Miles of Light On Etsy

These original prints can be found at Miles of Light photography by Romina Bacci. I love the light and color play. Beautiful work and gorgeous subject matter - nature, kids, food and textile art. 

Twenty Years Without Taxi

In the 80's I loved Taxi Magazine. Looking back, I can honestly say that I've not since been so impressed by a magazine publication as I was with Taxi. Each photo and concept was exceptional, every location was timeless and all fashions were as relevant today as they were back then (which considering the prevalence of shoulder pads and teased hair, is really saying something)  

Today I stumbled upon Swan Diamond Rose's Flicker feed, which includes a few photographs of her modeling work for Taxi Magazine. What a great image! This photo could have been shot today. I am still crazy about this dress. Thanks to Swan Diamond Rose for sharing her work with the world.

RDT is Back From KFC!

Back from my week of training at the Kamloops Fire Centre and ready to resume my own work. I certainly needed this training to shore up my first year of British Columbia Ministry of Forests Wildfire Management Branch Zone Finance training (whew).

To be sure, the Fire Centre gave me a much needed hand, not the other way around. Many thanks to the Kamloops Fire Centre for the help! Now back to stringin' paper clips and painting pretty pictures! 

How to Make Birch Beer on EHow

Good News/Bad News scenario. Good news, I found a birch beer recipe to replace my Grampa's, which I lost. Bad news, I can't make it till the sap runs in the spring. BUT the syrup can be purchased at Birch Boy Syrups in Alaska for $10.00/litre. Better hurry, looks like supplies are dwindling!

Re:Design Technologies Loves Teal and Gold!

Last week I posted a little welcome to Etsy piece on my favorite BC design team, Teal and Gold. Today I revisited their Etsy shop looking for the re-ply chairs and realized that their bent walnut picnic box is designed to carry wine. Be still my heart...wine in style out for a picnic in the forest...sold! Get yours here .

Why Re:Design Technologies made the Move to Vintage Design

In the mid-nineties I managed the luxury vintage and antique retail furniture and fashion chain Populuxe, renowned in Vancouver, BC for their well curated collections. I've moved on but never forgotten the lessons learned and the passion behind building those collections.

Digging around junk shops has become an intrinsic part of the design process for me in making the Paper Clip Chandeliers for RDT's Etsy shop and other galleries. I can't help but walk away with the gems along with the beaters that I deconstruct. Please check them out at my new Etsy shop Birch Beer Boutique.

I am so inspired by the shapes and colors of the designs of yore. I'm also inspired by our current trend towards looking back to great eras of invention in design, with pared down silhouettes, strong lines, bold colors and compelling patterns dominating storefronts. 

Great design always comes back around in both original form and modernized versions as our society pauses to reflect on our many achievements. What's old becomes new again and again in a constant cycle of rediscovery and reinvention. 

What's old is also functional if in good shape, and should by all means occupy a coveted status in our homes. All the more so when consider how much energy and raw resources required to make the simplest of objects commonly used in our homes today. To put things into perspective, the computer you are accessing this article on probably required a total of about 2,000 lbs of raw materials to manufacture and ship, as did mine.  

All In The Family

When I was about 10 my uncle, Chris Bridge, gave me his first polaroid camera. Chris still remembers that polaroid camera fondly and as always, carries that passion for the perfect shot.

His parents, my grandparents, instilled in all of our clan a love of living in nature, which we expresses in various ways. Lately Chris has compiled some of his best nature shots on his website www.northernsplendor.com. 

His shots remind me of my grand parents and their unofficial nature conservancy at their home in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (Canada). They cared for injured wild animals and fed thousands of birds. We had snowy owls, prairie chickens, mice, you name it. One cold, Northern Ontario spring, the Humane Society asked my grandparents to nurse a red fox with a broken paw back to health. 

Grandma and Grandpa called him Redd Fox after the comedian and kept him in the greenhouse during the day and the warm rabbit warren at night. Poor little Redd Fox was tempted so sorely every night, but there was no other option for him. He followed my Grampa around all day in the greenhouse after a while, so I guess he forgave us.

Chris' photos seem to me to carry this narrative forward. Good work! Check his work out and keep ypour eyes peeled for the photos of the albino deer. Beautiful.

The Gift

I've been working on the shed deer antler chandelier project for some time now, which is developing quite nicely due to an incredible act of fate. 

I had hit the wall as it were last night when I realized that I needed one more antler to complete the design. So off to bed late feeling  that I was so close! 

This morning when my husband stepped outside for work, he found the shed antler in the second picture lying on the front lawn. There are canid markings on the tips (see foreground), so we are thinking that a stray dog or coyote left it behind.

Coincidence? I think not...LOL

Etsy Love

ReDesign Technologies On Etsy

Birch Beer Boutique on Etsy

Teal And Gold

I am excited to announce that one of my favorite BC design teams is selling on Etsy. Teal and Gold  have some major skills which can be seen here on Design*Sponge's Meet the Maker posting. Great work guys! Just one question, how can I get one of your re-ply chairs?

Re:Design Technologies is Back!

ReDesign Technologies is back and ready to announce a few changes. I have opened a new Etsy store front today, Birch Beer Boutique,  for vintage pieces and works of art unrelated to the Paper Clip Chandelier Line. 

In other news, I am trying Big Cartel on for size and my RDT storefront is up and running!

Thanks to the folks at Etsy's Design Style Guide Team for welcoming me onboard! You can find my DSG storefront here. Cheers! P.