Got Craft? Blog

8.11.10

check out :: bird on a wire

Have you been to Bird on a Wire Creations just up the block from Main Street and Broadway? Opened at the end of October, it is a welcome haven for the local handmade community! Not only does it carry handmade creations from artists within a 100 mile radius, Bird on a Wire also runs workshops, a Friday night knitting club, craft / sewing studio rental and locker rental for those people, like myself, that seem to stock pile all kinds of supplies "because, you never know!"

Owner, Karen Unger-Strickland, is a practising artist and crafter who brings over 25 years experience to her new venture. Her vision for the store includes a knitting corner, a long dining room table for people to work on their projects, and a children’s area where kids can draw on the walls without reprimand. Prior to starting up Bird on a Wire Creations, Karen successfully owned and operated a paint-your-own ceramic store in Squamish, BC where she hosted and taught workshops in painting ceramics, painting canvas floor clothes, and creating mosaic picture and mirror frames.

In addition to Roxypop, you can also find goods from past and present Got Craft vendors such as Uncle Phil and Rabbit Rabbit.

5.11.10

Katrinshine - feature #42


Name: Katrinshine by Fedotova Ekaterina
Website links: Etsy | Blog | Twitter | Flickr

What do you make?
I make recycled leather jewelry and accessories, quilted bags and pillows in a specific style called patchwork spiral, as well as custom made corsets and medieval dresses.


What or who inspires you?
I get inspired from colours and textures around me. If I find a new and interesting tutorial or technique, I cant wait to try it.

How did you get started?
I finished art school in North Russia, where I am from. I then went to work as a designer for a publishing house. When I was growing up, I loved to do needle and craft work and was always sewing dresses for my dolls or my family and I. When I moved to Italy, where I currently live, I couldn't find work and decided to open an online shop to sell my handmade goods.


What are your favourite materials to work with?
Cutting fabric is probably the hardest, because once you cut into it, you can't go back. My favourite part is to create Patchwork bags, because every bag is very particular. Also I like to sew historical dresses, because I like participating in historical festivals.

List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them
Arctida's Creations, Etsy Russian Team, Gufobardo, Keeping Things Simple, Tom Björn Designs - All of these blogs are by my friends who all live around the world making a living as a handmade artist.


Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
Don’t afraid to be different! Don’t stop searching for something new!

Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
I like to create unique pieces as my quilted bags that’s why I consider myself as artist.

(photo images courtesy of katrinshine)

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

Check out our past features...
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

4.11.10

buy handmade :: holiday cards

Well, it's that time of year again. It's already November 4th and before you know it, it'll be Christmas, so you better start placing your holiday card orders! You should check out some holiday cards by a few of our Got Craft vendors including the pauhaus (pictured above) - choose from the following 3 designs - merry christmas, happy hanukkah and happy holidays with the words "lovingly yours the pauhaus" on the backside.


Maybe some tasty gingerbread men are more your style. Check these cards out by The Beautiful Project.


Or maybe some birdies doing some holiday socializing by Note + Emote are what you have been looking for!

3.11.10

check out :: Kristi Malakoff


Kristi Malakoff is a Canadian visual artist who works in a wide variety of mediums such as paper cutting (see image below), money pieces and stamp sculptures such as the one above that is made from 16 German stamps.


Her work was recently featured at the Vancouver Art Gallery as part of the Here is Now exhibit. You can see more of her work here. The paper crepe target installations are my favourite and truly amazing when seen in person!

2.11.10

check out :: the toy horse



Cassia Beck has one of the loveliest blogs that I have seen. I'm a little late blogging about this one (story of my life it seems!), but you should check out Cassia's second year-long project called Horse.

The subject is a toy horse she used to play with as a child.
The goal is to photograph this horse every day for a year by creating a different scene every day.
The end result is to make the collection into a book next year.

You can check out her flickr images here or you can check out her blog entitled Horse.

1.11.10

buy handmade :: tea cup bracelets

found via Twitter by @craftycrafty

I'm not sure how sturdy these would be hanging on your arm, but look how cool these are! Made from real tea cups, these bangles are adapted by designer Abigail MaryRose Clark who also makes thimble necklaces and other jewelry using reclaimed objects.

Makes me want a nice hot cup of tea and a biscuit.

30.10.10

buy handmade :: Kobi Levi

Most people want to stand out from the crowd, so what better way to do this then with a pair of handmade shoes designed by Kobi Levi.

Specializing in footwear design and development, Kobi started working as a freelance designer after he graduated from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem.

In his words, "The piece is a wearable sculpture. Most of the inspirations are out of the "shoe-world" and give the footwear an extreme transformation. The result is usually humoristic with a unique point of view about footwear." It is indeed. To see more of his work, check out his blog here.

29.10.10

things to do :: weekend markets

Before you head out for Halloween, get ready for the holiday season with these two events!

Event: Portobello West's 50th Anniversary Market
Date: Sunday, October 31st, 2010
TIme: Noon to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Rocky Mountaineer Station - 1755 Cottrell Street, Vancouver
Cost: $2.00 (12 and under are free)

Come out and take part in Portobello West's 50th market event by spoiling yourself with tons of fashionable treats from local, talented designers and artists! In celebration of their 50th, they are giving away 50 free membership cards to the first 50 attendees!

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Event: Blim Monthly Market
Date: Sunday, October 31st, 2010
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: Chinese Cultural Center - 50 E. Pender Street, Vancouver
Cost: by donation

The Blim Community Market will include 60 vendors, music, hot food, beverages, and entertainment. Vendors will include food, fashion, accessories, supplies, fine art, vintage items and records. This is the first time that the market has taken place at the Cultural Center and they are super excited to contribute to Chinatown’s artistic vitality and encourage the local creative community.

28.10.10

things to do :: midori holiday heaven


I first spotted Midori at Urban Craft Uprising last July in Seattle. Jars of buttons, spools of ribbons, stacks of pretty paper... crafters with arms full of supplies headed towards the cash desk... I asked myself, who was this vendor? Started 21 years ago, Midori is a wholesaler of fine ribbon and decorative packaging. Located in Seattle, Midori will be hosting their 12th annual Holiday Heaven event on Saturday, November 20th and Sunday, November 21st, 2010 in Seattle.

Holiday Heaven is the one weekend where Midori opens their doors to the general public where they can directly purchase products such as discontinued, second, sample and overstock items at discounted prices. Fabric ribbon, decorative packaging, craft items, oh my! Perfect for the upcoming holiday season!

Here are the details:

When:

Saturday, November 20th, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 21st, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon

Where:
Midori warehouse - 708 6th Avenue North, Seattle, WA

25.10.10

inspire :: mark khaisman


found via Apartment Therapy

Have you checked out Mark Khaisman's Tapeworks? He painstakingly layers 2 inch swaths of packing tape over plexiglass until images form. He considers his works to be "conversations with light, and if tape is his paint brush, then light is his blending medium."


Check out more of his work here and here.
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