crafts for the animals

Last year, my friends Kim and Lisa decided to take a girls trip and fly to Las Vegas where they picked up a rental car and drove to southwest Utah. There, they spent a few days voluntering at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary; the largest no-kill animal shelter in the United States. From the pictures they posted on twitter and facebook, this place not only touched their hearts, but it also inspired them to launch the crafts for the animal campaign.  The For the Animals! campaign will raise handmade donations to animal shelters, and to encourage people to tell stories about how their lives have been touched by shelter animals. 

You can read all about Kim and Lisa's stay at the BFAS on their blogs here and here. To read more about the campaign including how you can participate, click here for full details. Kim also has a crochet pattern for a pet mat that is free for all to download here and there are tons of ways to follow along - twitter | flickr | ravelry group

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Growing up, I was never allowed to have pets. So, of course, as a crazy cat lady, I swooned over our neighbour's cats - they had 3 next door and another 2 the house next to theirs. Robert has always grown up with cats, so when we first moved in together (2002), he said that we could get a cat of our own. However, I had to wait 30 days while we settle into our new apartment. Well... three days later, we were parked outside the BC SPCA and I had a list of other shelters to check out just in case. Cleo was the second cat that I saw and it was love. We brought her home... she jumped out of the box and we have been attached at the hip ever since! She's not too friendly to others (classic siamese trait), but loves her family. Cleo is now 15 years old and lives in London, UK. Check out her Van City Kitty feature on Vancouver is Awesome here.

Stay tuned for part two where I show you how to make your own cat nip dumpling treats!

van city kitty :: meet cleo

In case you missed me showing off Cleo like a proud cat momma, I thought I would send her some extra love on the blog. Cleo is this week's Van City Kitty over at Vancouver is Awesome. Think she's a cutie? Leave a heart for her at the bottom of the post!

Locomotive Clothing - feature #46

photo credit: Ophelia Photography

Name: Locomotive Clothing Co. (Jay and Aaron Matte)

Website links: Locomotive Clothing | Etsy | Twitter

What do you make?

We make sweet and unique streetwear, adorned with screen print, applique and spray paint. Everything from historically inspired t shirts with a touch of whimsy, to edgy spray painted hoodies to super cute toddler train and tractor items.

What or who inspires you?

Right now we are pretty inspired by everything Canadiana, hearts, pop culture references, circus imagery, history, science and always, trains.

How did you get started?

Jay started spray painting vintage items in a seedy East Vancouver back alley years ago and sold it in local boutiques. When we met in 2007, we decided to partner up in life and in craft and began screen printing and started our Etsy shop.

What are your favourite materials to work with?

We love it all, canvas and felt appliqué, screen printing, the computer (we create some of our graphics digitally). Jay also loves to experiment using spray paint on clothing. It takes a lot of technique and time but the look is really sharp and it washes surprisingly well.

What is the hardest and your most favourite part of crafting?

We just love creating, but there are too many ideas and not enough time! We keep plugging away though. Our most amazing moments have been walking down the street in Vancouver and meeting people who are wearing our clothes. This one guy we met during Car Free Day on Commercial Drive was wearing our Traveler T-shirt. He bought it at the Spring Got Craft and his girlfriend said we "wears it, like, every day." That was great to hear. Selling items all over the world through our Etsy shop is amazing as well. Our hoodies and t shirts are in Japan, Norway, Italy, Australia. So cool.

List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them

We love www.booooooom.com: It is local and global at the same time. He has an incredible eye for style and for what is current. Poppytalk is another obsession of ours. She is another example of a spot-on eye for style. For informative (and super accessible) local arts and culture, we can't forget about Vancouver is Awesome.

Jay has been skateboarding his whole life and we have to include Color Magazine for style, great skate coverage and an all around excellent website.

Bikeexif.com is also Jay's pick, he is a huge motorcycle aficionado and it is a fantastic blog, mostly catering to the Cafe Racer and Bobber community.

Do you have any advice for those in the biz?

Yes!

1. Make what you love.
2. Never underestimate the power of the amazing community of crafters out there. We have met the most incredible, generous and helpful people in the crafty community in Vancouver. Don't be afraid to help or to share information. We have put ourselves out there and have been given so much incredible advice and support.
3. Customer service is KEY. It is so important to be timely, organized and courteous.

Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?

Both I think. We don't think about it too much. We are makers of things.

(photo images courtesy of Locomotive Clothing)

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

Check out our past features...

Hand & Shadow - feature #45

Kove Handmade - feature #44

Sam Bradd - feature #43

Katrinshine - feature #42

Penelope Brown - feature #41

Laura Bucci Handmade - feature #40

Track and Field Designs - feature #39

Irit Sorokin Designs - feature #38

Clockwork Fantastica - feature #37

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 #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

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.

Shop, Look + Learn

Collage Collage - Shop, Look + Learn from Pike on Vimeo.

found via Vancouver is Awesome

Check out this amazing video of Collage Collage, workshop + retail space + classroom, by local agency Pike. If you haven't made your way over to Fraser and 15th in awhile, you may want to plan a trip soon and check it out!

a cagey bee - feature #26

Name: Kris G. Brownlee from A Cagey Bee
Website links: Etsy, blog

What do you make?
I'm a painter inspired by people, so I like to create character portraits with a storybook feel. I tend to paint girls and cute companion critters, though some of my paintings have a bit of a darker edge to them. I also really enjoy making tiny art pendants. Not everyone can afford an original painting, of course, so this is a fun alternative to a print. Plus I really love the idea of my characters being taken out and about in the real world.



What or who inspires you?
Oh goodness...so many things! I love to people watch. Vancouver is great city for that. I walk my dogs every day and literally *every* day I see someone who would make a great painting.

I'm also really inspired by my fellow artists. It's amazing to see so many people, especially women, representing themselves via the web and doing what they love. Whether it's painting or sewing or making jewelry, it's fantastic to be part of this shift towards more personal, handmade businesses.



How did you get started?
I've always been creative and enjoyed creating images in one way or another - photography, graphic design etc. But it never occurred to me that becoming a full time artist was even an option until a few years ago. I thought you had to live in a loft in NYC and have a trust fund to have any chance of making a living as an artist; it just wasn't on the menu for a girl like me. It wasn't until I started seeing self-represented artists selling their own work via eBay and Etsy that I allowed myself to consider it. I began taking classes at Emily Carr and never looked back. As cheesy as it sounds, it felt like I had finally stepped into who I was supposed to be. Now I can't imagine myself doing anything else.

What are your favourite materials to work with?
I'm very impatient so I like to use acrylic paint. It dries quickly, so I can add lots of layers & go over a piece again & again. With oils, you have to let it dry in between and I just don't have the patience for that! I've been painting on wood a lot lately too which has been fun. When I make prints, I love seeing the texture of the wood show up in the detail.



What is the hardest and most favourite part of crafting?
The hardest part is probably letting go of my favorite paintings. I do tend to hang onto them for a bit before I'll list the original for sale, but you can never tell if it's going to be available for months or be snapped up right away. It helps when I have time to paint a few new ones in between because the newest one is always my favorite. I'm fickle like that. :)

My favorite part of crafting is the community. I've met so many wonderful people both online and in person at local craft shows and markets. There's just something about the community that appreciates handmade, from my fellow crafters to my customers, that is helpful and welcoming and just plain awesome! Seriously. I had someone buy couple of prints from my website and she liked them so much that she sent me a thank you gift in the mail. I'm unbelievably lucky.



List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them

Etsy: This is an obvious one. Between updating my shop, reading the forums & shopping for supplies, I'm on here daily.

This Life: I'll often spend 7 or 8 hours straight working on a painting, so I need lots of podcasts to keep my ADHD-addled brain occupied. This American Life is one of my favorites.

Bad At Sports: Another podcast focused on the art world, specifically in Chicago, that keeps me entertained. The hosts are so casual that it feels like hanging out with your friends rather than stuffy contemporary art critics.

Twitter: I post on Twitter regularly & check in dozens of times a day. I love it because I can stay in touch with people & share things about my day to day life that I wouldn't necessarily write an entire blog post about. I know a lot of people don't get it, but it's been great for me. I follow lots of other artists and local Vancouver folks, so I've been able to find out about all sorts of things that I would have normally missed.

Vancouver is Awesome: Speaking of local Vancouver folks, I love this site. From the best noodle bowl in the city to my new favorite off leash dog park, I have discovered a wealth of local Vancouver awesomeness via this site.



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
Make what you love. This is not to be confused with doing what you love because I don't think that's always true. Just because you like to bake pies doesn't mean you want to make 100 pies a day and market a pie business and deal with customers and overhead and taxes. Sometimes turning a passion into a business can drive the passion right out of it. This is why I say make what you love to make.

And, of course, promote yourself! It still feels awkward for me, but one of the best things I've done was to join an artist group. We meet every other week to share resources, do goal-setting and practice talking about our own work. It's been really helpful to get feedback in that kind of friendly environment.



Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
I do think they're different, but the crafters have definitely upped their game in recent years. I think traditionally art would be
something that had a statement or point of view whereas craft was more about function. I think that gap is closing as crafters become more interested in expressing themselves and experimenting rather than doing it "right". I consider myself both an artist and a crafter. I love to paint, but I really want my work to be accessible to everyone; I'm thrilled to see my girls on magnets or pendants, and not just hung on the wall.

(photo images courtesy of A Cagey Bee)

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

Check out our past features...

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