34 Update Announcement | Our Poppytalk Retail + Workshop Space!

If you were around this past weekend, you may have noticed our instagram revealing our newest venture, bringing our online world into the real world! We're super excited about this next and what seems like a natural progression of our Poppytalk world.  Our new shop and workshop space, called Poppytalk will open it's doors early May where we will continue to support the handmade community with a curated selection of local and internationally-made goods from some of our favorite makers we have come to know these past 9 years online.  We also will be carrying a bit of vintage (to fulfill that bit of retro addiction) along with the odd guitar or two!

Along with the retail component, we will also be hosting an ever-changing selection of workshops from DIY + crafting workshops (think weaving, terrariums, embroidery etc.) to small business classes (from photoshop courses to blogging and social networking sessions).  With Earl's experience as a new media instructor at BCIT (e.g. photoshop, illustrator, html, apps), along with our experience running a blog and online business for the past 9 years, we plan to share our thoughts, tips and strategies for those interested, along with bringing in master makers to teach us how to make some amazing things!

Stay tuned for our brick and mortar opening date and online store site where we will be announcing workshops, (along with an online shop)!Our new address is 109 East Broadway (at Main), Vancouver, B.C.

Can't wait to meet you all!

Jan and Earl

2 New Book | Petit Collage 25 Easy Craft + Decor Projects For A Playful Home

Today Petit Collage's first craft book, Petit Collage, 25 Easy Craft + Decor Projects For A Playful Home goes on sale, so we thought it would be appropriate to give you a sneak peek of this wonderful book which author Lorena Siminovich says is a labor of love, glue, and paper. The hardcover book, published by Potter Craft features 25 modern projects with Petit Collage's signature look.

Founder, Lorena, offers super-cute ideas for making easy, yet unique items for children, from newborns to school-aged kids. All using Petit Collage's sought-after motifs and whimsical combinations of colors and materials. The book also includes templates, instructions, and loads of tips.  Click here or here to order your copy.

Let's take a peek!

Petit Collage, 25 Easy Craft + Decor Projects For A Playful Home by Lorena Siminovich is available through Random House or directly through Petit Collage.

4 Dispatch from Vancouver | Shop Tour - Production Road

Today we're virtually stopping by a cute little shop here in Vancouver (in the West End), called Production Road. Annie (whom you may also know as the designer behind the locally handmade collection, Lemonni, along with her partner Hubert, a documentary/commercial photographer run this multifunctional space – a studio with a retail component.  Annie tells us a bit about their space.

"The space where Production Road is right now was empty for quite a long time. We had an opportunity to take over the space in late 2012. At that time, we weren't quite sure how exactly we were going to use the space, but we knew we need a studio space to work in. So we spent the next few months designing and renovating the space. Since I was developing Lemonni products during that time, we thought, "Why don't we use it as a show room?" I could showcase my stuff, and Hubert could showcase his photography. And that's how the idea of combining studio and retail came by.

In the end, we don't just sell Lemonni products, but also other unique products made by local and international artisans, mostly independent. Our space is small, but well curated. We thought it would be neat to bring a creative space like this to the West End neighbourhood. The space is meant to be a place of possibilities; the retail space doesn't need to be just retail. In the future, we're also open to ideas of having workshops, pop-up shops, or short-term exhibitions. For now, the shop is enough to keep us busy! Also, meeting our lovely neighbours everyday has been a blast for both of us!

If you're wondering how we got the name Production Road... it's a name of the road where I grew up in Taiwan. There are coconut trees along both sides of the road. Over the past few decades, the coconut trees were threatened many times to be cut down due to road expansion. The local community has fought so hard to keep those 80-year-old trees there. I think this is the spirit that we'd like to have. The word Production also describes what we do as a designer and photographer – we create"

Let's take a closer look:

Production Road is located at 990 Nicola St., Vancouver, B.C.
and online at: www.productionroad.ca

5 Minimal Copper Airplant Holders

Contributor post by  Caitlin of The Merrythought

A few weeks ago I made some mini shelves using copper and black marble and I just love them! I've been trying to find some other simple decor that would work well with those shelves and help incorporate some nature into a sleek, modern design. I decided on using some copper tubing to make a few simple airplant holders. They fit in perfectly with the rest of my decor and they cost just a few dollars to make! Plus, I don't have to worry about my black thumb!

What you need:
-Three 3/4" Copper Couplings
-Leather
-Heavy Duty Super Glue
-3/4" Copper Elbow
-Leather Lace

How to make it:
-Cut a leather strip so that the height is smaller than the height of the couplings. Use a dab of glue to secure the couplings across the leather. You may want to use a ruler to make sure the space between each coupling is equal. Let it dry then you can use nails to secure it to the wall.
-For the hanging copper elbow, simply thread the leather lace through the elbow and tie a knot in the ends of the leather and then hang it!

About the Contributor

Caitlin McGrath lives in a small town in Western New York. When her face isn't hidden behind her camera, she's usually crafting and daydreaming for The Merrythought, where she is a part of the three lady team sharing DIY projects, recipes, fashion, home décor & and bits of daily life.

1 Sunday Reading | Decorate with Flowers

Decorate With Flowers by Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring is a pretty little book that I received a copy of this week and if you're like me, and love "everything flowers" you're going to love all the ideas this book has to offer from creating a pressed flower journal to making beautiful vignettes in your home.  And fun fact, our friend (and Poppytalk contributor), interiors photographer, Janis Nicolay took a few of the photo's in this book which makes it even extra pretty.  Here's a sneak peek! The book is available through Chronicle Books.