Sale Starts Tomorrow!

Now you have another option to add to your smorgasbord of sale choices this Black Friday. Everything in the Etsy shop will be marked down for tomorrow only. The fun starts at 9am. 15-50% off. :)

Sale Starts Tomorrow at 9am!

Over the weekend I sewed around 70 new pouch's for the sale tomorrow. Bonkers! I'll have a few different sizes and about a million different fabrics. I've pulled lot's of old fabrics from seasons past and some of the new fabrics as well. All of the pouch's will be $25 and a few of the bigger sizes will be $30-42. 

Other details about the sale: all of the large bags and clutch's will also be marked down around 50%, including some of the new summer stock and some of the best sellers like the linen/leather clutch's and all of the suede/gold clutch's. The large bags will all be priced at $99 and the clutch's, most at around $49.

The sale will last one day and one day only starting at 9am tomorrow morning. The shop will then be closing next week for a few weeks while I do a few shows locally and then leave on my trip! I hope you will stop by and find something lovely for yourself. It's a good chance to shop for gifts - even, dare I say, Christmas (eek) as I only do sales like this about once a year.  Enjoy your Tuesday! XO

Big News!

So I have some exciting news to share: I am heading on a buying trip to Morocco next month! It has been a while since I've taken a big international trip like this so I am beyond excited and honestly, a bit terrified.  I've always wanted to go to Morocco, it has been on my life's to-do list for many many years so the fact that it has come to manifestation is still sinking in. I've decided to really get into it and am taking two weeks to travel around the country from the north down to Marrakech and a few days in the Sahara too (!) Something tells me that kilim textiles are going feature prominently in my Fall offerings, haha - what do you think? :-) I can hardly wait to get deep into those souks. There is nothing like going straight to the source as I am sure there will be some rare and unusual pieces in dusty corners that you just could not find anywhere else. I'm not sure what kind of internet access I will have while there but I will try to post lot's of photos here and via Instagram. (@grace_design)

In other news, the shop will be closing next month but I will be having one giant flash sale next Wednesday May 28th, starting at 9am. All of the pouch's in the shop will be priced at $25 or less and I will likely mark down a bunch of larger bags and clutch's too. Just for a few hours or until they sell out.

And anyone who spends more than $100 will get a handwritten postcard from Marrakech! :)

Enjoy your Wednesday! XO

Flash Sale

And the sale is ON. 24 hours, 20% off with coupon code BFF13. Go nuts!
All available in THE SHOP.

Brooklyn Flea

So this happened. I had a chance to check out a big New York trade show last week called NY Now which was vast, and interesting. I was able to wander the city quite a bit, scouting out new shops, sourcing fabrics and the like. I was pretty excited to check out the Brooklyn Flea Market because, as I have mentioned before, the only thing I enjoy more than sourcing fabrics is shopping for vintage clothing. If you follow me over on Instagram you would have seen some of the most incredible vintage clothing shops I hit in Williamsburg. A little pricy but always cool to scout in new cities. I didn't find the flea to be all that different from the Toronto equivalent - The Junction Flea. Ok, maybe slightly better. Plus you get to look out at the iconic Manhattan skyline as you shop. Anyways, expect a few NY themed posts in the next few days as I scour through all the photos I took.

Also, I guess the trip was fairly fruitful in that I DID in fact score some wicked fabrics. AND, I am currently working hard on the Fall collection which, with any luck, will be available in a weeks time.

Ok back to work for me. Hope you are all enjoying your week!!

P.S. There is a new section in the shop - AS IS. It is where I will be putting all the bags that have minor little flaws - a common occurrance when working with antique fabrics. All still very lovely but MUCh easier on the wallet. Check them out here!

The Four Directions

 I designed these scarves last November as a little experiment in textile design and digital printing. I was really happy with how they turned out. I guess you guys are too because I only have one left in each color! I likely won't be making these again but hopefully trying out some new experiments in textile design this year. You can grab those last ones in the Etsy shop!

New York Part 1 - Etsy Holiday Pop Up Shop

 

Annnnnd here I am, finally reporting on important life events, several weeks after the fact. Sorry! As you know, regular blogging is not my forte. I have to break this momentous trip into two, maybe more parts. So many grainy Instagram photos to share, ya know? So, here we go, Etsy! 

I should preface this entry by explaining how this all came about. Etsy contacted me a few weeks back and said they were doing this pop up shop over the holidays and would I like to be a guest artist and come down to NYC. The idea is that they would carry some of my bags in the shop but my main responsibility while there would actually be to be on site, making bags, not actually selling them so people who came by could see more of the connection of the handmade items they were buying and talk to the individual behind the goods.

The day leading up to my arrival was intense and stressful. I tore down from OOAK show and then had 24 hours to get settled and then packed up for NYC. Then, all of my supplies and materials got held up in customs, surprise surprise. US customs has issues with textiles, can't image why. So, the most horrible possibility flashed before my eyes as I was racing in a cab through Queens early Tuesday morning chatting with Mike from Fedex. That is, the possibility that all of my materials might be rejected and sent back to Canada and I would then have to go on a manhunt across Manhattan in search of kimono's to save face and still make the bags I had been invited to come down and make. Luckily it all worked out and my materials arrived at the same time as I did on Wednesday morning. In another stroke of luck, the flu I had been fighting magically disappeared on Wednesday morning and all was suddenly right with the world.

The shop itself was nothing short of amazing, no surprises there. Huge, spacious, right in the heart of Soho, nestled in between Dior and Costume National was this monster of a space (by NYC standards anyways). It took me a few days to really absorb all of the details because it really was just that, a remarkable, beautiful space with every gorgeous detail attended to. There were shopping areas, a barber, seating areas, a large area for workshops, a stage where bands played every day, a giant swing in the middle of the shop, artists in the window creating art and us, the featured Etsy artists making our stuff on site each day. One of my favourite things was seeing Etsy's interpretaion of my company - the little cards with doodles of my bags on them and the big Grace Design sign hanging above my workspace.

Every day was pretty fun, so much going on around us all the time. The first day I met Chad, the CEO of Etsy and was involved with some interviews with MSNBC. I also met the editor of Lucky magazine which was pretty freakin' awesome. Some really great bands - one of my faves was Jem Club. Also, The Letterman Gospel Choir! Reggie Watts was hilarious and there were some great workshops too. (Hello, wreath making with the editor of Design Sponge anyone?) The whole week was intense and a whirlwind and I am still processing it. I can't even believe I was chosen, what an honour and an awesome opportunity. Thanks Etsy!!

Day to Day: Update

Apologies for the lack of updates, as per usual. Clearly, I am not capable of managing a blog on a daily basis. What is going on around here is the maximum enjoyment of summer. Every day has been feeling like an adventure lately, lot's of time in the sun, swimming in the lake, visits to cottages, music festivals, steppin' out in fun colourful dresses. I can't believe it is almost the end of July. Summer, slow down, please!

The Latest

I have crawled out from under my piles so I can give you the heads up of all the great craft events coming up as well as some other Grace Design news bits. First, here is a listing of all of the craft events I will be at in the next four weeks. The photo above outlines the Fab 4, that is, the most fabulous four indie craft shows in Toronto where you will find a positively amazing selection of creativity and stellar gifts for everyone on your list, including you! I will be at 2 of these 4 shows, the Kid Icarus show and Movies and Makers. But I guarantee that if you visit any of these shows you will not be disappointed. The other two that I will not be at, but I highly recommend are Crafternoon Tea and City of Craft.

This weekend I will be at The Good Earth Winery for the Handmade Market. You may remember the gorgeous photos from the Spring show I exhibited at, outdoors in the vineyard when everything was blossoming. I have such fond memories of that show and that place, I am pretty stoked to get back out to wine country, even if it is winter. Nothing goes better than wine and shopping so should be a good one. A few days later I will be in the CBC building, all day Wednesday, Nov 30th. You can find me in the Atrium so if you work in or near the financial district and need a dose of colour and creativity then come and say hello.


The following Saturday I will be at St. Stephen's in Kensington Market for the Kid Icarus Handmade Holiday one day show. (Dec 3rd) This will be a good one! Highly recommended! If you come early you might be able to score one of Kid Icarus's grab bags which, if you have ever seen their luscious paper goods, you will understand why these loot bags are so coveted.


The following weekend you will find me in the Artisans Marketplace at 401 Richmond building in Toronto, Dec 8-11th, in the long hallways just outside of Swipe Books. This show runs all day Thursday-Sunday and goes till late each evening. There will be art studio tours running through the building and it is a great place to gallery hop and check out this historic centre for art and creativity.


Finally, last, but certainly not least, is one of my personal faves, Movies and Makers, put on by the most delightful Ms. Lisa Pijuan-Nomura. Held inside a movie theatre in the Beaches, it is a total blast! It was my fave show last year. It is so fun, the lineup is awesome and there will be cupcakes!! All day Saturday Dec 17th.


I know that was a real mouthful. If you're trying to wrap your head around all of that information well, try sewing for it! Things have been insane around here but I like it that way. To pile on more of the crazy, I have am having a big Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale in my Etsy shop, on now until next Monday Nov 28th. Many things have already been marked down and I will be adding new items throughout the next few days.


I really hope to see some of you at some of these shows. If giftmas gets you down, try handmade! Seriously, when you buy handmade you are supporting individuals, not corporations and helping people like me have financial independence while fostering creativity and local economies. It really is the perfect antidote to the commercialization of all that is going on over at the mall. Hope to see you there! XO