barefoot contessa window displays

Sometimes random ideas pop into my head and I say "Hey, Robert! What are your thoughts on ...?" and his response is usually one of "those" looks. So when I decided that we should contact a local retailer to host a handmade window display showcasing Got Craft? goodies, I had to contact my friend Barefoot Contessa to pitch her the idea. Thank goodness that she loved it! With me in London and numerous emails and phone calls back and forth, I am happy to announce that I am beyond smitten of how they turned out! Aren't they gorgeous? Love! Love! Love!

Thank you to Eva and the team at Barefoot Contessa, Kris for listening to all my demands :), Miranda for the vinyl lettering x 2 and to the Got Craft? vendors that participated in the window displays. Photo credits go to Kris Brownlee and Jennifer Conway. If you are in the Vancouver area, please pop on by to Barefoot Contessa and check out the goodies in person at 3715 Main Street or at their second location at 1928 Commercial Drive. 

Etsy's Got Craft?

I have a confession. I don’t always buy organic. I’m not a vegetarian. And yes, I have even set foot in the dreaded big box store that Shall Not Be Named (hint: it starts with a “W”).

I’ve been working on this guest blog post introducing Got Craft’s newest sponsor, the fabulous handmade marketplace, Etsy, for days now and I think the guilt of not living 100% by Etsy’s credo of “buy, sell, live handmade” is getting to me.

Etsy, for the uninitiated, is an online marketplace devoted to helping people make a living by making things. Etsy was launched in 2005 and since then has grown to over 7 million registered users with more than $300 million in annual sales. While there have been plenty of internet success stories (and failures), what sets Etsy apart is their commitment to community, advocating the handmade lifestyle.

“The main tenet of this lifestyle is choosing handmade over mass-produced objects whenever possible. We feel that this creates a more sustainable, environmentally and socially responsible alternative to the current economy.” ~ Adam Brown, Etsy Marketing & Press Team

As if that weren’t awesome enough, they also promote community by connecting artists & crafters from all over the world. I started my own Etsy shop in 2008 and it literally changed my life. I’m continually learning new tricks & techniques, meeting new friends and have been able to sell my work to buyers all over the world (um, Estonia? Hope you’re enjoying the prints!).

When you buy something from a seller on Etsy or from a local market like Got Craft, there will forever be a story attached to that item. Just looking around my house right now, I see the bicycle earrings that I bought from fused glass artist Groovy Glass Girl. When I wear them, I’m reminded of Poppy and that makes me smile.

My desk has a stack of greeting cards handmade by Sandy of Firefly Notes:

My pencils, pens and erasers are stored in a Kukubee pouch:

My fridge is decorated with bottlecap magnets from Raven’s Rest:

I look at those things and think about the person behind them, lovingly creating them. There’s something different about knowing who the person *is* who made that particular trinket with their own two hands.

Apparently “legally” I’m not allowed to tell you that shopping at Etsy will make you a better person, but I will say that it feels really good to support the people in my community and to support creativity in general.

I may not be 100% there yet, but I am striving to live handmade. And thoroughly enjoying the journey!

****************

aCageyBee.com is the internet stomping grounds of painter kgb (or Kris G. Brownlee, if you're not into the whole brevity thing).

An artist, crafter and all around Maker of Stuff, I finally realized that spending my life doing something I don't love is a lot crazier than following my dreams. I hope you'll join me for the journey! 

got craft ♥'s etsy

Got Craft? is tickled pink to announce Etsy as one of our sponsors! We first had the chance to meet the Etsy team when they were in Vancouver almost two years ago and are pleased to say that Got Craft is the first craft fair in Canada to have their support. Talk about a long courtship! 

What is Etsy? In their words...

Our mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers. 

Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice:

Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade

artist images from left to right: top - banoo, the beautiful project, sam made; middle - a cagey bee, little bird designs; bottom - kukubee, cabin + cub, buenostyle

things to do :: craft round up

The Eastside Culture Crawl is an annual 3-day November event that involves artists who live in Vancouver's Eastside in an area bounded by Main St., 1st Ave., Victoria Drive, and the Waterfront. A wonderful opportunity to meet painters, jewelers, sculptors, furniture makers, musicians, weavers, potters, writers, printmakers, photographers, glassblowers in their studios.

Don't forget to check out past and present Got Craft vendors such as heyday design, Aja Billas Ceramics, Jacqueline Robins Ceramics, Laura Bucci Handmade, Simpsonelli Designs and Flightpath Designs.

Event: Eastside Culture Crawl
Date / Time: Friday, November 26th - 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 27th & Sunday, November 28th - 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Various

Gear up for the holiday season and stock up on Roxypop goods at Portobello West this weekend. Robert and I will be manning the table, so pop in and say hi! Other vendors to check out... Irit Sorokin Designs, Olive, Smidgebox Designs, BuenoStyle, Note + Emote and Him Creations.

Event: Portobello West
Date: Saturday, November 27th and Sunday, November 28th, 2010

Time: Noon to 6:00 p.m.

Location: Rocky Mountaineer Station - 1755 Cottrell Street, Vancouver

Features an excellent collection of fine craft and arts including A Cagey Bee, GroovyGlassGirl and Sam Bradd.

Event: Roundhouse Artisan Fair
Date: Saturday, November 27th and Sunday, November 28th, 2010

Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Location: Roundhouse Community Center - 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver

This Months market will include 60 vendors, music, hot food, beverages, and entertainment. Vendors will include food, fashion, accessories, supplies, fine art, vintage items and records. Make sure to check out Baby Elephant Designs, The Gluten Free Epicurean and It's Your Life.

Event: Blim
Date: Sunday, November 28th, 2010

Time: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location: Chinese Cultural Centre - 50 Pender Street, Vancouver

things to do :: canzine west giveaway

Who says Toronto has all the fun? Last spotted on the West Coast in 2006, Canzine West, Zine Fair and Festival of Alternative Culture, makes its triumphant return to Vancouver on Saturday, October 16 at W2 Storyeum

Got Craft will be hosting a mini market as part of Canzine West featuring Bliss in a Teacup, Firefly Notes, It's Your Life Handmade, Sam Made, a Cagey Bee, pomo mama designs, Irit Sorokin Designs, Thistle Town Studio, Sam Bradd Designs, Love Bobbie, Civil Disobedience, Open to Chance Designs, Locomotive Clothing Co. and Hand + Shadow!

Interested in attending? We have a pair of tickets to giveaway! All you need to do is send us an email to info(at)gotcraft(dot)com with your full name and phone number. Contest closes Thursday, October 14th, 2010 at Noon (PST).

Canzine West is a Zine Fair and Festival of Alternative Culture, with a focus on indie publishing. Guests can peruse zines, magazines, books, art, crafts, and can listen to readings, watch poetry collide with improv comedy, view art exhibits and installations, create art with Collage Collage, buy handmade goods at the Got Craft mini market, watch indie film shorts, pick through vintage treasures, and more.

Here are the details:

When:
Saturday, October 16th, 2010 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Where:
W2 Storyeum, 151 West Cordova Street, Vancouver

Cost:
$5.00 includes a copy of Broken Pencil

For more information, visit Canzine West

things to do :: The Pocket Show

The biggest little art show features over 100 artists including past Got Craft vendors such as Kris Brownlee from a cagey bee, Chanda Stallman and Jackie Dives. Each artist is exhibiting work no larger than 4 x 4 inches in painting, sculpture, photography or other mediums. Think teeny tiny!

Here are the details:

When:
Runs until Saturday, September 18th, 2010 - 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where:
156 West Hastings, Vancouver (at Cambie Street)

For more information, visit the pocket show's facebook event page here.