Showing posts with label Bark'n Up The Green Tree. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bark'n Up The Green Tree. Show all posts

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Beautiful Snow & A Christmas Spirit on Dec. 15th!

Nothing puts us in the spirit of Christmas like a fresh snowfall.  Toronto was picturesque on the 15th and Santa was busy making the rounds as seen below.


Customers were happily perusing the plethora of goods, seeking out unique one-of-a-kind gifts for loved ones.


There were a couple of charitable organizations attending this year, one of which was the 'Toronto Humane Society'.  They had a great variety of items you could purchase such as the cat toys and dog treats as seen above, shirts that are cat or dog themed with expressions such as 'The Dog Father', or if you prefer, cowls and shrugs, all made from their volunteers.  When you purchase items such as these from the Toronto Humane Society, it goes toward a great cause - funding animal care.  I picked up one of those delightful Christmas trees and my two cats went wild over it.  A great festive treat.  Prices ranged from $2 - $15.


Check out the goods from 'Little River Clothing'! It's after all, Canadian eh! :) You can purchase onesies, children's and adult's clothing, along with moccasins, greeting cards, baby blankets and soap.  Each clothing piece has a beautifully delicate, and simplistic design of a Canadian animal or naturesque image.  There is a variety of colour to suit anyone's taste - ranging from subtle earthy tones to vibrant shades of coral.  Prices range from $5 - $25.


If you're seeking sophisticated items for a person that appreciates luxury, then check out 'Soulful Goods'.  They offered these exquisite bags designed by artisans in the Philippines, made out of cotton Ikat and hand woven Raffia.  Not only can you purchase one-of-a-kind purses, but iPad sleeves and hard shell clasp cases as well.  There is also an assortment of Ikat scarves to select from in earth tones and rich reds.  In addition, you can pamper your loved ones with skin care products that include facial mists and serums, body balms in funky deodorant style packaging, and men's shaving oil which doubles as a face balm.  Prices ranged from $10 - $80.


Another exhibitor who returned this year is 'Zavitz Dezigns'.  Once again, their outstanding craftsmanship shone through with this collection of real pearl necklaces, pendants on sterling silver chains and pearl earrings.  The colours and hues in the pearls were glorious, especially within the dark brown sets as seen above.  Those dark pearl sets are made of fresh water culture pearls that exhibit a beautiful multi-colour lustre. Prices covered a wide range from $15 - $300.


If you're an owner of a pooch, then I hope you had an opportunity to visit 'Bark'n Up The Green Tree'.  Not only were these products eco-friendly, but gluten free as well!  The food is hand crafted, rolled, shaped and packaged and has the equivalent shelf life to human bakery products.  The food is intended to help digestion and takes a holistic approach to your pet's wellbeing.  Everything is wheat free, dairy free and nut free. Not only does this benefit your pet, but if you the owner, have a gluten or dairy allergy, your hands won't break out when handling your pup's food.  There was also a fantastic assortment of collar accessories such as ties for male dogs or flowers for female ones.  Dog collars and beds were available for purchase as well.  Prices ranged from $3 - $150.


Who couldn't benefit from gorgeous framed works of art on your wall, or perhaps in your book?  'Joseph Sagaj' creates stunning watercolour paintings depicting various Canadian scenes from Ontario, Alberta and BC.  Both originals and prints can be purchased in the form of bookmarks, framed paintings, art cards and matted prints.  The colour spectrum is eye popping and complimentary as well, should you purchase several of his prints with the intent to place them side by side.   Prices ranged from $10 - $150.


If you're someone who enjoys vintage items then swing by 'Postcards to Notecards'.  Susan has been avidly traveling and collecting vintage postcards from 39 countries.  She has creatively re-purposed them into blank greeting cards to be used for various occasions.  Scenes depicted are predominantly from the 70's to the 90's and images can be used for collages and even placemats.  In addition to cards, there are travel books, brochures and special collection items.  Prices ranged from $3 - $75 with price dependent on the rarity of the photo.


If you love jewelry as much as I do, you'll be amazed at the variety that has been available each weekend. Each vendor's jewelry products are truly unique, which made it increasingly difficult to make choices on what to purchase, since everyone's were so lovely.  Of note was 'Kaza Daza Designs'.  They had this glorious collection of fused glass pendants mounted on silver chains.  The pendants you see in the back of the photo above, are mounted on silk strands.  The pendants were available in a wide range of colour, suitable for all tastes.  Prices ranged from $20 - $75.


Who can get enough of the wooly goods?!! Not me!  Especially when they're produced by 'Liane Schwarz' who has a true knack at creating highly fashionable items out of wool.  Liane offers accessories, hats, felt pins, felt toys, cowls, scarves, head bands, toques and slippers.  Liane's wares are so stunning to look at, feel and try on, she as a result had quite the gathering of customers around her booth, making it challenging to snap a photo.  Her styles are appropriate for young children, up to older ladies who may prefer an elegant hat to go with their long wool coat.  Prices were very reasonable ranging from $6 - $45.


Another charity group that has attended the show each week is 'Annex Cat Rescue'.  They're a great organization, trying to provide aid to kitties who don't have homes in the GTA.  Unfortunately it's a growing issue but this team and so many others are trying to provide solutions.  If you purchase items from this booth, your funds go toward this wonderful cause.  They offer cat blankets (with catnip), toys, hand made soaps, broaches and greeting cards - all produced by volunteers.  Prices are very affordable ranging from $2 - $15.


This may appear as though I snuck in a photo from the ROM; however, that's not the case.  Believe it or not, these stunning pieces were not worn by royalty in a previous time.  They were made by Irina from 'Black Currant Jewelry' and can in fact, be worn by you in the present time!  These necklaces, rings, and pendants were inspired by vintage pieces, and as such, display ornate mounts that house crystals and other stones or include details such as gears, keys, or even beautiful insects such as dragonflies.  Prices for these beautiful pieces ranged from $5 - $65.

Please note once again that the above references only cover a small portion of what's available at the show.  Remember, each weekend has a different selection of goods and vendors to see.  We hope to see you on the 21st!

Photos provided by Freshly Viewed