BirdBrain Designs

Birdbrain

meet the delta

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These days I have been working with leather that I really love. This emerald leather  falls into that category; it has a lovely sheen and texture which will just get nicer with age and use. The Delta is designed as a travel bag or large tote. It is 18″ wide, 14″ tall and has a depth of 6″. The front has a pocket with a magnetic closure with contrasting leather lining–inside there  is a zipper pocket and two slip pockets.  There are two padded handles for easy carrying as well as a detachable shoulder strap which adjusts to 46″ long. The bottom has four ‘feet’ to protect it from scuffing. All in all, this tote is designed to be an indispensable part of your travel plans. The Delta will be in the shop by Wednesday.

 

a conversation with leather

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I fell in love with this piece of leather. I think you would call it distressed and it reminds me of denim–a great colour and texture. It is a small remnant, just enough for a Luna shoulder bag. As I looked at the piece, working out how to get the strap (always my biggest concern) and the other sections out, the leather started asserting itself. There was a lovely curve at the edge of one of the pieces–the perfect curve for the front pocket. I find this with hooking too–and am always amazed by this dance, the give-and-take of creativity. Where do the ideas come from? I suggest it is a conversation–with your past, (have I seen a bag like this before, did I own one??) with your present (how will I get all the pieces out of this tiny remnant? Was I crazy?) and the actual material (look over here, Silly!!). The studio on a day like this is where I want to be–the sun pouring in, good music filling the air and some magic happening.

winner and inspiration

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The winner of the Bird with Attitude pouch is Cathy! Congratulations, Cathy, and thank you to everyone who visited the shop and left comments on the blog. It is always encouraging to hear from you. A comment, a connection, makes such a difference.

Yesterday I visited The Textile Museum to see the Marimekko exhibit. What a joy it was to take in the designs, the colours, the photos and, yes, even the clothes (!)



If you get a chance, visit the exhibit to experience the vibrant colours and designs, still with such impact after 50 years. These are the fabrics of my formative years. As I walked around the exhibit I saw dresses I had worn, fabrics I had coveted, and images I had stored. Sometimes, we don’t know where our ideas come from. In Austin Kleon’s book, Steal Like an Artist, (love this book) he writes: “You are a mashup of what you choose to let into your life. You are the sum of your influences…Goethe said, ‘We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.'” 

Below are two of my hooked pieces where, now that I look back, I can see the Marimekko influence peaking through–the colours and the sense of play.

birdbrain online shop is open!

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It’s still a work-in-progress, but the Birdbrain On-line Shop is officially open.  You can click on the shop button at the top left of this page and you will be taken to the on-line store where you can see all I have for sale–in three views–and buy using paypal if you choose. Or just have a look around and write to me with a request or idea.

To celebrate the opening of the online shop and the birdbrain blog 2nd anniversary we are having a give-away. Below are some of the Bird with Attitude canvas pouches fresh from the studio. These pouches are made of heavy grade canoe canvas, screen-printed with my bird and lined with a red, blue and yellow cotton print from the market in Bondo, Kenya.  Leave a comment on this post or any post this week to enter the draw for this pouch. The draw will be made Friday 22nd at 5pm.

in the studio

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It was a beautiful day and I loved being out in the sunshine. But I did spend the morning in the studio–my favourite place to be on a Sunday morning is in the studio with the CBC. I am making a run of Bird with Attitude pouches, lined with this great Kenyan cotton. They will be in the shop shortly and one will be for a give-away to celebrate the blog anniversary.  I will tell you about it all tomorrow.

march in Ontario

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Sunny day in Ontario today and I am in the studio–should have two new bags to show you soon–but in the meantime wanted to share my sketch of the walk across the Huffman fields to the sugar bush last weekend and then…the product.

10 good things

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It’s a cold and dreary morning in southern Ontario and my train plans to TO for supplies were literally derailed (after I got to the station for 6:10 am and was actually sitting on the train). So I am here again in the studio this morning. I often make lists of good things in my sketchbook, as reminders–and since I have some good ones to share, I thought I would do so right here.

1. The calm following the Kenyan election.  Raila Odinga is taking his accusations of vote rigging to the Supreme Court and everyone is calling for peace. I had a text from my friend Jackie in Bondo who tells me they are all waiting on the court’s findings.

2. This inspiring interview with the Nobel prizewinning authors of Half the Sky.

3. This amazing film and this one–both of which I saw at our recent AMAZING Docfest.

4. This book . I read it in Matangwe on my ipad under the mosquito net! Thanks to Mary Anne for recommending it.

5. This cake.

6. This soup.

7. This article on shibori dyeing.

8. This shop. Below you will see all the coloured leather I bought there yesterday.

9. A new project. A large travel tote in green leather. The Delta Tote.

10. Birdbrain blog anniversary at the end of the month. To celebrate a new shop and a giveaway. More on this early next week.

new Keller bag

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This Keller bag is made of lovely pebbly leather–supple and strong. It is a great rich mahogany colour and lined with blue and orange cotton from the Kibuye market, Kenya. It has a zipper closing, an exterior zipper pocket and two interior slip pockets. The strap is adjustable and long enough to be worn across body–my favourite way to carry a bag. An ideal everyday bag–the Bondo blue will carry all your essentials.

L 12″ W 12″ D 4″

An update: I am working on the shop and it is progressing. This Keller and other bags will be in the shop and available for purchase shortly. Or email me anytime.

in the studio

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I have been making some new bags with the wonderful Kenyan fabric as lining. I think this blue and orange dot is my favourite. Some of these bags I am making are orders and others are just inspiration. The one pictured here is close to completion. I am also working on a much-needed revamping of my shop so that you can see what is available and be able to purchase it easily. I hope to have this completed within a few weeks. In the meantime, please just send an email if you are interested in anything you see.

Below is my pile of new books and a couple of articles on Marimekko. I highly recommend the two new books on sketching by Danny Gregory and James Richards; and the top book, by Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer, presents a convincing argument for setting aside old fears and habits and going after our own creative renaissance . As for Marimekko, I have been a big fan of these colourful graphics since the 60’s–you may remember the aprons I made, pictured in this post. The textile museum in Toronto has a Marimekko retrospective on until April 21st and I definitely plan to attend. In the meantime, I have been letting my imagination run wild with the fabrics below.