Vendor Call: Wedding Artisanal Market

Back by popular demand, the Spring National Bridal Show is hosting the Wedding Artisanal Market inside one of the GTA's largest wedding shows.

Inspire attendees to shop your handmade pieces on location at your pop-up shop. This market will allow artisans to showcase their work, learn how they can integrate handmade and/or local and artisanal products into their wedding and event celebrations!

This is your chance to showcase your products to an engaged bridal market, makes sales on-site and inspire wedding couples and their families to place future orders.

Vendors who would excel in the Wedding Artisanal Market include: local/handmade producers of items like: fashion, jewelry, accessories, original art, ceramics, body care, personalized decors, collectibles and more!

WHERE: 100 Princes' Blvd., Enercare Centre, Toronto, Ontario M6K 3C3, Canada
WHEN: February 1 to 3, 2019
APPLICATION: http://www.nationalbridalshow.com/spring-features/wedding-artisanal-market-2/
CONTACT: jcoffin@metroland.com

Etsy: Made in Canada Toronto 2015

Our enthusiastic fans began arriving at 5:30 am for a chance at getting a swag bag! This is the line outside MaRS at 7:30 am, when we already had 69 lucky people who would get one of the 100 swag bags. (photo: Ele Willoughby)

Incredible bounty of the swag bags! (photo by @aznswti)

I think like other organizers, volunteers and vendors I may still be recovering from our incredible show! We just can't say thank you enough to everyone who was a part of our Etsy: Made in Canada day, this last Saturday, September 26 - from our fabulously talented vendors, to our wonderful patrons, generous sponsors, Etsy Canada and our hosts at MaRS. At 5:30 am, the first enthusiastic fans showed up in hopes of winning one of our fabled swag bags. There was already quite the line when we arrived. We couldn't believe the generosity and creativity of our vendors; those swag bags were swelling with fabulous loot, well worth the wait!

photo credit: Peter Power

This year's show was designed to be more spacious and accommodating for our shoppers. We had a juried selection of 140 vendors spread throughout the entire MaRS Centre Atrium from University Ave in west all the way to Elizabeth St in the east. Thousands of visitors came out and showed us that they "shop from Torontonians" and value what our handmade and vintage Etsy sellers have to offer right here in Toronto (and also a shout out to the Canadian sellers from farther afield who came all the way here, just to participate in our show).

photo credit: Peter Power

photo credit: Peter Power

photo credit: Peter Power

Arounna from Bookhou Design teaching her paper flower workshop
(photo credit: Peter Power) 

Throughout the day, there were eight workshops, free to the public. We offered DIY classes including the Big Magic bookbinding workshop (with thanks to Sprout's Press Designs and Graven Feather, and our sponsor Penguin Random House Canada), make your own map pendants with Landfill Designs, make your own leather coin purse with Fitzy Design, paper flowers with Bookhou Design, paper tree ornaments with Salt Cellar Paper Co, crochet amigurumi dolls with the Purple Lilac Amigurumi,  and handmade macrame bracelets with Mai's Jewelry. We also were very happy to introduce a vintage workshop for the first time, thanks to Ian Drummond and Marla Good who shared their expertise and showed artifacts from the IanDrummondCollection.

photo credit: Peter Power

photo credit: Peter Power

photo credit: Peter Power

photo credit: Peter Power

photo credit: Peter Power

photo credit: Peter Power

photo credit: Peter Power

Photo: Peter Power

We love being able to bring together such a great selection of local, creative, Etsy small businesses: artists, designers, craftspeople, makers and vintage mavens. We love seeing the reception we receive here in Toronto and letting buyers meet their Etsy sellers in real life. You can still check out the thousands of photos shared on Instagram with our hashtag #EtsyMICToronto, before, during and after  the show, or the national hashtag #EtsyMadeInCanada. We had simultaneous sister shows at OCADU here in Toronto, and in 33 other cities from east to west. It's great to be part of a nationwide movement, this pan-Canadian extravaganza. We hope you were there to share in the fun and had a fabulous day!

Thank you and congratulations to our vendors! Thank you to our workshop teachers and our volunteers! Thank you to Etsy Canada, MaRS, and our generous sponsors Penguin Random House Canada, Chitchats Express, Chatime, The Printing House, and Friday's Off. Thank you to all our shoppers and supporters in Toronto! Thank you all very much for helping to make this possible.

9 Tips to Create a Perfect Customer

You made a sale - Congratulations. Before you send the customer their purchase, make sure you have the tools to effectively contact the customer again. Get your customer's information!

 

Customers buy from people they like, know and trust. The customer already likes your product (and hopefully you).

 

Step back and get to know your customer, so they will trust you and come back for more.

 

Did you know that your BEST customer is an EXISTING customer.

 

Here are 9 simple ways you can create a perfect customer, build a relationship and keep them coming back for more.

 

1) Get their information: Ask for their email address

2) Get their information: Ask for their mailing address (you'll find out why ... see point 6)

3) Get their information: ask for their birthday (see point 7)

4) Note their purchase (listen): write a note for yourself (Ms. Smith, purple necklace for her sister)

5) Follow-up and make it personal. It takes 30 seconds, and will make your customer feel good (and potentially come back for more). Hi Ms. Smith. Thanks for visiting my etsy shop, I hope your sister loves the purple necklace as much as you do. Sincerely Sarah

6) send a handwritten thank-you... our mailboxes are full of bills - treat your customer to a hand-written card. A short simple note is perfect.

7) You know your customer's birthday ... and send them something special on their birthday. This could be months from when you initially met them, but this little interaction will keep you fresh in their minds.

8) Be an expert. You have their information, send them something interesting. Trending colours, new jewellery techniques. Maybe even a how-to or DIY.

9) Special Occasions. Remember your customers year-round. Mother's Day is coming up ... what a perfect chance to wish your customers a Happy Mother's Day, or send a sample or gift.

 

Written by Jacqueline Hunter (Show Director, Craftadian)

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Come get your creative on.... Etsy: Made in Canada

 

We are very excited to announce our fabulous FREE DIY workshops at Etsy: Made in Canada, September 27th at MaRS, 101 College St at University Ave, 

from 10 am to 4 pm

All workshops are open to all, but spaces are limited. Reserve your spot by signing up today!

Greeting Card Workshop, 11 am to 12 pm with Steff from PickeledHerringDesign

Bath Bomb/Foot Fizzy Workshop, 11 am to 12 pm with Vanessa of Veelightful

Shibori Dying Workshop, 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm with Arounna of bookhouathome

Polymer Clay Mini-Doughnuts Workshop, 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm with Candice of CandiWareJewelry

Stamp Carving Workshop, 2 pm to 3 pm with Michael of Kid Icarus

Chinese Embroidery Workshop with Tianpei of Plum Pavilion

We also recommend checking in about 10 minutes prior to your workshop to secure your spot. We will open spaces to people on the 27th if pre-registered students are unable to be there. We know there will be people clamouring to join, so don't miss out!

Outdoor art & craft weekend: QWAC & DEAF

This weekend is a big one for outdoor art & craft shows! One of the biggest shows of the year is the Queen West Art Crawl! QWAC runs September 12 through 14 and features a huge art and craft show and sale in Trinity-Bellwoods park, on Queen W mear Ossington. This year some of the talent participating include TEST's own:
Natalie Jubb of Fragmentalist, Scotty2Naughty, Okku Design, Knotted Nest, Baited Hook, Jessica Lin Photography, Black Iris Design, CGMonsters, Illustrated By Anya, ZIPPAN,  The Imagination Spot, Von Estaban, Fitzy Design, Akai Ceramic Studio, Designs By Nature Gems, Inked Lily, Jack and Willa Designs, Nga Dinh Art, Keri Rounding, Landfill Designs, and many, many more!

In the east end, the annual Danforth East Community Association show and sale in East Lynn Park, the Danforth East Arts Fair (DEAF) on Danforth near Woodbine, grows every year. This year it runs September 13 and 14 and features TEST's own Clayshapes, Coy Depot, Your Heart's Haven, Lisa Young Design, Lynn's Lids, sea and lake, Stitch And Spoke, thunderpeep designs, and many more!

Vendor Call: Crafts at the Back

The new monthly craft market in the heart of Little Italy (at Back Space Toronto, 587A College Street), Crafts at the Back is looking for vendors! The first show will be Sunday, July 6th and they will continue to be held on the first Sunday of the following months!

8ft tables: $40
4ft space: $25

Space is available on the following dates:
July 6
August 3
September 7
October 12
November 2
December 7

Please contact us (backspacetoronto@gmail.com) for more information if you are interested in setting up as spaces are limited!

www.facebook.com/events/402855323186366/

Thanks so much,

Sari Kirshenblatt
Back Space Toronto
www.backspaceto.ca

Etsy: Made in Canada Day, Toronto Edition at MaRS! Applications are OPEN!

THIS IS BIG!

On September 27th, 10 am to 4 pm, the Toronto Etsy Street Team in collaboration with 416Hustler will be hosting the Toronto Edition of Etsy: Made in Canada Day!

We will be taking over the large atrium of Etsy Canada's home at MaRS, which is in the heart of the city at College St and University Avenue. There will be simultaneous shows at OCADU, here in Toronto, and in more than 30 towns and cities from coast to coast. This nation-wide event will get nation-wide promotion! Etsy is planning a Canada-wide media blitz. This event will get noticed, and participating in Etsy: Made in Canada will get you and your handmade or vintage Etsy shop noticed.

In the spacious venue we will be hosting more than ONE HUNDRED vendors. Have you ever wanted to take part in one of our shows? Now's the time! With a venue this large we can accommodate the range of fabulous shops in Toronto. Plus, while applications will be juried to gather the best, this show is open to any handmade or vintage Etsy seller. Team membership is not required - but you do need an Etsy shop.

Each vendor will get their own 6 foot by 2.5 foot table and one chair for the affordable price of $50.

What if you are a fabulous handmaker or vintage seller but don't sell on Etsy? Open a shop today and reach over 30 million members from around the world! Follow our link to get your first 20 listings free using the promo code TorontoEtsyTeam! 

Then drop us a line to sign-up for Etsy Newbie Bootcamp and we'll walk you through everything you need to know about your new shop! Don't hesitate, sign up today. Not only will we help you get your business up and running, we're specifically featuring newbies in our show. So we are looking for you and want you to be a part of Etsy: Made in Canada Day!

Be sure to follow our Facebook Event Page for Etsy: Made in Canada day updates.

Follow this link to APPLY NOW!

The application deadline is July 7th, midnight, Eastern Daylight Savings Time.

We mean it. Don't be disappointed. Be sure to get your application in.

Do you live elsewhere in Canada? Too far to come apply to or visit our show? Check out all the other great shows from coast to coast on the Etsy: Made in Canada portal.

2013 Mississauga Artisan Studio Tour

Come out to the Annual Artisan Studio Tour, where artisan's works are displayed in homes throughout Port Credit. Map and participants can be viewed at http://www.artisanstudiotour.ca/

Participants include TEST's own Alison Syer of Eyespot Designs.