Ottawa's Indie Holiday Craft Show Lineup

Super adorable necklaces from Urbanite Jewelry

Hello creatives!

Believe it or not, it's almost that time again.  CHRISTMAS!!!!  I love it, can you tell?  It's all I can do to not don a Santa hat and sing carols all day long.  Please don't hate me.  The Christmas spirit in strong in me, I can't help it.

One thing I think we can all safely get excited about: Ottawa's holiday craft show lineup.  Let's discuss.  First, loads of vendors selling spectacular handmade things.  Second, guilt free shopping (because you're supporting a local artisan after all).  Third, great people.  Fourth, bitchin' atmosphere.  Fifth, you can do pretty much all of your holiday shopping and avoid the crazytown that is malls this time of year.  I think that'll just about do it.

Here is Ottawa's Indie Holiday craft show lineup for 2014:

T.H.A.T. Craft Fair
October 25th
429 Parkdale Avenue
on.fb.me/1s0l5V8

Handmade Harvest Holiday Edition
November 8th & 9th
Old Town Hall, 14 Bridge Street, Almonte
www.handmadeharvest.com

Glebe Craft and Artisan Fair
November 14th - 16th
Glebe Community Centre, 175 Third Avenue
www.gnag.ca

Sandy Hill's One and Only Craft Fair
November 16th
Sandy Hill Community Centre, 250 Somerset St E
sandyhillsoneandonly.blogspot.ca

Hintonburg Christmas Craft Fair
November 22nd
Hintonburg Community Centre, 1064 Wellington Street West
www.hintonburg.com

Capital Pop-Up! Handmade Show
November 22nd
Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Ave
www.capitalpopup.ca

Joy! OVCC Artisans @ the Archives
November 22nd - 23rd
395 Wellington Street
ovccshow.com

Heart, Home & Handmade Indie Craft Fair
November 22nd
Glebe Community Centre, 175 Third Avenue
on.fb.me/1x6MqcF

The Savoir Faire
November 30th
95 Rue de Patrimoine, Aylmer
thesavoirfaire.ca

Finders Keepers Trunk Show
November 30th
Carleton Place Canoe Club, 179 John Street, Carleton Place
www.finderskeeperscraftshow.com

Urban Craft Market
December 6th
The Glebe Community Centre, 175 Third Ave
www.urbancraftmarket.com

MAC Fair: Christmas Edition
December 6th
140 Main Street
www.macfaircrafts.com


There you have it, friends!  That ought to keep you busy.  Which shows will you be going to?  If you're a vendor at any of these events, please leave a comment letting us know where you'll with a link to your website! :)

Happy creating!

- Amy  xo

Boston Terrier Rescue Canada Adoption Awareness Day

Hello creatives!

If you know me, even a little bit, you'll know how much I love my animals.  ESPECIALLY my dogs.

Mickey (left) & Ben (right)

Ben came to us from a breeder four and a half years ago, and was our only "child" for a while until we noticed how terribly lonely poor Ben was.  He's the kind of dog that wants to play all day every day, and every day is the BEST DAY EVER!  No matter what we, as humans, tried to do to keep him busy and entertained, he was just lonely for another dog.  I scoured the pet rescue sights for months, waiting for just the right dog to show up and give me that "he's meant for us!" feeling.  Call me crazy, but it really did happen.  In March of 2011, I came across Mickey's adorable little mug on the Boston Terrier Rescue Canada website and it definitely clicked that he was our dog.  He was the right age, super cute (in a sort of homely kind of way, which I loved), and even more importantly, the right energy level.  I contacted BTRC, filled out the application, met Mickey, and the rest is history.  Mickey came home in April of 2011, and I can't even imagine our lives without him.

Today, BTRC held an adoption awareness day in Ottawa, which was very exciting because BTRC is Canada wide, so events in this area don't happen all the time.  We ventured out to take them a donation of Canadian Tire money that we've been collecting for a while, and for Mickey to say hello to his rescuers and show them how great he is doing.

On our way!  But first, a stop at Starbucks so "mommy" can have her shaken iced tea lemonade.

Nothing like feeling that summer breeze blowing through your lips!

We've arrived!

Look at all that BTRC swag.

And hats!  Isn't he just the most beautiful model for these fantastic dog hats from Hats Enough Creations?  Talk about creative!  

Volunteer applications...

Hang on... That stuffy looks an awful lot like me.  I'm skeptical of this small, inanimate dog.

Mickey greeting some of the BTRC people.  Thanks for saving me guys!

Such a happy face. :)  Mickey had such a great time with his BTRC friends....

Ahhhh... A happy dog, on his way home.

Mickey is a happy dog, in a happy home, but not all Boston Terriers are as lucky (and Mickey hasn't always been).  Please check out the Boston Terrier Rescue Canada's website and Facebook page to see what you can do to help sick, lost, and/or abandoned boston terriers.  Who knows, you might even find a new family member.  :)

Enjoy your weekend!

-  Amy   xo

Amy is a full-time photographer based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  You can check out her work here and here.

Save the Wildlife

Hello creatives.

This past weekend, Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary had their annual open house to raise money and awareness for their wildlife rescue.  I was fortunate enough to have the day off, so I checked it out with TJ, my sis-in-law, and my nephew.  We ate some treats, saw some cute baby animals, pet a snake, and I even discovered an amazing creative. Warning: if photos of snakes, owls, and turtles freak you out, scroll past those photos quickly.  Read on!

Little Ray's Reptiles were on site to educate the public about animals who live in the wild in our region.  Here you can see a kid holding a rat snake, and my nephew in the background looking very sketched out by the whole thing.

Isn't he just the cutest?!  So snuggly.

This is a wood turtle, also from Little Ray's.  Just hanging out.

Inside, there were so many babies!  Raccoons, squirrels, groundhogs, turtles.  Adorableness everywhere.  

Outside there were stations that demonstrated the financial, material, and volunteer need to keep the sanctuary running.  Vet care...

Formula for the babies...

Bleach for cleaning, and food for eating.

Well hello there, handsome.  

Shortly before we left, this incredible young singer took the stage.  Nayana Bhatnagar is only TWELVE YEARS OLD.  This blows my mind, because not only did she have the voice an angel, but she wrote her own songs.  And they were GOOD.  Like, really good.  I got chills just listening to her, she really is an unbelievably talented creative.

You can check out Nayana on Youtube, and trust me, you should. She's a very gifted young creative, and deserves your support!

My nephew had a good time!  Porcupine cake pops!

For more info  on Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, you can visit their website or their Facebook page.

Happy creating!

- Amy  xo

Amy is a full-time photographer based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  You can check out her work here and here.

A Taco Adventure

Hey creatives.

Yesterday the day started out the same as most days.  With my husband talking about wanting food of some kind.  Yesterday was tacos.

We live about a half an hour outside of the city of Ottawa, so we don't get downtown all that often.  I use to drive the soul-sucking commute from one side of the city to the other, through psychotic drivers (some days I was one of them), winter storm, and endless construction.  Needless to say, I developed an aversion to driving anywhere in and around that place.  I'm slowly getting over it.  Luckily for TJ and his taco craving, I was headed into the city anyway to take back a lens I had rented for the wedding I shot on the weekend.  The taco adventure was born.

Now friends, I have to say that one of the biggest perks of both TJ and I being self-employed (he's a realtor), is that we get to spend quite a bit of time together and do these goofy, fun things during the week when most people are at work.  We often revel at how lucky we feel to be able to do things like this.  I should note however, that both being self-employed comes with it's downsides as well, but that's for another day.  Back to taco adventures!

Rumour has it the best tacos in the city are at El Camino, not far from where I was dropping off the lens.  Perfect.  We headed there, with TJ as excited as a kid on his way to the candy store, only to find out that they're not open on Mondays.  Wait, what?  How is a restaurant in downtown Ottawa closed on a Monday?  Anyway, the adventure was revised as I said good-bye to the $2.50 I paid for an hour parking near Elgin Street.  A quick google on our phones told us that another stellar mexican restaurant in the city is Ahora.  So off to the Byward market we went.  Cue photos.

Beautiful lilac blooms and they smelled amazing!  It's an important life lesson.  Stop to smell the lilacs.  Or roses, or whatever.

I sometimes feel like the whole city is under construction.  There's just no escaping it.  Is anything really getting better if no one can enjoy it because of construction?  One of life's great unanswered questions.

Off in the distance I caught a glimpse of Parliament Hill and the Library of Parliament.  For those following along from different parts of the world, this is where all of the important decisions are made in our country.  Like the White House for my America folks.  If the White House was owned by the Queen.

A beautiful little area off York Street. Cute right?  I could almost live here.  Almost.

We made it!  Destination: tacos.

And you know I love my creative touches.  This place was oozing with it.  I wonder who painted these cool designs.  Anyone know?  Anyone?

See what I'm saying?  So colourful and fun!

We had to wait a few minutes for the place to open, hence all the photos of the entry way.  Ready for tacos!  Feed me now plz.

This place was probably the definition of "whole in the wall," but how cute is it?  So colourful and fun!  I felt right at home.

What would tacos really be without Dos Equis?  I don't always eat mexican food but when I do I drink Dos Equis.  Obviously that had to be said.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.... chicken tacos.  These were AMAZING!  I strongly urge you check out this place if you ever find yourself in Ottawa's downtown area.  Favourite details?  Fresh chopped tomato salsa, handmade flour tortillas, and a slice of avocado.  Num.

Well done, Ahora.  Well done.  Operation taco adventure was a success.

- Amy  xo

Ottawa Craft Show Lineup - Summer 2014

Infinite Purpose Jewelry

Hola!  First point of business is to make sure that my local peeps get their craft show fill this summer (and fall), while supporting local artisans and creatives.  I know some of these artisans and am fully aware of how hard they work to produce awesome products.  They're also super cool, fun to chat it, and aren't hard to look at either.  So check out the dates, write 'em in your calendar, and go out to support local artists with some (guilt-free) money spending.  You'll thank me.  You're welcome in advance.

T.H.A.T. Craft Fair

Saturday, June 14th 

10am - 4pm
Parkdale United Church

For event details including list of vendors, check out http://on.fb.me/1ktU3qz.

Artisan A Fair

June 22, 2014

11am - 4pm

Shenkman Arts Centre, Orleans

http://www.facebook.com/ArtisanAFairUneFoire

The New Art Festival

June 21 & 22, 2014

10 am - 5 pm

Central Park, The Glebe, Ottawa

http://www.newartfestival.ca/

Urban Craft

Saturday, June 28th

10:00am - 3:00pm

The Glebe Community Centre, 175 Third Avenue, Ottawa

www.urbancraftmarket.com

Capitol Pop Up! Show

Saturday, July 12th

10:00am - 3:00pm
Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Ave

http://www.facebook.com/capitalpopuphandmadeshow

Merrickville Canalfest Fine Craft Show

August 2nd - 4th 

Starts at 10am

Merrickville, ON

http://www.merrickvillecanalfest.ca/

Harvest Food & Drink

September 13th

12pm - 4pm

Almonte Agricultural Hall, 195 Water Street, Almonte ON

http://www.handmadeharvest.com

Etsy: Made in Canada Craft Show

September 27th

Hours TBD

Sensplex Field House, Kanata, ON

Ottawa Geek Market

October 4^th & 5^th

9-5, 10-5

Nepean Sportsplex Curling Rink

www.geekmarket.ca

Have I missed any?  If I have, add to the list in the comments.  So that I can go. 

I'm stoked about this craft season.  So many great shows are returning (Urban Craft, Harvest Food & Drink, etc), some new additions (Capitol Pop Up! Show), and um HELLO?  A craft show just for geek in all of us?  Sign me up!  Some of us have more geek in us then other, and I for one am slightly heavy on the geek. Owning it.

Thanks for reading!

- Amy

Littlest Bird Workshop