Hello, I'm Hillary :) The woman and artist behind everything you see in this small online shop.

I'm starting this blog on a whim after finding my old journals from years ago and remember how much I love to write. How much I enjoy preserving my thoughts in written notes that I can share.

But seriously, are blogs still a thing? Do we still read them?

Well, I think...this blog will revolve around life as a small business owner and artist. I'm hoping it will give me more time and space to elaborate on my thoughts and experiences (more than on socials anyway) and that you will find comfort in my ramblings. I'll keep it largely unedited so it'll be more of an intimate digital journal.

First and foremost: who am I?

My name is Hillary. I'm 31 years old, a wife and a mother to 3 beautiful children whom I have the pleasure and honour of homeschooling. I share this aspect of my life often because I believe it has a lot to do with how I run my business as I carve out tiny bits of every day to make my art.

I've never formally studied art, nor have I taken classes so most of what I know and do comes from experimentation and the making of ugly art (plenty of it). I've moved through styles and techniques and only 7 or so years ago landed on a medium I loved: gouache.


From there I was finally able to work with a palette that truly resonated with me and it unlocked my kindred aesthetic, which can only be described as "hygge" as my daughter likes to call it.

A little whimsical and dreamy, soft and sweet. A little feminine and nostalgic too.

Through high school I had lost touch with what I liked. I couldn't put my finger on what I genuinely found beautiful because I was too influenced by my peers and the latest trends. All I knew was what was popular was not it.

After I started painting, I rediscovered the aesthetic that I loved so much and began to explore that by making paper goods with my husband. We started our business at the time - Bluberry Canvas - partly out of passion and partly out of desperation. We were two artists stuck between a rock and a hard place, looking for a way to provide for our young daughter but also not losing ourselves in the process.

We signed up to some local markets to start and eventually began wholesaling our products to small boutiques across Canada and the USA. It was going well, not spectacular but we had much faith in our art and its potential.

After the world came to a halt in 2020, all of our business stopped too. Everyone shut their doors and we were not sure how we would survive or pay bills. It was an uncertain and scary time, but also the challenge of it pushed me to try something new. At least to keep my hands and mind busy.

One night I was scrolling Instagram, something I literally never did because I had no idea how to use the platform. Somehow the jewelry of Nicole from Studio Ramiii was put in front of me and I can't put into word the exact feeling but I always like to describe it as a fire that was ignited in me. I had never felt so inspired and pumped to try something new and my husband, being the incredible cheerleader that he is, woke up the next morning and helped me order all the basic tools to get me started. 

When they arrived I got straight to making something (a moth) I had imagined for days only to be disappointed that it was in fact, hideous. It's ok, you can say it's ugly! We don't have to pretend.

I absolutely had no intention to sell any of the jewelry I made. I quite honestly didn't know what I would do with it, but I was too eager to work with the clay that I chose not to think too much about it. What I knew was that earrings are my accessory of choice and so I would start with that - make something I would personally wear.

I documented my process and garnered interest through posts and stories on IG which gave me the confidence I needed to put together a collection to sell. I was ridiculously nervous the day of the launch - June 16, 2020. I was scared no one would buy anything, hurting our income but even more so, my artist soul.


But as it turned out, it went swimmingly and I made $1200 from my first ever collection. I could not believe it! I mean, I was on cloud 9 and beyond. It was validating and encouraging and I was ready to explore more ideas.

As the years have gone on, I've designed and shared hundreds of earrings (and other accessories and homey things) with thousands of customers all over the world. I've lost count of the amount of times I've uttered the words, "Can you believe this is my life?!"

I'm eternally grateful for the support and love you've all shown for my art and handmade treasures. I hope to continue making wearable art for many years to come and expand my skills and abilities for as long as I can.

Thank you for being here, for reading this far and for just being an all around rad human being.

Love,
Hillary xo