I’ve been very busy lately with lots of preparation for the shows have happened and for Canamade coming up. So, since I’m still running on the momentum from the last couple months, when I finally got to give myself a day off it didn’t really feel like I could relax.

Meet my new coffee table.  The fanciness of this coffee table is directly linked to how much work I get done on it.  Next, my desk.

See you all at Canamade – 151 West Cordova Street (the old Storeum) December 4th (4pm-9pm) 5th (11am-9pm) and 6th (12pm-5pm)

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The One of a Kind Show Vancouver has been and gone for another year.  It was definitely a beautiful show.  Thanks to everyone who came and to all of the very-talented vendors and their countless hours of work for this fabulous 4-day show.  Black Drop will be there again next year October 7th to 10th at Canada Place.

See you in Victoria next at the Creative Craft Fair – Pearkes Arena, 3100 Tillicum Road November 13th to 15th.

Excited about the new pieces.

Wood!

This one in particular is part of the Hollywood Series From a beautiful Holly tree on Denman Island, BC, salvaged from this amazing woman’s property.  Thank-you Tony.

Wow.  Has it really been so long since I last gave this blog some love?

I’ve been getting ready for the One of A Kind Vancouver Show coming up this October 8-11 at Canada Place so it’s been a busy summer with the Granville Island Public Market and stocking up to be ready for the upcoming Christmas season.  The One of a Kind show is a little earlier and at a different location than it was last year so don’t miss it!  It’s a beautiful show with so many talented artists.  See you there!

The summer has been amazing.  The weather has been perfect… also, as a bonus, a thunder and lightening storm in the middle of this brilliant heat wave.  There have been plenty of summery things to do… a wedding, camping, ferries, visiting, going to the lake, yoga, staying up late, doing the Granville Island Market…

I just shamelessly copied  a chutney I had at a pub on commercial – mango, red onion, cilantro and a little honey.  Very summery and refreshing.  It’s awesome.  Now I just have to decide what to have with it.  I’m thinking I’ll browse Christaface’s photostream and find something delicious and inspiring.

Lydia and I slaved away the other day, the day of cupcake camp, to make our cupcake dreams come true.

It was fun.  Beautiful venue and delicious cupcakes.

Here are Lydia’s: chocolate with raspberry buttercream icing – I saw them get a physical thumbs up from nearby mangers.  They were absolutely divine.  I know because I tasted… a bunch.

These are my cupcakes: Coconut Mojito (the non-vegan and more alcoholic version, adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World).  And…word is I won ‘best tasting’ but we had to leave before the judging happened so actually I didn’t.  But… congratulations, to the winner!  I wish I got a chance to taste one of your cupcakes but I guess they were all gone by the time they got to our corner of the room.

And here’s me getting messy during the creation process.  (I didn’t realize this had happened until I got to Cupcake Camp and swiftly began spot-washing.)

Check out the newly-updated  home page and new pieces that have been added – more glass pieces and a bunch of earrings!

Also, you can purchase online again.  Please see the shipping section of the how to buy page because the shipping policy has been modified.

One of the best things to packing up your life and moving to a new place is new routines.  Putting a spin on a tired schedule is just what I needed.  I have several new routines such as:

1. Sleeping in like a teen (my alarm clock is still in a box and I think it might stay there.)

2. Not watching cable (our old television was too huge to justify bringing over – I’m pretty sure if it was hollow I could have curled up inside it.)

3. Getting addicted to HBO television series and watching them from the computer (See #2) Most recently we finished Band of Brothers.  Before that I watched the entire Six Feet Under (again.)  So good.

4. Very inexpensive (and very delicious) sushi.  Thank-you Vancouver.  I’ve indulged so many times before, but only on visits.  Last night before we watched the last episode of Band of Brothers we picked up some rolls from our new favourite sushi bar on Hastings at 10pm (because we could.)

5. Huge variety of delicious food (I know I already mentioned Sushi in #4, but I think it deserved its own individual praise.)  Being at the Granville Island Public Market regularly is amazing.  Just thinking about it makes me hungry.  (See photo at the beginning of this post – Mojito slushie from Non’s Drinks To Go in the Public Market.  They taste as good as they look.  Sometimes I wish they were slushier but the flavours are always amazing.)  And then there’s the produce, the gelato, the seafood – everything you could ever want.

6. Traffic.  Well, this is a routine that I don’t enjoy, but it is part of our new life – I am lucky enough to not have to commute regularity or drive very often.  On market days, because I’m transporting my booth, I have to take on the traffic.

7. Talking about taking public transit more while melting in my hatchback (See #5).

8. Audiobooks.  Solving two issues: my inability to stay still and working at home.  I signed on to  Audible.com and now get a free credit every month, which is almost always enough for one book.  I wondered how they could keep afloat doing this, but then I realised how addictive the audiobooks are and that I’m not far from starting to buy them without my free credit.

9. Walking the dog many times a day.  Good for Gus, good for us!

10. Sunshine.  I’m sure this perfect weather can’t last forever, but for now it is great to wake up to sunshine every day, even if I am waking at the same time as teenagers.

The Black Drop Blog will be back soon.  Promise.