Last month, I attended my first craft/art show and sale with a small group of local artists at a pop-up venue in downtown Edmonton. It was a low-key event, which felt like a safe environment both in relation to the pandemic and my general state of mind; everyone involved in the event and those who attended were friendly, kind, and supportive, which made the whole thing a fun experience. I was able to sell quite a few of my jewelry and embroidery pieces, and met some truly wonderful folks in the process — I am so honoured that they chose to take my art into their homes/lives. I remain constantly in doubt over the quality/worth of my work, but this experience did help me to see that there is something there which others may appreciate.

In general, however, the last couple of months have been very difficult for me which has impacted my creative output. I try to make space and time for art, in some measure, every day because it helps my mental health even at its lowest ebb. I have lots of ideas, and have been replenishing my supplies, but progress has been slow. That’s okay. I’m working on being easier on myself in all areas of life, including this.

Here are a few recent and not so recent pieces.

I am continuing to explore abstract patterns via embroidery:

I also completed an embroidery commission — a necklace bib for someone who loves irises and the colour purple:

For upcycled jewelry, I made a few new pieces — some for myself, some for sale. I was able to sort out my clay supply and build up a small inventory of good quality stones, but now I am struggling a bit with my supply of jewelry findings, as the thrift stores seemed to have dried up lately.

These last three pieces were all made from bits of this same Stella & Dot necklace:

Piece #1
Piece #2
Piece #3

I’ve been toying with the idea of organizing some kind of “stitch and bitch” club — having a small group of folks gather together (in my backyard or a similar outdoor venue) to work on craft projects, exchange ideas and tips, host “how to” sessions (taking turns to demonstrate our specialties to each other), and socialize a bit. It may be getting late in the season for outdoor gatherings, but I think it might be a fun thing to try to do as long as the weather permits. If this is something you’ve done before, I would love to hear your thoughts, tips and general ideas.

8 Comments on I Did A Thing, vol. 39

  1. I’m so sorry for your loss and what you’re going through having lost a parent myself. I once read grief put like this – As far as I can see, grief will never truly end. It may become softer over time, more gentle, and some days will feel sharp. But grief will last as long as love does — forever. It’s simply the way the absence of your loved one manifests in your heart. A deep longing, accompanied by the deepest love. Some days, the heavy fog may return, and the next day, it may recede, once again. It’s all an ebb and flow, a constant dance of sorrow and joy, pain and sweet love. (credit Scribbles & Crumbs)
    Would love to see photos of your booth from the Craft Fair/Art Show and hear more about the experience. I’ve done something like this once but it was right as the pandemic started so the timing was horrible.
    Many months ago I contemplated a ‘Girls “Unfinished” Afternoon/Night’ where we’d get together and each bring an unfinished project (sewing/craft/paint/whatever) we were working on, where we we’d found ourselves stuck/needing inspiration/I really f’d this up!/Can this be saved?/How do I fix or make this look better? But it never came to fruition (ugh pandemic!).
    Soooo, I absolutely love your idea of a “stitch & bitch” session and cannot wait to see your posts on it. Yes, this is worthy of multiple posts! What people brought, what worked what didn’t (as far as setup), improvements for next time (I can see this becoming a regular “I Did a Thing…”).
    Would love to read a post on how you came up with the name for your blog too!
    Thank you for such an inspiring post today. May your day be filled with Sunshine & Love!

    • Thank you so much for your comment. Grief is def a journey with no particular destination. I’m coming to accept that. It is layered over over things at the moment, not least the pandemic related burnout that I am sure we are all feeling.

      I’m still in the very early stages of thinking about the stitch and bitch, and it may not really take off until next year but I will def post an update in time.

      I wrote a bit about the blog name in my FAQ but basically is an allusion to my city (which used to be considered a blue collar town in comparison to Calgary, not sure that’s still the case) and the idea of red lipstick being “fashiony”. But mostly I just liked the way the 2 parts (blue collar, red lipstick) worked off each other.

  2. Wow. Your work is amazing. That turquoise and coral necklace with big stone framed with metal and the multicolored chain is totally calling my name.

    So glad to hear you are being kind with yourself. When I lost my mother, I did not do this, to my great detriment. Hang in there may be trite but that’s what I focused on to survive in the wake of it all.

  3. Congratulations on this new step in your journey! Very excited for you and rooting for you from afar.

  4. Hi Adina, I really love your embroidery and have sent a link to this post to our daughter-in-law, who has recently started doing it (very basic yet though). Thought she’d like to see the possibilities!

    And I see from the last comment the reason for your tough times lately – please accept my sincere condolences on your loss.

  5. Adina your embroidery Is stunningly beautiful. Growing up in Romania, I used to sew “goblen”. Just one kind of stitch used with various coloured yarn to fill the canvas previously drawn upon. I really enjoyed that as a child. Seeing your work, has really ignited a big curiosity and desire to start embroidering, can you suggest how I start this (classes, books, stores)? Thanks so much for always inspiring me with all your blog entries. You are a beauty and a gem!!!

    • Hi Alina! My grandma used to do goblen — that takes me back. I’m self taught, and learned my stitches from YouTube tutorials and googling “how tos”. Once you know basic stitches, you can make pretty much whatever you want. If you search my archives (there should be a search bar at the bottom of the main page) you’ll find some of my earlier posts where I talked about some of the books I used for early patterns. But I prefer making my own.

      I buy most of my supplies at Michaels (a craft store chain, not sure where you are located). You only need hoops, fabric (I like using cotton muslin) and embroidery floss. And a good needle, of course 🙂