Drakestail Jewellery will be out and about again this coming Saturday, November 19th. If you’re in Ottawa, find us at the W.E Gowling Public School, on 250 Anna Avenue, in lovely Ottawa. There’s a huge list of vendors who will be there, with something to suit every taste and thrill every elf on your list. This marks our first appearance at this show, and we’re excited to be there, after hearing so many great things. Come by and say hi, and if you’re an early bird, grab yourself a free swag bag full of great stuff, too!
Admission to the event is free (though donations are welcome); there will also be a 50/50 draw, swag bags for the first lucky shoppers, refreshments, and raffles. Proceeds from the Craft Show will go toward the long term goal of a revitalized school yard, new play equipment, and general supplies and technological tools for nearly 400 students. Please tell your friends – https://www.facebook.com/events/1747156502210199/?ti=as.
We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to get ready for the fall & winter craft fair season. We love getting out to see you in person! Lucky for us, we have three live appearances scheduled so far!
The first show we’ve got is coming up this Sunday, November 6th, at the Robert A. Steen Community Centre in Winnipeg. The first annual Fall for a Cause is a fundraiser for CancerCare Manitoba Foundation & Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba. We have received some fantastic prizes from local community businesses and are assembling exciting prize baskets for raffle.
Come by, bid on some baskets and do some of your holiday shopping supporting local artists and businesses AND local Manitoba charitable foundations!
Stay tuned for details on the next two shows, and keep a close eye on our Event list on the right side of the page!
I am very excited to be part of this “Wrapped in Courage” event on Saturday March 19th here in Winnipeg. Proceeds from the event will be donated to local charities in support of helping victims of domestic violence. If you have some free time between 10 AM and 5 PM please come by and say hello!
This past Saturday I was at the Heart, Home, and Handmade Indie Craft Fair. Located at the gorgeous Glebe Community Centre, there were over 50 vendors and I had a lovely time looking around and picking up a couple Christmas presents. I even had a lovely visit from a friend I hadn’t seen in a while.
I have only one more show until Christmas. I’ll be at the MAC Fair on December 6th. Regular readers and fans will recognize the name – I’ve participated in the MAC Fair Craft Fair at Immaculata High School for a couple years now, and it’s one of my favourites. It’ll be spectacular again, with over a hundred vendors, all local artists, artisans, and bakers. I always end up buying lots of gifts, and I’m counting on clearing off most of my list there. 🙂 I’m looking forward to closing out the Christmas craft fair season with a bang, so come by and check it out!
In other news, a local dog rescue, Sit With Me, is holding an online silent auction to raise funds. I’ve donated a necklace (you might recognize it as Day 74 from the 100 Day Challenge), and encourage you to visit the auction and make a bid or two. There’s quite a variety of items up for grabs, and it’s for a fantastic cause.
I can’t believe it’s already that time of the year: Christmas craft fair season! Summer seems like just yesterday, and Halloween is still around the corner. The year is flying by.
Drakestail Jewellery will be making its first seasonal craft fair appearance on Saturday, November 1st at the All Saints Catholic High School‘s annual Christmas craft fair. This is a big show, and I’m looking forward to being back again. There will be a great selection of artists and artisans. There will be a Children’s Corner, where kids can play while parents shop. There will also be a Coffee House and some terrific raffle prizes! Funds raised will go towards the school’s Christmas Hamper program.
Come on out and pick up some great handmade, unique items for your favourite people on your list, and yourself!
Visit our Facebook Event for details, or click on the show in the calendar on the right!
I’m excited to announce that Drakestail Jewellery will be at the Totally Handmade Artisan Trinkets (T.H.A.T.) Craft Fair on June 14th! This is a brand new show in Ottawa, and will be taking place at 429 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa, at the Parkdale United Church.
Since this is a brand new fair, I thought it would be fun to ask a few questions of the organizers, Breanne & Kate.
What was your inspiration to create T.H.A.T. Craft Fair?
K. Personally, I wanted to help create a vendor show that focused on handmade art–work that represents what our local community members are passionate about.
B. I started attending craft fairs in October and found that I kept meeting so many awesome local vendors making products that I would much rather buy from someone local vs. a large company. I have always had a passion for organizing events so it just seemed natural to me that I combine my new found passion for supporting these awesome local vendors and my love for organizing events.
Are you crafters yourselves? If so, how long have you been doing it?
K. Yes we are! I started BabyMakes Products last summer when I needed to supplement our household income when both my husband and I lost our jobs shortly after my third child was born. I have always made all-natural and gluten-free body care products for my own family but bringing it to the Cumberland Farmers Market opened up a new world to me.
B. Yes! I have been making dog collars for over 2 years now when I found it difficult to find affordable and cute dog collars. I did some research and started making my own and then launched Scruff Collars. I used to do crafts every Saturday as a kid so now I call this my adult arts and crafts.
How did you choose the two charities that the show is supporting?
K. I have been a theatre professional for 20 years and recently started working with Orleans-based Tale Wagging Theatre. This is a vital time for TWT as we prepare for our debut production in September at the Shenkman Arts Centre.
B. We decided because there were two of us that we would each pick one charity so we each picked one that is near and dear to our hearts. I picked New Beginnings Pet Rescue because it is the rescue that I got my dog, Denver, from and that is really where this all started. They are a small rescue that gets no funding so I try and give back to them whenever I can.
What are your goals for this Fair?
K. Given that we have chosen a date that coincides with WestFest and the weekly Parkdale Market, I expect a great deal of foot traffic through our venue at Parkdale United Church. The visibility and exposure that our vendors will receive will be very impressive.
B. To help try and support local people just like me. I hope that through this fair we can help promote some amazing local people that work very hard and are very passionate about what they do. Also, to try and help us all grow our audiences and our businesses in the local community.
Do you have any further plans for handmade/artisan events? Do you want this to be a recurring fair?
K. I think I speak for both Breanne and myself when I forecast that yes, you can expect to see more of THAT Craft Fair in the future. Not to let the cat out of the bag, but we are already talking about a November date for our next event.
B. Personally, I hope that this is just the beginning. We are already hoping to run fairs in the future.
Is there anything else that you think that vendors, or attendees, would like to know?
K. If you are someone who feels the need to create, I would like to say FOLLOW THAT INSTINCT! Create, work, live in art–our community is drawn together by artists. Follow your passion.
B. That we are two local artisans trying to grow the idea of supporting local. For people attending I would say don’t be afraid to ask questions, often vendors love to share stories about where the ideas for their work came from. Buy handmade, support the local community.
Check out the latest news on T.H.A.T. Craft fair on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.
-Robyn
Totally Handmade Artisan Trinkets Craft Fair, June 14, 2014. Click on photo for all the details!
