issue4
DESCRIPTION
Two artists and a musician have turned their apartment into a space for creating.TRANSCRIPT
4covet gardeninspiration grows here
Three young artistic types find that creativity can flourish in a crowded but cozy apartment
val,heather & matt
TRACY SHUMATEphotographer
We’re so excited that she’s taking pictures for us. Her work has appeared in Chat-elaine, Canadian House and Home and Style at Home. www.tracyshumate.com
KIM JEFFERYphotographer
Kim was born a city kid but found her rhythm in the country when her family moved there. She’s a huge animal lover, and until age fourteen wanted to be a vet. Kim studied journal-ism and art before taking the creative photography program at Humber Col-lege. She’s been shooting for just under a year and really loves it. Kim lives in a great two-bedroom with her boyfriend, three cats and one fish.
www.kimjeffery.com
contributors
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on the cover: illustration by Shen Plum
SHEN PLUMillustratorShen is an illustrator living in Toronto who loves ani-mals and nature stuff. Her work can be seen in galler-ies, magazines, books, and/or on T-shirts.
www.shenplum.com
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this issueWhen we’re putting an issue together, we notice certain themes emerging. And this story is about transition and metamorphosis.
Our subjects, Val, Heather and Matt, transformed their apartment into a happy live/work space. Not long out of school, the trio are in a state of transition themselves. Each brings treasured (and mostly portable) possessions into the space. Their pad is a place where they relax but also make art, music and crafts. As you can see, the result is collaborative, not compromised.
We love the DIY dynamic of the apartment and its inhabitants. In our Q&A section, Matt makes a magical mix tape. In The Project feature, Val gives us a recipe for tasty holiday treats. And in our Inspiration pages, the roomies have shown us that you don’t have to be a kid to play with design.
Also, as a special gift to you, we have two issues in December. Stay tuned for Ben and Daniel’s travel-inspired abode at mid-month.
*this picture: info about
the picture yadda blah
about the picture yadd
the power of threeSisters Val and Heather and Val’s partner, Matt, made their home a space for creating photography by Kim Jeffery
the space
being in your twenties is a transi-tional time. Especially for sisters Valerie and Heather and Val’s
partner, Matt. When we took these pictures, they all lived together in a kooky old Victorian house just west of Toronto’s Little Italy. This apartment served as their living quarters and their studio space (the gals are both art school grads and run an Etsy shop called This Is Small House). But by the time you read this, Heather will have moved out and in with her boyfriend.
The cool thing about being in a state of metamorpho-sis is that you aren’t really afraid to break conventions and try new things.
Previous page: (left) Heather
sits with scissors
at the sisters’
duelling sewing
machines; (right)
A papery brood of
jellyfish made by
Heather floats
in the window.
Heathercreated this giant heart for a friend’s shop windowfor Valentine’s
the space
The house has a
storybook feel,
with shelves
and plate rails
populated by
googly-eyed
doughnuts and
cat-eared girls.
the space
Val at work in
her studio. Her
drawings of
fighting animals
are overlaid
with stencils
made from very
proper doilies.
the space itself has a history of being in flux. Originally a single-family home converted and reconverted into apart-
ments, it has a layout a bit like Wonderland—just when you think there can’t possibly be another room, you open a door and find a new one. There’s even a foot-high door that reveals a tiny storage space. “We picked a place that has character,” says Val. “None of us wanted to live in a box.”
Val and Heather have retail jobs (which they love) in
a flower shop and a paper store, respectively. They have their Etsy shop, and they both make art on their own. And Matt is a musician. The apartment reflects both individuality and collaboration. “It’s mostly hand-me-downs,” says Val of the furnishings, “but we try to curate it so that it matches.” It’s the new creations, like original artworks, that make the rooms buzz with energy. “We end up making things because we can’t find what we want in stores,” says Val. Throughout the apartment, newly created things like bunting and songs fill the space.
the space
Matt in his man
cave. He is sitting
on a row of seats
salvaged from
Val and Heather’s
grandparents’ movie
theatre that once
housed a peepshow.
“We had them
reupholstered.”
says Val.
unlike most Toronto homes, this one has plenty of built-in stor-age. As a result, the spaces
seem roomier and airier than most post-grad ac-commodations. Shelving also provides lots of places for their cats to practice their kitty parkour.
Even with Heather moving out, the sisterly bond will still influence the apartment—they will continue to collaborate on their Etsy store. And Val’s paintings, based on old family photos, will keep watch over them all.
Says Heather, “Scientific things interest me...especially things that metamorphose”
Opposite page: The roomies
also inspire one
another. Matt
made Val this reel-
to-reel mix tape
for Valentine’s Day
one year. Matt is
the new Lloyd
Dobbler.
Which superpower do you wish you had?HEATHER: Time travel/teleportation. I wish that out loud almost once a week. VAL: Infinite patience.
What’s the best thing you’ve ever made?HEATHER: A giant jellyfish made of fabric.VAL: A papier-mâché pig in the first real art space our parents gave us all to ourselves.
What’s your favourite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?HEATHER: Moving around, being outside.
Taking in fresh air and sun (when the weather complies).VAL: Sewing, painting or just plain mak-ing. Enjoying the time to explore ideas.
Write a haiku about your favourite animal.HEATHER: “Lux”Plump, round, furry, softPillow of animal heatLiving cat blanket.
VAL: Cutest animalLiving fluffy ball of sweetThe baby bunny.
Val: The Color Kittens. It’s a Little Golden Book
about cats mixing paints.
Heather: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides.
It has the perfect amount of romanticized imagery.
Val: Yours is deep. Mine’s about cats mixing paints.
Heather: It’s just a good book.
Val: When you think about it, when you’re a kid you
have time to really engage in some things.
You can spend hours and hours staring at a book.
Heather: That stops when you become a teen.
favourite books
Q&A
Which superpower do you wish you had?HEATHER: Time travel/teleportation. I wish that out loud almost once a week. VAL: Infinite patience.
biosBorn and raised in Penetanguishene, Val graduated from the fine arts program of Georgian College in Barrie, Ontario. She recently found a salamander in a shipment of moss at the flower shop where she works, and brought him home with her.
Heather is of course also from the Penetang. A recent graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design, she had a show called Sea Forms at the Paper Place last summer.
The only permanent member of indie band Four Star Daydream, Matt is known for his dry sense of humour. He also has a crafty side: he recent-ly used Japanese paper to cover the housing of his Lovetone Big Cheese fuzz pedal.
links• Val’s website• Val’s art for sale• Heather’s art site• This Is Small House on Etsy• Matt’s band Four Star Daydream on MySpace• Matt’s music blog
This Is Small House is also available at:• ransacktheuniverse.com• tnkvintage.com• Stay Awkward (Facebook Page)
the people
favourite books
“This album of originals and personal favou-rites was recorded during the blustery days of December 11th to 20th, 2005. Despite the time constraints and persistent phone interruptions, this album was recorded in every spare waking moment.” It includes:
1. “Album of the Year” – Good Life
2. “No Reply” – The Beatles
3. “Picture in the Paper” – The New Amsterdams
4. “The Cold Heart Mountain Top Queen Directory” – Guided by Voices
5. You Will. You? Will. – Bright Eyes
matt’s mix tape for val
Not only are these tasty rumballs super sim-ple to make (no cooking required), you can use the leftover rum to spike your eggnog.
1 cup icing sugar1 cup ground almonds3 oz bittersweet grated chocolate1/ 3 cup dark rum1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup icing sugar for coating
1. Whisk together the first three ingredi-ents, then mix in 1/4 cup of the rum and vanilla until you can form a solid moist mass. Press together into a ball and chill for 15 minutes.
2. Once the mixture is chilled, roll into 1-inch balls and place on a tray.
3. Using two bowls, fill one with remain-ing rum and the other with icing sugar. Roll each ball into the rum and then into the icing sugar. Allow them to air-dry on a tray. Once dry, they can be stored in an air-tight container for up to one month.
Give the gift of Val’s chocolate rum balls, housed in Heather’s origami boxes photograph by Tracy Shumate
box sets
the project
Paper craft is where it’s at! Minhee and Truman Cho of Paper + Cup Design in Brooklyn show you how to make papery presents in their new book Paper + Craft. And Sok Song of Creased —an online magazine for origami enthusiasts—has written Crease and Fold with instructions for such innovative origami treats as wallets and jewellery.
tag, you’re it!Turn blank tags into mini artworks with stamps (or buy handmade cards from Etsy). Blank gift tags are available in a rainbow of colours from California Craft, US$3/25; Skull and Cross Buns Anatomical Heart Stamp, US$13; Dutch Door’s let-terpress ink on veneer holiday gift flags, US$6/6.how to make a similar box+
paper heartsVal and Heather are more interested in clothes for their doll than in what they wear themselves. illustrations by Rhonda Riche
Val loves her custom-made
“Awkward Stage” dress (left).
She likes to wear it topped with a cute apron.
(below)
personal style
a little double-sided tape, and you’ve got a PAPER DOLL!+
Heather’s fave is her jelly-
fish costume and tentacle bonnet.
She would like to be draped in
organic forms.
Val, Heather and Matt’s place has a playfulness to it that inspires us
1. Squeezel, US$34 2. Girl With Beret print, US$20 3. Decole red plastic cat cup, $10 4. Alessi Happy Spices container by Stefano Giovannoni, $16 5. Friends With You Mr. TTT Bench, $700 6. Petit Pig magnet set, $16 7. LeSportsac Pianofuzz pouch $15 8. Ikea Vitaminer Vimpel duvet cover and pillowcases, $12.99 9. Anna Sui Rouge Jar in Vivid Red, $23 10. Tea Sub, £8 11. Pro-ject Debut III turntable, $399 12. Xenia Taler Our Animal Friends giraffe tile, $44 13. Wicked Style “G” Harajuku Lovers Fragrance, Eau de Toilette Spray, $45 14. Aranzi Aronzo The Cuter Book, $14 15. Shinzi Katoh Cat Post-it notes, $8 16. Guido Crepax cabinet, $11,140
child’s play
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inspiration
1. Squeezel, US$34 2. Girl With Beret print, US$20 3. Decole red plastic cat cup, $10 4. Alessi Happy Spices container by Stefano Giovannoni, $16 5. Friends With You Mr. TTT Bench, $700 6. Petit Pig magnet set, $16 7. LeSportsac Pianofuzz pouch $15 8. Ikea Vitaminer Vimpel duvet cover and pillowcases, $12.99 9. Anna Sui Rouge Jar in Vivid Red, $23 10. Tea Sub, £8 11. Pro-ject Debut III turntable, $399 12. Xenia Taler Our Animal Friends giraffe tile, $44 13. Wicked Style “G” Harajuku Lovers Fragrance, Eau de Toilette Spray, $45 14. Aranzi Aronzo The Cuter Book, $14 15. Shinzi Katoh Cat Post-it notes, $8 16. Guido Crepax cabinet, $11,140
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