About This Site

Hi & Welcome

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”

Carl Sagan

I’m Fran — a Canadian maker, tech enthusiast, grandma, and lifelong learner. This is my personal blog, where I share my sewing, crafting, and tech adventures. Whether you’re here for inspiration, Canadian craft resources, or just to follow along with my latest project, I’m so glad you dropped by.

You’ll also find blog posts about the many things I’m learning, making, or thinking about. This blog is my creative record — and if you enjoy tagging along, even better!

What You’ll Find Here

My main interests (for now!) include:

• Sewing and textile projects
• Sublimation and custom crafts
• Website building and tech tinkering
• Knitting, crochet, and yarn obsessions
• Family, life reflections, and more

This site is a passion project, not a business. I don’t run ads or use affiliate links. Everything I share here is simply for the joy of it. If you find something helpful or interesting, the best way to support me is with a comment or a quick email — it makes my day.

A Bit About Me

I’m retired from the Canadian federal government and now enjoy a slower, more creative pace. I’m married to a wonderful British import, and we have two fascinating and incredible grown children. On August 20, 2020, we welcomed our first grandchild, Rhea, and proudly stepped into our new roles as Grandma and Granddad. On September 21, 2023, we were thrilled to meet our second grandchild, Persephone (a.k.a. Percy). We are reliably informed that a third grandchild is expected in October 2025.

We also share our home with our Boston Terrier, Tuppence, Second-of-her-Name (Game of Thrones nod?). We’ve had several Boston Terriers over the years, and we have adored them all.

My Crafting Journey

I’ve always had lots of hobbies, but for many years, I focused on computers, coding, and software. Then in 2017, I accidentally sewed something a bit more adventurous than a basic repair — and I was hooked! (I know — late bloomer!)

Since then, sewing has become a regular part of my life. I love the process, the learning curve, and that moment when a project finally comes together.

In 2023, I decided to crochet a mermaid tail blanket for the grand kids. After watching a few YouTube videos, I realized… I didn’t actually know how to crochet. But I could learn. That same curiosity led me to knitting, and soon after, I found the wonderful community and tools on Ravelry.

Knitting and sewing both involve more than meets the eye — from fiber content and machine types to the subtle details of needles, threads, and fabric. There’s so much technical depth, which appeals to the geeky side of me too.

My Techie Side

I’m a techie at heart.
I built my first website in 1998 on Geocities (called MoonShadows). I taught myself HTML and eventually became a Community Leader in the Sci-Fi neighborhood Area 51 before Geocities closed.

That experience launched a full-on web development hobby that never really stopped.
In 2001, I bought my first domain: wicks.ca — which you’re visiting now! Over the years, I hand-coded many iterations of the site using HTML, JavaScript, PHP, and MySQL. I also dabbled in Photoshop, Illustrator, and more software than I can count.

Back in the day, I scoffed at WordPress and Drupal — “real” developers wrote their own code! But eventually, I gave WordPress another honest look and discovered it had grown into a powerful, flexible, open-source CMS. Today, I still peek under the hood often, but WordPress is my go-to for building and managing sites. It’s amazing what you can do with it — no matter your skill level.

If you’re Canadian and looking for hosting, I highly recommend Web Host Canada (WHC). Their servers are in Canada, they run green, and their support is fantastic (even in both official languages!). I’ve used them for years and couldn’t be happier. *You may note that this is an affiliate link. If you do decide to use WHC using this link, I will be given a small break on my hosting costs for the referral – no extra cost to you!

Stay in Touch

Feel free to follow me on Instagram .
You can also sign up for my newsletter — though I may be winding that down. Let me know if you’d like it to continue! It’s usually just a roundup of recent blog posts and updates to my lists.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll visit again soon — or drop me a note just to say hi.