My creative journey started in junior high with a home economics course where I enjoyed learning to sew. I continued taking sewing classes in high school and now have a good laugh when I look back at some of the outfits I made and wore during that time.
I grew up in a family of six near the small town of Bentley, Alberta, Canada and when I wasn’t doing chores on the family farm, I loved watching fashion shows on TV and sketching the latest designs. This led me to move to Richmond, B.C. after high school to study fashion design and technology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. After graduation, I started working with a local clothing company sourcing garment trims and working with local factories. A year later, I was promoted to the designer position and began designing sportswear sold in ski resorts across North America. It was a small company, and this meant I was doing a wide variety of tasks including designing, sourcing materials, making patterns, and at times, shipping orders. Unfortunately, after fifteen years with the brand, the company faced financial troubles and eventually had to lay off all of their employees.
“Take what you can from your dreams, make them as real as anything.” — Dave Matthews
While out of work and searching online for a job, I stumbled upon Etsy. I knew I had always wanted to do something creative on the side, and this looked promising. I love vintage home décor so, after much researching and planning, I launched my Etsy shop with offerings of handmade decorative pillows with vintage style graphics and ring bearer pillows made out of vintage lace. I was thrilled when I sold my first ring bearer pillow to a woman from Versailles, France for her wedding.
My kitchen table was where I cut out and printed my fabrics, and a small table in my bedroom was where I did my sewing. Even though I lived in a small space for many years, I didn’t let it limit my creativity. I also sold vintage clothing and was regularly thrift shopping for new finds. Although this was fun and creative, it wasn’t enough to pay the bills.
After several months, I landed a new job as an apparel technical developer for a large company, which entailed working with designers and developing garments with local and overseas factories. It involved trips to Asia and Central America to visit factories and textile mills, which was a great learning experience. I still worked and built up my Etsy shop on the weekends, and to expand my creative skills, I also took weekend classes in oil painting, photography and digital media.
A few years ago I became a homeowner and was excited to create workspaces away from my kitchen table. Today, my den is where I have my sewing table with a shelf I built and metal baskets full of lace, doilies and fabric scraps. Vintage lace is a favorite of mine, and I like to keep it visible and not hidden in a drawer. I have a separate office space with many art books, magazines, vintage dress forms and an inspiration board I made from an old dresser mirror. I surround myself with the things I love, including many antiques throughout my home that inspire me. My friends tell me my home looks like a museum.
I first started collecting antiques in my mid-twenties and started with Coca-Cola collectibles, but now I collect items such as old worn books, tins, vintage alarm clocks and old photos. I enjoy checking out vintage markets, antique shows and thrift stores and like to repurpose items such as silverplated teapots, dolls and vintage bottles. One of my favorite pieces is my antique dress form from the early 1900s. I had it shipped from Chicago to the nearest pick up point at the US border as the seller would not ship directly to Canada. When I picked it up and brought it across the border, the customs officer saw it in my back seat and asked, “What is that thing?” After explaining to him that the body lying in my back seat was an antique dress form that was used for making clothing he simply said, “well that’s cool” and sent me on my way.
To stay creative I like learning new crafts and techniques rather than sticking with just one particular form of art; however, everything I make will always have a vintage look to remain cohesive. Not long ago, I taught myself how to solder and started making vintage style jewelry. I took a workshop from a local artist and a silversmith course to improve my technique. A desk in my den, which I’ve had since I was a teenager, serves as my jewelry making area with an array of small little drawers for storing jewelry parts. I also make leather cuffs and necklaces with vintage metal badges that used to be on the hats worn by transport drivers for identification. Items like this have history and a story to tell, which intrigues me.
My latest creative interest is the world of mixed media art. In late 2017, I discovered a four-day event in Vancouver called the Eastside Culture Crawl where hundreds of local artists open their art studios to the public. Exploring these studios was very inspiring and led me to sign myself up for a mixed media painting class for several months, as well as, a five-day workshop with a textile artist. This opened up a whole new world of creativity for me and inspired me to expand my creative space, whereby I converted my garage into an art studio. I wanted a space where I could create a mess and simply close the garage door. In this new space, I have created several mixed media paintings, which can be found throughout my home.
A common element in my artwork is crackle medium, which creates that wonderful aged look. To complete my artwork pieces I like to use old antique frames, which are a piece of art on their own. I am also exploring art journaling using ephemera, vintage lace and textiles such as linen and rust dyed cotton. I find mixed media art both relaxing and challenging at the same time; an idea may seem easy, be quite difficult to execute yet finally all come together at the end, which is very rewarding. What the future holds for me is continuing to explore mixed media art and whatever sparks my interest along the way. The creative possibilities are endless!
My creative journey started in junior high with a home economics course where I enjoyed learning to sew. I continued taking sewing classes in high school and now have a good laugh when I look back at some of the outfits I made and wore during that time.
I grew up in a family of six near the small town of Bentley, Alberta, Canada and when I wasn’t doing chores on the family farm, I loved watching fashion shows on TV and sketching the latest designs. This led me to move to Richmond, B.C. after high school to study fashion design and technology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. After graduation, I started working with a local clothing company sourcing garment trims and working with local factories. A year later, I was promoted to the designer position and began designing sportswear sold in ski resorts across North America. It was a small company, and this meant I was doing a wide variety of tasks including designing, sourcing materials, making patterns, and at times, shipping orders. Unfortunately, after fifteen years with the brand, the company faced financial troubles and eventually had to lay off all of their employees.
“Take what you can from your dreams, make them as real as anything.” — Dave Matthews
While out of work and searching online for a job, I stumbled upon Etsy. I knew I had always wanted to do something creative on the side, and this looked promising. I love vintage home décor so, after much researching and planning, I launched my Etsy shop with offerings of handmade decorative pillows with vintage style graphics and ring bearer pillows made out of vintage lace. I was thrilled when I sold my first ring bearer pillow to a woman from Versailles, France for her wedding.
My kitchen table was where I cut out and printed my fabrics, and a small table in my bedroom was where I did my sewing. Even though I lived in a small space for many years, I didn’t let it limit my creativity. I also sold vintage clothing and was regularly thrift shopping for new finds. Although this was fun and creative, it wasn’t enough to pay the bills.
After several months, I landed a new job as an apparel technical developer for a large company, which entailed working with designers and developing garments with local and overseas factories. It involved trips to Asia and Central America to visit factories and textile mills, which was a great learning experience. I still worked and built up my Etsy shop on the weekends, and to expand my creative skills, I also took weekend classes in oil painting, photography and digital media.
A few years ago I became a homeowner and was excited to create workspaces away from my kitchen table. Today, my den is where I have my sewing table with a shelf I built and metal baskets full of lace, doilies and fabric scraps. Vintage lace is a favorite of mine, and I like to keep it visible and not hidden in a drawer. I have a separate office space with many art books, magazines, vintage dress forms and an inspiration board I made from an old dresser mirror. I surround myself with the things I love, including many antiques throughout my home that inspire me. My friends tell me my home looks like a museum.
I first started collecting antiques in my mid-twenties and started with Coca-Cola collectibles, but now I collect items such as old worn books, tins, vintage alarm clocks and old photos. I enjoy checking out vintage markets, antique shows and thrift stores and like to repurpose items such as silverplated teapots, dolls and vintage bottles. One of my favorite pieces is my antique dress form from the early 1900s. I had it shipped from Chicago to the nearest pick up point at the US border as the seller would not ship directly to Canada. When I picked it up and brought it across the border, the customs officer saw it in my back seat and asked, “What is that thing?” After explaining to him that the body lying in my back seat was an antique dress form that was used for making clothing he simply said, “well that’s cool” and sent me on my way.
To stay creative I like learning new crafts and techniques rather than sticking with just one particular form of art; however, everything I make will always have a vintage look to remain cohesive. Not long ago, I taught myself how to solder and started making vintage style jewelry. I took a workshop from a local artist and a silversmith course to improve my technique. A desk in my den, which I’ve had since I was a teenager, serves as my jewelry making area with an array of small little drawers for storing jewelry parts. I also make leather cuffs and necklaces with vintage metal badges that used to be on the hats worn by transport drivers for identification. Items like this have history and a story to tell, which intrigues me.
My latest creative interest is the world of mixed media art. In late 2017, I discovered a four-day event in Vancouver called the Eastside Culture Crawl where hundreds of local artists open their art studios to the public. Exploring these studios was very inspiring and led me to sign myself up for a mixed media painting class for several months, as well as, a five-day workshop with a textile artist. This opened up a whole new world of creativity for me and inspired me to expand my creative space, whereby I converted my garage into an art studio. I wanted a space where I could create a mess and simply close the garage door. In this new space, I have created several mixed media paintings, which can be found throughout my home.
A common element in my artwork is crackle medium, which creates that wonderful aged look. To complete my artwork pieces I like to use old antique frames, which are a piece of art on their own. I am also exploring art journaling using ephemera, vintage lace and textiles such as linen and rust dyed cotton. I find mixed media art both relaxing and challenging at the same time; an idea may seem easy, be quite difficult to execute yet finally all come together at the end, which is very rewarding. What the future holds for me is continuing to explore mixed media art and whatever sparks my interest along the way. The creative possibilities are endless!
