Indie Collective Spring/Summer Shopping Guide

Indie shoppers rejoice! The 2008 Indie Collective Spring/Summer Shopping Guide has arrived, and it is the place to discover something new in indie style and fashion.

The 2008 Spring/Summer Shopping Guide showcases the talents of today's creative independent designers in a fresh & exciting magazine-inspired format.

With jewelry, handbags, accessories, decor, items for babies, paper goods, bath & body products and fashion, this is your chance to satisfy your hankering for your new, favorite "it" find. And with many designers offering great savings, you can score some fabulous indie goods on the cheap.

Make sure to spend some time reading the special Fashion Features in the Shopping Guide, with every item in each feature made from an up-and-coming indie designer. Whether you are preparing to head back to the beach; to pamper yourself with a little buff & polish; need some gear for guys; some goodies for your kids; or are just looking to pamper your pets, you will find a selection of awesome indie goods for everyone on your shopping list!

IC Style, the Indie Collective's editor's blog, will also be presenting featurettes on every designer in the 2008 Spring/Summer Shopping Guide.

If you are an indie designer and haven't listed your website in our Shopping Directory, what are you waiting for?! It's free, and a great way to gain exposure for your crafty endeavours! And we just might feature you in our blog!

We enjoy providing one of the hippest resources for today's savvy shoppers, and look forward to introducing you to the innovative indie designers in our 2008 Spring/Summer Shopping Guide.

VENDOR CALL: BIG Festival on Bloor (event: June 21, deadline: June 6) REMINDER

Here’s a reminder from Erin, BIG Festival organizer, about an opportunity to vend at the show:

What: Giant street and community festival
Where: Bloor Street West (Christie to Lansdowne)
When: June 21, 1-6pm
How Much: $25/table (comes with 2 chairs). Tables are 8' long.

I'd like to put out a call to all Toronto crafters and designers to sign up for a table at the BIG Festival, taking place June 21 on Bloor Street West. The BIG Festival invites everyone to showcase what they "bring to the table". Anyone is invited to participate! Tables cost $25/each and participants can showcase and sell their wares all day long.

To find out more about the festival, or to sign up for your table, visit www.bigonbloor.com. Deadline for application is June 6. To see the current list of participants, click here.

We look forward to seeing you on the BIG day!

CALL FOR VENDORS: It's A Craft Sale

From the organizers of the It's A Craft Sale:


Attention vendors! We are searching for creative "crafty" vendors to participate at our Christmas Craft Sale being held on November 29, 2008 from 10:00am - 4:00pm at the Vic Johnson Community Centre in downtown Streetsville (Mississauga).

Please email itsacraftsale@yahoo.ca to receive your vendor package. Hurry!

Booth Size: 8' x 6' (approx.)
Booth Fee: $75.00

Dates:
November 29, 2008 from 10:00am - 4:00pm

Location:
Vic Johnson Community Centre
135 Church Street (downtown Streetsville)
Map It!

More Information:
http://www.itsacraftsale.blogspot.com/
itsacraftsale@yahoo.ca

Shoppers, don't forget to add the It's A Craft Sale Event to your Google Calendar!

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Art In The Park 2008 (show: July 26, deadline: May 30)

Art in the Park is back for 2008, and they are looking for artists and artisans for their outdoor community arts festival.

Event Details: Art in the Park is a juried one-day outdoor community arts festival held in the parkland surrounding the Scarborough Arts Council

Date & Time:
July 26th, 2008
10am to 4pm

Location:
Harrison Estate Park, 1859 Kingston Road, Scarborough
Map it

Application Details: Fifty artists will have the opportunity to connect with the community to sell their work and discuss ideas and practices.
Open to artists working in fine art and craft only: drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed media, printmaking (original prints), pottery, hand-crafted jewellery, glass, original textile and fibre arts.

The entry deadline for applications is Friday May 30, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. Download the application here: http://www.scarborougharts.com/ArtinthePark2008call.pdf

If you want to be reminded about the application deadline, you can add the event to your Google Calendar by visiting THIS LINK.

Shoppers, don't forget to add the Art in the Park event to your calendar, as well!

EXHIBITION: Close to You @ The Textile Museum of Canada (June 4 – October 12, reception: June 4))

Ai Kijima, Burn it Up, 2006.

Close to You
Contemporary Textiles, Intimacy and Popular Culture
June 4 – October 12, 2008
Curated by Sarah Quinton
Opening reception: Wednesday June 4, 6:30 – 8:00 pm. Remarks at 6:45 pm.
Textile Museum of Canada
55 Centre Ave.Toronto, ON

Close to You examines the use of idioms and images from popular culture in the work of five artists from Canada and the United States . Using craft as the medium Ai Kijima, Scott Kildall, Allyson Mitchell, Mark Newport and Michèle Provost explore mass media messages about popular myth, comic book heroics and contemporary social and sexual customs. They critique these mass-mediated ideals, scripted gender roles and mass production through mechanically reproduced images or music, or by inserting themselves into humourous and revealing scenarios.

The artists in Close to You have chosen to work in textiles because of their intimate and evocative qualities as well as their status (high versus low) within the larger sphere of contemporary art. Never far from the surface, the debate over low and high culture is a thread found in nearly every piece in the exhibition.

With life-sized knitted superhero costumes, a 9ft sexy Sasquatch and panoramic views of a fragmented pop culture fantasyland where Thomas the Tank and Led Zeppelin share the same psychic space, the artists in Close to You present a labour-intensive examination of the world mass media has created around us. Smart and cheeky this exhibition also features a salon style installation of meticulously embroidered lyrics from 44 rock and roll favourites and a racy homage to Warhol. This conceptually clever exhibition runs to October 12 at the Textile Museum of Canada. An illustrated catalogue co-produced with Dalhousie Art Gallery , Halifax , is available.

CRAFTY HAPPENING: Art Whispers ’08 (June 1)

Art Whispers ‘08
A One-Night-Only Live Exhibition!

Sunday, June 1st 2008
The LOT
100 A Ossington Ave
5:00pm-7:00pm
Pay What You Can

Prestented by curator Sarah Henriques with the generous support of the Ontario Arts Council.

Come Witness A Multidisciplinary Game of Broken Telephone

As kids, we called it Broken Telephone - whisper in someone’s ear, have them repeat it to someone else, and so on, until the message is completely transformed. Who knew it was art?

The random alteration of form and meaning that emerges from Broken Telephone speaks directly to the relationship between creative impulse, accident and inspiration.
And it is the basis for our multidisciplinary Broken Telephone art experiment: a unique five-week creative journey in which 9 Toronto artists became links in a creative chain. Each artist (or group of artists) had one week to create their contribution to the project in their respective discipline, and then passed it along to the next eagerly awaiting participant.

It began with a poem that inspired a painting. The painting inspired a film. The film became the basis for a choreographed dance, which provoked the soundscape that resulted in the final installation: a theatrical performance. The theatrical piece was based solely on the soundscape, as the director has yet to see the dance, the film, the painting, or read the poem.

On Sunday, June 1st drop by the open studio to read the poem that started this creative procession, and witness how uniquely each of the five pieces turned out. Participate in a Q & A with the artists, meet curator Sarah Henriques the woman behind this entire project, and share in a magically interactive and inspirational experience.

Artists:
Curator: Sarah Henriques
Poet: Emma Beltrán
Visual Artist: Norman Lup-Man Yeung
Filmmaker: Jeremiah Munce
Dancers: Diana Groenendiik and Suzanne Liska
Sound Artist: Thomas Ryder Payne
Theatre Director: Beatriz Pizano, with Actors: Carlos González-Vio and Laura Nordin.

CALL FOR VENDORS AND CRAFT SHOW: sprout Art Show and Fair (show: June 15, deadline: May 27)

Space for vendors is still available for this show. If interested please see the online application here.

sprout art show and fair
June 15 2008
1-5pm
St. Alban's Boys and Girls Club - 843 Palmerston Avenueat Bathurst and Dupont - in Toronto's Annex community.

sprout will feature up-and-coming, local designers. These emerging artists offer something that the "big" art shows don't - something new, different, original, locally made - at an affordable price!

The products and services offered by the talented and creative young vendors in the show include jewelry, greeting cards, bath and beauty products, textiles, knitwear, candles, buttons and much more.

Please join us - admission is free - and get ready to be delighted and inspired by the unique products created by artists in your community!

CRAFTY BIZ: Shared retail space proposal from MaRGie Jewellery Studio

If this retail concept proposed by Michelle of MaRGie Jewellery Studio sounds up your alley, please contact her at michelle@margiejewellery.com.

I'd like to open a retail store (my preference is Queen/Spadina area but I could be convinced otherwise) where approx. 4 other artists/crafters work out of. There would be a gallery space for selling artists work but mainly the store would be class focused. All the artists would have their own SEPARATELY functioning business but would share in rent, insurance (?), utility costs, working hours at the store etc. We would have to find a landlord that would be ok with the idea or at least someone who allows sub-leasing.

The people must be established artists and business people and be hardworking, especially when it come to selling their own classes/products. And must be available at least on a part time basis to teach their classes and work in the store. Lazy people do not apply.

Any art/craft form is fine ie metalsmith, knitter, sewer, printmaker, ceramics, sculpture, classic visual artist, scrapbooker, screenprinter, soap maker etc. as long as there is some kind of class that can be taught. My focus is metal and glass jewellery.

I'd love to hear from crafty business owners about the idea: comments, suggestions, interest in participating etc.

Michelle

CRAFTY HAPPENING: Imago Show @ Circa (May 22)

Colossal Craziness
Circa Nightclub
126 John Street, Toronto
http://www.circatoronto.com/
Doors open at 8:00 p.m., Show starts at 9:00 p.m.
Advance tickets $25 at http://www.ticketbreak.com/, http://www.imagozine.com/
$30 at the door, $50 VIP Deluxe Tickets

Expect an eye dropping and jaw opening performance when Imago Fashion takes over Toronto’s mega-club Circa on Thursday May 22nd. For those not aware of this fashion force, expect an assault of your sensory that mixes testosterone with estrogen.

Bed Time Stories – a couture culture of fashion fetishism and tantalizing performance theatre with mixed elements of punk, glam, medical fashion, and horror. Expect the unexpected as past shows have included a mix of ballet, opera, violins, rock stars, and performance artists of all types. The night will be hosted by Amazing Race hosts Kynt and Vynsen along with a cast of fashionista darlings such as Toronto’s diva Lena Love and Project Runway’s Evan Biddell. The performance will feature more than 30 designers including Ed Hardy, Irregular Choice Shoes, Killer Candy, and Morph Clothing. These do-it-yourself designers are styled by Sandra Roberts, Imago’s brainchild and Creative Director, who has the mandate to merge fashion, music and culture by supporting indie fashion labels, photographers, artists and musicians of all backgrounds.

Imago Zine is a hip glossy read that provides first hand insight into the real underground counter culture of today and showcasing what is tomorrow. IMAGO will take you from the red carpet, to the back alley, uptown, downtown and every stop along the way. IMAGO turns fantasy into reality. IMAGO can shock and entertain. IMAGO is both real and surreal. IMAGO is here and now.

TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES

i spent a belated mother's day weekend with my own mom. i took her to the cherry blossom high tea at the knit cafe, and re-learned to knit. this time i am going continental-style, since it looks like it's much quicker than english style. any one out there with experience in both? tips on advantages/disadvantages?as part of the Toronto Craft Alert's goal to galvanize the city's craft community, we'd like to get a bit of a discussion going. discuss any crafty topic you like... we'll be re-posting this thread every monday morning, so that the discussions can continue in the comments section of this post.

CRAFT TORONTO PICS: New purse design by loscann

New purse design, originally uploaded by loscann.
I *love* this pillowcase! I'm so tempted to keep it for myself!

From the Craft Toronto photo pool on Flickr. You can join, too!

SUPPLY YOUR HABIT: Chiyogami and Sidewalk Sale at the Paper Place

The Paper Place wrote to notify us of an upcoming Sidewalk Sale, and for the first time ever, a one day sale on Chiyogami papers taking place on May 24th:

Spring Cleaning Sidewalk Sale & Chiyogami Sale
Saturday, May 24, 2008
10:00am - 5:00pm

The Paper Place
887 Queen St. West
Toronto

With renovations on the store moving along, we decided it was time for a little spring cleaning! The sale will include discontinued papers, cards, journals, books, and gifts. For those of you who plan ahead there are also lots of holiday items - cards, ornaments, and more!

In appreciation of our amazing customers we are offering, in conjunction with our Sidewalk Sale, a discount on our most popular paper ever. For one day only on May 24th our exquisite hand silkscreened Chiyogami papers will be 15% off. The discount applies to all in store sizes and special orders. Take advantage of this rare opportunity and stock up!

Click here to enlarge

CALL FOR SUBMISSION: Artist Gardens Collingwood

GET SCHOOLED: Kate McKinnon at BeadFX (May dates)

top left: toggle clasp class, top right: pmc rings, bottom left: shag carpet of pearls, bottom right: design workshop class

There are a few spaces available in these upcoming workshops by jewellery artist Kate McKinnon at BeadFX.

Kate McKinnon has been designing and creating jewelry for over 10 years. She fell in love with metal clay in 1997 and hasn't looked back since. Kate lectures and teaches internationally and is the author of several popular books on jewelry technique. In 2005 Kate won the prestigious Saul Bell Award for excellence in PMC.

Kate currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, where she is working hard on finishing her latest book project.

WORKSHOP ONE: May 15th, 2008 today and the class is full but there are 2 more workshops that ppl can still sign up for.

WORKSHOP TWO: May 16th and 17th, 2008 - PMC Rings

WORKSHOP THREE: May 18th, 2008 - Shag Carpet of Pearls

WORKSHOP FOUR: May 19th, 2008 - Jewelry Design Workshop

To enroll in a class, please call 416.701.1373 or toll free 877.473.2323 (877.473.BEAD)
or email info@beadfx.com

BeadFx Location:
BeadFx is located in Scarborough at 128 Manville Road, Suite #9 -- in the Warden and Eglinton area.

For complete directions: http://www.beadfx.com/info.html#location

SUPPLY YOUR HABIT: 13th Annual More Than Just a Yardage Sale (May 30 & 31)

Get your game faces on and your elbows up, it’s time for the Textile Museum’s More than Just a Yardage Sale!

More Than Just A Yardage Sale

Friday May 30th 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday May 31st 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Textile Museum of Canada

55 Centre Avenue

Created and run by the Museum’s volunteers, the sale is a bonanza for textile aficionados and a major fundraiser for the Museum. Shoppers will have their pick of an eclectic mix that includes yardages, yarns, vintage oddments and a wide variety of patterns, quilt fabrics, notions and crafts.

Everything in the sale is generously donated. The More Than Just A Yardage Sale is an opportunity for fibre enthusiasts to sort through their stashes, contribute to a good cause and make room for new finds. Donors and donations have ranged from the individual who brought in a few balls of alpaca yarn left over from a project, to the estate of an interior designer who donated a lifetime’s collection of decorator samples.

GET SCHOOLED: Knitting and Sewing 101 in Etobicoke at Honey Bunch (June dates)

TCA contributor Nicole Morell runs a sweet shop-studio in Etobicoke called Honeybunch, and she wrote to let us know that she is starting to offer classes. In Nicole’s words:

Classes are geared to the first-time crafter, the craft-curious and the time-strapped. My promise is that everyone leaves with a finished project! There’s a sewing 101 and a knitting 101 with simple, appealing and useful projects timed for father’s day and teacher’s gifts.

Learn more:

Intro to Sewing
Intro to Knitting
Blog entry about classes

Contact Nicole for more info.

EXHIBITION: Sheridan grad show - Forte (May 22-June 1, reception May 22)

Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
School of Animation, Arts and Design presents

FORTÉ
May 22-June 1, 2008
Opening Reception: Thursday May 22
7pm-10pm

Lennox Contemporary Gallery
12 Ossington Ave, Toronto ON
416.924.7964
Thursday-Sunday: 12-5pm
www.lennoxcontemporary.com

Forté is the craft exhibition by the 2008 graduating class of Sheridan Institute's Crafts and Design Program. The exhibit takes place at the Lennox Contemporary Gallery featuring work by emerging artists in textiles, glass, furniture and ceramics.

FROM THE DESK OF TCA: Our profile on the RED Letter

Local creative gal about town Lisa Pijuan-Nomura was kind enough to do a profile on the TCA for her monthly arts e-rag, The RED Letter. The RL (like Lisa’s work in general) covers a broad spectrum of creative works being done around town and beyond through interviews and listings. She is a friend to craft with regular features such as Crafty Corner (where you can find the TCA interview) and a shout out to Local Etsy Shops. Check it out here & subscribe at the bottom of this page.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Knit Graffiti Patterns for Yarn Bombing book (deadline: May 30)

Mandy and Leanne are two bloggers out of Vancouver who write about knit graffiti at Yarnbombing.com. They are currently working on a book of patterns for fibre-based street art, so put on your spring-weight balaclavas and submit! Here is their submission call:

Are you a knitter or crochetier? Do you design (or want to design) unusual pieces of street art out of yarn? If so, you should design a pattern for Yarn Bombing: The Art of Knit Graffiti, to be published by Arsenal Pulp Press in fall 2009. A DIY guide to the art of yarn graffiti and a history of hand-crafted textile street art, Yarn Bombing will feature patterns such as street-smart disguises, useful wearable tools like gloves and tool belts, street art such as knit car cozies, bike covers and headlight toques, and outdoor installations such as crochet shawls for leafy trees. The sky's the limit as long as it's knit or crocheted! Projects should be fun, colorful and a little bit wacky. Designers are asked to submit a sketch and detailed description of their project, along with a brief bio, by the submission deadline of May 30, 2008.

VENDOR CALL: Indyish Art Market (June 19)

Indyish.com is an indie arts network website with an online boutique and a group blog. For a second year in a row, Indyish is teaming up with the Montreal Fringe Festival to put together an art market during the St-Laurent street fair in Montreal from June 19-22. After selling out all of their tables on the weekend, they’ve just opened Thursday June 19 for bookings, which includes an optional spot on Friday night. Apparently this is a pretty high traffic event, with music and activities planned throughout the fest by Fringe, POP Montreal, Indyish, Dr Sketchy, and more. See their listing here for more information, and feel free to contact fringe@indyish.com or call 514 - 691 - 9991 with any questions.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Ladyfest Toronto 2008

Click image to enlarge

A note from Ladyfest T.O.:

Ladyfest Toronto is looking for musicians, artists, filmmakers, and workshop facilitators for our 2008 festival! This fall, we will be celebrating feminism in all its forms this and we need you!

Ladyfest Toronto 2008 is happening in and around Kensington Market from September 18th to the 21st. The aim of the festival is to incite dialogue about contemporary feminist issues and to create space for women to showcase their amazing creativity.

With concerts, workshops, a film program and more, there will be something that's sure to tickle your fancy. To apply to be a part of this year's festival, please go to
www.ladyfesttoronto.ca/program.html

*** Ladyfest Toronto welcomes applications from all folks who are women-identified. We especially encourage applications from aboriginal women, women of colour, sex professionals, and other historically marginalized and disadvantaged groups of women.***

About Ladyfest Toronto
Ladyfest Toronto is a four-day arts, culture and music festival.

We are a non-profit, grassroots, do-it-yourself collective who seek to promote urban feminism. We work from a framework that is pro-feminist, trans-inclusive, pro-diversity and anti-oppressive.

We seek to build community among Toronto's feminist businesses, artists, activists and academic community. We believe that art is a powerful form of resistance.

We will be providing a venue for women to express themselves and showcase their work free of sexism, classism, racism, and homophobia, as well as other forms of oppression.

We believe that politics can be fun and hope to facilitate political action and create tools for feminist networking at our annual event. We will proudly showcase the talent and actions of both local and international women. Ultimately, we hope Ladyfest Toronto inspires women everywhere to organize themselves and create similar spaces that allow women's creative works to be seen and heard, as other Ladyfests have for us.

To get involved as a volunteer, please visit our website or contact us!
www.ladyfesttoronto.ca
ladyfesttoronto@gmail.com

TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES

i travelled to London-town this weekend, in part to check out the antiques market where i picked up a few vintage finds (and also value village for some discount acrylic yarn, shhh!...) but didn't really get a chance to get my craft on this weekend. how about all of you? as part of the Toronto Craft Alert's goal to galvanize the city's craft community, we'd like to get a bit of a discussion going. discuss any crafty topic you like... we'll be re-posting this thread every monday morning, so that the discussions can continue in the comments section of this post.

QUESTIONS FOR CRAFTERS: Hillary Webb

In this installment of TCA’s artist profiles, profiler Nicole Morell chats with OCAD-trained textile artist Hillary Webb about her ethereal art, summers in Kenora and Mexican insects.

Q: Your work is really complex – there’s a lot of technique happening in those small spaces. Can you describe some of your recent work, like the birds and trees?

For the most part my work involves naturally-dyed cotton fabric that I stain with a residue of wax to bring out the subtle colours. The images of trees and birds are drawn on with pencil then I highlight aspects of the drawings with embroidery. The stitches I use the most are a running stitch and French knots. Sometimes I will embellish the piece with some of my bead and button collection.

Q: Your latest work, the birds, makes me want to look up close. It’s so beautifully layered and detailed and yet quite serene. You’re obviously inspired by the natural world and I’m curious about where that comes from. Are you a native Torontonian?

Yep, I grew up in Don Mills. My mother is from Kenora, Ontario and I spent many summers on the shores of Lake of the Woods. We also had annual camping trips and I went to overnight camp for many years. I love the outdoors.

Q: You dye your own fabrics, which is pretty cool. And messy, I’m assuming. Tell us about that process. And what the heck is cochineal and umbilicaria? Do I have it in my backyard?!

Most of the plant dyes I use I find in my parent’s garden. I use flowers like marigold and dahlias. To create dye from plants, they have to be soaked in water, then boiled. Once the dye is ready to use I remove the plant stuff and add mordants like aluminum, iron, and copper to change the colour of the dye and make it colour-fast. Cochineal is an insect that is farmed on cacti in Mexico. It is a very traditional dye that was used in the past as red food colouring. Umbilicaria is a lichen that grows on rocks in northern Ontario. I’ve gathered it from Muskoka and Kenora.

Mockingbird

Q: Tell us about your workspace. Where do you work and when do you feel most inspired?

My favourite time to work is when I can go up to my parents for a couple of days, usually over a weekend. They still live in Toronto, but it feels like a vacation. I have nothing else there to distract me from creating art. Any messy work I do at my parents in their garage workshop. I have an electric frying pan with wax, an iron that I use to iron the wax out of my fabric, and my dye pots. I usually do my dyeing in their kitchen. I also use their workshop to build frames and boxes. Most of my frames are store bought, but there are a few that either I or my brother built. I do my work in a few places, I have an iBook that I do my website and research on. Just this past weekend I set up a desk I built in our office; my boyfriend and I both share it. My hand sewing I do in the living room, usually curled up on the couch.

Q: Let’s hear it for supportive parents with well-stocked workshops! Sounds like a great set-up. Do you have a current favourite tool?

My father’s chop saw. I just made some lightboxes and loved the process of building the boxes to stretch my art over. It had been a while since I worked with wood, and I love building things.

Q: There’s a lot of talk about the cultural renaissance in Toronto, but much of the conversation is around architecture and big works like the ROM and the AGO. Do you sense the same energy in the art/craft world?

I was at a big symposium at Harbourfront Centre last month that was entitled “Crafting New Traditions.” A lot of the talk focused on how underrepresented the craft community is in Canada, especially in regards to the recording of our craft history. The symposium inspired me to start writing an essay on the history of smocking in Canada, since this is what my family is involved in.

Our First House

Q: Do you consider yourself part of the art/craft community or the art community or do you even make the distinction?

I think that there is a lovely community of craftspeople in Toronto. Examples of this can be found at Harbourfront Centre, stores like the Knit Café and Lettuce Knit, and collectives like Vest, Joe & Josephine, and Domestic (which I am a part of). Of course there is also the Toronto Craft Alert, which is an amazing resource. I think that there is a distinction between craft and art, but that craftspeople are able to span both. There is fabulous art being made using craft techniques. This is usually how I describe what I do – art that is created using traditional textile techniques.

Q: You were a part of the MADE show at the Gladstone recently - exciting! Was it the most public show you've done?

It was my first time participating, but it is not the first public show I've done - I have had a booth at the Outdoor Art Exhibition at Nathan Phillips Square for the past four summers and I have also had a booth at both the Christmas and Spring One of a Kind Show (I did each show once). Those have probably been the most public shows I've been part of. The rest of the public showings I've done have been more art gallery type exhibitions.

Q: I was intrigued by the theme at this year’s MADE show, “In The Closet.” At what point in your career did you feel comfortable saying loud and proud "I am an artist"?

A: I have only recently felt comfortable telling people I'm an artist when they ask me what I do. In the past year it has begun to be the first thing I will say when people ask me what I do. I realized that the jobs I keep to pay the bills are not where my heart is - I am much more enthusiastic talking about my art. I love explaining my process and techniques.

Westwind Drift

Q: I completely relate to that. Isn’t it the greatest thing to be able to make a living doing something you love? As an up and coming artist what role do things like flickr, craft/art blogs, and the online arts community play? Or do they play a role for you at all?

Unfortunately I’m still not able to make a living just making my art. I have to work four days a week at a “regular job” and do art, grant applications, and update my website when I get home at night. This generally means that I don’t have too much extra time to take advantage of what things like flickr and other online arts communities offer. I hope that one day I can work less at my day job so that I can spend more time doing the things I need to do to promote my art.

Great chatting with you Hillary! Looking forward to more beautiful work.

Hillary Webb’s work is available at Arts On Queen, The Paper Place, and, fingers crossed, at this year’s Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition in July at Nathan Phillip’s Square.

:::::::::::::::::::::

A freelance writer turned retailer and part-time crafter, Nicole’s Etobicoke shop, Honeybunch, is a bijoux corner shop filled with laid-back and affordable children’s décor, gear and toys – and crafty goodness too. 3885 Bloor St. West, http://www.honey-bunch.com/.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS/CRAFTY HAPPENING: Artwalk's Annual Fundraiser (deadline: May 16, event: May 22)

A note from Roz Hermant the festival coordinator of St. Clair ARTWALK...

Call to Ontario Artists for 8"x10" donations and larger works as submissions to The Annual St. Clair ARTWALK Fundraiser.

Ontario Artists are again invited to donate and sell work at the well attended ARTWALK Annual Fundraiser. This event supports the 2008 St. Clair ARTWALK programs which promotes both local and Toronto Artists. In exchange for each donation artists receive a free ticket to the fundraiser where they can promote their work while enjoying music and culinary treats provided by local restaurants and caterers. Proceeds of works submitted to the sale portion of the fundraiser are split 50/50 between ARTWALK and the artist.

This year the fundraiser will be held on May 22, 2008 from 7 – 10pm at Laluque Atelier Gallery and Scratch (1362 & 1358 Bathurst Street, Toronto).

Deadline for submissions is Friday May 16th, 2008.

For a PDF of full submission details, please send an email request to the
ARTWALK Festival Coordinator at: coordinator@stclair-artwalk.org

For Details about ARTWALK and/or the 2008 Fundraiser, please visit our website at: http://www.stclair-artwalk.org

For all other inquiries please contact Roz Hermant at 416.653.8908

CRAFT TORONTO PICS: mushroom by wooly fabulous

mushroom, originally uploaded by woolly fabulous.

From the Craft Toronto photo pool. You can join, too!

EXHIBITION: design = at Evolving DNA, OCAD Grad Show (May 9-11)

Designer Erin Mccutcheon wrote to invite us all to attend design = part of OCAD’s 93rd annual Graduate Exhibition, Evolving DNA taking place today (May 9) until Sunday May 11. She will be up on the fifth floor with the Industrial Design, Environmental Design and MAAD (Material Arts and Design) shows.

Some pieces to look out for:

= Erin’s rocking chair featuring graphite rockers, which narrate the relationship between the user and the chair.

= James Hou’s project on culture-bleaching called ‘Made in China’.

= David Chang’s positions of the library as supermarket, examining how people engage in comparison shopping.

Other departments that will be showing include Drawing and Painting, Sculpture,

Jewelry, Advertisement, Illustration, Environmental Design, to Industrial Design and much much more!

location + date + time
OCAD’s Sharp Centre for Design, 5 floor
100 McCaul Street
Friday, 11am to 8pm
Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 6pm
Free admission_All ages
www.design-equals.com

For more information contact Mali,
hello@design-equals.com

GET SCHOOLED: Fun with Felt at The Knit Cafe (May 24 & 25)

Felt Making for Beginners (Flat Felting, Nuno Felting, and 3D Felting)
WITH GUEST INSTRUCTOR: Janelle Gutherie
sat may 24, and sun 25, 10am-1pm

What do you get when you mix a bit of water, with a wad of fluff and a little elbow grease? FELT-that’s what!!! Neither knitting nor crocheting is required for this class. In this two-day workshop students will be introduced to the ancient techniques of felt making. They will design and make their own piece of hand-felted cloth, a decorative bowl, a pouch or pocket (ideal for cell phones, ipods, or eyeglass case) and a 3D felted object. Students will be issued their very own felting kit so they can practice their new skills and make endless creations at home.

2 sessions, $60 for instruction and $25 for "felting kit" which includes all the tools necessary to make felt plus a piece of fabric for use in the "Nuno Felting" technique, and 125 grams of fleece in several colours - students may pick their own colour combinations.

Call to reserve your spot 416 533 5648 (KNIT)

The knit café is located at 1050 Queen St. West
http://www.torontoknitcafe.com/

CRAFTY BIZ: Submit your work for profiling by the knack

Here’s a note from blogger and writer Stephanie Dickison, who is eager to cover more indie stuff on her product and service review site the knack:

I try out and then write about new products and services at the knack http://gottheknack.blogspot.com, where I write about some indie/handmade stuff, but I’d really like to expand this part of my blog, as I get a lot of requests for things like handmade tote bags, purses, pins, etc.

If you have something that you’d like featured, please email me at writerscramp@stephaniedickison.com. If I like it, I would then email you and ask you to send something for me to really see what you do – Everything on the knack that I write about is tried and tested by me. That way, the reader gets more than just a press release – they get a real experience with the product. I tell them how it smells, looks and works.

Please note that products cannot be returned.

I’ve featured items like The Candi Factory’s undies, Pleasure Pillows and tons of homemade clothes, greeting cards and purses.

I’d like to find more of you indie crafty folks and your wares so that I can let the world know about them!

Many thanks and warmest wishes,

Stephanie

EXHIBITION: 2008 Dundas West Arts Building Open Studios Show (May 23-25)

Artists open private studios during annual art show
View. Learn. Listen. Interact.

Show Details
2466 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M6P1W9
Friday 6pm-10pm
Saturday 12pm-7pm
Sunday 12pm-5pm
Pay What You Can

From Friday May 23rd 2008 to Sunday May 25th 2008 the annual Dundas W