Tales From The Weekend

        Last weekend feels like it was a bit of a blur- it went by so fast if I had blinked I would have missed it. The big event of course was the long anticipated Urban Market out at Highstreet in Abbotsford which was put on by the ladies from Spruce Collective. Set up in the middle of a brand new modern mall the Urban Market was anything but your typical cookie cutter mall fodder. Looking around you in fact would be hard pressed to even know you were in a mall- the market was so packed with vintage goods and some amazing set ups it was more antique market than anything!

        On a bit of a whim I took a batch of my Holiday 2013 cards and they sold out! And I am so happy I grabbed them at the last minute as it seems folks have Christmas on the mind early this year- with plenty of unique items to chose from shoppers were stocking up early on one of a kind gifts. I love that somewhere someplace people will be opening up carefully considered treasures on Christmas Day- a handmade-vintage Christmas is the best kind of Christmas!

         Even now two days later it is difficult to gather all my thoughts about the market- it was pretty overwhelming- so many great vendors- both craft and vintage- being surrounded by so many talented people was like a weeks worth of inspiration rolled into a day- I'm still marinating! The market started off with a celebratory anniversary party for Spruce Collective- 150 tickets were sold for a sneak peek evening which of course was full of fantastic food and beverages. I got to meet a few of my design heroes and was a total fangirl.

        Saturday morning all remnants of the party were gone- save for the twinkle lights- and it was down to coffee and business. The Urban Market was definitely one of the more well attended events that I have been a part of - the crowds were thick and business was brisk- lots of people were attracted by the vintage element- myself included- of course I could not leave empty handed! I'm such a vintage hoarder that a few goodies came home with me- a mini wreath for the dollhouse, some teeny tiny Christmas trees, an beautiful over sized rosary, enamel wash basin and my big score of the weekend- a vintage postal bag- which will be revealed in a makeover soon!

          This morning I am sitting here sipping my first latte of the day and thinking about the weekend- planning where to take my next event- which incidentally is next weekend! Plain Jane is a part of an exciting open house in North Vancouver- please comment me via my Plain Jane Facebook page if you are interested in more details. The open house in in conjunction with Crystal Connections and Catch My Drift- lots of one of a kind gift items- avoid the crowds at the mall- come on out to visit and do some shopping! Cash, Visa and Mastercard will be accepted.  Last weekend was a great reminder that the Holidays are quickly approaching- folks are starting to shop and I need to be prepared!

Field Trip: Make It!

        It's Monday- again! I really feel that long weekends should happen at least once a month- bare minimum- regular weekends are way too short! This weekend was no exception- I hosted a clothing swap on Friday night which was fantastic- new and old friends coming together and each of us leaving with fun "new to us" additions to our wardrobes. Saturday we attended what was quite possibly the cutest and most well considered 1st birthday party ever held- dinosaurs, marshmallow pops and cupcakes- a good time was had by all. That brings us to Sunday and the Make It! craft show- held in the Spring and Fall this was by far the funnest craft sale I have ever attended- and I have done my fair share of sales. This was a field trip for the Mommas and I enjoyed every second!

      Held at the Croatian Cultural Centre on Commercial Drive this renegade revolution was not to be missed- music to entertain us while we shopped, demonstrations by Bird On A Wire plus some of the best vendors in Vancouver. I will fully admit it that as a maker myself I often go to craft shows seeking ideas and inspiration- it is always a pleasure to chat with other makers and learn their methods- this time I not only gathered inspiration and connections but also loads of super cute indie goodies!

 

     As with any show or sale there is a lot of the same stuff- lots of screen printed t-shirts, lots of jewelry and lots of handmade body care products- it is always nice to see artists being original and trying to hard to make a living doing what they love in such a competitive market.  A few real standouts in the crowd were the rice babies- beautiful peg dolls, fait pour toi- lovely handsewn dolls and mubiblossom- a real standout-  Miss Lo has several of their new hair clips and will possibly be wearing them to bed tonight!

     I always walk away from sales like Make It! full of energy and pirated good vibes- the mood is infectious and everyone is having a good time. The vendors really put their hearts and souls into weekends like this and the items brought home have most likely been made with love by the person who sis selling them- the intention and good vibes follow are palatable- this was an excellent way to wrap up my weekend!

Plain Jane

everyone's favourite little notebook is back by popular request $8 ea

    I took a big step today- encouraged by my ever lovin Mr. I applied for a juryed craft sale. I have done loads of sales in the past- one big sale -Portobello West I had participated in for several years- I thought maybe it is time for a bit of a change. So I applied for MAKE IT! - I am really excited at the prospect of getting into this sale! So I thought I would share a few things I have been working on lately- nothing like the prospect of a new show to get the creative vibe going!

If I had to pick one I think it would be the bird- one of my favourite silk screens on my favourite Moleskin note book- accented with a felt applique- has a hidden pocket at the back of the book for love notes and stamps!

dreamer tee pee $110- sticks-$45

    Brand new to the Plain Jane line is the Dreamer tee pee- made of 100% cotton painter's canvas this is great indoors or out. It makes a perfectly shaded reading nook for bigger kids outdoors in the summer and comes inside to be set up for those long rainy days of fall with the under five crowd! Doweling is not included with online orders but locals can purchase on pick up.

the mini market tote bag- $20

I know I posted about these tote bags not too long ago but I feel like they need to be mentioned again- made of durable cotton, lined with inside pockets- these bags are great for library totes or for hauling stuff to Grandma's. Toddler tested and approved!

$11 ea or two for $20

  100% Linen tea towels hand screen printed - these tea towels are great- use either for hand towels or to actually dry dishes!

   In a crazy turn of events it is almost fall again- this always leads me to start thinking about the Holidays- I love them! The idea of bundling up in layers of wool and tramping around with a toboggan, camp fires with marshmallows and this year teaching our kids how to ski. One tradition that I love is the giving and receiving of mail for no other reason than to say- Happy Holidays- I am thinking of you- I love you- Hope you are warm! So start thinking about your holiday cards soon- bulk and custom orders are always welcome! The sooner you get your orders in the more you save!

    So keep your fingers crossed that I will be a busy gal this fall- this little venture of mine is starting to pick up again. If anyone is interested in any items posted here fell free to message me in the comments section or email me directly- sharilyn.plainjane@gmail.com