One of a Kind Craft Show

Zelda’s Restaurant and Bar

Screaming Fun in Toronto, Part 1

Screaming Fun in Toronto, Part 2

by Christy

It was like waking from a dream. I heard a bit of commotion in the room, I closed my eyes tighter to sleep a little longer before church, and then the night’s previous festivities all came back. Last night was no ordinary Saturday night, and this was not going to be any ordinary Sunday. As I peeled my eyes opened, I saw Jan sitting up in bed writing, chronicling if you will, the previous 24 hour’s happenings. As I recall, we chatted a bit quietly, and then not so quietly in an effort to wake Taryn who was still slumbering on the now semi-repaired pullout bed. We heard her begin to stir, and knew we best hop to in order to fit in brunch at Zelda’s (a joint we’d spied on Saturday) and then the craft show.

A beautiful new day had dawned in Toronto. Looking south down Church Street.

While we took turns in the shower, the other two gals packed up their cares and woes, picked the place up a bit, and chuckled randomly about the previous day. Once we were all packed, and had each taken a final whirl around the joint to make sure nothing of import was being left behind (i.e. the last Slice o’ Shite pizza was staying behind for good reason) we ducked out onto the balcony to snap some pics. It was a very cold day, but the sun was shining and we were so looking forward to our day at the craft show. Little did we know what awaited us at Zelda’s.

All checked out, we packed Maggie (the Honda, that is) back up with our pillows and bags, and hopped in to find an ATM first, and a yummy brunch next. We got all cashed up at the local Royal Bank of Canada branch, and then headed to 542 Church. There was a group of lovely men waiting in the entryway, and since no one told us what the procedure was, Taryn and I proceeded through the second door, and stood for a moment taking in the sights. The blackboard to our right listed the various theme nights hosted at Zelda’s, among them were various titles, and I think one was Trailer Trash night, but don’t hold me to that. We surveyed the crowd and the brunch line; all was a feast for the eyes, but still no host or hostess presented him/herself. In turning back for the door, I spotted a clipboard and pen. A list of names appeared on the sheet, so I made the logical conclusion that it was a serve yourself list, just as the brunch was. Yeah, that was mistake number one.

No wait… maybe mistake number one was expecting to get decent service. Having all been confused for lesbians at one or two or three times previously in our lives, I assume we all thought the folks at this "fixture on Church St.’s already crowded gay strip" would welcome us in like, well, if not long lost sisters, then at least long lost cousins. We didn’t even get second-cousin treatment. But I digress; let’s get on with the story, shall we?

As I started to pen my name on the list, suddenly a man appeared out of thin air and asked, "Can I do that for you?!" I kind of half explained that no one appeared to be in charge of the clipboard, but that I was sorry. So now, I’m sure matching the color of my cranberry tee-shirt, Taryn and I say that a 15-20 minute wait is fine, and escort ourselves back out into the welcome cold of the entryway. Now we’re really sticking out like sore thumbs because we obviously don’t know the general procedure here at Zelda’s. Literally every other name is called before ours, and even a few people who came in after us were seated. We kept waiting though, patiently.

Once the entryway was empty, Jan told us that everyone was abuzz when we picked up the clipboard. They were all, "She’s putting her own name down?!?!" aghast. Well, I’m sure racier things have happened at Zelda’s, but we’re not sure what that would be judging by the looks we got. We did eventually get a table, and the young fellow who had magically appeared to take our name ended up being our server ("Great!" I thought to myself). The food was great, the service, as we had suspected, sucked, and I’m not sure we’ll be going back next year when we go to the craft show. We squared up and headed for the car.

We aren’t looking too shabby for only getting four hours of sleep. Wait, maybe that’s the brisk air and sharp breeze that’s keeping our eyes opened.

We navigated safely to the show, hit the escalator, and all the while Taryn and I were utterly unprepared for the eye-popping few hours that were to ensue. There were over 26 rows of booths set up inside the National Trade Centre. Each row had at least 15-20 exhibitors lining each side. I have been to craft shows, and I have been to art shows, but this was a wonderful marriage of the two. Granted there were a couple booths that just didn’t strike our fancy, but we could still tell that their level of craftsmanship was equal to the rest of the exhibitors. I don’t think I looked at one booth and said, "How on earth did they get into this show?"

A couple of my favorites were…

1. The Artvork booth. Walking into their booth was like walking right into a rainbow. Hanging down into the booth were large, clear glass light bulbs that had been hand painted with swirls, dots, and stars. Looking over the shelves, we spotted various sizes and shapes of glass oil lamps made from recycled bottles. It was a very dreamy booth, softly lit and the owner was a young, hip crafter who I wish we’d had more time to chat with. If you’re ever in Toronto, check them out at the Artvork Glass Company, 14 Markham Street.

2. Kim Steeves’ hat booth. It was obvious all three of us share a love of hats. Each hat booth we walked by drew us in, and the hats made by expert milliner, Kim Steeves, transfixed us all. In my opinion, her hats far surpassed all the others at the show for quality and design. After trying on a black bowler-type hat, she asked me if I ever wore earth tones. I told her that I did, and she proceeded to place a similar brown hat on my head, that fit like a glove, and had a gorgeous plume of feathers sweeping down over the brim toward my cheek. If I’d only had $250. Sigh! Well, if you’re into hats, you’ll love hers, so check her out at Kim Steeves Custom Hats, 1 Clarendon Avenue, Suite 203.

3. Sadie’s jewelry booth. We spent about 15 minutes handling the jewelry at Sadie’s. The booth was filled with bracelets, necklaces, rings, and earrings that were made of found objects in clear resin--small gears and springs frozen in place in cubes and rectangles of resin. They were all wonderfully unique and intricate pieces, and quite affordable too. Unfortunately, the card I picked up at their booth didn’t have an address on it.

Without a doubt, if you live within a few hour drive of Toronto, this craft show is a must-see. Even if you have children, bring them along, for there is plenty to keep them enchanted for a couple hours too. The winter show is a great opportunity to shop for those difficult people on your Christmas list. Unfortunately, I’d already blown my Christmas wad at the malls in Rochester, but next year I’ll be waiting until we get back from the One of a Kind show to do my shopping, because I’m sure I’ll be able to do a lot of it there. The Spring show will be just as promising, I’m sure. Stay tuned to their site to get the latest details on that show, which will be held March 28-April 1, 2001 at the National Trade Centre Exhibition Place.

We were literally dragging by the time we made it to the end of the show. I think it took us a solid four or five hours to see all the booths. We were thoroughly worn out, but we had met some really nice crafters. On the way home, we stopped at a Wendy’s to gain a little strength for the rest of the journey, and had one more whooping good time. We started devising our own sort of personality test over fries and Cokes. Although still in development, it looks like a promising future feature of the craftygal site.

We’ll be going back to the show next year, I’m sure, for not only was it a great experience, it was also a confirmation that there are so many folks out there who love to craft, and who craft so well.