I Beast You

Wowzas: What Katie Ate

2010-11-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

11/15/10

Awesome, awesome blog by photographer and food stylist, Katie Quinn Davies.

boys

2010-11-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

11/12/10

I usually find myself drawn to pictures of beautiful women more so than men, but Bill Gentle of Backyard Bill has a collection of manly men photos that kind of do it for me. These guys seem so far removed from the main-stream photographic representations of men that they look like another species of animal to me. Exciting, finally.

Vampires

2010-11-11T00:01:00.002-08:00

11/11/10

I read, love, and hate a blog called Jezebel. Recently they published this article on their site: Why Can’t We Get Enough of Sexy Vampires Having Sexy Sex?

The author, “Morning Gloria”, doesn’t get it, admittedly. She throws out a suggestion: “that the modern conception of the sexy vampire looks like a human but isn't constrained by human moral limitations. Their danger and disregard for social convention render them monstrous but sexually appealing- the ultimate rebel.”

Early in the summer, a friend who shall remain nameless and I laid plans to start a smutty book club. However, for reasons unbeknownst to either of us, it has evolved into a vampire book club. I didn’t think I was the vampire type, but I am. Also, being the overly-analytical type that I am, I have arm-chair psychoanalyzed this unforeseen aspect of my personality.

Stephanie Meyers has a literary gift for conveying the adolescent mind. I felt like I was 15 again. I experienced emotions I forgot I had. I remembered what it was like to want to love someone like that – where you create a world together, become lost in it, and don’t give a fuck about what anyone thinks.

For me, the vampire aspect wasn’t really about the sexual appeal of the “dangerous rebel” (although that’s perhaps a part of it). It had more to do with the fact that they were magic, something that, in my younger mind, love and romance where synonymous with. Love was the thing that would save the world. Even when confronted with divorce rate statistics and the relational difficulties evident even in my own family, I still believed love was this other-worldly gift. Somewhere along the way, I became a pragmatist and love was something 2, or more, people experienced when universes aligned and they shared a situational, emotional, or physical connection that was fulfilling and appealing in some way for the parties involved. Eventually, the connection would probably lessen or brake as lives changed, world-views shifted, or bodies morphed.

There is a kind of hopeless romance to this way of thinking, but basically, love is hormonally charged convenience. I can’t pin-point the moment that love lost its magic and became a masochistic pursuit, but it did, and I didn’t really notice until the vampires. Rather than reading with the smug all-knowingness of someone who’s seen a thing or two about what love really is, the vampire aspect somehow enabled me to suspend my disbelief. I believed in their love because the factors were different enough to be unpredictable (although the story is incredibly predictable, but that didn’t seem to matter). I wanted them to be together forever. I remembered what it was like to believe that love was magic and hope was a real belief of things to come, not a mollifying word you say to someone who’s going through a tough time. I can’t say that I have returned to my 15 year-old mind set, but something’s changed. I felt those beliefs again, for a moment.

Crush

2010-11-10T00:01:00.001-08:00

11/10/10

The social circles I frequented in design school at Ryerson University found me spending a lot of time with people in the Image Arts program (film, photo, and new media). While I was there, I became familiar with the work of an image arts student by the name of Justin Broadbent. His work was pretty awesome and inspiring, and I developed what I can only describe as, ahem, a very large design crush on this boy. Some of our friends overlapped and I saw him occasionally at parties, but I was super shy and didn’t really try to talk to him. Anyhow, he is still doing awesome stuff and is still a bit of a design super-hero in my mind. You should check out his work here.

Etsy Treasury Thanks

2010-11-09T00:01:00.001-08:00

11/09/10

I am only sporadically good at follow-up communications for projects I don’t get paid for. Hence, only about half of the nice people who so kindly included my work in their Etsy Treasuries have received thanks from me in return. Without fail, all of the treasuries my work has been included in have been thoughtfully curated and beautiful, so thank you:

Moon and Lion
Rene Anne
Miss Emmy Green
Il Gatto Selvatico
Retro Labs
Natalya 1905
Foowahu
Repurposeful Punk
Luminiddities
Early Bird Creations

I'm sorry it took so long.

Curse of the Perfectionist

2010-11-08T00:01:00.001-08:00

11/08/10

I have moved from my trailer. I live in Canada where it is somewhat impractical to live without heat and insulation, although people do it. Some of you mentioned that you would like to see me post more about “trailer-life” and I am disappointed in myself for not taking pictures of my camping set-up and writing more about it. The truth is that I don’t like letting people see my projects until they’re perfect. And they never are because I’m a perfectionist. I don’t want to be like this. It prevents me from feeling proud of my projects and it limits my ability to respect the work other people do because I focus on the things they could have done better. I think this is the curse of the perfectionist; nothing you do is ever good enough for you. I just wish I could say “who the fuck cares.” I am planning to get over this and think that a good way to start might be to undertake a kind of exhibitionist project where I post pictures of my real life and my not-perfect-yet projects.

So here’s my house, not perfect.

New Things and Such...

2010-11-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

11/06/10

I have been working on something new, I Beast You un-related, which has taken over my life for the last 4 months: Horntrip Magazine

I’ll be getting back to I Beast You and updating you on my project for Come Up To My Room with Chrissy Poitras soon.

Girls

2010-09-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

09/23/10
I have obviously not posted every day, as previously stated. The first reason could probably get me off the hook: I have had a chest infection for the last two and a half months. The second reason sounds so lame, and I mean mid-twenty, over-educated, wannabe artiste, existential crises kind of lame. I don’t know what I’m doing with my life. I don’t know what you folks do when your life’s a mess, but I like looking at pictures of pretty girls. Here are two by Edwin Tse, an awesome photographer.
B.

Mustard and Acid Etsy Treasury

2010-07-18T04:30:00.000-07:00

07/18/10
For those who don't know, an Etsy Treasury is an Etsy-user curated selection of things from other Etsy shops. The purpose is to highlight the good stuff, and help Etsy shoppers find amazing things and shops without having to do as much label sorting (treasuries usually have a guiding theme to them). Treasuries are also a way for the curator to generate traffic for their own shop and make connections with other Etsy seller. So, in my on-going effort to organize my blogging, I have decided to create one treasury a week and highlight the sellers I've featured here so that you guys can see some of the Etsy talents that I've admired for a while, and others I've discovered through the search.
.
Without further ado: Mustard and Acid Treasury.
Featuring works from: Corrieberry Pie, Skinny Laminx, Urban Design, Spark Box Studio, Dingbat Press, Monko Photography, Katie 4986, Ika Bags, Rusty Nut Studio, Deka Animals, Leather Design, Natalya's Studio, The Shutterbug Eye, Faithworks 4U, Sora Designs, and Roadside Photographs.

Napkins Have Arrived at Etsy

2010-07-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

07/17/10
The first-run of prototype Foraging Napkins, are now available in I Beast You's Etsy Shop. Detailed information for those interested in carrying the napkins can be found in the housewares section of I Beast You's site.

Who's this? Wiksten-Made

2010-07-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

07/15/10
I have been following Jenny Gordy's blog for a while, and think it's about time I posted something about her. Both Jenny's business model, and hand-made clothing line, were (and continue to be)a big inspiration for me. When I was debating whether or not I should go ahead form my own design studio, it was inspiring to see someone else who was passionate about their craft, committed to their idea, and is now consistently making things that other people love. Jenny's blog has an engaging mix of her own work, other's work, and tidbits from her life. Her clothing lines are beautiful, and it's been encouraging to identify with the ups and downs before the launch of a new line, then to see her stunning results in the final photo-shoot. I would encourage anyone to have a look at her blog and website, if you're looking for inspiration, or her catalogue and shop, if you're looking for nice clothes.
-Becky

Saturdays at Hand Works

2010-07-15T06:20:00.000-07:00

07/15/10
Hello faithful people of blog land. If you find yourself in Bloomfield, Ontario this summer, Chrissy Poitras (of Spark Box Studio) and I will be selling our work outside of Hand Works most Saturdays. Stop by and see us!
I will be selling the usual (stuff from this site), and the occasional prototype yet to be launched. Chrissy will be selling paper goods produced in her print shop as well as copies of Square2 Magazine. You can see some of the studio's paper goods on her Spark Box Studio Etsy Shop. Hand Works is an eclectic gift shop carrying a mixture of hand-made crafts, manufactured novelties, some clothing and housewares, and a spattering of vintage, all in a turn of the century house with a big front lawn. The store is run by Tammy Love, an abstract painter and very entertaining conversationalist. Bloomfield, if you've never visited, is a charming town with a shocking number of gift shops, up-scale restaurants, cafe's, a quirky bike shop (that will rent you a bike to travel around with), and ice-cream parlours, on it's main drag. All in all, it's worth a trip.
Becky

Website Redesign and Blog Post Schedule

2010-07-14T06:04:00.000-07:00

07/14/10
Finally, finally, I have finished what I think is a website design that I like. If you are a retailer interested in carrying I Beast You products, all product pages have been updated with wholesale pricing, and a terms and conditions contract is available for download in the "order" section of the site.
If you come just to read the blog, come as you are. kidding. You will (should?) be happy to know that I will be posting something new EVERY DAY. With this daunting (for me) task ahead, I want to be more organized with posting by developing regular features.The ones I have in mind so far are: "trailer life" (self-explanatory and "who's this?" (posts about cool crafters/artists/designers). I was also thinking of "pretty things". I'm up in the air with this one though, because so many people have amazing blogs dedicated to pretty things. I'm open to suggestions here. If you read my blog and have thought, "Becky mentioned x, I wish she would post more about that", let me know!

And The Winner Is...

2010-07-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

07/13/10
Steph, of Craftoholic, was the winner of the owl beast and a copy of square2 magazine from the Marion House Book give-away. I'm a bit behind the 8-ball in posting this, but I really hope you enjoy your prize! Steph lives in California and operates a nice little craft blog (and is herself a talented crafter). Bunny trail: When I was 17 I took a road trip, with my two best friends, to California. We spent two months working at carnivals, meeting wonderful/strange people, sitting on beaches, and flirting with boys. When I found out that an owl was going to make its way out there, I felt a little nostalgic. I'm happy it's found a sunny home.
B.

Images are from Craftoholic, the work itself is Steph's

Don't Forget to Enter

2010-07-01T05:26:00.000-07:00

07/01/10
Tomorrow is the final day to enter the Marion House Book's product giveaway!
B.

If You're in Picton, Ontario Today...

2010-07-01T05:09:00.000-07:00

07/01/10
Chrissy Poitras and I will be selling our wares at Picton's first Street Market of the season. Drop by between noon and five if you're in the area. We'd love to see you.
B.

Product Giveaway

2010-06-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

27/06/10
Emma Reddington is a very talented Toronto-based designer, who is also the master-mind behind The Marion House Book —a great design blog featuring her own house, good design, art, food, as well as other Canadian Designers. I contacted Emma just to let her know that I thought her blog was lovely, and she asked if she could do a feature on I Beast You! I said yes, of course, and Emma has posted an all-too-flattering write-up on me, the design studio, and its products. In conjunction with the write-up, she is also hosting a product give-away. So, if you would like the chance to win an owl beast and a copy of Square2 Magazine, head over to The Marion House Book.
B.

Images are Emma's from The Marion House Book

Come Up To My Room

2010-06-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

06/14/10
The greatest thing since sliced bread has just happened to me. My friend, Chrissy Poitras, and I submitted a proposal for a public space installation during the Gladstone Hotel’s “Come Up To My Room” Alternative Design Event, and we got in. The event is in January. I’m freaking out (in a good way).

Foraging Napkins

2010-06-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

06/13/10
new products new products new products…
I am really excited to announce the launch of the first product in I Beast You’s dinnerware line: Foraging Napkins. The napkins are printed with illustrations of edible plants from each season, with instructions on how to identify them, eat them, use them medicinally, and what to watch out for. Available in sets of eight, foraging napkins are sewn by hand and silk-screened at Spark Box Studio; the illustrations are my own. They are currently in the proto-type phase, and a limited number will be available later this week for purchase through the Etsy webshop.

Square2

2010-06-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

06/12/10
I Beast You was in a magazine! Square2, a new arts and culture magazine out of Prince Edward County, published a feature on the studio. If you’re interested in purchasing the magazine, you can do so here. Their first issue is packed with interesting features on cool people involved in the arts. I Beast You was also asked to participate in the launch party for the magazine by setting up a display of the studio’s products in the window of Kelly’s shop. If you’re in the area, you can see the display, or purchase I Beast You products from Kelly’s, until Tuesday this week. If you’re in the area after Tuesday, you should stop by Kelly’s anyway, her shop is filled from floor to ceiling with quirky stuff and amazing clothes.

Portfolio Website!

2010-05-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

05/19/10
The site is finally up: www.beckylane.ca. Thank you Paul for your coding genius. In order to make amends with all the readers I have, no doubt, offended by continuously lying about the launch date for the site, I have pictures of the outhouse I built!

Newsletter and Comments Enabled

2010-05-04T07:18:00.001-07:00

05/04/10
I will be sending out a monthly newsletter (beginning this month) that will include an update on what is happening at the I Beast You studio as well as a little interview/bio on someone else who is doing interesting things in Canada. If you would like to receive a newsletter and/or if you are doing interesting things in the Canadian art and design scene yourself and would like to be featured in the newsletter, send me an e-mail with the word Newsletter in the subject. The newsletters will be (eventually) cataloged on the site as well, so I guess it isn't entirely necessary to sign-up, but I suppose I'll admit that I just want to know more about the people following the studio. In the same vein, I've finally figured out how to enable comments for specific blog posts, so all official "blog" posts (this whole site is a bog, which was where the confusion came from) can now be commented upon.

Update

2010-05-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

05/04/10
Hello, lots of news: I've been making new furniture (such as the table pictured below), I have a big vegetable garden, my friend Chrissy and I will be running a summer arts camp for kids in July and August, I've started composting my poop, and I will be launching a portfolio website of my past and current work next week!

Art Show at the Artel

2010-04-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

04/10/10
If you’re in, or near, Kingston (Ontario), you might want to check out the solo exhibit by Chrissy Poitras at The Artel. Chrissy is an abstract painter and printmaker from Prince Edward County. Her work centres on themes of mark-making and chance, playing on a suspicion that maybe the best moments are accidents and sometimes collisions of the unrelated might leave better for it. She’s also a generally awesome person. The show’s official reception is April 17, but you can also check it out on the weekends between April 6 and 30.

Small Living

2010-03-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

03/22/10
So, earlier I mentioned some living-arrangement changes that have been keeping me from the studio. Well, I have moved into a trailer! For some time I have wanted to lead a trampier life. Practically speaking, I want to understand very intimately what “living” costs in terms of energy—to feel the expense of lumber, heating systems, and dishwashing. On an ideological level, I want to face my own romanticism and live out the contradictions of idealism. The trailer is about 14 feet long by 8 feet wide, and we’ve been living there now for a couple of weeks. As usual, I have taken on my space as a kind of project, and have slowly been transforming it while being forced, by self-imposed circumstance, to question what living “simply” means. What are necessities, what are luxuries, and where do they overlap? I think if you had asked me that question when I was studying interior design at Ryerson, I would have answered very differently than I would now, and I hope by the end of this year my answer will be different yet.

New Things

2010-03-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

03/18/10
Hello, apologies for the gap in blog updates. I Beast You will be momentarily ramping up production for the spring so I will have more product-related posts soon. In other news, Paul and I got a puppy! He’s from Barbados, where we vacationed and found him stray on the beach. Barbados is rabies-free, so the process of bringing him back to Canada was surprisingly simple. The dog adoption coincided with some other big changes that have left us in a position to begin living, more directly, the kind of lives we feel passionate about. These plans are not quite finalized, but I will update you as they are.

Housewares

2010-03-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

03/19/10
I Beast You is working on a product to be launched this spring. The concept of the new line has to do with things getting dirty, but that’s all I can tell you for now.

thank you thank you thank you

2010-01-20T15:13:00.000-08:00

01/20/10
To everyone who has sent me encouraging letters about my new endeavour with I Beast You, thank you. They made me very happy. I also wanted to say thank you to Amy from The Peach Tree, who included my little creatures in her "peach picks" list this week. Amy is a fellow etsy seller who makes really great jewelery. I am very flattered.
B.

Photo Shoot

2010-01-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

01/15/10
Hello all, I've been trying to get everything up and running smoothly on the website, and I think I may be close *fingers crossed*. Paul and I had a photo shoot last night for the home page image and I doctored the chosen one today. I hope everyone had a good New Years.
B.

Busy Hands Craft Sale

2009-12-27T08:41:00.004-08:00

12/29/09
I brought the beasts to the Busy Hands craft sale in Prince Edward County. The Busy Hands sale is put on annually by Vicki’s Veggies and Honey Pie Herbals, and always has a good mix of vendors and visitors.
I had a booth with Chrissy Poitras of Spark Box Studio, and artist/crafter Nella Casson. It went really well and it was great to meet the other crafters.
This is our booth (and me looking like I'm 12). My mom took the photo, thanks mummy!

Introducing Beasts!

2009-12-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

12/24/09
Foxes. Otters. Owls. I'm really happy with the way these little guys have turned out. Beasts are available for purchase in the toy shop.

Something New...

2009-12-15T08:39:00.000-08:00

12/15/09

2009-06-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

2009-06-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

2009-06-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

2009-06-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

2009-06-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

2009-06-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

2009-06-16T11:32:00.000-07:00