Etsy York Region - Made in Canada Vendor Look Book

YORK REGION

MADE IN CANADA 2016 Vendor Lookbook

AURORA CULTURAL CENTRE SEPTEMBER 24 2016 - 10:00AM TO 4:00PM 22 CHURCH STREET - AURORA

www.etsyyorkregion.com

Etsy Made in Canada Etsy: Made in Canada is a national grassroots initiative celebrating the crafters, collectors and artisans in local communities across Canada.

From coast to coast, Canadian cities and towns will be participating in this one-day event on September 24, marking the event’s third year.

In 34 cities, Etsy artisans will sell their handmade wares and vintage goods to local buyers at these markets, each of which will represent the spirit of the local community.

YORK REGION

Etsy York Region Team This continually growing team is committed to the Etsy community of York Region based Artisans and their businesses. We offer support, exposure, opportunity and are so excited for our first Etsy Made in Canada event featuring these truly talented Etsy sellers! www.etsyyorkregion.com

Thank You!!

To say that I am thrilled to bring you this Lookbook us an understatement. I took over the York Region Etsy team a little over a year ago and was basically just looking for a way to connect with other regional Etsy Artisans.

The team consisted of 14 people and was pretty much defunct. After spending hours on Etsy trolling through local markets and inviting everyone I could find through the search, we are now at 102 active members with over 100 waiting to respond to my invitation!!

I attended the Etsy Captain’s Summit in March and was blown away by the support that the Head Office offers to Teams and came away from the weekend feeling rejuvenated and full of ideas to help the team grow and flourish.

On the docket first and foremost was to produce our own Made in Canada Market. The Region’s VERY FIRST Etsy market and what I am hoping to be the first of many!

This Market could not have come to life without the help of so many people behind the scenes; from listening to me rant to collaborating and adding their voices to just hanging out over dinner and chatting, this team has gone above and beyond the call of a volunteer and for that I am grateful.

Laura - Thank you for being my Co-Captain - Your cheerfullness is such a welcome addition to my day and the way you bring out the person behind the creation in our Meet the Maker Interviews is amazing!

Winter - Thank you so very much for your diligence in connecting with our sponsors and helping us bring this market to life. Your insight and way with people is something to behold.

Karen J - Thank you so much for opening your home to our vendors as a drop off and for making this lookbook what it is! The vision you’ve given to this team is one that will continue to grow and I’m excited to see where we take the brand next!

Tazra - Thanks for your input all of your contributions to the market, looking forwrad to seeing what we can come up with next!

Nadia, Amanda & Karen W - Thank you for being our Social Media Team - Connecting with our members and vendors couldn’t have been easy at times - making sure all the posts were scheduled with no overlap or duplication, you pulled it off as though you had done it a million times!

I speak for the team when I say thank you to all of the Vendors who applied to our first Made in Canada, it was definitely NOT an easy group to jury - there are so many amazing artisans in the region - hopefully, we can make a bigger and better market next September!!

Until then, please keep your eyes on our Facebook & Instagram pages for all of our upcoming events, artisan features and so much more!!

Take care and happy making!

Ariane Griffiths Captain ~ Etsy York Region

SWAG BAG The Etsy York Region Team is proud to announce that we will be handing out limited quantity of swag bags filled with a variety of awesome items from our vendors.

Arrive early first thing in the morning and at 1pm to get your hands on one of them!

We would also love for you to share your experience on social media with the hashtags #EYRMIC #ETSYYORKREGION #ETSYMADEINCANADA

AURORA CULTURAL CENTRE VICTORIA ST

WELLINGTON ST W

MOSLEY ST

CHURCH ST

BAYVIEW AVE

YONGE ST

BATHURST ST

AURORA CULTURAL CENTRE

22 CHURCH STREET - AURORA

SPONSORS Our market could not be what it is without the help and support of our sponsors.

From event photography to food donations to goodies for our EPIC swag bags to funds to help us bring the market to life, our sponsors are definitely the backbone of our efforts and we thank you for believing in Etsy York Region.

INTERIOR & REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY

WWW.REALPIX.CA | 905.830.6243

VENDORS

Luuee

YFL.ART

MEET THE MAKER - LUUEE What got you started making bags, purses and baby gifts?

I think it all started with a curiosity about the mechanics of it, as well as a love for all different kinds of fabrics. I liked to look at something, and plan out how I could re-create it by figuring out what pieces I needed to cut, and how I would go about assembling it. Needless to say, there was a lot of trial and error going on in the early stages. Soon after, I started making gifts for people, and over the past decade my fabric collection has increased exponentially! With a continued love for the hobby, I decided to start my own business this year.

What do you look for in your fabric designs? Do you have a favourite designer?

For cotton prints, I love smart but simply designed patterns, things that are subtle. For suiting fabric I love herringbone, plaids, and houndstooth patterns. I try to pick designs that are universal enough to go in any product. I love Amy Butler and Michael Miller fabrics, they were my go-to designers when I first started out, and they still make wonderful things!

What have you learned about yourself? How does your store fit into your life?

So far my experience with Etsy has been extremely positive. Etsy really lets you set your own pace, and focus on the things you need to week by week. There is a wealth of resources and the community is great. What I’ve learned is that I am still finding my voice and style for Luuee. For instance, I have removed the baby gifts and will now focus on the bags instead. I love the baby gifts, they just weren’t cohesive with the rest of the product line up. I’m also realizing that it is important to have a vision and a mission for the company, something I can use to reflect on when making decisions. For me, starting this company was about doing something I could call my own, something I could be proud of and that wholly reflected my ideas. So I try to take that to heart every day.My store is my life right now! I am constantly working on orders, thinking of the direction, and trying to establish myself. It’s a great rush.

How long have you been doing this for and where do you see Luuee in the next 5 years?

My shop opened March 2016, so it’s been a little over 3 months since I’ve started. In 5 years I hope Luuee becomes stable and finds its voice. I would still like to keep the company small but established, and hope I become a regular at a few shows.

Would you ever expand to include different items in your shop?

Yes for sure! I’m always trying to think of new ideas and items. I think next on my list will be small fabric baskets.

I’m trying my hand at screen printing right now as well, so once I iron out the kinks and design something I like I will most likely post that on the store.

You can follow Nadia and her creativity with the below links. https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/luuee

VENDORS

La Petite Stitcherie

Stellyhandmade

MEET THE MAKER - LA PETITE STITCHERIE Ariane, tell us about yourself and your business.

I am a mom of two and have been happily married for 12 years. I am creative and enjoy making things from all sorts of mediums. I started making things 15 years ago when I found out that I was pregnant with my daughter. I wanted to stay home and started researching ways to build a creative business. Throughout the years, I have created jewelry, soap, candles, digital designs and more, but I had never really sewn for anyone other than myself. Two years ago, my niece was born and I was looking on pinterest for a Christmas gift. I stumbled upon a small little taggie blanket and knew I could make it, so I did and that’s what started my Etsy shop.

Now you are our awesome Team Captain here at Etsy York Region, how do you balance it all?

Ha! Good question! I would love to balance it out even better than I do.. Sometimes I feel like I’m dropping balls all over the place, but with a team like the one I have, it’s easier to accomplish great things! Making a to-do list for all the things that I need to do is what keeps things all straight in my head and on track.

What have you found to be some challenges along the way?

Staying off of Facebook! I’m kidding, sort of… Keeping the distractions at bay is a hard thing to do. It usually seems that when the creative mood strikes all the sudden the world falls apart (figuratively of course), the kids whine about how I’m always working and never playing with them, my sister calls and wants to chat, and as luck would always have it, my creativity shows up at dinner time.

Tell me about what got you started sewing and is this something you’d like to do more in the years ahead.

As I mentioned before, my niece was my starting inspiration and allowed me to create something cute! While I was searching for the materials for the gift, I saw all of the really cute fabric choices and just started buying fabric! I have SO MUCH FABRIC!! From that point, I just started collecting pinterest ideas and tweaking them to make them the way I wanted them. I will continue creating fun things but am turning my focus from taggies and baby toys to home décor for kids. I’d like to focus on blankets, pillows, fabric wall-hangings and more.

With the team growing and the opportunities ahead, will you focus more on your handmade items?

I’d like to say yes, but I’m really not sure. It’s always been easier for me to support other people and help them succeed and I’m really having a great time planning the markets for the Team. I am hoping that my time will be as such that I can balance it all. I have always been one to switch things up and I do my best when creativity strikes. All I know is that I want to keep creating, it’s just a matter of WHAT I will create.

When it comes to R&R are you a quiet book reader or a night out kind of person?

I used to read so much but don’t seem to have the desire to do that lately. I usually unwind by hanging out with my kids, playing cards with them or playing Wii Just Dance. Pinterest is a great way to unwind and I also like to shut it all down by binge-watching shows with my daughter.

Follow Ariane below for the latest: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/LaPetiteStitcherie

VENDORS

Klementine Creations

Sew Shenanigans

MEET THE MAKER - KLEMENTINE CREATIONS What got you started on this journey?

What got me started was my daughter Kenzie. Her hair has taken so long to grow in, and I got tired of people asking me if she was a boy so I started making her pretty bows and headbands. Friends and family had started taking notice and I began to get requests to make bows for their daughters or ties for boys. From their Klementine Creations was born, initialed K.C. after both my kids.

I see this is a team effort, do you both make everything or are there certain aspects you each take care of?

Yes, this business is definitely a TEAM effort. My sister and I have our own specific roles within this venture. Since we are both extremely creative in our own right, we collaborate together on all designs. My older sister Nichole helps with a lot of pre production and does most of the sourcing. Her duties also cover trade shows and the accounting. I am the one who does the sewing, researching the trade shows, customer service including advertising and social media.

Are there items that you have a preference making or some that you hope to add to the shop?

I do enjoy creating all the items. As our business has steadily increased, as two stay at home moms each with 2 kids, we’re finding it difficult to keep up with the demand. It’s extremely exciting, while at the same time quite daunting. But seeing a finished project from a mere thought in our heads is exhilarating. As our busy fall/winter season approaches and the demand for scarves etc increases, our goal is to start outsourcing the sewing aspect of our business. This way my sister and I can dedicate more time towards our real passion, designing trendy, functional, affordable products. We have a ton of ideas for new products. Our objective is to expand our bag line and soon flow into women’s and kids apparel. Our company theme, and what sets us apart from the “other guys” is our mommy & me designs. These are fun items that both mom and child can wear together. The trick is finding the perfect design/fabric that appeals to a woman, while at the same time keeping it appropriate for any little girl or boy.

Are you primarily ready to ship or custom orders? Do you find challenges with either?

All items in our Etsy shop are “ready to ship”, but we also get many custom orders and always do our best to accommodate these requests.

Do you have specific goals for the next year of business ahead?

In the short term, I spoke to our first goal already, in that we would like to start outsourcing the bulk of the sewing in the coming months. A small sewing team of 2-3 would be ideal. Our second objective is to flow our upcoming apparel line into a new branch of Klementine Creations; a line of women’s and children “mommy & me” designs we are calling “Flossie Threads”. Our third goal for next year is to be able to get into some of the bigger and more well known trade shows to help expand our brand, ex; Baby Time Show, One of a Kind Show.

Follow Jacqueline and Nichole below for the latest: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/KlementineCreations

VENDORS

Via Hand

JAMBEARY

VENDORS

Flower-Girl.ca

Journey to Asia

VENDORS

Glaze Craze

ink and dirt designs

VENDORS

kaiter clothing

Winter's Woolies

MEET THE MAKER - WINTER’S WOOLIES What got you started into knitting and how have you grown into your craft?

I started knitting and crocheting a few years ago, every time I would visit my grandmother s he would knit me these special slippers, it kind of became a tradition and it dawned on me, “who would knit these slippers after she is gone?” Wanting to keep the tradition alive I asked her if she would teach me, thus began my passion of knit and crochet. I then began making things for myself, which lead to my friends wanting their own handmade items. Shortly after, I was approached by a local shop in town that agreed to sell my work and from there i decided to branch out into the Etsy world.

Do you have a favourite piece?

My favourite piece would have to be the animal hoodies – they are so playful and can be work by all ages and genders. It truly is a fan favourite and a best seller of mine – I think they are great because you can customize them with different colours and styles. (See images attached).

Do you do this full time? If not how do you balance your day?

Winter’s Woolies is definitely a labour of love, I currently work full-time as a Special Event Planner for a municipality and find time over the evenings and weekends to squeeze in knitting time.

What are your goals for Winter’s Woolies? Is this something you’d like to do full time in the future?

Winter’s Woolies is a very dependent on the Fall and Winter seasons and is when I make most of my sales.

Definitely some new and exciting collections of work coming out in September. Needless to say I will be working diligently over the summer to roll these out and have them featured in the Made in Canada Market on September 24, 2016. I think the main goal is to keep creating work that my customers will love. I have a few new exciting ventures coming my way, plan to be featured in a few new shops locally come the fall and just really trying to build my Etsy business and online presence. I am not sure I am interested in turning Winter’s Woolies into a full-time operation, to me it is more a hobby/personal interest project and am content with the size of my workload currently – but you never know what the future holds!

As a seller, what is your favourite Etsy feature?

As a seller, and a full-time event planner timing and organization along with timelines and deadlines are super important. I like that Etsy will keep you updated on specific orders and the time frame that you have to ship out an order, I find that super helpful when tracking orders.

Do you have other hobbies on top of knitting?

Winter’s Woolies is not only knitting but crochet and any other handmade items I decide to try my hand at (no pun intended). I am huge DIY fan and love creating things, but mainly my business will consist of hand knit, hand crochet and hand sewn items.

Follow Winter White below for the latest: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/WintersWoolies

MEET THE MAKER - KAITER CLOTHING Tell us a little bit about yourself and Kaiter Clothing My name is Laura and I am Owner/Creator at Kaiter Clothing as well as the Co-Captain and Meet the Maker Coordinator here on the Etsy York Region team. I touch upon each and every one of our members here and interview them about their stores and products as well as creating monthly treasuries. I am a very fun and easy going person always open to new adventures and trying new things, and I definitely try to emanate that through my work.

What got you started in making children’s clothing?

I am an energetic Mum to two little boys and with my youngest, I was frustrated not only with the fit of clothing but prints, styles, everything. I whipped out a machine and decided I was tired of constantly taking in all my little man’s clothes in as he was extremely small and odd fitting for his age. Lo and behold, once I began I couldn’t stop! I love that children’s clothing can be modern or fun and is versatile in style & wear.

What is your inspiration?

Boys! I always find prints lacking for my little guys. I truly aim to select gender neutral and boy inclined prints.

Not to say I do not carry dresses and such, but I feel boys need a little love in the handmade clothing. 90% of the items i carry are in my boys wardrobes and I do not make anything I wouldn’t put on my own children.

What advice do you have for Mom’s trying to juggle home business, home life and kids?

It’s ok to make time for yourself! I look forward to my sewing hours as me time but definitely am very scheduled in family time. It’s easy to get carried away and engrossed in projects, but taking a break & going to the park or ice cream is important. I want to show my boys that I can turn something I love into part of my life.

What are some of your favourite Items to find on Etsy as a buyer?

Gifts and anything personalized! I love that I can make party’s more special with the cute party decor and treats that are offered. I also love giving people specific gifts and I find Etsy tends to carry those niche items I am looking for.

Follow Laura and check out her fun clothing pieces below: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/KaiterClothing

VENDORS

rustic hustle

the vintage loop

VENDORS

Naturally Natalie Botanical Skincare

Mellow Bath & Body

VENDORS

mch creations

Spice of life

VENDORS

easy peasy patches

maddie Mae creative

VENDORS

Mill street makes

halyard

MEET THE MAKER - MILL STREET MAKES What got you started with felt crafts?

Felt as a medium actually happened quite out of the blue. My past careers have included gardener, landscapeunnamed designer and florist, so I have worked with and loved flowers for a very long time. I originally wanted to develop a small home based business using fresh flowers but the logistics were difficult to figure out. That’s when I started seeing some beautiful felt work on sites such as Pinterest. I tried my hand at playing with different flower designs using acrylic felt and then fell in love with wool blend felt which really set the tone for creating more realistic flowers. I like using bright happy colours, mixed with rustic components and vintage finds.

What has been the biggest challenge as a new Etsy Seller?

Getting found on the site and making sales without previous sales history and reviews! My sales have been happening locally through a Facebook page so I hope that with more exposure I can direct my future customers to the Etsy site solely.

As a mom, what piece of advice do you have to other parents trying to balance kids, Etsy and day jobs?

Yes! I’m a mom to two young boys and they have been my full time job for the past six and half years. My newly launched Etsy site is still very much a hobby (that I hope will grown into something more in the future). With my youngest attending school more regularly this past year, I have been fortunate to have some time devoted solely to me and my interests. My only advice would be to prioritize those components of your life in a way that makes sense to you and your family without leaving yourself overwhelmed. Start small and wait for time in your life to open up…when it does – you and your creativity will be awaiting!

Tell me a little about your process — from coming up with a new idea to completed product.

My process is pretty simple – daydream about felt flowers while engaging in rote domestic chores, squeeze in making during any and all free moments of the week. I also like to roam around thrift stores, buying vintage vessels and other finds that inspire new pieces. I look to my garden for what’s in bloom during that season and I think about ways in which I’d like to decorate my own (dream) home or (imaginary) events with flowers.

Any new products in the making for the Made in Canada show in September?

I’m very excited about the Made in Canada show! My flowers and colour palette will be more suited to autumn and will include some “pick you own” bouquets. I also hope to add potted succulents and chalkboard designs.

Etsy

Follow Leslie below for the latest: Instagram: @millstreetmakesshop Facebook

VENDORS

lovely element

amanda brittin

MEET THE MAKER - AMANDA BRITTON Tell us a little bit about yourself and Amanda Brittin Jewelry?

My background is in Archaeology and Anthropology, although I have always created visual art in some form, no matter what other work I was doing. I have been a self-employed artist since 1992, but I also do some museum exhibition designing too, (which combines my education and my art interests), and I teach quite extensively too.

I have taught at Fleming College and Haliburton School of Art and Design for the past 16 years.

What got you started in making jewelry and where did you learn your craft?

I began making jewelry 10 years ago, just as an extension of my various creative endeavours. I was working full-time making canvas floor-cloths at the time and taking part in a lot of craft shows, like One Of A Kind, in Toronto. I just wanted to do something a bit different and make myself some pieces of jewelry. I loved colourful stones and glass beads and wanted to do some wire work. I am totally self-taught, but do like to take classes here and there, in both iron sculpture and casting and forming metal. I eventually moved from wire-work to soldering and working with more raw materials and now I am a silversmith and hand-forge all my pieces, setting my work with turquoise, opals and other beautiful gemstones. Like most artists, my work is always changing and developing – learning techniques is challenging and fulfilling.

What’s your favourite form of social media?

I really love Instagram. Photography is one of my hobbies and I like that the photo is the focus more than words.

Although I have a Twitter account, I don’t use it too often – too much ranting for my tastes. I also use Facebook too and that is a great sales tool, but again too wordy for me. Instagram allows me to take great pictures of my work and to interact more with other artists too – it is a great connector for me. In the last year, I have also started to use it as source for buying terrific gemstones from lapidary artists. I also get some truly helpful feedback from people who follow my account – the immediacy of it is great!

What advice do you have for other small business owners?

I think that you have to set some key goals – whether you are creating and selling as a part-time or full-time income. These goals have to be assessed once in while and you have to be flexible and willing to make changes in what you are doing to meet those goals. You cannot sit around waiting for business to grow on its own.

Self-employment takes a great deal of determination and a ton of hard work. Sometimes you can feel defeated by lack of sales and don’t know what to do to improve. You just have to keep trying new things and get your work out there. Ultimately, perseverance and believing in the quality of your work is essential and that will see you through the tough times.

Follow Amanda and check out her beautiful pieces below: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/AmandaBrittin

VENDORS

paper plus cloth

the chemist tree

VENDORS

oh my inspired

the tangled merchant

MEET THE MAKER - THE TANGLED MERCHANT Your beautiful jewelry speaks for itself, but tell us a bit about your work and the lady behind it.

I started making jewelry as a teenager and studied Material Art and Design at OCAD University. I was selling my work at sixteen and returned to it over the years as a passion and additional source of income. After getting married, having children and running my own business, I decided to slow down, take a breathe and reassess my career path. Now, I am thrilled to be back doing what has always been an interest of mine.

Where do you draw your inspiration from for your jewelry? Would you say you have a specific style?

Thank you! The current collection of work is inspired by a popular interest in raw gemstones, mineral specimens and a resurgence in fine vintage / antique jewellery . Although I would never compare my work or skill to an antique jeweller, I do draw inspiration from the delicate details and intricate settings. I try to use delicate chains, fine textured rings and small findings to contrast the rough crystal textures I like to work with. I have always been a bit of a rock hound and am always looking for ways to showcase the raw beauty of stones alongside the refinement and delicacy of fine jewelry design.

Do you do this full time? If not how do you balance your day?

I try to work around everyone else’s schedule. It is a fine balance that I am constantly trying to get just right.

More importantly I am grateful to be readily available for my children alongside having a creative outlet that reminds me I am multifaceted.

What led you to open an etsy store?

I am an etsy shopper! I buy my gifts, art and clothes on etsy. I had an online store for months and was having a very difficult time getting traffic to my website. I felt like a small island in the middle of nowhere. It only made sense to join a larger community, especially one I use for my own personal shopping.

What are you plans for your shop down the road?

My goal is always the same, post more work and take better photos! Alongside my jewellery I produce accessories and bags that need to be posted. Right now those pieces are only being seen at shows.

You are one of our lovely Event & Market Coordinators at the Etsy York Region team, can you tell me a bit about what you do and what you have planned for the year ahead?

I have always struggled with doing artisan shows in York Region. I’ve always found an issue with the location or how it was promoted. I am very excited to be a part of this show because I know the location is amazing and that it will be promoted on the Etsy platform.

Check out Tazra’s beautiful creations on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/TheTangledMerchant

VENDORS

mMoss designs

life I design

ETSY YORK REGION

MADE IN CANADA WWW.ETSYYORKREGION.COM

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