One of a Kind Christmas Show & Sale

Twice a year the One of a Kind Show descends upon the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place. I would advise you to attend both of 'em but if you only happen to make it to one, make sure it's the Christmas Show & Sale, running this year from November 28th to December 8th. What began as a simple "craft show" in 1975 is now the largest consumer craft show in North America featuring the work of over 800 artists/craft makers/designers. Of course with so much talent on display it would be impossible to write-up the event as a whole so instead I'm going to focus on the exhibitors who I was particularly impressed with. At One of a Kind vendors are arranged in alphabetical rows from A-Z so I hereby present to you the "Best in Row" Awards for your shopping pleasure:

Row A - Stick Man Creations
Lovely and delicate segmented silver and mixed metal jewellery. A few years ago I bought a necklace with a stick girl with copper curls that looks eerily like me. I still get compliments whenever I wear it.

Row B - Créations Li :)
Ceramics that are perfect for those who either see faces in everyday inanimate household objects or who really wish they did. Adorable!

Row C - tresnormale
Screen-printed t-shirts that are perfect for the Torontophile on your shopping list. My personal favorite is the view of the CN Tower, slightly obscured by power lines. Bought it for my husband last year (in green).

Row D - Nicole Tarasick
If you're concerned that you haven't injected enough subtle Can-Con into your decor, this is the place for you. Slightly esoteric, in a good way (example: I didn't get the Expo 67 references, had to learn from eavesdropping shamelessly on a conversation).

Row E - BBJ
One of the most colourful and sparkly vendors, you can find an accessory for every music artist and pop culture obsession you might have. My 'Revolver' album cover necklace is a prized possession.

Row F - Milsean Shoppe
Watch out for the smiling faces with free samples of Demerara Butter Crunch. It's the food equivalent of crack-cocaine. Less dangerous, sure, but just as addictive. I never escape without buying a bag. YUM.

Row G - Odile Chocolat
Speaking of food with evil powers, you know who "Odile" is, right? The Black Swan. And this chocolate is just as beautiful and even more delectable.

Row H - Nutra-Fruit Cranberry
I admire that these vendors have dedicated themselves entirely to a single berry. The noble cranberry. I also applaud their decision to coat it in delicious dark chocolate. It really does make for a perfect holiday treat.

Row I - L’Atelier du Presbytère
A beautiful collection of linens and house wares made from vintage/recycled French fabrics. Every item is one of a kind, making great gifts for those with unique tastes.

Row J - Patrick Lajoie Photography
I get that art should be aspirational to a certain extent, but it's also nice to see something you like and be able to afford it. The solution? Small photographic prints on a wall-ready wooden base.

Row K - Kelly Grace
Another in the category of affordable art! I spent a long time looking at these works, feeling like the mirror that each subject was looking into as they primped and preened. An interesting and almost intimate feeling.

Row L - Biko Jewellery
For those who believe that heavy metals and chunky jewellery need not sacrifice femininity or colour in favor of edge. Their modern "friendship bracelets" are a personal fave, it was hard not to buy a second!

Row M* - Ness Lee Illustrations
Technically not Row M, but since there was no Row M (what's up with that?) I decided to add another from Row C. This new vendor blew me away with her sumo dolls (varying sizes), erotic sushi eating pins and in particular a two-piece pin of ramen and chopsticks. Brilliant. Loved it!

Row N - Velvet Moustache
The best thing about these plush animal cushions is that their expression is open to interpretation. Are they mad? Skeptical? Unimpressed? Sleepy? We may never know and that's exactly why I found them so charming.

Row O - Mehoi
Another go-to vendor of mine, I get a real kick out of watching people sort through the pins, magnets and cards only to discover that hidden amongst the cute images are some pretty risqué items. If you have someone on your shopping list that appreciates a pin that says "anus" in cursive writing, you're set.

Row P - Cate & Levi
Because buying toys at the mall is lame. These one of a kind plushies and puppets are perfect for capturing the imagination of a child and are so wonderfully interesting they appeal to adults alike.

Row Q - Hug and Kiss Designs Inc.
There is something very satisfying about opening up a lovely greeting card and being offended by the message contained within. Perfect for very close friends and loved ones who "get" you.

Row R - 1% Talent
Not recommended for those who don't want to draw attention to their t-shirt area. These designs are so remarkably irreverent and odd (compliments both) that they will certainly attract stares.

Row S* - Daniel Pollack Accessories
Technically this was in Row R but it's on a corner so I'm giving myself a pass on the error. Be sure to leave extra time to carefully peruse this impressive and large collection of costume jewellery. Magpies, such as myself, have a very difficult time tearing themselves away. So shiny! So sparkly!

Row T - Jamie Brick Studio
Admittedly some of my tastes are a little out there. But clearly others see the appeal of a plush teddy bear body with a wooden troll-like visage. Couldn't Care Bears. That's such a clever concept it almost hurts.

Row U - Sylvain Tremblay
For those who believe even regular household items should be objets d'art. These hand-made wooden pepper mills are gorgeous and have enough designs to suit every personality. For me? Tough choice between the pig and the corn...

Row V - Freshly Printed
I fell instantly in love with this hand-printed cushion cover of migrating Canada Geese. Sometimes beauty really does lie in an item's simplicity and this is a perfect example of that fact. Lovely.

Row W - Katkaland
Oh yes. You are seeing that correctly. Monsters with 3-D plastic doll arms protruding from their mouths. Maybe don't get these for your kids, but the grown-ups will love 'em. Sometimes whimsy is also scary.

Row X - Atalier Éclisse
These wooden vases appeared to have been made without any attempt to cover up natural imperfections in their material and I think that's what I found most appealing. Wood should look like wood, knots and all.

Row Y - MoonRox
The maker of one of my favorite necklaces (a gold saltine with a salted-top), their jewellery is very on-trend (chunky metals, oversized items) without ever feeling heavy or cumbersome.

Row Z - The Mefits by USUS
Please note the tag of the 'Curly Connie' book in the middle of the bottom row: "I'm a girl who loves my curl!" These are like the Little Miss & Mr. books (and felt dolls) that speak to our insecurities. I can't tell if these are better gifts for children or grown-ups!

And that is that! Be sure to check out these and other vendors at the One of a Kind Christmas Show & Sale, running until December 8th.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Canadian Artisan Tasting Fair

In a city with as much happening as Toronto, it's often difficult to get in on the ground floor of any event. More often than not you hear about them after the fact and say "Awww man!", while making a mental note to go next time. However! On occasion you have the good fortune to hear murmurings of a new event before it takes place and you get to be part of the first group to give it a try. Or, in this case, a taste. MANY tastes in fact. Today was the inaugural edition of the Canadian Artisan Tasting Fair (CATF), a sampling event showcasing recent award-winning cheeses from across Canada, which took place at Artscape Wychwood Barns (a well-noted favorite spot of mine).

It was a pretty gross and rainy day outside but the mood inside the barns was quite festive as people began to arrive and check their wet coats. It didn't hurt that right off the bat your ticket (adults $35/door, $30/advance) nabbed you a CATF tote-bag, containing a tea towel, coupons and, most importantly, a plate and fork. Unlike other events where light sampling is allowed, heavy sampling was expected (and encouraged), without any of the stern faces that sometimes accompany over-indulging. Plate and fork in hand, patrons sauntered casually from booth to booth, sampling along the way.

The star of the afternoon was cheese. So. Much. CHEESE. Interestingly enough, my relationship with cheese is a relatively new one. I wasn't a fan of cheese as a child and only a few years ago the door to fromage fandom was blown wiiiiiiiide open by my first taste of goat cheese. Since then, I've been keen to try as many different kinds as possible, to get a better sense of the variety that's available. With that in mind, this was a truly wonderful event for a cheese novice, such as myself. I lost count of how many different kinds I sampled at CATF, but I would estimate it in the dozens. My favorite cheeses are either very creamy and mild or very hard and sharp. I'm a gal of extremes, what can I say? The biggest spread of cheese samples was courtesy of the mighty Leslieville Cheese Market, featuring many local Ontarian and Québécois cheeses.

Cheese wan't the only thing on the menu at CATF. There were also beautiful mountains of freshly baked bread that smelled criminally good. These too were there for the sampling and I tried many wonderful varieties. My favorites of the afternoon were the multi-grain and the sourdough loaves from Dough Bakeshop, which made a fantastic case for plain bread, no toppings needed. I was also very happy to see my favorite local bakery Mabel's in attendance. I was even happier to taste their black bean dip, knowing how easy it will be for me to add it to my regular shopping list after the fact. Yummy!

The cheese and bread parts of the afternoon were of course my personal favorites, but there were also several local charcuterie butchers and craft breweries present. Unfortunately I am unable to write these exhibitors up with any kind of authority because I do not eat red meat or drink alcohol. I know. Super lame. Normally I try to bring a companion along who is into these things so that they can report back to me but today I was flying solo so I had to gauge the quality of these offerings by the attitudes/reactions of the crowds. After loitering creepily around the meat & beer stations for a few minutes, I can say with confidence that everyone seemed extremely satisfied with everything being consumed.

I should mention that there was one meat dish that fell within the limits of my dietary restrictions and fortunately for me it may have been the most delicious thing I tasted at CATF. Sanagan's Meat Locker was serving a chicken liver mousse topped with a sweet jelly on crusty bread and it was spectacular. I definitely sampled this dish more than once. Or twice. Oh! And I also wanted to mention that I was especially charmed by the pig tap at the Hogtown Brewers station (who were gracious enough to let me photograph it without a beer purchase). Awesome.

You know what makes perfect sense after turning yourself into a human cheese puff? Dessert. No seriously, it made a lot of sense to me at the time. Especially after seeing that some of my favorite sweets-peddlers in the city were present. My vote for #1 chocolate-chip cookie in the city would hands down go to Sweet Flour Bake Shop, who were offering samples of that very cookie, along with cupcakes, gingerbread cookies, sandwich cookies... so good! At the other end of the barn, Glory Hole Donuts were making a mockery of the word "sample" by giving out whole donuts AND topping them with your choice of whipped cream and/or chocolate sauce. A perfect way to end the day. But wait! There's more! On my way out I stopped at the Indie 88.1 booth (who provided killer tunes for the event) to play a quick game of Plinko. My prize? A high five. Now THAT was the perfect way to end the day.

HIGH FIVE!