Hand Made Here

11/05/2026

Cheerful, minimalistic bone china ceramics by Noriko Masuda are sure to please!

How is bone china made?

Noriko begins with a design, creates a model which is then used to make a mould. Using slips she makes herself, she pours the slip into the mould, waits just the right amount of time before pouring the slip out to get a perfect cast. Too long and the walls of the cup will be too thick, too short and the walls are too thin. Great skill is required to get consistent pours without any flaws or air bubbles time and time again.

"I find my process takes longer than throwing on the wheel. People always expect it's faster since it looks 'manufactured'," Noriko remarks.

What's new for Hand Made Here 2026?

"This year, I have a small serving dish. I actually made the mould two years ago, but couldn't get it to fire without warping and thought I might never put it out into the world. But then recently I was in a hurry and fired one without any props and it turned out perfectly. A simply case of over-engineering not working."

Noriko's stock is limited, so make sure to show up bright and early to make sure you get the colour you want! 😉

11/04/2026

Find naturally comfortable women's clothing by Sabrina Butterfly Designs at Hand Made Here's Holiday Market!

The majority of designs made by Sabrina O'Donnell are created after she finds the fabric. Each new fabric she finds, inspires a new design. Sometimes it happens right away after the fabric is purchased but other times the fabric sits around for many years and then it finally becomes what it was meant to be. "I find this is an organic way to design and is magical when the design comes to life," Sabrina remarks.

For Sabrina's avid shoppers - there's a new item in the lineup for the November market!

"Western Wear has been around for ages and for Alberta it's woven into the history of vintage clothing. I have always loved the design details in western wear, from the pearl snaps to the curved line details you find on pocket edging and western yokes. Over 25 years ago I created a pair of western inspired pants with a curved yoke waistband edge. I only made one pair, it was made from an obscured colourful paisley stretch denim. The fit was snug, like a pair of your favourite jeans and the western yoke flattered the female form. With the curve lines landing in the sweet spots, drawing the eye to the flow of the design. They were are favourite of mine and 25 years later they became my daughter's favourite too. As I saw them in the light again, she nudged me to make the pattern and add them to my collection. To my surprise this past year I stumbled across another printed stretch denim that would work perfectly for this design. I finally finished a run of them early this season and named them after one of the greats who loved a nice fitted pair of western jeans, welcome the Dolly Pant!"

Find your perfect pair at Hand Made Here Holiday Market on Nov 21 - 22 from 10 - 5 pm at the Triwood Community Center.

11/01/2026

Last Chance!

Janie-Nicole Leather is retiring - this may be your last chance to obtain one of her incredible handmade leather bags...

Each bag is cut, assembled, stitched, and finished by hand, one at a time. There are no shortcuts. Sometimes the smallest details take the longest, but those are often the details that make the difference between an ordinary bag and one you'll love carrying for years.

Each bag is a unique piece that comes with a story:

"The Debbie Mais Curved Top Bag came about because Debbie Mais Murphy, from Charlottetown, PEI, approached me with a very specific idea. She wanted a bag with a curved top, a metal zipper, and detachable straps. I loved the challenge, although I have to admit, it took me forever to get it just right!

The unexpected part was how well all those features came together. The curved top allows the bag to open really wide, making it easy to see and reach everything inside. The metal zipper is durable, reliable, and has that classic look that never goes out of style. And the detachable straps make the bag incredibly versatile, allowing it to be carried in different ways.

It took a lot of experimenting to get the design right, but the result was worth every minute. It became an awesome bag, and I love that it was inspired by a customer's own vision. That's one of the things I enjoy most about making leather bags: sometimes someone else's idea leads me to create something truly special."

So what's next?

"One thing you wouldn't know from looking at my leather bags is that I love cycling! In 2017, we rode our bikes across Canada from Vancouver to Prince Edward Island. This summer, in 2026, we completed our journey by cycling from PEI to Newfoundland. Riding across Canada has been the biggest accomplishment of my life, and I'm incredibly proud that we did it!"

We are honoured to have Janie-Nicole at Hand Made Here for the final chapter of her leather working journey and hope you are able to help her celebrate by selling out her remaining inventory 🥰

10/31/2026

Happy Halloween!

Hoping everyone stays warm, safe and has a fun time tonight.

🎃👻🎃

10/30/2026

Jewellery making in the works!

Anna Burger-Martindale aka Rocky Mountain Silversmith doing water casting in preparation for the Hand Made Here Holiday Market on November 21 - 22 at the Triwood Community Center.

Check out her booth to see the finished product 😉

Send a message to learn more

10/28/2026

Welcoming furniture maker ByungSoo Kim to Hand Made Here!!!

ByungSoo designs and makes stunning handcrafted wood stools, carefully considering every detail to maximize both comfort and beauty.

What have you been working on most recently?

"I've been completely absorbed in stool design lately, searching for the point where straight lines and curves sit in perfect harmony. The result is a family of stools in three heights (dining, counter, and bar), which I named the Forma Stool, a nod to this exploration of form.

The design is built on contrast. Broad, flat-faced legs are cut with an arch, and between them stand rounded, softly shaped legs. Because the legs have so much visual mass, I carved out the tops and left breathing room beneath the seat, so the seat seems to float.
The seat is gently dished to cradle the sitter. Too deep and it's uncomfortable, too shallow and it's just a flat board, so I kept carving and sitting on it until I found the right curve.

The Forma Stool is still evolving. I'm now developing a version with a backrest."

What is something about how your work is made that most people wouldn't know?

"What most people don't realize is how much time goes into one stool. Each takes more than 30 hours, and most of that goes into parts you'll never see once someone sits down.

I usually start with rough, unmilled lumber and mill it down to size myself. Sometimes I work from pre-milled stock, but either way, I choose which boards become the seat and which become the legs. I pick the best section for the seat and glue it up first, and I'm extremely particular about the grain and color of the front legs, since they're the first thing you see."

Tell us a little more about you.

"I was born and raised in Korea, and I've been in Canada for eight years. I moved to Calgary just a year ago.

I studied industrial design in Korea, and somewhere along the way my love for wood as a material grew so strong that I decided to become a woodworker. I started in Korea, so I've now been working with wood for about ten years.

What I think about most when I make something is design. Beautiful furniture already exists everywhere. So I draw on my Eastern background and the way I was raised, and try to bring Asian forms and aesthetics into my pieces. I want people to look at one and feel, 'This is very modern and refined, but somehow it feels Eastern.'

I love trees and wood, and nearly everything I enjoy comes back to it: camping in the forest, pitching a tent under the trees, reading paper books, and sipping single malt wh**ky aged in oak barrels. My hobby is woodworking, my special skill is woodworking, and woodworking is my work and my life."

Thank you ByungSoo Kim! We are so excited to have you this year at Hand Made Here holiday market.

Shop ByungSoo Kim November 21 - 22 from 10 - 5 pm at the Triwood Community Center.

10/27/2026

Calgary artist Shona Rae makes delightfully whimsical jewellery and sculpture using upcycled tin.

"The Button Minions began with a gift of vintage buttons and an excess of small tins. I had been making larger sculptural pieces by flatting the tins so I started shrinking some of the smaller ones too. When I received the buttons, I started placing them on the lids of the smaller tins and I saw little creatures emerging. Adding beads and pearls from an existing hoard of costume jewellery, I was able to create this new series."

Find your minion at Hand Made Here Holiday Market!

10/24/2026

We are pleased to announce that Hope Milner formerly "The Funky Robot" will be joining the Hand Made Here Holiday Market this year!

Hope refashions denim jean jackets using vintage and reclaimed fabrics that she has meticulously collected, washed, sanitized, ironed cut and sewn to create wearable masterpieces 😍

"My most recent jacket creation was made from a recycled denim jean jacket and a recycled Indian sari. I was drawn to the beauty of the embroidery of this discard dress, and reworked and fashioned it onto the jacket to give both pieces a new and useful life!"

Rediscover your love for denim at Hand Made Here on Nov 21 - 22 from 10 - 5 pm at the Triwood Community Center NW Calgary.



Music: Middle of the Road by Denim

10/23/2026

Introducing the magical paper art of Wendy Passmore Godfrey!

Wendy's whimsical artwork often suggests a story or presents a character in which she invites the viewer to engage their imagination and complete the story for themselves. Inspirations often strikes while she is traveling abroad, so much so she says that a pair of scissors and a glue stick are as essential as her passport.

"The piece I am currently working on is a collection of architectural elements and features a haunting old photograph of a young girl. She is posed in what might be a white flower girl or communion dress.The photo, in an embossed and gold crested folder, is from the historic Villaplana Studio. It came from a street sale in Barcelona - just a box of old photos and postcards. It struck me that this image used to be precious, was a real person that was family to someone, and is now discarded.

Visit Wendy at her booth and share your travel stories at the Hand Made Here Holiday Market on Nov 21 - 22 from 10 - 5pm at the Triwood Community Center!

Wendy Passmore

10/23/2026

Painter and fibre artist Alice Helwig returns to Hand Made Here 2026!

A Liquitex Artist Materials demonstration artist, Alice loves working in many layers, experimenting with new materials and often uses acrylic heavy body, soft body, ink and acrylic gouache and mediums in one piece. For her floral/William Morris series she states:

"I have been combining pictures of flowers from my garden with William Morris patterns. I am obsessed. I first got the idea when attending an art show where work was displayed against this beautiful wallpaper. I liked the juxtaposition of the two together— of natural organic forms against manufactured patterns. As I was painting these I reflected that I was purposely not using ai. The references were created with hand cut collages. I was reading about William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement which took They were taking a stance against the mass production of items for their homes. That the craftsman was removed from the process. This work echos that but with the concern being the use of ai in the creation of art. It once more distances the artist from the process and craft of the work as it focuses solely on the end production. The process of creating art and human touch is lost."

Alice also makes adorable knitted comfort chickens from leftover/recycled yarn which she will have up for adoption at the HMH Holiday Market on Nov 21 - 22 from 10 - 5 pm!

Alice S Helwig A.S. Helwig Studio