November 30, 2009

Living in Vancouver, we are lucky to have so many amazing artists who make eco-friendly, original pieces. The Got Craft? Holiday Show features over 55 local and handmade vendors all under one roof. Join Handmade Evolution at Got Craft? to shop for the holidays – be among the first 30 people and receive a great swag bag with goodies from all the vendors! A few stand-outs not to miss:

- Our sponsor Billy Would will be in attendance with her unique sustainable jewellery line made using reclaimed exotic woods. No toxic finishes or stains are used and pure sterling silver completes most designs.

- The perfect Blair Waldorf accessory, Love Bobbie makes handmade bobbies and bands made from found and forgotten things.

- Banoo, maker of eco-friendly cotton hankies and more. I imagine this Anchor handkerchief folded into a dinner jacket pocket square. Suave indeed!

When: Sunday, December 6th, 2009 from 11:00am to 5:00pm
Where: Royal Canadian Legion 2205 Commercial Drive (@ E.6th Ave), Vancouver
Admission: $2.00 (kids under 10 are free)

1). Love Bobbie 2). Billy Would 3). Banoo

~ Posted by: Christine Davis

Category: Events, Vancouver | 3 Comments »
Tags: got craft, Vancouver

November 30, 2009

Whatever your taste in holiday decor – from whimsical to snowy chic, there are beautiful, handmade Christmas decorations to be found on Etsy!

Looking through the Country Living site – I found some ideas for holiday decorating that have put me in the perfect frame of mind to put on some Christmas carols on and start decorating our place.

I’ve paired each room with an ornament or decoration from Etsy below – above each picture find the link to the ornament.

1). Winter Wonderland – Ornament from: melker

2). Something Sweet – Ornament from: Jenny’s Bake Shop

3). Gold and Green – Ornament from: Kim Westad

4). K-9 Christmas – Stockings from: Rikrak

~ Posted by: Amy

Category: Home Decor | No Comments »
Tags: christmas decor, handmade ornament, holiday decorating

November 30, 2009

Thanks to everyone who participated in our launch contest – we’re excited to let you know who has won! The winner of the launch contest will receive: 1). $100 gift certificate from dace
2). $100 gift certificate from Allison Wonderland
3). This necklace from Billy Would
4). Your choice of 1 piece of jewelry from Patsy Kay Kolesar Design’s Etsy shop

The winner is…. Penny! Penny, we’ll be emailing you to let you know how you can claim your prizes.

We also had another contest last week, with the winner receiving 10 free cards from CardsInk – thanks to everyone who emailed in and let us know your favorite cards. The winner of this contest – Heidi. Congrats and we’ll be in touch to let you know how to get your cards!

What’s next? We’ll be telling you about another great contest this week – but will only be announcing it on Facebook – if you’d like to know more, feel free to become a fan here.

Category: Events | 1 Comment »
Tags: contest winners

November 27, 2009

We were delighted when Noémie contacted us last week to tell us about her jewelry line. I asked her a few questions, and here is what she had to say:

Lisa: How did you get started as a jewelry designer, and tell us how you decided to create each piece with a feather.

Noémie: I started Noémiah about two years ago. Since the very beginning, I’ve always used feathers. I discovered a real passion. I think I’ve always wanted to create, since I was a child. Just create, escape from the world sometimes and forget about everything! Feathers can really be colored: I like the way I can mix them together to create different tints, structure and form. I also love the sensuality and their delicate aspect.

Lisa: Where do you find your inspiration for your spring, fall, and holiday collections?

Noémie: First, I must say that I am a fashion addict! I am inspired by street styling and fashion blogs. I think that, unconsciously, I must be inspired by many fashion trends! For example, for my fall/winter collection, I used a lot of dark black, big big chains and layers. I love to invent new designs again and again! For Christmas, I was thinking of something more pure, with whites, cream. I also wanted the feathers lighter, more feminine, more delicate. As in this piece [Snowflake Poem - Feather and Chain Necklace].

Lisa: What do you enjoy most about creating jewelry?

Noémie: Everything! But if I want to be honest, feedback from sellers. They can be so lovely sometimes it makes my day. And oh… creating collections. I think I always think of it, everyday I get a new idea: note to myself… don’t forget this, right this before you forget!

Lisa: Are there any great items on your Christmas list that our readers might enjoy?

Noémie: This is a very special design, I love the little egyptian side of the big plated structure. This piece is very unique, I love the feathers, falling like little fringe [Winter Beauty - Feather and Chain Necklace].

And maybe these earrings, very very long, infinity design: “Fox in the snow.”

To shop the Noemiah collection click here.

~ Posted by Lisa

Category: Handmade Jewellery | No Comments »
Tags: Handmade Jewellery, Noemie

November 26, 2009

Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, Mubina Jiwa, will be stopping by every week or two to share insights into healthy living, work life balance and other topics. We know that many of you lead busy lives, as do all of us here at Handmade Evolution – so we know that the tips from Dr. Jiwa will be really helpful to our overall health and well being! To learn more about Dr. Jiwa and her Toronto practice visit her website here.

This week’s article is Crack the Colour Code for Healthy Eating. I know that a lot of us (including me) think of colors more in terms of clothing, accessories and home decor. In her article Dr. Jiwa breaks down various foods by color group and their benefit to your health. Looks like from here on in I won’t be looking at my dinner plate exactly the same way!

Click here to read the full article.

~ Article by Dr. Jiwa
~ Posted by: Amy

Category: Lifestyle, Toronto | 1 Comment »
Tags: mubina jiwa, Toronto, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor

November 25, 2009

Accessories are the perfect way to freshen up any of your outfits from last year. I’m loving this purse from Vancouver designer Ashley Watson, hand stitched from recycled leather and clearly the type of quality purse that would last from season to season. The scarf from the very talented Michelle Brusegaard is just one of the items I’d love to own from her Etsy shop.

Photo from: Sweet Blue
Handbag: Ashley Watson
Scarf: Michelle Brusegaard

~ Posted by: Amy

Category: Indie Fashion, Vancouver | No Comments »
Tags: Indie Fashion, Vancouver, Vancouver fashion

November 25, 2009

I was reading Canada’s Style at Home this month and came across the idea of using holiday wall decals. It seems like an easy, festive way of decorating for Christmas, and it allows you to change your style easily from year to year. I love the flexibility of these decals, especially since they come in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and themes. What do you think? Would you decorate with these?

1. Elepannie
2. Textstyle
3. Circle Line Studio
4. Textstyle
5. Circle Line Studio

~ Posted by: Amy

Category: Home Decor | 1 Comment »
Tags: holiday, Home Decor, wall decal

November 24, 2009

If you’re lucky enough to live in Toronto, get ready to shop at this year’s One of a Kind Christmas Show from November 26 – December 6, and if you attend on December 2, a portion of your ticket purchase will go to the Red Door Family Shelter!

It demonstrates how skilled the organizers are and that the city of Toronto loves to support their local artisans. It’s great that they make shopping a little easier for parents by providing childcare for little ones, and free art activities for older kids to keep them busy while you shop. Check out their website for ages and times. The show should be a huge success and it features fashion, food, craftsmanship, art, and eco-friendly products. The variety should be amazing so I bet you’ll be able to find gifts for everyone on your gift list.

They also have a schedule of fashion shows and seminars on their website, so you can plan your trip around your interests.

Here are a couple of our favorite artists that you can visit at the sale – if you’re not in Toronto both Jack and Marjorie and pilo have online shopping!

ceramik b

jack & marjorie

pilo

~ Posted by: Amy & Lisa

Category: Events, Toronto | No Comments »
Tags: one of a kind show toronto, Toronto

November 24, 2009

On Black Friday, we’ve got just the reason you need to escape the crowded malls and big box stores, and support some of our local fashion boutiques. Ten of Portland’s best stores are participating in the East Meets West Passport Event. Pick up your passport at any of the stores on November 27th, and then get it stamped at the other stores for sale incentives.

Radish Underground has a great overview of the deals you get with your passport, including:

• Buy one item get one 50% off: Friday 10am-12pm
• 20% off store wide: Friday 12pm-8pm
• Free entrance to VIP after-party from 8-11pm November 27th with at least six stamps
• 15% off store wide over the weekend
• 10% off any one purchase for the rest of the year

I can’t wait for this event! I’m especially looking forward to perusing the apothecary at Flora, doing some holiday shopping a Redux, and checking out the Aster Park clothing line created by Radish Underground’s co-owner, Celestial Sipes.

Featured necklace: Old Indian Rupee Necklace
Featured dress: Church & State Maple Dress

~ Posted by: Lisa Heberlein

Category: Events, Indie Fashion, Portland, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: East Meets West, Events, Indie Fashion, Portland