1.  Uniqueness – locally crafted work is unique. Unlike items made in a far off factory; local crafts people make work that is individual and one-of-a-kind. This does not just apply to a magnificent vase or a glass bowl. Even with a humble coffee mug, every one has a very slight difference. 

Humble Cat Mug - Very Rare!

 When just one person or a husband & wife team make an item the numbers are by the nature of the process – small. It’s great to have or give as a gift something that is genuinely unique.

WESTERN MAPLE SALAD BOWL

2.  Quality – artists always take a personal pride in their hand-made work. I have yet to meet an artist who was not passionate about their work. From potters to glass artists to textile makers – this is their life and they are justly proud of their work. If treated well much of this work can last a lifetime.  How many things can you say that about in our society today?

GIVERNY GLASS BOWL

3. Value for money – Contrary to what many people still believe, buying directly from the artist or their local retailer can most often cost less than buying some mass produced item from a department store. Reduced transportation costs, no middle men and low advertising helps to keep costs down.

4. Excellent after purchase service. The artists really do care about their work! Artists are available to repair, alter, clean or replace your purchase. They are interested to help if there is ever a problem. You never need to speak with some remote Customer Service line.

CARNIVAL PEARL NECKLACE, EARRINGS & BRACELET

5. Personal service – many artists will custom -make work to your specification. If you need a gift for a special occasion then very often, provided that you allow enough time, the artist will make to your requirements.

6.  Availability – Most ranges are always available so that you can add to your range or just collect individual pieces  over time.  Not just for pottery but jewellery or even glass.

COPPER RUBY VASE

7.  Help your local economy!  Shopping locally helps your local economy, by supporting local artists it keeps money in the community and  ensures that hard learned skills are alive for future generations.

BABY WOOL SLIPPERS

8.  Help the environment! Local arts & crafts produce a minimal carbon footprint – little transportation is involved. Conservation is important to all of us. Much of what local artists use is recycled – including what little packaging is ever used!

9. Fun and Learning. It really can be a fun shopping experience – you get to meet the artist and find out about their skills, how they make their work, the huge time and effort that goes into a single piece. 

CHARLES VAN SANDWYK ANIMAL WISDOM BOOK

10.  Support you local Community. A locally handmade gift reflects the community and region in which it was created. It has greater relevance for the person who purchased it or the person to whom the gift is given.

APPLE DESIGN CASSEROLE

 Side Street Studio has been supporting local artists for over 26 years. More than 300 local artists from pottery, jewellery, textiles, glass art, wood turnings, aromatherpy, cards, books, and lots more. Shipping is world wide with FedEx and Canada Post. www.sidestreetstudio.com

BRONZE JAPANESE STYLE NEOLITHIC JAR

AFFAIRS OF THE HEART BOOK

 By the early 1980s I was selling my drawings and watercolors in a style reminiscent of the old prints and paintings which hung in my family home.

I studied graphic design at the Capilano College art programme in North Vancouver.

FAIRY MARKET

MR RABBITS CHRISTMAS WISH

I then settled into a pleasurable routine of winter seasons in Fiji filled with painting and writing, the results of which I brought back to Canada each summer and prepared for exhibition and publication each autumn.

AFTER GLOW FAIRIES BOOK

My watercolors, etchings and books are now collected across North America and in Europe. The National Library of Canada has maintained archives on my work since 1986. I continue to divide my time between Vancouver and my beloved Fiji.

You can obtain Charles Van Sandwyck’s magnificent books and cards at http://www.sidestreetstudio.com/catalog/index.php?manufacturers_id=8036.

MR RABBITS "SYMPHONY OF NATURE" BOOK

These include sketchbooks, notebooks, diaries, gratitude journals, romantic books for lovers, guest books, photo albums and more. As well, we do unique one-off projects, either of our own creation or as special commissions.

We are professional, full-time artisans, and we have exhibited at numerous fairs, craft shows and festivals including: Bastion Square Festival of the Arts, Filberg Festival, Circle Craft, Out of Hand, Creative Chaos, Butterdome, Touch of Saltspring, Gifts for Myself and Others, Kris Kringle and Victoria Pride Festival. Our work can also be found in a small selection of finer galleries and gift shops such as Side Street Studio.

In today’s world, books are easy and cheap to mass-produce. It’s much more efficient than when it was done by hand . . . but in that efficiency, we have lost something. A mechanically produced book may look nice and be lovely to read, but it contains nothing of the person who made it.

When an artist creates, their creation acquires just a little of their essence, their spirit, their soul. So it is when we design and hand-bind a book. Each book has just a little of us in it, and that sharing of ourselves enriches us as well as the recipient.

Danny & Mary
Those Great Little Books