Who will be at the WEST Sale III? pt.4

Who will be at the WEST Sale III? Look forward to meeting the following WESTies with their fantastic handmade & vintage items, come May 4th!

From top left, you may find..Toxie Designs - Earrings
HeartFeltYarnWreaths - Wreath
SmashKnits - Knit Headband
Nancy Blokland Pottery - Mug
Prairie Peasant - Recycled Journal
PeriwinkleDzyns - Resistor Necklace
M-agination - Bath Puff
ladylikeness - Cardigan
maryandmaudestudio - Panda Illustration
Bitchin'Kitsch'n'Kitchen - Antique Tin
BranchesandFeathers - Feather Earrings
AdorablesbyAlisia - New Born Outfit
aeliosdesign - Wrist Cuff
HoshiiDesigns - Infinity Scarf


RSVP to the WEST Handmade & Vintage Sale III here!

Who will be at the WEST Sale III? pt.2

Who will be at the WEST Sale III? Look forward to meeting the following WESTies with their fantastic handmade & vintage items, come May 4th!

From top left, you may find..
Heidi and Seek Boutique - Hi-Low Tank Top
Hoshii Designs - Foldover Clutch
Punky and the Bug - Birthday Card
Heartfelt Yarn Wreaths - Wreath
On the Go Designs - Baby Blanket
Toxie Designs - Earrings
aeliosdesign - Armlet
Real Swanky - Magnets
SmashKnits - Fingerless Mittens
We are Bound Together - Leather Journal
BlueStarStudio - Key Fobs
DarlingRing - Candle Skirt
emms Pocket Shop - Change Pouch
ByBlackBirdDesigns - Cuff Links
PrairieThreads - Basket

Stay tuned for Part 3 of our vendor features in upcoming posts!

RSVP to the WEST Handmade & Vintage Sale III here!

Shop Local for WEST This Holiday Season

Looking to find WESTies at local shops this holiday season?

Here's your one stop holiday shopping list!

1) Sew Dandee

105 Osborne Street, Winnipeg MB
M-Th 10-6; F 10-9; Sa 10-6; Su 12-5

Shops featured at Sew Dandee:
Just the Goods - handmade, natural skin care (largest selection including gift sets)
Periwinkle Designs - ever changing assortment of recycled jewellery
Nancy Blokland Pottery - Yarn Bowls only
Marathon 1981 - cards, creatures

2) Generation Green

 #155-1 Forks Market Road, Winnipeg MB
M-Th 9-6:30; F 9-9:30; S-S 9-6:30

Shops featured at Generation Green:
 Just the Goods - handmade, natural skin care (next selection including gift sets)

3) Mondragon

1A - 91 Albert St, Winnipeg MB
Hours vary - generally M 11-2, T-Sa 11 - 9 (sometimes 7) Not usually Sundays, some exceptions. All depends on staffing. Call ahead if concerned (204.946.5241)

Shops featured at Mondragon:

Just the Goods - handmade, natural skin care (facial care, toothpaste, deodorant, shaving products, hand/body lotion)

4) The Nature Doctors

1200 Waverley Street, Winnipeg MB
M 9-5, T-W 9-6, Th-F 9-5

Shops featured at The Nature Doctors:
Just the Goods - handmade, natural skin care (facial care, deodorant, hand/body lotion, + a few other items)

 5) Millenium Library - Best of Friends Gift Shop

251 Donald Street, Winnipeg MB
M-F 11-4, Sat noon-3

Shops featured at Best of Friends Gift Shop:
Periwinkle Designs - earrings, bracelets and necklaces, word buttons Shops

6) Freshair Boutique

Suite A, 542 Academy Road –Winnipeg, Manitoba
TEL:204 414 9023 FAX:204 414 9024
Email: salon@freshairboutique.ca
Tuesday, Wednesday + Friday from 10-7 Thursday from 12 – 9 Saturday from 10 – 3:30


Shops featured at Freshair Boutique:
Smash Knits; cushy cowls, bowtie headbands, turban wraps

7) Tara Davis Studio Boutique

246 McDermot St. Winnipeg MB
Open Mon-Sat 11-6

566 Baker St
Nelson BC
Open Mon-Sat 10-5

Shops featured at Tara Davis Studio Boutique:
 Hoshii Designs


8) McNally Robinson Bookstore 


Grant Park Shopping Mall 

Shops featured at McNally Robinson Bookstore :

Nancy Blokland Pottery 

9) Red River General Store

5700 Henderson Highway
Wed-Sun 10:00-5:30 

Shops featured at Red River General Store:
Nancy Blokland Pottery 

10) Lady of the Lake

135-B 17th St North.
Brandon, Manitoba
Mon - Wed, Sat 9:00 - 6:00 Th-Fri 9:00 - 9:00 Sun 12:00 - 4:00

Shops featured at the Lady of the Lake
Nancy Blokland Pottery


11) Wolseley Wool
 
162 Lipton St.
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Mon - Sat 10:00 - 6:00 Sun 12:00 - 5:00

Shops featured at Wolseley Wool
Nancy Blokland Pottery - Yarn Bowls 

12) Pembina Hills Arts Council 

352 STEPHEN St.
Morden, Manitoba 
Tuesday- Friday: 10 am - 5 pm
Saturday - 12pm - 5pm

Shops featured at Pembina Hills Arts Council
Nancy Blokland Pottery

13) Keepsakes Gallery
the Forks Main Building

Winnipeg, Manitoba
7 days a week


Shops featured at Keepsakes Gallery:

Nancy Blokland Pottery 

Look who is coming to the WEST sale (part 1)

Here are 3 of members who will be at the WEST Handmade and Vintage Sale on October 13, 2012.

Tawny Bee

 

Hoshii Designs

Dandee

Canada Day Weekend - WEST Handmade Village - Osborne Street Festival

10 WESTies banded together to create our own hand made village on Osborne Street in Winnipeg over the Canada Day week end. We set up 4 tents of awesome handmade Etsy artisan items!

Amidst a sea of mass produced items we stood out loud and proud!

Marie from YamasMaries table - sorry, I some how didn't get a picture of the lovely Marie! In the back ground is Louise of SoGaSoap, who was my next over neighbour and I somehow seemed to have also missed in my photo taking! Bad bad captain!

Here's some of her subject appropriate soap in lieu of apology!

Jennifer of ToxieDesigns,one or our fabulous leaders!

Sarah of FlatLandersSoapCo

Angie of ByBlackBirdDesigns and Steam Punk Trunk.

Deb of HoshiiDesigns 

Christa of SecretJewelry and Kat of AeliosDesign

Angie's sign - it sure drew a lot of attention!

Jackie of BranchesandFeathers 

And finally,my table Periwinkle Designs.

Many thanks to the group for all the great organization, support and just plain laughs we had all weekend--couldn't have survived it with out you! ~Ruth

WEST Summer Promotion: Hoshii Designs

Today we feature Deborah from Hoshii Designs.

Hoshii Designs specializes in Bags, Baubles, and Objects of Desire.

From the Hoshii Designs profile:

"hoshii" wanted, wished for, in need of, desired

My love of creating things was inspired by the amazing women in my life. My Obachan, Tsuya, (Mom's mum) was an incredible artisan. The intricate detail she put into many handmade ornaments and embroideries was breathtaking. Dad's mum, Hayako (Bessie), worked for many years as a seamstress for Simpson Sears and taught me how to sew as a youngster. She bought me a reconditioned sewing machine many years ago and it's the same one I'm still using today. My mother Lily is an unrealized artist in her own right and an incredible painter of sceneries. When I can get her to figure out her computer, look out for her own Etsy store.

I try and use as many renewable and sustainable materials as are available to me. The vast majority of the fabrics I use are ones I purchase from local thrift stores or pre-owned items that I have upcycled. Any and all leather details on the pieces I create are absolutely, 100% recycled from pre-loved garments.

_______

Check out this item:

This one of a kind mini clutch was made from a recycled leather coat circa 1980's. Trust me, no one misses this coat but the leather fabric has been given new life in this petit and funky clutch. The inside has been lined with brilliant marine and jewel toned vintage upholstery. It has been decorated with three antique gold colored studs.

_______

If you'd like to keep up with Hoshii Designs, please visit the following links:

Hoshii Designs on Etsy

Hoshii Designs on Facebook

Hoshii Designs on Twitter

________

And if you'd like a chance to win the item featured above along with 15 other fabulous WEST creations, please visit this treasury link and leave a thoughtful comment on the treasury page.  Simple!


*** Only comments on the treasury itself count for entry into the giveaway.  But you're more than welcome to introduce yourself, ask questions or talk about upcycling to make beautiful  creations with Deborah in the comments below****

Crafty Minions VIII May 26

The next installment of Crafty Minions is around the corner!

May 26

11am to 5pm

274 Garry Street at Aqua Books

One more time before they move to 123 Princess!

Crafty Minons VII was supposed to be the last one on Garry Street, but construction delays mean that for a final time, we'll be minioning our craft on Garry Street!

So, come on down to 274 Garry Street, between Portage and Graham (just north of the post office), between 11am-5pm. There's free street parking for 2 hours on Saturdays, too! And Aqua Books is doing a final clear out on everything they don't want to take with them to the new address, another excuse to go!
WESTies' that will be there:
PrairiePeasant/PrairieThreads,
Sogasoap
Hoshiidesigns
WeAreBoundTogether
DragonNerd
PeriwinkleDzyns

March/April Design Challenge Results

The W.E.S.T. March/April Design Challenge was "Spring!" Members were invited to create something inspired by thoughts of Spring, and use the Pantone Fashion Colour Report for Spring 2012 for inspiration if needed. We set a new record with this challenge, as we have NINE entries!

Katie, from Hearthfelt Yarn Wreaths managed to have the first entry in this month's challenge as well! Thanks for your leadership Katie!

Spring Yarn Wreath by HeartfeltYarnWreaths

 
Katie notes: When I think of Spring, it has to be colourful and there must be green. This chartreuse coloured yarn reminded me of new grass in Spring, and I loved the texture. Soft pastel colours, inspired by Patone's Spring 2012 palate, form a plush bed of felt flowers along the base of the wreath. I wanted to create something that would be perfect for Spring, Easter, and beautiful for a special mom, too!

Next was this entry from Marlene of Magination:

Tangerine Dreams - Java Jacket Coffee Sleeve by Magination

Marlene found these new yarn colours at Michaels last week and had to nab them. Love this new spring colour!

Tawny, of TawnyBee, brought a little whimsy to the challenge with Sir Galahappy, the Chivalrous Squid:

Sir Galahappy, the Chivalrous Squid by TawnyBee

He thought that he was destined to go on a quest to find the Sea Grail, but alas, it made him very frustrated and sad. So he changed his life goals and decided that when the snow melted, he would try out an existence on land. He looks forward to many adventures and especially loves spring because there are tons of puddles to splash in - his very favourite thing!

The next entry was from waterleliejewellery:

Gold and freshwater pearl earrings by waterleliejewellery

Andrea of weareboundtogether added a splash of colour with her entry:

Purple Flower Small Duct Tape Journal by weareboundtogether

Andrea says: when I think of spring, I think of flowers: flowers everywhere and the beautiful colours they are. I started expanding into colours just in time! The difficult thing was how to incorporate the flower theme into books, especially with a duct tape cover. The stitched spine made sense and seemed like a great idea. But could I do it? I didn't know. But I made some attempts and remembered to write down what I did so I could do it again, and here you go! Now I have a few different coloured flowered books in my shop.

Deborah, of hoshiidesigns, created this bright jersey infinity scarf:

Jersey Infinity Scarf Necklace by hoshiidesigns

Deborah was inspired by the Asian flare the pattern in the fabric took, matched with the solid black, and of course, her own Japanese background.

Here's Mike and Shaunna's entry, from DragonNerd:

Fractal Necklace by DragonNerd

They were inspired by the Pantone colours, and their "bold" colour choices!

From Alison and Leslie, of BirdieAndDot:

Zipper Cosmetic Pouch by BirdieAndDot

Spring makes them think of fun and bright colours! This little cosmetic pouch features funky flowers, the teal lining has a bit of shimmer, and who doesn't love pink polka dots?

And the final entry was from Christa, of SecretJewelry:

Blue Front Amazon Parrot Feather Ear Cuff by SecretJewelry

Isn't it wonderful how talented our team is? The variety here is amazing! Thanks to all the participants in this month's challenge!

We'd love to hear from you--what comes to mind when you think of Spring?

Stay tuned for the next challenge to be announced soon!

W.E.S.T. March Design Challenge: Spring!

Are you tired of winter? Longing for warmer weather to melt the snow? You're not alone! This month's design challenge is on the theme of Spring!
 

Jersey infinity scarf by Hoshiidesigns

Do you dream of being outside in your garden or on your bicycle? Do you think of pretty pastel colours? Bold and bright? Soft wedding whites? 

Meadow Green Pocket Purse Bees and Daisies Original Needlefelt Design by CloverleafFibreArt

Whatever you think of when you think of spring, use those ideas as inspiration to create something for this new WEST design challenge. The deadline for submissions for this design challenge is April 13.

 And if you need a little more inspiration, check out the Pantone fashion color report for Spring 2012.

Here's a quick review of how to play along: 
Think about the inspiration topic posted on the blog and in the team forum. As you mull over what that particular idea means to you, jot down some notes in the discussion thread or leave a comment on the blog. Take pictures of your process and finished item and post them in the forum thread. We would love to hear the story behind how you arrived at your finished creation! I will post a round up of all entries at the end of the challenge. 

A few notes: 
Create something new, especially for the challenge. Entries for each challenge must be finished by the posted deadline. Vintage and supply sellers are welcome to participate too, with a focus on artful photography and careful choice of item. 

Happy designing! 

WEST Boxing Day Sales

Are you ready to brave the lines to find that perfect deal today?

I'm not.  I'd much rather sit in front of my computer with a crocheted blanket and a hot chocolate in a handmade mug and surf the awesome deals that WEST has to offer this Boxing Week.

Shops having Boxing Week sales:

Tawny Bee:

For 15% off everything in the store (including clearance and marked down items). Starting today and lasting until New Years Day.

Coupon Code: BOXTHEBEE

Hoshii Designs:

Mine is everything in the store is 15% off until Jan 01.

Coupon Code: FALALALA15

Heartfelt Yarn Wreaths:


35% off anything in the store using coupon code. Entire store is ready to ship. Sale will end at 23:00 CST on December 26.

Coupon Code: BOXINGDAY

Toxie Designs:

Boxing week Sale - From Dec 26 to Dec 31 at 12 midnight CST - 20% off anything in store.

Coupon Code: BOXINGWEEK2011

Enjoy shopping for handmade this Boxing Week!!!

Hot off the press - New WEST Team Treasury

'More Gifts Under $20 ' by deannewatsonjewelry

From cute to cool, this treasury has something for everyone. Gotta love the prices! All items are from the WEST team in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Recycled Map Star Book ... PrairiePeasant $7.00	Simple Eco-Friendly Ste... ToxieDesigns $15.00	Turquoise and Blues Por... NancyBloklandP... $20.00	Ocean Sunset artisan so... SoGaSoap $6.00
SALE - Notepad/Passport... elliven $14.00	Simple everyday modern ... waterleliejewe... $16.00	Brace Face - Computer P... PeriwinkleDzyn... $15.00	Buddy Holly light switc... dandee $10.00
Card Suit Hearts Earrin... Jynxx $10.00	Fortune Cookie Change P... hoshiidesigns $9.75	VALENTINES SALE Beach B... jakecleo $17.00	Crocheted Hat - Raspber... MonCherieCreat... $17.00
Fizzing Vegan Bath Melt... JustTheGoods $5.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio