buy me :: one gocco print kit

Thank you to everybody that has responded. The item has been sold.

Jumping in for a little self promotion! After some careful thought, I decided to put my gocco up for sale. It's definitely come in handy... printing swag bags, handmade nation tickets, t-shirts for a friend's volleyball team.. you know. As much as I love it, lately, we just haven't been using it that much and with the upcoming move, we decided to put it up for sale.

You can read all about gocco machine's here or just google the word 'gocco' (pronounced go-ko). Check out these sites for some ideas on what to do with a gocco: Felt Cafe, Etsy, The Small Object and whip up.

My print kit includes everything listed below. Like new condition. Only used a few times. Asking price $175.00 Cdn. Interested? Drop me an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com. Pick up only from Vancouver.



RISO HImesh INK (for paper)
Yellow full
Red full
Blue full
Fluorescent Pink partially used
Fluorescent Purple partially used
Green partially used
Black partially used
White partially used
Gold 25% remaining

RISO HImesh INK (for cloth)
Red, Blue, Black & White all partially used



8 Gocco bulbs

1 tube of cleaning gel

4 B6 screens

Card Rack

Artwork Pen-1 (0.3mm)



1 Gocco PG-5

1 squeegee

Instruction Booklet and How-to Video

Batteries x2 AA

buy handmade :: Bison Letterpress & Flying Bird Botanicals

image from Bison Bookbinding & Letterpress (Flowmotion Summer Meltdown - Festival ticket design, printing, foil stamping)

I heart letterpress. I love the raised surfaces that letterpress creates and the added hand touched quality that you don't always get with print. I met Carly and her husband, owners of Bison Bookbinding & Letterpress, at the Urban Craft Uprising show a few weekends ago in Seattle. They have a fantastic selection of hand bound notebooks and greeting cards. Some styles are available in their Etsy shop or you can find them at the Bellingham Farmers Market every Saturday.


In addition to their products at the market (which included handmade awls!), Bison Bookbinding & Letterpress are also available for custom projects and offer workshops and studio tours to help keep the tradition of letterpress and book arts alive in the community.


image from Flying Bird Botanicals

The booth space was shared with a friend, Scout Urling from Flying Bird Botanicals who offers 100% hand crafted, vegetarian teas and bath and body products. You can check out their Etsy shop here.

I'm not sure which booth it belonged to, but one of my favourite things there was the hand crafted jars of glue for sale. I just love (love!) their whole booth set up and how well it reflected the look of both companies and you know what I overheard while shopping? "I love seeing people smile when they look at our products".

inspire :: lion heart project

photo credit: Lionheart Project

As some of you know, Robert and I are taking the leap and moving to London February 2011. Don't worry! Got Craft isn't going anywhere. We'll just have an additional perspective!

As part of the London Cultural Olympiad for the 2012 summer Olympics, three crocheted lions will tour the East Midlands in a custom made glass case. As one of 12 commissions across the nation, the Lionheart Project will finally end up in London just in time for the opening ceremonies.

Artist Shauna Richardson uses locally sourced Swaledale wool to create the crocheted sculptures that celebrate England's heritage. The Lionheart Project invites people of all ages to get involved! They are currently seeking guerilla knitters and crocheted around the globe to participate by tagging in the project's name. Tags can be downloaded from the website which you can use to attach to your installations. Take a picture, send it in and your work may be uploaded to the gallery page or chosen to be compiled into a book later on.

Clockwork Fantastica - feature #37

Name: Ola Fumilayo from Clockwork Fantastica

Website links: Shop, Plucked Pins Blog

What do you make?
I make minature music box pendants.

What or who inspires you?
Whenever I see those really old really beautiful Swiss music box movements and listen to them play, I just think "wow" because those are all made by hand. I have the same reaction when I see detailed penwork or paintings done in miniature - I like precision and complexity. They make me want to run to my studio and start working.

Click here to hear a very pared down version of what one sounds like.


How did you get started?
It's hard to answer that because it was more like a lightening bolt of excitement over an idea that got me started (except this lightning bolt was made of clockwork and twee lol).

I think things got really rolling a few years deep into my interest in (er, obsession with) music boxes and with talking, learning and working with experts who are still doing this. That was very inspiring and I've gained a lot of knowledgable friends in this field so I've been very lucky.

Music boxes, restoring and creating with real mechanical music boxes is a dying art.

What are your favourite materials to work with?
I like when I get to incorporate old glass into a piece, especially faceted glass that picks up the light in beautiful ways. I swear I'm part magpie.

What is the hardest and most favourite part of crafting?
Okay, when i'm selling in person at shows and someone picks one of my pendants up, the moment they realize that it's a tiny music box, that's what I love. I love the surprised looks and smiles. Something else I really love is when I get positive feedback from happy customers. Knowing that someone is thrilled with one of my pieces, that can make my day. It "makes right" one of the hardest parts of crafting, which is parting with my favourite pieces.


List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them

cbc radio: I tend to be in my workroom for long hours and this keeps my mind occupied while my fingers are busy. I like listening to the different local broadcasts across Canada.

meetup.com: I started a meetup group on this great site for other creative women in my city who sell all or some of what we make and meeting with each other is a real practical and creative lifeline for me that keeps me motivated and focussed.

the switchboards: the forum here is like my secret weapon when it comes to advice (everything from business ethics to video games, i've seen it here)

music in the key of charles: it's a radio show that we can only hear in reruns now online, but the show tapped into my aural nostalgia and makes me happy. I also love Charles' running train of thought narrative. I wish it were still being broadcast.

unanimous craft: this is a new and interesting craft resource site I have been peeking at.


Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
Connect with your local business assistance/advice group (these are usually in city halls) and learn how to create a finanical plan that allows you to continue creating. I'm beginning to think that this is one of the differences between a business that can survive the long haul and one that leaps up like a flame but sputters out.

Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
Craft is a type of art that lives with, on, and in people; the handmade art we wear, the art we give our children to hold when they're sleeping, art we consume into our bodies. It literally changes our lives for the better - it gives us practical comfort on this earth. It fills us up. We keep it close to our bodies or close at hand. For sure I consider myself a designer and a craftsperson.

(photo images courtesy of Ola / Clockwork Fantastica)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...
Divesin - feature #36
Flight Path Designs - feature #35
Plantscapes - feature #34
Olive - feature #33
Uncle Phil / Flipside - feature #32
Kim Werker - feature #31
Haiiku - feature #30
Smidgebox Designs - feature #29
heyday design - feature #28
Smeeta - feature #27

ACageyBee - feature #26
Maked - feature #25
Firefly Notes - feature #24
Florence Ann - feature #23
Him Creations - feature #2
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1

inspire :: paint pens

image by Justine Ashbee

Meet Justine Ashbee. She is a Seattle based artist that creates drawings by hand using simple paint and sharpie pens. Her work is a great example that you don't require fancy and expensive tools to create an amazing work of art.

Here's what Justine had to say about her work...

"These drawings are executed purely by hand, using paint pens. I begin with a curve, from which lines and forms begin to emerge, evolve, morph, and grow organically, in an intuitive flow, while maintaining delicate, elegant precision."

We think your drawings are amazing and a great inspiration. You can view her portfolio here. Enjoy.

vote :: best of vancouver

Vote now! Vote now! Contest ends at midnight.

Have you completed the Georgia Straight Best of Vancouver survey? If not, there is still time! The 15th Annual Best of Vancouver ballot is now available online at straight.com. This is your chance to say your bit about the best of the city in a comprehensive range of categories (trust me, there's over 200 questions!) and help create a portrait of Vancouver, circa 2010.

You have to answer 25 or more questions to complete the survey and as a reward, you will be entered in a grand prize draw for a $3,000 Flight Centre gift certificate toward your dream vacation.

Oh, and why am I posting this information over on the Got Craft blog? Well, we need YOU to vote for us!

Here is what you need to do:

1. Go to http://www.straight.com
2. Type in your information
3. Answer at least 25 or more questions to be entered to win the draw
4. Go to page 5 titled "Media, Arts & Culture" and scroll down to the middle at Question #29 - Best Artisan / Craft Show and type in 'Got Craft'

The deadline is Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 at midnight, so start voting!

buy handmade :: seattle show posters

Hearting these images by Seattle Show Posters a lot.

I've seen quite a few vendors in the US that make screen printed posters especially for indie bands, but I haven't seen any Vancouver vendors working in this medium. Recommendations? Would love to see something like this at future Got Craft shows!

things to do :: The Seattle Square

A cute postcard design caught my eye at the Urban Craft Uprising last weekened promoting the new outdoor market in Pioneer Square called Seattle Square.

Held every Saturday for the rest of the summer at Occidental Park from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Seattle Square hopes to invigorate the neighbourhood with local Seattle designers, food, public art, music and vintage treasures. They have everybody covered with a wide range of vintage and craft vendors; selling everything from locally designed clothing, to handmade housewares and accessories, to mid-century modern furniture. To top it off, local and national DJ's will be providing a soulful, upbeat soundtrack each afternoon in the park.

Seattle's newest food carts like Street Treats as well as some classics like Skillet and Parfait Organic Ice Cream will also be on-site, so make sure you go hungry!

Seattle Square also plans to have a rotating cast of local and national DJ talent along with a series of public art installations - think Brooklyn Flea (plan your next trip around this folks!) meets MoMA's PS1 and Seattle's Mobile Chowdown (another must visit!).

For more information, visit their wesite here. Vancouver's only 2.5-3 hours away from Seattle depending on border line ups and traffic, so no more excuses! Summer's not complete with at least one road trip!

things to do :: Market at Eugene Choo #2

vendors clockwise: Banquet, heyday design, Sunja Link, dalhaus ceramics

It's time for the second installment of Market at Eugene Choo featuring twice the number of vendors than last month including the lovely ladies pictured above. Flower Factory will also be on-site with their fresh blooms and hi-ho, the debut of the Rumble Fish Taco Truck! Huzzah!

Here are the details:

When:
Saturday, July 17th, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Where:
Parking lot behind Eugene Choo, 3683 Main Street, Vancouver

For more information, contact market(at)eugenechoo(dot)com

seattle love :: urban craft uprising

Urban Craft Uprising began as a holiday show and their show dates were always the same as Got Craft which meant that I always missed it. Last year, they annouced that they were going to hold the event bi-annually, one in the summer and one in the Winter, but of course, we were already booked and missed the Summer show. So, when they announced their 2010 Summer dates, I entered them into the calendar and refused to take any bookings, because it was UCU time!


(birthday celebrations at Wann)

Through the magic of Twitter, we realized that one of our friends was also thinking of heading down and we started laying out some road trip plans. On a side note, I just want to mention that making plans 140 characters at a time is no easy feat!



(PVC pipe display - genius!)
Robert and I first met Kristen from Schmancy a few years ago on one of our visits to Seattle. Kristen, is one of the organizers of Urban Craft Uprising and let me tell you, if you can make it down there, this is a must stop! 100 swag bags are given out to the first 100 people in line. I'm pretty sure we got there 10 minutes after the doors opened and there wasn't even a bag in sight. They were all spoken for!


We made a run to Target... we drank icees... we had birthday donuts and sushi... we vintage shopped (pyrex love above)... we went over budget at Urban Craft Uprising... We met new friends... a whirlwind of good times!

swap-o-rama-rama round up

Swap-O-Rama-Rama (Yes, the second 'rama' is very important!) took place last month at the Museum of Vancouver. Basically, the event is a giant clothing and craft supply swap where each attendee brings a bag of clothing or supplies which are then sorted, categorized and then brought out to the corresponding table in the communal room. Once you drop off your bag at the front desk, it is a free for all, so don't be afraid to go digging for treasure! You can check out Lisa's finds from the event over on her blog.



Sewing stations provided by the girls from Plush on Main were available for people to alter their finds and turn them into new creations. One girl turned her found pants into a new pair of shorts and another girl whipped up a ruffled slip dress.


Blim was outside on the patio screen printing a slew of different designs on people's pants, t-shirts, you name it! If you missed the event this year, not to worry. Swap-O-Rama-Rama is an annual event, just drop us a comment or send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com to be added to our mailing list. See you next year!

buy handmade :: focal length designs

photo credit: focal length designs

As part of the Summit of Awesome, the gals of Crafty Wonderland held a Show of Awesome featuring 40 handmade vendors.


I met Isaac during the session 'Craft Fair Applications' and somehow started yakking on about Vancouver, handmade titles, craft fairs, etc. I didn't realize that I had actually seen his work at past Crafty Wonderland shows and had pinned his name on my blog board for later posts. Isaac runs Focal Length Designs which uses old, broken camera lenses and makes one-of-a-kind bracelets out of them. Being in the wedding industry, we know tons of photographers and we knew one especially that always goes above and beyond for us. I had thought of getting one for her at the Christmas show when I first saw Isaac's work, but never ended up making it back through the crowds to his booth. After meeting him in person, I realized that it was the world telling me that I need to buy a bracelet which I indeed did!

things to do :: Hot Dogs for Heritage

What do hot dogs, sunshine and architectural salvage all have in common? The Hot Dogs for Heritage event of course!

Date:
Sunday, July 11th, 2010

Time:
11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Location:
5026 Connaught Drive, Vancouver

The Hot Dogs for Heritage event is a fundraiser to support the Vancouver Heritage Foundation, a registered charity supporting the conservation of heritage buildings and structures in recognition of their contribution to the City’s economy, sustainability and culture.

Entrance is by donation (suggested minimum donation of $10 per person or $25 per family). The picture above shows some of the items that will be for sale including rare heritage doors, windows, stained glass and lighting from Vancouver landmarks such as the Hotel Georgia, Woodwards and the Marine Building. For more information, please visit their website here.

efreeme.com

photo credit: Michelle's Charm World

With the popularity of the handmade movement, more craft fairs have been popping up in the City as well as a surgence of online marketplaces. Shoppers now have more choice than ever to buy handmade goods and sellers can choose which marketplace fit their needs best. Vancouver based, Diana and her brother Mark started efreeme.com in May 2010. Diana was a craft and vintage enthusiast that started posting and selling items as a hobby, but was disappointed by the monthly bill that arrived at the end of each month. She enjoyed finding or making things that somebody would want to buy and loved the idea of providing a free venue for others to do so as well... Efreeme was created.

As of July 1st, there are over 1400 items and over 110 stores currently on the website. Efreeme is an online marketplace that has no listings and commission. They have a current offer where they will give each seller $5.00 when they list 20 items or more. They accept only vintage or handmade items as well as supplies. Diana says "We're still refining categories as well as working on implementing a reporting and ranking feature that, based on user feedback, will automatically remove inappropriate items. This will keep the site fresh and relevant to buyers."

one year ago

photo credit: Kim Werker

One year ago, Got Craft invited Faythe Levine up to Vancouver and screened the Vancouver premiere of Handmade Nation. You can check out the flickr photostream here.


Love the movie? Own your own copy by clicking here!

inspire :: pantone hotel

I'm off to visit Urban Craft Uprising this weekend, but in the meantime, I'll leave you this hot Friday with some pantone inspiration!

I have to admit that my last visit to Brussels wasn't exactly filled with fun times. However, I do plan on returning one day and one hotel to consider is the new Pantone hotel in the City's Sint-Gillis area.

Created by Architect Olivier Hannaert and Interior Designer Michel Penneman, the 59 room hotel is a collaboration between the Pantone Global Colour Authority and British developers. Built on a white canvas, the Pantone Hotel provides clean space for saturated colours to pop. Each of the seven floors showcase different colour palettes to complement guests' emotions while the rooms are patterned after one of seven distinct pantone colours.

If that wasn't enough, the hotel also has Pantone colour consultations available by appointment to present educational seminars on colour psychology and trends

Visit their website for more details or to plan your next European holiday!

summit of awesome round up

Ok. I'm probably the last person to post pictures from the Summit of Awesome last month in Portland. That just means that it was really that good though, because once we got home, we were still rolling around in inspiration and good ideas! I spent the drive home whipping out to do lists on the hotel memo pad with bullet points of things to make, new product lines, wholesaling, streamlining Got Craft and so much crafty goodness that I took a whole 2 days to recover from. I say two, because day one was spent feeling lost that I wasn't at the Summit anymore and day two was spent reeling everything, so that the crazy scribbles in the back of the car actually made some sense.


Miranda, Robert and I woke up inhumanly early a few weeks ago and drove down to Portland to make sure that we got there by noon to start the afternoon sessions. We arrived at McMenamins Kennedy School, which warrants a post of its own, where we started the conference by making your own name badge. I know right?! There was no "Hello, my name is", stickers anywhere in sight. In its place, was buckets of felt, embroidery floss, needles, buttons, glue and other crafty supplies galore to show everybody what crafty delights you could whip up!


The Summit was three days of business classes, workshops and mentoring sessions. Some sessions that Rob and I participated in included 'Getting Press for your Business', 'Craft Booth Set Up', 'Legalities of Starting Your Business', 'The Story of My Paper Crane', 'Brick and Morter': how to run a brick & mortar shop', 'Wholesaling' and 'Writing and Publishing with Susan Beal' (pictured above).


The evenings were filled with lots of networking opportunities including a party at the Land Gallery in North Mississippi. The Black Apple was currenty the resident artist and I was so happy to be able to see her work in person! Not to mention that she sat next to me during the session "The Story of Modish" * ahem * * squeal *


Then it was Robert's turn to nerd out when we had a tour of the Buy Olympia warehouse. Below is a picture of Pat mid-conversation during the backstage tour.


Had so much fun at this event! Need to stop gushing and tackle the 1001 things on the to do list. Would anybody be interested to attend something like this in Vancouver? A 1 or 2 day meet up with informational sessions, networking and workshops focused on handmade culture? Chime in!

buy local :: Plein Air

photo credit: Steidlewave

I was strolling through Main Street on Car Free day when I discovered these beautiful, handmade laptop cases. Locally made at Momentum Millworks in Vancouver, each case is constructed out of high quality marine plywood and clear fir which is bonded with wood glue. The lid is held in place by two high quality Southco marine draw latches and is lined with 3mm neoprene. The finish is from a handmade shellac which is waterproof and food safe.


Each case is amazingly light weight and comes in two sizes - standard macbook and aluminum macbook. Custom sizing is available. You can check out Plein Air's etsy shop for more details.

car free day round up

Better late than never right? Here's a round up of car free day from last month.. Main Street style!


(my side of the table)

Tiffany from Love Made Me, a few ladies from Woven Studios and I shared a table at the Blim market which was a part of car free day. Apparently, 79 Blim vendors aligned the streets of Main Street which didn't include all the other local shops, food stalls and events happening between 16th Avenue up to 33rd Avenue. Thank goodness that the weather held on! It was a guessing game throughout the day and I even picked up a plastic table cloth just in case, but despite a few cold spells, we were all good and dry.


(mobile boardroom float protesting HST whizzed past us)

Thanks to everybody that stopped by especially to @prairiecitygirl !

inspire :: Scott Wade

photo from i core (found via TinyMeat)

Graffiti artist, Scott Wade, uses ordinary artist brushes to draw on the back of dusty car windows. He lives near a dirt road covered in caliche - a mixture of limestone dust, gravel and clay - which, when driven over covers the car in a fine, white dust.

I don't know about you, but whenever my windows got dirty, the only thing that I ever drew were hearts and maybe the occasional 'hi' and 'hello'.



You can see more of his work here.

etsy craft party round up

Hey! Did you make it out to the Etsy craft party in Vancouver last month hosted by Got Craft?, Collage Collage, Spool of Thread Sewing Lounge and RubyDog's Art House? Hope so! We, unfortunately, were not able to attend, but it sounded like good times were had by all.

Here are some long overdue pictures from Erin at Collage Collage. Collage Collage is a workshop space and retail shop that focuses on children, so Erin whipped up some kid friendly projects including using ceramic friendly markers provided by Etsy to paint their own teacup!


I am proud to announce that the Vancouver Etsy meet up had a whopping 81 RSVP's. Out of a total of 602 meet ups around the world, we ranked 11th and no other Canadian city even came close to us. Goooo... crafty Vancouver! The top 50 cities with the most RSVP's received a box of goodies from Etsy (pictured above).


Thank you to everybody that made it out and a BIG thank you Rita for bringing lemon cupcakes and Stace for the raspberry shortcake cookies. Happy belated birthday Etsy!