Market Collective – Bubblegum Sass

MC Holiday Market

December 4, 2014 Sarah Leave a comment

Annnnd it’s HERE!! This weekend is the first Market Collective Holiday show of the season! Come on down to the Chinese Cultural Centre Friday 4-9pm, and Saturday & Sunday 10am-6pm. There’s a $5 entrance fee for the weekend (kids under 12 get in free) or you can score a THREE weekend pass for only $10 (limited quantities available). Yep, THREE weekends of shopping local, unique, handmade items. This little gal will only be at one of the weekends, so you best come out and say “Hi” this Friday, Saturday or Sunday!

I have a nice variety of Love Catchers waiting for new homes, including a few festive ones to decorate your home for the holidays.

I will also have some adorable stocking stuffer options, including colouful Button Hair Clips & the every popular Button Magnets, both of which I have in holiday colours & limited edition “Frozen” inspired colours. I know, right?! Very pretty, and very awesome.

If you’re looking for a super unique gift, then check out the one-of-a-kind Upcycled Cuff Bracelets in pretty much every colour you can imagine. I will also have the more simple Love Cuff Bracelets available. That my friends, should have you covered for some nice gifts for all the gals in your lives. And then of course, there’s all the other amazing vendors that will be at the show to meet your remaining gift needs. I’ve got a few items to pick up myself. Looking forward to seeing you all down there!

A Time For Giving: Simplifying The Christmas Season

November 27, 2014November 26, 2014 Sarah Leave a comment

December is not far off. Goodness! Where did the month of November go?! At our house, it was consumed by colds, potty training, and more colds. I’ve been squeezing in little bits of crafting time where ever possible, but there’s been very few big chunks of making going on. Market Collective is only 10 days away now. I’m busy simplifying things in my head for the show, knowing what’s possible & improbable at this point.

I’m also being very mindful of what is most important at this time of year. This is the season, that one can most easily get caught up in the expectations of the world and lose focus on the true celebration of Christmas. So I make what I can for the craft show. I make what I love; make what I wish to share with my customers to fill their homes and help them express their love to others.

I also made the point to prepare myself for the coming Advent season. I don’t want to let it pass me by. Over the summer months (our craziest time of year), I managed, for the first time in my life, to make Bible reading and reflection through journaling a DAILY habit. A habit that was sadly broken during our Disney trip and subsequent chaos at home, but I’m really looking forward to committing again with the start of Advent right around the corner. I ordered an Advent journal from Naptime Diaries (I loved their Lent one last year) and even splurged a bit on their Advent calendar so that I could fill our house with mini-devotional prints (and God’s message to us). I might also follow along with the reading plan from Love God Greatly (formerly Good Morning Girls, which I did last year). Advent isn’t about spending money, but I saw the difference it made in my own Bible reading habit to have inspirational resources at hand (purchased or free).

Peering into December, it’s easy to see Christmas as a looming deadline. With chaotic parking lots, busy, busy malls, and the pressure of getting just the “right” gift, it’s no wonder we all get stressed out and miss the point of the season. Each year, hubby & I make another small step in avoiding the crushing chaos of December. It started years ago, when we began making the majority of our gifts. Then we incorporated Gifts of Change (gift certificates to World Vision & such, where recipients could choose the way they would like to impact the lives of others). Christmas craft shows start in September and this year I attended several before the shopping season was in full swing. It allowed me to support local businesses & feel a wee bit more prepared for the giving season. I also discovered the ease of ordering locally and having it delivered directly to my door (shout out to Cedar & Sparrow for the lovely natural beauty products, all made in Canada, that will be gifted to friends this year). Making small changes to simplify the season.

Throughout the entire year, we purchase & collect items for Christmas Shoe Boxes. I have a little cubby in the sewing room where I squirrel away items to donate. We make organizing half a dozen Christmas Shoe Boxes a priority every November and we try to volunteer at the Operation Christmas Child warehouse each year, when possible. I’d love to volunteer there more than just one shift. Perhaps in coming years. I also really want to do more random acts of kindness during Christmas. We managed to do several last year and I’ve collected more ideas on my Christmas Pinterest board. I’m not trying to boast, but trying to encourage you. Our season of Christmas is becoming less about the pressure of giving and more about the experience of giving and ultimately, the deeper enjoyment of it. It is well worth the time to take a look at your own Christmas season and see if there are any changes, big or small, that can be made to embrace the true meaning of this most wonderful time of year.

In the Studio: Love Catchers

November 10, 2014November 9, 2014 Sarah Leave a comment

In preparation for the Market Collective Christmas show on December 5-7th, I’ve been sneaking in a bit of crafting time here & there. Mostly in the evenings while watching a show on Netflix (most recently Veronica Mars, and now onto the latest season of Vampire Diaries). Hoping for a bit more time in my actual sewing room in the coming weeks. The Love Catchers are starting to pile up, and I’m feeling very satisfied with how well they are all coming together. So how about some pics and quotes to inspire your week?

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.”

– Earl Nightingale

“When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

– Proverbs 26:1

“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”

– C.S. Lewis

MC Holiday 2014 Markets

October 21, 2014 Sarah Leave a comment

Good news, folks! We survived our Disney vacation and are settling back into things at home (while fighting off icky colds). I’ve got lots to share with you about our trip, but you’ll have to wait a little longer for all that. The BEST part about coming home, was finding an email from the Market Collective gals saying that I was accepted into one of their holiday markets!!! Yay! (insert a happy dance or two)

So SAVE THE DATE!!! December 5-7th you’ll find Bubblegum Sass down at the Chinese Cultural Centre. Of course, each of the three Market Collective weekends will be chalk full of different artists & artisans, so plan on doing a bunch of your Christmas shopping down there!

Good things

July 22, 2013July 21, 2013 Sarah 1 Comment

Sammy and I headed down to Market Collective this past weekend. It was their 5th anniversary!! A nice big milestone for the MC crew and the whole handmade community in Calgary! They have brought so much awareness & support to the handmade movement and local arts. I’ve been a vendor at a couple of the markets in the past and, although I don’t get out to shop at every MC event, I do try to attend a few times a year.

I was super pumped to check out this particular Market Collective for a number of reasons. Firstly, the new venue intrigued me. I’ve never been inside the Mewata Armoury, but it sounded like an ideal location (they’ve struggled with finding venues to hold the events). Secondly, a number of Etsy Alberat teamies were vendors, including a couple that I’ve been wanting to make purchases from. Thirdly, I needed to get out of the house, get inspired, and breathe in some creative air.

Needless to say, Sam and I had fun, found lots of good things, and chatted with friendly folks. So here’s the scoop on my score. And what a score it is! First off, I finally grabbed “Happy Camper” t-shirts by Camp Brand Goods for Sammy and I. Been wanting those for a while now. Also found some lovely olive oil soaps by Ameya Studio. Next up, a pretty turquoise necklace by Taryn Hailey. Hard to resist turquoise AND long necklaces!

One of the fellow teamies I was excited to see was Hilda from Handmade Therapy. I was so happy to pick up some of Hilda’s lip balms (lime and pink grapefruit) which she makes from beeswax from her own bees, when available. I also caved and finally purchased one of her darling fold-over clutches. She has great pattern and colour sense!

I was also excited to see some of these note cards by Branch & Olive! I’ve featured Jill’s lovely designs on a Four Fab Finds post previously, and I love them ALL! Great work, Jill! Happy to have these new additions to my stationary collection.

Double Market Action

June 23, 2011June 23, 2011 Sarah 1 Comment

So this weekend I will be in two places at once. Well… technically my Bubblegum Sass creations will be in two places at once, not me physically. I will personally be in attendance at the Calgary Weekend Market being held at the Scenic Acres Community Centre (a stone throw away from where we live) on Saturday, June 25. This crafty event runs from 11am – 4pm. It will be the first time I’ve checked one of these markets out, so I’m not too sure what to expect, but I’ll definitely let you know how it goes. If you’re in the area, totally pop by and say hi. There’s no admission fee.

I will mainly be attending the second market in spirit only. Kalen of minibytes will be at Market Collective this weekend and she offered to feature some of my items on her table. So once again, the world will have to face the table of cute! Market Collective is June 25 from 10am – 6pm and June 26 from 11am – 5pm. Admission is $3 or a donation to the food bank. As per usual, it is held in the old Ant Hill building in Kensington, 148 – 10th Street N.W.

I’m sure there are lots of events going on in Calgary this weekend. It’s officially summer and that means each weekend is packed with tons of fun things to do around town. Calgarians seem to try and fit everything into the brief three months of nicer weather. Really wish I could be in more than one place at the same time, then I could take it ALL in. Enjoy the weekend where ever you find yourself!

One down, one to go

March 29, 2011March 29, 2011 Sarah 2 Comments

The March Market Collective came and went so quickly. I still seem to be recovering from it and a touch of the flu. Many hours were spent in bed yesterday getting extra rest. But now I find that it is already Tuesday and the pile of things to do this week keeps growing.

The Market was a lot of fun. Some especially great musicians performed on Sunday! I had lots of wonderful help from family and friends. The table looked great (I think) and it was fun to display and sell Nicole’s jewelry. The down-side… the weather, and subsequently, the roads, in Calgary was really crappy on the weekend, especially on Saturday, which is usually the busy day at the Market. It seemed to keep a lot of people at home. Which I can completely understand. It was one of those weekends, where, if you don’t have to go out, then don’t go out.

Sadly, this meant a quieter Market. I only sold a few items, which is disappointing. I did, however, get plenty of wonderful compliments on my new purses, which was good to hear after spending the past few weeks pulling those together. Oh well. I totally expect to have some good craft shows and not so good ones too. The Market itself was super great, as per usual with Market Collective. Just can’t control the effect the weather will have on attendance. It does, however, make me a but anxious about the upcoming Make It show. Not in terms of weather, but in terms of how my items will be received there. There is always that nagging bit in my brain that wonders if my stuff is “hip” enough. And of course there is always the fine balance of what it costs to make an item and what people will readily pay for an item. Lots to consider, as usual.

Thanks so much to all the folks who did manage to attend Market Collective! Such brave & determined shoppers!

Of course I can!

March 24, 2011 Sarah 2 Comments

Well over a month ago, I wrote a post-it saying “Order Banner”. I figured that it would be a good idea to have a Bubblegum Sass banner to hang at craft shows and markets. The post-it stared back at me for several weeks beside my sewing machine and every time I saw it, I thought, yes, I really should do that because who knows how long it will take to receive and what if I get into a craft show this spring… As it turns out I will be in at least two craft sales in the coming month. And of course, my procrastination totally worked against me because it will be two weeks before the banner is done.

Which is about the time I thought to myself, what the heck?! I’m a crafter. I can make my own damn banner! Gathering up some random pieces of black and pink fabric from the stash and a roll of Heat n’ Bond from my sweet mom, I got to work. Originally inspired by this fabric banner that was made for the Craftster booth. Mine is simplified owing to the fact that I am now at t-minus 2 days and counting till the Market Collective sale. Can I just say that, even simplified, I think my banner rocks! Way cooler than a Vista Print banner, which is still on order (as a back up to have on hand). Now simplified doesn’t mean that it didn’t take several hours, in case you endeavor to try this yourself. Cutting around all the letters is finicky work. My short-cut suggestion for this project, is to use Heat n’ Bold Ultra Hold, which requires no-sewing around the edges of your pieces. In fact, my mom urged me NOT to sew this type of adhesive because it starts to gum-up your machine and needle. Hopefully it will hold up well.

I’ll get some some better pics to share with you of the banner hanging at up this weekend at Market Collective.

Hopefully I will see some of you at the market. If not, have a most enjoyable weekend!

On the verge of spring

March 22, 2011March 21, 2011 Sarah Leave a comment

This weekend will be the first time Market Collective has had a show & sale during the month of March. And while the “official” first day of spring just passed us by, I am staring out the window at snow gently falling. That’s the way it is here in Calgary. Snow will likely continue to make an appearance into April and May. Ahhh… spring on the prairies.

The guaranteed continuation of snow and cold for the next while is why I will still have my scarflettes for sale this weekend at Market Collective, mixed with a bunch of my new purselettes, of course.

For those folks who live locally and are looking for something fun to do (indoors) this weekend, come on by Market Collective! I will be there both days, along with my lovely assistants, Tina and Lisa. The market will be in the old Ant Hill Building in Kensington (148-10 Street N.W.). It runs Saturday from 10-6 and Sunday from 11-5. Admission is $3 or a food bank donation. There’s always an awesome selection of local artists and artisans and live musical performances. Should be a good time!

Doilies, buttons, and corduroy, oh my!

March 19, 2011March 19, 2011 Sarah Leave a comment

One of the things I have truly enjoyed about being able to focus a great deal more on my craft business, has been having the time to play and design. When I was working a full-time job and squeezing my crafting time into every possible hour in the evenings and weekends, I found that I did less playing and experimenting. If I had an hour or two in the evening, I preferred to use that time actually making something, rather than brainstorming ways to change the design, try new materials, and push things further. One of my university professors always said that a completed piece of art only comes into being after it has been pushed to exhaustion.

I still haven’t done quite as much experimenting and playing as I would like, but even being able to do some has got my creative juices flowing more freely. My small purselettes had started to become a bit too repetitive for my liking, and it was with great enthusiasm that I dove into exploring some new options. They are such a versatile product. Keeping the same basic shape and size, they are easy to be creative with, simply by changing the type of fabric used and tapping into the seemingly endless embellishment choices. Small changes, but satisfying none the less.

So here’s a sneak peak at some of the new purselettes that will be available at Market Collective sale next weekend. The colours seem so very autumny now that I’ve photographed them, but rest assured, there are some lovely springy ones waiting to be assembled.