sticker collection

These beauties arrived yesterday and I can't wait to put them to work on new Camp + Quarry orders! Along with changing my shop name and the name of this blog, I've been working away at updating my packaging. These are just one part of the new C + Q packaging that is coming together slowly but surely. The one starring Hazel being swung in my arms just might be my favourite of the batch. I'm already looking forward to a sunny weekend day when I can get outside and take some new photos for the next batch of cards and stickers. I ordered these from Moo and am happy with the colours and quality. I've also been busy making lots of new pieces for the shop which I hope to have the time to photograph soon.

In the meantime, if you live in Vancouver you can look for new Camp + Quarry pieces at Dream Apparel in Gastown and on Granville Island soon and if you're lucky enough to live in Copenhagen C + Q pieces will be popping up there, too! Now I must drink more tea and hurry to work. Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

märta mattsson: jewellery artist

Märta Mattsson calls her jewelry "objects of astonishment", and when I started to take a closer look at them I began to understand how that was the perfect description. I was first drawn to the work's texture and intricate details. These are the kind of pieces that I wish I could see in real life, to take a closer look at how they've been made and put together and to be able to really appreciate the materials that the artist is using. These lace-like pieces, for example, are actually made of calf skin. Though I've been vegetarian for about eighteen years, I still love materials like leather and even (gasp) fur...not saying that I'm about to go walking around in a mink coat any time soon, but I would like to pet one. And while I'm petting that fur I would think about how it is simultaneously beautiful and disgusting. I think that's what Märta Mattsson is going for with these pieces, but I do think she's (smartly) erring on side of beauty. Which one is your favourite? Have you discovered any new jewelry artists lately?

picture day

I took this photo yesterday with my iPhone 4S. There is a dog park/dog beach close to my office and I walk there at lunch when it's warm and dry enough. I wanted to share this photo because I think there's something kinda magical being captured here. I'm still thinking about what the narrative might be. I hope you're all having a good week. Have you taken any photos lately? What camera do you like to use?

camp + quarry turns two!

I feel lucky that I caught this date before it snuck by me. It's been two years since I opened my Etsy shop, and (how many jump rings opened and closed?) I'm still here to write about it. I want to celebrate this birthday by showing you one of the beautiful cakes my friend and fellow indie business woman, Camilla has made (the same Camilla that made our wedding cake). I really want to celebrate by eating this cake, but that's not gonna happen because Camilla lives in Montreal and this cake is long gone, I'm sure.

So instead I'll take the time to say this: I hope that making things for C+Q continues to make me happy for years to come. I hope Jeff doesn't get sick of taking packages to the post office for me. I hope you'll hang out and see what happens here. And, above all, I hope that we all continue to make things for the sake of making things, because making things makes us happy. I hope that we make many things that are never for sale and I hope that we all receive gifts made especially for us by others. 

Let's make 2012 the year of making stuff for the sake of making stuff! Now I have an apple tart to put together! What are you working on these days?

a friday favourite

Today I just have one thing to share with you. The David Lynch Remix of Zola Jesus's In Your Nature. Enjoy and have a happy weekend, everyone.

P.S. Don't forget that today is the last day to enter the LAX to YVR giveaway. I'll be picking a winner tomorrow!

smashed jewelry

Today I'm introducing a new regular post that's going to be showing up on the blog this year. I don't have a snappy, blogger-approved name for it, but I can tell you that I'll be searching far and wide to bring you images from brilliant contemporary jewelry designers. This is the stuff that you can't buy on Etsy (no offence, Etsy)...and that's a good thing. 

The first jewelry designer that I want to introduce you to is Rory Hooper. I've chosen to share some images from his Smashed Jewelry series. My favourite piece of the ones above is the amethyst ring in the bottom right. I love the way he has flattened all of the metal, leaving the stone and setting intact. These pieces remind me of pressed flowers. I can't help but think that they have all become more beautiful with the filigree details and the various thicknesses of metal being revealed in these renewed (destroyed?) pieces. Now if I could just have one on a chain I'd wear it every day. 

Take a look at more of Rory Hooper's work here. Thanks to my friend Emily for helping me discover his work!

a giveaway: lax to yvr

Today I'm excited to introduce you to LAX to YVR, Alice's fantastic shop and blog. Alice makes beautifully crafted, hand-painted wall decor. A local Vancouver designer, Alice's shop features fun typography pieces and brightly coloured felt garlands. LAX to YVR (the blog) is full of home decorating tips and crafty goodness. If you aren't already a regular reader I'm sure you'll love it. Alice's bright photography and thoughtful posts always pique my interest and it's because of LAX to YVR that I have such beautifully painted walls (Benjamin Moore "Simply White").

Not only do I get to share links to this great shop and blog with you, Alice has also been kind enough to share this brand new design with readers of Camp and Quarry, too. I think it's kind of perfect for the New Year. This giveaway is open until Friday, January 20, 2012 at midnight PST.


To Enter the Giveaway


You must subscribe to the LAX to YVR blog and do any of the following for up to 3 entries (leave one comment per entry):


1. Visit the LAX to YVR shop and leave a comment below mentioning your favourite item(s).
2. Tweet: "I entered a giveaway on the @CAMPandQUARRY blog to win a prize from the @laxtoyvr shop! http://www.campandquarry.com/2012/01/giveaway-yvr-to-lax.html"
3. Subscribe to the Camp + Quarry blog.


The winner will be contacted via e-mail, so be sure to leave your e-mail address along with your comments. This giveaway is open to international entries, too!

the weekend that was

I've developed this obnoxious tendency to feel really sorry for myself at the end of the weekend (more like the middle of the weekend, if I'm being totally honest) because these precious days off fly by. I get to Sunday night and though I know I've done lots over the weekend, it can feel like my To-Do list has just gotten longer. That's partly because my mind never stops. I'm always dreaming up new projects, being given a piece of amazing fabric or a ball of incredible yarn (thank you! don't stop!), or reading a promising weather forecast that makes me wish I had a weekday morning for a bike ride or coffee with friends. It also feels like my To-Do list just gets longer because I take on a lot. Thus, my resolution to simplify things this year.

This post is about reflection: realizing that I did lots this weekend, that I am rested and as ready as I ever will be for a fresh, full week of full-time work. After nine months at this job I'm starting to get better at enjoying my time off. And after a fun weekend with some weird Pacific Northwest weather, I was inspired to share some photos from the weekend that was...

A walk in the university endowment lands with Lola and Jeff early Saturday morning, snow (that never happens here), Lola looking sharp in her Vermont Flannel Company dog jacket, a grocery shopping trip to Bellingham, Washington (with a stop at Avenue Bread), and lush rainforest greenery still shining through the snow.

What did you get up to this weekend? Be sure to stop by tomorrow to check out a super fun New Year giveaway! (P.S. Lots more pics on Twitter and Instagram.)

friday favourites

1. european country homes via design is mine

2. another unseen landscape by robsworld

3. the best american nonrequred reading 2011

4. fortress ring by dollybird

I had this themed favourites post all figured out, and then I saw #4...that amazing hand-forged sterling silver Fortress Ring by Dollybird. If you haven't already checked out this shop, you really should. I love the maker's description of this piece: that it was inspired by her memories of always wanting to be the warrior rather than the princess when she was a child. Perfect. The rest of these picks are things that are inspiring me these days. I want my house to somehow include ALL of the interiors in this post on design is mine. Weathered wood, colourful textiles, and all that natural light. I dig it. Good thing my mom is an expert quilter...we're on our way to achieving something like this, someday.

I'm also really intrigued by collaborative photo projects. As in, you shoot a roll of film, send it to a friend, and they shoot over your pictures. You see what happens. #2 is a collaborative photo from robsworld's photostream. Through the camera twice on opposite sides of the ocean.

And #3: I'm reading this right now. It's early going but I read this collection pretty much every year and it's consistently among my favourite books of the year. So far the profile of M.I.A. is one of the highlights of the 2011 edition. If you aren't familiar with this collection, it's a really good combination of the best fiction and non-fiction writing each year from American publications. There's something in it for everyone and you're bound to discover a new writer that you love. It was this series that introduced me to Nick Flynn, one of my favourite writers these days. Trust me.


I also really want to share this beautiful video with you that uses light painting to make WiFi networks visible. The idea of making immaterial parts of our life visible is beautiful in itself and the execution of this particular project is particularly stunning. Enjoy and happy weekend!

Immaterials by Timo

getting back into the swing of things

It's been nearly two weeks since the holidays ended and I still don't feel like I'm back on track! Perhaps it's just all of the changes around here that have overwhelmed me a bit, but getting organized and motivated after all of the Christmas madness has been a challenge. As I mentioned before (and as you might have seen if you follow me on Twitter or Intagram) I've brought a lot of amazing new stones home with me from Alberta and I absolutely can't wait to start working on new Camp + Quarry designs for the spring. But, it's still winter (though I've seen the first signs of spring bulbs this week) and dark and I keep spending my evenings hanging out on the couch watching Breaking Bad or just reading for hours.

I do have my studio space somewhat prepped and ready to go though. A new awesome lamp (an OttLite) lets me take decent photos in the evening, without having to make or use a DIY lightbox (with a little extra help from Photoshop, of course...shhhh). And refined black curb chain is my true muse these days; I want to use it in every piece I make. You can see it in play in these new raw stone quarry necklaces, now available in the CQ shop. That jumbo piece of black tourmaline is the only one of its kind. Black tourmaline is my favourite stone right now, and this is the chunkiest piece I've come across yet. I love the way the crystals form in planes, giving the stones a naturally faceted texture. Raw rose quartz, amethyst, prehnite, and citrine stones on long black gunmetal chains are also available.

Finally, thank you all for your patience while I iron out the details of this big change. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback about Camp + Quarry and I am 100% convinced it was the exact right move and that it is the exact right name, too. I'll be back on Friday to share some of my current favourites, and next week there will be a giveaway here on the blog that I am very excited about. You're going to love it!

What have you been working on lately? Or are you taking it easy, enjoying some post-holiday down time?

welcome to camp + quarry!

Welcome to Camp + Quarry! After two years of calling my creative project Sadie Designs, it's time for a change. Sadie has been a labour of love and it has, with my interests, changed over the past two years. As I take on new challenges I want to work under a name that reflects my aesthetic and interests more accurately, and Camp + Quarry is just that name.

Camp + Quarry will focus even more on the awesomeness that is the Pacific Northwest, the amazing things that people make with their hands, think with their brains, and see with their cameras. Yes, in 2012 this blog is going to feature even more prominently the outdoors, brain thinking, and picture taking.

I will be renewing my summer guest post series, sharing a lot of my creative projects and (hopefully) titillating you with my West Coast adventures. If you knew how many tries it took for me to spell "titillating" correctly you'd know why I feel the need to include an emphasis on brain thinking here on the Camp + Quarry blog in 2012. Yes, I will learn new words for you, dear readers!

I hope that we coalesce here often, to share chronicles of captivating experiences and to celebrate our successes. ("Coalesce" was a bit of a stretch just then, perhaps...) In the meantime, I leave you with a new Camp + Quarry soundtrack to consider. Thanks for joining me in this evolving endeavour!

Connect with Camp + Quarry on Twitter

Like Camp + Quarry on Facebook

Check out the new Camp + Quarry Etsy shop

Camp + Quarry from CAMPandQUARRY on 8tracks.

tracks:

1. foam hands destroyer

2. ada the national

3. hand me down your love hot chip

4. after the gold rush neil young

5. river guard smog

6. (i can't get no) satisfaction cat power

7. play a slow jam javelin

8. love king the-dream

9. ritual union little dragon

10. stay free black mountain

friday favourites

A new year, a new format for Friday Favourites. I'm going to renew this ongoing series by bringing you a few of my favourite objects and images each week, along with an amazing video, should I be lucky enough to find one. This week's picks are a bit all over the place, but here we go... 

Seeing as how my iPhone is my new favourite toy, this case caught my eye. There are lots of other great ones on Society6, too, including this crystal case which is kinda my other favourite (my real iPhone case cost $2 on dealextreme.com, by the way). 

I always like weirdly mundane photography, and the work of Corey Olsen fits the bill perfect. Cute photography is never bad either. I had trouble choosing my favourite from a collection of sled dog portraits in this month's National Geographic and look forward to following the adventures of Cal and her new puppy, Turbo, over at Boardwalk to Eden. Turn Off Your Computer and Go Outside? I hope we all consciously choose that this weekend. Finally, I offer you the most amazing video that I've seen in a while. A time lapse of the Earth from the International Space Station. I urge you to take a few minutes to watch the Northern Lights wash over the atmosphere. I hope it proves a magical start to a wonderful weekend for you. Thanks for reading!

sources:

1. sequin spill iPhone case by Grace Breyley at Society6 

2. photographer corey olsen via BOOOOOOOM! 

3. Cal's new puppy, Turbo, via boardwalk to eden 4. Laura George print via design is mine

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.
via fecalface
Two posts that made my week:
How Lola spent her holidays (with Stina from Honeywild) and the fabulous Alex Silva featured wearing a Sadie necklace on The Cultist.

Tusen tack

We woke up to another rainy day in Vancouver. Winter here is kind of amazing in a way, because we live in Canada and yet it rarely gets colder than freezing. This is especially incredible in light of the human-killing temperatures Jeff and I learned to survive in Alberta and Manitoba growing up. -40C/F was not unheard of, in fact, it was to be expected. Jeff lived this way his whole life until we moved to Vancouver. I, on the other hand, had a taste of grey English winters, Maritime snowstorms, and even a few tepid Mississippi Christmases.

When I came across this beautiful Swedish restaurant, Tusen, designed by Hans Murman Architects I couldn't help but feel a little wistful for snowy winters. For all I know, this restaurant is 500 kilometres from the city my Swedish friend Rebecka calls home, but reading about it certainly made me jealous of even the faintest possibility that she, or really anyone, gets to experience winter like this. Idealized? Of course. The snow is always whiter when you don't have to shovel your car out of the driveway to get to work.

But still, I love the way deep snow absorbs sound and quiets even the busiest streets, the way it slows you down, and the impromptu winter adventures that can be had when there is fresh snow on the ground. Living in Vancouver, I find myself missing outdoor ice rinks and sledding. Truly, though, I do not miss the subzero temperatures and frigid wind of the Prairies. It's a fair trade-off in the end.

Let's here what Jens Lekman has to say about The Cold Swedish Winter:

on the mountain

Yesterday looking over Burrard Inlet and towards the Coast Mountains. Couldn't have asked for a nicer New Year's Day. Tomorrow it's back to the grind. Why do vacations always fly by?

resolve

Resolve 2011. It feels like it has no bearing at all on 2012. If last year was all about new things (thesis, marriage, work), this year the focus must be on getting better at those new things. It has been a long time since there was no giant goal post visible at the end of a treacherous field. My focus for the past eight years has been getting a fine arts degree, getting into grad school, getting a degree in landscape architecture, getting a job, getting married. And now those things have been got. I'm there (or here?) and can just hang out for a while. I can take my time. I have time.

Resolutions are a good thing, and writing them down makes them real. Mine are simple this year, inspired by the over-riding resolution to simplify it all, not plan life out months in advance, save some money, enjoy some down time. I have jewelry-related resolutions that include learning and making many new things. I have piles of new supplies that I brought home from Alberta that I'm excited to work with...but not yet. First the time to reflect. Reenergize. Prioritize. Sleep.

In 2012 I will read more. This used to be something that I loved and, honestly, I still do, but I get caught up in bright screens and busyness and forget that I'm in the middle of an amazing book. The best things I read in 2011?

So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell

"What we, or at any rate what I, refer to confidently as memory -- meaning a moment, a scene, a fact that has been subjected to a fixative and thereby rescued from oblivion -- is really a form of storytelling that goes on continually in the mind and often changes with the telling. Too many conflicting emotional interests are involved for life ever to be wholly acceptable, and possibly it is the work of the storyteller to rearrange things so that they conform to this end. In any case, in talking about the past we lie with every breath we draw."

It Chooses You by Miranda July sticks with me, too. I'm excited to see her new movie someday.

I will eat more salad in 2012, even when it is too cold to eat salad. Martha knows what's up.

When I think of 2011, I think I will think of this:

And as for 2012, I think it needs some time to figure itself out... Today we'll hike up a mountain with some good friends. We might go to Starbucks afterwards. No one is perfect.