A little press: Extase on Design*Sponge

Congratulations to T.E.S.T.'s own Extase, whose hand-carved stamps mounted on salvaged wood were featured today on the very popular blog Design*Sponge!

Vendor Call: Annex Patio Art Show

The Bloor Annex BIA is hosting the Annex Patio Art Show on the architecture along Bloor between Spadina and Bathurst, Saturday July 14th, and Sunday July 15th. They are seeking visual artists to submit work. Submission deadline: May 10, 2012. For more information, contact Robin Donovan.

T.E.S.T. Interview: Knitty Little Secret

We hope to introduce you to all the great etsy sellers to be found right here in Toronto. Here at the T.E.S.T. blog, we plan to interview them all. This is the 26^th in our series with Lindsay of knittylittlesecret.

Tell us about yourself and your background. How did you come to start knitting?

I grew up in PEI and when I was 17 I moved here with my Mom. I had always felt like a big city girl in a VERY small town (25, 000 people vs 2.5 million). After moving to Toronto I sort of felt like I'd come home and now, 16 years later, my heart is torn between Toronto and PEI. Three years ago I opted for the best of both worlds and we bought a house in Pickering, minutes outside the city. I feel now that I get the best of both worlds. I get a quiet suburb but still the vibrancy and electricity that a city like Toronto provides. I started knitting as a means to end my boredom at work. I work night shift and had wanted to try knitting for years so I thought I could knit at work to cure that. My kids (I have 2) brought home a Scholastic order form and it had a children's book on how to learn to knit so I bought it for myself. I figure if the book could teach children to knit, surely I could learn it, too.  

What do you like the best about knitting? What’s the worst part?

I love that I can create something with two sticks and a piece of string. I love that I can knit something and people say, "YOU made that?" It could be something as simple as a coffee cozy to a shawl, fingerless gloves to leg warmers. My favourite part, though, is when I'm in my groove, knitting and reading or watching a movie and I'm in the zone, doing a pattern from heart. I love that I can just escape elsewhere and only occasionally have to pay attention. It keeps me occupied. I find now, after 7 years, that I can't sit and watch tv and do nothing. Which is good, I suppose, because it means I'm not just watching meaningless tv and rotting my brain. The worst parts are the finishing touches. Weaving in the ends. I always worry that I haven't woven them in properly and they'll come undone. Or if I haven't properly joined two balls of yarn then whole thing will unravel after someone else owns the item and they'll think I'm the worst knitter in the world. It's the little things. I enjoy the sewing (except for the panelled ponchos - that's kind of a pain because there's just so many stitches to sew) but not the weaving.  

What is your favourite item to make?

I think fingerless gloves. They're a quick enough project that I don't get bored of making them and they're long enough to get me through a work day and leave me enough time to start on another project. Plus, I can do different things to the pattern to make it unique or simple, do stripes or not. Add lace to the cuffs or not. It's versatile.

How long on average does it take to complete a piece? Which piece takes the longest?

It takes about 6 - 8 hours to make a pair of fingerless gloves, start to finish, depending on the style. A hat can be anywhere from 2 hours or 6 hours, depending on the style. The longest piece was a sweater for my hubby and that took 3 weeks. His sleeves were too long (he's short - 5'5" but I was measuring against myself to make sure he had some extra room - I'm 5'8") but for my first sweater attempt it was pretty good. Second to that I'd say the scalloped edged poncho. It's knit in four panels and then you sew it up. That probably takes at least 3 or 4 days.  

Do you plan on adjusting the type of pieces in your store with seasonal changes? If so, how?

I used to have several other pieces that were spring, summer and fall related, not just with colours but the actual pieces themselves but I gave half my items away to a fundraiser in October of last year. I currently am working on items for a craft fair but when that's over I'm going to be knitting some beach cover ups and knit shorts as well as some brightly covered yoga socks (which are great for cool night and ballet flat shoes). I've always wanted to knit myself a bikini but, quite frankly, there's no amount of yarn support in the world for my 'girls' so I'll settle for knitting them for other people. Knitting for seasonal changes in Canada pays off pretty well. We have fall, winter and half of spring that tend to be cold so knitting works in cold weather. Knitting in the summer, though, causes some issues, especially in Toronto where it gets very humid!  

What did you want to be when you grew up and how do you feel about what you’re doing for work now?

When I was 3 I saw Karen Kain dancing in PEI and that was what I wanted to do. That fall my parents signed me up for ballet and I took it for 13 years, along with jazz dancing. Giving it up is one of the few regrets I have in life and I miss it still. Work now is just a means to an end for me. I need money to pay my bills yet I don't want to be a slave to work. I watch 9 - 5 ers and they spend an hour in rush hour and work for 8 hours, then spend another hour in rush hour traffic and by the time they get home they're too grumpy and exhausted to enjoy their time with their family. I work as a security guard. Truly, not a lucrative job at all (in fact incredibly boring!!) but it pays the bills. My husband works in the head office of my company and can technically be called my boss. We both work shift work and it works for us. We get a lot of time together as a couple and a lot of time with the kids. So while I don't appreciate people judging me based on my work position (because I don't judge others on their job title - your job is a job - it does not define who you are), I think we have it figured out and are happier than most, especially one couple we know who, despite making almost three times as much as us, they're struggling financially, struggling as a couple and are incredibly unhappy.  

Who is your model in your photos? She is adorable!

That's my daughter. Thank you!! She would tell you, in response to your compliment, "I know." I also have a 14 year old son. I think parenting either makes you stronger or clinically insane. I'm not sure which way my kids are forcing me to go but I'll let you know when I get there. He has ADD, she has Autism and my cat Persia has regular spazz attacks. It's sometimes a mental zoo.  

Where is your favourite spot to sit down and knit?

At work on night shifts. I'm very rarely disturbed while at work so I can sit there, knit and read a good book at the same time for 12 hours straight. However, I'm not a knitty snob and I'll knit anywhere. Transit, work, home, outside on a beautiful day. I'd knit in a fancy restaurant if they let me! My second favourite place to knit is at home but I've learned to put the knitting down when there's a good hockey game on because there's a visible difference in the stitches where the game gets stressful  

Where do you get your inspiration from in your day to day life?

Nature. My kids. My hubby. Random strangers who do something kind for others, not for recognition but just to be nice. I sort of feel like Gil in Midnight In Paris. As much as I love the perks that today's world has given me, I sort of feel like humanity has lost so much with technology and would love to live in a simpler time. So I take inspiration from different eras, as well. Just what society struggled through and survived. When they thought that life couldn't get any worse, that they could not possibly carry on, they did and things got better. I take inspiration in the strength of others, in the honest and truthful words of others and in my own errors.

 How do you feel living in Toronto has influenced your work?

There's an acceptance here that, maybe it's hidden inside you somewhere, but you have a talent. You are talented. You are capable. It really is the city that allows you to dream about great things, things that may never possibly happen, and things that you know you can achieve. For me, coming here at 17 from a rather vanilla province, I loved the skin colours. I loved seeing all shades of every culture. And I loved (still love) that these gorgeous people don't tone down their clothing but wear whatever they want. Growing up in PEI, where for YEARS and YEARS Sunday shopping wasn't allowed, the province was very much dominated by religion. Toronto is dominated by no one and anything goes. Every culture has their little neighbourhoods and walking through them, seeing the colours, seeing the shades of everyone's skin, makes me confident in trying bold colours or subtle colours that I may not ordinarily think of. Toronto breeds confidence in her citizens, even if they have NO clue what they're talking about or doing. Torontonians just believe in themselves and KNOW things are going to be amazing, if they currently aren't.  

What is it about Toronto that you think helps breeds the remarkable variety of creative individuals that sprout there?

The numerous cultures. In PEI there was only one first language for the kids I went to school with (though there were other cultures, they were vanilla-ized). When I signed up for school here in Toronto, the principal told me that there were 51 first languages. 51!!! That was amazing to me. And I think that sums it up. If you and I meet for coffee and talk about changing the world, we bring two sets of ideas and not much progress will happen. But if 51 people meet for coffee, you've got a wealth of ideas to choose from, a wealth of ideas that grows into something beautiful and strong and improvements are made. The fact that we have so many different cultures, colours, ideas. We're an incredibly open country and an incredibly open city. Heck, we were one of the first countries to legalize marriage across the board. Toronto GETS it. If you allow people to be who they are, you're going to allow people to be free and confident enough to try new things, or to create new things. Throughout Canada Queen West is known as THE place to shop. Is it coincidental that it's in Toronto, this famed Queen West? Toronto is accepting of you, regardless of your culture, religion, sexual orientation, size and gender. That mind frame breeds intellectual freedom which means it also breeds creative freedom.  

What makes you feel happier – knitting itself or knowing that people are enjoying your products?

Ooh tough question. First and foremost I knit for my own pleasure. If you and I were best friends and you fell in love with the shawl I made, I'd give it to you. I enjoy knitting because it's relaxing and kills boredom. That someone else could also possibly enjoy it makes what I do even better (and still surprises me). My friend Geri asked me to knit her a poncho six years ago. She still loves it to this day and still wears it. That, to me, is the perfect end to a knitting project. It's one thing for me to knit something and then toss it into a rubbermaid bin. But for someone else to fall in love with it and wear it, six years later? It's perfect.

How do you think your sense of humor has contributed to your work?

Well lemme tell ya. Sometimes, when you have to turn a skein of really ... Really ... REALLY thin yarn into a ball and that thin yarn gets tangled every 5 seconds? You really do need a sense of humour or else you'll go bonkers and throw your yarn across the room. Which isn't satisfying. Trust me. I think with anything, though, you need a sense of humour, no matter what it is. Whether it's something you love or something you hate, you need to laugh. Women have it figured out. There's nothing better than a good cry and a good laugh. As for how it's helped contribute to my work...well that's a good question. I think with any sort of creativity you need to be able to laugh at yourself. The silly mistakes you make, the frustrations that creativity can bring you. The silly mistakes that you make over and over again. The fear that creativity can also bring you. A good sense of humour can relieve your fears and your worries in creativity. It relaxes you and eases the tension you build in yourself and the confidence that may have been lost with one bad creative project.  

What is your creative process? Are you a careful planner?

My creative process is to buy LOADS of yarn, then buy MORE and eventually figure out what to make with said yarn. Halfway through a project I'll see more yarn, try NOT to buy it, buy it anyway... My process will either start with yarn or a project idea. I've had numerous failures (like a pair of ballet slippers that looked so promising but were a big fat bust). After I figure out what yarn I'm using I just jump in. I once had a gorgeous yarn for a scarf and, on my way into work, attempted 3 different scarf patterns, none of which I had the mental faculties to attempt at that time of day, and instead made a pair of fingerless gloves. So most of the time I just roll with whatever the day brings me. There are days when no amount of planning will work, you just do whatever your craft tells you. Then there are days where you're so efficient that you shock yourself. Oftentimes, though, I'll fall in love with a pattern and then knit it to death, just because it's such a joy to knit. Trying to get out of ruts like that can be difficult because while I'M enjoying myself, what am I going to do with 61 coffee cozies.

How do you ensure that your designs are not only beautiful, but practical too? 

People like Jackie Kennedy and her sense of style, they endure because they go for clean, simple lines. It's the same reason that Kate Middleton is such a style icon. Clean, simple lines and add flair afterwards. Trends and styles change every year. Every year we have some famous designer telling us what the next season's "it" colour is going to be. Some styles are just hideous and some are incredibly fun. Keeping to the basics will ensure something lasts not just through the years, but through the trends that other people decide on. You can always add the flairs after. This year's colour is Tangerine so I would knit simple things (hats, shawls, scarves, for example) in different shades of tangerine with very few changes. Maybe add beads to a hat, a simple lace pattern to a shawl and a ribbed pattern to a scarf. I also think, deep down, people want to own things that will endure. That's why we love the Kennedys, Hepburns and Grace Kelly. We love styles that endure through the stupid and the silly.  

And...where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Oh man. Either in Maui as a famous writer or owning my own yarn store. Or both!! I would actually love to work in a yarn store and teach knitting classes. I'd also like to have my book finished (not for publication but just for the sense of accomplishment). And I'd also love to hone my skills as a photographer and travel to Europe and go back to Hawai'i.  

You can find more of Lindsay's work in the knittylittlesecret Etsy shop, on her blog, or at the knittylittlesecret facebook page.

Interviewed in April, 2012 by Krystyn of CalliopeKitten.

Vendor Call: Steam on Queen

“Steam on Queen” Steampunk Street Fair 2012

Canadian Steam Productions is proud to present the 1st Annual “Steam on Queen” - A Steampunk Street Fair 2012 at the historic Campbell House Museum in downtown Toronto, Ontario on June 23rd, 2012! We are inviting quality merchants, dealers, designers, artists and artisans to apply to participate in our Fair. Come One, Come All!  

Application process - In an effort to bring to our attendees nothing but the finest merchants we will be jurying vendor applications and selecting what we feel will bring a certain level of quality and value to the Fair.  

The deadline for Vendor applications is April 30 th, 2012.

Late applications will not be accepted. Be sure to include the completed and signed application and contract along with photographs of your products. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Successful applicants will be notified in early May, 2012.

 Merchant application information is available here , but don't hestitate to email us at canadiansteamproductions@gmail.com if you're interested!

T.E.S.T. Interview: Calliope Kitten

We hope to introduce you to all the great etsy sellers to be found right here in Toronto. Here at the T.E.S.T. blog, we plan to interview them all. This is the 25^th in our series with Krystyn of CalliopeKitten.

Tell us about yourself and where you get your influences from.

I was born and raised in Mississauga, and I moved to Toronto as early as I could, which was to do my undergrad degree in Psychology and Classics. My Classics background (Greek and Roman history & culture) has influenced the name of my store – Calliope is the Greek muse of epic poetry. I like to think she keeps me inspired! I love big cities, so I went to London, England to do my Master’s degree. I lived in the Shoreditch area of London, which was a real hipster hotspot at the time. I felt right at home, since I’ve been insisting on wearing neon rainbow clothing since I was a toddler. I’m not sure why that started, but I suppose in the early 90s, everyone was wearing day-glo!
 
Do you think Toronto has influenced your jewellery in any way?

I have been obsessed with the Toronto indie music scene for a few years now, and always felt in awe about how much international attention Toronto musicians received and how much they accomplished. Growing up I never felt Canadians got any respect or made it big, but travelling around Europe showed me differently. Seeing that Torontonians can make a name for themselves has really given me confidence to promote myself internationally, as I’ve seen firsthand that the world thinks we’re pretty cool.
 
What does living in Toronto mean to you, as a citizen as well as an artist?

Every time I need to shop for supplies, I am eternally thankful that I’m in a big city like Toronto. I have access to so many different shops run by amazing people. Each shop I go to has a different collection of creative people who are from so many different backgrounds, which means I get to be inspired in many directions simply by buying supplies. Living in Toronto to me means I am able to gather ideas from so many different cultures and from the varied life experiences of the people I meet.

What piece are you most proud of and what piece caused you the most amount of creative grief?

I am most proud of my selection of black mustaches with sprinkles (Blushing Sprinkle, Sunset Sprinkle, Neon Graffiti, etc.), because it was a big risk, relatively speaking, to try adding sprinkles to black resin. I wasn’t sure if they would be visible at all, and the resin I buy isn’t cheap. I just went for it, and they turned out even better than I could have hoped. None of my pieces so far has caused me much creative grief – I usually just sit down and ideas pop into my head as I go. I rarely plan ahead. If I did, I would definitely find the creative process a lot more difficult.
 
I find your jewellery to be whimsical, fun and youthful. Who are you creating it for? Is there a demographic in mind when you create?

At first, I was creating jewelry for myself only. I love rainbows and glitter and neon, and so that is what I made. Through tumblr, I found that teenagers (13-17) were loving my necklaces. I got reblogged by so many One Direction fans that I lost count, which was kind of embarrassing for me. I stopped being a teenager a while ago and it made me feel like my tastes are juvenile. I wanted to appeal to a greater audience, so I started to introduce darker colours into my jewelry, as in my black mustaches, or more subtle shades of neon, such as my pastel neon earrings. These lines are popular with ladies in their 20s, and I’m glad I am able to appeal to a wider audience now. At the end of the day, I don’t create anything I wouldn’t wear myself, but this may change in the future as I mature as a jewelry maker.  

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I would love to live in London again, but never permanently. I love living in Toronto, where I have so many great friends and of course, my wonderfully supportive family.  

Would you be willing to lend out your elves for a small fee?

The factory elves have signed a contract of exclusivity to work for me, but if you’d like, I can put in a good word for you with the Elf Union.


If I gave you a million dollars, which 5 Etsy stores would you raid?

• MiniatureSweet - I’d buy all the molds and rhinestones!
• Hairbrainedschemes – Vancouver artist with delightful prints.
• MadisonStreetBeauty – Makeup that I can wear on my super sensitive skin.
• ErstwhileJewelry – There’s an engagement ring on there with my name on it!!
• NeonThreadsDesigns – Neon clothing, yay!

You opened your shop on March 18 of this year and you’ve already had 20 sales (congrats!). Besides your colourful and fun jewellery, to what do you attribute your success?

Well, I think the major thing is that I quit my job around the time I opened my shop. It was a rough situation and I had a lot of free time as a consequence. I decided to open my own business, but it was very slow to begin with, and I decided it was a good time to focus on my jewelry store. I spent hours and hours reading Etsy blogs, Etsy guides, product photography guides and generally scouring the internet for any guidance experience sellers could give me. So I think having the time to actually focus on my store helped a lot. I cannot forget to mention my sister, who has been the largest help. She tirelessly promotes me to her friends and her blog followers, and I have received a lot of interest from them.  

Describe your creative process for us, from the birth of an idea to the finishing touches, and what part of that process do you love and hate. 

 My process is apparently insane, according to another jewelry designer friend I have. She plans meticulously before she starts and only buys what she needs. I buy anything and everything I might be able to use! The first step of my process is sitting down in front of the massive amount of supplies I have. Then I think about what colours I am liking that day and what type of jewelry feels right to me to make. Next I either pile together a giant amount of beads for earrings or bracelets, or I snap on gloves to pour resin. Then I go to town, coming up with ideas as I go. I love being able to just shut off my brain and work with my hands, and I hate hate hate waiting 24-36 hours for my resin creations to finish setting up!

 What inspires YOU. Not just the jeweller but you Krystyn, in your everyday life.

Oh this is going to sound sappy/crazy cat lady, but my boyfriend Adam and my cats, Calliope, Professor Bill Butterscotch, and Little Jimmy, are my inspirations every day. My cats are always happy to see me, no matter what kind of trouble they’ve gotten themselves into or what kind of day I’m having. I strive to adopt this positive attitude! My boyfriend is incredibly supportive and patient with me, even when I’m being cranky or when I’m too tired to clean around the house. I couldn’t do it without these guys!  

What do you do while crafting your wares? Listen to music, watch tv, etc.

I usually watch the X Files when I work, and I’m surprised I haven’t made any neon alien jewelry yet. I also listen to podcasts when I work, such as Throwing Shade or Stop Podcasting Yourself. Sometimes I have to turn the podcasts off because I’m laughing so hard that I can’t keep a steady hand. I also spend about 25% of the time pushing cats off my work table, as I have 3 and they find what I do fascinating, apparently. 

I love the questions from Inside  The Actor’s Studio so I’ll finish this interview with those questions. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt (and why)?

Well I am also an Employment Counsellor, which is a great fit for me. I love helping people and I think a lot of the time we underestimate how much of an impact our jobs have on our lives. I’d love to try being an Archaeologist, as this was my childhood dream. I can’t imagine a more exciting feeling than entering a long forgotten crypt or uncovering a priceless artifact!  

What profession would you not like to do (and why?)

I will never again work in an office with regular hours. I don’t care what the job is. I need flexibility and I need control over my workday, and I haven’t been able to find those in an office job.

 If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

“Welcome, all the pets you had in your life are waiting for you just over there!”

You can check out more of Krystyn's work in her Etsy shop CalliopeKitten, on her Calliope Kitten tumblr, and her Calliope Kitten blog. Follow Calliope Kitten on twitter.

Krystyn was interviewed in April, 2012, by Lindsay of KnittyLittleSecret.

Vendor Call: The Spot

We previously mentioned The Spot. “The Spot On Queen” is a weekend mini market that takes place throughout the months of June, July and August. They partnered with the events venue 627 Queen West to host a series of markets with the goal of giving emerging entrepreneurs and artisans the opportunity to showcase and sell their goods to the public. They have a few spots left and so have extended their call past their deadline. To apply or find more details go to their vendor information site. You can also follow The Spot on twitter and see their vendors (including local Etsy sellers) on The Spot's facebook page.

Vendor Call: Danforth East Arts Fair

Each year the Danforth East Community Association (DECA) hosts the Danforth East Arts Fair at in their bustling community at the East Lynn Park. They are accepting applications now for this two day juried event. DECA also hosts a weekly Farmer’s Market in the same location each week. Because of the constant demand for crafts at that farmers market they began to host this well attended annual event and the community members are happy to shop from and support local artisans. For more information or to apply visit their website here.

Fashion Art Toronto

This week, April 24 to 28, is Fashion Art Toronto (FAT) Arts & Fashion Week!

|FAT| Arts & Fashion Week is a platform for inventive, pioneering and contemporary expression. This annual multi-arts event features 200 national and international fashion designers, visual artists, bands and performers each year. The festival delivers a packed schedule of runway shows, live performances, music, photography exhibits, video screenings and installation exhibits, to celebrate leaders in a wide range of art forms. Held every April, the event welcomes 5,000 people including stylists, buyers, curators, critics, members of the media, the arts, music and fashion related industry as well as the general public. Find out more here.

Amongst the designers featured includes some of T.E.S.T.'s own fashion designers! Jessica and Alexandra have a fashion show Tuesday April 24th at 10:30pm for our 2012 collection from Little.White.Dress. Dylan Usher of Dylanium Knits will be there too. Dylan will be co-presenting with Worth by David C. Wigley on Thursday evening at 8:40 PM.

We've been bragging about press received by our makers of late. Be sure to check out this link. Dylanium Knits is featured in this Global TV Morning Show segment!

Fun TESTed in the City

A treasury by TESTy member StuffbySteph77

Vendor Call: Toronto Waldorf School Arts & Crafts Fair

Are you the creator of handmade items that have that extraordinary blend of quirky but functional? The je ne sais quoi product of the craft world? Do you want to reach an amazing group of appreciate buyers in a welcoming and unique environment? Come join over fifty unique artisans at our much talked about Fair. The Toronto Waldorf School will hold its juried Arts & Crafts Fair on Friday night November 16 from 6 to 9pm and Saturday, November 17 from 10-5 pm. Items made from natural materials and imaginative children’s toys are especially welcome. See what last year’s participating artisans had to say and download an application. Deadline is April 30, 2012. For more information, please contact Leslie Peel, Coordinator at 905.881.6137, ext 711 or at artscraftsfair@torontowaldorfschool.com

Vendor call: Art in the Park

The Midland Park Community Association, Glen Andrew Community Association and Birkdale Community Centre are hosting an outdoor art show.

The newly created Art in the Park takes place Saturday, June 4 in Birkdale Ravine, 1299 Ellesmere Rd., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The deadline for artists to apply to be a part of the new event is Friday, May 20.

Art in the Park is open to all artists including painters, sculptors, pottery makers, jewelry designers, photographers and others.

For information e-mail midlandparkcommunity@gmail.com or call 647-800-7484.

TEST members in the Spring Made by Hand Show

Be sure to check out the Spring Made by Hand Show this Saturday (April 21, 2012) from 11:00am - 5:00pm at the International Centre, Hall 4 in Mississauga, Ontario. (minutes from Toronto). 

The Made by Hand Show is organized by TEST's own madebyjacqueline (Jacqueline), featuring over 150 quality handmade artists and artisians including TEST's own:

Thunderpeep Designs, FlowerPot Designs, Stitch and Spoke, BLISSFULsew, Ahkriti, Jack and Willa Designs, Healing Muse, Penelope PickleBottoms, Cocos Jewelry, Sahetah's Jewelry and Adornments Jewellery.

Come on out, show your support and meet some fellow TEST members.  It’s a family-filled-day:

• Shop with over 150 Handmade Exhibitors

• Enjoy FREE face-painting, crafts and balloon animals

• Visit with Cinderella (2:00pm - 5:00pm)

• Door Prizes & raffles (including a draw for a Cricut Die Cutting Machine)

• Thousands of one-of-a-kind gift ideas

• Free Swag Bags filled with goodies for 1st 100 Shoppers (including a lemon sent luffa from TEST’s own Healing Muse , and a pair of earrings from TEST’s own Ahkriti)

Admission is only $2.00 (children fee) – with all door proceeds benefiting Crafting for a Cure, a not-for-profit registered charity that looks for opportunities to insure children are having a positive experience when a hospital visit is necessary.

Please visit http://www.madebyhanshow.com/ for more information.  We'll see you there! 

 

Mother's Day gift ideas for the hip mama!:

Tip of the hat...

TEST would like to congratulate some members who've recently got a little press:

The Etsy Blog invited StyleCaster to create a spring-themed, all-Etsy fashion shoot in Brooklyn. The "vintage-inspired fashion feature with a modern and sweet twist" features not one TESTy designer but two: Simone's Rose Boutique and Quirky Beauty, whose Blair Oxford Blue Skirt and Butterfly Sash, respectively, are shown above and right.


The Etsy Admin for Canada, Nada Alic wrote about Toronto Etsy shops for OTM Zine. The article features items by TEST members Extase, Honey Thistle, Grace Design, and Quirky Beauty!

Way to go! We're not surprised to see such beautiful items get a little attention.

TEST's best wishes to those celebrating Passover or Easter this weekend

Enjoy your holiday with our best wishes!
If you celebrate neither, we hope you enjoy your long weekend!