Elaine Robitaille
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tooaquarius.bsky.social
Elaine Robitaille
@tooaquarius.bsky.social
350 followers 210 following 620 posts
A maker on the Canadian prairies, working with clay and pixels. She/her.

www.tooaquarius.com/links
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tooaquarius.bsky.social
Well, this is us making somewhat official I guess. We swapped the sign out at the locksmith we bought out in the summer, sneaking it in before the snow falls.

Also, we have a lot of keys. So many keys.
A man crouching in grass on the left side of a yard sign as he attaches it to the backing. The sign reads: The keys have moved! Find us at Superior Tech, 127 8th Ave NW! The illustration has an arrow pointing from one location on a map to another - the locations are the older shop location on 2nd Ave and the new location on 8th Ave, both in Swift Current SK.
October 7, 2025 at 3:25 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
Spending the day talking EVs and other, more sustainable transportation options at SEVA's drive electric event.

It's free to attend so if you're in #yqr you should pop in. We're at the trade centre in the REAL district!
VW ID Buzz ev on display at the event.
September 27, 2025 at 6:32 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
We bought the contents of the local retired locksmith this summer and have been trying to absorb it into our own shop. It's been A TRIP.

We've done automotive keys for years and some other security tech. So this isn't as weird a thing as it could be.
1/3
A shop counter piled with boxes and parts envelopes for key blanks, empty poly parts bags and a messy digital scale. A neatly designed very worn retro box from Dominion Locks, a defunct lock and key blanks supplier out of Montreal. An old fashioned nickel plated key blank on a small manila parts envelope from C.C. Craig Co. Ltd with older text. The envelope is for C02 key blanks provided for Dominion Lock Co. Ltd.
September 4, 2025 at 3:30 AM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
As a rule, I am not super pissy with #Etsy - they have been the easiest, most reliable platform for me over an extended period of time and mostly at least TRY to work on problems - but this message was about THE VERY LAST THING ON MY MIND regarding this hellscape
A screenshot of a text message from Etsy to an international vendor in the seller dashboard: Hi there, We're here to support you following the recent changes to tariffs legislation in the United States. In line with this, we're temporarily adjusting the program to support Star Sellers outside the US impacted by these changes. Since you earned a Star Seller badge in August, we are automatically granting you a badge for September. You can find more information about how to navigate this evolving policy here, (link to useless page - my words) We will continue to share updates to continue to support you through these changes. Best, Etsy (blurb about this being an unmonitored message box blah blah and that it does not penalize you if you don't reply to it blah blah)
August 28, 2025 at 6:37 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
You can faintly hear my partner, non-stop EV advocate in the extremely Conservative stronghold of SW Sask, in the background screaming.

This one by @deadder.bsky.social is close to home.
Political cartoon by Michael de Adder with a group gathered around a conference table. A man at the front has a speech bubble above his head that says: This is our plan for winning back Canadians. He points to a chalkboard with a crossed out icon for electric vehicles and text that says: Electric vehicles bad. On the edge of the conference table is a sign with the logo for the federal Conservative party of Canada. Through the large window in the background of the cartoon there is an ongoing wildfire in the distance.
August 24, 2025 at 12:15 AM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
Consecutive posts on my feed advising me to drink water!

*amused*
Two posts on Bluesky feed, one from Schmutzie and the second a repost from Seane, both advising to drink water. The second specifically says the skulls of your enemies unless you have crushed their skulls in which case use a glass.
August 11, 2025 at 2:52 AM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
When I hit civilization, I grab supplies. This time, it was store brand chili tomatoes. The local store does not carry them any longer.

And by I, I mean my partner. A flat is heavy.
Man wearing grey tshirt and jean shorts leaving department store carrying a flat of canned tomatoes.
July 20, 2025 at 3:44 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
And chasing contacts as VE5DAY
Amateur radio HAMs doing contacts with a station during a field day event
June 28, 2025 at 7:48 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
On this #fieldday we're reaching out to the GOES-18 and seeing what we can get
June 28, 2025 at 7:26 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
All set up at #popconyxe and selling cute clay things in the #artistalley at booth 327 (right by the autographs!)
Several artist alley booths in a row in a show aisle. In the middle is a black skirted booth with the Tooaquarius logo up front
May 3, 2025 at 6:11 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
It's only one week or 4 work days between Calgary Expo and Pop Con YXE so no time to do much with ceramics. Still not set up with blank stock I can rush out.

So, #polymerclay it was. And it was cats, of course.
A green cutting board with rows of polymer clay shapes laid out. The shapes are the parts to make simple, cartoon style cats with a body, tail and head. There are orange, grey and white parts The green cutting mat with partially assembled polymer clay cat sculptures. Assembled polymer clay cat sculptures arranged on a paper lined cookie baking sheet. Baked polymer clay cat sculptures with their painted details!
May 2, 2025 at 6:23 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
This coming weekend is Pop Con YXE and I'll be doing my time in the Artist Alley there, booth 327. Cons are pretty much the best, most fun, shows to do as a vendor since folks are usually having a great time and the people watching is fantastic!

#artistalley #popconyxe
A very brightly coloured and heavily patterned promotional graphic in magenta and yellow. The ad is for Saskatoon's Pop Con YXE, a comic convention style event, and has the date of May 3&4, the event title, the year 2025 Exhibitor Join Me! on the right hand side. The name of the organizer and venue is in smaller text (Prairieland Park). On the left side is the round logo for Tooaquarius (me!) and Booth 327, where I'll be. This is a graphic with a venue map for Prairieland Park's Pop Con YXE on the lower portion. On the upper left portion is the logo for Tooaquarius with the text Find Me At Booth 327 arched around the logo. There is an arrow pointing from the logo to the location of 327 on the map. On the right side of the graphic are the dates, times and location for the event: May 3 10am - 6pm, May 4 10am-5pm and Prairieland Park, Saskatoon.
May 1, 2025 at 1:20 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
I have been out of sorts for MONTHS but I have two bigger shows the next two weeks so I did half-heartedly make stuff. And, you know, rebranded a bunch because why not.

Since I redid my craft show biz cards i made them a new little holder while I had all the glaze poured out:
A cup shaped ceramic business card holder with the words "take one" on it sits on a wooden table. There are business cards in it. On the table beside the holder is a single card with the Tooaquarius logo on it and the business info.
April 22, 2025 at 2:32 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
A lot of my very niche art job is making custom beads & one of my favourites is making them for folks who offer Beads of Hope at their medical facilities. These guys are for the Sparrow unit in Lansing!

#polymerclay #beads #art
A close up, top down view of sparrow shaped polymer clay beads on a green background. The sparrows are based on common house sparrows - off white belly, black mask over the eyes and front of face, brown heads, backs and patterned brown wing feathers. A view of two sparrow themed polymer clay canes in progress, being reduced. They get their little beads, then sliced and shaped and then baked. A top down view of polymer clay sparrow shaped beads in progress.
January 29, 2025 at 2:43 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
I guess the cuter work neighbours had a dance party on our front walk at the shop.
Looking through a glass door at a snow covered walk dotted with cat footprints
January 24, 2025 at 3:29 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
My calico (Ro) tried to do her loud hello meow mid yawn here and it ended up as this dramatic yawn-scream. Absolutely what the day called for.

She startled both of us with the volume and her next two minutes were filled embarrassment grooming theatrics.
A calico cat, mouth wide open in a full yawn, laying on a bed. The bed has a pale plaid comforter on it.
January 8, 2025 at 3:21 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
A friend saw me working on my sister's yarn bowl and commissioned one for her daughter ALSO with a tuxedo cat.
A mint green ceramic pot with a tuxedo cat face painted on it. The inside of a ceramic yarn bowl, painted in speckly blues. There is a spiral carved out of one edge for yarn to feed through
December 27, 2024 at 5:01 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
My stepsister got into knitting, so family members decided to do knitter's tools, including me making a yarn bowl with her sweet tuxedo cat on the side.
A hand holding a dark grey ceramic bowl with a black and white cat face on it. The inside of a ceramic yarn bowl with white polka dots on a medium grey background. There are two holes punched through the edge as needle rests and a spiral carved out for yarn to feed through
December 27, 2024 at 5:01 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
I was SO HAPPY to clear my international packets queue and get these in the mail yesterday!

Officially done for the year! Closed up the building and off for a break!
A plastic tub holds a stack of teal poly mailers with a return address label in the corner.
December 24, 2024 at 5:35 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
For this final day of the #ArtAdventCalendar I have one of my first and favourite little animal ball ornaments I make. Little brown sparrows with tiny scarves on and they delight me every year.

#polymerclay is such a fun medium to work with.
The background is a fake Christmas tree with a little pine cone and lights. On one branch is a round polymer clay bird shaped ornament. The bird is brown with a paler speckled stomach and has a red and white candy cane striped scarf around it's neck.
December 24, 2024 at 2:22 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
I have two cats, within a few weeks of the same age, both spayed females. One is a feral kitten we found outside our shop garage one September. She remains shy, standoffish. The other is the product of a Siamese mum and her mystery fling and has 3 cats worth of personality.
Two cats curled up near each other on a messy pile of blankets. One cat is a smaller black cat and the other is a larger calico.
December 23, 2024 at 2:18 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
Perfect for day 23 of the #ArtAdventCalendar (a very snowy, cold day here) are a bunch of #polymerclay spring flower designs from a few years ago.
Eight polymer clay canes - seven flowers and a pansy leaf. Five of the flowers are pansy designs in white and purple, purple and yellow, blue and yellow, red, and lavender with purple. The other two flowers are hot pink and orange. These canes are in progress - there is no background detail and they haven't been reduced to final size yet.
December 23, 2024 at 1:56 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
A close up of the not very big triangle fractal.
A cane design based on a Sierpinski triangle fractal. The two elements of the fractal are made up of darker and lighter turquoise blue.
December 22, 2024 at 9:31 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
With #polymerclay canes you can make almost any design that you can sketch up which leads to a lot of tangents. Animals, flowers, leaves and insects are my normal but fractals happened once or twice. I did a super simple Sierpinski triangle here, in the mix. #ArtAdventCalendar
A flat lay, top down view of polymer clay beads. Small brown rabbit in profile beads, simple green leaves, Celtic knot designs, turquoise flowers, crimson flowers and turquoise Sierpinski triangles.
December 22, 2024 at 9:31 PM
tooaquarius.bsky.social
I made a few others but the blue white and green bowl is still my favourite. And the weight adds up quickly compared to doing this with rope and fabric.
A small coil bowl made from scrap electrical wire sits inside of a much larger coiled fruit bowl also made from scrap electrical wire. The small bowl is in white, blue, blue and green colours and the larger bowl runs from yell to orange to red to pink to purple.
December 21, 2024 at 5:42 PM