Thursday, November 29, 2018

Vendor Profile #7 : Eleanor Rosa Felt

Tell us about your creative work and what we can expect to see at Handmade Hamilton. 

We use a high quality wool blend felt and 100% felted products to create unique botanical felt flowers, felt succulents, and home decor.   We also have a line of fun and whimsical felted pet "rocks" called "Stone Softies" where we let our creativity and imagination run wild.


What does your creative process look like?

Suzanne loves to garden and is a self-professed plant nerd.  From this perspective, we try create botanically-correct plants in the medium of felt.  We have two daughters who provide a huge source of wild and crazy ideas for our Stone Softie friends.  The whole creative process is a family affair, and we all share a lot of laughs as our creations come "alive"
What inspires you to create the work that you do?

We are environmental scientists and this is an excellent outlet to allow our creative sides to flourish.  We love to see the joy that our products bring to the faces of so many people. 

What are some of your favourite podcasts or music to listen to when you create?


Suzanne is currently listening to a podcast called Serial by This American Life and Mike has A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Guaraldi Trio on a constant loop.  We also love Ray LaMontagne, The War on Drugs, Tom Petty and George Michael.






Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Vendor Profile #6 : Glib Designs

Tell us about your creative work and what we can expect to see at Handmade Hamilton

I’m excited to be a first-time Handmade Hamilton vendor! I make greeting cards, both by ‘hand’ and designed digitally. For the holidays, I love getting out stamps and watercolours to make one of a kind cards. For this show, I’ll also be showing some 8x10 prints, an easy gift - just add a frame! 




What inspires you to create the work that you do?

I am always looking to spread positivity and seeing the smiles people have when they browse my cards is super motivating! I am constantly inspired by other stationary designers, artists and book covers. Even window displays can get me thinking. 



What are your favourite books?

As a librarian, this is a very difficult question but let me try to give you a couple really good titles I’ve read this year. My usual read is fantasy/sci fi and I loved Cruel Prince by Holly Black. If you’re a creative type, I’d also recommend Amy Tangerine’s Craft a Life you Love, part workbook and part motivational book. 

If you have any advice for any emerging artisans what would it be?

Make use of your community - take classes, go to art crawl, meet people, use the library. Hamilton can be such a great place for artists. 

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Vendor Profile #5: Curious Oddities



Born in a century-old log cabin in the wilds of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, surrounded by a community rich with artifacts of the early pioneers and settlers, I grew up with the heart of a dreamer and the spirit of an explorer. My intensely inquisitive nature led me to explore many different crafts and trades, absorbing new techniques and inspiration every step of the way.

Since 2008, I have spent my time travelling, collecting treasures and making delightful, fantastic jewelry.


 My work is heavily influenced by the designs of the Victorian, Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau Eras, in which romance, whimsy and elegance were paired with fine workmanship, quality materials and exquisite detailing. I also draw inspiration from many literary sources including works by Jules Verne, Neil Gaiman, Edward Gorey and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I have always been deeply aware of the balance and beauty of the world around me. Through my work, I love to marry the natural with the mechanical, drawing unexpected beauty from the mundane.

With a rampant imagination, I seek to find a story in everything and seek to unveil the magic in all I touch. The Curious Oddities collection is an ever changing and eclectic mix of salvaged treasures, vintage finds, gemstones, Czech glass, enamel and new, premium quality, traditionally pressed, antiqued, inked or plated brass.



All of my Curious Oddities are lovingly crafted and curated by me in heart of Hamilton, Ontario Canada where I currently reside with my three rather eccentric calico cats.

Most of the pieces that I create are small run (usually less than 10) or one of a kind; there are a few designs of the pressed brass that are renewable and are a more permanent part of my collection.




Monday, November 26, 2018

Vendor Profile: Smith and Tailor



What does your creative process look like?

My design process usually begins by doing research - for example, going on vacation, visiting a museum, or checking out photos from various fashion weeks. That inspiration tumbles around in my mind for a while, and then emerges as colour, pattern, and themes in my work. My mentor taught me that creating a great design is not the end of the process, but the starting point. Having a great idea put down offers you the freedom to expand outward and push an concept further.

What are some of your favourite podcasts or music to listen to when you create?

I listen to so many podcasts. Favourites include, RadioLab, ReplyAll, Ear Hustle, and for a good laugh each week, My Dad Wrote a Porno.

Do you have a quote that keeps you going when  you get discouraged? 

This has been the quote that has fueled my 20 year long career. 


"If you're going to repair a motorcycle, an adequate supply of gumption is the first and most important tool. If you haven't got that you might as well gather up all the other tools and put them away, because they won't do you any good.
Gumption is the psychic gasoline that keeps the whole thing going. If you haven't got it there's no way the motorcycle can possibly be fixed. But if you have got it and know how to keep it there's absolutely no way in this whole world that motocycle can keep from getting fixed. It's bound to happen. Therefore the thing that must be monitored at all times and preserved before anything else is the gumption." - Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance


If you have any advice for any emerging artisans what would it be?

Think about who you are as a maker and show that to the world. Find other artists and makers and become part of community. There is no need to continually reinvent the wheel. We are all on similar journeys and we can share experiences that help each other get better. Ask questions, listen, and keep evolving.

Instagram: Smithandtailor
Facebook: Smith and Tailor

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Vendor Profile #3: Gordon Leverton - Artist


What does your creative process look like?

Because my subject matter largely consists of buildings and straight edges, I draw a grid onto the canvas with pencil and use a ruler to sketch out the drawing. I then block in the colour until i've covered most of the canvas - that way I can tell if the composition is working and whether I need to change certain colours. Then, i continue the long process of layering the paint until the painting is complete.

What inspires you to create the work that you do?

In my neighbourhood there are many alleys and laneways, which afford a unique view of people's houses. I love the angles of sunrooms, fences, back additions etc and how they co-exist with their surroundings. 


What are some of your favourite podcasts to listen to when you create?

Anything from sports radio (when i want my brain to turn off) to This American Life or Democracy Now. My current fave is I Don't Even Own a Television, which is a podcast about bad books. There's also a great WKRP podcast called 
Hold My Order Terrible Dresser, which is about so much more than the 70's TV show WKRP in Cincinatti and has an ex-Hamiltoian as co-host.

What are your favourite books?

I can't shut up about books and music. Besides the classics, I have to say that Angela Flournoy's The Turner House, HHhH by Laurent Binet and anything by Roberto Bolano are my current favourites. 

And music! Currently loving much of the African soul and disco re-issues coming out lately. Also a big spot in my heart for roots reggae. I DJ at the Lounge at Casbah on the last Wednesdays of the month and you'll find me behind the counter at Epic Books on Locke St!

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Vendor Profile #2: This and That Design Co.




Tell us about your creative work and what we can expect to see at Handmade Hamilton. 

We will have a variety of different travel and makeup bags in our fall/winter prints. They're each lined with a water resistant lining and are all fully machine washable. We're a mother-daughter team, so we like to choose prints that a wide variety of ages will love.

What does your creative process look like?

Everything is made in our home studio, here in Hamilton. We also like to source all of our notions, fabric, etc as locally as possible. Sydney cuts out all of our fabrics and lining, then the bags get sewn mainly by Marlene.

What inspires you to create the work that you do?

The handmade creators around us and all around the world! The main reason we started this business was because we we're so inspired by all of the makers around us and wanted to be apart of the community. We're also super inspired by the amazing collections that our favourite fabric designers release. 

What are some of your favourite podcasts or music to listen to when you create?

Sydney loves to listen to podcasts when she creates and when she drives (and she spends a lot of time in the car). She loves The Lady Gang, Dear Handmade Life, How I Built This, Off the Vine and Girl Boss Radio. When working in our studio, you can usually find the pair of us listening to One Republic, Mumford and Sons or Coldplay. We also watch a lot of Gilmore Girls while making.

What are your favourite films?
Sydney loves The Town, Clueless, The Intern and The Accountant (to name a few). Marlene loves the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and we both love the Harry Potter movies and My Big Fat Greek Wedding (and quote it often!) 

Do you have a quote that keeps you going when  you get discouraged?
"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style." - Maya Angelou

If you have any advice for any emerging artisans what would it be?
To create wholeheartedly and find something you love, so you can be confident about selling it to the world. If you believe in what you create and love it, then other people will also love it. 



Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Vendor Profile #1: All Sorts Press

For the next few weeks we will be posting vendor profiles. At Handmade Hamilton we believe that the magic of local markets is meeting the people who create all of the beautiful things. Makers spend a lot of time creating and scheming to present the final products that you will see at the Market! We have asked them a handful of questions and we hope that you enjoy learning more about some of Hamilton's finest makers! - Lisa

Tell us about your creative work and what we can expect to see at Handmade Hamilton. 

I specialize in letterpress printing and make small printed matter using my antique press; cards, notebooks, prints, and calendars! I often print from printing plates of my illustrations, hand-set type, or lino carvings using bright colours and patterns, and simple heartfelt messages.



What does your creative process look like?

Everything is printed, folded, assembled, etc, by hand! My machines are old and human-powered, so the work is labour-intensive but the end result is worth it. Once a design is settled, I mix my ink by eye, apply it to the press and print from either a custom printing plate or hand-set type. Only one colour can be printed at a time, so that means cleaning the press and doing a completely new set-up for each colour of each print. I feed each sheet into the press by hand as my food maintains the press momentum with a treadle. 


What inspires you to create the work that you do?

Ultimately I've always been inspired creatively by nature, but in the past fews years I've been embracing brighter and bolder patterns and colours. When it comes to printing, I'm just straight-up obsessed (haha) - everything about the medium is inspiring - the machines, the ink, the paper, the tools, I love it all! :)

What are some of your favourite podcasts or music to listen to when you create?

Music for chill studio nights lately has been a mix of Charlotte Day Wilson, Jennifer Castle, Stephen Steinbrink, João Gilberto.


Instagram: @allsortspress

Monday, November 5, 2018



Getting ready for our upcoming show! Looking forward to welcoming some returning vendors and meeting the new ones! It's going to be great! Have a look at our vendor list here!