A big hand for our vendors and all of their wonderful items!
Apis Lutra
Madeleine Kelly
she/herMy name is Madeleine and I am the creator of Apis Lutra. At Apis Lutra I sell embroidery and cross-stitch wall-art and clothing patches. All of my items are hand-stitched by me in my Ottawa apartment.
Rissa Sant'Anna
she/herI started soap making in 1999 through an acquaintance. I was living in Senegal, West Africa then. Shea butter is easily available in West Africa and after many trials, realised that using 20% shea butter in the soap made a wonderful bar that did wonders to dry skin.
Aromariss was born a year later and I started doing craft fairs in Senegal for 5 years. Then I decided on a change of career, lived in 4 countries, 3 continents in 7 years and I settled in Canada in 2012. So Aromariss was put on the back burner. In all these years, I never stop making soap. Aromariss 2.0 was reborn once I was sure I will not be packing my bags again
Today my goal is to help you take care of your skin daily with soft and nourishing products
Colleen Gray
she/her“I am an Indigenous Contemporary Artist and founder of Art for Aid. I work with the unusual medium of ground mineral watercolour paint on synthetic paper. The mesmerizing and ethereal effects of this medium draw the viewer in, capture the imagination and leave one feeling as though they’ve gone to a place few have seen. The accompanying teaching stories are a part of my life experiences and my understandings of 30 years of living my best life as I walk the Good Red Road the best way I can.
In 2019 I was awarded the Governor General’s Sovereign Medal for Volunteers for my work as a volunteer with Art for Aid. I have done this work for 8 years. It has been a rewarding and fulfilling journey.”
I create art and art products. The sale of the original art pays my salary and 100% of the products created from the art are used to fuel the demanding shipping and operations budget of Art for Aid. We have available, archival quality prints, art calendars, animal totem birthday cards, art greeting cards, Indigenously decorated notecard packages, and Land Acknowledgement plaques (tailored to the relevant territory as requested).
Artwork By Emilie
Emilie Darlington
she/herEmilie Darlington is a freelance illustrator, painter, and muralist specializing in work that expresses connections with nature. Most often working with big blooms and bright colours, Emilie’s botanical murals can be found throughout Canada. In Emilie’s abstracts she combines organic, free-flowing paint contrasted with detailed pattern added by hand. Emilie’s botanical and abstract series are aimed at creating a targeted sensation for viewers, whether it be by scale, distortion, or immersion. These qualities are intended to evoke a shared experience for viewers, and are tailored for each piece to induce a desired emotional response or mental state. Emilie’s illustrative works have central themes of animals, patterns, and bright colours. The use of bright colour communicates a strong, positive energy, and a secondary layer of patterning is added when filling in colour using dots.
Rachelle Shaver
she/herI make fun and (mostly) felt-y play products for kids. I like to use recognizable characters in the hopes of encouraging children to turn off the screens and continue the adventure on their own. I use a machine embroidered to create my finger puppets and masks. This ensure a quality that can withstand toddler-level destruction as well as great detail.
Alana Esty
she/herIn my day job I work in tech and I love expressing myself creatively through making personalized handmade earrings. Earrings are the one item that have always brought me joy when wearing them and I wanted to transfer this feeling onto others by adding phrases to my earrings such as: “Queen” or “Black Girl Magic”. By adding the personalization aspect to my earrings, each customer can have a pair of earrings unique to them!
Better Than Nothing
Cassandra Jewell
she/herEverything here is Better Than Nothing! I am proud to be able to create a line of customizable sustainable menstrual products including cloth pads, interlabial pads and bags for menstrual cups. You should also check out my masks available in many fun patterns! All my products are made by me, a queer woman, in my home. Sewn with love and care, I can’t wait for you to try them!
Bonnie & Klyde Creations
Kelsey Burton & Rebecca Laviolette
she/herTogether we got this!! We thrive when helping our community. Bonnie and Klyde create life where it was once lost.
Brujeria Illustrations
Tanya Henriquez Desbarats
she/herI am a traditional/Digital Illustrator and Animator from Ottawa. Recently exploring my Honduran Indigenous roots and will be exploring it through future art pieces. My Current art pieces explore life with Mental Health Illnesses (Anxiety, Depression) and expressing my thoughts on personal experiences with Mental health to better communicate what a messy beautiful mind everyone has.
Canoes and Creativity
Jennifer Wright
she/herCanoes and Creativity began as my art therapy practice while convalescing from a major illness. It blossomed into a handmade business, allowing me to participate in thriving markets around the capital region.
We serve up handmade wood burned decor. Each piece is unique, with a focus on modern botanicals, beautiful typography, outdoor adventure, and some feminist cheekiness thrown in for good measure. New this year is a line of functional decor, whether you want to open your beer, display a recipe while cooking, or hang your dog’s leash, I’ve got you covered…rustically and beautifully.
As a former elementary school teacher, I have started offering small workshops to encourage others to use creativity for well-being. Wood burning has been a game-changer for me, so I want to share the benefits of a daily creative practice.
CreatedByClarissa
Clarissa Arthur
she/her“Clarissa Arthur. Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia on the beautiful island of Cape Breton in 1977, my mother and father met in Toronto and settled in Nova Scotia. I was raised in the multicultural community of Whitney Pier, where my father was born from his parents who came to Canada from Barbados. As a child of a white mother and Black father, I have experienced both subtle and overt forms of racism over the years.
Like you, my many life experiences have shaped me into the person I am today. Although I was raised to appreciate and acknowledge our unique differences, I know not everyone shares the same sentiment. ALL human beings are worthy of love, and I want that for each and every individual on this planet. Know that as long as we are breathing, we have the opportunity to learn more, to positively influence others, and to simply do better. That’s what I vow to continue to do.
In a nutshell, I love hard and feel deeply ~ the good, the bad, the ugly, and the awesome, which is why I felt the urge to create my premiere piece, the “”I’m not OK”” Black Onyx Bracelet. Through the eyes of social media, cell phones, and news outlets, it’s evident that we can no longer ignore what some pretend not to see. Yes, “”it”” still exists; but we can make a real difference NOW!”
Dutch Bike Printing
http://www.dutchbikeprinting.comJennifer van der Schee
she/herDutch Bike Printing features hand silk-screened prints printed in Ottawa. As an avid cyclist, I am inspired by the form and function of the simple bicycle and my prints range from the whimsical (hello elephants and cats on bikes), to the highly technical and anatomically correct road and mountain machines. My prints appeal to both serious cyclists and those who appreciate the whimsical form. I also take inspiration from the wild world around us, and my outdoorsy tees feature prints of typical Canadian fauna, from maple leaves to pine forests.
I’m excited to be a part of this market! Cycling was one of the original feminist disruptors, when Victorian women decided that we wanted to have the same freedoms as men did. Bikes gave women the ability to get places quickly, and without male escort, and gave rise to many social freedoms. I feel fortunate that women have a strong presence in all cycling communities, and I have my Victorian sisters to thank for that!
Float or Fly
Karine Halpenny
she/herI create handmade chain maille jewellery using lightweight and colourful materials for a modern twist. My pieces are designed to help the wearer to enhance their personal style, by adding a touch (or a whole heaping handful) of geeky flair. I also love creating custom pieces for everyday or special occasions, collaborating with customers on something that is truly unique.
Fragile Findings
Jess Meunier
any/allMy name is Jess and im the sole creator behind Fragile Findings. I got my start making and selling my rainbow glitter neckaces, and ive just kept expanding ever since! My recent focus has been on stuffed animals, but i also make jewellery, candles, and cross stitch!
Frisky Misky's Feline Euphorium
Amanda Misko
she/herI am, Amanda Misko, the creator and maker behind Frisky Misky’s Feline Euphorium; I started this little business in 2016 as a way to direct my creativity into making fun stuff, for other people or their pets, which could contribute positively to the world. I have always been an avid maker and craftswoman in a variety of media; but I settled on a combination of sewing and sculpture because I enjoy manipulating fabric and working out the construction process for three-dimensional design. My art style reflects being an adoring pet owner with keen attention to unique pet personalities and mixed with a wild imagination. Having explored drawing and painting for many years; I consider painting similar to crafting through how the act of crafting something can be very relaxing and fulfilling. My goal is to have the end result of what I make be useful afterwards through making people smile, laugh, or just simply enjoy the bizarre for a few moments.
frogoreon_art
oreon
she/herI am a non-binary artist as well as an immigrant from Colombia. I moved to Canada 4 years ago and am currently studying visual arts at University with the aid of a scholarship. I spent most of my childhood drawing and creating stories. Personal experiences and emotions are often present in my work: growing up queer in a conservative environment, dealing with trauma, and my concerns with the climate crisis. My fascination with fantasy, nature, Japanese and American animation, and music are some of my biggest influences. My favourite mediums are painting, ceramics, and graphic design, though I love trying new mediums when possible. My aspirations as an artist are to encourage the viewer to embrace who they are, and to portray and express emotions of empowerment and freedom as a result. Some of my life goals include opening an online art shop, publishing books and comics filled with all kinds of representation, and teaching art in countries like mine where the gov’t disregards the healing and liberating qualities of making art. I want to help more people to find a safe place in art making: A place where they can be themselves and express what they cannot in words.
G33k Stitch
Christina Najjar
she/herHi, I’m Christina! G33k Stitch started out as a cross stitch side-biz that allowed me to embrace my inner geek in a society that dismissed my geekiness because of how feminine I was. I’ve since expanded to include macrame and friendship bracelets, as people started requesting pieces after I shared pictures of personal projects.
In my day job as a nutritionist (and soon to be registered acupuncturist), I love working with groups that are underserved by the medical system, such as those with gynecological concerns that get repeatedly dismissed, as well as trans folks who need help balancing side effects of hormone therapy or who want to reduce scars and pain post-op and improve range of motion.
Tiziri Ait Ali
she/herFollowing my degree in biology in 2012, I developed a deep passion for plants and alternative medicine. I started studying herbalism, and through Herbalera, I express my knowledge and experience by crafting all-natural skin care products with heart and consciousness. Herbalera creates quality natural handcrafted skin care products careful to the skin and to the planet. Our products inspired by the craft tradition are cruelty-free, free of harmful chemicals and come in eco-friendly packaging so encourage our customers to adopt a zero waste lifestyle.
I Love My Blanket
Reena Belford-Schilder
she/herI’ve been disabled for almost 30 years now, and finding creative things to do that help (not hurt) is getting harder to do. Loop yarn knitting with vegan chenille yarn has been therapeutic for me — the yarn is feather-soft and I can knit without needles, which is much easier on my hands — knitting is also a great distraction from pain!
I’ve always been an artist in some form or another (including theatre, queer choir and various visual arts), and am very much enjoying this current obsession with knitting and designing blankets. Coming up with new and interesting patterns is like an itch I have to scratch – I’m not satisfied until I figure out a way through each new roadblock – which often leads to creating new stitches and new ways to use loop yarn that no-one has tried before.
While my shop began as a way to sell the things I create to make space in my home (blankets pile up fast!) and finance my passion, it has rapidly grown into a desire to share with others – not just by sharing my blankets, but also by inspiring other people to make their own blankets, which is why I started selling the patterns to the blankets I make as well (sometimes offering them for free!).
My Big G(r)AY Blankets are the best representation of my style and personality – sometimes people look ‘normal’, straight-laced and traditional, but there’s no denying their queerness shining through.
If: Ball, Then: Catch
Katherine Schoepp
she/herKatherine is a female engineer who would like to encourage young children to get interested in the STEAM field (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). After many years of volunteering with children, she wrote “If: Ball, Then: Catch” to make robotics and coding seem more exciting and approachable! John (the illustrator) is a retired engineer and grandfather with a knack for water colour and cartooning. Both Katherine and John are based in Ottawa, Ontario.
“If: Ball, Then: Catch” follows the story of a girl who is given a robot dog on her 8th birthday. If she can train this robot dog, then she will prove to her parents that she can handle a real live dog. How hard could it be? Follow along with Dot as she is introduced to some of the logic, reasoning, and structure used to program robots – as well as the importance of curiosity and never giving up! Will Dot be able to prove she is ready for a real live puppy?
Ifs Ands or Buttons
Kaitlynne-Rae Landry
she/herI’m K-Rae and I’m unapologetically feminist, queer, and me. I know mental health struggles first hand, love animals of all shapes and sizes and am a firm believer in human rights, equality, and activism.
My designs are inspired by all of the things above and more!
It Happened Press
Carl Stieren
he/himAs a writer, editor, peace and civil rights movement veteran of the 1960, and as a former journalist, I know where the bones were buried. And also who stormed the barricades and won. My own time in a jail cell was short – 24 hours in Cambridge, Maryland during the civil rights movement. But my time in helping advocacy organizations was well-spent. Nonviolent Peaceforce – a pioneer in calming, reducing and preventing violence – was an organization honoured by the United Nations that I’m proud to have been among the 140 founders of. I distilled a lot of this into a board game that brings laughs as well as tears: It’s called “It Happened in the 60s.” And it’s low-tech: no batteries or plug-ins, just a nifty map-board, trivia cards, player pieces, dice and pencils.
Emily
she/herIt’s OK. It’s ART. offers creative DIY colouring kits, zip pouches, and paper products with hand-drawn designs that range from fun and family-friendly, to sassy and adult. You’ll love colouring again, I swear!
Josée-Renée Erskine
she/herHi! I’m JR and I hacked screen printing to create simple, but cute, designs on greeting cards. My technique allows for imperfections, creating truly unique pieces that are full of character. Stamped with a witty quote, my cards are a perfect gift for a loved one, or even yourself!
Kanata Soup
Laura Capener
she/herOur little company started with some sad medical news. Auto immune disease… sounds so scary, and there are so many of them. My particular one involves anaphylactic and severe reactions to foods. Even foods that I may be fine with one day, can impact me the next. Thus began the journey to safer eating. The more natural a product, the less reaction, if at all. But being a global gastronome and tasting so many “health foods”, I was very turned off by them. I grew up on curries, spices and flavourful foods and started to play around with different things that while healthy and more natural, still tasted good. We began to create soup mixes, which evolved into spice mixes (not as popular) and dessert mixes. We also wanted to make sure we were unique. We are the only company like this who actually curates every item in their blends and curates locally! We dehydrate the local produce and curate the rest from Canadian farms. Some of our soups have some soup base in them and we only use 2 types. Both are Canadian, MSG free and the vegetable soup base is both vegan and gluten free. We choose to purchase high quality and Canadian items and are willing to travel to do it. We are proud of our healthy, quality mixes and have vowed they will always be hand made (in a commercial kitchen that is licensed and inspected, as are we) with love.
Leafless Botany
Amanda Purdy
she/her“Amanda Margaret is a freelance artist and photographer working at her home studio in Ottawa, Ontario. Amanda is bisexual and of Scottish and Algonquin heritage.
Amanda creates prints and pieces inspired by media and social justice movements so that you can display your pride and support!”
LINE Original
Alex Fichera
she/her“LINE is a body of work created by artist Alex Fichera. She is a graduate of Fine Art from the University of Ottawa, and has over six years of art teaching experience. She is a printmaker who enjoys natural imagery, pop/alternative culture and folk lore. Alex is skilled in printmaking, sewing, and sculpture and plans to expand LINE into other mediums.
Line is a collection of prints on both paper and fabric. Unlike most tee-shirt vendors, Line images are made with lino-carvings instead of silk screening. Each image is hand drawn and then meticulously carved into a linoleum tile, which is then printed. Shirts come in both men’s and women’s sizes. As I am working with linoleum there is a finite number of prints that can be done with each design, making every shirt unique and limited edition, I draw my inspiration from the natural world as well as folklore and popular culture. For the fall and winter, I plan to introduce a new series of designs as well as a new booth set up.
Little Queer Feminist
Gillian Isabel
she/herGillian Isabel (she/her) is a 17-year-old queer maker passionate about social action and community. She creates fun jewelry using gemstones and other materials and sells them online. She’s also started making buttons that illustrate messages related to causes she’s passionate about. 100% of profits are used to pay folks she collaborates with via her Instagram, to donate and to redistribute to community members and organizations in need.
Loops & Lattes Co.
Cherie Johnston
she/herModern crochet artist. I love creating thoughtful accessories for you and your home. While offering thoughtful gift ideas for busy women.
Lucky Little Queer
KJ Forman
they/themLucky Little Queer is a bisexual, non-binary feminist artist named KJ Forman. KJ works as a freelance illustrator at their home studio in Ottawa, Canada. They create visual art speaking to their LGBTQ experience that has a feminist and sex-positive focus. Lucky Little Queer’s goal is to create positive, affirmative pieces that can be used as a tool to connect and bond with other marginalized people in a way that celebrates lived experience and resilience.
Emma Baker
she/herAt Main Street Knits I strive to make the only the highest quality knitwear for my customers using only hand dyed natural fibres. My ultra soft Merino wool knits will keep you and your cozy warm for years to come while looking unique thanks to their amazing colours. I am always happy to work with my customers to find the right shape and colour for them even if that means making them a custom size or special order a one of a kind colour for them. With over 30 years of knitting experience you can be assured that your knits will last the test of time and keep you warm for years to come!
My products are mostly knitted accessories. My lines include hats, five different lines of cowls and headbands all sized for both adults and children. I also have a line of crocheted hairclips where are quite popular with both kids and adults.
Minimalist Meal Planner
Kaara Smith
she/herI’m a mixed bag of fire, desire and love! I have a keen sense of entrepreneurship and am obsessed with my tiny dog named Fancy. I believe you can heal your chakras, would eat pad thai for breakfast every morning if I could, I love to cook and enjoy a good plan. The Minimalist Meal Planner came to fruition because the Uber Eats bills were out of control and laziness was also at an all time high. My sister in law was living with me and my wife at the time, and, as the household chef they were CONSTANTLY at me “What’s to eat? What’s for dinner?” So I started writing it on a piece of paper, including snack ideas and leaving it on the fridge. They started writing back with their ideas for the next grocery shop and items to be replenished and this idea came to mind – a fun but stylish meal planner for your fridge that was exactly where you needed it, every time it was time to think about dinner. We think SO much about food, I wanted to take some of that distraction away while helping folx waste less food and save more money.
Munea Wadud
Munea Wadud
she/theyMunea Wadud is a queer, non-binary, poc artist who’s work focuses on activism, intersectionality, and inclusiveness. She is multi-talented, experienced working with acrylics, watercolours, digital mediums and much more! She loves to create art that poc folks can see themselves in, her recent endeavours have been in short animations. When she’s not making art, Munea loves to read and write, dance, take baths and watch anime.
Neeces Pieces
Aneesa Fernandes
she/herI create everything I possibly can and that’s a true fact lol! I love my new obsession with tumblers and enjoy sewing the most
Night Moves Atelier
Amanda Sampson
she/her/they/themNight Moves Atelier designs handmade statement jewelry & accessories made from polymer clay and resin for rad, bold babes.
Our cheeky approach to statement accessories has earned us a small but raving cult fan base across Canada and in the U.S.
Night Moves is all about creating pieces that can be worn to instil and create confidence within their wearer. We like to call this the power of ‘Big Earring Energy’!
Pretty 'n Paper
Terri Hynes
she/herI’m Terri, originally from Newfoundland and Labrador. I have settled roots here in Ottawa, ON for the past 3 years since my family life has brought me here. You will usually find me with a coffee in one hand, and a mouse in the other! I am passionate about creating lots of creations in my spare time. I adore and get excited over fonts, colors and unique art, together I combine them to create unique, funny products that will add a special touch to a celebration, office decor or just a special treat for yourself.
Fern Vale Volante
they/themI am Fern. I am a queer disabled trans (nonbinary) person. I work primarily in textiles, but I also work in printmaking, acrylic/mixed media art, and digital art. Some of my work includes tie dyed shirts block printed with my art, hand-carved rubber stamps, handmade patches, painted snapbacks/baseball hats, and prints (both digital and block printed). I also make bags out of reclaimed and altered fabrics. My aesthetics range between sparkly unicorn and spooky crowcore, and I am unabashedly queer. I like to refer to myself as a glitter goblin, because I love bright colours and sparkles, but also I love discarded things, spooky things, and things that people might think of as trash. I like to find new life for old things by remaking or modifying them. For instance a “tv” bag made out of vintage sesame street fabric, or a “ducks say acab” bag made out of vintage duck print fabric. If you are glitter trash, you like spooky things, or you’re just too queer to function, this might be the place for you.
Pride Not Prejudice
Meta Shop
Read My Flowers
Helena Verdier
she/herMy name is Helena and I am the maker behind Read My Flowers. I am a one-woman flower show, focusing on making flowers with a statement. Each flower is handcrafted from upcycled books and comics and lovingly made into a beautiful bloom. Bouquets, flower crowns and floral arrangements are the main staples within the brand, with paper flower paintings being the newest offering. I started making paper flowers after wanting to save some money on my own wedding. I made one and I was hooked! The time I spend cutting and gluing and arranging is a nice break from the hustle and bustle of my workday and gives me time to look at my cute cats, if they bother to grace me with their presence.
ReinPress
Noah Reinoso
he/himI make prints and stickers featuring hand-pressed techniques.
Resistance Jewelry
Alison Best Danson
she/herResistance Jewelry is a Black-owned business dedicated to family, feminism, and equality. Everything we do is centered around human rights, and a portion of the proceeds from all sales are donated to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). We aim to create lasting memories through distinctive custom pieces. Each item is hand-stamped to order in our Ottawa workshop, using high-quality metals.
Sophia Pugtrillo's Macrame
Danielle Montgomery
she/herI am a professional vegan baker, a new mother, and I live my life surrounded by several cats and dogs. Somehow in all of that, I find the time to make beautiful macrame plant hangers and wall hangings, available in a wide range of styles and colours.
Teapartywithzombies
Allecia Robb
she/herWelcome to Teapartywithzombies! This shop features varieties of Prints, Stickers, and Resin art; with a creepy cute flair. Inspired by burlesque and Tattoo art with a mix of colorful and pastel inspired designs.
That's What She Thread
Sylvie Recoskie
she/herHairstylist by day, embroidering by night. Founder of That’s What She Thread, Sylvie, is a proud Ottawan, artist, and mom. Inspired by pop culture, cartoons, and feminism, her embroidery reflects 90’s nostalgia and inside jokes.
The Pipi Ranch
Kristen and Rachel
she/herKristen and Rachel, aka Pipi and Ranch, are two queer and in love gals who lovingly handcraft vintage jewelry in their Ottawa home. They met in inpatient eating disorder treatment and are both passionate advocates for accessible and inclusive mental health awareness and treatment.
They live with their three rescue kittens, Bowie, Horton, and Blue, who were rescued from a Tim Horton’s drive-through.