Winter Fling. Wow!

This past Saturday, December 5, Toronto had it's first annual A Craft Thing event, Winter Fling...A Craft Thing. I have to say it was downright awesome. In a room with a capacity of approx 126, we had over 500 shoppers come through the door on what might have been the official kick off to winter (holy cold!!!!).

Saturday the 5th may have been the first coldest day of this year's winter in Toronto, but it didn't stop shoppers waiting in lines before our doors opened. This show was a heart & soul operation put on by myself and my crafty comrades Jordy, Jessica, Bianca, Mike and Shannon. (Or for crafty biz that's Comfortably Lovely, Jordynn Mackenzie, Krecklo Designs, Kid Icarus, and Moonlight for Violet.)Kid Icarus was an amazing talent and headquarters for many a meeting. Their visions, ideas and creativity, let alone their amazing screenprinting machine were a vital part to Winter Fling's amazing turn out. Meeting Jessica, Jordy and Kid Icarus in the first few weeks I moved to Toronto ended up being the very best and lucky thing to happen to me. With my old pal Shannon, and my talking with the local crafters, it was soon after September that we already decided we wanted to put on a show together. There's to show you how trusting and sincere Canadians are. Here I was, new to the Toronto craft scene, and like three weeks later, I'm putting on a holiday craft show. So thank you girls (and Mike) you are all amazing.

Thank you to my partners in A Craft Team and to all our vendors:
Avril Loreti, Beside Herself, Blue Calla, Comfortably Lovely, Daisy Chia, Doublenaut, Eric Cheung, Haikukies, Jenna Dee, Jordynn Mackenzie, Katie Muth, Kid Icarus, Knotted Nest, Krecklo Designs, laurajean, laurajean..., Moonlight for Violet, murano & tagua, Old Weston
PrettyRaccoon, Sew mo', Stitchface, Stuffed Silly, That Missing Piece, zukzuk.

Once again, I must say, when a craft show ends and you can get a hug from almost all 24 + vendors, I think it's an official success. Thanks to our piano player and our DJs who kept us with the best shoppping muzak ever.

A special shout out to some of our volunteers including Kenny, Craig, Lisa, Lee, Brandon, and Connie who did everything they could to make Winter Fling rule the school (or the church in this case). Thanks to Jim and co. at St. Stephen-in-the-Fields for everything. I'd have to say, it was a truly inspiring day for us all.

Thanks to our sponsors. Thanks for taking a chance on me/us.

Baby, it's cold outside

It's finally here, after months of planning Winter Fling...A Craft Thing happens this Saturday, December 5. Come one come all. Cookies designed after our poster and coffee will be waiting. Live piano playing? DJs playing pop tunes? Oh and 24 arts & craftspeople selling their handmade goods. Woot woot! 2 more sleeps as the Canadians say.

Get your Fling on!

You get too much you get too high

After some time and a little push by a cute British friend of mine, I finally put my last of 4 limited-edition prints up for sale on Etsy.



"Love is Like Oxygen," is one of my favorite prints. Whether your a glam-rock fan or not, this collage was made with love and rock in mind. The original paper collage was made from all vintage papers including a vintage children's book and words typed on a 1960s typewriter onto ripped reclaimed papers. The 5x7 print of this collage is super cool because it's really hard to tell what I have added and what was original. I was unbelievably fortunate to find two copies of the same vintage book to make this collage's colors match perfectly.

You can buy it on Etsy or at Winter Fling!

"Love is like oxygen
You get too much you get too high
Not enough and you're gonna die
Love gets you high

Time is no healer
When you're not there
Lonely fever
Sad words in the air
Some things are better left unsaid
I'm gonna spend my days in bed
I'll walk the streets at night
To be hidden by the city lights city lights"

"Love is Like Oxygen," by Sweet

Buttons

If you couldn't find the vintage Canadian map button you wanted at Movies & Makers this last weekend, I will be making some new ones, this time from a 1965 Atlas. Get them at Winter Fling on December 5.

Or message me for a specific city/province and I'll see if I can make one for you.

In addition to using vintage papers with my button machine, I'm also available to make buttons with your own design. I recently made a bounty for the Toronto band Small Town Treason. Besides large amounts for your band or company, I can also make smaller orders in gift packages for party gifts, etc.

Winter Fling Vendor List is Up!

Head over to A Craft Thing website for our official line up for this year's Winter Fling.

We also have a BLOG! You can peep it here. Keep an eye on it for Artist Features on all of Winter Fling's crafty vendors.

And the vendors are.......

Avril Loreti
Beside Herself
Bird At the Window
Blue Calla
Comfortably Lovely
Daisy Chia
Doublenaut
Eric Cheung
Haikukies
Jenna Dee
Jordynn Mackenzie
Katie Muth

Kid Icarus
Knotted Nest
Krecklo Designs
laurajean, laurajean
Moonlight for Violet
murano & tagua
Old Weston
Stitchface
Stuffed Silly
That Missing Piece
Zuk Zuk

Oh yeah.... and I've got a show November 21!

Between all this crazy business of putting together Winter Fling, I will be a vendor at a new show in the Beaches (my hood!) on November 21. This will be my first official Toronto show as a Torontonian. :)

Movies & Makers will host a number of crafters selling our wares before a 4 p.m. showing of the documentary Handmade Nation. The craft show takes place from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at The Fox Theatre.

Comfortably Lovely will be bringing loads of Christmas/Holiday cards, greeting cards, recycled notebooks, pocket-sized reclaimed, hand-stitched notebooks (I really need to come up with a name for them, i call them something different all the time :) , some 5x7 prints of collages and .......well that's all that will fit on my table. Maybe some buttons if I get time. So come down, buy some stuff and stay for the movie!!

Official Poster is done and done!

Thanks for the multi-talented Jordynn Mackenzie.