Hello! I'm so sorry that it has been such awhile since I've posted here, but we've been so busy! Just after Canada Day we had our second round of family visitors come stay with us. Richard's sister Kathy and her partner Beth who was visiting B.C. for the first time. We had a lovely sunny weekend which was spent eating lots of stone fruit, picnicking in Stanley Park and going to All India buffet (and getting very, very full...like, top button undone full. Oh, Gulab Jamun).
This last week we had the Vancouver premier of Handmade Nation, which was absolutely fantastic. Faythe Levine, the film maker, flew in for the occasion and not only was the movie showing great but a bunch of local crafty types also got together for a party to welcome Faythe the night before the screening. It was so lovely getting to meet a bunch of people that I've made friends with online, and just to hang out with lots of fun like-minded people. There was a wee showcase of local crafters at the premier, which we had a table at showing our wares (I forgot my camera sadly! Fortunately there was a photographer there so I will hopefully have photos for you soon!) and chatting with new found crafty friends. I got to meet my friend Heather from Dalhaus who makes absolutely beautiful ceramics, Amy (aka Crafty Dame) and her sister came to introduce themselves to us, and picked up one of our new wooden bookmarks which were hot of the press! We snacked on chocolate vegan cupcakes from Coco Cake Cupcakes, celebrated the lovely Ms. Werker's birthday and met Jan from Poppytalk who has been so encouraging and supportive of us and it was really great to be able to thank her in person! Hanging out with all these Vancouver crafty folks (and more!) was such a fun time and made me love this city all the more!
The movie itself was absolutely fantastic, I really loved it. We both did in fact. With Richard having grown up in the punk/DIY scene, I think there was a bit of a reawakening for his passion for making. I loved how real and authentic everyone in the film was, and also the overwhelming theme about the importance of being creative, making for yourself and in ways that you love. We both came a way really fired up, with lots of ideas and even more sure that this is something we want to do not only for a living (if possible) but also for our own satisfaction. There was lots of talk, both in the film and in the Q&A with Faythe afterwards, about the danger (or maybe worry is a better word?) of the handmade movement being co-opted by corporate retail which admittedly is a scary prospect. However I really loved something Faythe mentioned about the fact regardless of what is selling or currently trendy, people are always going to be creating and making. This also really rung true throughout the various interviews in the film, it was so obvious that people were not only genuinely passionate about what they were doing but that making was such a natural (and sometimes subversive and political) act for them. I think this really resonated with us both because we feel similarly, but also because of how easily that can get lost in the clutter of life. Needless to say we came away inspired and with some resolutions for ourselves, and lots and lots of ideas! Big thanks to Andrea and Rob of Got Craft for putting on such a fantastic event!
On that note, it is late, late here and one of my resolutions is getting up at a decent time so I best scurry off to bed! I hope you're all very well and I promise you will be hearing from me lots more soon!
I have a second batch of these in the oven as we speak, and yes it is 12.30am. I do all my best baking at night and we have 'Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte' on (we're on a bit of a Bette Davis kick at the moment) Last Saturday night Richard and I were craving something sweet, and all I could think about were cupcakes. Seriously, obsessing over the idea. There was a bit of a debate over chocolate versus vanilla (chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting? with vanilla frosting? vanilla cupcakes with chocolate frosting?) and then I stumbled upon these while browsing Joy of Baking. I'd never even heard of Black Bottom cupcakes, but the thought of Devils Food Cake and cheesecake in a cup was just about the end of me. The best part was that we actually had all the ingredients, and we never have cream cheese (I'd been intending to make carrot cake, still hasn't happened). 
I didn't think it could possibly get any better than that, but the next day after having a pancake brunch we had some left over blackberry and strawberry sauce so that afternoon Richard and I decided to pour some over our cupcakes. Absolute heaven! There was even enough sauce left to be used as an impromptu jam on my toast the next morning. Yum! It was a good food weekend. I'm not sure how normal it is to get quite as excited (read: hand clapping in delight) about good food as I do, but there you go.
hello (at) blissinateacup (dot) com
