By Magda, 8 January 2010

Digital knit pillows by Chic sin Design

Knit log pillows by Chick sin Design.

Knit log pillows by Chick sin Design.

I just love these knit bolster pillow covers by Hong Kong based Chic sin Design. Originally I found the items in their Etsy shop.

The pillows are in the shape and size of tree logs “chewed by beavers”, and the tree bark and other texture graphics are knitted into the textile in several colours, rather than printed on the surface.

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By Magda, 7 January 2010

New drawing collection preview for Monsters and Heroes

Here is a preview of five images from a new collection of Marc’s drawings that we are just about done putting together for publication.  The collection is called Monsters and Heroes and the drawings were chosen from Marc’s plethora of sketchbooks and notebooks from the last several years.

I’ll know we’ll have done it right if the final thing feels like a combination of instructive tale about the tricky nature of  face value,  colouring book, and high contrast, eyeball giddying stare-a-thron.

Monster drawing 2

Hero or monster? Hint: drool earrings.

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By Magda, 25 December 2009

Getting the hang of home studio product photography

New Happy Sleepies piled up for a group photo at the end of a photo session.

New Happy Sleepies piled up for a group photo at the end of a photo session.

Cloudy days have lovely diffused light and big pieces of styrofoam make really good light reflectors.

That sums up the most recent advancements in my skills as a still life photographer.

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By Magda, 25 December 2009

Happy Sleepy embroidered patch

Happy Sleepy tumble and surf patch

Happy Sleepy Tumble and Surf patch based on a drawing by Marc Ngui.

Marc had this patch made in Arambol, Goa, India, back in January 2009. It’s about 6 inches wide, and it is machine embroidered. I sewed it onto one of our bags while we were travelling, to repair where it was torn.

The workmanship on this patch is really rough and completely omits some of the details that were in the drawing. I’ve been spending quite a bit of time getting my hand embroidery skills off the ground, and I look forward to remaking this patch by hand.

By Magda, 20 December 2009

Happy Sleepy Suavey in tangerine velvet and chocolate brown leather

The latest addition to the shop is Happy Sleepy Suavey, made from
orange cotton velvet with brown suede “sunglasses” applique. When turned upside down, the sunglasses look like a mustache.

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By Magda, 11 December 2009

The process of cutting and sewing the Happy Sleepy pelts

There’s been a flurry of real in the world making activity all fall around here. I delight in having the laptop set up right beside the sewing machine set up right beside the cutting table, opposite the shelves of materials and tools. I glee up every time I pull a suitcase from under a table to rummage in my collection of fabrics, which is what the suitcases hold these days instead of clothes, books and other travel essentials. In short, I’m loving my studio space.

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By Magda, 13 November 2009

New Happy Sleepy shop on Etsy

Drumroll, please…

The new Happy Sleepy shop on Etsy is open!

Happy Sleepy Star Dipped stuffed animarl art toy for sale on Etsy

Happy Sleepy Star Dipped stuffed animal art toy for sale on Etsy

Currently the shop features art toys in the signature Happy Sleepy shape of the reversible abstract animal that looks like he is either beaming happy or fast asleep, depending which way you hold him up. There is no top or down with the Happy Sleepies.

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By Magda, 29 August 2009

Mung bean sprout creatures


The secret life of plants. I’ve been sprouting various beans all summer, and these guys are always littering the dining table, trying to escape en route from the sprouting jar to the plate.

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By Magda, 27 August 2009

Sculptures for

Threespine stickleback pretending to be barracuda.

These guys were commisioned by fellow Flickerite Frenquency to commemorate the end of his PhD studies of this fish species. He studied the evolutionary loss of pelvic spines and was able to switch the relevant genes back on, producing fish with one or both perlvic spines. The thesis title was “The Genomic Basis of Parallel Evolution in Three-spined Sticklebacks”.

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By Magda, 8 August 2009

Toronto is home these days

Up the porch and through the length of the house and out the kitchen door to this small garden retreat. I spend a lot of time here these days.

The benches are a favourite sleeping place of the cats, and great for breakfast because this outdoor room faces east.