got craft? :: spring 2011 :: it's coming!

design and illustration by the Beautiful Project

It's that time of year again! The Spring Got Craft? event is just around the corner and this year, we are turning 5 years old! Hip hip hip hooray! Thank you to all of our lovely vendors, sponsors and attendees. We started 5 years ago brand spanking new to the handmade community and just started tacking some pieces of paper with pull tabs at local coffee shops asking if anybody wanted to join our fair and here we are now!

There are lots to do at our next show including a complimentary D.I.Y. lounge hosted by Spool of Thread to make your own projects, tasty treats by Bake Sale Baking Co. and The Gluten Free Epicurean and veggie pakoras by Varinicey parked outside. DJ Duff will be providing the tunes and of course, over 55 handmade artists including our friends Maker Faire Vancouver, Collage Collage and Barefoot Contessa (selling their own handmade goods)!

Oh! If you haven't heard, we are beyond thrilled to have Etsy sign on as a new sponsor < insert cartwheels and sparklers > . This has been in the works for almost two years and according to my research, we are the first handmade market in Canada to have their support. Yippee!

Here are the details... See y'all there!

event: Got Craft? spring edition
date: Sunday, May 8th, 2011
time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
location: Royal Canadian Legion - 2205 Commercial Drive (at East 6th Avenue), Vancouver
cost: $3.00 (kids 10 and under are free)

For more information or to apply to our holiday show (December 4th, 2011), please visit our website here.

(please note that the event is located on the second floor with no wheelchair access. we are doing our best to find a new venue. suggestions are welcome and can be sent to info at gotcraft dot com)

got craft :: spring 2011 vendors!

photo credit: coco cake cupcake

It's that time of year again! The Got Craft Spring show is coming up on Sunday, May 8th, 2011 at the Royal Canadian Legion on Commercial Drive from 10:00am to 5:00pm. We'll be celebrating our 5th birthday, so make sure to join the festivities with our amazing vendors listed below. Lots of newbies to the show, so there will be tons to check out!

Too hungry to shop? Bake Sale Baking Co. and The Gluten Free Epicurean will be serving up baked treats while Varinicey will be outside cooking up some veggie pakoras! Spool of Thread Sewing Lounge will show you how to make a take away craft project and stop by the Maker Faire booth for details on their upcoming event in June! Of course, for those early birds, the first 45 people through the door will receive a coveted Got Craft swag bag. Have you seen the goodies inside? Check out some past samples here, here and here.

A Cagey Bee, Sassy Contessa, Smuttons by Kimli, The Beautiful Project, Abeego Designs, Barefoot Contessa, Bake Sale Baking Co., Banoo, Billy Would Designs, Frankenstrap, cabin + cub, Cynthia F., district Thirty designs, Divesin, Sam Made, eikcam, GLOBE Foundation, gypsee designs, heyday design, hudsonny, Laura Bucci Handmade, Mena Dragonfly, Olive Bath and Body, smidgebox designs, Stitchella, Twig Prints, The Gluten Free Epicurean, The Rice Babies, Little Bird Designs, BuenoStyle, Inspryed Creations, irit sorokin designs, Faire by KeikoCreative, Its Your Life Handmade, LynnDee Designs, AstridLily Designs, kukubee, pomo mama design, GroovyGlassGirl, Superfly Lullabies, Bubbly Shnooks, Comiditas, kove handmade, Earthgirl Aromatherapy, Firefly Notes, honey canada, Raven's Rest Studio, Hello Bobbie, Roxypop, Telly Designs and Robbie Vergara Screenprinting.

got craft :: DIY table

Make sure to check out the Spool of Thread DIY area on stage at the Got Craft holiday show! This year, Spool of Thread will be on hand to teach you how to hand sew flower pins, using felt, fabric and their famous button bowl! Depending on the materials selected, the pins can be festive for the holidays, like the Poinsettia in the image, or less seasonal and great for year round!

On Sunday, December 5th, attendees to the event we'll have 6 shades of felt and at least 10 cotton fabrics to select from, making each pin unique to the maker! There will also be complete instructions and Spool of Thread will be there to help, in case you get stuck in the middle of their making!

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!

shop tour :: Spool of Thread Sewing Lounge

photo credit: Spool of Thread and Handmade Evolution

Have you checked out the block of East. 15th Avenue between Kingsway and Fraser Street lately? If not, you really need to head over there! Awesome shops such as Collage Collage, RubyDog's Art House and Les Faux Bourgeois have called this strip of Vancouver home for almost a year and now, they are joined by a new kid on the block, Spool of Thread Sewing Lounge.

Spool of Thread is Vancouver's first sewing lounge! What is a Sewing Lounge, you ask? Well, in the words of owner Lili and Henry: Spool of Thread is a modern twist on making. Our retail store will provide the tools and the space you need to create your next sewing project. We will also have a wide selection of unique and hard to find fabrics. Our store will have sewing machines available for pay-by-the-hour rental during our store hours. Along with the sewing machines, sewers will have access to large cutting tables, irons, dress forms and other sewing accessories. The store’s Sewing Lounge will also be used for sewing workshops and classes with instruction from crafters and sewing experts.

Want to keep up to date on all the news including upcoming workshops? Subscribe to their newsletter by visiting their website or follow them on twitter at @SpoolofThread!

You can also check out images from their DIY table at Got Craft last May!

things to do :: Etsy Craft Party Meetup

artist credit: bliss in a teacup

It's Etsy's birthday and to celebrate, they launched an Etsy Craft Party, a global initiative to energize your local community, make art together, and throw a party. So far, 305 meet ups have been scheduled and Vancouver is one of them!

date: Friday, June 18th, 2010
time: 2:00pm to 5:00pm
location: E. 15th Avenue between Kingsway and Fraser Street, Vancouver
cost: FREE

RSVP: Click here to RSVP now. The 50 cities with the most RSVP’s will receive Etsy goodies including coupons and gift certificates, supplies and surprises! Deadline is June 7th, so start spreading the news!

Got Craft along with local shops, Collage Collage and Spool of Thread Sewing Lounge; will be opening their doors for the Vancouver Etsy Craft Party! Bring a craft project and join us for a day of making, good conversation and support your local community.

a brief haitus

The Gluten Free Epicurean

After Got Craft at the beginning of May, we went straight into wedding coordination mode which is what I am using as an excuse for the lack of blogging lately.


heyday design

It's a long weekend here in Canada today and I am using it as an opportunity to get organized and kick start the to do list. As much as the break was needed, I'm back and ready to share upcoming events, tutorials, local shops and all things crafty!



Showing off her swag bag goods and the pinwheel from Spool of Thread's DIY table

If you missed it at the beginning of May, here are some images from Got Craft. More images can be found on flickr or our facebook fan page.


Lockette [Paper + Fabric}

photo credit: Studio Jeanie

crafty kisses to all

photo credit: Studio Jeanie

Thank you to everybody that came to Got Craft yesterday! We had a fantastic turn out and as always, so much fun! A big thank you to all of our vendors including Spool of Thread Sewing Lounge who hosted the DIY table and taught everybody how to many those snazzy pinwheel pins and Jeanie for being our A+ / 5 diamond / #1 photographer!

Did your receive a swag bag? The line up this year started at a record breaking 6:30am! That's 3.5 hours before the show started! By 7:30am, all 30 bags were spoken for. Read one woman's pursuit for a coveted swag bag over on her blog - Travelling the Amaranth Road - love it!

Oohhh... and the kittens! Thank you to Marilyn from Vancouver Fashion eZine who was on-site selling printed issues with half of her profits supporting the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association. Got Craft attendees broke her record by purchasing a whopping 50 issues and raising $268 with a few additional donations! Yay kittens!

Mark your calendars! Our holiday show is on Sunday, December 5th, 2010 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Royal Canadian Legion. Interested in participating? Applications are available online.

artists pictured from left to right starting at the top: telly, Jennifer Conway, Sassy Contessa, Thistle Town Studio, A Farmers Daughter, Uncle Phil, kove, unknown, Laura Bucci Handmade, Queen Bee Luxuries

diy table @ Got Craft

photo credit: Spool of Thread

Feeing inspired by the handmade goods at Got Craft on Sunday? Want to try making a few things yourself, but don't know where to start? Spool of Thread Sewing Lounge will be hosting a FREE DIY table at Got Craft!

Spool of Thread is a modern twist on making. Opening later this Spring, it is part retail store with a wide selection of unique and hard to find fabrics and part sewing lounge with sewing machines available for pay-by-the-hour rental. In addition to the machines, the workshop area will also have large cutting tables, irons, dress forms and all the other sewing accessories you need to help start your next project! Need some help along the way? Spool of Thread will also be used for sewing workshops and classes with instruction from crafters and sewing experts.

Have more questions? Come check out the DIY area on the stage at Got Craft and meet Lili and Henry, owners of Spool of Thread. They will be on-hand to show you how to make your own pinwheel pin and to answer any questions about their shop. Supplies are provided.