minutes was a little too much longer for our daily commute to the city for work..so here we are..land barons of sorts..lol..plenty of room to roam and let the imagination run wild.  

We are loving the life we've created here, the view from every window more spectacular than the last.  I do miss the small conveniences of big city living of course - the quick jog to the store to grab a missing ingredient and my amazing neighbors after over a decade of living on the same street.  But good friends will always make the 40 minute drive to visit..and a walk-in pantry here ensures that I'm well stocked for any baking emergencies.  

Life is good.

The holidays were a whirlwind affair - with the extra space now to host and put up visiting guests, my family from BC made their very first Christmas visit east, a visit that brought all the love and warmth from our families and breathed new life into this new house.  

We are still getting to know each other, this house and us.  And the property itself too seems to whisper amongst the towering trees, curious to see who we are.  They are all used to the peaceful, sedate living of the older couple who were the previous owners..now replaced by the hoots and shouts from a rambunctious 5 year old, running along the trails chased by an excited Sachi.  

Despite my hopes to have the new studio up and running before the holidays, the shop has been slow to come together and finally this week with the little monster back in school, I've finally had a little me-time while the baby sleeps!  Beginnings are always slow, like having to train my hands and brain to work together again,  the solders a little clumsy at first and my hands a little sore the day after from reworking those muscles!  But alas, new pieces are slowing getting created..and in the next few days as more boxes get unpacked, I'm hoping to start etching and casting again.

A quick shout out to everyone who have been so incredibly patient while we packed up, moved and relocated!  There are some of you who have waited all these months for custom orders to begin again and there's nothing like the feeling of receiving emails within the hour after announcing the reopening of my studio and shop.  Totally humbled by your loyalty and love, the encouragement during the move, the little notes of "how's it going?" from all over the globe.  No only have I been blessed with such amazing clients but also so lucky to be able to call you dear friends.  

What an amazing way to start off this new year..can't wait to start working with you again!

Love from my new little studio in the rolling hills of Caledon,

xo Tina

Blue Gnome

All the good in this world

We almost saw the new year together, two of us sick with a cold, the wee bean getting over a flu and the fuzzy girl, just content that all her people-folk were with her, despite the coughing, sneezing and nose-blowing that periodically disrupted the otherwise peaceful evening indoors.  

We had grand plans of spending the night away, celebrating with friends with promises of expensive bubbly and a gorgeous feast but in the end we were all exhausted from the holiday visitings, social obligations and wanted to focus on a speedy recovery back to the land of the healthy.  Being away would've also meant sending our canine family member to a friends home as our would-be-hosts are lovers of the feline variety and interspecies peace and quiet would've been a challenge.  

Our disappointment about missing the party turned into quite a lovely night of monster trucking over furniture (a gift from Santa!) watching Wallace and Gromit shows and impromptu dance parties in our pajamas.  Fast asleep by the time our neighbors were yelling "Happy New Year!" with cheers and whooping, we were dreaming of clear nasal passageways and a night without a hacking cough.  

And while the rest of the city might've been waking up on the first day of 2015 slightly groggy and thirsting for a tall glass of water, we were up and on our way to Five Maples early on new year's day for a day of wood stove warmth, leftover Xmas treats with hot tea and following animal tracks around our property.

I hope your holidays were filled with good eats, great friends and amazing conversation.  

A time to truly reflect on and appreciate all the good in this world - a time to pry yourself away from and let go of the bad.  When every gesture should begin with love, today and everyday for the next year.

Happy 2015 to all of you - it's going to be an amazing year for you!  

xo Tina

Blue Gnome