Get Ready for Your New Year!

The big show may have come and gone, but we know that that does not mean your holiday shopping is done. And as we careen towards another apocalyptic year, I thought I would share some 2012 calendars from our vendors and friends. All available for purchase online!

First and foremost, I fear I would be run out of craft town if I didn't mention the mother of all handmade calendars - the annual Kid Icarus screen print opus that has become a cult phenomenon among local design lovers. Featuring twelve glorious pages designed by twelve distinct artists, the calendar is an art collection unto itself. It is also a one two punch for City of Craft fans; not only is it printed and curated by Kid Icarus, it also features City of Craft 2011 vendors Selena Wong, Reverend Aitor and Claire Louise Milne amid its artist ranks. At $80, it is less than $7 per hand-pulled, two-colour, 100% cotton, heavy-weight page - which is crazy. Available at Kid Icarus and other Toronto locations.

Feeling like a new year is just another twelve months lost at sea? Well you are not alone. Actually, you are, but you are alone in good company and this screen printed calendar by Jacob Rolfe is the perfect way to commemorate your endless drift.

You just can't take the cat out of Fieldguided's designs, can you? And who can blame them? Cats own the internet and our hearts. These dreamcats 2012 calendars, designed and screen printed by Geoff Piersol, are available in either mint or peach from their shop.

Claire Louise Milne's contribution to the next year takes a more DIY approach. She has designed an ingenious fabric through Spoonflower as her 2012 calendar. Order a fat quarter and you have one full calendar, order a yard and you have four! Just hem (or bind) the edges and you're done!

Finally, Laura George, who joined us all the way from Chicago this year has also created a multi-page 2012 calendar that expresses the joys of each month in her own inimitable style. Personally, I am partial to February's mix tape, and not just because I want the children of today to know what they are.

Sponsor Profile: Bespoke Uprising

Who are you? I'm Roisin, maker of textile goods at bespoke uprising.

Where are you located? A new migrant to Hamilton, with a very lovely studio on James Street North. Previously in London, Ontario & Halifax, Nova Scotia

What do you/your business/your product do? I do heaps of drawing and screenprinting, and also lots of sewing on an industrial Brother machine that my brother shipped to me in Halifax when he lived in Vancouver. I also do a good bit of fabric dyeing, including a natural fermentation indigo vat as well as marigold and queen anne's lace that I grow on the back deck of my studio.

What gets you pumped about doing what you do? Colour, pattern, and form! I love the science of it all, how various mordants react to the plant dyes and fabrics, and how specific fabrics function best with specific jobs - like the hemp & organic cotton that I use for my teatowels. It's just such a great absorbent cloth, and washes up so nicely. I am also thrilled over tiny details that I put into my work, including my patterns. The new burlesque print has a man in it, after years of requests!

What does your sponsorship for the show entail? I've printed 20 small cotton bags, and filled them with some of my hand printed fabrics, and put one of the fabric covered pins on it as well. I think they're going into the swag bags on Saturday. I also just finished printing jersey circle scarves and bandana scarves for the volunteers.

What are you crafting this holiday season (festive beverages & baked goods count)? Well, my mother-in-law has been hinting at cushions for her livingroom, so some of those for sure. Also all the goods that I'm bringing to the City of Craft show, and hopefully many cookies and a cake or two. Oh, and festive cocktails!

When City of Craft (and other awesome indie shows) is not on, where do you go for your crafty fix? I sell my work in a few shops, so I get my fill of craft most of the year in my studio. Across the street from me is White Elephant, and when I'm in Toronto I make sure to buy too much fabric that I'll have a hard time cutting up at the workroom. I also teach at Sheridan College, and the Alberta College of Art, both of which are full of so many fantastic crafty staff and students.

Prolonging the Magic (or How to Keep Crafty When City of Craft is Sleeping).

So, the big weekend is now behind us. It was a real rush for all involved and it's easy to feel an end point after that. But nothing is stopping in this crafty city! Below are some tips on how to extend the crafty love right through to eternity (or at least the new year).

1. Come back to this blog. We have a whole bunch of content scheduled through the holidays to maintain the wonder, and share information and resource with y'all.

2. Browse back through our vendor list or 2011 Pinterest board. Many of our vendors sell online or locally, so if you missed something at the show, you may still be able to get it. But only maybe.

3. Other shows. There are two weeks left until Christmas and lots of fairs all over the city. We are especially excited about two events run by friends, The Sassy Little Craft Fair (Thursday in Mervish Village) and Movies & Makers (Saturday in The Beaches). And I plan to stuff some stockings (okay, maybe my own, too) with some micro publications from the second annual XPACE Zine Zone (also happening Saturday on lower Ossington).

4. Make something! You still have time. We have lots of favourite shops that sell excellent supplies - the workroom, The Knit Cafe, Lettuce Knit, Knit-O-Matic and The Paper Place to name just a few. Most, if not all, of these establishments also offer classes, tips and general insights through their knowledgeable staffs.

5. Read about our sponsors. I know, you think 'sponsors' and the word somehow means cold corporations. Not so at City of Craft. In fact, that could not be further from the truth. We partner up every year with a slew of amazing makers, supply distributors, indie publishers, bloggers, florists, DJ's, venues, shops...you name it. And most of them offer either gift ideas or can direct you towards holiday activities. They are all really inspiring as a matter of general course, too. Grab a cocoa and read up!

6. Toronto Craft Alert. As always, your source for a thoughtfully curated stream of craft-specific news in the city. I am actually on the blog team there, but Jen and Tara are the real stars. They seem to be able to hunt down every single cool craft thing going.

That seems like a fair amount to get you through the next two weeks.

Personal goal: no malls or big box whatsoever.

Thank you!

Photos by Celine Kim

Greetings Citizens,

I just wanted to pop out of my post-fair coma to thank each and every one of you for making City of Craft 2011 the dazzling spectacle it was. I also wanted to share a few rush images taken by our lovely event photographer, Celine Kim. Going through these photos I am reminded of how it takes literally 100 people to make this event happen. It is amazing to me that all these people want to pour their hard work and inspiration into this one thing and I am so blown away by the work that vendors, staff, installation artists, community groups, workshop instructors, volunteers and friends put in every year.

Click on photos for vendor/artist information. For more photos, check our Flickr account and group pool (you can add your own to the latter!).

Sponsor Profile: Deadweight

Who are you? Sandi Falconer / Deadweight.

Where are you located? Toronto!

What do you/your business/your product do? I am a designer & screen printer. I do custom illustration and design work plus a slew of personal projects/paper goods! I also make screen printed leather goods with my friend Danielle under the name Falconwright.

What gets you pumped about doing what you do? Learning new things, trying to get better, having something to direct my nervous energy towards, and being exposed to tons of neat people who make cool things.

What does your sponsorship for the show entail? I am the 2011 designer for all City of Craft related imagery! Becky and I decided that playing on the culty-ness of craft circles with witchy images, magic eyes, and various other tools of the trade would be a fun direction for 2011. A spell has been cast on you! Did it work? I hope so!

What are you crafting this holiday season (festive beverages & baked goods count)? Besides a slew of Deadweight stuff, I hope to put together some sweet personal gifts for pals (can't discuss that - shhhh!) and a big meal on Christmas Eve with those pals (my fave Christmas tradition).

When City of Craft (and other awesome indie shows) is not on, where do you go for your crafty fix? Mainly the vortex that is the web! But I get sucked into package design at the supermarket, books, and magazines too!

Sponsor Profile: Yelp.ca

Who are you? My name is Vivek S and I'm the Community Manager for Yelp in Toronto.

Where are you located? Well, Yelp is everywhere. As long as a business has an address, anyone can review it. As for me personally, I can be found behind a brewed coffee from one the city's finest cafés, or exploring an undiscovered 'hood, or at an event with the Yelp community!

What do you/your business/your product do? Yelp is a website where you can read and write reviews of great local businesses. You can find all the places Torontonians love from bars and restaurants, to local services and shopping. We also have a weekly newsletter where you can learn about unsung local biz heroes; in our latest newsletter, yelpers share where to find those great one-of-a-kind gifts this holiday season (in addition to City of Craft, of course)!

What gets you pumped about doing what you do? I love connecting people with local businesses. With online and big box shopping everywhere, people sometimes forget that there are amazing, unique and absolutely perfect finds literally right around the corner from where we live. Toronto is a treasure trove of amazing businesses, so it's easy to get excited about that. Plus, as an Official Glutton™, Yelp keeps me in the know about the best places get my eat on.

What does your sponsorship for the show entail? Yelp is donating gifts for the gift bags and is featuring City of Craft as the sponsor of our Yelpiest Gift Guide Ever! We're also asking yelpers to pledge to shop local this year. We're helping the cause by pointing yelpers to local shops and fairs — like City of Craft!

What are you crafting this holiday season (festive beverages & baked goods count)? Does eggnog and rum count as "crafting"? If so, I will be crafting up a storm this holiday season. Oh, and my greeting cards are always handmade.

When City of Craft (and other awesome indie shows) is not on, where do you go for your crafty fix? I live for Toronto's many arts and crafts stores. I've even started a list on Yelp to keep track of my faves. Yep, you can review art supply stores too!

Sponsor Profile: Coldsnap Bindery

Who are you? I'm Leah of Coldsnap Bindery!

Where are you located? Coldsnap operates wherever I geographically find myself. It used to be Toronto, but these days it's I'm making books in a little studio in Berlin, Germany.

What do you/your business/your product do? I make blank journals, sketchbooks, and albums. Everything is cut, sewn, and hand-bound by me. Once in a while I also make a zine or some such ephemera to go with the zines.

What gets you pumped about doing what you do? I like to use the books I make as a sort of canvas for trying new things and experimenting with paper and fabric. Lately, embroidering everything has had me excited to sit behind my work table.

What does your sponsorship for the show entail? I send a box full of books over the seas and continents to be won or given away over the course of the weekend.

What are you crafting this holiday season (festive beverages & baked goods count)? For the first time in about 10 years, I've decided to be all festive and get a little pine number for our dwelling so I'll be making a few tree decorations! Yay!

When City of Craft (and other awesome indie shows) is not on, where do you go for your crafty fix? Oh my, I've met so many brilliant and crafty people on both continents so when necessary, I don't have far to go.

Sponsor Profile: Celine Kim Photography

Who are you? Hi, I’m Celine. It is very nice to meet you.

Where are you located? I travel to shoot on location but my base is Toronto.

What do you/your business/your product do? I am a lifestyle/wedding photographer and I document my work, personal projects, adventures and observations on my blog.

What gets you pumped about doing what you do? I love meeting new and interesting people on the job and I love that these people inspire me to see things in a different way. I love being behind the camera, it feels like home. And I love that I can take that feeling along with me on all my adventures in life.

What does your sponsorship for the show entail? I will be photographing and documenting the vendors and the fun happenings at the City of Craft!

What are you crafting this holiday season (festive beverages & baked goods count)? I am hoping to start a quilt for our little baby who is expected to arrive next spring. Other than that, I have been making little chai tea packages for friends to enjoy, complete with tea and spices! All you have to do is add slices of ginger, water, and milk!

When City of Craft (and other awesome indie shows) is not on, where do you go for your crafty fix? The Workroom, possibly my most favourite place to be in the city. If I am lucky enough with my time, I like to go to their stitch n’ bitch Tuesdays to catch up with friends and their crafty creations, or I just love dropping by to say hi to the lovely ladies in the shop!

Sponsor Profile: Ontario Crafts Council

image: Studio Magazine, Fall/Winter 2010

Who are you? The Ontario Crafts Council (OCC) is the province’s only non-profit, multi-disciplinary craft organization that supports craftspeople and their work while making connections with the cultural fabric of our communities. The OCC was established in 1976 as a merger between the Canadian Guild of Crafts (1931) and the Ontario Craft Foundation (1966).

Where are you located? The OCC has its offices and public gallery located at 990 Queen Street. W. in Toronto, and its retail venue, The Guild Shop, is in Yorkville at 118 Cumberland Street. To find out more you can check out www.craft.on.ca and www.theguildshop.ca.

What do you/your business/your product do? The OCC currently supports 1500 members across Ontario - 1000 of which are active professional craftspeople - by offering programs and services on both local and regional levels. OCC publication services include the nationally distributed Studio magazine.

What gets you pumped about doing what you do? We love being able to support craft and craftspeople – it’s the whole reason we’re here!

What does your sponsorship for the show entail? We were more than happy to be able to offer space and AV equipment for the City of Craft jury, and to contribute copies of Studio magazine for the swag bags.

Totes-ally!

Behold the 2011 City of Craft tote in all its glory. Designed by Sandi Falconer and printed by Shannon Gerard, Sandi, Roisin Fagan and myself these babies are the natural cotton, rugged, high-volume answer to all your toting needs. What's more? The first 100 people through the door on Saturday get a free one of their very own stuffed full of goodies. We must be crazy!

Look at Karyn here. Armed with her hefty totes, she is ready to walk into that alley and face whatever may come.

And for those who do not make it down early on Saturday, a few extras will also be available on site all weekend (or while supplies last) for $15 each.

Big thanks to Karyn for being my model...oh and for the sweeping moral and technical support she and the workroom provide to me and the show.

Sponsor Profile: The Theatre Centre

Who are you? The Theatre Centre

Where are you located? 1087 Queen St. West (Entrance on Dovercourt!) Our future home is 1115 Queen St. West.

What do you/your business/your product do? The Theatre Centre develops, presents, produces and hosts live performance through collaboration between artists, staff and community. We provide artists with infrastructure and resources to make their art – from idea to production.

What gets you pumped about doing what you do? The super creative people we work with, extremely interesting ideas they come up with and being a place where these ideas sometimes take shape.

What does your sponsorship for the show entail? We provide our space for City of Craft.

What are you crafting this holiday season (festive beverages & baked goods count)? Roxanne is making mulled wine, ginger snaps and cardamom biscuits. Franco is making panettone from scratch and singing “Hanky, the Christmas Poo”. Anthony is making a baby. Lilya is knitting a long scarf and making pierogis. Mason is making lots and lots of coffee.

When City of Craft (and other awesome indie shows) is not on, where do you go for your crafty fix? In numerous crafty places on amazing Queen West!

Swag Preview: Fabric, Fashion, Stitches and Cleanliness.

hey look, more previews of swag with which to entice your wild minds - fabric sample packs from Bespoke Uprising, gift sets of WORN Fashion Journal, and a tote bag embroidery kit from Sublime Stitching.

And to keep you both fashionable and clean, every swag bag gets a sample of SOAK. Warning: you will be hooked on this rinse-free cleanser for your textiles.

Sponsor Profile: Omiyage.ca

Who are you? We are Marisa & Elias of Omiyage.ca

Where are you located? We live in Toronto but Omiyage lives online!

What do you/your business/your product do? Omiyage is an online shop selling creative, crafty and clever goods. We carry cute paper goods, packaging materials like Divine Twine, origami paper, and oodles of washi tape.

What gets you pumped about doing what you do? It's really so exciting to be sharing the things we love with people all over Canada and the world. When we send an order off to Yellowknife or Charlottetown, Lisbon or Rio, it's such a thrill!

We're lucky in Toronto, having access to pretty much any and everything, but in smaller towns, it can be frustrating not to have access to unique goods. Maybe you can find them online but the shipping from the US or overseas plus duty is atrocious. We hear back from Canadian customers all the time that they're so happy to have found us - and that feels great!

What does your sponsorship for the show entail? Our sponsorship this year is all about the swag! We've packed little goodie bags filled with washi tape and mini spools of Divine Twine to be included in this year's swag bags. You'll also find a special coupon from us in the bags. As well, four of our Limited Edition Stationery Sets will be prizes for the raffle game.

What are you crafting this holiday season (festive beverages & baked goods count)? We crafted our Christmas tree out of washi tape this year and we love it! Perfect if, like us, you just don't have space for a real tree. Otherwise, it's the usual suspects around here - Advent Calendar, new felt stockings and ornaments. We'll also be sharing fun tutorials for holiday wrapping and crafts on our blog.

Oh, and it's just not the holiday season without mint nanaimo bars, so we'll be making some of those!

When City of Craft (and other awesome indie shows) is not on, where do you go for your crafty fix? The internet is such a great source of crafty inspiration - blogs, Pinterest, online magazines. So much goodness!

Installations: Northern Beaver Gallery Vending Machines.

I just got these preview images in from the Northern Beaver Gallery of some of the work on offer over the course of City of Craft 2011. Housed in Canadian-made vending machines, the Northern Beaver Gallery strives to present tiny works of art by Canadian artists at low low prices. I am really excited about these tiny wooden sculptures and wants by Toronto artist, Holly Wheatcroft. And all for just a $1-$3 (with candy for 25¢)? I feel bewitched already!

Check out all of our 2011 Installations and Interactive Programs here.

Sponsor Profile: Broken Pencil

Who are you? We're Broken Pencil, a 16-year-old magazine about independent arts and publishing, with a particular focus on zines. I'm Lindsay Gibb, editor for the past 5 years.

Where are you located? Our office is near Kensington market in Toronto

What do you/your business/your product do? We put out the magazine four times a year and, since 1995, we've been holding a large zine fair (Canzine) once a year in Toronto. From time to time Canzine travels to other provinces, most recently in Vancouver and previously in Halifax.

What gets you pumped about doing what you do? I still get excited every time a new issue comes back from the printer. I used to make zines, and there's the same sense of satisfaction when the thing you worked on for months finally comes together and exists. Hearing back from people who have been reading Broken Pencil for years, or even people who just discovered us, is a good motivator too.

What does your sponsorship for the show entail? We donated 200 copies of the magazine for swag bags, vendor packs and volunteer/staff packs. This is our third or fourth year sponsoring.

What are you crafting this holiday season (festive beverages & baked goods count)? Winter is my heavy knitting season. I'm knitting the usual scarves and hats for my friends and their children. I may knit a little toy or two for the kids if I get the time. The squirrels are looking really fat this year, so I think we all might need the extra warmth.

When City of Craft (and other awesome indie shows) is not on, where do you go for your crafty fix? I go to the knit cafe to grab yarn and tools and to sit around with friends. I also like the workroom, but sometimes going there reminds me just how sad my sewing skills are.