Tag Archives: Bird On A Wire Creations

June Hunter Valentine’s Studio Sale February 9th and 10th

4 Feb

JuneHunterStudioSaleFeb.2019

East Van artist, June Hunter, is hosting her Valentine’s Studio Sale this weekend. If you have a special someone to buy for who is a nature lover, then this is the spot for you. June has again been working on some new colourful designs. This weekend you can expect to find a host of beautiful items including heart shaped jewellery, cusjunehuntervalentine_cookies_1024x1024hion covers, totes, small prints, iPad covers, greeting cards, note pads, large scale wall art, tiles and much more.  As you will notice, nature and/or wildlife is a theme through all of her work.  In celebration of Valentine’s Day, heart shaped cookies will be available for nibbling and Geordie her rescue dog will be ready to greet you.  June Hunter’s studio is located at 2785 Parker Street (one block west of Renfrew – between Hastings St. and First Avenue). The Studio Sale takes place Saturday, February 9th and Sunday, February 10th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

If you are not able to attend this weekend’s Valentine’s Studio Sale, we invite you check out her online shop which is open 24/7.  You can also find some of June’s pieces at Doctor Vigari Gallery, 1816 Commercial Drive and Bird on A Wire Creations, 2535 Main Street in East Van as well as the Vancouver Art Gallery store downtown.

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Shopping Local This Holiday Season Is Easy With These Local Stores

19 Dec

 

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Did you miss the flurry of artisan markets and craft fairs this past month? If so, no worries. Lots of opportunities to shop local with the stores we’ve listed below.   They are all awesome supporters of local talent. Shopping with them goes a long way to help support your local makers and local businesses.    Those listed below carry a wide range of items. We’ve included links to each so get a better sense of the items they carry.

Bird On A Wire Creations

Bird on A Wire Creations has been a long time supporter of local artists and have gathered quite a collection of beautiful items from a variety of artisans around BC.  If you haven’t checked out this space, we encourage you to stop by. They are located at 2535 Main Street near Broadway.

Doctor Vigari Gallery

Doctor Vigari Gallery is a great space at 1816 Commercial Drive supporting visual artists.  You can find array of items perfect for gift giving including pieces of art from one of our favourite artists June Hunter.

Second Nature Home

Second Nature Home is a home décor boutique located at 3565 Commercial Street in Cedar Cottage.  The store has a wide range of items outside of home décor including  jewellery, gifts for the foodie in your life, something cute for the new baby or new mom and much more. They currently have extended hours running up to Christmas. December 17-23rd they are open until 9:00 pm and Monday, December 24th they are open 11:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Plenty + Spare

Plenty + Spare is located at 2168 East Hasting Street. It’s easy to miss by the smells of their neighbour East Village Bakery which can draw you in by your nose literally, but do stop into Plenty + Spare. They create an array of beautiful handmade bath and beauty products along with a few other items brought in for the holiday season.

Giving Gifts

Giving Gifts is a very cool space located at 4570 Main Street. The store tucked between 30th & 29th Avenue is made of up 5 rooms packed with items from 100 local as well as fair trade artists from around the world.  It is a gift giving boutique so you will easily be able to pick up a few gifts for just about any age.

Tiny Finery

Tiny Finery is a sweet little shop located in Hastings Sunrise at 2629 East Hastings Street that features jewellery as well as local pottery, leather work, prints and some greeting cards.  They also do custom jewellery work if you have something specific in mind.

Why we should Shop Local. For every $100 you spend with a local business, $46 is re-circulated back into the BC economy (vs $18 for multi nationals). Small business re-circulates 2.6 times more revenue in the local economy as do chains. 

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Shop Local With These East Van Shops

19 Dec

WhiteChristmasFinished your Christmas shopping? If not, the countdown is on. We recommend skipping the craziness that is the malls. Why not stop into one of these great local businesses that will a) not only appreciate the business, but b) offer some truly great service.  We’ve set out a few of our favourite spots we think are great for gift giving. Note, many of the stores have extended hours this week to help you with your Christmas shopping.

Les amis du fromage – 843 East Hastings Street

For the cheese lover, this is a great spot, but that’s not all they have.  They have a host of kitchen accessories and gourmet condiments perfect for giving gift.  Add to that, they are hosting a Sweet Pop Up Shop with delish items from Lisa Lou’s Chocolate Bar until December 24th.  If you know a true cheese lover, take note of their upcoming Wine & Cheese Tasting classes in the New Year.

Gourmet Warehouse, 1340 East Hastings Street

Who does not love to receive great food at Christmas?  There is such an array of delectable food items in store at Gourmet Warehouse whether for entertaining over the holidays or gift giving.  You can find just about everything here whether it’s small appliances, knives, condiments, baking items or maybe a gift certificate for an upcoming cooking class. There are lots of great gift ideas in store.  This week, they are making it easy for you. Gourmet Warehouse is open 10:00 am to 8:00 pm until December 22nd. Saturday, December 23rd 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and December 24th 8:30 to 4:30 pm.

Bird On A Wire Creations, 2535 Main Street

Bird On A Wire Creations is located near Kingsway on Main Street and features a host of new as well as established Canadian artists. They have an amazing selection of one-of-a-kind items.    If you missed artisan markets and craft fairs, you will find many of local makers in this store.  They are are open 10:00 am to 7:00 pm this week.

Giving Gifts Co., 4570 Main Street

Giving Gifts is a unique concept store made up of 5 rooms with items from over 70 local artists and small businesses in one lovely boutique shop.  The items are also eco-friendly and fair trade made. This store also has a great selection of gifts for kids and toddlers.

Little Mountain Pop Up Shop, 4386 Main Street

The Little Mountain Pop Up Shop is currently hosting ‘Holid-eh!’ featuring over 20 Canadian makers.  A few participants include Fox & Fancy, Bar Skin Bar, True North Trading Post and more.  They are open for holiday shopping until December 24th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and for those last minute shoppers, December 24th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Olive & Wild, 4391 Main Street

If you are looking for some beautiful unique home décor items for gift giving this year, we recommend checking out Olive & Wild. Lots of beautiful items in store sourced locally and globally.

Second Nature Home, 3565 Commercial Street

Second Nature Home is great little shop just steps away from the Commercial Street Café in a great little stretch of road nestled next to the Toso Wood Gallery.  It boasts an array of eco-friendly items from Canadian artisans many of them local.  There is a wide selection of products and we might add great knowledgeable service. This week, they are open Monday to Saturday from 10:30 am to 9:00 pm and Sunday, December 24th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.

Doctor Vigari Gallery, 1816 Commercial Drive

Doctor Vigari on The Drive boasts quite a collection of art from BC and Canadian artists whether you are looking for large or small pieces, there’s lots of choose from including tiles, prints, jewellery, sculptures, furniture, ceramics and much more.  Also framing is available in store to finish off that perfect piece of art whether purchased in store or elsewhere.

Lala’s On The Drive, 1748 Commercial Drive

A newer addition to The Drive, Lala’s has an array of gift giving items, some silly, some sassy, many just plain fun.  Lots of unique items for gift giving.

Wherever you shop, we hope you will continue to support our local businesses.

 

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East Van Artist June Hunter Hosting Studio Sale May 6-7, 2017

5 May

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East Van artist, June Hunter, is hosting a Studio Sale this weekend, May 6th and 7th, just in time for Mother’s Day.  If you follow us regularly, you know we are big fans of her work.  Nature features prominently in June’s work as do some iconic East Van landmarks. If you wish to know more about the crows that inhabit the green space in our neck of the woods, you may wish to check out some of her blog posts. She regularly features crows and other birds that come to visit her idyllic backyard which houses her working studio. This weekend, her working studio will be transformed to showcase all her creative works which include jewellery, small prints, large scale wall art, crow-bars, wall decals as well as some discontinued items.  Her rescue dog Geordie will again be on hand as ambassador to greet you. June Hunter’s Studio is located at 2785 Parker Street (one block west of Renfrew – between Hastings St. and First Avenue). The Studio Sale takes place Saturday, May 6th and Sunday, May 7th from 10:00 am. to 5:00 pm.

If you are not able to attend this weekend’s Studio Sale, we invite you check out her online shop which is open 24/7.  You can also find some of June’s pieces at Doctor Vigari Gallery, 1816 Commercial Drive and Bird on A Wire Creations, 2535 Main Street.

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East Van Artist June Hunter Hosting Valentine Studio Sale February 11 & 12

10 Feb

junehunterjewellery2016East Van artist, June Hunter, is hosting a Valentine’s Studio Sale this weekend, February 11th and 12th.  If you follow us regularly, you know we are big fans of her work.  Nature features prominently in June’s work as do some iconic East Van landmarks. If you wish to know more about the crows that inhabit the green space in our neck of the woods, you may wish to check out some of her blog posts. She regularly features crows and other birds that come to visit her idyllic backyard which houses her working studio. This weekend, her working studio will be transformed to showcase all her creative works which include jewellery, small prints, large scale wall art, crow-bars, wall decals as well as some discontinued items. Befitting June’s fondness for crows, you will find Valentine Day cookies available with crows and hot chocolate to keep you warm while you shop.  Her rescue dog Geordie will be on hand as ambassador to greet you. June Hunter’s Studio is located at 2785 Parker Street (one block west of Renfrew – between Hastings St. and First Avenue). The Valentine Studio Sale takes place Saturday, February 11th and 12th from 10:00 am. to 5:00 pm.

If you are not able to attend the Valentine Studio Sale, but want to pick up a special piece of  jewellery for someone this Valentine’s Day, we invite you check out her online shop which is open 24/7. June also offers Gift Cards, so that special person can pick out exactly what they’d like since she has so many beautiful pieces, it could be hard to choose.  You can also find some of June’s pieces at Doctor Vigari Gallery, 1816 Commercial Drive and Bird on A Wire Creations, 2535 Main Street.

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Photo Credit: June Hunter Images

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East Van Artist June Hunter End of Summer Studio Sale September 10 & 11

8 Sep

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One of our favourite East Van artists June Hunter is having her End of Summer Studio Sale this weekend. For those that aren’t familiar with June’s work, she has a way with nature that shows in all her pieces. Her work has been featured in Style at Home House and Home and Where Vancouver as well as on CBC’s Living Vancouver.

During this weekend’s End of Summer Studio Sale, you can expect to find sale prices on art, cards, jewellery, tiles, magnets and one of a kind mixed media miniatures. June has been working on many new designs including crowbars and jewellery featuring symbols of Vancouver which include some bold colourful pieces.  June Hunter’s Studio is located at 2785 Parker Street (one block west of Renfrew – between Hastings St. and First Avenue). The Studio Sale runs from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday, September 10th and Sunday, September 11th.

If you are not able to make the Studio Sale, you can also visit her Shop Online or find some of her work at Doctor Vigari Gallery, 1816 Commercial Drive as well as Bird on A Wire Creations at 2535 Main Street.

Photos Courtesy of June Hunter Images

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Self-Guided Food & Culture Tour Around Mount Pleasant

21 Jul

MountPleasantWe recently organized a group walking tour in Mount Pleasant which included a bit of food, some libations as well as some local culture. We thought we’d share with you some of the spots we hit and in what order for those that wish to replicate some or all of the spots we hit in whatever order you see fit.  Geographically, we started South on Main Street and worked our way North down the hill.   We have listed out below all of our stops along the way with some alternate suggestions for those that wish to customize the list to their personal preferences. We had a blast on this tour and, of course, the local businesses, loved new faces being introduced to the products/services they offered. MPTourParallel49MPTourLuckys

So enough of the preliminaries, let’s get touring.  Our first stop was at 49th Parallel/Lucky’s Doughnuts at Main Street & 13th Avenue for great coffee and donuts. We were a group of 10, so lots of space on their outdoor patio for a larger group as well as inside.  After coffee, we headed to Bird On A Wire Creations which is packed with so much great stuff by BC artisans and local makers. If you need to find a gift for someone, there’s a good chance you will find something here. If you are at Bird On A Wire on a Saturday, you may find Bouquets by Mary which is a floral pop up within Bird On A Wire Creations. While at Bird On A Wire, we encourage you to pop into another great store literally next door, Much & Little. Much & Little has some very cool items including MPTourSipsclothing and accessories. Our find, coveted pens that write on glass and plates aptly named Wine Glass Writer.  Next stop took us to Sips Cocktail Emporium where one of the owners Darcy is always on hand with advice and suggestions on how to make the prefect cocktail.   Next up we headed for lunch and libations at Chicha Restaurant which features deliciousMPTourChichaPiscoSour Peruvian food and delicious pisco sours which was a perfect spot for a late lunch/brunch before carrying on.  For dessert, we headed over to French Made Baking where you can find an amazing array of macarons, flaky croissants and a variety of sweet treats.  Next stop was Dandelion Emporium which again if you are looking for gifts, this is another spot with unique gift ideas. Then of course, right next door was Pulp Fiction Books which had a great selection of books.  Next up was some stops across the street to check out a couple of the vintage shops on or near Main Street, F as In Frank and Scout Boutique (MOVED) whilst another group stopped into  RX Comics.  After that everyone got thirsty, so we made our way to Brassneck Brewery which was a great spot, but as a larger group, we did have to wait for a bit which we were fine with, but it’s a popular spot for those not wishing to wait.  As many may know, there is quite a hub of craft breweries in this area, so there are a number of other great options including 33 Acres Brewing, Main Street Brewing & R&B Brewing which will soon also be an ale and pizza house.  Our next intended stop was Beta 5 Chocolates which if you didn’t know makes world class chocolates and hosts Ice Cream Socials on the weekends in the summer months. We apparently spent some time hanging out in the brewery, so they were closed by the time we were ready to go. So we carried on to other two sweet spots. Firstly, Cartems Donuts which was literally a few feet from Brassneck Brewery and then down to Earnest Ice Cream at Quebec & 2nd to finish things off.  Of course, if you prefer gelato, Mario’s Gelati isn’t far at 1st and Quebec.    For those trying to figure out timing, we started our day about 11:30 am and finished up about 6:00 pm, but it was a leisurely day of wandering and catching up with friends and introducing them to some of the things I love about East Van. We invite you to do your own self-guided tour and visit as many of the spots noted above, they are all worth stopping in to see. 

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Wreath & Floral Crown Workshops At Bird On A Wire Creations

19 May

BouquetsByMaryWe recently stopped in at Bird On A Wire Creations in Mount Pleasant. If you don’t know the store, it is a great artisanal gift shop located at 2535 Main Street near Broadway. We noted a few personal favourite artisans in store, but what was hard to miss was a colourful display  of flowers in the corner of the store which we learnt was Bouquets by Mary.  On some Saturdays, you will find Mary Kelava hosting a small Pop Up Shop with stunning bouquets available for very reasonable prices. The bouquets we saw featured were $25 and beautiful.  What we also learnt is that Mary will be conducting some floral workshops at Bird On A Wire Creations in June.   We’ve set out the two upcoming workshops below:

Living Wreath Workshop – June 4th

You will learn how to make a succulent living wreath in a 2 hour class which runs from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at a cost of $55 which includes all the materials.  You can book your spot by calling Bird On A Wire Creations at T:  604.315.1188 or by booking online at Bird On A Wire.

Floral Crown Workshop – June 11th

Have a wedding come up? Well these would be a great idea for the bride to be whether for the actual day or for her wedding shower. On June 11th, learn how to make a floral crown. Everything will be provided for you.  Cost of this class is also $55 and also runs from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.

If you are interested in the Floral Pop Up shops and picking up some stunning flowers, note Mary is not in store every Saturday and we hear she won’t be there over the upcoming long weekend, but she will be back on May 28th.

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Say Hi To A Stranger – 3rd Edition August 21 – 23

14 Aug

SayHiToStranger2015PINKThe “Say Hi To A Stranger” Campaign returns August 21st – 23rd. We are pleased to see this event continue which was created by A Cue Creative Consulting. A large study conducted in 2012 by the Vancouver Foundation shows that socializing is challenging for many city residents. About one-third of respondents agree that it is difficult to make new friends in Vancouver, and that proportion jumps to half of respondents who have lived in Canada for fewer than five years.

For those unfamiliar with this campaign, the first Say Hi To A Stranger Weekend occurred on November 8 – 10, 2013 shortly after local writer Chelsea Pescitelli identified Vancouver as “anti-social” in her VancityBuzz article “Single in Vancouver: The Asocial Single Society.”  A Cue Creative Consulting responded with a video and blog post that spread online. They dared Vancouverites to say “Hi!” to strangers and tweet about their experience with the hashtag #sayhitoastranger. The A Cue Creative team discovered that Vancouver could be a social and open city, but needed a push to open up and start communicating. Along with the team being featured in mainstream media, approximately 200 people gathered at the checkpoints over the weekend, and more than 5,000 people engaged with the blog and on social media online. #sayhitoastranger trended on Twitter on Thursday, November 7, 2013.

We at IliveInEastVan.com were one of the many that participated in this initial campaign as we love the premise of encouraging social interaction on the streets of Vancouver. We fully support this great initiative and applaude Kaare Long and her team for keeping this discussion going. It’s easy to be complacent and just accept that ‘it is what it is’ or you can take steps to make a difference however small to make the City a better place. On August 21st, they kick off their 3rd edition of #SayHiToAStranger with an Opening Party at Grandview Park from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm. You are invited to come down and say hi and learn more about the campaign. You will also receive information about their community partners who will be providing free food, drinks, gifts and other promotions to people who engage with street teams and receive a button and use the code phrase “Say Hi To A Stranger”. Their community partners in East Van include:

Bird on a Wire Creations, 2535 Main Street
Home on the Range Organics, 235 East Broadway
Magpie Vancouver , 3633 Main Street
Second Nature Home Boutique, 1827 Victoria Diversion
The Uncommon Café, 477 Powell Street

We ask you, will you say hi to a stranger?

Dr.SuessSometimes

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