At Aromariss, we have been making handmade soaps for more 20 years. All our products are made from scratch in small batches. Only natural ingredients such as herbs, clays, spices, vegetable oil are used, and we are constantly finding new colours that nature provides us with. We have deliberately chosen to use natural dyes and essential oils rather than synthetic colours and fragrances because we believe that nature provides plenty! We use ingredients such as oats and poppy seeds to achieve exfoliating effects. Our soaps are made using the cold process method to retain the inherent benefits of the natural ingredients

Emilie Darlington is a freelance illustrator, painter, and muralist specializing in work that expresses connections with nature. Emilie’s murals are most often composed of big blooms, crisp lines and bright colours, while her abstract paintings tend to contrast organic free-flowing paint with detailed patterns 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. Emilie’s illustrative works have central themes of animals, patterns, and bright colours. Her use of vibrant colour communicates a strong positive energy, and a secondary layer of patterning is added when filling in colour using dots.

I 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 embroiderer to create my finger puppets and masks. This ensure a quality that can withstand toddler-level destruction as well as great detail.

I am the Founder and Chef of Baccanalle in Ottawa where we are in deep creating a taste of the Caribbean Lifestyle for you! Our condiments, spice blends and culinary gifts make wonderful staples and diversions for you or someone special!

As a Black Woman and Entrepreneur, I believe that I live intersectionality on the daily. I actively seek out opportunities to hire and develop BIPOC members of the community and collaborate with an eye to strengthening community diversity. I relish in the opportunity to explore and express my cultural heritage through food. I am proud to have been recognized with a 2021 Community Builder Award by Black History Ottawa!

When Dalex gave Dill the thumb of a glove she crocheted, Dill was inspired to make a “banana” sweater. From there, Dill and Dalex worked diligently to create many banana sweater prototypes and other banana and yarn related products. Their products now include pride flag themed banana sweaters, “mushroom” and worm earrings, knitted bunnies, enby mittens, and the beanis. Some of Dill’s personal artwork is also available, including digital art prints, bookmarks, etching prints, and fish stickers.

Beaux Magique was founded and is run by Reverend Terrie Brookins. Using artesian well water gathered under the full moon, these charged waters are truly blessed! With the light of the full moon to give extra energy in their work, each spray has been specially designed with a magical and mundane purpose to help in your life! Since 2013, she’s worked diligently to bring you old and new incense alternatives, condition and anointing oils as well as fine made magic. Using old and new recipes, public suggestions and super secret sources to spread her own brand of magic to everyone.

We are beekeepers and the makers of all our products. We pride ourselves on being involved in every step of the creative process, from working with our bees while harvesting our quality honey and beeswax, to hand pouring each body balm and lotion bar.

Hey everyone, my name is Danielle and I am the owner of Bowl Bombs!

In 2019 I began transitioning to all natural cleaning products after truly realizing how many chemicals are in cleaning products on the market today. Once I started the transition there was no turning back. I fell in love with the benefits to the environment, my health, and my home. I decided at that very moment in time to start a new project.

I have three bathrooms in my house and only really even use 1 or 2. I ended up cleaning all three weekly and it was getting extremely frustrating. Due to the evil red ring that was showing up in my third toilet due to hard water, I began experimenting and researching natural diy toilet cleaners. After many weeks of being a mad scientist in my kitchen, I created the perfect recipe for the most wonderful toilet cleaning bombs…and thus Bowl Bombs were born!

Since the creation of Bowl Bombs I have expanded my use for them within my household. I started with using them only in my toilets and have since added them to my cleaning routine for my sinks, bathtubs, and counters. They are so simple, smell great, and the best part is….there are NO chemicals- only 4 simple ingredients. Ingredients you can read, understand, and that are all natural!

Bye bye chemical cleaners…Hello Bowl Bombs!

At Carrot Top Soap Shop our passion is putting some jaz into your hygiene routine. Our bar soap and bath bombs are created with an in house vegan formula made with your skin in mind. We hope you love our products as much as we love making them!

I’m Talia & I’m a quirky, queer & animated Professional Makeup Artist that graduated from CMU College of Makeup Art & Design in Toronto. I started Chaotic Complexion 6 years ago as a way to document my creative makeup on social media. I love body painting & Sfx makeup and have worked for Makeup Artist Magazine, Comic Con, FanEXPO & Mehron Professional Body Paints at numerous trade shows/conventions across the GTA.

The thing that excites me the most about my brand is that makeup is meant to be chaotic, it’s maddening & it’s beautiful all at the same damn time! I created this brand to shake up the local handmade scene and to offer my expertise as an MUA.

Chaotic Complexion is made for HUMANITY to ensure nobody is left behind and to remind you that you are Extraordinary just the way you are! A safe space where you can feel creatively FREE to BE, LOVE & EXPRESS!

My eyeshadows are a wonderfully multi-faceted, lustre formula that is individually hand pressed & custom blended using carefully selected finely milled cosmetic grade micas & earth oxides. Each shade is truly a masterpiece and even more so on the person who wears it 😉

My Eyeshadows are Talc Free, Fragrance Free, Paraben Free, Cruelty Free & Vegan Friendly! <3

Beautifully handmade Afro Boho Wall Decor to create a warm, colorful and exotic vibes in your home. My textiles are sourced from Africa, Mali and Kinshasa.

My work is infulenced by my rich African background, travels and everyday life. I create contemporary pieces from home decor to fashion accessories using bold and colourful African textiles. My unique African accents reflect ME, at times make a statement, always bring me joy and sometimes just adds a pop of colour. I hope that you will enjoy my work.

At Craft Studio Creations it’s all about color, imagination and happiness incorporated into my felt designs. I am continuously influenced and inspired by so many wonderful and creative people that make up the extremely welcoming Craft/Handmade/Artisan Community.

I started making pop culture earrings about 7 yrs as just a fun thing to do and to express my inner kookiness. It has since gone from just the earrings to other pop culture items and to me opening my own store.

Hello friends! My name is Marina and I am a 20-year-old Canadian-Latina artist from Ottawa currently studying in Montreal. I make jewelry and create various artworks for my eco-conscious art business which I run on Instagram (@1dragon.artist). In my art you will find contrasting vibrant colours, surrealistic portraitures, and abstract styles that capture a dream-like feel. I find myself greatly inspired by themes of loneliness and introversion. As an environmentalist, I also like exploring themes of oceans & marine-life, pollution & sustainability, and humans & animals.

I have been making jewelry since I was 11-years-old. Over the past three years, I have been exploring, experimenting, and mastering my hand-painted wood technique for my jewelry. I carefully paint wooden plaques with original detailed designs before coating them in resin for a strong, durable and glossy finish. You can find more examples of my work using this specific technique on my Instagram account, @1dragon.artist.

** I do what I can to reduce my business’ ecological footprint. I carefully package all my products using reused, recyclable, and/ or compostable materials. I always try to obtain my materials from local shops and repurposed items, and finally, my jewelry business encourages slow fashion by recreating items on-demand.

Dutch Bike Printing Co began when I received a throw pillow with a bike on it!
I’m an avid cyclist, and 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.
As a woman on wheels, I am in the minority on the trails, but the riding community is growing by leaps and bounds, and is becoming more inclusive for all folks.

With over 15 years of experience working with hot glass, Emma creates fun and colourful one of a kind glass jewellery. Each bead is individually hand sculpted at the torch and is a mini piece of art you can be proud to show off.

Float or Fly started as a handmade chain maille jewellery brand but in the past year I’ve evolved into focussing on kits and tutorials for you to make your own chain maille jewellery and accessories. Experience the fun of making and showing off pieces you can be proud about! I also specialize in etched scale earrings in custom designs.

Larra and Dawn were great friends for well over a decade before they decided to take things up a notch. Flourish Stonewear began in Oct 2018 on nothing more than a dream to create. Now they are freakin’ excited to be doing this full-time!

We are two friends that make porcelain jewellery with 22k gold details and hypoallergenic posts.

Fragile Findings started 5 years ago, as a way to channel my anxiety into something creative. I found as time passed and I began expanding, I loved trying new crafty endeavours. So what started as just jewellery branched into candles, which branched into cross stitch, which branched into sewing!

My grandmother was always crafting…. sewing, knitting, quilting, you name it, she was doing it. I would watch her quietly stitch for hours and finally asked her to give me a shot. We started with cross stitch and I loved it. I stitched, and stitched, and stitched. I embellished everything you could imagine – tea towels, pillows, curtains. I was basically a 70 year old woman trapped in the body of an 11 year old. I loved it.

As I grew up, I kept stitching. I advanced to embroidery and started making my own designs. I was (and still am) an anxious mess, so embroidery allowed me to focus and slow down. It allowed me to escape from all the things that stressed me out day to day.

Life is faster and crazier than ever right now. Embroidery is not. Embroidery is a slow craft. It is beautiful and time consuming but oh so easy. I want to share that with people, just as my grandmother did with me.

Hey, I’m Amanda (she/her), the creator and maker behind Frisky Misky’s Feline Euphorium; I started this little side hustle in 2016 as a way to direct my creativity into making fun stuff, for people or their pets, which could contribute positivity 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. My goal is to have the end result that is useful and of quality for pets but makes people smile, laugh, or just simply enjoy the bizarre for a few moments. I am open to learning and relearning from others everyday and am humbled and inspired by the artist and maker community and the customers who support us.

I’m a recent gender fluid (AFAB) immigrant from Egypt. I’m tired of code-switching and sugar coating my feelings to white people to not intimidate them. I’m a musician, comedian, and intercultural communication consultant. I design and make soy candles that display my thoughts and feelings unapologetically.

Following 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 plant-based products careful to the skin and to the planet to encourage our customers to adopt a healthy and zero waste lifestyle.

Hungry Babe is a food/fat/body positive vegan prepared foods company, owned and operated by a chubby gal who got fed up with sad salads and food shame-y branding. Eat when you’re hungry babe!

I’ve been disabled for around 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’, ordinary and traditional, but there’s no denying their queerness shining through.

Katherine 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?

I’m a proud queer, feminist maker. The reason I started making buttons is the same reason I continue to make them: I love their ability to communicate, to unite, and to spread awareness, discussion, and progress. I love that this small medium can express so much with the wearer not saying a word. My designs are inspired by things that I am passionate about: activism, animals, plants, mental health, and, of course, cute things. My goal is to spread joy, awareness, community, and understanding while raising money for local causes. I work to make my activism and designs intersectional, and am always looking for ways to expand my knowledge and awareness – while recognizant of my privilege as a white, cis woman.

It’s OK. It’s ART. is a woman-owned and led business using art & humour to create space for mindfulness and creativity! I love making people laugh and find a little space for joy in the day-to-day struggle of life. You’ll love colouring again, I swear!

Hi! 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!

We are a veteran run small business that hand makes artisan dried soup mixes and desserts using bespoke recipes and curated local (that we dehydrate ourselves) and Canadian produce. We actually fit a lot of the labels that PNP supports and represents, but we are not fans of labels themselves. We are all human first. We support a lot of socially forward businesses and animal rescues. We make our mixes in a commercial kitchen and are licensed and inspected by the City of Ottawa Health Department (feel free to ask KRae how anal I am about food safety.. lol).

Small batch accessories maker with a quirky twist. Colourful, creative and cute – Gracie sews each piece with a hint of pizazz. It’s all about colour, uniqueness, nerve and textiles. Skip the ponytail and think yourself as a gift and put a bow on it!

Kristin Fardy paints from her home studio in Ottawa, Canada, and is inspired by nature, human faces, and explorations of identity. She paints in a variety of styles, all of which seem to wreak havoc on her paintbrushes.

Kristin is a queer, genderqueer woman, and her work is inevitably informed by this experience (the evidence of which is more apparent in some works than others!)

Kristin is an emerging artist who, after dabbling sporadically in other media over the years, currently paints in acrylics on wood panels. Her paintings draw from her own experiences, including places visited, trees spotted on local hikes, and people who have made an impression on her, as well as the occasional image found while scrolling the internet that catches Kristin’s fancy and calls out to her to paint it.

She supports local independent art supply shops when purchasing her materials and replacing her battered brushes.

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 several cuts. As the images are cut into linoleum there is a finite number of prints that can be done with each design, making every shirt unique and limited edition. Inspiration for LINE comes from the natural world as well as folklore and popular culture and the artists experience as a female in the world.

Gillian Isabel is a young queer individual who recently turned 18 years old and graduated high school. She enjoys selling jewelry and pins as a way to fundraise for various community members and groups in need, but has been on a social media and community work break since January due to mental illness. She has not yet returned to her online platforms as she’d hoped she would, but is grateful for the support she has received so far in treatment and in healing. She has not been able to do much over the past while, but gave herself the goal of preparing for this craft fair over the course of the past few months. She hopes to be able to make enough to give back once again to the community, something she cares about deeply.

Hey friend! I’m glad you’re here.

My name is KJ (they/them) and I am the artist behind Lucky Little Queer. I create all my art and products in my cozy home studio in Ottawa, ON, Canada. I proudly identify as non-binary, bisexual and a survivor of violence. I live with my lovely partner and our two kitties where we’re building a wonderful little life together.

I am the owner, creator and designer of LLQ. I like to describe my artistic style as bright and flowery with a hard edge. Ever since I can remember, I’ve used art as a way to cope, heal, and express myself and my identities. My work typically features floral drawings combined with darker imagery like skulls and swords, showcasing feminist and 2SLGBTQ+ mantras. My products are for babes who have something to say and want to show the world who they are.

I’m Mags, an Ottawa-based creator who hand-makes whimsical and functional crochet items. In September of 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic, I decided to commit my time to doing something that is fun and grounding for me and makes others happy. There is something about taking yarn, a hook, some other bits and bobs, and imagination and ending up with a fully-realized design that is exciting. I hope to inspire others to invest time and money into their hobbies, regardless of how profitable they are.

Mini Escape Goat makes fun pinback buttons, magnets, stickers, some washi tape, the occasional enamel pin and basically if it sounds fun I’ll try to make it.
Mainly pop culture cliches and silly things to put a smile on your face.
10% of all sales are donated to local charities, and several items are specifically for NGO fundraising!

Bigender, biromantic, bilingual French-Canadian artisan who loves making both original and geeky-inspired work. I collect different crafty hobbies like I collect craft supplies: add them to the hoard! I love working with my hands and being inspired by other artists and the media I enjoy. I’m also a huge reptile lover and a western hognose snake breeder. I’m hoping to up my resin crafting skills to one day create pieces of art and accessories with all the sheds I’ve accumulated! For now my work is mainly focused jewellery, sewing, knitting, crochet, and most recently papercrafting. After nearly a year of sewing masks for the pandemic, I can’t wait to move on to more creative projects in the near future!

Hi! My name is Samantha, the Taurus soul behind the (deep breath) Ottawa-based, slow-made, small batch jewelry company Moonstone and Cactus!

I make light-weight clay earrings for everyone! M & C was created out of my life-long curiosity and love for the paranormal, the desert, oddities, and all things kitschy, grungy, sparkly and spooky.

The vibe is Dolly meets Elvira meets Courtney Love, The Craft meets Bewitched meets Thelma and Louise! Crafting keeps my eyes away from computer screens and my usually anxious brain flowing with daydreams, magic, and creativity.

I am pro sex work, pro trans rights, and pro LGBTQ2S+. As a white cisgender settler I acknowledge the multitude of privileges I have. I am on a continuous journey to be anti-racist, to be an ally, and to learn and unlearn.

My name is Melissa and I am the owner of Munching Monster Chewlery. We are a small shop located in Hamilton, Ontario. Our shop was started in 2016 when Melissa discovered that there were no affordable teething products on the market. I started making teething clips and rings for babies but shortly after I started to receive phone calls and messages about products for older children. I soon discovered that there was a lack of sensory products for older children. After some research we launched our children’s line of jewelry. We started with just necklaces and soon created bracelets, fidgets and sought out fun pendants for the older children.

Munea Wadud is a queer, non-binary, person of colour who creates art that seeks to challenge social norms and increase representation for minorities in the art scene. She is skilled in painting, drawing and digital work – she is a self-taught creative who has displayed her art in many events such as Ottawa’s Feminist Fair, Ottawa Art Gallery’s Youth Showcase, Ottawa South Asian Fest, Flamingo Market and Pride Not Prejudice Art Fair! Her designs address issues such as racism, sexism and homophobia – Munea is also really passionate about writing and loves to read poetry and watch anime!

MXMLST Collection empowers you to find your voice through style to make the impact we need you to make in the world. We offer style consultations, vintage curations and made-to-order creations for maximal impact and minimal imprint.

I am a self-taught jewelry maker and I work out of my tiny home studio, where I design and create feminist, minimalist, 90s inspired, intergalactic jewelry using recycled and up cycled in sterling silver. I cut, shape, solder, file, and polish each piece individually with a lot of love and care. In addition, I have collaborated with my partner to design a line of feminist t-shirts 100% made in Canada, feminist totes bags, and more recently tie dye face masks.

Hi there! I’m Christina Najjar, Acupuncturist and Nutritionist by day, and crafter by night. I’ve never met a fibre craft I didn’t enjoy.

For a long time, creativity was missing from my health regimen. Taking care of my mental health has been monumental in improving my quality of life with chronic illness. Crafting allows me to relieve stress by making something colourful and practical. Being able to share my crafts with others brings me joy.

My big goal is to have a net positive impact. During the day, I get to do this by helping people heal from their chronic illnesses. With crafting, one way I can do that is by providing zero waste products to help people reduce their environmental footprint. You’ll also find a strong plant theme in my items, as the abundance of plants in my apartment has helped make my home a beautiful place during the pandemic.

Another way I get to have a positive impact is by contributing to causes that matter to me. I share a small studio with my cat Millie, who was adopted from the Ottawa Humane Society (OHS). A portion of the funds from each item sold will be donated to the OHS. The exact amounts to be donated will be specified in the description of each item. Your support is very much appreciated.

Hi! My dad and I are Colombian immigrants making art and trying to live our best lives. I’m a university student studying visual arts thanks to a scholarship, and my dad is a stay-at-home parent since he hasn’t been able to find work as a consultant for rural development projects since the pandemic started. Because of this, my stepmom and I encouraged him back into making artisanal jewellery, a skill he taught himself while travelling around South America in his youth. Together we will be offering artisanal jewellery and other accessories such as pins, brooches, and stickers!

Most of our jewellery is made out of natural materials my dad’s gathered and traded along the years in South America, materials such as homemade clay, tagua (known in English as vegetable ivory as it resembles it while being a seed from a palm-like tree), Alpaca (known as Nickel Silver or German Silver in English), a variety of semi-precious stones, and glass beads.

Other than artisanal jewellery, we will also be offering my hand painted Gay Pride accessories, such as pronoun buttons, and my new Pride Frog Earrings!!

Peach Tree Pieces was created out of my experience as a plus size, queer person managing a jewellery boutique. Clay earrings are so fun and expressive but I found them to be targeted towards the same thin, cis, white women as most jewellery is. As somebody who finds jewellery incredibly important to their gender expression I wanted to create things that would make the wearer feel strong and affirmed.

Almost every style is named and designed with a person in mind–the pieces of myself that are made of up the people in my life. They are designed to be loved and are intended to all bodies and genders. Everything that I do is informed by my background in feminist theory and I am thankful to have this amazing community and creative outlet while I move forward with a PhD in September.

Prints are a new addition to the shop and are a fun way to support this project if you are just not a jewellery person. I hope that each and every one of you feels strong and powerful when wearing some Peach Tree or hanging some art in your space.

Phoebe’s Pawlace started with the desire for a snuffle mat for my puppy Phoebe. There were not many options available locally and I’ve always had a crafty side so I decided to make my own! Since then I’ve developed a love for making items in fun colour and pattern combinations that suit your pet’s personality, your home décor, or both!

Pretty Loft Designs is a home based business dedicated to the creating funny, quirky creations. Items include but nothing limited to mugs, travel mugs, wine tumblers and more. Acknowledging my white privilege, I love the community that PNP has developed and love the safe and nonjudgemental environment it provides for personal growth as I navigate to become a better person for myself, family and my community.

I’m originally from Nova Scotia. I grew up dreaming of becoming a world famous fashion designer. Or a photo journalist. Both seemed glamorous and far more exciting than life in Lyons Brook. I had this idea that I would go to California and get off the plane in one of my outfits, someone would see me and demand to know where I bought it. I’d smile and simply say “I made it” and the world would fall at my feet.

So yeah, I read a lot of romance novels too.

Covid has caused me to change directions slightly and make a product for our times – masks.

I love clothes making and and slowly getting back into it, when time allows as the demand for well made masks that are up to standard is quite high. Eventually I will be releasing a capsule wardrobe of clothing that I love, in an ever expanding range of sizes. Having ADD allows me to multitask and dream and design with the best of them. Having my assistant Erika, allows me to finish what I started with the best of them.

Hi hi! Welcome to @radikal_adornments. My name’s Nicole (she/her/siya) and I’m a queer, Filipina mama. Radikal Adornments was borne out of all things radical, revolutionary and rebellious. With this small business I’m merging my love for cultural work and organizing with my love for adornments (of all kinds!).

Every month I highlight & fundraise 25% of my sales to different progressive Filipino organizations/campaigns who are serving the oppressed masses.

Thanks for checking me out and I’m excited to continue adorning you beautiful, radikal people ✊🏽💜

With love and solidarity,

Nicole

I’ve always been a crafty girl. My roots go back to the brightly coloured 1980s, where neon and big hair was in, our shoes were decorated with beaded friendship pins, and our arms were full of jelly bracelets and friendship bracelets.

These friendship pins and bracelets were my beginning. Miles of embroidery floss and plastic lace (gimp), beads, and safety pins were all I needed to be happy. The 1990s and a big box craft store in my city fed that passion, and much more. I tried all of the crafts I could- painting little ceramic figures, puffy fabric photo albums, grapevine wreaths, plastic canvas, cross-stitch…I could go on…

Even with all of those other crafts, my beads remained the priority. I started out stringing simple necklaces, then I learned more intricate weaves and designs. I got a bead loom, and all of a sudden my love of friendship bracelets and beading were combined.

Fast forward to 2010. I was still beading, and still doing cross stitch, but I needed something new. I discovered chainmaille, and fell in love with the intricate weaving of aluminum rings. I mastered the basics, then started incorporating my beads into the designs.

This is where my evolution as a crafter sits now. I love chainmaille, but of course my beads remain my true love. I’m doing a lot of brick stitch in cute patterns, and peyote stitch.

My love of rainbows and bright colours has been a natural fit for LGBTQ+ Pride events and festivals. I have participated in Pride events in Toronto, Peterborough, and Lindsay, all in Ontario. I love the vibe of Pride, so much love and acceptance, and people get to be their true selves. That’s why I am honoured to be a part of this fair, and all it stands for.

My 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, but there’s always something new in the works. I started making paper flowers after wanting to save some money on my own wedding. I made one and I was hooked! I focus on making flowers for everyone, with a mission of giving back to my local community.

Resistance 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.

My name is Paula and I am the owner/creator behind Revive Upcycled Goods. I strive to use upcycled/recyclable/reusable items in all of my products, such as leather scrap from other makers. As an amateur plant enthusiast, many of my products are designed to house plant babies of all kinds.

Sasspot is a woman run brand all about embracing your inner sasspot (we all have one) and living your life your own way. We’re big on sustainability and the reducing the impact we have on the environment so all of our fabrics are thrifted or sourced sustainably and we create a lot of reusable pieces that allow you to reduce single use items.

I am a South Asian chronically ill visual artist, who is heavily inspired by my heritage and disability. I create romantic, art nouveau style digital and hand drawn illustrations inspired by Indian children’s artworks from the 70s-80s. Drawn in bright and vibrant colors, I hope to share honesty and vulnerability in my work.

Hi I’m Angel owner of sew crazy here in Ottawa I’m a short and sassy maker who loves to make people laugh.

Sophia Pugtrillo’s is named for my late old lady pug Sophia. This shop began as a fundraiser for her vet bills, and even though she’s gone I love that her little face is everywhere.

I call myself the ‘Morticia Stewart’ of macrame, making fibre art that ranges from cute to creepy. Using things like skulls, antlers, and driftwood, I love that my art incorporates things found in nature, or can turn something that has passed away into beautiful art.

All rope is purchased exclusively from Canadian companies, and all animal things are ethically sourced.

Tayboo Boutique surprises with handcrafted, original designs in home décor and fashion accessories! All genders, all ages; a gift from Tayboo is tailored to please! From cute baby onesies to comfy pillows, whimsical totes, jewelry and stationary to “say what you mean to say”!
Expressions of art, crafts and clothing – for you – from Tayboo! Tayboo Boutique, bring home the magic!

I’m Karen and I am the creator of The F Wrap cloth pads. I am also a Registered Holistic Nutritionist who is passionate about living a natural, healthy lifestyle.

In the spring of 2015, I introduced my cloth pads at a local market and most of the people I talked to either never heard of cloth pads, or they loved them! There was not much in between. I knew right away I needed to be an advocate for cloth pads. People need to know they exist! It is hard for some to get past the idea of reusing something that holds blood and/or urine. But, trust me when I say this. They come clean in the wash. Every. Time.

I took about 2 years experimenting with different shapes and sizes, absorbency and fabrics until I created something I was very happy with. The result is a high quality product that looks and feels amazing! One thing I have learned from speaking with people about their personal experience is that we all have very different needs. This is why sizes of The F Wrap cloth pads range from 7.25 inches to 16 inches long.

All of our products are hand made by me, in my home studio just outside of Ottawa.

If you are new to cloth pads, or never heard of them before, I encourage you to give The F Wrap a try. You will be glad you did!

Tubby Tabby Soaps is a tiny, (queer) family-owned company that makes small batches of handmade soap in Ottawa, ON.

Eli and Lia are a couple of queers with a magnificently fat tabby cat named Abby. Abby is essentially the love of our lives. In appreciation of her roundness, we sometimes call her Abby the Flabby Tabby, or (you guessed it) the Tubby Tabby. Our company name is an homage to our beautiful and beloved fur baby. Please rest assured that she does not like actual (bath)tubs one bit, and we do not put Abby in our bathtub, ever, under any circumstances. To reward us for our good faith, Abby has agreed not to scratch our eyes out while we sleep.

The soaps we make are one-of-a-kind, fun and definitely a little gay. We love colour and you can rest assured that there will be cool designs involved. Currently we specialize in bar soap and shampoo bars, as they’re easiest on the environment.

None of our products contain harsh surfactants or detergents that aren’t biodegradable. All of our soaps are made with natural (usually edible) oils that have a simple, naturally-occurring chemical added to make soap: lye. Alone, lye is very caustic and so it needs to be handled carefully. But once you add it to oils in a delicate balance (as we do), the magic of chemistry begins to transform those two ingredients into a mild, cleansing soap. Soap has been made for millennia, and while commercial soaps use all sorts of environmentally-damaging and carcinogenic ingredients to improve the foaming or appearance of the soap, we’re all about keeping it as simple as possible. We make good soap with biodegradable ingredients, and they look cute AF, too. What more could you want? 🙂

Hi, I’m Liz!
I’m the owner and main maker for Wood Chip Décor. I love playing with bright colors and designing patterns from inspiration I find. But I also love things that serve a purpose and are beautiful at the same time. So that’s how I design a lot of the items you see here.

Everything is made in my log cabin shop just outside of Merrickville ON, where you usually find me covered in dust and playing with power tools. I do pretty much everything but my husband Dan helps out behind the scenes with things like prepping boards on the drum sander.

This summer we’ll be welcoming our little girl and I can’t wait to show her the shop and get her making too.