One of my New Years resolutions is to get back into selling at shows instead of just visiting them.

How do you organize for the upcoming deadlines? I have never entered a juried show and am a little intimidated. I've been looking at the calendar and see that many of the deadlines are in just a couple of months away.  So I know I need to get organized. Do all juried shows need a plan of how you'll set up your display? Can I just sketch this or do they need photos? Hmmm -- so much to consider!

So I am back to the age old question -- which ones do I enter?

Should I only concentrate on a few crafts or should I make a sampling of all my crafts?

Here's some questions for you guys -- do you get tired of only making one type of craft and does it become a chore? Or do you love your craft so much that it's always rewarding to make it? I need to FOCUS!!! I have made so many different crafts -- and sold many different crafts that I am having a really hard time narrowing it down.

Just to name a few that I have made and sold:

Glass light boxes
Covered notebooks
Totes made from fused plastic
Mosaics (large abstract broken tile)
Sock monkeys
Various types of beaded jewellry (too many vendors of that so that's definatley out)
Notebooks made from LP covers
Stained glass

Oh and in the works are baby onesies made from upcycled Rock T shirts -- not to mention the masses of repurposed felt I have on hand from felting sweaters . . . ( got a bit obsessed :)

So I have to make some decisions (not my strongest point) and get going -- anyone wanna be an my inspiration buddy?  I need someone to keep me on track!

Until next time -- T.

The Shiny Fuzzy Muddy show on Sunday was in the Heritage Hall on Main and had some awesome talent. The venue is quite small but this show was less full than the one I attended at the same venue last weekend. I appreciated that the vendors were more spread out and the atmosphere was nice and cozy without feeling cramped. It was very busy but not too crowded and admission was free as is street parking. What else can a craft-show-shopper ask for :) The organizers of this event invite a select number of artisans and they did a fabulous job again this time. Here are a few of my favorites:

Caroline Miller makes beautiful jewelry and copper items. I really liked the items with the plexi inserts and the text behind them. If I hadn't already bought a pendant at the Portobello show I think I would have splurged on one of these!

I had a chance to chat with Heather who is the creative force behind  Dahlhaus and admire her ceramics up close. They look even better in person than online! I especially love her signature poppy line which can be purchased online or in the new BC artist showcase store at Vancouver International Airport.

Heather sells out of her stuff really quickly so if you see her and you are admiring her product, snap it up because it will be gone when you come back!

I was absolutely intrigued by the pendants, rings and brooches from Erin Dolman "Under Glass" series. They are whimsical miniature tableaus done in precious metals. The craftsmanship and attention to detail is incredible!

 

Lastly I had a chance to speak to artist Mark Atomos Pilon and besides being a very talented artist who has exhibited all over North America, he is a super nice guy who is a wealth of information about how to ship things across the world.

Mark's work is influenced by the 50's and 60's and is described as "post-pop". I don't know what I would call it but it's very cool and well worth a look.

Check out his website at: http://cycloptic.com/atomos/Mark_Atomos_Pilon.html

I'm sure I missed something or someone but hopefully I have given you a taste of 2 great shows. Would love to hear any comments you have.

T.

I was so impressed with both Portobello West and the Shiny Fuzzy Muddy shows today. You may have seen me roaming around I was wearing my new Cookie Monster sweatshirt and got tons of compliments on it! Both shows were really busy and there was such a huge variety of things to look at (and buy;) ).

I started at Portobello West and although it is usually busy it seemed busier than normal today. For those of you who have never been, its near the red flea market at Terminal and Main, in the Rocky Mountaineer Station building. The event has good signage, parking is free and it's just $2 to get in. This is a higher-end indie-style event that showcases a lot of local takent. With a great mix of art, clothing and functional pieces the show appeals to a wide audience.  I was happy to see some of my favorite artists as well as lots of new artists.

As I was getting ready to leave the house this morning, I was admiring a pendant I had bought from DAL a couple of years ago and was just thinking that I hadn't run into DAL designs for some time. And guess who I saw at Portobello? DAL designs! Unfortunately they were busy when I passed by their table and I didn't get a chance to chat with Dori Luthy-Harrison who is the creative force behind DAL.  I just love the pendant I have by her (see below). If you get a chance visit her etsy store at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/doralita

THE RAVE 'N' IRON are a favorite of mine and have to admit that I indulged in a dragonfly pendant from them. I just love their stuff and couldn't resist the temptation

Isn't it pretty?

I was happy to see that Shi Studio was also there and they have a brand new line! It combines the art work of local artist April Lacheur and the beautiful style of Shi Studios. I am always impressed with her work. 

I spent some time admiring the work of artist Mikel Lefler who is the creative force behind Bijoux du Monde

These sterling silver pieces are all made with the wings of butterflies and are absolutely stunning! Anyone who is looking for that special Christmas gift couldn't go wrong with something form this line!

I was also really impressed with the jewelry of Beata Kacy and of  Soigne

The rustic finish of the pieces is something that really appeals to me.

I hadn't seen fiveleft before and am so impressed by the beautiful finishes that he gives to the leather. They are all vegetable dyes and he uses various found objects to distress the leather resulting in unique textures and designs.

I may just have found my new wallet -- for when my current one gives up the ghost . . .

On my way out I stopped to say hi to Thyrza Segal  of Plantscapes who makes such cool terrariums. I saw her work last weekend ( see last week's blog ) and didn't get a chance to introduce myself. I really enjoyed my chat with her and she hinted that in the new year she will be offering classes teaching others to make these beautiful creations. I for one would love to organize a group to get together and learn this! I can just see that my place is going to be full of terrariums -- but they are so pretty and whimsical that I need to learn how to make these!

I also had a chance to meet Laura Bucci whose work I have admired for ages and whose button I adapted into the logo for the BC Craft Fairs website. She is truly a gifted crafter and I look forward to seeing her at Got Craft in the spring!

I will end here and be back either tonight or tomorrow to blog about Shiny Fuzzy Muddy -- just as much to tell you about from that one!

T.

I'm off to Portoblello West and Shiny, Fuzzy, Muddy to take in some more inspiration. (see the  BC Craft Fairs Calendar for details). I really wanted to go to the 24th North American Native Art & Craft Fair but don't think I'll be able to squeeze it in. (would love to hear about it if you make it there!)

It's snowing out here in Coquitlam -- so pretty -- just hope it stays pretty and not too crazy on the streets!

Happy crafting and shopping,

T.

I came across a couple of really cute tutorial -- check out BC Craft Fairs on Facebook where I've posted their pics and links to the instructions to make them.

We might just have set a new record today! My sister and I visited 4 craft fairs in 4 hours and made it home before 4. Today we went to the Delbrook Craft Fair, Deck the Hall Xmas Craft Fair, Got Craft and the Klahanie Holiday Market -- impressed? -- I sure am! All the events were so different from each other so I'll try to capture their "essence" here . . .

Delbrook Craft Fair
This annual craft fair is well advertised, parking is free and admission is only $1. The fair takes place in the Delbrook Community Centre and fills both gyms. Attendance was pretty good but not as busy as some of the other shows this weekend. I liked the fact that there was live music and that the lighting wasn't as harsh as in some gymnasiums. They also had a child care area which was much appreciated. All in all, there was a wide range of crafts ranging from baked goods to outdoor sculptures.

I really liked Jennifer Conway's display and loved her pendants.

Visit her on her blog at : http://jenniferconway.blogspot.com/

I also was intrigued with Orange Wire Art. Annet Holierhoek has made some beautiful sculptures using a substance called Paverpol which is "an environmentally safe textile hardener that freezes fabric drapes and shapes in rock hard form and can be used both indoors and out." She is giving some upcoming workshops soon and I may just have to go to one!  Take a look at some of her work:

"From T-shirt to garden statue"

I am hooked!

Here a couple of pics of the 2 Delbrook Gyms:

Deck the Hall Xmas Craft Fair

This fair is held in the beautiful Heritage Hall. There were not really any street signs except for the sign right over the door itself. Fortunately I had good directions. The first thing we noticed was that they had a doggy day care just as you came in. There were some pretty adorable pups in there! We really liked the Christmas chicken hand stamp we got when we paid our $2 admission.

I found this to be a more artisan type fair with high quality items produced by "professional" crafters. It was pretty busy and the atmosphere was very festive. I was able to put some faces to names and had the pleasure of meeting Anabella whose pendants I have featured on the BC Craft Fairs Website and are also available in her Etsy store.

I also loved the handmade ceramic buttons that Melissa Hume and Niki Holmes had for sale at their Pottery and Paint table. Unfortunately  they don't have any pics on their website of the buttons but I bet they'd send me some if I e-mailed them!

Jazziewear had the cutest baby hats and crocheted baby mary janes -- I especially liked the sock monkey hat!

I had a great chat with Froma who makes the most incredible jewelry. She doesn't have a website or e-mail address but click here for a scan of her business card. Her jewelry looks so substantial but is amazingly lightweight. It is truly beautiful.

The added bonus to this craft fair was that Urban Source is just a couple of stores down. Ever since I found them online I have been dying to go and see for myself and I wasn't disappointed. I will have to go back and explore further but I was very impressed with the short visit we had time for. For those of you not familiar with Urban Source I will endeavor to blog about them later in the week.

Got Craft
There were no street signs for this and only a small sign on the door indicating that we had found the right spot so we were very surprised to see how busy it was when we got through the door. It was hopping -- and I do not exaggerate when I say that people were pressed around the tables making it necessary to wait several minutes before I was able to get a look at some of the displays. The DJ was a nice touch and really added to the energy of the event. The vendors here are all extremely professional but I would say this was definitely a craft fair and not as high-end artsy as the Heritage Hall.

I am very happy to announce that I am the proud new owner of an elephant made by Kate of Tiny Warbler. My elephant looks just like this one but her ears are green instead of orange. She is adorable
It was a hard choice between her bunny and the elephant but the elephant won out :) I have been coveting her items since discovering her on Etsy and have featured a couple of her items on the BC Craft Fairs website.




I saw Alison from District Thirty but she was so busy I couldn't get close to say hi -- glad to see you were making lots of moola Alison!

I was also very impressed with Plantscapes. Thyrza Segal has created so many intriguing and unique terrariums and has added whimsical little figurines in them. I have added some pics from the website here but in my opinion they just don't do the terrariums justice -- they have to be seen in person!

Klahanie Holiday Market
Finally we stopped at the Klahanie Holiday Market which is close to home for me. This was a nice relaxed fair with about 10 vendors.

I had a great chat with several vendors and

purchased a very cute puppet  from Terri Boschman of City Creations .

Teri also volunteers at JustPotters Studio through JustWork Economic Initiative  which "provide[s] studio space, instruction, support, and employment opportunities for people in the neighbourhood who, due to economic or social barriers, have no access to a creative space." The pottery items were beautiful and would make a great present while supporting a struggling artist.

Pottery can be purchased at several locations listed on their website or online at their etsy store.

I was also able to stop by and put a face to Nat from AdoreByNat and admire her lovley cards. If I was having a baby I would so want to send out her cards as birth announcments. She also has a great selection of holiday and birthday card!

That's it for this weekend of crafty adventures!

I was able to make it to 2 shows today Buckingham Elementary and Poirier Community Center.

Buckingham Elementary
This was a cute community craft fair held in the school gym. Street signs were great, parking and admission was free. Worth stopping by if you are in the area. I had a very nice conversation with a lady who makes sock monkies (my newest obsession) and stained glass -- unfortunately I didn't catch her name but her sock monkies are the best dressed monkies around!

Poirier Community Center
This is a must-go-to for anyone who enjoys craft fairs! The street signs were not the best but parking is plentiful and free and admission is just $2. This fair goes on for ages and just when you think you've seen it all you'll discover another room full of more treats. I enjoyed meeting and speaking to so many artists -- here are some of them:

Ingrid Davitt
Ingrid does first nations glass etchings on glass pieces. Although she doesn't have a website, her items can been see on display at the Blackberry Gallery in Port Moody or you can e-mail her at: davitt@telus.net. Her work is absolutely  beautiful!

Shuswap Bags

This was a very busy booth and unfortunately  I did not get a chance to speak to Nadia who was busy making sales. Her etsy site has some adorable bags and wristlet straps for sale or swing by one of the craft fairs she is at to pick one up. Here are a few pics of her work:

Corene's Critters

I had so much fun talking to Corene and she let me snap a couple pictures of her adorable button creations. Several customers said that they buy a broach from her every year and you can surely see why.

To contact Corene please click here for an image of her business card.

Invoke by Kristi Molnar

Kristi is a photographer and has taken her work a step farther by creating jewelry from her images. Her breathtaking photos are adhered to glass and created into a pendant. Visit her website to see her work -- I don't know how anyone could choose just one!

Vintage Love by Adrianne Kulling

Fun "funky objects with a nostalgic flair" Adrianne makes lightswitch plates and magnets with nostalgic images on them. I was very impressed with the quality of these plates (made from stainless steel and many layers of varnish) and they were packaged very professionally. I am trying to decide who I should give one to! Oh and there is a whole line of pride items as well! http://www.vintagelove.ca/

The last artist I will mention is

Roxanne Gagnon

I had so much fun talking to her and I absolutely love her work. She is a mixed media artist with printed and painted items on ceramic. I loved her pendants and was captivated by her ceramic buttons. You can contact her through her log at http://roxannegagnon-wearableart.blogspot.com/

Well thats it until tomorrow -- happy crafting!