Vendor Profile: Arounna Khounnoraj of bookhou.

All through this week, we are going to be bringing you peeks at the vendors, goods and activities you will find at the Love & Rummage Trunk Show. This is the first one - a Q&A with Arounna of bookhou. Read on...

Who are you...you, as a person?
hi i'm arounna khounnoraj

What is your business called?
bookhou

What does this business specialize in?
we specialize in handmade small production work our studio is multi-displinary ranging from screen printed textile goods, wood furniture, graphic design and letterpress stationery.

Where are you located (home, studio, store front)?
we have a storefront at the corner of dundas west and palmerston - in the heart of the trinity bellwoods neighbourhood.

Do you have any new products/inventions/designs/projects up for grabs at the Love & Rummage Trunk Show?
yes yes yes - I made special pieces specifically for the trunk show - printed stationery, gift bags, a sweet bird brooch with a little heart and a lovely graphic tea towel with "je t'aime" written across the bottom

What is one thing from your trunk that would make a great Valentine?
i am doing a gift bag set that has a little heart screen printed on it and inside will be the je t'aime tea towel and heart shaped shortbread cookies.

What would be your ideal Valentine to receive?
i have a real weakness for chocolate.

How do you feel about February in Toronto - drab or dazzling?
dazzling - because we celebrate john's birthday.

Do you believe in true love?

YES!

City of Craft & the workroom present
The Love & Rummage Trunk Show 3
Sunday February 6, 2011
Noon-5pm
the workroom
1340 Queen Street West

Toronto Craft Alert - Alive Again!

We have big news - after a long hiatus, the Toronto Craft Alert is back and better than ever. Why do we love the TCA so much? Well, Jen is one of the co-founders here and co-ran the City of Craft ship for the first three years of our existence. Now it is one of our major full-time sponsors.

There has been a big hole in the Toronto craft blogosphere while it has been dormant. Here's to a new, happy and long life for this great resource!

Read Jen's relaunch statement here for the full scoop of TCA 3.0.

Shannon Gerard Studio Sale.

Photo by sweetie pie press

Citizens, we have just received some very important news: City of Craft staffer and vendor, Shannon Gerard is having a bargain-basement studio sale this Sunday. Word from the horse's mouth is that things regularly priced at $100 will be $50 and things regularly priced at $50 will be $10. Original drawings, hand-bound books, folios, crochet and possible rummage as well as t-shirts and artwork designed by her ten-year-old son, Willy.

Proceeds from the whole shebang are going towards the purchase of a van so that she and Willy can take an awesome and formative road trip to the West Coast over the summer. Every ten-year-old should be so lucky!

Photo by the workroom

Photo by sweetie pie press

Wunderkabinet 2.

Photos by Leah Buckareff

Although not affiliated with City of Craft in any official way, we have deep ties to Berlin's Wunderkabinet. Yes, it's probably because Leah Buckareff is a co-founder here and this is her new European baby.

We would all like to wish her the greatest congratulations in the opening of instalment 2. This round features all kinds of past City of Crafters (Rosalyn Faustino, Tara Bursey, Bettula, Pin Pals, Shannon Gerard, The Misanthrope Specialty Co., Jen Anisef...) intermingled with a truly astounding mix of other makers from across the globe. Right now, the work is only available for purchase at the kabinet itself in Berlin, but look for online sales to start up in February.

Way to go, little Leah!

Midnight Makeover!

Look what happened late in the night. The new 2011 artwork came in from Sandi and the website has gotten a new look. Boo!

No, we don't have December dates nailed down yet, but we are close. In the meantime, feel free to marvel at Sandi's dazzling designs.

Are you ready to Love & Rummage?

It's that time of year again, the ice is building up and we need an excuse to focus on some lovin'. That's right - it's Love & Rummage time!

Karyn and I have put together another awesome line-up chock full of favourite vendors and quite a few new faces and projects. As usual, trunks will be filled with a mixture of handmade, vintage and craft supplies. Wares up for grabs will include cards, printed matter, vintage ephemera, apparel, ceramics, housewares and more! We even have free gift bags for the first 25 folks through the door and a special workshop! And, as always, free snacks for all.

As preview images float in from our vendors, feel free to feast your eyes on these images from past Love & Rummage shows (image credits available on click-though).

Little profiles on vendors will be showing up here over the next couple of weeks, but you can check out the roster right now.

The Love & Rummage Trunk Show 3
Sunday February 6, 2011
Noon-5pm
the workroom
1340 Queen Street West

2011 Designer Announced: Sandi Falconer of DEADWEIGHT!

Secret, late-night meetings have been had in the middle of snow storms, tea has been consumed, hands have been shaken and plots have been schemed. And now, we are totally prepared to announce to you that the City of Craft designer for 2011 is the fabulous Sandi Falconer of Deadweight (and the Guest Bedroom, for all you music fans out there).

Among various options, we have been discussing some very open graphic themes of witchery, fetishism and cultiness for this year's design. In the end, it will be up to Sandi. As a year-long volunteer job, I like to keep this project as creatively interesting as possible for the poor artist who takes it on. But we both agreed that these themes have a pretty strong relationship with realities of the craft world.

Hopefully Sandi will pop into this blog every once in a while to update us about her progress and process.

We are both busily working behind-the-scenes to do our annual website and blog design relaunch by the end of the month.

Are you all ready to have a crafty spell cast on you?

PS - For more of Sandi's work, I highly recommend a browse through her portfolio here.

We have a winner!

Nope, I did not sleep until 10pm, but last night's babysitting gig did stretch deep into the morning hours.

So here, late in the first day of 2011 are the winners of our Boxing Week giveaway (by user name):

Grand Prize:

Piper

Calendar Winners:

Rosalyn

Geneviève (gcrabe)

Miss Julia J

Lisa

erin

As per usual, I wish a had a million gifts for everyone.

I have emailed y'all for your addresses.

And to all a happy new year!

Becky