50 East Pender.
Another last-Sunday-of-the-month, another excuse to toddle on down to the monthly Blim Market to get inspired by Vancity's best indie crafters. This was the second Blim Market to be held at the Vancouver Chinese Cultural Centre and my first time attending a market at this new location, which is within walking distance of the Skytrain and all those funky Chinatown shops that require regular exploration.
She's Crafty! Some of Blim's lady-crafters. (That's jeweler Alison on the far right.)
There were some familiar faces and some new ones, too. As always the artists and designers are (IMO) the real stars of the show, chatting up their wares and whatnot. My single purchase of the day was a headband from Love Bobbie. The band itself is completely covered (sewn, not glued) in fabric and easily adjustable, making for a comfy fit. Floppy fabric flowers in two shades of blue contrast nicely against the maroon of the band, making it easily wearable and totally adorable. I've been looking for a new headband for a while, and the $12 price tag was very reasonable.
Trés Blair Waldorf.
The term "craft fair" undermines what is actually available at these events, as "craft fair" connotes images of coasters made from popsicle sticks and oven mitts made from old socks or something equally lame - the fairs I have attended lately have been anything but! I am constantly in awe of the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of the designers and the entire movement here in Vancity...
The award for Best Packaging has got to go to Grandiose Lab. Also, their soap smells remarkably divine.
If you're like me and have yet to even start your Festivus shopping, you could easily get all your gifts at one of the many fairs that will be happening in and around Vancouver over the next few weeks. Shop hyper-local and get funky, unique items made by an actual person... how refreshing!
Upcycling is definitely a trend (ugh, sorry) to watch out for. Here we have re-purposed cutlery and fishing lures!
I am in love this artist's motif... and the little brooches are just too cute!
The lighters are brand new, the covers come off and can be re-used.The artist and her creepy-yet-awesome lighters.
"I wanted people to stop stealing my lighters," said the girl behind the counter. I saw several vendors buying up one of her whimsically gory covers, which are so cool they are almost guaranteed to be stolen and do not protect against theft at all! I'd like to see one made to look like a pair of black, tar-filled lungs ... oh, irony. Contact the artist at luxy6@hotmail.com.
