One of a Kind Show – The Hot Gift List!

The show organizers have thought of us moms (and dads) to make sure our shopping experience is a great one. Complimentary day care for ages 2 to 8 is available with qualified caregivers. Also available are quiet feeding areas and change areas. This has us dancing in the aisles! Best time to go for the stroller friendly is during the weekdays. The weekends are for the brave. However, my favourite time to go is on a Saturday night when everyone is calm. 

And if you can’t do the show in one day, be sure to pick up a free re-entry pass to come back another day. Only note that there are some vendors who are there for only 5 days. So, get your comfy shoes on and a bottle of water and bring a notepad. With over 800 vendors, you’ll want to take note of your favourites.

Here is my hotlist from this year’s show!

DOMISTYLE by Penny Pong from Toronto- Fresh and stylish aprons for modern living. Fun aprons for adults and kids with great sayings like “Will cook for shoes”. 

ROVER by AnneMarie Minardi from Toronto – designer apparel for dogs and cats. Including custom tailor made clothing for bridal wear, ties, and collars for the more refined. Rover Boutique

Taylor Stevenson from Peterborough – Custom fused and stained glass designs. Discovered this artisan in a local pottery shop and found her here at the show! I’ve been giving her items as wedding and house warming gifts for a few years.

KATKALAND by Katka Hubacek – as a professional theatre designer, Katka has worked on plays, films and commercials as a costume designer and art director. Her creative arts are magical and straight up fantasies. Each item is original and made by hand including toys, illustrations, accessories & other fineries. Loved the doll body part coming out of mouths of monsters!

TAIL WAGS Helmet Covers from Toronto – stylish and fun helmet covers for adults and kids. If you can’t get to the show be sure to visit online and use promo code: URBANMOMS for 10% off your online order. Good until December 31, 2011.

 Tresnormale for normal people from Montreal – urban t-shirts that make urban landscapes of Toronto and Montreal hip. Look for designs of Roncesvalles, OCAD, Shaw street, rue Rachel, Blvd St. Laurent and others.

Earth Angel Designs by Angelik Stahl of Toronto – whimsical retro-inspired aprons and accessories for adults and kids. packaged in pie boxes and cookie boxes. 100% cotton prints.

Red Thread Design by Devorah Miller from Toronto – ethically made designer clothing for kids including the “Caterpillar dress” that grows with girls from ages 1 to 4 yrs.

Osmose jewellery by Sonia Ferland-Joailliere from Quebec City – inspired by nature’s texture and movements this hand crafted pewter jewellery has several collections like pearls in shells, and images of fossils, rocks and branches. 

 

Tin House Designs by Tyler Kilkenny of Russell, Manitoba – Recovered tin from walls and ceilings of buildings. Refurbished and framed. Each piece comes with historical information.

 

Earth to Body from Point-Claire, Quebec carries all natural skin care lines including Australian emu oil based products. Touted to be the most non-clogging to the pores, emu oil has many uses from moisturizer to scar appearance minimizer. 

Artech Glass Blowing Studios from Haliburton Highlands creates drinking glasses and pitchers using repurposed beer bottles and liquor bottles, as well as custom creations. Artech Glassblowing Studios

Diane Kroe fashion designer from Toronto. Diane’s fashions are a favourite amongst the travel set. Versatile pieces that can be worn several ways are available at the show in various patterns. 

Dear Betty designs by Sherry Pribik of Toronto – fun shirts, totes and signs for tots as well as immature adults. Using the concept of alphabet cards each letter plays on a modern approach like R is for Really? 

Fibre en Lumiere by textile designer Caroline Gamiette of Montreal is located in the “Rising Stars” area of the show. Featuring light boxes, lamps shades using silks and Japanese art techniques. Also shown are throws and cushions for the home. 

The Candi Factory Undergarments by Candice Levine (Toronto)has a commitment of perfect fit and fun. Her commitment to quality and serious comfort keeps thousands of ladies happy and floss-free all day long. Guys undies are also available. Fun and comfortable for the entire family.

Hockey Sockey Toques by Pook.ca from Sudbury, ON . The most entertaining slapstick guys at the show will be pleased to demonstrate the umpteen ways to wear their toques. Two sizes available baby and everyone else. Various hockey team colour socks are used but the most popular are the traditional grey. Hockey moms and dads ..you’ll want to check these out! 

Mizzonk artists Roger Chen and Wan Yi Lin originally from Brooklyn and now in Maple Ridge, BC. Their artwork is different yet has the same feel. Roger likes things perfect while Wan Yi says perfection is in the eye of the beholder. Each piece of artwork is inspired by nature, old and beautiful things. They consider how light plays within their pieces. “Silent Melodies” are like piano keys and each variation carries it’s own visual tune. Their piece “Perfect Arrangement” is how you decide to display and play with it. In other words, it will always be perfect.  Mizzonk was awarded the Accent on Design Award for Overall Excellence in NY. 

The One of a Kind Christmas Show debuted in 1975 and today features over 800 pre-selected artisans who create original pieces across various categories such as home decor, jewellery, fashion, food and fine arts to name a few. In its evolution, the One of a Kind Show has attracted a younger audience from artisans to attendees, who are surprised at the calibre of work and often claim “this is not your grandmother’s craft show.” 

The One of a Kind Show also features hands-on workshops, competitions, fashion shows, guest speakers that include lifestyle editors and speaker series. The One of a Kind Show has become a “destination” for a unique shopping experience with visitors across Canada and the U.S.

There are 5 shopping districts: Flavours, Fashion District presented by Toronto Life, Green, Rising Starts and Visual Art Gallery presented by The Globe and Mail. 

One of a Kind Shows also take place in Vancouver and Chicago.

This is a great place to conquer your shopping needs and feel good about supporting artisans who take pride in their art. And..you’ll be giving something unique!