Vendor Profile #8 - Jelly Brothers

Jelly Brothers

Tell us about your work and what we can expect to see at this years Handmade Hamilton?

We have been busy over the past year, expanding our popular series of Neighbourhood maps as well as our collection of silk-screened posters inspired by Hamilton.  Our collection of school prints is expanding as well, and we'll have a few new ones on display for the first time at Handmade Hamilton.

What are your inspirations?

Growing up in Hamilton, our work has a heavy dose of nostalgia and hometown pride, but we also look beyond our borders to other cities we love to visit. Cities continue to shape the things we create, whether it's the obvious choices of landmarks and historic buildings, or the more esoteric aspects of the infrastructure and built environment that surrounds us.

Tell us some of your favourite things about Hamilton?

Hamilton is big enough to be a complete city and to have its own independent identity, but still small enough to enable a sense of community. Hamilton shapes our work in many ways and has helped foster our weird little business. We get endless encouragement from the people around us, both for the things we create and for the city in general. 

Many makers listen to podcasts.  Do you? and what are some of your favourites?

99 Percent Invisible is always a great listen. The topics vary week to week, but the underlying theme is that design is an integral part of our lives. It's always interesting and inspiring. Locally, The Graham Crawford Show is a smart look into politics and city building in Hamilton.  

Vendor Profile: Jelly Brothers

We are Matt and Dan Jelly.  We live in Hamilton, Ontario and we make things.  Matt is a graphic designer, screen printer, pillow sewer and all-around craftsperson.  Dan is a photographer, graphic designer, and web developer.  

Who thought up this neighbourhood map idea?

A few years ago, when Matt was Chair of the Central Neighbourhood Association in Hamilton, he was working on some promotional materials and designed a map of the Central neighbourhood.  He then started designing maps for other neighbourhoods across the lower city according to Hamilton's official neighbourhood boundaries.  As of now we have designed over 150 maps, including neighbourhoods across the old City of Hamilton as well as the former towns of Ancaster, Dundas, Glanbrook, Flamborough and Stoney Creek.  Chances are, if you live in Hamilton, we have a print of your neighbourhood for sale.

Are the maps printed locally?

Yes, everything we print digitally is done locally at CopyDog on King William St. in Hamilton (a four minute walk from our workspace).  Specialty, larger format maps are also printed in downtown Hamilton.  We don't often screen print maps, but when we do, Matt does those himself by hand.

Who does your screen printing?

Matt does all of his own poster prints, t-shirts, and pillow designs by hand.  None of this fancy, efficient new-fangled equipment for us (well.. not yet anyway)

What about the tshirts you sometimes sell, are they made in Canada?

Yes! We're proud to say that all of the t-shirts we print on and sell are made by Jerico, a Candian (Toronto) manufacturer of t-shirts and apparel.  This does bump up our costs a bit compared to purchasing discount overseas products, but we like knowing that the shirts we sell are made locally and ethically.

www.jellybrothers.com