Coming up this Saturday

Second annual Bloourcourt Street Festival is taking place this Saturday, August 18th, and we at Freedom Clothing Collective are very excited to be a part of it. So excited as the matter of fact that we are offering 20% off of, almost, our entire stock (fall merchandise excluded)!! Even Poppies at the store will be on sale.

On this occasion, Bloor Street will be closed for traffic between Dufferin Street and Montrose Avenue and will host a great number of vendors and street performers from 11AM until 10PM.

We hope that you will be able to come by and join us in celebrating our community's vibrant lifestyle.

Road Trip Follow-Up

I knew this mini roady was going to be loaded with fun, but did not expect it to be all that it was.
We got up at 5AM on Saturday morning and were on the road by 5:15. In order to save some on gas and leave a smaller footprint, we chose Kia Optima Hybrid for this trip. We left Toronto with a full tank and during our trip we only needed to gas once. The first tank lasted us for 1,150 km - quite impressive, don't you think?

2012 Kia Optima Hybrid - car that took us places

By the time we reached Columbus, OH, it was early afternoon and before checking into our hotel we wanted to see what local retailers had to offer. When I saw these New Balance shoes, I could not but take them home with me. They are not only comfortable but also my favorite color, a true winning combo.

The evening started off by meeting my friend in front of the Schmidt's Saussage House, the restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious meal, well worth the trip.

Marc and I in anticipation of our dinner

When you can't decide what to order, the easiest way is to go with the sampler plate

After treating our taste buds with local awesomeness, Marc returned to our hotel to catch up on some golf and the girls went dancing. I don't rally do that much, but when one of your best friends asks you to, you just don't say no. 

On Sunday we reloaded our car and hit the road Toronto bound. This trip was short and sweet and I can't wait for the next one to come, regardless of where it may take us.

Cheers - Ivana and I before hitting the dance floor

Taking a Roady

got this image off Pinterest, would love to credit the author, but can't seem to find who it is

yes, tomorrow and I can't wait.

It is a spontaneous thing Marc and I decided to do a week ago. We are off to Columbus, OH inspired by a food show to indulge in some beer and sausages from a local eatery. 

Coincidentally, my childhood friend, who now lives in Washington DC, and who I love spending time with will also be there. Happiness all around!

Time Flies

Pre-drilled plates waiting to become fully functional clocks

... and literally so, just last week at least 10 clocks few of our walls at Freedom Clothing Collective and into their new homes. This prompted me to start a search for a new batch as the time is approaching when I will have to direct a lot of my attention to producing crafty goodness for the One of A Kind Show that my friend and Freedom partner Karen of koocoo are participating at.

The stack of drilled plates on my kitchen counter keeps growing at a steady pace but there is still a lot more to get done.

Here are a few plates that actually made it to become clocks just this morning. My absolutely favourite one is the one with the whale - it started off by being just a plain bamboo plate. I experimented a bit with an image transfer technique and could not be happier with the end result. It was a bit labour intensive, but fun so I expect more of those come come out of my workshop soon.

This baby sold already and is on its way to Vancouver

In the Works

Before

In progress

Drawer with the woodgrain showing

Here is a little sneak preview of one of the few pieces that I am working on at the  moment. The reason this one made the cut is to show you how some unintentional mistakes can make an awesome finished look. Namely, as I was taping off the drawers to apply the white paint, I miscalculated the width and as a result, the wood grain is showing in random spots and adding that unexpected something. At first I wanted to cover it, but since every drawer seems to have the same "problem" i have decided to ignore it and make it a part of the design. Can't wait till this one is done and posted on Etsy. Hope you share my enthusiasm.

Quirky lamp

Originally I created some knick-knack candle holders from random china pieces as I was inspired by an image from the Anthropologie catalogue, but from there I decided to take it a step further and turn them into lamps - that way they are just a bit more functional. So here is the latest one, the height and the colours are just perfect and the little shade seems to fit like a glove.

New Beginnings

It has been a while and hopefully everyone is doing well, enjoying the summer and staying cool. The weather in Toronto is so hot and humid today, but who cares really, it is summer and it is supposed to be like that. Before we know it we will be missing it and wishing it back.
In the past little while I spent some time thinking as to why I have not been diligent enough to make new posts, and have realized that it stems from the fact that there are so many beautifully curated blogs out there and that I wish mine was of the same kind, but somehow it never turns out that way. But I have also decided to ignore that fact and just roll with the way I do things and there will always be someone who will want to read it and catch up on my work, so in the spirit of embracing what I just said here is a mini visual update of some of the projects that have come and gone through my hands.

Endless Possibilities

I consider myself thrifter extraordinaire. It is really the thrill of the find that keeps me going. I see something, inspect and evaluate it, quickly develop a revamp strategy in my head, scoop it up and allow my imagination to transform it into something fresh and new. Luckily, I don't have a problem parting with my creations, as otherwise I could easily be classified as a hoarder. That of course is a general statement, but this little sewing chest really captured my heart and soul. Unfortunately I didn't take proper before picture and only have this one to share.

before

To quickly give you an idea of the state of the piece I will describe it as bland, boring and somewhat rickety, but nothing that my screw driver, paint rollers and brushes could not change.

after

I am not a sewer in general, so to use it as a sewing kit storage would be a waste of a resource for me. Instead I decided to put it in my bathroom and make it into a new home for my nail polishes, creams and other random stuff that crams the medicine cabinet. Since it sits on casters, it will be fun rolling it into other rooms or wherever I decide that the "beautification" process should take place.

That is only one of the possibilities, it could also serve as a fabulous jewelry box.

If my bed was any closer to the ground, it would function as a miniature night stand, as this is one of the things I am in desperate need of, but due to space constraints I still live without one.

You will likely be able to see it first hand at one of the craft shows that Freedom will be attending this year where it will serve as one of the display props.

It just crossed my mind that it would also make a great accessory to your coffee table. At this point you are probably wondering how. If you are like me and dealing with 1001 remote controls you can easily shove them inside the cabinet, or bring it closer to the couch when you are nicely nested in the pillows and rest your wonderful choice of beverage on it.

If I was a tea aficionado, I would use it on the kitchen counter (sans the wheels of course) and display all the wonderful tea selection as well as tea making accessories.

So there you have it. The title says endless possibilities and I have listed a few. If you have an idea of an alternative use potential for this thing, please do email or comment on this post. I would love to know what your thoughts are on this.

Black Writing Desk

Lately I have been faced with a bit of a problem, and that is that I just could not find a piece cute enough to refinish and add to my portfolio, until, of course, my path crossed this desk. A few coats of black paint and a touch of blue have turned it into quite a desirable piece of furniture (that is if I am to judge by the number of hits and likes that it has received on Etsy)

Freedom CC went to the Green Living Show

For all of you who follow us on Facebook and Twiter (@Freedom_CC) you could not have missed the fact that this year again we participated at the Green Living Show. This past weekend was packed with action. Our booth and products have attracted some media attention from the talented people at House and Home as well as the Globe and Mail that featured this beauty of ours and named it the Green Living Show Clock, all of which made us very proud.

What meant even more though is that we met some new friends and renewed acquaintances with people we met in the previous years. One of the show neighbors that we struck friendship with is Melissa from Totem Bags. Melissa sources promotional banners from past advertising campaigns, pairs them up with repurposed seat belts from old cars and turns them into one of a kind messenger and tote bags or accessories for your laptops or iPads.

We ran into Celine Mackay (that we originally met three years ago) and her crew from Canada's independent print publication Pure Green Magazine that focuses on green design and lifestyle. Within a very short time they went from an exclusively online publication to full print production and are enjoying a much deserved success with it.

Our solar friends that we got to know at last year's Home Show were there as well educating the public about the importance and benefits of leveraging solar energy. To learn more about it and the programs offered with the installation of solar panels  check the info on the InPhase Power's website

Participating at this year's show would not have been possible without the help and dedication of some of our close associates, Emma, Romeo, Julianne, Priya, Cristina and Anna, who volunteered their time to help us build parts of our display,  staff the store and the booth. Thank you all.

And now, on the week following one of the most fun shows we get to participate at we say

so long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good bye - until next year, or hopefully sooner.