I’ve been seeing Cloud+Lolly at Edmonton area craft events for a while now, and I always stop to check out their colourful jewellery. Cloud + Lolly is the sister team (I know! We keep finding sister teams! I love it!) of Cheryl and Laurie, and their jewellery is simple, colourful and just really lovely! They describe themselves on their website as:
Once upon a time, there were two very different sisters;
one with her head in the clouds; the other with her feet planted
firmly on the ground. From this diverse pairing, Cloud+Lolly was born.
Together, we create inspired and innovative handmade accessories.
A few of my favourites, currently available in their shop at www.cloudandlolly.com:
Cloud + Lolly also sells really adorable little scrabble tile pendants, with great patterned papers on the opposite side, but they’re only available if you have the good fortune to see Cheryl and Laurie at a show. They’ll be at Make It! Edmonton this coming weekend (enter to win tickets here!), so if you’re in Alberta’s Capital Region, this would be a great chance to drop in and say hi. Tell them C+H sent you :)
We wanted to learn a little more about Cloud + Lolly, so we asked them of they would agree to subject themselves to our little interview ;) Laurie is a very busy mom of 3, with all of her “spare” time taken up prepping for their upcoming shows, but Cheryl was gracious enough to answer our questions. Here’s a little taste of Cloud + Lolly… thanks for playing along with us, Cheryl!
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What started the creative fire burning for you? Do you remember a particular moment, a favourite childhood activity, something you saw and wanted to recreate or improve upon?
Cheryl: I’ve been drawing and crafting in general for as long as I can remember. My mom insisted I keep a ‘memory box’ and I’ve filled it over the years with all sorts of things. I was looking in it the other day, and found art projects & drawings from when I was 3 & 4 years old. It was in my blood, definitely!
What is the best (and worst, if you’d like to share!) part about working with your sister?
Cheryl: The best part is getting to see her often (as well as my niece & nephews) we went our separate ways in our teens & twenties. I lived overseas & moved around lots.
It’s definitely been a bonding experience. The worst part is we don’t always see eye-to-eye. We try to make the most of it, and make it work to our advantage.
Where do you look for inspiration?
Cheryl: I look at design websites, books & blogs (from interior design, architecture, fashion, print design, crafty etc.) basically anything new, ground-breaking or that has the wow-factor.
What part of creating your pieces gives you the most joy and satisfaction?
Cheryl: I’d have to say the finished product. For all of our designs, they start out as a sketch on paper. They evolve over the months, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see the finished piece after a very windy road getting there.
What is it about your creations that sets you apart?
Cheryl: I think presentation and the spin we put on simple ideas make our designs unique. I’m always trying different things and thinking outside the box.
Why do you choose to work in this medium or format?
Cheryl: I’d been crafting & selling my goodies on Etsy since 2005, and the stuff I’ve made is always evolving. I’m happy doing jewellery because we always aim to make something that’s not super mainstream. I’m all about making stuff that’s visually pleasing. So be it housewares, textile design or handbags, that definitely could be in our future!
How long does it take to create one of your pieces?
Cheryl: If we factor in the time it takes to source images (patterns, paper etc.) arranging them in Photoshop or Illustrator, printing them, cutting the shapes out, glueing, drying time, resin pouring, more drying time, packaging & all that…I’d say a total of 15-20 minutes or so.
Do you feel that living in Canada has influenced your work?
Cheryl: Not so much Canada, but growing up on a farm definitely has. Being surrounded by nature, we pull everyday items into many of our pieces. Trees, flowers, leaves, different seasons, woodland animals etc.
What advice would you give someone who is just starting out? Who has provided you with inspiration or mentorship on your journey?
Cheryl: It’s been said before, and I’ll say it too: Do what you love, and never give up. Also, don’t be afraid of change. I’ve found many mentors along the way; family, friends, bloggers.
People
are always willing to help or give feedback.
Do you listen to music or have another way of getting “in the zone” when you create?
Cheryl: Definitely. During the height of the day is usually house music and downtempo in the evenings.
Do you have a favourite author or book?
Cheryl: My favourite author has always been Stephen King. I feel his imagination out does mine sometimes and it’s intriguing to read any new books by him, one can be so different from the other.
When you’re not creating, what is your favourite way to spend your time?
Cheryl: I love hanging out with my niece & nephews and getting into childish ways (building train tracks or racing cars) but really, I’m creating all the time. I’m a freelance graphic designer as well, so when I’m not making C+L stuff, I’m on the computer designing SOMETHING. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
And finally,
Where can we find you online, just in case we missed you somewhere? (webpage, Twitter, Facebook, Etsy, Cargoh, Artfire, DaWanda etc)
Cheryl: We’re focusing our energy on our own website and have moved away from EtsyCorp. www.cloudandlolly.com and we’re trying out Cargoh too.
:: :: ::
You can find Cheryl and Laurie’s creations on their own website, at Cargoh and follow along with them on Facebook and Twitter as well!
Enjoy,
~Sarah
I’m not sure why it is, but it seems to me (through very unscientific observational methods) that many woman return to their creative roots after they become mothers. Maybe these days it’s the desire to stay with our babies and not go back to the office grind, or maybe it’s simply a function of those maternal instincts kicking in. Whatever it is, I think it’s pretty amazing that so many women are running their own businesses and pursuing their creative talents – Stacey from nisse.works is one of those women. After the birth of her daughter, she revived her childhood sewing skills and turned a hobby into a growing business.
From her home in Brandon, Manitoba, Stacey creates lovely little bags and pouches, all with a touch of hand embroidery and sweet details – perfect stocking stuffers, or gift bags for a small token of love (boys, if you’re buying your lady something sparkly, these would make a cute package!)
For the sewing enthusiast, these little needlebooks and pincushion pairs are pretty adorable!
Stacey’s graphic design roots are showing up in her shop, too – she has some animal alphabet and desk calendar printable files that you can download and print out yourself. No excuse to be without a calendar when she makes it this easy. I think I like the “Leavings” design the best, and each month is slightly different.
You can find Stacey’s work on Cargoh, Artfire, her own website nisseworks.com, Facebook and Twitter!
Cheers,
~Sarah
P.S. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve already purchased one of Stacey’s little tote bags for my daughter for Christmas and it is really adorable!
I just love it when you stumble across something totally great, and completely unexpected. The other day I was in the middle of an online hunt for a particular item and found myself following an intriguing trail of links, not knowing where I was going to end up. Before I knew it I had landed at Groovy Glass Girl’s Cargoh site, and I am so glad that I stopped by! Featuring fused glass and stained glass work, paired with artistic metal and wire accents, these accessories are definitely worth a visit.
The peacock feather detail in this pendant is so neat!
I think this cosmic style pendant is out of this world!
A dramatic look, without being overly formal. Beautiful.
I really fell hard for this one:
I love the graceful sweep of the metalwork, and the green glass is lovely!
There are also plenty of earrings to choose from, like this cute pair in lime green and blue:
Plain old hoops?? no thanks! These are way more fun!
Groovy Glass Girl (aka: Poppy) creates her lovely pieces in her home studio in British Columbia. She also has several spots that you can find her on line : all the better for those of us who aren’t “pacific adjacent”. You can visit her Cargoh site, the Etsy shop, her blog, or visit her on facebook.
~Jennifer
For those of you playing along with our Handmade Holiday challenge, I suspect I’m not the only one facing a hurdle when it comes to the husband. Sports-loving, tools and gadget guy who wears a lot of plaid work shirts BUT he likes shoes more than the average guy and covets a great designer sports jacket. Contradictions.
I suspect that this shop can help. If your guy-of-choice is a fan of Han Solo (and who isn’t?!) or a poker player or aspires to be a stunt pilot, Jennifer at Nostalgic Links can hook you up! Working out of Vancouver, she has an extensive collection of fun and funky cufflinks and accessories.
Star Wars!
Ace in the pocket
If you have a Lego man in your life, Jennifer has an entire section in her Etsy shop devoted to Lego cufflinks. No, really!
Pilot Lego minifigs
Add a little touch of blue!
She uses both new and vintage pieces, and is open to custom requests. There really is something in Jennifer’s shop for all the guys on your list – from snowboarder to George Washington afficionado, golfer or lifelong fan of The Boss. She even has a couple of things for the ladies and I love these letterpress necklaces, which would be fun to have in your initials or a child’s name!
You can find Jennifer on Etsy and Cargoh, and follow along with her on Twitter and Facebook.
I love it when an online marketplace makes it easy for me to find Canadian artists and shops, so I was excited to discover that Cargoh.com (the awesome curated indie and design online marketplace based in Vancouver!) has added a country filter to their search. Sweet!
Still on my hunt for Hallowe’en-y accessories and ways to add a little “spooky” to our lives for the next couple of weeks, I came across Dead Kittie, based in Vancouver and a Cargoh artist. Megan Majewski’s artwork is a combination of sweet and dark – her subjects are all, well, dead… but still, they don’t look so menacing. Just a little decaying, and they might be eating a heart. No biggie ;)
Not such a good day at the circus for these 3
What really caught my eye in her shop, though, were her hair clips with a perfect hint of Hallowe’en – a pretty flower clip, with a skull in the centre!
I must admit that Hallowe’en isn’t my favourite holiday of the year, but everything we’ve been finding lately is making me look forward to the fun of Hallowe’en a little more this year!
You can find Megan online at Cargoh.com, on her website DeadKittie.com or on her Facebook page!
Cheers,
~Sarah
I spent these past couple of days very much out of my element – I was a newbie spectator at the AAC National Agility Championship at Spruce Meadows, outside of Calgary. Our family boasts a couple of very talented handlers and their fantastic border collies, and they were competing at the top level all weekend. It was such a blast to see them run the tricky courses, and I was amazed by the way the dogs react to the slightest hand movement from their handlers (and maybe DON’T respond to the rather, um, insistent yelling quite as quickly?! *chuckle*)
So, I came home thinking that these dogs deserve something a little special… and I found it at Vurv Design! Glenn Ross’s work is a function of his training in architecture, which led to a love of modern furniture design. He says his goal is
to create warm, comfortable spaces within the context of the modern home.
Seems to me that a family dog is a big part of the warmth of a family, and that these gorgeous accessories would fit into any modern home with style.
I clumsily kicked over the dog's water bowl in my cousin's hotel room this weekend. This water/feed stand might help avoid that!
If my dog ate from this bowl, he might be allowed to join us in the kitchen ;)
And the piece de resistance? After the dogs ran their little hearts out this weekend, maybe they could curl up in the super lovely Ellipse bed!
Glenn’s furniture is handmade in Coquitlam, BC and I for one would love to see more pieces! You can keep up with Vurv Designs at the shop on Cargoh, Twitter, vurv.ca or on his blog. For a little taste of what else Glenn can do, visit his website and click the “Shop for People” link. That desk just made me swoon ;)
Cheers to our canine friends – they sure make life interesting!
~Sarah
Oh, how I love a snuggly baby blanket. We have 2 little girls, and while we do have lots of kid-size blankets (I’d estimate about 15, including the hand-knitted lovelies that they sleep with every night and nap!), I’m always looking for one that’s just a bit bigger or a bit smaller or lighter weight or thicker or longer or fuzzier or… you get the idea. Depending on the situation, you need just the right blanket. Which is why, I say, you can never have enough. And if you do end up with extras, the big girl will just confiscate them for her dolls anyway.
All that to say that, um, I *love* these pretty and cozy-looking blankets from Julie at Superfly Lullabies. This Whimsical Woodland blankie struck my fancy:
As did this stripey-blanket that, conveniently, matches my baby’s nursery.
LOVE the stripes! Gorgeous!
Julie also offers pretty bibs, long enough to tuck under the high chair tray (she’s definitely a Mom!). All of her items are sewn in her home, prewashed and preshrunk, ready for your little one.
Drop by for a visit to this White Rock, BC seller’s Etsy shop, her Cargoh shop, find her on Twitter @superflyjulie or on Facebook, too! I think every baby deserves 1 (or 2 or 3 or more!) special blankets to snuggle with!
Cheers,
~Sarah
Spotted on Cargoh‘s homepage last night was this LOVEly poster by Amy, a Vancouver based web and graphic designer. Taking inspiration from origami art, typography and that most-vital of human emotions, love, her work is bold and clean.
I really love the graphics in these small prints (8.5 x 11 or 8 x 10), and I think they’d be great in an office or studio space, or in your entryway to add a boost of colour and a little meditative reminder before you head out for the day!
You can also find Amy at her Etsy shop (Field Trip) and on her eclectic blog at Handmade Evolution, featuring everything indie and handmade! Sounds like Amy is our kind of woman :)
Cheers,
~Sarah
