Featured Follower: Paco + Lupe

It’s been so long since I featured some of the fabulous artisans I come across everyday and now that I’m back to the roots of this blog I’m so excited to be able to do this again! A regular feature will be “Featured Follower”.  That’s just what it sounds like, every so often I’m going to feature one of my talented followers! It’s just my way of saying thank you to all you wonderful people who take the time to read my blogs, facebook wall or tweets!

“Paco + Lupe is all about merging art and fashion to bring you our idea of original handmade bags and home décor that are all about the fabric.”

I admit that I love bags and purses of all shapes and styles and that’s what first caught my attention. Paco + Lupe offer a range of designs that change each season. I’m absolutely loving this bag from their Fall/Winter collection! (And others must agree because it’s sold out!) Be sure to take a look at the Paco + Lupe website to see all the other amazing bags they have available.

Celia Cruz is the designer behind Paco + Lupe. Take a look at how talented she is! I came across this gorgeous dress she designed for her friend to wear to a masquerade ball on the Paco + Lupe blog. It’s it just amazing!

Celia is just one of the many talented Canadian designers out there and I’m so proud to have her as one of my followers!

 

Time for an Announcement!

I have an announcement that I’m very excited to share!

I’ve been blogging with Sea Flower Studios for over a year now and I enjoy it so much more than I ever thought I would. What started as a personal blog to share recipes, DIY projects and great handmade finds has taken a bit of a turn over the last year. As my followers know I started sharing vendor calls after realizing it was difficult to find a comprehensive list and that has brought many followers and helped me connect with many creative entrepreneurs in our community. Over the last few months that has become a large focus of my blog.

I’ve decided it’s time to branch out and split my blog into two in order to give my followers more focused posts. First off I will keep Sea Flower Studios and I will go back to posting delicious recipes, fun DIY projects, what I’m up to with my jewelry, great handmade finds and anything else fun I decide I want to share.

The big news is that I now have a second brand new blog called Handmakers Haven. Handmakers Haven is just that…a haven for artisans to come learn, get inspired and connect with other creative entrepreneurs. This new blog will be where from now on I will be posting vendor calls. I will still focus on Toronto and Area but will be posting more about shows throughout Ontario and across Canada. I will also post more resources to help creative entrepreneurs build their businesses and Handmakers Haven will be the new host of the Artisan Support Forum so we can continue building connections with each other.

I’m so excited about the growth I’ve seen in my blog over the last year and I expect with this change I will be able to give my amazing readers even more of what you want! If you are currently a follower of Sea Flower Studios and are interested in the creative  business side of things head over to Handmakers Haven and follow me there as well. For the next month or so during this transition I will post vendor calls on both blogs, but will be reminding readers to head over to Handmakers Haven.

Of course this also means new Facebook and Twitter pages so if you use those methods to follow please feel free to head over and follow Handmakers Haven those ways as well!

It’s a little scary to start fresh with a second blog and I’m sure the first few months will have ups and downs as work out any kinks with the new blog so I appreciate your patience and support and I look forward to being able to connect with even more readers! ♥

New Vendor Calls Added

It’s sadly nearing the end of summer and time to start planning for Christmas. As sellers of handmade goods we know that we have to always be ahead of our customers so we find ourselves listing items for the Fall now and very soon for Christmas. Also it’s time (or past in some cases!) to plan for the Christmas Season of Craft Shows.

Photo Courtsey of Pinterest

I’ve been searching the web to update the “Calls for Vendors” page with some upcoming shows. This summer I visited a few shows outside of Toronto and at each one I recognized vendors from Toronto. I realized that many people travel throughout Ontario and even Canada to attend shows that are well attended. Also I’ve noticed many of my followers are from cities across Canada so I’ve decided to start including some vendor calls from throughout Ontario and across the country. Obviously I can’t get every little show from coast to coast but I will be sure to post any that I come across or that anyone contacts me with information about. I hope this helps even more people with finding some great shows to attend!

I updated with way too many shows to list them all in my post today so if you’re looking for new shows to apply for please take a minute to visit the “Calls for Vendors” page and see if any are right for you!

As always if you are organizing a show or know of one I can include on the list please be sure to contact me! ♥

Vendor Calls In Niagara Region

Today I have a couple new vendor calls I’ve come across in the Niagara Region. Many artisans from Toronto choose to leave the city to visit some well known and high quality shows. I’ve also noticed that I have many readers from across Ontario and even Canada. I’ll do my best to start to include vendor calls in other cities across Ontario and even across Canada if I come across them. I hope this will help even more fellow artisans! If you know of any vendor calls I can include or you’re organizing a craft show please help me out by leaving a comment or emailing me to give me a heads up! Check out these vendors calls or see the complete listing on my “Calls For Vendors” page.

The Handmade Market is a two day upscale art + craft market featuring unique, hand made products by local artisans.  The Handmade Market is also a travelling boutique shopping experience that promotes the handmade arts, local artisans and a ‘small-box’ sweat-shop-free atmosphere.  The two upcoming shows are scheduled for September 16th and 17th and November 26th and 27th and they are accepting applications here.

The St. Catharines International Buskerfest will be held August 12th to 14th on the streets of downtown St. Catharines. One Hundred acts from across the globe will preform during this free community festival. The early bird deadline has passed but they are still acepting vendor applications online here for food and artisan vendors.

Culture from Coast to Coast

Canada will be celebrating Culture and the Arts come September 30th, October 1st and October 2nd. “Culture Days is a collaborative pan-Canadian volunteer movement to raise the awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of all Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their communities.” There are many ways you can get involved. You can plan and host an event, volunteer for Culture Days, provide a venue, or simply attend one of the many fabulous events happening as part of the weekend.

They currently have a Call for Event Organizers. If you have an event that you are already organizing or a great idea for a cultural event then they want to hear from you! There is no fee to register and you can be an individual, business, group or municipality as long as you believe in the importance of Arts and Culture in Canadian Life.

For more information about registering an event or to search the listing of events already registered in your area check out their website here.