Another great adventure enjoyed…all for the cost of a subway token! It was a grey old day here in Toronto today so I decided to go visit all the wonderful vendors at the monthly Leslieville Flea that was back at the Fermenting Cellar in the historic Distillery District for the winter months. Lots of lovely new vendors including Sonja from Woo-Hoo! Home Decor, Accessories & Collectibles (photos above and below). Sonja has stunning mid-century glassware, vintage cocktail sets, CarltonWare and some really cool Betty Boop/Coca Cola collectibles. I know a friend who loves Betty Boop so I’m fwd’ing her these pics. http://www.facebook.com/woohoodecor
Next to Sonja, I found the lovely and stylish Erica (pictured below left) from WildThingVintage who had a stash of great vintage bling – huge sparkly brooches that are all the rage now. http://www.wildthingvintage.etsy.com
Opposite Erica’s booth was Toronto’s own king of mustard, Dan Gordon from Whisky & Spice, who was very popular with the samples on offer of his handcrafted Whisky/Honey, Porter Beer or Riesling/Apple flavoured premium mustards. Dan and his lovely wife Laura (below) enjoyed meeting all the visitors and watching as their eyes rolled back in their heads after they taste the superb W&S products. http://www.whiskyandspice.ca
Bill & Sacha (pictured below) from Douglas + Son had some awesome manly vintage collectibles like this ancient buffalo skull and the old green & white enamel factory lampshade which is very on-trend right now. Check out their Instagram account for more of their treasures: @douglasandson
I then ran into a rather brilliant young entrepreneur, Cassandra, who has taken discarded rubber inner tubes (sourced mainly from Indonesia) and fashioned them into purses, jewellery & accessories, even shoes: AllWaste Reincarnation Art . Her bracelets are gorgeous and I can see them being worn by models walking this year’s Fashion Week runways. Hey all you fashion labels, check out Cassandra (pictured below left) for your show accessories this year- http://www.allwaste-reincarnationart.com
I found these saucy tuxedo’d gents (below) waddling around the Love in the Afternoon booth checking out the miniature vintage fainting couch. Made me smile http://www.loveintheafternoon.ca
Had fun chatting with Boris and Julia (below) of Vivid Toronto Streetwear. Julia makes these colourful, sexy bow-ties and pocket squares, as well as fully lined jaunty hats, chic belly-bags and innovative “neck tubes” – fuss-free scarves ideal for snowboarders. Check out their full line at http://www.vivid-streetwear.com
I was so dazzled by all the bright shiny things, I almost walked past my friend, jewellery designer Stephanie MacKay whose work includes sparkling druzzy rings (I have a gorgeous blue one) , red gold and copper necklaces and pendants. You gotta check out her designs: (http://www.mform.weebly.com )
Next to Stephanie, I saw some pretty amazing mini-planters that were hung upside down for display…cool.
As I walked around the architecturally exquisite Fermenting Cellar, I noticed this lovely lady (her name was Jen) sitting quietly, completely lost in her texting/tweeting. Thought she made a great photo.
Aussie Aussie Aussie, oi oi oi! Yep, I found a new mate from Downunder at the Flea. Matt Obst, a young Aussie woodworker/craftsman, showcased his great re-purposed furniture, eg: an old mail trolley made into a coffee table, a vintage factory sewing machine stand converted into table base, and all sorts of found boards and wood repurposed into stunning furniture. Visit his gallery at http://www.obstwood.com Matt does commissioned works as well.
Fallen Wood Designs was up next – check out these fabulous home accessories crafted by the talented Mike Larmer. I love the dark walnut bowl in the first photo, and don’t get me started on the stunning pepper mills. Wow! http://www.fallenwooddesigns.ca
Across the aisle, I met Paula Whitlock, the talented artist behind Picture This design studios. Especially loved her images of butterflies and local Toronto architecture. http://www.picturethistoronto.com
My lamby girls! Was thrilled to see Samantha and Calie of Two Lamb Boutique (below) had set up shop at the Flea. I met them about a month ago at their Yorkville pop-up and told them about the Leslieville Flea. Their glam bling sparkled under the lights, attracting lots of new Lamb-fans! http://www.twolamb.com Thank you for my lovely treat, ladies.
Another fun booth was the pair of CryWolf Clothing and The Button Machine (below). Loved the “Turonno” patches and wearable souvenirs, the buttons were very cool….another great vendor who makes you smile! http://www.crywolfclothing.com and http://www.thebuttonmachine.com
Ran to another of my fave Leslieville Flea vendors, Sarah Podemski of Totem Jewelry & Accessories. Last year, I purchased one of her silver antler pendants (below) that always gets me great compliments whenever I wear it. Thank you, Sarah. www.facebook.com/TotemJewelryAndAccessories
One of the newbies to the Flea was this lovely young lady, Emma (pictured below), who had some groovy clothing and accessories made from re-purposed treasures she’d found during her travels around the world. She was more concerned, tho, about showcasing the happy colourful artwork by Betty Mirembe who is battling Parkinson’s Disease which makes coming to the Flea nearly impossible for Betty. This adorable young lady was so proud to talk about Betty’s beautiful African scenes that she forgot to bring her own business cards. If I receive an email from her, I’ll link her access here – she deserves our support for her own kindness to another artist.
So another fabulous Leslieville Flea visit is done-and-dusted. Was nice to see Dan and his mustards, all my glitter girls who keep me lookin’ good, and all the gifted artisans I met today. Next date for the Flea is February 22nd, 10am to 4pm…and it’s FREE! Details here: http://leslievilleflea.com/
Fordham PR 