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Showing posts with label handmade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label handmade. Show all posts

Friday, July 24, 2015

Outside Instruments at Hillside Festival

If you are heading over to the Hillside Festival this weekend we know you'll have a great time!  The weather looks great, the musical line-up looks amazing, the food is always more than delicious, and the craft and artisan vendors are not to be missed! 

Our friend Ron will be there with his lovely Outside Instruments - please drop by his booth to check out the most inspired eco-upcycled musical instruments you will ever find!  Not only does Ron turn frying pans, canning pots and salad bowls into stringed instruments of all sizes (guitars, mandolins, two-stringed instruments, even cellos!), he also uses wood sourced from burn piles and destined for the scrap yard to fashion his beautiful one-of-a-kind instruments that are sturdy, great for traveling, and in his words "meant to be played outside".  Drop by his booth to say hello, listen, play and be inspired. 




Saturday, December 07, 2013

Handmade Holiday sale

Today was our annual "A little bird told me" handmade holiday sale.  What a full house!  A beautiful, cozy, festive day, filled with so many great conversations with neighbours, friends, and new acquaintances.  We had 8 vendors with beautiful handmade goods, all with an eco and/or recycled focus to their work - including cutting boards (from reclaimed fallen trees), woolen clothing (from upcycled wool sweaters), slippers, wool dolls, felted ornaments (with local hand-dyed sheep's wool), organic breads pies & cookies (with locally grown flour), organic chocolates & truffles, jewelry and belts and bottle openers (from recycled bicycle parts), chickadee bird seed feeders, beeswax candles (from pure local beeswax), and more!  Our thanks to the vendors, and everyone who came out to support local and handmade artisans at our sale!

In case you want to find this year's vendors again:
Sew Oiseau (on etsy and website)
Once Upon a Tree (at KristKindel this weekend, and through his website)
Your Time Candles (at KristKindel this weekend, and through her website)
Green Garb (on facebook)
ReCycled Crafts (find him locally at Recycle Cycles)
Theresa - organic chocolates & bars (find her bars at Queen Street Commons)
Lisa - we can put you in touch directly if you want more of her lovely dolls
Homestead Herbals/Little City Farm (at our home location, our website, etsy)


Saturday, November 02, 2013

Let's make pie!

Who doesn't love pie?  Sweet, savory, vegan, gluten-free, or just old fashioned with real butter...there is a way to make pie work for almost any palate.  We held our first pie making workshop here this morning.  What a delicious way to start the day!  We used a vegan recipe with organic coconut oil, organic spelt flour, sea salt and water - which makes for a healthful flaky pie crust that rolls out easily and tastes great for either a sweet or savoury pie.  The two hour workshop also covered tips about pie making tools (e.g. pastry rollers and pie weights), differences to watch for based on what type of pie pan you are using (e.g. glass, ceramic, tin or aluminum), ways to creatively top and edge a pie crust, and what each ingredient does in the recipe.  For example, the fat creates a flaky pastry but this only happens if it is chilled before rolling and baking.  The water activates the gluten, but too much water can create a tough dough that is not flaky...etc.  We tried to cover all the best tips for creating perfect pie, and in the end there was a table filled with beautiful pies made from scratch and satisfied participant who went home feeling confident to keep on making pies.








Friday, October 25, 2013

Mark Your Calendar! Annual Handmade Holiday Sale coming to Little City Farm Dec 7 from 9 am-2 pm


Featuring 8 local vendors including:
Sew Oiseau - original handmade clothing and accessories from recycled fibres
Your Time Candles - handmade pure beeswax candles
Once Upon A Tree - fine wood turnings (bowls, cutting boards) from fallen trees
Homestead Herbals - natural herbal soaps, salves & botanicals
Recycled bicycle art & jewelry
Eco journals, children's eco toys & handmade dolls
Wool slippers & felted wool ornaments
Organic baked goods & more surprises!

Friday, October 11, 2013

Homestead Herbals Shop back online!

Our Homestead Herbals online shop is back with a brand new look (thanks to our great friend and local designer Taarini Chopra).  We have many of the tried-and-true favourite items back, and we'll be adding many more new products throughout the next few weeks. 

In our shop you'll find handmade natural & organic herbal products such as salves, oils, and loose-leaf teas;  handmade soaps and eco home decor for your whole family.  Please visit us on our etsy store and check back often.  Everything is made in small batches, with care right here in our farm kitchen/work space.We're very excited to soon be offering more new items such as:

~ DIY herbal supplies/instructions for making salves, oils, syrups, tinctures at home;
~ herbal first aid kits;
~ men's beard & mustache oils, and natural shaving brushes;
~ children's handmade eco toys;
~ felted acorns for holiday decorating;
~ handmade rainbow notebooks for your little artists;
~ nature foraging bags;
~ many more soap varieties, and much more! 

For local orders just send us a message through the etsy page and we can arrange a local pick-up at Little City Farm in order to save you shipping costs.  You can also visit us in person at our Little Bird Told Me Handmade Holiday Sale, Sat Dec 7 at Little City Farm. 









Friday, September 06, 2013

New Fall Workshop Series - Sustainability, Homesteading Skills & Good Food!

Want to hone your skills for simple living, sustainability at home, homesteading arts, and making really great healthful whole food?  Consider taking one of our fall workshops here at Little City Farm.  These workshops are not only a great way to learn new skills, but also a gathering place for meeting others in the community interested in these topics and lifestyle.  Go to our website here for more workshop details and registration.

Exciting topics coming up in the fall:

SAT, SEPT 14 from 1-3 pm - ORGANIC FRUIT TREE CARE
Cost: $25 Limited space - pre-registration required.
With Anna-Maria Schulteis.
This workshop will start with questions from participants about fruit tree care. Then the workshop will move into three main areas. What fruit trees will be successful in Ontario (Kitchener/Waterloo region)? What conditions are required before planting fruit trees (soil, compost, amendments, layout)? What are the most sustainable practices for growing and maintaining healthy fruit trees? Please note this is an outdoor workshop, rain or shine. Participants are asked to dress for the weather.

SAT, SEPT 21 from 1-3 pm - FALL WILD EDIBLES
Cost: $25 Limited space - pre-registration required.
With Jackie McMillan, local wild foods enthusiast.
We're surrounded by plants that are much more nutrient dense than what we can get from a supermarket, our garden, or even an organic farmer. Learn how to identify wild plants (greens, flowers, tubers/roots, bark, berries) that are tasty and easy additions to your diet, how to balance your body's needs with those of the ecosystem, and get some recipes to try at home. Wild food samples will be available for show and tell, and nibbling. Please note this is an outdoor workshop, rain or shine. Participants are asked to dress for the weather.

SAT, OCT 5 from 1-3 pm - BREAD BAKING & SOURDOUGH FOR BEGINNERS
Cost: $25 - Limited space - Pre-registration required.
With Karin Kliewer, from Little City Farm.
Do you want to make nourishing, hearty wholegrain bread at home? In this hands-on workshop we'll talk about using and maintaining sourdough starter cultures, and make a batch of bread using local organic whole grains. Each participant will get a chance to grind fresh flour using a hand-crank grain mill, plus take home recipes, their own loaf of bread freshly baked, and a jar of sourdough starter culture.

SAT, OCT 12 from 1-3 pm - GROW YOUR OWN SHIITAKE & OYSTER MUSHROOMS
Cost: $35 - Limited space - Price includes your own shiitake log to take home.
With Taarini Chopra, local foods advocate.
Grow your own edible mushrooms at home using simple effective techniques. We'll demonstrate growing shiitake mushrooms on oak logs, and oyster mushrooms on sawdust blocks. Participants will learn how to innoculate logs with mushroom spores, how to store and maintain logs, and how to harvest and use mushrooms. Each participant will take home an innoculated shiitake log at the end of the workshop.

SAT, NOV 2 from 1-3 pm - LET'S MAKE PIE!
Cost: $20 - Limited space - Pre-registration required.
With Karin Kliewer, from Little City Farm.
Want to make great pies using organic and wholegrain ingredients? In this hands-on workshop we'll be talking about how to make the perfect healthful pie crust, including vegan and gluten-free options. Each participant will make their own vegan pie to take home, using a crust made with organic coconut oil and local wholegrain organic flour. Participants will get a chance to grind fresh spelt flour using a hand-crank grain mill. Recipes included!

SAT, NOV 9 from 1-3 pm - HERBAL WINTER REMEDIES: MAKE YOUR OWN COUGH SYRUPS & TINCTURES
Cost: $30 - Limited space - Pre-registration required.
With Karin Kliewer, from Little City Farm.
During this workshop join local herbalist to talk about how to prepare for winter coughs, colds and flu. We'll make several simple effective herbal remedies including elderberry syrup, sage-horehound cough drops, and echinacea tincture. Participant will take home recipes and samples of herbal remedies we make together during the workshop.

SAT, NOV 16 from 1-4 pm - INTRO TO TRADITIONAL SOAP MAKING (workshop full)
Cost: $50 - Limited space - Pre-registration required.
With Karin Kliewer, from Little City Farm.
Learn to make beautiful all-natural healing soaps using nourishing oils, organic botanicals, and pure essential oils. During this popular busy hands-on workshop each participant will make their own 2 lb batch of cold process soap from scratch using recipe and ingredients provided. We'll talk about various soap making techniques, where to source ingredients, and the properties that various ingredients such as clays, botanicals, oils and essential oils add to your soap. Participant will be asked to bring their own soap mold with lid, and a large old towel. More details provided upon registration.

SAT, DEC 7 from 9 AM TO 2 PM - A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME HANDMADE HOLIDAY SALE!
Free annual event! Help spread the word!
Held at Little City Farm.
Drop by our 12th annual Handmade Holiday Sale to see multiple artists and crafters displaying their wares! Previous sales have included organic baked goods, natural soaps, handmade clothing for children, woolen reconstructed clothing for women and children, wooden items, pure beeswax candles, handmade slippers, vegan truffles. More updates coming closer to the date.

Thursday, March 01, 2012

Make your own: Handmade Seed Paper

Recently we had another little "disaster" at our house.  Somehow, two whole rolls of toilet paper made their way into our 3 year old's bath, and were dissolved with glee into mushy wet wads of mess.  Wanting to go with the flow, I thought for a minute about how to solve this situation.  There had been so much fun creating this "art" in the bath, and it would be wasteful to just strain it off into the garbage or compost.  We decided this was the perfect opportunity for a lesson in making handmade paper.  Toilet paper is not the best material to use as it's already recycled thin paper weight and made of short fibres.  We shredded up additional scrap paper, including colours and new textures and scooped out all the soggy pulp into a large plastic bin.  Here are our steps for making paper (best done in the summer months outdoors, but in a pinch you can line your table or floor with thick towels and make your paper indoors).

Handmade Seed Paper

You will need:
- Paper pulp (about 10 sheets of scrap paper, including different colours and textures will do)
- Blender or Food Processor
- Screen (we made one from an embroidery hoop and mosquito netting)
- Seeds (optional, to add into your paper for "growing" your paper in soil)
- Two large plastic water-proof tubs
- Felt pieces large enough to cover your screen, and/or old tea towels
- Rolling pin (to use as a press)
- Drying area (we are using our plant growing rack, but drying outdoors in warm weather would be perfect)

1) Soak your paper in warm water.  Rip it into shreds, let it become a soggy mess!
2) Scoop out paper pulp with your screen and blend in small batches in your food processor/blender.
3) Now you should have uniform mushy paper pulp.  Add small flat seeds or other bits you want to decorate your paper.  We added marigold seeds.
4) Add about one cup of pulp into your plastic tub (which is filled with warm water).  You will need to test the thickness of your paper when you screen it out, to see if you need to add more water or pulp to the mix.
5) Use your screen to strain out the pulp into smooth sheets.  Press your screen down onto the felt or tea towels in your second plastic tub.  Layer with more felt in between each sheet.
6) When you have made a stack of about 10 sheets of handmade pulp paper, roll the top of the pile gently with a small rolling pin to press out the water.  Pour off as much water as you can.
7) Lay out your sheets to dry.  Drying time will depend on the thickness of your paper, and the temperature.  Indoors in a cool house it will take several days.  You could set up a fan beside your drying rack to help with the drying.  Flip them part way through the drying process to help speed the drying.  Outside in summer weather they can be dried in a day.
8) Pulp should be used up within a few days as it will not keep.
9) Write letters or make drawings on your seed paper, then plant in the ground for new flowers to grow!


Sunday, December 11, 2011

This weekend's craft sale!

We had our annual "A Little Bird Told Me" craft sale yesterday - it was a great day, with lots of catching up with friends and neighbours who dropped by, and so many beautiful handmade items on display.   Unfortunately the photos below don't do justice to how nice everything looked, and once the crowds showed up I didn't have the time to keep taking photos.  We had turned out dining room into a small cafe area, with a few tables and chairs where people could nibble baked treats or have a chance to take a break, and it was nice to have this social hub in the centre of the house.  Thanks to everyone who came out to support our local vendors!  And a huge thank you to all our talented vendors for participating in this year's event.

For the rest of the month we will take a little break from being busy, and wish you all well for the holidays.  In the next few weeks we will be posting new workshops and events for 2012 on our website and here on this blog - stay tuned!













Tuesday, November 22, 2011

A Little Bird Told Me Craft Sale Vendor Profile: Your Time Candles

Over the weeks leading upto our annual handmade holiday craft sale, "A Little Bird Told Me", on Sat, Dec 10, we are highlighting each one of the participating vendors.  Here is a short interview with Carol Kubassek from Your Time Candles:

Little City Farm: Describe the products you will have at the Little Bird Sale?

Your Time Candles: Artisan Beeswax Candles in a variety of styles and sizes, and natural stone candle holders. 
 
Little City Farm:  How did you learn this craft?

Your Time Candles: I had the fortunate opportunity to learn from a master chandler who, for 15 years, made it his mission to develop new beeswax candle making techniques and put to rest old myths of beeswax chandlery - gone were the days of half burned, inferior quality beeswax candles made with coarse natural fibre wicking that gave off a putrid scent.  As a former chef I’ve always been passionate about what I put on your plate - I want your approval so this demands my best offering.

Little City Farm: What inspires your craft?

Your Time Candles: I am inspired by quality - I wanted to offer beeswax candles that would burn properly.

Little City Farm: Describe how your craft is eco-friendly?

Your Time Candles: Pure beeswax is nature's renewable wax - no chemicals are used in the process. It all begins at the hive. I procure Canadian cappings wax from beekeepers who haven’t scorched or overheated the wax when separating out the honey. Then, in order to maintain the integrity of the wax, with patience, and through a gentle cleaning process, I purify the wax by filtering it down to one micron. When making the candles, in order to keep alive the full bodied aroma, rich yellow colour and texture, the beeswax is heated carefully in small batches until melted then poured into the candle moulds. Next, each candle is fitted with the perfect sized 100% cotton wicking. I'm also very passionate about recycling and all our packaging is very biodegradable made from recycled paper and hemp twine.

Little City Farm:  Do you have favourite music to listen to while you craft?

Your Time Candles: Bradfield and Anael.

Little City Farm: Do you have a website/blog/online store?

www.yourtimeboutique.ca
www.yourtimecandles.ca 


Find Carol and her pure beeswax candles at the A Little Bird Told Me Handmade Craft Sale, Sat December 10th at Little City Farm (508 Duke St W, Kitchener).








A Little Bird Told Me Craft Sale Vendor Profile: Once Upon A Tree

Over the weeks leading upto our annual handmade holiday craft sale, "A Little Bird Told Me", on Sat, Dec 10, we are highlighting each one of the participating vendors.  Here is a short interview with Trevor Ewert from Once Upon A Tree:

Little City Farm: Describe the products you will have at the Little Bird Sale?

Once Upon A Tree: Food grade salad and fruit bowls and cutting/serving boards in various sizes.
 
Little City Farm:  How did you learn this craft?

Once Upon A Tree: I've been involved in woodworking for over 15 years as a violin bowmaker and am now making wooden objects for a wider audience.

Little City Farm: What inspires your craft?

Once Upon A Tree: The materials I use are really the inspiration for the craft.  Domestic local hardwoods and burls present some of the most highly figured and beautiful wood that can be obtained anywhere.

Little City Farm: Describe how your craft is eco-friendly?

Once Upon A Tree: All of my bowls and boards are made from domestic species that have grown no further than 50 miles from here.  Much of the wood is salvaged from roadside work done by hydro or roads crews, and the rest is purchased from firewood/pallet operations.

Little City Farm:  Do you have favourite music to listen to while you craft?

Once Upon A Tree: Too noisy to listen to music with the machine tools running.

Little City Farm: Do you have a website/blog/online store?

www.onceuponatree.ca

Find Trevor from Once Upon A Tree selling his gorgeous one-of-a-kind wooden bowls and cutting boards at the A Little Bird Told Me Sale!




Monday, November 21, 2011

Make your own lipbalm

We've been busy stocking up our soaps and herbal products for the upcoming month of holiday craft sales and gifting.  A very simple project you can make at home is lipbalm, made with pure essential oils and healthful oils.  Lipbalm is a useful gift to give almost anyone, and practical for the upcoming cold dry winter months.  I make lipbalm in large batches with my 3 year old, who helps line up the tubes, stir the oils, and cap the lids on tight.  Here's our basic recipe (adaptable to the ingredients you wish to use):

Natural Lipbalm
20% local beeswax
25% coconut oil (or other cosmetic grade oil that is solid at room temp)
15% cocoa butter
40% sweet almond oil (or other liquid oil such as olive oil, sunflower oil, hemp oil)
1-5% vitamin E oil (adjust beeswax to get firm consistency of finished lipbalm)
a drop of pure essential oil per tube (e.g. lavender, sweet orange, peppermint)

Melt all ingredients (other than essential oils) in double boiler over low heat.  When completely liquified, do a consistency test by placing a few drops on a metal spoon and letting this cool (I put it into the freezer for a few minutes to harden).  If you like the hardened consistency then you are ready to pour the liquid lipbalm into your tubes.  If it's too hard add more oil; if too soft add more beeswax accordingly.  Add essential oils at the very end when your saucepan has been taken off the stove (do not heat your essential oils as this will degrade them).
 

Monday, November 14, 2011

A Little Bird Told Me Craft Sale Vendor Profile: Sustainable Cycles

Over the weeks leading upto our annual handmade holiday craft sale, "A Little Bird Told Me", on Sat, Dec 10, we are highlighting each one of the participating vendors.  Here is a short interview with Lauren and Jenn from Sustainable Cycles:

Little City Farm: Describe the products you will have at the Little Bird Sale?

Sustainable Cycles: Sustainable Cycles offers soft, absorbant and thin reusable menstrual pads made from organic cotton and bamboo viscose.  Jenn and Lauren also make one of a kind clothing, bags and accessories using reclaimed and earth-friendly materials like hemp and organic cotton.

Little City Farm:  How did you learn this craft?

Sustainable Cycles: Lauren's mom did a lot of sewing when she was growing up.  She taught Lauren how to sew and when she was 18 Lauren decided to start he own earth-friendly clothing company (then called Down 2 Earth Designs).  Jenn had some sewing skills when she met Lauren, but the more they crafted together, the more techniques Jenn picked up as she refined her craft.

Little City Farm: What inspires your craft?

Sustainable Cycles: We are inspired by the desire to create empowering, awesome wares, full of love and made with respect for the Earth and all it's creatures.  We hope that our art inspires others.

Little City Farm: Describe how your craft is eco-friendly?

Sustainable Cycles: We do our best to source the most sustainable materials we can find.  We use Canadian companies that carry oeko-tex and organic certifications.  We also use reclaimed materials from thrift stores and swaps.

Little City Farm:  Do you have favourite music to listen to while you craft?

Sustainable Cycles: Joanna Newsome.

Little City Farm: Do you have a website/blog/online store?

Sustainable Cycles:
www.sustainablecycles.ca
www.sustainablecycles.etsy.com 

Find Lauren and Jenn, and their beautiful wares (or should we say "wears"!) at the Little Bird Told Me sale, Sat Dec 10th at Little City Farm!