EMBERS, a staffing, ventures and green renovations social enterprise charity, hosted the 22 attendees and Etsy Canada sponsored food and refreshments for the group.

Vancouver DTES Etsy Workshop

Vivian BomberryEarlier this month I was invited to do an Etsy workshop with a number of social enterprises working in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side (DTES). The area is often written off due to the high concentration of drug addiction and mental illness. What most people don’t see is the rich history, active community and that it’s one of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods.

It’s also one of the last remaining areas with affordable housing options that many artists and creatives are drawn to. These fantastic organizations that hosted the workshop serve a number of different communities, including EWMA (Enterprising Women Making Art), Kitchen Wands and 3H Craftworks that works with people living with disabilities.

EMBERS, a staffing, ventures and green renovations social enterprise charity, hosted the 22 attendees and Etsy Canada sponsored food and refreshments for the group. We spent 4 hours together and went through the nuts and bolts of starting an Etsy shop and selling online. I was blown away by the energy and excitement in the room!

The photo above is of Vivian Bomberry showing off the light box she created using affordable materials found around her house one evening at home. Vivian helped organize the workshop through EWMA after attending previous workshops I’ve put on in the Vancouver area.

The last (but not least!) participating organization was the Window Art Shop, a social enterprise and craft showcase in the DTES. I’ve been involved with Window since last year when I started selling my vintage map coasters through their brick & mortar shop at 1 East Hastings St.

The gorgeous bag in that photo is from Andrea Wong. She’s an incredibly active member of the DTES community, through her involvement with Window Art Shop and the Carnegie Centre. As soon as the workshop ended Andrea went home and launched her Etsy shop and filled it with beautiful handmade accessories.

A big thanks to all the participating organizations for hosting me! If you’re a member of an organization and interested in an Etsy workshop please send me an e-mail ([email protected]) or connect with me on twitter.

Check back for updates as I’ll be posting links below to the shops from members at the workshop!

– Leather pouches by Nike-Chan: www.etsy.com/ca/shop/Nikitafilms

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