Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been building a new website and it is finally live. I’m still updating products and information but here’s a peek at the new look.
This is an updated colour wheel with all of the hand dyed colour options available to customize the designs.
As I find myself drawn to neutral home decor I have begun introducing cushions in that style. Here are a few that will be coming up on my new website at the end of the month. These have metallic branches in bronze, gold and nickel for some subtle shimmer too.
Of course colour also has a place in neutral decor and I’ll still be using colour in my new pieces.
More process and photos that don’t make it to the blog can be found on my Instagram account @shibangdesigns.
The organizers of the One of a Kind Show have created a new kind of experience with the introduction of the online shop. This new way to shop the One of a Kind Show features 10 artisans, offering 25 editions of an item that is under $100 and has not been shown at any previous show. Each shop has a theme and items are only available for the two week duration of the online shop.
Featured in this current theme is Shibang’s new line of Wall Art. The piece available is 12″ x 16″ and can be customized in any of the available colours.
This is the format of the piece available at The One of a Kind Online Shop until October.10th.
Available colours shown below.
To find out more about the shop and read about the other artisans click here. Schoolyard is a part of the shop and has a new pine cone design napkin available. I’m a big fan of their designs.
The summer 2011 bridal collection is now available online and through select boutiques. They are handmade and can be customized to suit your wedding colours. New this season is a range of silvers and white fabrics which can be combined with any colour flower.
The purses can be all made with in the same colour scheme or can be different for each bridesmaid. The silver makes the clutches dressy and wedding appropriate with a splash of colour and interest.
These photos with the raw wool and fabric are only a few examples of colour palates but anything is possible. Last week we did a photo shoot along the Halifax Boardwalk with the clutches, several of these photos are posted with more to come.
More information about these clutches and pricing are available at ShibangDesigns.com or in the new online shop.
During the past couple of weeks I’ve been working on a new online shop for Shibang Designs. I still have the Etsy shop running but wanted to create something else that’s more accessible for people who don’t have Etsy. These are some screenshots from the shop which is live at the new www.shibangdesigns.ca.
Along the top bar are categories for each product gallery.
When looking at the products if you scroll your mouse over the image it will show a detailed view as shown above. More items are being updated frequently. I just made a variety of new clutches which will be up soon.
Take a look: www.shibangdesigns.ca
Today is June 1st and it has been a couple of weeks since I last posted something. May was a cloudy month with such few hours of sunshine you could count them. The good news is that the air is fresh and the streets, gardens and parks have colour once again. Last week I was taking some pictures of Halifax for an article I was working on and thought I’d share these photos taken around the city.
Looking down from Citadel Hill this is the town clock and the Halifax harbour behind.
This is facing the North End with the MacDonald Bridge in the background and the big purple apartment buildings that I lived in when I first moved to Halifax.
Here is the outside of the forts at Citadel Hill, a national historic site built in the 1800’s by the British to protect the city.
I love the colourful homes around the North End as well as the Victorian homes around other areas of the city.
The Hydrostone is one of my favourite areas, a hidden gem that is only one block full of great shops, cafes and restaurants. Lady Luck Boutique is located here and was the first shop to carry Shibang while I was a student.
Last week I was filling out some forms, describing all of the stages that go into making a Shibang purse. What I realized was that there is one important stage that I don’t highlight very much, screen printing. I use screen printing as a layer in the design and then add dimension with embellishment on top.
The branches are the design that I am referring to. They were first drawn with charcoal onto tracing paper, then exposed onto the screen (which was coated with photo sensitive emulsion). This design with the branches began as a way to create a lighter look for the felt by adding blossoms or smaller flowers. What originally was a spring/summer look has now been continued through to winter styles by changing the colours. The colours that I mix up for the pigments change every few months as well for a slightly different look.
First I cut the pattern piece and then individually print each piece.
Usually I print a batch of one colour at once and then get the mess cleaned up and back to sewing. Once I’m done printing I roll the vinyl cover back over the table and continue to lay out the fleece and construct the bag.
This is the rest of the table that I wanted to include because I made it myself, and for me it was a big project.
My new line of wall pieces is officially ready to launch. I made a few of various sizes and colours which are now stretched onto canvas and ready for the wall.
To me these wall pieces shout summer because they’re fresh and add a shot of colour that is right in season. I took some photos of the pieces unframed as well as in a white floating frame. Today when I took went looking for frames I was happy to find the perfect one that compliments the piece by keeping it contemporary.
I have plenty of other ideas of more pieces to make and how I’d like to photograph them. Once I’ve got it all ready then I’ll set up a photo shoot and commit to all of the holes I plan to put in the walls.
One more thing that I wanted to share was the piece below. This is a giclee of a photograph that I took 7 years ago when I was in my first year of college and had a passion for photography.
My interest was in flowers (big surprise) and I developed a technique using my dad’s old SLR camera to take extreme macro shots that gave the photos a painterly look. In my second year of college when I decided to start a textile arts program my intention was to make interpretations of my photos with fabric.
Now here I am, quite a few years later, going full circle and making large floral pieces for the wall. Over the weekend I’m going to look for some of the photos I have taken so that I can share them because they have definitely had an influence in my work.
One thing that I love about living in the Maritimes is that there are so many nice places to go for a little getaway. This weekend we drove to Prince Edward Island. The island is famous internationally for it’s delicious potatoes and the book Anne of Green Gables. An important part of my purses comes from here as well. The wool roving that I dye and felt for the floral applique comes from MacAusland’s Woolen Mill in Bloomfield, PEI.
This trip was brief so we only visited Charlottetown. All of the homes and buildings in the downtown area are historic and very well maintained. If you haven’t tried award winning Cows ice cream it’s a must this summer. The company is based out of PEI but has other locations in Nova Scotia, BC and Alberta. It really is the best ice cream.
We stayed at The Rodd Charlottetown which was is an elegant and historic hotel built by CN Railways in 1931.
I loved the old faucets in the bathroom, black and white mosaic flooring and glass door knobs.
There are lots of well manicured parks all around Charlottetown which was a nice surprise because we brought Cali.
Crossing over the Confederation Bridge is always a marvel. The engineering of this 12.9 Km bridge is one of Canada’s top engineering achievements of the 2oth century. The most amazing part is that when you’re driving on the bridge there’s no end in sight.
There’s a little peak at this part of Canada. I would highly recommend visiting the Prince Edward Island for a summer vacation.
For awhile I’ve been wanting to share some photos from my sunny studio — so here are some candid shots while I work. Thanks to my husband Juan Pablo for taking the photos!
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