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Danforth East Arts Fair – Bix Bakery’s artisanal ice cream

In our series of profiles leading up the Danforth East Arts Fair, Arts Fair volunteer, Mary C. provides a mouth-watering preview of food vendor, Bix Bakery. 
You wouldn’t want to put Christy Conte’s art on a pedestal or hang it on a wall. Not that it isn’t beautiful. But it would melt.
Conte sells delectable coconut milk ice cream and sundaes out of a cooler. Think exotic — blueberry basil, pear lemongrass, maple roasted banana and dark chocolate with candied bacon. And it’s all dairy-free.

A few years ago, after Conte was diagnosed as gluten and lactose intolerant, she left her high-powered corporate job and embarked on a career working with food. After apprenticing at St. John’s Bakery, she opened Bix Bakery, and is working out of the Hollywood Foods kitchen on Ossington Ave. She’s been selling her frozen wares across the city this summer — handing out tastes on Ossington and popping up at the Toronto Underground Market and Apple Tree Market. Now she’s headed our way.
 
Conte will be joining the Danforth East Arts Fair for the first time on Sept. 15 & 16. Her artisanal ice cream is three bucks per cup — or four bucks for three sundae toppings. We’re talking praline sauce, seasonal fruit, ginger cookie crumble or candied bacon. That’s a treat worth sharing, don’t you think?
For more artists’ profiles, contests, and up-to-the-minute Arts Fair info, click here to “like” us on Facebook!
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Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?

Something Old

Tintypes are back!

If you came to last year’s Danforth East Arts Fair, you likely noticed a photographer hiding under the hood of an old-timey camera to take portraits of other patrons. That’s Horst Herget, and he was creating tintypes right in East Lynn Park, developing the images on tin in just a few minutes and recreating an ancient art form in the process. Perhaps you caught his recent “Face the Danforth” show at Crema.

We’ve been getting questions about whether he’s returning on September 15 & 16. Lucky for you, the answer is yes. If you’re interested in having Horst take your picture, click here to drop him a line in advance, or stop by his booth in the northwest corner of the park.
Prices range from $45 to $75. You can even get your image framed right there in the park after Horst develops it. Doesn’t that make gift giving easy?
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Something New
Have you noticed the store called Shoe Clearance on Danforth, just east of Monarch Park?
This is a clearance store associated with a shoe store with locations in Riverdale and the Beaches, with many prices discounted to far less than half the original. So our neighbourhood gets great quality shoes for adults, kids and babies at a fraction of the cost? Yay us! Open Tuesday to Saturday from 12 noon – 7 p.m.
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Something Borrowed
You’re invited to the next DECA Board Meeting
The next DECA Board meeting is on September 11, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. Are you a DECA member who would like to attend, or someone else with a reason to want to go? If so, we’d love to borrow you for an evening. We meet at a local licensed establishment, so think of it as a night out with neighbours rather than a “Board meeting” per se. If you would like more information, please email info@DanforthEastCommunityAssociation.com and someone will get back to you with more details.
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Something Blue
Did you stop receiving DECA Diaries to your email?
We’ve heard that some people stopped getting our blog posts right to their inbox. We think that this occurred when the emails stopped coming from Natasha’s email account, and switched over to decadiaries(at)gmail.com. If this happened to you, please check your spam filters and add our new email address to your safe list. You can click here to notify us if any problems persist.
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Danforth East Arts Fair: Joan Jamieson of Norrie and Hank

In our series of artist profiles leading up the Danforth East Arts Fair, writer Shauna Rempel introduces us to Joan Jamieson of kid-friendly Norrie and Hank.

Jamieson spent 30 years as an elementary school teacher, so she has a good sense of what children like. The local artist also been sewing for 50 years and that experience is easy to see with Norrie and Hank, the imaginary friends behind a line of clothing, playthings and accessories for kids that puts new and repurposed fabric to good use.

In a unique twist, Jamieson chooses trims and embellishments from the trunk full of fabric she inherited from her mother, who was an avid quilter. “I combine these treasures with repurposed clothing, linens and other notions to create things that are comfortable for kids to wear and fun for them to play with.”

Baby boots fashioned from a lambswool sweater, felted to be extra soft and washable

For the Danforth East Arts Fair, Jamieson is focusing on three types of items. First, she’s making accessories for young children including soft fleece-lined baby boots, hats and mittens. Jamieson’s second focus is on fun, functional clothing that will grow with the kids, such as dresses that can later be worn as tunics. “I like to make things that can last several years,” Jamieson says. She’s also making playthings such as vintage-style hand kites. Included in this third category are a trio of playmats intended for preschool and school aged children to use while playing with toys. The playmats are designed to fold up into a messenger bag with a pocket so kids can tote their treasures with them. Take note, DECA fans, one mat is decorated with Toronto landmarks, including a representation of the East Lynn Farmers’ Market!

A pirate jacket that isn’t just a costume. It’s a functional jacket made from men’s pants and fully lined with what used to be a plaid flannel shirt.

The best part about Norrie and Hank? Most of Jamieson’s items are partly made with repurposed fabric so you can teach your kids about recycling while kitting them out with unique and fashionable items!

Joan Jamieson’s wares, which range in price from $10 to $100, will be for sale at the Danforth East Arts Fair in East Lynn Park on Sept. 15 & 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, visit www.deca-arts.ca or check out Facebook or Twitter.

 

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Secret artist at work on our streets

This just in from one of our art-loving neighbours…

These colourful crocheted cozies are appearing all along Wolverleigh Blvd. near Earl Beatty school – on bike racks, poles and more. They’re beautiful, and as they multiply, they warm up the street and bring a smile to the faces of passerby. Whoever could be behind this wonderful art? Is it someone who learned about the art of “yarn bombing” through Amy Barnes during Art of the Danforth? Some of her students’ “bombs” still adorn poles on the Danforth. To whoever it is, we say thank you. Whatever the reason behind your guerilla crochet, we’re thankful for it and hope it continues.

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Local artistan offers backyard sewing sessions

Does your inner sewing genius need to be unleashed? Here’s a hot tip from DECA’s own Mary Cowan:
Have you ever learned to sew? Always wanted to? Been intimidated by the sleek machines, a fearsome instructor and the angst of veering an eighth of an inch off course? For me, the prospect brought back memories of grade 7 Home Economics class and all the horror that came with it.
But somehow, I still signed up for MaMa Ra’s sewing sessions a few weeks ago. Heather Tormey lives just off Dawes Road, and has been offering up a full slate of sewing classes at her home — how to make skirts, rag rugs, cloth dolls and even private tutorials. This lady knows what she’s doing. She sells the children’s clothing she makes on Etsy and at local arts and craft shows, including our very own Danforth East Arts Fair.
Step into MaMa Ra’s lush backyard and find her Brother sewing machine set up under a canvas tent. There’s nothing intimidating about it. She’s been using the same machine since she was a teen (and it works just fine, thank you very much). She also provides more machines for group lessons, so you don’t have to worry about hauling your own.
As you figure out your project, cut and stitch, Heather will use words like “excellente” and “wonky.”  If your stitches veer off course, her steady hand will help guide you back into place. No drama, no tears. And, most likely, no stitch ripping.
Heather’s five-year-old daughter might bring you a snack as you sew — mine was a single-serving yogurt with five carefully chosen, handpicked raspberries from the bush at the back of the yard. And I’ll tell you this on the sly: Heather’s also got wine glasses. If you bring a bottle, she might let you use them.
Heather (aka MaMa Ra)

The sessions are $20 per hr for private lessons (2 hr minimum) and $70 for a group lesson (4 hours). (Note: Prices are have been corrected – apologies for our error in the original post, which many of you get by e-mail.)

For more information, email LittleRas(at)rogers.com. There are a number of different sessions with availability, including skirts and cloth dolls later this week!

Mary’s soon-to-be-skirt

If you can’t get to a session, be sure to swing by the Danforth East Arts Fair in East Lynn Park on September 15 & 16. Heather is going to be one of the more than 50 artisans selling their wares. Her business is called Little Ra’s and she’ll have gorgeous, functional children’s clothes for sale.

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Arts Fair Deadline June 30

Have you submitted your application for our Danforth East Arts Fair yet? Now going into its fourth year, it’s our annual arts extravaganza in East Lynn Park. It’s a truly magical weekend. On Sept. 15 & 16, up to 60 artists will set up tents to sell their amazing wares, while local musicians play softly in the background and the smell of fresh food floats on the breeze.

The fair has attracted artists all the way from Montreal and Windsor in the past, but at least half of the artists are traditionally local. The tents have been known feature intricate drawings of our stretch of the Danforth; children’s clothes lovingly sewn in home studios mere blocks from the park; and a photographer who will capture your portrait on a piece of tin and give it to you right there, reviving a historic art form. This year’s fair will also feature children’s crafts and  cash awards for artists.

Getting involved is as simple as filling out an application, available for download right here. Burn a few pictures of your art onto a CD, write a paragraph about why you’re awesome and get it to us by June 30. Questions? Email deca.arts@gmail.com