owl + pussycat guest post :: giveaway

Thanks Amanda (aka owl + pussycat) for the guest post!

To celebrate the start of a new year and kick-start my own crafty resolutions, I'm giving away a cute little crayon roll. It holds six little crayons, stubby markers or mini pencils. Made from linen and cotton, it's sturdy and machine washable. Perfect for keeping little or big hands busy on outings.

For details and to enter, visit my blog - owl + pussycat. I'll be randomly choosing a winner on January 14th, 2011.

Good luck!

swag bag winner + toque craft fair

Congratulations to Crislynne for winning two free passes to Got Craft and a swag bag full of goodies!  Thanks so much to everybody that entered. See you this Sunday!


Crislynne said...

I'm excited to see Kove Handmade at the fair, their knitted and crocheted items look so cozy and stylish!

Event: Got Craft?

Date / Time: Sunday, December 5th, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Location: Royal Canadian Legion - 2205 Commercial Drive @ East 6th Avenue 

Toque starts today at the Western Front, so don't forget to stop by and visit some Got Craft vendors including Wendy Oaksman, The Beautiful Project, Divesin and our friends Collage Collage, Arsenal Pulp Press, Thistle Town Studio and A Farmers Daughter.

Event: Toque

Date / Time: Friday, December 3rd from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 4th from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location: Western Front - 303 East 8th Avenue, Vancouver

Click here for the facebook event page for more information.

got craft :: swag!

Yes, swag bags are a dime a dozen, but not these bags. No, siree. As Kove Handmade mentioned, swag is a BIG deal at Got Craft. Like be at the venue at 6:00am before the tables and vendors arrive to set up kind of big deal. So, when the doors open 4 hours later and you are one of the lucky first 45 through the door, you understand why these are so coveted. I mean, just take a look at some of the goodies that are in each bag and, I use the word 'some' as swag items are still coming in! See here and here for past Got Craft swag bags.

Starting in December, we've bumped up the number of bags from 30 to 45. That's 15 additional bags! Thanks to efreeme.com for providing us with the reusable totes. For those that miss out on the swag bags, not to fret, we have 50 additional totes (sans swag) to give away at the door. Not an early bird? We have you covered as well. Five local blogs including Vancouver is Awesome, Got Craft (below), Vancity Buzz and Granville Online (<- enter here / contest ends Dec 1) are giving out free passes to Got Craft as well as swag bags, so keep your eyes open for the announcements!

Get a good nights sleep and a bag full of swag by leaving a comment below telling us which vendor you are most excited to check out at the show. One lucky winner will be chosen randomly. Contest ends Thursday, December 2nd at noon (PST). Winner will receive two free passes plus one Got Craft swag bag to be picked up at the event. Please leave your contact information in your comment.

got craft :: six cent press giveaway

photo via hudsonny

Psst... have you signed up for the Got Craft newsletter yet? if your answer is no, then why not? Newsletter subscribers will be automatically entered to win an exclusive giveaway for a DIY button maker hosted by our friends over at Six Cent Press.

Sign up here (left side bar) or at the Got Craft holiday show on December 5th. One lucky winner will be drawn randomly at noon (PST) on Monday, December 6th. One entry per person. Open to Canadian addresses only.

The folks over at Six Cent Press can take care of all your button needs with services including custom button making and products for you to make your own. Have minimal graphic skills? No worries. They will take care of you each step of the way!

** All emails are kept confidential and never shared with others. Newsletters are sent monthly **

Make It Giveaway

Make It returns to Vancouver this weekend featuring close to 100 designers from across Canada including Vintage Love from Toronto, Belua from Edmonton and Vancouver's own Hank & Cheef. Make it promises to be "a super awesome shopping experience that combines a craft show with a party!" With tons of handmade goodies to choose from including clothing, accessories, art, jewelry, baby items; expect to find something for everyone on your list this holiday season.

Event:
Make it!

Date:
Friday, November 19th, 2010 - 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 20th, 2010 - 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 21st, 2010 - 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Location:
Croatian Cultural Center - 3250 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

Cost:
$5.00 at the door, or click here for a $2.00 off.

For more information, please visit makeitvancouver.com.

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We are excited to have the opportunity to host a giveaway for 10 pairs of tickets to Make it! Leave a comment or email to info at gotcraft com telling us what your favourite craft is. Please make sure to leave your name and contact number or email address. Contest closes on Thursday, November 18th, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. (PST). Winners will be chosen randomly.

Circle Craft Christmas Market Giveaway

The 37th annual Circle Craft Christmas Market is taking place next week, Wednesday, November 17th to Sunday, November 21st, 2010 at the new Vancouver Convention Centre West. Admission is $12 for adults and you can save $2.00 by purchasing tickets online from the Circle Craft website.

The event features artisans mostly from British Columbia including a few from across Canada and Washington State. With over 250 vendors, there is something handmade for everybody with artisans selling clothing, home decor, fine art and photography, jewelry, food, toys, clothing, body products and leather goods, including one of my favourite vendors, Lincoln Heller from Fiveleft Leather (picture above).

Don't forget to check out the 2010 show features:

Wood Turning Demonstrations
Watch last year's recipient of the Circle Craft Award for Excellence in Craft, Dale Rouleau and long-time Circle Craft Co-operative member, Jason Marlow, collaborate to produce a unique piece of art "Spruce Mermaids" from a slab of old growth spruce.

Totally Amazing Glass
Enjoy free glassblowing demonstrations by some of Canada's top glass artists.

Ballz of Fire Workshop

Try your hand at designing and creating a blown Christmas ornament.

Blacksmithing

Watch artist blacksmith Patrick McIvor create a sofa-table to be donated to the Sharing Ree (more information about the Sharing Tree on the website)

Student Art Exhibition
Featuring the artworks of young people in Grades 9 – 12, the Student Art Show promotes and encourages student participation in a broad spectrum of visual arts. Celebrating student creativity, the art show provides a great opportunity for young artists to publicly exhibit their work

For more information, please visit CircleCraft.net and don't forget to visit past Got Craft vendors such as 3-H Craftworks, Adhesif Clothing Co. and Fiveleft Leather.

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We are excited to have the opportunity to host a giveaway for a pair of tickets to the Circle Craft Christmas Market! Please leave a comment or email to info (at) gotcraft (dot) com with your name and contact number or email address by Friday, November 12th, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. (PST). A winner will be chosen randomly.

things to do :: IDSwest 2010 giveway

photo credit: scout.magazine

The Interior Design Show West (IDSwest) is Western Canada’s annual premiere design show featuring a diverse range of 200 exhibitors from design competitions to original installations. Some amazing companies have been gathered under one roof including Brent Comber Studio (image above), cause + affect, Marimekko and LU Prints.

Interested in checking out IDSwest 2010? Leave a comment below and a random winner will be chosen by Friday, October 15th, 2010 at noon.

As an ongoing commitment to the future of our design industry, IDSwest 2010, in partnership with Vancouver's own Artsy!Dartsy, is thrilled to present FUTURE MASTERS: Young Designers West. Close to 20 design students and recent graduates are presenting their latest work ranging from communication, industrial, and architectural design.

Here are the details:

When:
Friday, October 15th - 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 16th - 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 17th - 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where:
New Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver

Cost:
$12.00 online

Thanks for entering the Canzine West giveaway! The winner is Ka Po.

Divesin - feature #36

Name: Divesin by Jackie Dives
Website links: Etsy, Blog, Myspace

contest alert at the end of the blog post!

What do you make?
I mostly make collages and take photographs. I have been collaging and taking photographs since I was in elementary school. Right now my collages are taking a couple different personalities.



There is an ongoing series that I work on for craft fairs and for sale on my Etsy site. These are made on wood panels that are hollow in the back so they can be hung easily. I use images from books that would otherwise be sent to the dump. I rescue them and make something new from them.

I am also working on a series of 20 collages that each have a Chinese proverb in them. These are fun and made from all kinds of different papers.

Lastly, I have a show at Libby's Kitchen in September, and for that I am making a series of collages that involve animals.

I take photographs every day of the things I see around town. My favourite thing to photograph is people.

I also make love. I make nutritious meals from scratch, my blog, and a garden.

What or who inspires you?
Like most creative people I get inspiration from things I see when I am out and about. People, places, nature, conversations overheard on the bus. I get very inspired to create when I am grocery shopping at a market, thrifting, and drinking tea with friends. I am currently greatly inspired by these specific artists: Andy Dixon, Ronan Boyle, Jesse Reno, Chanda Stallman, Randy Laybourne.

How did you get started?
Slowly. A few years ago I pulled my hardly ever used sewing machine out of the closet in my bedroom and began making bags. My grandfather died around the same time and I was given a box of family photographs, which I used to make a series of greeting cards. I made magnets, notebooks, brooches, and other cute things. I held a craft show in my little apartment, which turned into a full time store on Main Street. Now, I'm happy to be working from home, taking my time to explore the different forms of creativity that interest me.



What are your favourite materials to work with?
I keep a glue stick and my camera with me wherever I go. I also love very old things from wood to ceramics to books to fabrics, to jars and more.

List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them
Art house Coop: This is a wonderful website that invites people to take part in their art project ideas. The keep new ideas posted on their website all the time and people can participate in any that they choose.

Society 6: I have a studio on this website where I sell prints (http://www.society6.com/studio/divesin). Anyone can join for free and sign up to sell their prints. There is no cost to the artist, all the printing is done by Society 6, and they give you your desired commission. It is also a great place to discover artists.

Craigs List: An incredible resource for finding things for cheap or free.

West Coast Seeds: Where I get lots of my gardening info.

Amazon: I read a lot. I like that I can keep a wish list on Amazon so that I don't lose track of all the books I want.



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
Don't give up. Being an artist is hard. Keep at it.

Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
This is a hard question for me to answer. At a different point in time it might have been easier to define and separate the two words, but presently, I think they overlap and are merging into one meaning. At times I might be an artist, other times a crafter. But ultimately I am a creator. I passionately and consistently create things.

WIN an original collage (pictured above) by Jackie Dives by leaving a comment below and telling us where you would display this wooden panel.

Each collage is coated with a non toxic sealer and is light weight and durable, making it perfect for hanging anywhere! Contest closes Friday, May 14th, 2010, so get your comments in!

(photo images courtesy of Jackie Dives)

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

Check out our past features...
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 #22
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

contest :: win a YUDU

Enter the Got Craft Spring 2010 Contest!

The next Got Craft is coming up on Sunday, May 2nd, 2010. Mark your calendars! Posters are starting to pop up all over the City, so we thought we would celebrate by holding a contest.

To enter, take a picture of a Got Craft Spring 2010 poster that you find at local shops, coffee houses or poster drums in Vancouver. Once you have your images, upload them to the Got Craft Spring 2010 contest flickr group and win yourself a brand new YUDU screen printer by Provocraft worth over $300.00. The more you upload, the more chances you have to win!

Flickr Group: Got Craft Spring 2010 Contest

please make sure to read all the rules before entering ...

one
Contest open to Got Craft Spring 2010 posters only and to residents of the Lower Mainland. (Must be available to pick up the prize at the Spring Got Craft show on May 2nd, 2010)

two
Pictures must include the entire poster and if possible, the poster drum pole / board / wall that the poster is attached to and some background that shows where it was located. No close ups on just the poster. See example.

three
When uploading, include where the poster was found - i.e. store name, intersection, etc. Entries not properly named will not count. See example.

four
Each qualified image uploaded to the flickr group = one entry to win

five
Contest closes April 30th, 2010. A winner will be announced on May 1st, 2010. The winner of the contest must be available to pick up their prize at Got Craft on May 2nd, 2010.

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If you have any questions, please contact us by email at info (at) gotcraft (dot) com or leave a comment below. Good luck!

Make It! Giveaway

What:
make it craft fair

Shop for one-of-a-kind handmade items from over 90 top Canadian urban artisans & designers! At Make It you can also enjoy a drink and listen to Vancouver's hottest DJ's!

Admission: $5.00 (2 for 1 coupon on their website)

When:
Friday, November 20th - 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Saturday, November 21st - 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday, November 22nd - 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Where:
Croatian Cultural Centre - 3250 Commercial Drive

Fun:
WIN 10 pairs of free tickets to the show! Be the first 10 people to email us at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com with the subject line 'make it' and you win! That's right, it's that easy!

Ravishing Beasts Giveaway

Ravishing Beasts: The strangely alluring world of taxidermy

Oh yes! We have another giveaway for you lovely readers!

Displaying the Museum of Vancouver’s extensive collection of taxidermy for the first time in decades, Ravishing Beasts investigates the provocative and strangely alluring world of taxidermy.

Whether a hoarding of exotic curiosities, a scientific archive, a hunting trophy, or a stuffed pet, taxidermy always exposes longings to capture animals and tell stories about their significance within human lives.

Over a hundred animals will be on display from the Museum’s own collection and was acquired primarily between 1894 and 1950 from Vancouver residents.

.... and ....

For you Vancouverites, the Museum of Vancouver is looking for YOUR ravishing beasts! Do you have a deer trophy or an animal gathering dust in the basement? MOV wants to see how much taxidermy really exists in Vancouver. Please contact Wendy at wnichols(at)museumofvancouver(dot)ca for more information on how to submit your beauties.

Where?
Museum of Vancouver
1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver

When?
October 22, 2009 to February 28, 2010

** Enter to Win **
Send an email to info(at)gotcraft(dot)com for your chance to win one pair of tickets to the Ravishing Beasts exhibit at the Museum of Vancouver. Please include your name, phone number and a subject line of "MOV". Contest closes at Noon (PST) on Sunday, November 8th, 2009.

Good luck!

Circle Craft Giveaway !

Mark your calendars for the 36th annual Circle Craft Christmas Market opening this Wednesday, November 11th and running to Sunday, November 15th! Featuring over 250 Canadian and BC artisans presenting their handmade wares at Western Canada's largest craft fair including past Got Craft vendors such as Adhesif Clothing Co., Mizzonk, Flaming Angels Designs and Jessie Turner Designs.

Got Craft? is pleased to announce that we are hosting a giveaway for one pair of tickets to the 36th annual Circle Craft Christmas Market! Email your name and contact number to info(at)gotcraft(dot)com by 12:00pm (PST) Wednesday, November 11th, 2009. A winner will be chosen randomly.

There’ll be fabulous fashion, fine jewellery, clay work, metal, glass, and more – individually hand-crafted items – items that make for the most special gifts for friends and family (and for oneself of course!).

Don't miss the following events:

The Sharing Tree
Since its inception in 1993, The Sharing Tree has become an integral part of the Circle Craft Christmas Market. A $2 donation enters you to win a fabulous surprise destination vacation valued at $1,500 and all proceeds benefit the The Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund; CTV’s charity of choice, the Salvation Army and The Peak and JRFM’s charity, Basics for Babies.

$1,000 Shopping Spree
Deposit your ballot at the entrance to the show. The lucky winner will be drawn at 6:30 pm on Saturday, November 14 and will have all day Sunday to shop.

Totally Amazing Glass!!
Enjoy free glassblowing demonstrations by some of Canada’s top glass artists including the opportunity to make your own Christmas ball! See program guide for details and show times.

** new for 2009 **

Drop by the stage on the north side, behind the Sharing Tree, for wood turning demonstrations by master artisans, including last year’s recipient of the Circle Craft Award for Excellence in Craft — and this year’s cover artist — Dale Rouleau.

For more information, please visit Circle Craft.net.

Here are the details:

Day & Time:
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 - 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Thursday, November 12th, 2009 - 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Friday, November 13th, 2009 - 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
Saturday, November 14th, 2009 - 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Sunday, November 15th, 2009 - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Where:
Vancouver Convention Centre [East Facility] -- Under the Sails
999 Canada Place Way, Vancouver

Admission:
Adults $12
Student / Seniors (65+) $8
Children under 12 FREE

Six Cent Press

Remember those fantastic buttons we featured on the lotus events blog back in the summer? Well, I'm pleased to announce that our friends over at Six Cent Press are now selling DIY button making kits. Now, you can build your own pin back buttons!

Got Craft? is lucky enough to be hosting a giveaway at our holiday show! Make sure to pop by and sign up for our mailing list for your chance to win one 1.25" button press and 200 complete parts.

Thanks to Six Cent Press!!

OOAK giveaway

The One of a Kind show in Vancouver is coming up next week. Oct 8 to the 11th to be exact. Not only will I be there displaying my goods, but so will fellow Got Craft? vendors such as cabin + cub, Track and Field Designs, The Beautiful Project and Little Red Caboose.

Interested in heading out to the show? Enter to win a pair of tickets by emailing us at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com. A winner will be announced on Friday (Oct 2). Contest closes at noon pacific time.

Update: The random generator chose #5. Congratulations to J.S.!