I’ve not been posting much but I have been working…..really.  I won’t even show  a photo of my studio..way too much stuff going on but none of it resolved.  But the other day, with my good friend, Mary Lou, at the kitchen table, good music on the CD player and a few old mags found at garage sales last summer we had a little fun.  Her collage was not quite done, but I’ll post my rather over the top collage of crazy color. Nothing quite like playing with glue sticks, scissors and recycled papers and mags.  I’ve got another one waiting, still to do.  Oddly, I’m finding this a good exercise for generating ideas for my other studio work.  I may just play again this morning.  My motto:  Have Fun EVERY DAY!

We weren’t even on our way to Beacon Hill Park. We were on our way to China Town but Bill got into the wrong lane by mistake and we had to turn right . We ended up along the North end of Beacon Hill Park. And what did I see? Not Golden Daffodils, oh no, not those, but I must admit there are hosts of them are all over the Park. No, these were little lovely white flowers, a whole swath of them.

I’m so glad we went the wrong way because I’ve never seen this before, must have missed it somehow in all the years we’ve been here. I didn’t know what they were until today. “White Beauty”, Erythronium Californium they are called, I’m pretty sure. I looked them up in my book and on Google.

And then, in the distance I saw a bit of pink and made my way over and found Shooting Stars! Don’t you just love them.

Ah, Spring is here. And I’m so glad Bill took the wrong lane by mistake.

So I thought, since I’m sure we are not the only ones with some pretty strong wishes for 2012, I’d share our Wishing Stone with you too.

So go ahead, touch the circle on your screen, close your eyes and make a really good wish.

Then if you want, pass our Wishing Stone on…..

We hope your wish comes true for 2012.

And with that we wish you a Peace, Love, Health and Prosperity for 2012!

Well, with these references to coasting and drifting you must have figured out we were heading for our fave beach, Clover Point. And as for drifting, I did have a smidgen or maybe even a kernel of a plan concerning driftwood and brought along my favourite beach combing bag, a bag that has been repurposed from a Basmatti rice bag. Just the right size and quite strong too for holding all my little treasures.

I’ve seen wreaths made from driftwood and it occurred to me that it wouldn’t hurt to look for some good bits while on the beach. If you’ve never seen a driftwood wreath, just buzz Google images and be inspired. And then if you are even more in need of inspiration for what some can do with driftwood, take a look at the driftwood horses by Deborah Butterfield. She couldn’t have picked a better subject than a horse, with all the lovely arcs and lines.

Of course when we got home, we laid our finds out carefully in the green house to dry. And even now, just haphazardly arranged, the wood has a softness and beauty that will only get better as it dries and the colors bleach out.  And while they’re drying I’ll have time  peruse all those lovely wreaths on Google and to figure out just how to go about making the wreath. Of course the tough part will be trying to find some time to actually create it.

The beach at Clover Point is full of small stones and each one is like a little abstract composition in itself. I can never resist taking home a few of natures compositions to admire later.

For years I have collected stones with a single line running through them. Then one day one of my students told me that when a stone has a line in a circle on it, you can make a wish on that stone. So now besides being the most wonderful minimal abstract, a single line wrapped around a stone, it’s also a chance to touch the circle, close my eyes and make a wish. And there are so many things to wish for….

I leave you with the piece of driftwood I always love to see but have to leave behind, it’s just too big for the car……

Yesterday we had to go to “the Mall”. No, not to shop for Christmas, but for some things that were needed from the pharmacy etc. I haven’t done Christmas shopping at a Mall for so long that I can’t remember when I did. The place was packed! The parking lot was packed. You know the scene.   Where you have to follow someone back to their car and lurk until they pull out, putting your indicator light on to let others know that this spot is TAKEN and grab their parking spot. It is rather aggressive. Then there are the line ups! OMG! I’m just so happy that I don’t work as a cashier. My back starts aching just thinking about it and all for minimum wage too.

But the worst part of it is the sheer consumerism of it. All that new stuff which will eventually be discarded as the wrong color or the wrong style or just not right somehow. The amount of goods going out is mind boggling, the amount of resources used, and the amount of money spent and a lot of it spent by people who really really can’t afford it. Well, what if there is an alternative? And of course there is…

In past years on this blog I’ve written about Abundance at Christmas and written about the fun we’ve had finding Decor and Music for Xmas all from second hand sources. I’ve shown my HUGE Santa collection, in the 25 Days of Xmas Santas, all also second hand for the most part.

So with that done, for 2011, I’d like to present some gift ideas that don’t require going to the Mall. Think of it as Helen’s Recycled Earth-Friendly, Pocket Book Friendly and Guilt Free List of Gift Giving Ideas. These ideas are tried and true. In fact, we have a rule and all our friends and close family also follow it in regard to presents for each other. The rule is the present must be second hand or hand made. It should be fun, lovely or useful and most of all it should be CHEAP! ** So no worries about how much to spend, no worries about the credit card maxing out and no worries about having to go to a Mall. Wow that’s a lot less worries eh?
(** Cheap is a subjective term. Inexpensive is different things to different people. Our rule is literal, no more than $10, less if possible. That said, my list offers a wide range of “inexpensive” according to your budget. )

OK here goes.
1• Go to the Used Book Store and look for books that are in nice shape, and would interest your friend, relative etc. This year we’ve found Cook Books galore. And believe me there is something for everyone. I even found a Weight Watchers one for a friend who goes there and a Diabetic one for another friend with Diabetes.

2• Still at the Used Bookstore? Well, there are an awful lot of Kids books, Craft and Art books, and books about any possible interest that a friend could have. Actually, books are one of the things we look for at Garage sales all summer ( yes, I’m one of those people who are looking for gifts all year). You can get great deals. And if the book is already inscribed with a sentiment by the original gift giver, no matter… just add yours as well. Our friends have no worries about giving away a gift to someone else after they’ve read it and just adding another inscription. The more times given, the better, we all agree.

3• Go to your local Thrift Stores. There is an absolute abundance of gifts here.
I’ll break it down by age and gender

Little kids
Kids grow out of clothing so fast, that very often you can find almost new things of good quality too. In fact, some were gifts and never worn and still have the tags since Sally or Sam was already too big for the gift when it was given. So…. there it is in the Thrift shop ready to be a gift again.

Toys, there are just huge amounts of old toys ready to be played with by a new child. That sounds nice doesn’t it? Just check for broken parts, make sure it’s age appropriate and clean.

Mother in Law or Moms are sometimes difficult to buy for. Well, see #1 and #2, books. But don’t forget things like vintage jewelry, or scarves. There’s so much out there in signed and artsy textiles and jewelry that you ‘ll be tempted to buy some for your self too.

Guys of all ages; Guys are hard to buy for. Unless you look for interests. Like cooking, or sports or collections or gardening but more about that later. You can find T-shirts with great graphics on them. If you know how to silkscreen or can use a transfer go for it, on a used T and have some fun making some home made designs. Cooks can always use aprons. Collections are always a good bet too. Bill collects Elephants, Dave collected Buddhas for a while too. We kept finding them everywhere.

4• Ok you’ve done Used Book store and Thrift stores, how about garden centres? Try to find a centre that locates it’s products from greener eco sources and you’ve got an earth friendly gift for sure. Potted plants for indoors that bloom are nice. An Amaryllis is always a good gift. I used to give one to my Mother in Law for a few years and we’d compete in a friendly fashion as to who got the most blooms. It’s easy to ship and there’s the fun of planting and waiting for the Gorgeous blooms too.

5• Art Supply stores are a great source of prezzies. Not just for those artists on your list but for the ones you know really want to try something creative. There are lots of sketch books made with 100% recycled paper, acid free and archival quality. And if you do a bit of stealthy investigative interviewing of your giftee, you might even find that they would love to take a course in something or other. Most artists are like me and are quite happy to provide gift certificates to their courses.

6• Art Galleries. Ok I know a lot of people are intimidated by Art Galleries but go on, be brave, venture in. You’ll find a lot of interesting things there. Many public galleries have a Gift Shop full of wares made by local artists. And a lot of it is in very very affordable. Most galleries put on shows of smaller pieces at Christmas just to highlight all their artists and offer a start into collecting art. A lot of emerging artists be they young or old, have some amazing work for sale.

7• Art and Craft shows are usually in November, but there are still a few “last Minute shows” to be found showing local artists. Keep art and gift giving in mind in the summer too when many artists and artisans are showing their stuff in local Art and Craft shows. There you will find something for everyone, literally. They have food gifts, herbal makeup, prints, clothing and jewelry, sculpture, art work of all kinds. You will be spoilt for choice and supporting Local Artists as well. I collect their business cards too so that I can look up their web sites later for other gift ideas. A lot of them have Etsy stores or their own web sites. You would be amazed at how much artwork these days is made from recycled materials.

8• Another gift worth considering is materials for art works. My last birthday was perfect partly because two friends gave me discarded stained glass shards for a present knowing that I’d use them somehow in my mosaics or other artworks. Along that line, give used beads and necklaces to a beader, used or scrap material to a quilter, or used dishes and tiles to a mosaic artist. There are so many hobbies and interests that your friends and relatives indulge in that the list of possibilities of materials is endless.

9• Look around your home for gifts. Yes, things you already own. Ornaments that you no longer enjoy may be loved by someone else. Maybe you have a collection that is too big and there are some pieces that you know would be welcomed by a friend. Along that line, have a gift exchange party and have everyone bring something that they no longer want but that would make a lovely gift for someone else. Swap or sell to each other. It’s a good excuse for a party and recycles too. You could even throw in a Cookie exchange which brings me to my next gift idea.

10• Get in the kitchen and start cooking or baking. I’ve been going to the library and picking up lots of books about Christmas cooking and baking. The library is a great free resource and one day I’m going to do a blog just about libraries. I take out tons of magazines every month. I figure I’m saving some trees and hey, I don’t have to store them. A lot of the December mags can’t be taken out but last years Christmas edition is there to peruse and get lots of ideas from. I love the ones that go all out with Christmas baking ideas. In fact, at garage sales I snatch those Xmas editions up really fast. Ok to get back to the kitchen…. Baking is always a great gift. I find lots of vintage tins at thrift stores (you can find some now in my Magpie shop)  and garage sales all year and give presents of baking. Just line the tin with wax paper or other nice paper and fill to the brim with goodies. One of these years I’m going to learn how to make chocolates too. Another idea to give.

Which brings me to recycled wrapping paper. We save all the gift bags and wrapping paper and use it over again. I’ve also sewn gift bags that get passed around from year to year. This year I’m planning on finding some Chinese newspapers and using them to wrap presents with some lovely ribbon and maybe some lucky people will get one of the many used Xmas broaches I found at the Thrift store adorning their packages. But changing your gift wrap ideas is another way to stay out of the Mall. Maybe this should be # 11.

Hope my little list has given you some good last minute ideas. And with that, we wish you and yours a lovely, recycled, creative,artistic and mall-Free Christmas. That’s the best present yet.  BTW if you liked the little vintage Christmas Illustrations I’ve peppered throughout,  look for Vintage Christmas by Dover Publications for royalty free illustrations.  Which I found at the Library, of course.  But if you want to buy it, it’s a Green Planet Friendly publication.

We do find some odd but  interesting things on our travels.  Like this model plane kit from the 50’s .  It’s all there, every piece as far as we can tell.

I’ve just added it to the Magpie shop on Used Victoria.  This one was fun to look into.  When we first saw something of it on the internet it was selling for prices from $150 to $40, depending on the shape it was in.  So I’d say someone buying this one is getting a steal cause it’s in great shape.  I imagine it being a great and unique gift for someone into model planes, someone who would be happy to work on something vintage and wonderful.  It was designed by Wally Simmers who had a real passion for designing models and started the Midwest company.

Next I’ve put another of my Peak Frean biscuit tins in the shop.  This one has a lovely illustration of flowers among the stones in a garden.  Again just gently worn and would also make a lovely gift if filled with home made goodies.  No need for giftwrap with this tin.

We have a bit of a fascination with Paint by Number paintings.  It was a phenomenon in the 50’s as I remember it.  I even remember doing one of kittens when I was little, wanting to paint.  This pair of Rose paintings really caught our eye a few summers ago.  They have a sort of Deco feel to them.  The fellow who sold them to us said they’d been done by his mom and he was pretty far past his 50’s himself. So I think they are pretty old, but I’d hate to hazard a guess.  They’re lovely and romantic though. There’s still much more to come in my little Magpie shop, hopefully in time for those who like to find unique gifts not found in any mall.

First off, the usual, but still lovely, sites like this backlit sunflower on the Gorge Walkway.

Or the Arbutus tree angling upward in a blue sky.

Or the eye-catching orange berries set off so nicely by the leaves. Mother Nature never gets her colors wrong.

Then to the more unusual…. like this tree. Is it half dead or is it half alive? Sorta like half full or half empty. But an oddity all the same.

This weekend we headed out to Beacon Ave Beach. Well, that’s what I call it. It’s at the end of Beacon Ave in Sidney and it’s a gravely beach. But the real reason we go there is to find the lovely beach pottery shards and beach glass that is, for some reason, quite plentiful there.

This Saturday’s unusual site was some divers doing exercises.

And when they emerged they did look a little bit otherworldly. But look closely to the bottom left and you will see a little Pixie with pink wings looking for beach glass too. I’m pretty sure she’ll have those wings on tonight for Halloween don’t you?

Then off to a cafe for a Decaf Cafe Mocha for me and a Dark Roast for Bill, along with some rather nice Carrot cake. From the window of the cafe, we saw another unusual site. A little horse, drawing lots of attention for its owner, who just happened to be running as a candidate for election. Here Buckley (his name) is getting a nice scratch for an irritating itch.

We finished up having another stroll on Island View Beach. This beach just stretches out forever it seems. Hardly anyone there that day and it was lovely. We made a promise to come back much more often.

Just a couple of new items in my little Magpie shop on Used Victoria.  There is something very handy about a tin tray.  You can pile up your dinner or supper on it and head out to watch a movie on the couch.  We enjoyed this matching set of two LaVada trays for just that purpose.  I was attracted by the soft celadon green illustrations of hanging plants on them.  These are great because they have legs that hold the tray over your lap.   I wish I knew more about La Vada trays.  If you do have some info please let me know in the comments.  I’ve searched and not found enough.

This black tray with its romantic rose pattern has been lovingly used to serve tea and cookies or cake many times.  It always sets off the glass cream and sugars so well. Why buy new trays when there are so many lovely old vintage trays out there to enjoy to add flavour to the occasion?

I’ve had a real weakness for Vintage Peak Frean tins and this gently worn tin with its bouquet of flowers is lovely.  I’ve always used my tins, lined with wax paper to store my Christmas baking.  Now, hopefully, someone will fill it with baking for a lovely gift,  who knows?

The crock caught my eye because of that gorgeous Red Wing mark.  This one is in great shape even without the lid.

Just for fun I’ve named my Sellers shop on Used Victoria,  the Magpie Art and Vintage Collectibles.  I’ll be posting more as I find time.

Bill and I have our little route when we’re out garage sailing. We cruise down the Gorge, swing up to Craigflower, head Downtown making sure to check if anything interesting is berthed in the Inner Harbour and then head out to James Bay. Usually after scouring all the garage sales we can in James Bay, we head over to Fairfield, passing Mile 0 on our way.

Mile 0, purportedly the beginning of the Trans Canada Highway starts at the ocean or at least the junction of Dallas Road and Douglas. Bill and I never really pay much attention to it but we do enjoy watching the holiday makers who feel it is important or at least funny, to have themselves photographed at this “milestone” of sorts. Today I was photographing the photographers. They were clustered around the sign as they snapped shots of the smiling faces of those posed in front of this very touristy photo op spot.  A little something to remind them later of all the sites odd or beautiful that they’d seen.

Since Saturdays are our little holidays, I loved that the bus that brought all these photogenic holiday makers, was called Charming Holidays. A rather charming name I’d say.

A glance to the right, on our way to Fairfield showed a wedge of cloud rather striking above the mountains that were partially hidden by mist. There was just something about that view, which I tend to refer to as my “ocean fix”. Love it.

And then in Fairfield, at the next garage sale, we became a bit confused by the sign on a pillar, on which rested a rather large black and white cat. Were we to make our offers to the cat or was the cat himself on offer? It soon became clear that the cat was neither on offer nor waiting to consider offers. And after receiving all the obligatory compliments on his beauty and softness and getting petted he became bored with us and wandered off to sleep in the shade. Obviously believing, as we do, that black cats look better in the shade. (Bet you’re thinking of that song now about Black Cars by Gino Vinelli, aren’t you? Sorry couldn’t be helped. This video is a hoot, very 80’s and everyone in it  looks like a Drag Queen )

Every now and then we find something on our travels that completely arrests our artistic eyes. A few weeks ago it was the book illustrated by Paxton Chadwick. This week it was a 1929 Singer treadle sewing machine. Sewing machines today are not things of beauty or style. My own is a beige, blocky thing made from plastic but it has all the stitches that I need and is at the most, fairly serviceable. But this beautiful Singer sewing machine was built at a time when a sewing machine was not only meant to work well but to be a thing of beauty too. And this model had a definite elegance and style with its sensuous curves and lines.

The decoration on its shiny black metal surface was amazingly intricate and colorful recalling the deco era. We didn’t buy it and only ,like the cat earlier, admired its graceful beauty and made sure to have a photo to remind us.  Much like those photographers at Mile 0 keeping a photo record of what they discovered on their travels.