LUprints

Crafty By Nature Winter Show

2012-01-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

This post is a little late.....considering the show was in Dec. But the show was such a great success that I had to post the pics of our amazing vendors regardless. There was a huge turnout of shoppers, and our kids craft table was so popular that at times it was standing room only for the little crafters!

Carolyn Simons knitwear

Mana Jewellery Design (Nicole Wellstein)

Suna Studio (Amy Hazeldine)

Karen Love

Frances Felt (Dickinson)

Andrea Cooney

Vanessa Stark

Caroline Miller Design

Creature Comforts Soapworks

Koz Creations

Gaelyn Bolster Knitwear & earrings

& me, LUprints

Kids craft table at a less busy point....

and our insanely beautiful view from the windows in the community centre...

How lucky we are to live here!

One show down, two to go....

2011-11-17T10:35:00.000-08:00

I just finished up Circle Craft, phewww! It was a really great show this year, with lots of people and the booth turned out really well. But, it was a challenge with a new baby....Luckily I had an awesome support crew of my mom, my good friend Jessie and my hubby! Here are a couple pics of the booth....Next up, Crafty By Nature--our very own homegrown Pemberton show on December 4th. Come check it out if you can :)

Circle Craft is coming up next week!

2011-11-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

I only have a few more days to get ready for the first big holiday show in Vancouver, Circle Craft. It runs Nov. 9 to 13th at the new Vancouver convention centre and has so many amazing things to check out. There is a $2 coupon on the website if you purchase your tickets online here. Hope to see you there...

Wedding Napkins

2011-11-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

I am currently working on a custom order of wedding napkins for a couple getting married this winter. It reminds me I did not post the custom napkins I did for some friends wedding this past summer here in Pemberton. The bride Lisa Komuro, a very talented artist, designed the graphic for the napkins herself, and we printed them on really bright, fun colours. The wedding was amazing, with such thoughtful and beautiful decorations, that Lisa also coordinated/made. She could easily be a wedding decorator, as it was so wonderful! Here is a shot of the tables, and some of the decorations--all photos taken by Heidi Buecking, a very talented local photographer.

LUprints 2012 line.

2011-11-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

It has been a wonderful late summer out here in BC, but now winter is creeping up on us. The frost has come back, and snow is soon to be arriving. A lot has happened in the world of LU, the main addition being a new baby! Which has put a hold on blogging (not that I was ever very good at it before!), but now as the new little human reaches her 3 mo. mark, I am finding time to release a new catalogue and get back to some regular tasks. This time of the year is busy for store orders, as well as time to prepare for the winter holiday shows. I am excited about the new prints in our lineup, and here are some of them from the latest LU collection. Enjoy!

Crafty By Nature II

2011-06-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, it has been a long time since I posted. This spring has been a bit of a blur, and we just kicked off summer with a Crafty by Nature show this weekend that was great fun. 8 of us had our works there, as well as some live music and lots of treats. It is always inspiring to see what people have been up to after a long winter..... :)

Here are some pics of the artists' work at the show....along with their websites! It was a great group of people to spend the day with. We will be doing a larger show for the Christmas season with these artists as well as several more.

Mini Bins in stock

2011-03-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

A batch of our fabric mini bins are in stock on the LU web store. They were a hit at our Christmas shows and now they are available online in 2 prints; Night Owls and Bloom.

They can be used on your desk, in the bathroom, or maybe for a potted plant!

A crafty rainy day...

2011-03-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

It was a bit of a rainy day, and I got to thinking about making some stuffed toys for my niece in Guatemala. I wanted to make her a Swedish horse and a Pippi Longstocking from some fabric my mom had given me. Then I got a little crazy and decided to make 6 more of the horses.....afterall, can you ever have enough stuffed Swedish horses??
[A few have already made their way to new homes...]

Pippi and horse....destination Guatemala.

Pippi and Mr. Nilsson, the monkey.

My Owl Barn Post

2011-03-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

A wonderful blogger with a site called 'My Owl Barn' has featured our Owl collection today! Here is the link to see the rest of the post. It is such a cute site all about owls, for owl lovers (like me!) Thanks so much:)

A backyard ski....

2011-03-04T12:02:00.000-08:00

I often head out behind our place on x-country skis with Finn so we can both get some exercise. I brought my camera the other day as it was so nice and sunny.

A river (The Lillooet) runs along our ski track.

The view of Mt. currie never gets tiring.

Frozen patterns in the ice.

Dwell Magazine March Issue!

2011-02-20T13:20:00.000-08:00

It was pretty exciting to receive my March issue of Dwell and get to see one of my Birchwood Prairie trays in print in the 'In The Modern world' section. I love this magazine and am thrilled to be featured next to such inspiring designers. Thanks Dwell!! Check it out.....

Spring/Summer 2011

2011-02-20T13:09:00.000-08:00

It is that time of the year, and the new LUprints collection is out in catalogue for stores to place orders. A few items are also in stock on the webstore, and will be fully stocked by months end. Here's a preview of the line......

Bloom platter and teatowel.

Eye Spy hotplate/platter and Skog napkin and coasters.

A new version of the round birch tray for this season.

Night Owls Birchwood tray. Made from layers of birch veneer. It's dishwasher Safe!

Skog Teatowel (means forest in Swedish)

Cleaning out my mom's basement....

2011-02-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

It has been awhile since I have posted.....it was a very busy Christmas season this year for LUprints, so I took a little break from posting, but now I am right back into getting my spring collection out into stores and will be sending out the catalogue by the end of Feb. so will be more inspired to take pics again.

I spent last week up at my parents on the sunshine coast, soaking in the sun and enjoying walks on the beach and a bit of hiking. It was a nice break from all the snow we have up here where I live, and nice to see some green grass and buds popping up. I also was given some really fantastic pieces of silverware from my mom and grandma, as well as a couple ceramic pieces. I love digging thru boxes in my parent's basement as you never know what your going to find!!

Sunrise from their deck. The colours of this are unreal.

I think these were from my mom's mom in Sweden.

I love the detail on the handles, something you don't see very often anymore.

These are a set of utensils that my sisters and I all used when we were kids.

This was a real find! A Scandinavian ceramic dish my mom brought with her when she moved to Canada.

And some random teacups from my Canadian grandmother that I also love.

I can't wait to see what I find next time....;)

Some of the pieces made it into a few lifestyle shots of LUprints line of birchwood trays...

Pemberton 'Crafty by Nature' Dec. 5th.

2010-11-29T12:21:00.000-08:00

8 local artists/makers from our area are hosting a holiday show and sale, 'Crafty by Nature', in Pemberton on Sunday, December 5th. There will also be live music by Suzanne Wilson and free sweets and snacks. Hope to see you there!!

Things to do on the Prairies

2010-11-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

There are many antique shops on the prairies, that make for a fun time of wandering thru in search of little gems. Unfortunately the large pieces I fell in love with wouldn't fit in our vehicle...

An old church transformed into a collector's shop. So much to look at, things were stacked above head. I found a set of 10 vintage ruby red Luminarc wine goblets for $1 a piece hidden in the back of a shelf!

Sunsets on the prairies....there is nothing like them.

#1 grain elevator in Bulyea Saskatchewan. Still standing strong.

I love the angles of them, and how tall they are.

These elevators were built by stacking lengths of wood layer by layer to the top. Probably explains why they are still standing.

From West to East

2010-11-08T09:29:00.000-08:00

We headed east for a 2 week roadtrip, leaving just before the snow starts to fall across the prairies and winter sets in. Most of the photos I took are of sunsets and sunrises, which seemed to be in full force both there and back. Here's the start of the trip....

Sunrise in the Rocky Mountains.

The sockeye salmon spawned in greater numbers than scientists have seen in many decades this year. Swimming up from the Pacific ocean to lay their eggs in tributaries off the Fraser river, they then die. Carcasses riddled the creek sides, while the waters were full of live ones looking for a spot to safely leave their offspring. It was amazing.

Another sunrise east of Alberta into the prairies.

Destination: Saskatchewan......

Meeting Sarah Richardson....

2010-10-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

Day two at the show was busy and pretty fun. Sarah Richardson spoke at 1pm with Tommy, and a large crowd showed up to watch. I had run into her the afternoon before randomly, and gave her my card and introduced myself, she was super nice and offered to stop by my booth on Saturday. I did not really think it would happen, due to her busy schedule, and difficulty walking around the show without getting swarmed, but I had high hopes. Sure enough, after her talk she make a quick stop at LUprints and we had a minute to chat and take some pics. She was also kind enough to look thru my collection and made some very nice comments. Thanks Sarah! It was great to meet you :)

She has a website with lots of info on her tv shows, tips and much more.

Interior Design Show (IDS West)

2010-10-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from the IDS west show in Vancouver and feel inspired by all the fantastic and modern furniture, decor, artwork, and even a modular home, that was exhibited there. The energy at the show was really quite electric, with many local designers showcasing their lines, as well as some of the big names right alongside. I feel grateful for this opportunity, and have posted some of my favourites from the show just below. AND, on Saturday afternoon the most incredible thing happened....I got to meet a famous designer! She came by my booth to say hello and we had a quick visit. Check back tomorrow to find out who....;)

Saltspring artist Nicholas Hunt, with some amazing sculptural pieces, as well as these wood/resin stools. I would love to have one of these for my own home one day.

These amazing poufs come in various sizes and are knit from wool.

Always a favourite of mine, Marimekko from Finland with a bright, eye-catching booth.

Too hard to resist, I treated myself to a low serving bowl and coffee mug at the show...

The Cross had a stunning set up at the show. I think they actually had 2 setups.

Another beautiful wood pieces, set in a landscaped setting by CYAN. Sculpture is by Marie Khouri.

A fantastic idea, these felt modules can be used to grow herbs in on balconies. A creative way to create privacy and have fresh herbs. Mubi.ca

A landscape installation made by Green over Grey.

I love these plant capsules, they remind me of the bubble chair made by Eero Aarnio in the 60's. These cute glass pieces can be found at Homewerx in Vancouver.

Martha Sturdy with many fabulous pieces made from resin.

Inform Interiors had a colourful, and creative setup. They used neon tape to create the london underground throughout their space. It was certainly eyecatching.

Those famous swedes from Ikea had a dream kitchen set up in the centre of the hall.

Featured in the same issue of House & Home with LUprints this past June were the nice folks from Parliament in Vancouver.

My neighbour at the show Dina Gonzalez Mascaro, had a stunning display of jewellery and artwork. Her store was just voted one of the top 10 boutiques in Canada to visit by Canada tourism. Congrats Dina! It is located at 2408 Main st. in Vancouver.

A 1000sf modular home was set up inside the hall made by Preform Construction.

Fall Colours

2010-10-05T14:26:00.000-07:00

I went on a bike trip this past weekend, just north of Pemberton, where we accessed the trail by floatplane. It was such a beautiful day, and time of year, with the fall colours out in full force. I think one of my greatest inspirations and love for nature are its' trees. I have spent many years working in the forest, as well as biking thru it, and am never bored by its' beauty. It may sound corny, but it just has such a strong presence. Enough said. Enjoy these fall pics:)

This stand of aspen was stunning. The yellow was so bright that it glowed. I need to do another print with trees next spring.....

The lake we landed on and started the ride from. There were mountains surrounding it.

Trays are finally ready!

2010-09-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

It has been a few weeks since I posted last, but finally I have some free time to do website & blog updates. It is that time of the year where I spend hours on end making the fall catalogue....This starts with ironing textiles so that they look super crisp, then staging and photographing the shots, and finally putting it all together in a design program. I truly enjoy this process and seeing the whole line laid out in a visual format. This season there are actually 2 catalogues, one for textiles and one for out new birch trays! These were fun to photograph, but also a bit tricky trying to create scenes that looked appealing without blocking the graphics too much. Here are some shots from the line.....oh, and they will be available online in about 10-12 days. :)

LUprints Fall Line!

2010-09-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that another season has come and gone for us at LU, it seems like we just printed the summer line, sent out the orders & now fall is upon us.

It has certainly been an eventful time getting ready for the launch of this new line, as we also have a whole new product line coming out of handcrafted birchwood trays! We are SO excited about this line, and the new prints that accompany it, but still have another week or so until we can finish the catalogue & release it. I will post a couple pics of what is in store from LU for this fall, and what we will have at all of our upcoming shows.... :)

Summer Garden Veggies

2010-08-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a nice hot summer for growing this year, seems like everything did well in our garden. Here are some of the colourful vegetables I picked today, displayed on one of our new products for the upcoming season.....birchwood trays! Check back soon for more details.

Pillows for Pistachio

2010-08-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

I have just finished printing and shipping out an order bound for Pistachio in Toronto. They are an eco-friendly shop with their mission statement being based on "creating, using and reusing things intelligently, about washing less, and about putting good things into and onto our bodies". Pretty smart in my opinion, and a great match for LUprints! Here are the pillows, made from hemp and printed with eco-friendly inks, and proudly made in Canada. :)

Slow Food Cycle 2010

2010-08-17T22:08:00.000-07:00

This years annual Slow Food Cycle was a fantastic day. The weather was beautiful and sunny in the mid 30's, with a huge turnout of thousands of cyclists who took over the 30 some odd km's out the Pemberton valley. The idea behind the event is to bring awareness to where produce comes from and to celebrate eating locally by farmers opening their farms up to the public and having top notch chefs & food producers offer their food creations along the route. Not to mention music and art vendors also setting up booths at many of the farms. Check out slowfoodcyclesunday for the dirt on this event.

Organic garlic drying in the barn.

Near the end of the ride is a produce stand that works on trust & goodwill. People take what veggies they want from the cold box, and leave the money in a slot. It is run by some local farm kids who stock up the stand from their family farm.

A retro tractor still in use at the Helmer farm, as well as a healthy patch of onions at IceCap organics farm. Check out their sites to see what they are doing on at their amazing farms.

The final stretch of road...

And a waterfall at the end of the valley to cool off under before the 30km ride back... :-)

This is by far my favourite day of the summer here in Pemberton, just another reason to love our little valley!

Summer travels to San Francisco

2010-08-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

A recent trip to San Fran last week with 3 girlfriends, was an amazing and inspiring time. Such a fantastic city, with a relaxed atmosphere and artistic vibe, it was hard to not be inspired. Oh...and not to forget the restaurants....fabulous to say the least.

A few notable restaurants that really impressed us were The Slanted Door at the Ferry Building, that serves modern vietnamese cuisine, and Gracias Madre, a vegan-mexican restaurant that grows all of its own food at a small farm they own.....even the corn for the hand ground corn tortillas; these were to die for! Two must restaurants to check out.

Sundays in the city are free for many museums and galleries, and the MOMA was featuring Andy Warhol & Roy Lichtenstein. Two amazing screenprinters and graphic artists whom I have admired for years. I must mention that these pieces must be seen up close to fully appreciate, as their techniques of enlarging the pixels in their images are stunning to see in person. My photos will not exactly give justice to the pieces I photographed.

We also checked out some bright & colourful stores, with inspiring textiles & housewares.