1. Alisha Boyd of Alisha Marie Boyd Jewel, Booth: N-32, 5 Days (ends November 29)
2. Tania Gleave & Penny Gleave of Lemon Park, Booth: O-36, 5 Days (ends November 29)
3. Hilary Cosgrove of Hilary Cosgrove, Booth: Z-17
4. Katy Chan, Hilary Dennis & Katy Chan of Schoolyard, Booth: I-29
5. Heidi Flint of Muskoka Soap Company, Booth: H-38
6. Katya Revenko of Desperately Different, Booth: R-47
7. Jackie Wilson & Jane McMillan of Knit Twits, Booth: R-37, 6 Days (begins November 30)
8. Jenna Fenwick of jenna rose, Booth: I-04
9. Devorah Miller of Red Thread Design, Booth: G-49

In order to celebrate all the hard work and dedication our exhibitors put into each piece you see at the Show, the central theme to our campaign this year is “Love the Artisans”. With the holiday season just around the corner, we thought what better way to extend this theme than to ask our talented artisans to interpret the concept of Love in the annual exhibitor competition!

On Friday, November 26, Jen McNeely (editor-in-chief of shedoesthecity.com), Virgine Martocq (home editor of Chatelaine), and Jane Flanagan (of Ill Seen, Ill Said) came down to the Show to take on judging duties. After carefully assessing and deliberating the merits of each piece the three judges concluded the following winners:

Hugo Didier (Booth: P-09), winner of a $500 cash prize, click here to see his profile.

Rose Chang & Stephanie Drabik of Crywolf (Booth: Q-20, 6 days), winner of a $300 cash prize, click here to see their profile.

Jannis Ruck of Olio Studio (Booth: X-13), winner of a $200 cash prize, click here to see her profile.

Be sure to check out these and many more pieces at the competition display in centre aisle. While you are there, be sure to cast your votes for the People’s Choice Awards! The winning exhibitor will receive a $200 cash prize. Vote and support our artisans!

Hello everyone! The 36th annual One of a Kind Christmas Show will open its doors on November 25 at the Direct Energy Centre (the show will remain open until December 5, so you have 11 days to shop)! We have over 800 exhibitors displaying and selling their handmade creations, so don’t miss your chance to meet and shop from some of the brightest talents in art, design, and crafts across Canada! For tickets and info, please visit our website: www.oneofakindshow.c0m/xmas10

Today’s quick picks showcase the colour grey. In 2010, this subtle shade has been making a big splash in fashion, influencing everything from trendy hair colour to must have nail polishes. 

From concrete to gunmetal, here are some dynamic products you will find at the Show featuring this achromatic colour!

1. Pillows by Meghan Irish, Identity Apparel, Booth: L-33

2. Jacket by Annie Chagnon & Amélie Gingras-Rioux, Annie 50, Booth: O-46

3. Necklace by Shirley Park, Shirley Park, Booth: X-19

4. Purse by Sarra Tang, HOI BO, Booth: S-19

5. Painting by Erin Vincent, Erin Vincent, Booth: R-37, 5 Days

6. Canvas light by Christie Greyerbiehl, Christie Greyerbiehl, Booth: H-08

7. Ceramic mugs by Michelle Mendlowitz, Michelle Mendlowitz, Booth: S-08

8. Rings by Erin Tracy, Erin Tracy Designs, Booth: K-45

Last month, we enlisted the help of both One of a Kind Show Exhibitors and Customers to each design a reusable shopping bag for this year’s Christmas Show. After reviewing a record number of entries for both contests, we are delighted to announce the winners…

OOAK Exhibitor Design Contest Winner
The grey colour bag above is designed by first time One of a Kind designer Katka Hubacek of Montreal (You don’t want to miss her line of charming eco-plush toys at the show!). We love Katka’s  design, because it perfectly encapsulates her whimsical, playful sensibilities. When asked what inspired her design, she said:

As a little girl, my favorite stories were the Czech fairytales of my heritage. Most often these were about a prince, sometimes aided by enchanted animals, on a quest to rescue a princess from an evil sorcerer. My love of fantastical worlds has stayed with me, so I now am drawn to exploring innocent, feminine characters in my work.  Here, I was inspired by the traditional iconography of the holiday season – antlers for the reindeer, birds (turtle doves or calling birds perhaps), our Canadian winter wonderland and the inevitable pleasure: the gift.

OOAK Customer Design Contest Winner
With over 130 contest entries, finding a winner for the OOAK customer bag design contest was a real challenge! After much discussion and deliberation between all of us at the Show, we selected Jennifer’s “handmade” snowflake as our winning design. This is what Jen has to say about her artwork:

My inspiration for the design was to convey what was important about the show itself. Christmas is a special time and unique to so many people in so many ways. The first snowflakes of the season are always special and they are said to be all different, much like the artists creations themselves, made with care and by hand. I wanted to capture the whimsical nature of children of all ages and to celebrate the joy they bring. To me, giving is such an integral part of Christmas, I’d hoped that my design would convey the uniqueness of the artists, the hands-on love of their craft, the individual tastes of guests at the show and the joy of the season.

Both bags will be available for sale at the show for $2 each! Alternatively, you can  pre-order your bags online, and pick them up onsite at the Christmas Show this year! For more information about pre-ordering your bags, please visit our ticketing page.

We want to thank everyone–exhibitors, visitors, fans of the One of a Kind Show–for your design submissions. We had a great time looking over all of the entries, and were deeply inspired by all of your creativity!

The Spring Show is on! The show has been off to a great start! Come by and see us, we will be here until Sunday, April 4!