There is a lot going on this weekend in the world of holiday craft shows and indie marketplaces… here are just a few from around the country! Check your local paper, there’s probably a community sale happening within the next few weeks ;)
Saskatoon Western Development Museum Christmas Craft Fair (Saskatoon, SK)
When: October 15 & 16: Friday 4pm – 10pm, Saturday 10am-5pm
Where: Saskatoon WDM
2610 Lorne Avenue,
Saskatoon, SK S7J
$5.00 Admission
heart + soul: a designer collective (Edmonton, AB)
When: Friday October 15, Saturday October 16 and Sunday October 15
Starts Friday at 4:00 pm, open Saturday all day and Sunday until 3:00 pm.
Where: Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre
8426 Gateway Boulevard (North of the Strathcona Farmers’ Market)
Edmonton, AB
Fall into Christmas (Medicine Hat, Alberta)
When: Saturday, October 16, 10 am – 6 pm and Sunday, October 17, 10 am – 5 pm
Where: The Fieldhouse, Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede
2055 21st Ave. SE
Medicine Hat, AB T1A 3Y3
Fredericton Art Trek ’10 Studio Tour (Fredericton, NB)
Over 25 artists open their studios for you to explore and see their works!
A great way to support the talent in your community.
Studios are open Saturday October 16 (10 – 5pm) and Sunday October 17 (noon-5pm)
Click the link above to see a list of artists and studio locations!
I love it when an online marketplace makes it easy for me to find Canadian artists and shops, so I was excited to discover that Cargoh.com (the awesome curated indie and design online marketplace based in Vancouver!) has added a country filter to their search. Sweet!
Still on my hunt for Hallowe’en-y accessories and ways to add a little “spooky” to our lives for the next couple of weeks, I came across Dead Kittie, based in Vancouver and a Cargoh artist. Megan Majewski’s artwork is a combination of sweet and dark – her subjects are all, well, dead… but still, they don’t look so menacing. Just a little decaying, and they might be eating a heart. No biggie ;)
Not such a good day at the circus for these 3
What really caught my eye in her shop, though, were her hair clips with a perfect hint of Hallowe’en – a pretty flower clip, with a skull in the centre!
I must admit that Hallowe’en isn’t my favourite holiday of the year, but everything we’ve been finding lately is making me look forward to the fun of Hallowe’en a little more this year!
You can find Megan online at Cargoh.com, on her website DeadKittie.com or on her Facebook page!
Cheers,
~Sarah
Halloween gives us a chance to indulge in more than just candy. It lets us explore different aspects of our personalities. For that day we can be darker, weirder, or even downright goofier than we would normally be any other time of the year. Personally, I have never been a real fan of being scared. I don’t like scary movies, and I’ve never been terribly goth, but I can definitely be silly. So the lighthearted goofy side of halloween really appeals to me, and I have to admit that I giggled out loud when I found these loveable Monster pendants from Six Baby Girls. Hand made glass beads that look like monster heads! Such a fun way to get in the “spirit” (boo!) of this monster-iffic holiday.
This is PeeWee. He's a one eyed purple giggle monster. I heart him.
Protect your brain! This is Zowie Zombie, he is hungry, but also smiley. So maybe our brains are safe?
Poor Scorched Sammy. All he wanted was a steak. Now he's well done.
A classic ghoul to keep you company, Frank Friend is a howl
There are plenty of non-monster items available too, like rings, pendants, and bracelets. You can see the whole collection at the Etsy shop.
Simply because I can’t resist: If you haven’t yet seen Grover (one of the best monsters Ever!) do his version of the old spice commercial, you can see it here. “Sadly, you are not a monster”… giggle.
~Jennifer
Sometimes it is the little things that really do make a difference. Spoiling yourself just a bit every day, or that one extra touch of decorating that really makes you feel festive. Sometimes, it is even possible to do both at the same time. A fun and festive soap can act as decor, while still making you feel a little bit pampered. That’s where Batty’s Bath comes in. This London, Ontario company has whimsical halloween themed soaps that are all natural and will leave your skin feeling great. There are plenty of vegan products available, and everything is earth and body friendly. Even their name fits with this fun season!
Give your guests a little fright with these creepy skull soaps
Pumpkin Cheesecake flavoured lip balm... Yummy!
They smell like maple + pumpkin...but they look like brains!
I know the spider in this soap isn't actually real... but I'm still not sure I could make myself pick it up! Shudder.
Jamie is the creative force behind Batty’s Bath. She absolutely loves Halloween, but you will also find plenty of non-ghoulish bath and body care products to use once all the trick or treaters have gone home. Want to know more? Check out the Batty’s Bath home page ,the blog, or fill your virtual shopping cart at her Etsy shop. You can even be a friend or follower by joining the Facebook page and Twitter stream.
Here’s to spooky suds!
~Jennifer
Now that Thanksgiving has passed, it’s time to start seriously thinking about Hallowe’en. My kids have already decided what they want for costumes this year (well, the oldest decided for the baby – next year Emily will get her own voice, I’m sure!) and I dug out the pumpkins and scarecrows and spider-webby fabric this morning.
We don’t have a lot of Hallowe’en decor at our house, but I discovered a shop this weekend that struck my fancy! Dead Spider’s Shoppe of Curiosities and Dark Art is full of witches potions and brews to add a little authenticity to your decorating! No word on whether the potions actually work or not, but wouldn’t it be fun if the “Senseless Potion of Flabbergasted Befuddlement” could be slipped into your boss’ coffee?!
Love the names of these potions!
This Pumpkin Hour potion supposedly extends midnight – perfect for the Cinderella who’d like to break curfew this October 31st!
When your princess needs just a little more time...
The labels themselves are available separately, so you can get a little experimental and make your own potions using the names as inspiration… I think a few drops of “Factual Acquisition” might come in handy once in a while!
Angie and her family live in BC (with fish named Trick and Treat! Love it!) and she says she’s actually afraid of spiders, despite the name of her shop. You can find more of her work on Etsy, Facebook, Twitter and on her blog. Warning, though – deadline for Hallowe’en orders is Wednesday this week (or extra shipping might apply for later orders!).
Happy haunting!
~Sarah
P.S. Go check out the sleeping baby dragons in her shop!
I just realized that our 100th post was our Thanksgiving Roundup last week. How fitting!
I’ll just say again that we are very thankful for the lovely people and wonderful artwork that we’ve discovered over the last 5 months and we can’t wait to see what we find next. We’d love to get to know you a little better, too, so please let us know that you’re here – leave a comment, drop us an email (sarah@canadianhandmade.ca or jennifer@canadianhandmade.ca) or join us on our Facebook page!
Cheers,
~Sarah
Hallowe’en is on it’s way, and there are some amazing handmade options out there for a handmade Hallowe’en. Take a look, for example, at these fabulous super-hero capes from Tall Buildings.
A modern-day princess should always have a cape!
Heather McNabb, the designer and superhero sewer behind Tall Buildings makes a full range of hero-wear in her Vancouver studio. There are capes, wrist cuffs, caps, crowns and even a belt to tie the whole look together, all finished with velcro closures to make it easy for little fingers to get them on and off. There are plenty of icons to choose from, and Heather will even customize the colours and design for you. These are a great gift idea – every kid loves something in their favourite colours, giving them a chance to be all-powerful as they swoop around the backyard!
Dun-duh-duhn! To the rescue!
Superhero flight cap & cuffs set
Between Jenn & I, we have 3 little girls ranging from almost 9 months to 4.5 years and I know for both of us it’s pretty important that we raise our girls knowing their own power and feeling confident. I really appreciate that Heather’s pink accessories are specifically Superhero accessories, like this listing below which is described as “Not a Princess crown….but for the Superhero that saves Princess, Prince, Queen, Puppy, Grasshopper…etc.” Love it!
For the girly superhero!
You can find Heather online at Etsy, or contact her directly through her website at TallBuildings.ca
Cheers,
~Sarah
As we prepare for a weekend full of delicious food and time with loved ones, we here at Canadian + Handmade are truly thankful. We are thankful for our families and friends, projects that inspire us, and the comfort and security of living in this fabulous country of ours. We are grateful for our health, and for those who support and encourage us each day. Our hope is that each of you feel just as blessed as we do, and that we are all able to celebrate those blessings during this Thanksgiving weekend. In honour of the occasion, may we present our Thanksgiving Roundup:
The classic sign of the season, beautifully coloured maple leaves. Carefully preserved, now you can have them year-round!
Just the right mix of spices to help you amaze everyone with your perfect pumpkin pie!
The perfect hat for your little pumpkin!
Nothing says Thank You like a handwritten note, especially in today's digital age.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we would like to extend our thanks to our wonderful readers. We love your passion for all things handmade from coast to coast, and we are having so much fun sharing our finds with you! Please keep the comments and suggestions coming, we are always happy to hear from you!
Gratefully,
~Jennifer and Sarah
When I was a kid, I used to love digging through my mom’s big jar of mismatched or discarded buttons, searching for the perfect one for whatever crafty project I was currently working on. I loved how they were all different textures, colours, sizes and shapes. It was like my very own little treasure hunt! That magical jar of buttons came to mind the other day when I saw the pottery buttons from Janson Pottery. These unique, hand formed buttons would have been a fantastic addition to the collection.
Wildflower impressions give these buttons their textured look and feel.
After reminiscing over the buttons, I ventured further, and found that Janson Pottery has lots more to offer! Like this fun Happy Birthday Bowl.
Wouldn't it be a neat family tradition if once a year, on your special day, you got to eat breakfast out of the Birthday Bowl??
The answer to keeping garlic fresh and delicious
Check out the Janson Pottery website for details and product listings, or if you prefer, head over to the Etsy shop, there’s lots to see there too. You can also follow Janet (she’s the talent behind the potter’s wheel) on Twitter or friend her on Facebook.
Here’s to fond memories, new and old…
~Jennifer
Stitched crafts require a great deal of precision and intricate needlework. I have always admired the way that someone can take a simple piece of fabric,a needle, and a whole collection of different threads, and turn them into works of art. On the few occasions that I have tried my hand at it, I have only been marginally successful. I was able to recreate the images, but my projects would definitely not be mistaken for those of a seasoned pro! So instead, I will defer to the talent of Golden Threads. Michelle has stitched hundreds of projects for samples when running her needlework supply store in Hamilton. The store is no longer, but Michelle has moved to the web, with a new online supply store, and an Etsy shop where she is selling many of her collected projects. There are many animal and nature scenes, as well as a little something for almost any occasion.
A little bit of sweetness and whimsy for your holiday decor.
These guys look like they could be up to no good!
Giggle...
Sweetness and innocence, perfect for a little girl's room!
There is only one of each item, so if you see something you like, be sure to snap it up quickly! Also make sure that you take time to check out the precious little smocked dresses that Michelle has been working on lately.
Lovely... absolutely lovely.
Cheers!
~Jennifer
