Local Love: 'Tis the Season!

The thing I love the most about this time of year is all the festive events that roll around, enticing all of us to leave our cozy homes, brave the cold for a second or two, and spend time with the people with love at the places we love. My schedule this week is filled to the brim with fantastic events and I wanted to share a few of them with you!

Flowers Talk Open House
Join the folks at Flowers Talk for an evening of special discounts, festive treats, and holiday styling tips for your home. Flowers Talk & Splendid Events are hooking you up with the most adorable cake pops you've ever seen, thanks to our talented friends at Bake Mob. We'll also have a gourmet hot cocoa station where you can create the perfect cup of hot cocoa, whether your favourite flavour is peppermint chocolate, rich milk chocolate, or even cinnamon. And of course we'll have plenty of marshmallows for the perfect garnish. Browse Flowers Talk's cozy and inviting boutique, mug in hand, and enjoy 15% off all purchases and special orders made during the event.

Cake pops by Bake Mob!

 

 

[the deets]

Cost: Free to all!
What: Flowers Talk Holiday Open House
Where: Flowers Talk, 1305 Wellington West
When: Wednesday December 5, 6pm-8pm
Why: To bring holiday cheer to your home and to give warmth to neighbours in need.




Here We Go Again: Renée Yoxon & Mark Ferguson's CD Release

Talented local jazz singer Renée Yoxon & Mark Ferguson are excited to release their first collaboration together! Join Mark, Renée, Joel Kerr, Jeff Asselin, Craig Pedersen, and Frank Lozano for an unforgettable evening of original music at the NAC's Fourth Stage this Friday!

[the deets]

When: Friday, December 7, 2012, 7:30pm
Where: NAC Fourth Stage, 53 Elgin Street
Tickets: $25. Click here to find out how to get tickets: http://www.reneeyoxon.com/how-to-get-tickets-to-the-here-we-go-again-ottawa-cd-release-december-7/

For more info about the event: http://nac-cna.ca/en/community/event/4538

 

 

Craftalicious Craft Fair!

If you're looking to finish off your holiday shopping, we've got an awesome craft show coming up in the Glebe on Saturday. Craftalicious has been running for four years now, and is a fantastic local show that you must check out! What do they have planned for you?

Gourmet Goodies & Treats + Prints & Cards + Glass Works + Ceramics + Knits + Jewellery
Photography & Art + Baby & Children’s Items + Hockey Art + Magnets & Pins + Ornaments + Bath  & Body Products + Fabric Masterpieces + Tarot Reader & Live Piano Music!

[the deets]
Saturday, December 8th, 2012
10am-4:30pm
St. Matthew’s Church Hall
217 First Avenue
Admission is free!

Locavore Artisan Food Fair
The folks over at Auntie Loo's made a spot on comment this morning. They mentioned that the chilly weather seems to bring out their appetites. I couldn't agree more! If your tummy seems to be rumbling a little extra this time of year, you *must* check out LAFF! This show, which has become a standard on Ottawa's food scene, is full of talented gourmet food makers who will have gifts for your tummy and those on your your Christmas list, too!

[the deets]

Cost: Free!
What: Locavore Artisan Food Fair
Where: Memorial Hall of Crichton Cultural Community Centre, 39 Dufferin Road (at Avon Lane) in New Edinburgh
When: Sunday December 9, 10am-3pm
Why: Yummy yummy food! Need I say more!?
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/159391614207466

Happy Holidays!

We wanted to take a second to wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season! 2011 has been so good to us, and we are so grateful to live in Ottawa and be surrounded by such talented and lovely people. Thank you to each and every one of you that has come to Urban Craft, to all of you that have participated as vendors and thanks to all our incredible volunteers. It literally wouldn't have been possible without each and every one of you, and for that we're so thankful.

Wishing you the happiest of holidays full of eggnog, cookies, roast beast & love! We'll be back in January, with the next edition of Urban Craft happening on the 7th! Get ready!

Holiday Goodies at Urban Craft December!

It seems as though December really snuck up on us here at Urban Craft Headquarters. Even though we've been working on putting together our December show for over a month, I can hardly believe it's already December 1st. I am a huge huge fan of the holidays and am seriously excited for Urban Craft's December edition. We have assembled a team of vendors that will have something for everyone on your Christmas list--from foodies to kids to vegans to glam girls--we've got you covered. Observe:

Hillery from Clever Plumage will be joining us all the way from Kingston! She creates gorgeous fascinators from feathers that she hand gathers from aviaries. She then hand washes the feathers and hand sews them into these stunning creations. They're seriously so perfect for the holiday parties you'll undoubtedly be attending this December.

Couture Kids makes some of the loveliest kids clothes I've seen in a while. Adorable yet sophisticated, I sort of wish she made some of these pieces in adult sizes so I could buy them for myself! We can't wait for you to see her lovely stuff in person!

Chef Richard's Kitchen Flavors will be bringing some seriously sophisticated flavors to Urban Craft this month. He'll be bringing preserves perfect for the foodie on your list -or- for that special party you're hosting this season. With preserves like Mostarda di Cremona and pickled crabapples, I'm definitely intrigued and can't wait to try some myself!

Indie*Go Designs will join us for the first time with her lovely jewelry. Designer Eliza creates really funky, unique pendants and earrings from vintage books, magazines and other ephemera and even creates map pendants (above), which are hugely popular gift items.

Auntie Loo's will be back this month with their ridiculously good vegan baked goods. I tried one of their brand-spankin'-new whoopie pies last weekend, and they're seriously delish. Major Craig's Chutney will also be joining us this month. Their infamously good chutneys, including flavors like Butternut Beer and A Date with Cranberry, will be on hand. My stomach is grumbling just thinking about it!

Urban Craft - December Edition!
Saturday, December 3rd
10am-2pm
The GCTC, Holland & Wellington

More Photos from Urban Craft's November Edition!

Some more lovely photos from Urban Craft's November edition, courtesy of our good friends at foodiePrints (who write one of our very favorite Ottawa food blogs)!

Photos 1: Macarons from Urban Baking Co., 2, 3 & 4: Laser cut toys from 3 Princesses Engraving, 5, 6 & 7: Sterling silver jewelry from Jasmine Virani, 8, 9, 10: The koko chocolate crew with their special Movember 'staches & boxes, 11 & 12: Flights of Fancy's lovely accessories--featuring ML from 20 York Street! All photos courtesy of foodiePrints.

Handmade Awesomeness at Urban Craft November

We had a record turnout for the November edition of Urban Craft, and the vendors we had on hand were ridiculously good (as always). Some images from the day:

{goodies from purple urchin}

{gorgeous green macarons from urban baking co.}

{the koko chocolates crew sporting 'staches to promote their movember boxes!}

{Cheryl of oh my ampersand with her lovely & unique wood jewelry)

{makerjane's lovely linoblock print cards}

{adorable stuffed goods from liv well toys}

{dempsey press' lovely letterpress goods}

More lovely pictures of our lovely vendors + details about all the lovely food packs we were able to assemble for The Ottawa Food Bank on the way very soon!

The First Ever Ottawa Craft Crawl!

Guys & gals, we've got an incredibly exciting announcement today: we're launching Ottawa's first ever Craft Crawl!

We're launching Ottawa's first ever craft crawl, taking place in November/December 2011! What's a craft crawl, you say!? We've smashed together two fantastic events: a pub crawl--where participants travel from pub to pub partaking in adult beverages--and craft shows, where you can get the coolest gifts during the holiday season. While there won't be any drinking involved, there will definitely be a ton of crawling. So much, in fact, that it'll be happening throughout the month of November and December and there's some sweet prizes to be had!

How it works: Participants can pick up a 'craft passport' at Urban Craft in Hintonburg of November 5, 2011. This craft passport will be both your guide to Ottawa's awesomest indie craft shows this November + your ticket to winning a giant prize package. Keep that passport and take it to any of the craft shows listed on the back. Get your passport stamped at the front door. Collect 4 stamps or more and you're eligible to win a giant prize package filled with tons of handmade goodness from every single show in the crawl PLUS a season ticket pass from the Great Canadian Theatre Company! Submit your passport to win the giant prize package at Craftalicious on December 10, 2011 in The Glebe!

Just the Facts:
1. Pick up your passport at Urban Craft on November 5
2. Get your passport stamped at each of the shows listed on the passport
3. Collect 4 stamps or more to be eligible to win the giant prize package
4. Turn in your passport at Craftalicious on December 10 to be entered in the prize package draw!

Participating Shows:
Urban Craft
November 5, 10am-2pm
1233 Wellington St. W

Handmade Harvest
November 4 & 5, 4-9pm (Fri) 10am-4pm (Sat)
Almonte Old Town Hall, 14 Bridge Street

Glisten!
November 19, 10am-4:30pm
1233 Wellington St. W

Sandy Hill One & Only
November 20, 10am-4pm
Sandy Hill Community Center, 250 Somerset St. E

Idle Hands
November 26, 10am-5pm
St. Luke's Anglican Church, 760 Somerset St. W

Hintonburg Artisan Craft Fair
November 26, 10am-5pm
1064 Wellington St. W

Urban Craft
December 3, 10am-2pm
1233 Wellington St. W

Craftalicious
December 10, 10am-5pm
St. Matthew's Anglican Church, 217 First Ave.

This event is part of Apt. 613's Support Local Month and sponsored by all of the incredible craft shows above! More details and exciting updates at our Facebook Page!