Local Mother's Day

Show your Momma some love by shopping local this Mother’s Day.  By shifting just a portion of your spending, you can help create more jobs, a stronger economy and build a better community here in Toronto.  So take a short peruse through these charming Mother’s Day gifts from our favorite Toronto Etsy Shops.

Cat's Cradle Dish - $45.00

Local Father-Daughter Team, Una and Aleks, from Whistle And Work created this amazing hand-painted, ceramic dish.  The illustration is an intricate game of Cat’s Cradle, which my Momma taught me how to play at a very young age.  We certainly did spend a lot of time futzing with the Cat’s Cradle string.  This ceramic dish is perfect for any nostalgic Mother-Daughter pair.  The dish is very versatile and can be used to store soaps, jewelry or candies.  I can picture my Mom eating a big piece of chocolate cake off it.  Whatever Mom will use it for, it will always remind her of her babies.

Kostimusha is such an amazing Etsy shop – it’s impossible to pick a favorite piece. Kostimusha’s pieces are often asymmetrical, rough and purposely imperfect. They celebrate individuality, uniqueness and creative freedom.

Leather Necklace - $65.63

All items in the shop are handmade with an emotion and with great attention paid on detail.  I love the idea of a leather statement necklace as a gift for Mom as these types of necklaces are rare and instantly upgrade a look to edgy chic.  My Momma is a motorcycle biker and a school teacher.  This statement necklace is edgy, feminine and unique – just like Mom.  It would also compliment her everyday clothing like jeans, leather or even a little black dress.

Mom makes life more beautiful.  Why not reciprocate her pretty ways and send her a little bouquet of beauty?  

Mother's Day Card - $7.88

I’ll be sending Mom a card this Mother’s Day and I am especially loving this sweet and savvy greeting created by Rovena at Handmade By Rovena.  The handmade card features a gently raised bouquet of pink cherry blossoms and sweet white flowers. The bouquet is wrapped up with baker’s twine for a nice finishing touch – perfect for Mom.  Be sure to check out Handmade By Rovena for all of your stationary needs. Rovena has a heap of quirky cards that reflect her life as a mother, a scientist and a creative paper artist.

Grizzly Bear Tote Bag - $22.00

My Mom is a total sucker for tote bags.  She uses them to carry school work, as a plastic bag alternative and to haul around her usual stack of library books.  This grizzly bear tote bag is designed and screen printed by Heart’s Haven.  The tote is called “Setting Free the Bears!” which is named after the famous John Irving novel.  We know book-loving Momma would adore this tote.  And who in their right mind could resist the grizzly bear?!  This strong cotton tote bag is also perfect for Mom as it can probably carry 100 times more than she can carry.  Go check out Heart’s Haven shop you for more awesome handmade accessories.

Vegan Seaweed Salt Scrub – $11.88 CAD

Does your Momma love bubble baths and beauty products?  It’s certainly the case with my Mom and I.  As a fellow bath and beauty lover, I feel like I have the authority to tell you not to miss out on this local ‘n’ lovely organic beauty shop called The Basic Elements.  The best part about The Basic Elements is that their products are 100% safe for Moms skin!  Their products are free of chemicals, detergents, dyes, synthetics and preservatives.  This restorative seaweed scrub is perfect for pampering Momma.  The scrub will detoxify, polish and massage her skin.  But wait, there’s more!  The seaweed scrubcontains nourishing grapeseed and essential oils that condition and soften the skin.  Check The Basic Elements Etsy Shop frequently as they are often rolling out new products every few weeks.

Potato Masher – $8.00 CAD

Because our Momma makes the best mashed potatoes!  I love, love, love the Coco And Bear Etsy Shop.  Coco And Bear is full of unique vintage finds for your home, office or business.  It’s really well merchandised and we love their style of photography.  This farmhouse style potato masher is simply amazing.  I remember a similar masher in my Mothers kitchen.  Just looking at this photograph, I can picture Mom rattling those pots and pans during a long holiday weekend.  Often she would pass the wirey potato masher to me over a pot of steaming potatoes and say, “Have at it!”  If your Mom loves that shabby chic style, this would be a great lil’ addition to her home.

So there you go Toronto.  Local homegrown goodness for the coolest lady in your life.  Be sure to check out Etsy for even more local Mother’ Day gifts.  Nothing could make your Momma more proud than buying products absolutely unique to your area.  Happy shopping locally!

T.E.S.T. Interview: Heart's Haven

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 37^th in our series with Katie of YourHeartsHaven.

So I read that you are originally from Halifax! How long did you live out East and what brought you to Toronto?




I was born in Hali and lived there until I was 19. I did one year at the art college (NSCAD) in Halifax, and then I switch to U of T. I think I was just craving something different, something bigger. Much to my mom’s chagrin, it was time for me to move to the big city. And I’ve been here ever since.

Besides the fact that there isn't the ocean here, what's the biggest difference you notice between Halifax and Toronto?




Halifax definitely operates at a different pace. “Rush hour” in Halifax means it takes you ten minutes longer to get to your destination. Also, everyone’s up for small talk, all the time. Or strangers will smile at you on the street. Sometimes I like the anonymity in Toronto, which is virtually impossible to have in Halifax.

How did you learn to sew?




My wonderful mother Peggy taught me. She’s a great seamstress and quilter, much more meticulous than I am. She taught me the basics when I was very young, then I started sewing again more frequently when I was about 20.

What was the first thing you sewed and what inspired it?



 

Such a great question! I wish I had more of an exciting answer, but the thing with sewing is that you make a lot of mistakes in the beginning. A lot. And the first thing you lean is pretty much how to sew a straight line. But, I do remember my mom setting me up with an embroidery hoop, a needle and thread, and some buttons when I was about four, and letting me go to town. Maybe she still has some of my early handiwork stashed away.

The first thing I sewed specifically for Heart's Haven was a broken heart coffee cozy. I've always been drawn to heart and broken heart motifs.
 
Do you sell your items full time? Do you have another job as well?


I have a full time job at an animal hospital that I just love. I’m so lucky to have a job that I enjoy so much.

I see that you are going to be at a lot of craft shows and sales, is that mostly how you sell your items? 

Yes it is. When I first decided to start Heart’s Haven, I figured I would just get myself out there locally as much as possible. I’ve applied to literally every vendor call that’s come my way. It was intimidating at first, since I was just getting started and at bigger shows like the Beaches Arts and Crafts Show, the other vendors had so much more experience than I did. But doing so many shows has been a great experience for me.

Selling online vs. selling in person - which do you prefer and why?



Selling in person. 100%. I find it very inspiring and fulfilling. It gives me such a great feeling when people are excited by what I’m making. Even when not every visitor to your booth is buying, you still see great reactions to your work, and people taking business cards, which is something I think you miss out on when selling online. You don’t get to see if a customer's eyes light up, or how they smile when looking at your work. For me that’s the best part. Also, you get to meet so many interesting and creative people (shoppers and other vendors), which is always a positive thing. 

Where do you source your materials for upcycling?

I started by using my own old clothes, and now I scour Value Village and other vintage shops for great finds. I love perusing the racks for interesting sweaters. And it’s amazing what high quality stuff you can find.

Have you ever found anything really special to use?



My grandfather had this sweater with two alpacas on it that he wore for pretty much my entire life. When he died two years ago I knew I would have to find something special to do with it. I used part of it to make and art piece for the Awol Gallery's 10th Annual Original Square Foot Show and the rest I’m going to make into a scarf for myself.

Is there anything else you would love to make or learn how to make?




Everything! I did a tiny bit of screen printing a few years back and I’d love to refresh those skills. I’m also interested in woodworking but that kind of intimidates me.


Your items are perfect for the fall/winter season, what do you have planned for the holidays?

Thanks! Right now I’m making many, many sweater scarves for my upcoming holiday shows. I’ve gotten great response so far, so hopefully they sell like hotcakes! I think they can be great for both guys and girls, and make a pretty nice gift.

And just for fun, tell me about your cat and dog. What are their names?

Like all animal owners, I love talking about my creatures! I got my cat Chyna when she was two, and she’s six now. She’s quite the character, always up to no good. My dog, Venice, is a retired racing Greyhound. He raced until he was three, then I adopted him last year. He’s my first dog, and has been one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Check out the other items available from Katie in her Etsy Shop! You can find more of her work on her Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Interviewed by Kate of NailKandy in November 2012 in Toronto.