Welcome back! To another YouTube video! In which I give you the social media advice you never asked for! YAY. No growth hacks or step-by-step how-to guides. Just riffing on a few things, because I’ve been having conversations with creative entrepreneurs lately around how they “should” use social media (particularly Instagram) and I’m sensing… lots of…
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Seasonal Wreath Made With Vintage Merino Roving
Read moreYou know when you’re walking and you think to yourself, “I should make a [insert thing here]!” and then you get home and proceed to pull out every craft supply/utensil you own, staring at it on the floor until you come up with The Thing? Mhm, well, that’s how this happened. I was walking home…
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(Another) Embroidered Knit Pillow
Read moreAnother one! Yay! It’s been a while since I made one of these (you can see the original version here, a colourful version here, and the tutorial teaching you how to make your own here). I’ve had people reach out over the years asking to buy these, and I’ve always said no (read as: large fear…
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VIDEO: My Recent (And Current!) Makes
Read moreWe’re back on the YouTubes! This week I’m sharing what I’ve made recently, what I’m currently working on, and what I hope to dig into next (spoiler alert: I want to dig into all the things). Projects mentioned: 1. Embroidered Knit Pillow. Own design, made from Dominion Textile yarn from the 70s? 80s? 2. Ondawa Sweater…
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DIY Beanbag Footstool… Fail?
Read moreGather round, kids, for another episode of What Not To Do with your host Kate Smalley. Today on the show we’re featuring the beanbag footstool I made nearly a year ago. I was searching for an oversized footstool or ottoman, and couldn’t find anything in my price range… so I decided to DIY one. I…
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VIDEO: To All The Knits I’ve Loved Before
Read moreWell, well, well. What do we have here. If it isn’t… the year Kate heretofore nominated as the one she will give YouTube an honest go. Let me be clear: this video is not “quality content”, and I sure as heck have a thing or two to learn about lighting and focus (and apparently sound…
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Julie Moon: Acid Garden Exhibition at Birch Contemporary
Read moreJulie Moon’s exhibition “Acid Garden” at Birch Contemporary has been extended through to January 26th, 2019. I popped in to see it last week and I loved seeing her sculptures up close—those textures! the colours. I’m more familiar with her wearables (her pins and earrings are amazing!) and had never seen her sculptures in person. If…
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Handmade Porcelain Bird Ornament by JB + DG
Read moreLook at this sweetest of birds, handmade by the lovely Dayna Gedney (one half of JB + DG). I bought it from her at the Crown Flora holiday market last month. Because Dayna’s the best, she let me pick out the one I wanted before I even got to the market. She sent me pictures…
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Here’s To 2019 And Following Nudges
Read moreA new year but little has changed—still enjoying my golden hour walks around Leslieville. It’s funny, I was walking along Queen St and about to turn around when I felt this little tug to keep going. Looking ahead the next couple of blocks didn’t look particularly exciting, they honestly looked pretty bleak, so I was standing…
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Build It Make It You’re It
Read moreMakers make things happen. We build the thing. We do the thing. We show up. The outcome doesn’t really matter. Only the process does, because that’s the bit we can control. Creativity is a posture. It’s an approach to your work and a way of seeing the world. It’s making a way when…
Oh Hi! I’m Kate, and this is my craft & creative history blog. I like taking photos of old things, making new things, and revelling in the creative process.