Crafty Wonderland Super Colossal Holiday Sale 2012 in review

Crafty Wonderland this past weekend was absolutely great. Erik and I had an awesome time meeting so many wonderful people! Torie and Cathy announced that attendance was up by 2,000 attendees from last year: 18,000 people came through those doors! 10,000 on Saturday, and another 8,000 on Sunday!

We had some awesome neighbors (Michele Maule, Pepe & Ale from Muluk, Natalie Joy, Lark Press, Amy from Little Bright Studio, Karyn from Pirouette, and others!), ate some superb handmade treats (lollipops from This Charming Candy, truffles made by Nicole from DotShoppe), and made a fun trade (Adrienne from Neeka Knits). It was also super fun to go around and visit/meet a lot of the amazing makers I've had on this very blog in the series We Make Portland Awesome: Sofia from Buttonlandia, Telle & Rex from ISWAS+WILLBE, Denise from DKruegerBotanicArt, Brooke from Little Canoe, Amy from Ohlnu, and others!

And I got nearly all of my Christmas presents there... though if I reveal where I got those, some certain people may be able to guess what they're getting! ;)

We make Portland awesome: Little Canoe

"We make Portland awesome" is a weekly series. I’m interested building our community of artists by helping us all find out more about each other.

This week: Little Canoe

 

Who are you?
My name is Brooke Weeber, I'm the brains behind Little Canoe.
 

What do you make?
I make prints, greeting cards, and other various products showcasing my original designs and illustrations.

 

Besides making things, what do you do?
I've been a professional baker for about 13 years.  I used to make specialty cakes before I grew tired and quit the service industry to work on illustration full time.  But I still love getting messy in the kitchen and relishing in the smells of cakes and cookies baking in the oven.  Beyond that, I love being outdoors and taking full advantage of what Oregon has to offer.  I commute everywhere by bike (which can be a little rough in the Winter), I enjoy hiking, camping, backpacking and swimming in the crystal clear rivers during the Summer.  
 

What inspires you?
I'm incredibly inspired by where I live.  I feature a lot of nature-based themes in my work and I gather many ideas from my surroundings.  I'm always searching for a spark when I'm out biking around town or adventuring the the Oregon countryside.  I'm also constantly inspired by other artists, whether I found them locally or online.  I love seeing what illustrators and designers are creating right now, and I'm very thankful for the internet for helping me do that.

Where can your work be found?
You can find my work in various locations around Portland including, but not limited to: Mag-Big, Tender Loving Empire, Powell's, Presence of Mind, ZimZim, Reading Frenzy, Redux and Etcetera.  You can also locate it online at www.thelittlecanoe.etsy.com and www.society6.com/bweeber
 

What do you love about Portland?

I love SO MANY things about Portland.  I love that you can drive an hour and find yourself at either the ocean or the mountains.  I love the quality of the food and drink scene here.  I like that everything's still quite affordable and within reach in Portland.  But most of all, I really appreciate the fantastic art community here.  There are such a plethora of talented, driven and motivated creators and I feel lucky to call many of them friends.  It's a very supportive and inspiring atmosphere. I couldn't have made it this far without them and I can't imagine living anywhere else.