Two of my favourite things are making stuff and buying stuff. These two passions are going to collide in a mega fun packed way in the next few weeks. The first event is featuring local designers selling their handmade goods this Sunday, November 23 at the "We've Fallen for Etsy" Sale. Etsy.com is one of my favorite websites where local designers can sell their handmade goods, and unlike local retail outlets the website does not take a large percentage of profits, just a $0.20 listing charge and a tiny sales fee.. man that's cheap!

If you don't know what Etsy is, get on this bandwagon. It's a great site to buy and sell handmade goods, local designers are able to run their own online store and sell anything from silk-screened clothing to hand built furniture. The "We've Fallen for Etsy" Sale is the first ever Etsy sale featuring 26 local designers. These designers include devilmaywear, Cabin, Smeeta and more. Etsy sale organizer and local designer, Melanie Hull chose the designers by searching them online, "Etsy has a great feature on it where you can Shop local. If you look under the Shop Local for Vancouver BC you can find all your favourite designers there... Selecting a few people from each little category. I looked at what Etsy sellers had to sell and made sure to have something from many categories available to shoppers," Hull says.

This is a great way for non-Etsy people to discover these designers who would only sell their items online and not in regular retail outlets. "Long after you leave the sale you are still able to shop and find your favourite designers on Etsy," says Hull.

Another popular craft sale is the Blim Winter Market, happening on Saturday December 20, 2008. This event is hosted by local entrepreneur, artist/ film-maker, and new mommy: Yuriko Iga and the Blim team. Blim is an arts space located on 17th & Main Street, it's home to art events, film screenings, music events, Mexican wrestling making workshops and more. Blim hosts several markets a year, "I like to have one every season. Make it affordable for new and experienced vendors. People can mingle and trade and make new connections. We have a very wide cross section of people so it makes for an interesting social event," says Iga. The Blim Winter Market is set to have 300 people attend, and will feature Japanese Hot dogs (very Vancouver), and vegan baked goods.

If you're not sold on this handmade arts & craft movement yet, check out a documentary by American film-maker Faythe Levine called "Handmade Nation". Levine traveled the country in 18 months to 15 cities in 2006 and interviewed independent artists, crafters and shop owners. I've personally have been waiting for a screening of this movie for months and it's finally set to hit festival circuits in early 2009. The film has also just been featured in the latest ReadyMade Magazine (page 54). That's another favorite arts and crafts magazine.

Now if you want more arts and crafts sales, check these out:

One Cool Word Magazine's Affordable Art Fundraiser
Thursday November 27, 2008 at the Plank Gallery.

Emily Carr University's Legendary Student Art Sale!
Friday, November 21 from 1pm to 8pm
Saturday, November 22 from 10am to 6pm
Concourse Gallery, North Building, Emily Carr University - Free

iheartcrafts Bazaar
Sunday November 30th, 2008 at Ukrainian Cultural Centre.
11:00am to 6:00pm - $2 at door.

Gotcraft.ca - arts & craft sale
Sunday December 7th, 2008 at Royal Canadian legion (2205 commercial drive)
11:00 am to 6:00pm $2 at the door

We've Fallen for Etsy Sale
Sunday November 23, 2008
215 East 17th Ave
Cambrian Welsh Hall
11:00 am - 5:00pm
Baked Goodies, Free buttons and Raffel Prizes! Wowza!

Blim Winter Market
December 20th, 2008
Cambrian Welsh Hall
12:00pm - 5:00pm
Hot Food and live music! Fun Times!

top image credit: yuriko iga
second image credit: smeeta
third image credit: cabin