Animoto good times

Wasting my time away on the Polyvore site reminded me of my last web obsession a while back, Animoto.

This site is pure joy. You can upload your photos, choose some music, and it will automatically animate your photos to the beat of the music. Oh yes. You can choose from their music, or upload your own from your computer.

It's free to create a short 30 second "film" - and if you'd like to create a longer one you have to pay around $3.00.

Here's a video I made last year of a visit to our good friends in Ballard, WA. Yes, they have a pet duck.

Polyvore - another excellent time waster!

Hooray for Aubergine! - by BuenoStyle on Polyvore.comIt's probably better if you don't go check out Polyvore. Unless you have about 3 hours to spare, because that's how long you will probably spend there. It's kind of like a cross between Wists and Flickr. You can make your own personal collages of items/images from all over the web. Click on the image below and it will take you to my collage featuring a collection of images using green Patina as a theme. All of the images except for the BuenoStyle Patina necklace were taken from directly inside the Polyvore site. I uploaded the BuenoStyle necklace myself. It really is WAY too much fun!

Patina - by BuenoStyle on Polyvore.com

In the Pines

I am just not tired of this trend yet. You?
A selection of fun, wood theme items available on etsy.
Logs are the new diamonds. By Block Party Press

Botanical Collection by briguysgirls's

Silver Pine Cone and branch by chinacherie

Felt coasters by Ravenna Girls

Wood grain gift tags by Chet and Dot

Indie Public

I don't remember how I stumbled upon this site, but Indie Public it's an easy to use web site for independent designers of all types. As they say: "Indiepublic is an independent art and design community. If you're an artist, designer, retailer, blogger, or just someone who gets giddy when they buy indie, we've saved a seat for you!" There's some handy app's that let you do fun stuff like make a slide show and then gives you the code so you can add it to your own web site.

You set up a profile and upload photos and away you go. It's kind of like Flickr in the way you can become "friends" with other people. There's a healthy amount of interesting groups you can join - I joined Craft Marketing Central and there's a lot of good information and links to follow in there. Yay - *more* time to spend on-line!

The only bummer I've found so far is that you have to add a mobile phone number from a supported moblie phone company before you can add the "Shopit" application, which lets people actually purchase stuff from you. And, of course, my mobile is not supported!

Cheap Date 2

Descending into the Salvation Army Thrift Store "As Is" basement is like descending into a combination of a garbage dump, thrift store, and Night of the Living Dead.

It's the place where all the stuffed animals, chipped pottery, and unloved cassette tapes go to die. It's also the place to unearth the occasional piece of genuine treasure. Located on 12th ave near Main St in Vancouver, it's been the source for hours upon hours of free/cheap entertainment for moi. It's about 97% crap with a silver lining.

In my opinion, it's also one best people watching & conversation eavesdropping places in Vancouver. Average, middle aged bargain hunters mix with Main St. hipsters, new immigrants, single moms and dads - a true cultural cross section.

There are a couple of suggestions for activities:

• If it's your first visit, jump right in! Don't be afraid to dig through layers to find hidden treasure. Underneath that tinfoil turkey pan may lurk the collectible item you've been searching for!

• Be careful of broken glass and shards of sharp pottery. The staff in the "as is" department do not care that small children and the elderly regularly sift through boxes squeaking with glass bowls rubbing against each other. It's survival of the fittest down there. And that's why the staff wear leather gloves.

• If it's a return visit - it's fun to set up a small contest. Something like setting up the cutest or creepiest diorama, or who can find the strangest object that no one has any idea what it could be used for. I once saw a guy who was re-organizinig all the vinyl records so that all the same albums were the front of all the displays. So there was about 7 Barbara Streisands covers, 5 Neil Diamond, etc. That guy rocked!

On my last visit there I actually scored the perfect picture frame for my booth display. I have been looking for this type of frame for about a year - and there it was! It's that really light, plaster or plastic (?) kind which is great for looking ornate, but still keeping the weight down. (Important when you are lugging stuff around!). There it was in a random box with a discarded typewriter just waiting for me. Crazy.

I spent about 1 and a half hours there and spent exactly $8.00! Now that's a cheap date. It's fun to go on your own as well - you don't even need a date.

Instant Coffee on Main Street.

I usually walk up Main St every day of the week, because my studio is at 21st and Main. I'll walk from the studio to 25th to go to the post office, and/or up to 29th to get Chai at East is East. (Best. Chai. Ever!), Recently on my strolls, I noticed bright orange sandwich boards with cryptic says that are permantly bolted to the side walk. Whaaaa?

It turns out they are the work of an artist collective called Instant Coffee.

The entire installation involves an bus wrapped in a blanket, and my personal favorite - full spectrum lights in the bus shelter at Main and 21st! THAT is so totally what Vancouver needs in the winter! Called Light Bar Bus Shelter, Instant Coffee has adapted the Main and 20th bus shelter into a full spectrum light therapy bar and only fifteen minutes at the bus shelter is all you need for your daily dose of vitamin D!
The entire installation is called 88 BLOCKS • Art on Main. It's a three year public art program for Main Street in Vancouver, BC with five planned exhibitions. I look forward to the next installation.

Paper Birds and Dogs...

I've always admired people who work with paper. I've often been inspired to pick up bits and bobs of paper at thrift stores with the intention of creating and making a collage - or doing *something*. But it's been a long time since I've worked with paper - the jewelry takes up all my time these days (in a good way though!)

This little bird from Cotton Bird Designs was made using music sheet paper from a vintage book. Hand stitched using embroidery threads, and filled with hypo-allergenic fiber. Eyes are embroidered, and feet are hand made using wire.

And check out fellow Vancouverite Peace of Pi. How adorable are these labrador puppy note cards?

Now if you are inspired to go create some paper art yourself, you have to check out Two Angels in Paris . . . the photo below belongs to a stack of papers that been gathered from different vintage dictionnaries, travel books, foreign and domestic magazines, children's books, pamphlets, brochures, ledgers, music books, etc. The shop also features an eclectic mix of vintage ephemera. Who knew I needed 5 rusty nails?

Great Photos from Indie I Do!

Big thanks to Blue Olive Photography for taking these stunning shots of models wearing some BuenoStyle and OAK jewelry!

These gorgeous ladies (sorry - I don't know their names) were the announcer and one of the burlesque performers at Indie I Do. See this previous post for more on the show.

Fashion High Membership Contest!

I've been a member of Vancouver-based Fashion High for a few years now. It's basically a not-for-profit network of B.C. based, fashion industry professionals working towards educating the public about our thriving Vancouver fashion scene. It's also all about encouraging shopping locally and becoming aware of sustainable design. If you are a local designer and not a Fashion High member you could be missing out on some great networking opportunities.

Through Fashion High, BuenoStyle has had the direct benefit of getting extra press through being listed on their web site. They also put on fun networking events and have a really good speaker series that covers topics that independent design entrepreneurs need to know about; marketing, accounting, importing/exporting, etc.

They are having a membership contest for the month of February; anyone who joins Fashion High during this month is entered to win: their following year’s membership, a free pass to all the speaker series, your profile on the Fashion High website, a hotbiz press release and a THREADS Gazette profile! Peruse their web site and see if Fashion High is a good fit for you.

Valentines Hints . . .

Vanessa Fors from Next Door Style has put together some lovely Valentines theme jewelry picks on her blog. Oh, why, yes, there is a pair of BuenoStyle earrings chosen, thanks for asking!

Next Door Style is a great Vancouver fashion blog/website focusing in on sustainable fashion from independent Vancouver based designers. It's worth following.

Grey faux pearl bling

grey faux pearl bling, originally uploaded by OAK: One of A Kind.

Well I just had to try out this new (to me) application on Flickr - did you know you can post directly *from* Flickr to your blog? Awesome.

Cheap Date

As an independent designer, I'm usually 2 steps away from being broke, so I'm always on the lookout for ways to amuse/entertain myself and others on a low budget. Welcome to the first installment of Cheap Date - with many more posts to come.

My first Cheap Date is also my current favorite: Taking the False Creek Ferry to Granville Island. Seriously! It's like a mini vacation - like being a tourist in your own town. But please note: there are a few "rules" to adhere to.

1. It is essential that this Cheap Date takes place in the winter months when the ferries and Granville Island are not overrun by hoards of tourists.

2. Remember to bring your own shopping bag because you *will* end up buying something at the market

3. Bring your own mug with some hot chai or coffee to sip on the journey. If you are feeling especially frisky, you many want to "spike" the chai with some rum. Just saying.

4. Bring your camera. Remember, you are a tourist.

Now, we live in East Van (OK just barely - Ontario St.), so we go down to the Science World ferry dock. You can also catch the wee ferry from Yaletown, or the foot of the Cambie St. bridge. Check here for the schedule.

It costs $9.00 return from Science world to Granville Island. Once you hop on the ferry you can sit back and enjoy the beautiful scenery from the unique perspective of the water. Unless you have a boat, or friends with a boat, most people never get to see the city from this perspective. This is what it's all about.

On the way, you can get a great view of the new twisty condo development designed by Arthur Erikson. It's pretty rad.

The last mini-vacation I took was when Van City was socked in with all that fog. It was sunny when we left Science World and then we coasted into the mists! Very dramatic.


After about 20 minutes, you'll land at Granville Island near the back entrance to the Public Market. I usually hit the Net Loft first for some browsing/inspiration at the Circle Craft Gallery. Then window shop at Dream. Then if I'm looking for dinner inspiration, a little browsing at Barbara Jo's Books to Cooks.

If you're feeling adventurous and want to expand your pallet, wander over to Railspur Alley where you can experience a sake tasting from Canada’s first fresh premium artisan sake making studio. It think it only cost about $3.00 for a tasting of their 3 different premium sakes. This sake is nothing like the crappy hot sake they serve in most sushi places - trust me! it's more like a fine wine.

You can wander around the Island all afternoon, checking out everything from glass blowing to the free art gallery at Emily Carr. Plus, there's a lot of free entertainment / buskers even in the winter. If you're not too broke, toss them a few loonies.

After you've had your fill of wandering, head over to the public market to pick up some ingredients for dinner. There's everything you need right at your fingertips. Some favorites of mine are Oyama Sausage Co.

and the South China Seas Trading Company.

Take all your goodies over to the ferry dock and relax on the journey back. I always find it a bit depressing stepping back into the real world after these mini vacations. Especially having to get on the bus at the Main St./Sky Train station. Bleah. Oh well, until next time!