Exhibition of IN PLAIN VIEW ARTISTS Opening May 1

Exhibition of IN PLAIN VIEW ARTISTS Opening May 1, 2011 1 pm to 4 pm at the Wayne Arthur Gallery, 186 Provencher Blvd.  There will be a selection of pieces from some of the 33 artists who make up IPV, kicking off their 5th Spring Studio Tour June 4 and 5 weekend throughout Winnipeg.  Painters, sculptors, photographers, potters, multi media artists, and jewellers among others.  For more details call 477-5249 or see inplainviewwinnipeg.com.

Heart-Felt Yarn Wreaths

My friend passed on the tip to check out Heart-Felt Yarn Wreaths.  Once I did I realized that I had seen the name before...possibly on the Winnipeg Etsy Street Team and put it in my head as someone I'd have to check out in the near future.  I had figured wreaths would be a good thing to talk about in November...not April but I was wrong.  Her wreaths do not scream Christmas at all.  They are bright and very Springy.  This also makes sense that she will be at the Springs Church Craft Sale this weekend.  Her wreaths are a must have for someplace in your home where you need a cheery focal point.  We all have that needy wall that is calling out for something happy to fill it.  :)  Have a peak at her wreaths at the sale this weekend or online at her many internet stops.

"My name is Katie, and I am the owner and creator of Heartfelt Yarn Wreaths. I live in a cozy home in the Canadian prairies, and am a true prairie girl. I love a good strong cup of coffee, extra butter on my popcorn, and anything stationary related. My current loves include bunting, chevron, and scouring through my Grandma's huge collection of vintage buttons.

I am so enjoying the creativity that this process involves, and love working with others to design something that is special and unique to them. I love custom orders, please do not hesitate to send me a convo with your custom design request!"

http://heartfeltyarnwreaths.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/heartfeltyarnwreathsandaccessories
http://www.etsy.com/shop/heartfeltyarnwreaths

Three Craft Sales This Weekend

There is so much to do this weekend.  I hope I can get to one.  I haven't had a very good track record this year for attendance though.  :(  If you are looking for something to do this weekend this is where you should be:

Craft & Artisan Sale
Saturday, April 30th (10am-4pm)
Springs Church
595 Lagimodiere Boulevard

CancerCare Craft, Flea Market, & Rummage Sale
Sunday, May 1st (1pm-5pm)
St.Louis Center
445 Tissot (Near Provencher & Archibald)

The Last Chance Craft Sale
Sunday, May 1st (11am-5pm)
Canad Inns (Club Regent Casino Hotel)
1415 Regent Ave West
All Handmade and up to 100 crafters

Jbirds & Sonshine Handmade Wooden Letter Blocks

Jaelynne makes handmade, unique wooden letter blocks that are a great gift for a new baby or child's room, your home or office, or to decorate any room in your house.  Jaelynne wants you to picture yourself sitting in your tub and having the word 'soak' on a shelf, having the word 'welcome' in your entrance or the word 'family', 'relax' or 'enjoy' in your living room. Or what about 'dine' or 'tasty' on your dining room table or in your kitchen.  She says that whatever word you can think of can be done.  She also says about herself and Jbirds & Sonshine:

"I am a teacher by profession but am currently a stay at home mom to 2 fantastic kids. I am also a wife to my just as fantastic husband. :) I love crafting and have spent a lot of time doing scrapbook cards and a variety of other fun crafts. But these terrific wooden blocks are some of my favourites and I decided to try my hand at them. I love being able to use my creativity to mix & match papers, decide on font styles as well as colours for these unique & handmade blocks. From the sanding & painting, right down to the last button, ribbon or add-on...these are definitely well-loved blocks.  There are many ways these blocks can be used. They can be a beautiful gift for a new baby or a child's room. A photographer can use them in a photo shoot with words like 'baby' or 'bliss'. Another great way to use these blocks is for home or office decor. Words like a person's name, or a word that evokes special meaning or something as simple as 'welcome' or 'friends' or 'family'. These blocks can be custom made as well and each customer can put some input into them if they'd like."

Have a peak at Jbirds & Sonshine's blocks on Facebook or email her for more information.

https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Jbirds-Sonshine/211921892169306

jaelynne@hotmail.com

Judy Tingley's Art in Glass and Tile

Judy Tingley creates beautiful mosaic art pieces.  It seems that nearly everyone in my family has her mosaics in their homes in the form of mirrors, tables, and trivets, so it got my attention a while back.  One piece she did a couple years ago of my cousin really impressed me and I realized then that this was no mere hobby but a passion and an art.  She has such a range in her creations from beautiful detailed portraits in glass to a little peek here and there into the world around us and nature's little creatures.  I am amazed at what can be done with broken pieces of glass and tiles.  Here is what Judy says of her work:

"I began making mosaic about 10 years ago as a hobby and after retiring 5 years ago began making mosaic as a small business. I work mainly with stained glass but also with ceramic or slate tiles for outdoor pieces. I will also use found objects such as shells, stones and jewellery and build them into the mosaic.

I make home accent pieces such as coasters and trivets, picture frames, trays, mirrors, and and have recently begun to do glass mosaic portraits. I also do outdoor tables, bird baths, plant pot containers using outdoor ceramic or slate tile.

I mainly do commissioned work and am willing to try different challenges. I love working with the glass and experimenting with different colours to create interesting effects. I often am inspired by something I see and will take a picture and then do a mosaic of it. I like doing themed pieces and recently did a mirror with a nautical theme for a friend for her home at Lake of the Woods . This was really fun to make."

Judy is currently working on a website and I will update here once it is up and going until then email Judy at mosaic.accents@yahoo.ca and she would love to commission a piece for you.  :) 

Endeavours Beautiful Fine Wooden Jewelry

Endeavours creates handcrafted jewellery out of all natural materials such as wood, bone, and shell. Each piece they make is one of kind.  They use a variety of domestic and exotic hardwoods and source their bone locally.  Some pieces use colour-dyed veneers as accents but otherwise they are dye and stain free.  Have a peak at their Etsy site to see all the designs they have available in rings, pendants, and earrings.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Endeavours

The Velvet Vixen Continues to Impress With Her Eco-Friendly Designs

I met with Sarah Jonasson of The Velvet Vixen at a sale last month and was totally impressed with how her fashion has evolved.  She continues with the Nordic influences but has learned to work with new fabrics and fibers, with one being a very unusual one.  She has found a way to use fish leather in her designs.  I will let her explain it because if I hadn't seen it I would not have believed her.  It looks similar to leather and has no fish smell....which I am sure every one of you was wondering about.  :)  It has beautiful texture do to the scales and it looks beautiful.  She works with it in such a way that it blends perfectly with her beautiful Nordic wear and it brings it to a new level.  It feels like art has been woven through the fish leather and blends into her other natural fabrics like bamboo, jersey, leather, and vintage pieces.

"Sarah Jonasson of The Velvet Vixen was raised in Gimli MB 100% Icelandic, taught at George Brown College in Toronto, and inspired in Winnipeg MB.

She unifies dichotomous styles between dark and edgy - to elegant and feminine, designing women's clothing and accessories.

One of her trademarks is designing with eco friendly fish leather, and she strives to be eco conscious whenever possible. For example, she offers the choice of Organic Bamboo fabrics when ordering her designs. She also offers reworked vintage clothing, using only great quality vintage fabrics like cashmere, silk, or fabrics with unique patterns, and turning them into totally new and modern designs. She is able to get the most out of the materials, such as reusing crystals from antique chandelier's into her jewelry, vintage watch bands into high quality headbands, and luxurious silk vintage drapery into miniskirts.

She drafts her designs onto paper to create the patterns, she also designs by draping the fabric onto her dress form as it speaks to her, and sometimes she mixes the two styles together. A lot of the time she doesn't even plan exactly how the finished design will look, but as she progress during the design process it is clear to her what details need to be added to create a perfect balanced design."

"...fish suede which is considered to be the environmentally friendly leather, because the harmful chemicals needed in normal leather are not needed in the process to make fish leather. Also, the canneries and fishermen would throw the skins out anyways, so it is better to not be wasteful."

"I have been keeping myself busy with selling my designs at an amazing local eco friendly shop in Winnipeg, called Mozy Rue, Sew Dandee, Ragpickers, and soon Hempyrean, and more. I have joined The Fashion Guild of Winnipeg, and through the summer we set up shop outdoors at Old Market Square, the beautiful green space in the beautiful and historic Exchange District in Winnipeg. The Fashion Guild has many plans for the future including a quarterly fashion show!
I am also an active member of The Winnipeg Etsy Street team, and I will keep you updated on our plans for the future. "

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheVelvetVixen