VENDOR CALL: The Last Minute Market

Hello all! Emily and I are putting on a holiday show!

VENDOR CALL!
The Last Minute Market
Craft fair and one of a kind art show.

December 24th
2pm until Midnight!

Get all your last minute holiday shopping done in one location!

The Tranzac Club; 292 Brunswick Ave, Toronto

Located between Bathurst and Spadina, off of Bloor.

Show time is 2:00pm until 12:00 am (Midnight)

Set up time is between 12:45 and 2pm

The fee for a table is 50$.

Application deadline is December 3rd

To Apply to be a vendor:

Please send an email to: TheLastMinuteMarket@gmail.com

List the following details;

Name:

Email:

Website:

Twitter:

What do you make/ plan on selling?

Please attach photos if you can.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Emily & Mel!

THIS SUNDAY (10/23): The Bazaar of the Bizarre Halloween Marketplace!!!

SUN. OCT. 23

BAZAAR OF THE BIZARRE

Sunday, Oct. 23

11am - 7pm

Pia Bouman School For Ballet

6 Noble Street

Toronto, ON

Facebook Event

 

Plastik Wrap is please to bring you Halloween edition of our popular:
The Bazaar of the Bizarre!
October 23rd/2011, from 11am till 7pm, FREE to attend.

The Bazaar of the Bizarre is a bi-annual marketplace that takes place in Toronto Canada.
Its full of independent artist, crafts makers, designers and other fun things.

We will hav ea GHOULISH stilt walker HALA
Circus performances by the talented ladies from Circus Alchemy (featuring mobot, sadie spins, and faeya tal)
www.circusalchemy.com

music all day provided by our amazing DJ's:
Jonah K (www.teknotribes.com)
Sausy Misso
DJ Hangman

Vendor list:
Auxiliary magazine (http://auxiliarymagazine.com/)
Black Currant Jewelry (http://blackcurrantjewelry.deviantart.com/)
BitchCraft (BitchCraft.ca)
Bunners cake
Chatpeaux www.chatpeaux.com
ChiZine Publications (http://chizinepub.com/)
ClockworkZero (www.clockworkzero.etsy.com)
Creepy Christine (www.creepychristine.com)
Chained Reactions
Dark Destiny (www.darkdestinydesigns.org)
earth{en} wind (www.facebook.com/earthenwind)
Eden Bachelder Fine Art (www.edenbachelder.com/paintings.html)
Encyclopedia Gothica (http://www.liisaladouceur.com/)
jaxamuse & jonah k (www.jackielevitt.com & www.teknotribes.com)
Jen Tsuchida - Felt Artist (http://www.flickr.com/photos/4gatsu1/)
Justin Erickson (www.justin-erickson.com)
Kaotic Ekko's Curiosities (www.kaoticekkoscuriosities.artfire.com)
Magpie Creations (http://magpiecreations.ca/)
Michael Archibald (www.michaelarchibald.ca)
mike riley (http://jrworm.com/art/art.html)
My Ghoul Friday (www.ghoulfriday.com)
Paige Reynolds (www.paigereynoldsart.com)
Pamela Williams (www.interlog.com/~romantic)
Papersnake Jewellery (www.papersnake.ca)
Peculiar Potions
Pixie Fashion (www.pixiefashions.etsy.com)
Plastik Wrap (www.plastikwrap.com)
Random Pretty Things (http://www.flickr.com/photos/randomprettythings/sets)
Roxy Swing Creations (http://www.etsy.com/people/Orangeroxy31)
Sadistic Vanity (www.sadisticvanity.com)
Sandy and Laura (http://www.etsy.com/shop/greenhairedchick)
Sci Feye Candy (www.scifeyecandy.com)
Sew Scary (www.sewscary.com)
Sick On Sin (http://www.sickonsin.com/)
The Circus Store
Through A Cracked Lens Photography (www.crackedlensphoto.com)
Victoria Wilson Corsets (www.victoriawilsoncorsets.com)
vintagelove (www.vintagelove.ca)


Find out more: http://thebazaarofthebizarre.org/

THIS WEEKEND (Fri-Sun)! Kaotic Ekko's Curiosities will be at the DISTILLERY ART MARKET!

FRI., SEPT. 30-

SUN. OCT. 2

DISTILLERY ART MARKET

 Friday, Sept. 30 - Sunday, Oct. 2

Everyday 11am - 6pm*

The Distillery Historic District

55 Mill Street

Parliament Street and Front Street East**

Toronto, ON

Facebook Event

The Distillery Art Market will feature an outdoor market of artists, craftspeople and food artisans at the Distillery Historic District. Come see a wide variety of exhibitors – painting, printmaking, ceramics, fibre art and more!

This is also a great opportunity to visit the many vibrant artist studios located in Artscape Distillery Studios' Case Goods Warehouse! Tours of the building and Open Studios will take place throughout each weekend.

Visit www.distilleryartmarket.ca for a list of participants and activities.

The Distillery Historic District has been labeled as a “must-visit” location by the New York Times, Frommer’s, Toronto Life and The Globe and Mail. The 13-acre arts and entertainment district comprises more than 40 heritage buildings and 10 streets, and is the largest collection of Victorian era industrial architecture in North America.

* We will be staying open late SATURDAY NIGHT due to Nuit Blanche installations and performances, Food Truck Eats Part 3, and MORE (starting around 7pm) in the Distillery District! 

**

WORLD DOMINATION SCHEDULE: Sept 2011 !!!

SUN. SEPT. 25

ARTIFY 

at WORD ON THE STREET

 Sunday, Sept. 25 from 11am - 6pm

BOOTH #325

Corner of Hoskins and Queen's Park Circle

Toronto ON

Artists Garden Cooperative and Artify  have reserved a booth (BOOTH #325 corner of Hoskins and Queen's Park Circle) in the WRITERS BLOCK section at the Word on the Street Festival and Kaotic Ekko's Curiosities' alternative greeting cards will be there! Stock up on Thank You, Christmas, Valentine, Birthday and everyday notecards with a snarky sense of humor!

TUES., SEPT. 27

DANFORTH COMMUNITY MARKET

 Tuesday, Sept. 27 from 4pm - 8pm

AccessPoint 

3079 Danforth Ave.

Toronto, Ontario

Kaotic Ekko's Curiosities will be joining 20 other vendors selling makeup, jewellery, clothing, personal services and MORE! AccessPoint will also be hosting an all candidates debate!

FRI., SEPT. 30-

SUN. OCT. 2

DISTILLERY ART MARKET

 Friday, Sept. 30 - Sunday, Oct. 2

Everyday 11am - 6pm

The Distillery Historic District

55 Mill Street

Parliament Street and Front Street East

Toronto, ON

Facebook Event

The Distillery Art Market will feature an outdoor market of artists, craftspeople and food artisans at the Distillery Historic District. Come see a wide variety of exhibitors – painting, printmaking, ceramics, fibre art and more!

This is also a great opportunity to visit the many vibrant artist studios located in Artscape Distillery Studios' Case Goods Warehouse! Tours of the building and Open Studios will take place throughout each weekend.

Visit www.distilleryartmarket.ca for a list of participants and activities.

The Distillery Historic District has been labeled as a “must-visit” location by the New York Times, Frommer’s, Toronto Life and The Globe and Mail. The 13-acre arts and entertainment district comprises more than 40 heritage buildings and 10 streets, and is the largest collection of Victorian era industrial architecture in North America.

OUT-OF-THE-COUNTRY

If you're near Yucca Valley California please stop by the

"Drawn From The Desert" Art Show/Benefit 

SHOW DATE: September 24, 2011 through October 31, 2011

Opening Reception is Saturday, Sept. 24 6pm-9pm

At Tamma's Magic Mercantile 

55727 29 Palms Hwy 

Yucca Valley, CA

Sponsored by: Sun Runner Magazine & Glitter Bitches Handmade


Announcing "Drawn From The Desert" benefiting local Morongo Basin artist Kim Mayhew of Ant Farm Studio, home of the Ant Farm Gang and her signature "Loco Folko" art. Kim recently underwent uterine cancer surgery and treatment with minimal insurance and the art community is rallying to help someone who has given so much over the years. Your donations will help her with both existing and future medical costs related to this diagnosis. 

Kaotic Ekko's Curiosities' donations:

 

"Lost and Found"

Mixed media on wood

$30

 "Desert Rose"

Mixed media on 6x6 canvas

$50 

NOVEMBER 22 - SUNNYSIDE CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY AND NIGHT!!!

NOV. 22

Sunnyside Tattoos 

Customer Appreciation Day

Sunday Nov. 22, 2009

2-9pm

1658 Queen West

Toronto, ON 

Come on down to Sunnyside Tattoos Sunday Nov 22 for an afternoon and evening full of fun and surprises.

We will be featuring guest performances all day and night by some of the best of the best in Sideshow and circus arts including pain proof Steve Winchester (Just featured on Much On Demand), Mysterion, Bizarrist Sia Synn, Fire Spinners, Burlesque acts and more.

AND the "Shop Sunnyside" zone will be up and rolling with Vendors from all areas now having their products sold at the shop. Everything from Hair products to fashion accessories, wrestling merch to corsets- from the top indy vendors in Toronto.Great Holiday gift ideas.

Food and drinks will be served all day- ON US as well as special rate gift Certificates available for Holiday presents (Believe me it's a great deal).

And meet and greet with our artists to inquire about your next piece. They will all be down at the shop to happily answer any questions you may have.

As we come upon our one year Anniversary this Jan (I know it's insane how time flies) we feel it's necessary to thank those who have supported us in our first year, and give you a little fun on a chilly Sunday.

Bring a friend or ten and come on down to Sunnyside, Parkdale's premier tattoo and sideshow parlour. 

THIS WEEKEND (10/24 & 10/25)! COME SEE ME! Underground Craft Fair and Bazaar of the Bizarre!

Kaotic Ekko's Curiosities is thrilled to be vending at the following shows this weekend!!!

The retail store you enter the studio from is called "Boba" (storefront is bright yellow)

UNDERGROUND CRAFT SHOW

Saturday, October 24, 2009

12:00pm - 6:00pm

Torched Studio

557 Queen Street West

Toronto ON

http://www.wix.com/undergroundcraft/show

The first of 3 craft shows at Torched Studio.

Spend your money on something healthier than Halloween candy.

Featuring jewellery, bags, silk screened t-shirts, steampunk, soap, rockabilly and vintage items.

November show - Saturday the 28th.
December show - Saturday the 12th.



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 BAZAAR of the BIZARRE!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

11:00am - 7:00pm

Pia Bouman School of Dance

6 Noble Street

Toronto ON

http://thebazaarofthebizarre.org/

Plastik Wrap is pleased to announce, that we are taking over the organization of "The Bazaar of the Bizarre 2009" from The Royal Sarcophagus Society. RSS will be working with us to insure a smooth transition. We thank them for all of their support and input.

If you have not been a part of the last bazaar and do not know what to expect...it is a Halloween Marketplace!

Artists, clothing designers, craft-folk, publishers and other independent makers of all things exotic, whimsical and macabre are encouraged to join us for this eccentric emporium of curious crafts, to be held Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 6 Noble Street (Queen West of Dufferin).

We are quite excited about it being THE Halloween shopping destination.

Bizarre Vendors:

* Baby's First BOO!
* Batwings & Battleaxes
* Beat Black
* Bibelot Forest
* Biomechanical Candy
* Bird at the Window
* BitchCraft
* Burning Effigy Press
* ChiZine Publications
* Creepy Christine
* Cristina Campolieto
* Curious Oddities
* Dirty Little Secrets
* Eden Bachelder Fine Art and Illustration
* Edenwool
* Freya's Braids Handcrafted Jewelry
* Joey Suriano
* Kaotic Ekko's Curiosities
* Magda Trzaski
* Monster Kookies
* Monster Muffin
* My Ghoul Friday
* neatTreats
* Plague Doctor Apparel
* Plastik Wrap
* Random Pretty Things
* Retro G Couture
* Sci Feye Candy
* Sew Scary
* She's Batty Designs
* Sick On Sin
* Sword in the Stone Crafts
* The Gnarled Branch
* The Royal Sarcophagus Society
* To Die For Designs
* Undeadclothingco
* Valkyria Art & Jewellery
* Victorian Charm Jewelry
* vintagelove
* WORN Fashion Journal


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Marketing Strategies Interview with Melissa Hamel-Smith of Kaotic Ekko's Curiosities Handmade News Marketing

Marketing Strategies Interview with Melissa Hamel-Smith of Kaotic Ekko's Curiosities

Posted by Jamie Sabot on Friday July 31, 2009

Melissa is an eclectic artist that decided to start selling her creations after being hounded by friends and family. Today you can find her on ArtFire under Kaotic Ekko’s Curiosities. This week she shares the online and offline marketing strategies she’s been using.

What “online” marketing strategies are you currently using?

I currently have my shop listed in various free directories (Shop Indie Online, Indie Collective, Handmade Directory). Directories are a great way to get your name out there...they're free and static, meaning there is little to no upkeep. I also have several social networking sites which I use to promote upcoming craft shows and new product: personal MySpace, business MySpace, personal Facebook, Facebook business group, Plurk, Twitter, ByHand, etc. I also just paid for a spot in the Blockhead Radio Artisan Showcase.

What “offline” marketing strategies are you currently using?

Two Toronto shops are carrying my products. I use their locations to promote upcoming craft fairs as well as additional product in my Artfire shop. Because Toronto is such a large city, it is difficult to market offline. Print ads are terribly expensive and a small business vying for a print interview is nearly impossible with all the great artistic talent in the area. I do make sure I have business cards on hand at all times. You never know when they will come in handy.

What do you find (on or offline) to be the most effective?

According to my Artfire stats a lot of my traffic comes from Plurk and Google. I also find that craft fairs are a great way to get your name out there. They put a personality to the company name. Even if you don't sell a lot, it still gets your name out there through business cards. And Facebook Events provides a GREAT way to advertise (for free!).

Are there strategies that you have found didn’t work well for your business?

Groups and Pages on Facebook. Neither of them alert you when there is a change. There is no way to know if someone joins or leaves. And there are so many Groups and Fan Pages it's hard to make yours stand out.

How do you figure out what’s working and what’s not?

Just give it a shot! Being I'm fairly new, I don't take any big money risks. If you can find free advertising that's the best of course. Small publications, business cards in local shops and post! Post! Post! Whenever I upload a product an update goes to every social network one could possibly fathom. And make sure you post it a couple of times. Not spam. Not one right after another. But there's no reason you shouldn't post it more than once a day (I try to keep it to three, otherwise people get annoyed. I know I do!). Especially on Twitter and Plurk because it tends to get lost in the sauce.

How do you decide what marketing strategies to try and when to try them?

I don't usually go out looking for marketing opportunities. I'm still a little green when it comes to advertising and it usually costs quite a bit of money. As I said earlier, the cheaper the better. The price primarily determines whether I'll advertise with that venue. I try to stay away from "price per click." It can add up fast.

Do you have a few marketing initiatives in mind that you would like to implement in the future?

I'm interested in trying Project Wonderful. It seems like an inexpensive way to advertise. That's the one I'm considering most until I have a bigger budget for marketing. And maybe slapping my husband in a sandwich board in front of the local grocery store...just kidding...maybe.

For someone who is just starting their “at-home craft business”, where would you recommend they start in terms of marketing?

Business cards. They're inexpensive. They solidify your brand and your image. Just make sure you decide on your logo and contact information. You want people to recognize your business. When I got rid of my Etsy store I had to get my cards reprinted. Make sure you think things through. Don't be afraid to ask local indie businesses if you can put a couple in their store. Also, search out free directories like the ones I listed above. If it's free or low cost and they'll take your info, do it. The internet is so wide that you know someone will happen upon it!

Anything else you would like to add?

Throw yourself out there, your heart, your soul. Obviously art is a passion for you, otherwise you wouldn't be putting in so much energy. However, if money is your main objective, just stop right now. Art lovers and artists can feel insincerity. It'll end up being a waste of your time and we'll be annoyed (and you don't want that!).

Remember, being an artisan means being part of a community. Use these resources. If you have a question, ask someone. If you need a critique, post it. Each and every artist should be willing to help another grow. That's the beauty of our gift.

Also, I'd love to thank Jamie for giving me this opportunity! You rock!

Jamie jumped from Fine Art school to the handmade world with ease! Now she calls her creations She's Batty Designs