Ginger Cat Cafe Makes Latte Art

I had to feature Brandon's Ginger Cat Cafe. It is the first time that a Mom of a local business owner or artisan emailed me and requested me to check out her daughter's art. This is a whole different art than anything that I have posted here. Veronica Dyck makes latte art. Veronica came to Canada from Russia in 1994. She now owns an eclectic, art-infused coffeehouse. Unfortunately I haven't been to Brandon for a number of years so I haven't been able to experience her famous latte art. Valery, Veronica's Mom, generously and probably proudly provided me with photos of her daughter's art.










Ginger Cat Cafe uses Manitoba-roasted coffee beans for their beautiful lattes and feature many other hot & cold drinks, baked goodies & desserts, breakfast, panini sandwiches, salads & soup They feature live music weekends and are open 7 days a week so the coffee is always on!!


Ginger Cat Cafe also offers tea parties for private parties, meetings and gatherings. Next summer, as I am heading to B.C. to visit my dear friend Nadine, I will have to stop in and sample a chocolate dessert along with one of their famous lattes.

EMK Clothing

Erin May Kembel learned how to sew when she was 9 years old by taking sewing lessons in her neighborhood. This childhood hobby quickly became her passion. She begun selling her work to friends and family, and got into her first store when she was still in high school. Now Erin has her EMK Clothing line which she sells online, from her studio, artisan shows, and at stores across Canada including the Manitoba Museum Gift Shop in Winnipeg & the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba in Brandon.

Erin designed her EMK line to be functional and beautiful. She loves the combination of colour, print, and texture.

I was first introduced to EMK back when Erin and a partner had Osborne Village store Stulka Clothing and Accessories. I had loved how stylish and comfortable her clothes are. I bought a couple pairs of pants off the shelf and had her custom make me another couple pairs. Her EMK line had these bright retro Mitchell Fabric basement prints mixed in casual bottoms lie black corduroy floods. Yes....I still use "floods" rather then "capris"....Old Navy ruined that term for me. ;) I have not been the only person I know that was crazy about Stulka and EMK. My friend bought her very favorite EMK wallet at Stulka many many years ago and it is tattered now and terribly worn but she will not quit using it.

Erin seems to have dropped the clothing currently and has concentrated her design efforts to bags, accessories, and baby slings.

Even without Stulka there are still so many places to purchase EMK clothes. I just saw Erin this weekend at the Signature Craft Show at the Convention Centre and took a look at some of the new items on her EMK line. She still does great stuff and I find that all of her items, no matter how different, still have that EMK feeling that I remember from Stulka. It must be the Erin in every piece. I recommend that you take a peak at her website and download her catalog to check out her complete EMK line.

www.emkclothing.com

ManicMittens is a Whole Lot More Than Just Mittens

ManicMittens started by a stay home mom of three children in Winnipeg. Since her start ManicMittens has grown and grown. They still make all their products in Winnipeg but they have a HUGE product line now. They make crochet hats & crowns, hair clips & pins of all sorts, tutu's, clothes, sun hats, dolls, crayon rolls, and even dog clips. Of course they do sell mittens too. ;) The prices at ManicMittens are nearly as fabulous as the products. I do not know why companies need to outsource to 3rd World Countries. This is a home grown company with adorable products and good prices. You will not get anything like this at the box stores. Their website claims that there is something for everyone; Preppy to Punk to Emo. Baby, child, teen, and adult. That is a pretty big statement but I agree with them. I am very glad to have found them because I have picked out favorite items for upcoming birthdays, showers, and Christmas. I have never seen so many cute things on one website and I have reviewed some amazing stores and artisans this month.

ManicMittens can be found all over the place before Christmas so I insist that you check them out for gift ideas. You can order from their website:

www.manicmittens.com

Upcoming craft fairs:

Sunday, Nov 29 (10 - 4) Creative Collective Craft Fair - Crescentwood Community Center, 1170 Corydon Ave

Sunday, Dec. 6 (10-3) Tuxedo Christmas Craft Sale. 368 Southport Blvd


Sunday, Dec 13 (11 - 5) Last Chance Craft Show - Canad Inns Club Regent Casino Hotel, 1415 Regent Ave West

Or at local retailers:

Young and Trendy - 7-178 Pth 12 N, Steinbach, Manitoba - Stocking Infant Snap Clips


Bang! Hair Salon. 1102 Corydon Ave., Winnipeg,MB (204) 475-2264 - Stocking No-Slip Clippoes, Infant Snap Clips, Baby Headbands, Adjustable Headbands, Bobby Pins and MORE!

Bambino & Sprout. Anola, Manitoba - www.bambinosprout.com

Small Potatoes Baby Products

I have been admiring Small Potatoes at Baby Bin for a while now. Small Potatoes makes slings, nursing covers, little ones clothing, diaper clutches, hats, barrettes, and more. What stands out for me are the fabrics they use. Holly Clarke, the president of Small Potatoes, is a self-proclaimed "fabric junkie". She also has a background in graphic design and advertising so she is always on the lookout for unique and good quality products. These fabrics that she has chosen are bright, cheerful, and colourful prints. All Small potatoes clothes are handmade and she uses only the best textiles available.


My child is a busy little one and has a tendency to have little fits over and over in the day. When she is horrible I can fantasize a Small Potatoes dress on her. It would give me something to smile about. ;)

Another big wow factor that Small Potatoes has over many other children's product companies is that you will not see little teddy bears or safari animals. It always drives me mad how your style is supposed to be flushed down the drain as soon as you bring a child into this world. Why does the mother have to have a teddy bear baby sling or a big baby pink diaper bag because you have a baby girl? Dress for yourself. You are still a woman. Small Potatoes fabrics and product designs are modern, stylish, and make a statement. A completely different statement than the mom with the big puffy baby blue teddy bear diaper bag with bottle pockets on the outside of the bag. I am so glad that the idea behind the 80's-90's moms is gone!

Check out their products at the many stores in Manitoba, online at the numerous vendors that carry Small Potatoes, their website, their blog, or Visit them Nov 29th at the Creative Collection Craft Fair at the Cresentwood Community Centre.

http://www.small-potatoes.ca

http://smallpotatoesbaby.blogspot.com

Manitoba Stores:

The Baby Bin Boutique, 1444 Corydon Avenue near Waterloo, Winnipeg
A Child's Place, Grant Park Mall and St. Vital Mall, Winnipeg
Kids Around, 756 Pembina Hwy, Winnipeg
My Little Sunshine, City Centre Mall, 300 Mystery Lake Road, Thompson
Newbee's, Harvest Plaza, 585 First St., Winkler
Valley's Edge, 342 Main Street, Manitou
Young & Trendy, Clearspring Centre, Steinbach

Online:

BeBe Trends
BumbleWee Nursing Wear
Elephant Shoe
Buggy Boo Baby
Nicetots (Singapore)
The Tiny Tot Company

Holly Clarke sure knows what she is doing. I have not reviewed anyone who is so widespread with the vendors that carry their products. It is amazing and you must check them out!!

Boomerang 360 Soon to be Available in Osborne Village Shop

For the last 2 years I have visited the Boomerang 360 table at the Robert Steen Craft Fair. Kylie Stomp is the creator of Boomerang 360. She prints graphic designs on t-shirts, baby clothes, pins, bags, hoodies, and even underwear. The designs have a retro feel because of the simple and timeless images; such as cruiser bicycles, birds, and trees. Kylie's motto is "Anyone can make the simple complicated, creativity is making the complicated simple". When you look at her merchandise on her table that is the feeling you have. They do not need to be complicated to be interesting.

Up until now Boomerang 360 merchandise has been primarily available at various craft fairs and local shows. Kylie will be showing her wares Nov 21st, 2009 (1-5pm) at Gio's, downtown Winnipeg, Nov 29th, 2009 (11-5pm) at the "Gathered Hearts" in Niverville, and Dec 13, 2009 (5-10pm) at the "This Ain't Your Grandma's Craft Sale" at The Park Theatre, South Osborne St. In the middle of December Boomerang 360 will also be available at Sew Dandee in Osborne Village. Check out her designs at any of the venues, Sew Dandee, or online at:

www.boomerang360studio.com

Signatures Craft Show Today

My sister and I decided to head over to the Signatures Craft Show today at the Convention Centre. It was ok. Much like most Convention Centre Sale sales events. Lots of pricey items and not to many "craft" items. I am guessing this a more high end show than the quaint community club fairs. There were none of the $5 mom and pop knitting tables or the chunky hand made soaps. There were also lots of out of Manitoba vendors that probably follow the show across Canada. I kind-of expected it all after reading up on the show. I am not saying it was a total bust. There were some of the neato shops and artisans that I have been reviewing here. My sister especially loved the U.S.E.D. Seatbelt bags and will probably be ordering one soon. I grabbed a couple of cards to review later this month along with the long list I still have on the back burner. I am so proud of being from Manitoba. We have some amazingly talented people here. I always snicker to myself that only tough people can survive the prairies. All the weak people can't cut it here and move to Vancouver. ;)

Back to the show. Well....anyone who knows me knows I like to eat. I will never be a slim jim. The Convention Centre's vendor food was pretty weak. Stale muffins and "pastries" and $3 drinks. Inside there was an interesting Gelati vendor selling cotton candy, peanut butter, cookie dough, and other not very custom Gelati flavours. They seemed to be a hit with the crowd because everyone was munching on it. It was my "reward" for my little girl at the end of the show for being such a good girl. I sampled a few dip places and picked up a dill dip from Tasty Tidbets (A local Epicure type vendor) and some delicious cinnamon honey butter from Raven Creek Farm Bee Wares from Oakburn, Manitoba. I was sad to have missed out on the Saskatoon jam from local Miinan. They sold out before I got there but they still had the sample out and it was delicious. I got a card so I can order some or head over to another craft fair that they will be visiting. There were a couple knitting stands that drew me in but I have the German Oma knit for hire, from one of my first postings, so I don't need to out source anymore. ;) I seem to have only spend money on treats which is not strange for me. Most of the items I admired were around $100 and I am pretty much done Christmas shopping. Making gifts and buying local makes it easier and less stressful. No long lines and crazy crowds.

I think maybe I should have headed over to the Earl Grey Craft Fair instead. Probably more up my alley. I am getting very excited for next weekend's Winnipeg Centre Vineyard Craft & Art Fair. I think it will have some neat stuff. I will keep you all posted on it.

Safe Wooden Baby Teethers, Rattles, & More

A friend from Winkler posted about a woodworker on our baby forum a few months ago and it stayed in the back of my memory. Barry Lee Loewen of Canadian Woodcrafts is a Morden, Manitoba woodworker who makes safe wood baby products, kitchen utensils, and more. His baby teething rings are smooth and shaped so that babies can hold them easily. They are made with cherry wood and finished naturally with certified organic flax seed oil and orange wax to keep baby happy and safe. They would make a wonderful gift for a new baby or expecting parents. He also makes small, easy to hold wooden rattles and babies first baby spoon. The way the world is now and the terrible products available it is nice to find creative and talented people who are bring child rearing back to nature. Wood will never have issues with recall for BPA or other toxic man made material. These baby goods are not made in a factory in China. They are carved, sanded, and treated by skilled hand by a woodworker who loves what he does.

He carves other kitchen utensils like beautiful, smooth, and natural salad spoons. He also makes hair & shawl pins. He is available for custom work.

I have said this before but I love getting to know the person behind the craft and I have cut a little blurb from his Etsy site:

"I have always loved to work with my hands and simple tools and to create pieces that are both Beautiful and Functional. I have always felt that even simple everyday tools such as a Wooden Spoon should be not only pleasing to the eye but comfortable for the hand as well. For me Wood is a wonderful medium, and I love the natural colors and patterns within each piece. I also Love to combine different woods within a piece to allow there contrasts to compliment one another. With wood the possibilities are endless and I hope to include a great many of them in my shop."

You can keep track of Barry on his blog and Etsy Site:
www.woodenspooncanada.blogspot.com

www.etsy.com/shop/canadianwoodcrafts