West Elm & Etsy Pop-Up Shops

West Elm and Etsy have been collaborating on these pop-up shops at West Elm locations all over North America, and I was so excited to see one happening in Toronto, and curated by the fabulous Anabela Carneiro of fieldguilded.  My friend Karen and I met up and had a ball perusing both West Elm and the amazing etsy shop owners they featured.  I loved how everything was merchandized amongst the West Elm items - the West Elm people certainly did a great job in choosing etsy vendors who share the store's aesthetic, every display looked like it belonged.  I didn't get a chance to get a photo of all of them but here are the ones I loved the most - some of which you may recognize if you have been following this blog!

Sugarbush had a lovely display of vegan skincare and fragrance, all of which is handcrafted by Jennifer Krukowski in Toronto.  It was so affordable and beautifully packaged, and others must have agreed - her tinted lip gloss was almost gone in the first hour.

I featured Opelle Creative here recently and it was fabulous to see the bags in person - they are gorgeous.  If I didn't already have 100 million bags..... one of these would have FOR SURE gone home with me.

I also have a bunch of photos of Nicole Tarasick's stuff from the Interior Design Show in January, but looking back at my round-up I see I didn't add them - so I am happy to do so here.  Her stuff is so cool and so Canadian. I love her YYZ pillows, and although I hadn't seen the prints before, I really like them too.

Probably my biggest temptation was Big Tinsel, who had really beautiful and funky jewelry for ridiculously affordable prices.  In fact, there was one I loved (you remember the one Karen!) that I didn't get, thinking it would be in her esty shop, and alas, it is not there.  Ahhh well.  :(

Of course Scout & Catalogue's wares were divine, and beautifully displayed.  I think I have a scarf problem... and I just got one more last week at Virginia Johnson... so I maintained my control (even though that blue one almost got the better of me).

Ack, just look how cute Sandi from Dead Weight is.  Her stuff is amazing - I should have taken more photos, but she was in the middle on a conversation and I intruded enough to take this one. :p

It was a pleasure to see Cameron of Offcut Studio there.  I have also featured these on W&W (here) and may I say, they are even more beautiful in person.  Kinda wish I'd nabbed this one above...

Foe and Dear had a beautiful display of some funky jewels - I really thought Karen might end up with a bullet necklace. :)

Barbara Di Lella of Sparrow Avenue was so sweet and I have such a weakness for humpbacks, I think I should be congratulated for resisting her gorgeous printed totes, and especially coasters...

I LOVED these amazing alphabet prints from photographer Charlene Serdan of Under a Blue Sky and would most certainly have picked one up, but she didn't have W there, and I can't get just C, so... WAHHH!  :(  Honestly, how cute are those polar bears???

The lovely and gracious Arounna from Bookhou was also there present with her fabulous array of pillows, tea towels, boxes, alphabets cutouts, and the bags I drooled over here.  Such. Gorgeous. Stuff.

Oh and throughout Mildred's Temple Kitchen had set up these delicious stations, and they were not only beautiful to look at, but the staff was charming and they were sooo tasty.  Buckets of cookies? hell yeah.

It was such a great event - I would love to see more of them.  And such smart marketing on the part of West Elm to align its brand even further with the popular handmade aesthetic, promote local artisans and a sense of community, and bring new shoppers into the store.  The carefully curated vendors were all beautifully in step with the West Elm look, and I think were of incredible quality and artistry - and not just cause I picked many of them to highlight here! :-p Bravo Anabela. Of course, because they know their marketing,  they offered a 20% discount on their merchandise during the event, and I can only say that it worked on me!  I finally got the organic pin-tuck duvet cover I have been lusting after for years (literally, years) that never goes on sale.  Wahoo!