March Madness at LCMA

Recently back from 2 very successful wholesale shows in Halifax and Edmonton, March 2012 will be one of the busiest months for the Agency. Here is what's ahead.

Workshops - product development workshops in hide moccasins as well as a doll workshop are being carried out throughout the month. The doll workshop will focus on parka dolls, labradorables, and tote bag dolls. These are all products the Agency has created a demand for over the years which has lead to these development workshops.

Shows - during the weekend of March 18th and 19th the Agency will be participating in the Provincial Craft Wholesale Show and Seminars. Buyers and exhibitors from all over the province will be attending this annual event. As well Labrador Traditions will be holding their 7th annual spring craft fair at the Collage of North Atlantic in the gymnasium from 10am to 4 pm on March 31st. The finest handmade crafts in Labrador will be available for purchase.

Website - www.labradorcrafts.ca - that will be the address of our new website to be launched this spring. Check back for an updated official launch date, plus info on our soon to be twitter account as well.

Pictured is a medium parka doll. These dolls come in 3 sizes and are extremely popular leading to several development workshops in attempts to introduce new producers to help fill all the orders.

Another wholesale season is upon us

After a busy fall retailing season with shows in Ottawa, St. John's, and here in Goose Bay the Agency is now full swing into its wholesale season. After just having completed a successful Atlantic Craft Trade Show in Halifax we are off to Edmonton for the Alberta Gift Show starting this Sunday the 19th of February and continuing to the 22nd. This will be the 13th year the Agency will be participating in the show. The show allows for the Agency to reach the western Canada marketplace and the buyers who attend. With another show in St. John's in March we will have covered this country virtually from one end to the other again this year. With our current successful product line of everything from seal skin key chains to hide moccasins to stone carvings it looks to be another busy selling season for the Agency and all the crafts producers we represent. Pictured is our booth at the 2011 Alberta Gift Show.

Busy times ahead

The Agency is preparing for a busy fall. Professional skills development workshops, retail shows, promotional and marketing trip, and a new website are some of the projects and initiatives the Agency has planned for the fall of '11.

Over the past 4 years, through funding from the Northern Strategic Plan, the Agency has provided professional skills development workshops throughout all regions of Labrador. Some of these have been duffel and hide moccasin, caribou hair tufting, baby booties, parka dolls and beginner carving. In 2010 a local producer was contracted to develop a new series of dolls related to Labrador. The Labrador settler doll, Labradorable, and doll in a tote bag were introduced with great success on the wholesale market. This led to the first workshop in the dolls in the spring of 2011.

This year, through continued support from the Northern Plan, the Agency will be tentatively offering 2 more development workshops. Another in the Labrador doll as well as a beading and embroidery embellishment workshop. The embellishment training will primarily serve as a means for producers from past workshops to increase their skills and add value to their work.

On October 29th Labrador Traditions will be holding their 9th annual Christmas Craft Fair at the College of the North Atlantic gymnasium from 10 until 4. The finest handmade crafts from Labrador will be available from over 25 exhibitors. From November 9 to the 13 the Agency will be attending the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador Christmas Craft Fair in St. John's at the Arts and Culture Centre. From November 15 to 20 the Agency will be exhibiting for the first time at the Signatures Christmas Show in Ottawa The show is being held at the Ottawa Convention Centre.

Also this fall the Agency is planning another promotional and marketing trip to Nain. The Agency will meet with producers from Nain and other areas or Labrador's north coast to present how the Agency operates and the benefits of marketing through the Labrador Craft Marketing Agency. This will be the third such trip to the north coast.

The fall of 2011 promises to be a busy time around here, and with plans of a new website falling into place the future is looking bright for the Labrador Craft Marketing Agency.

New Products for summer of 2011

The Agency continues to secure new products for our buyers throughout Canada and the United States. With additions of products from Labrador producers such as Scott Goudie, Wilson Semigak and Dougie Earle the future of the Labrador craft industry is looking brighter each and every day. These carvers work mostly in soapstone and are rapidly becoming known for their own unigue style and quality of work that is quickly increasing in demand with our knowledgable buyers. Click on the links above to see sample work for each artist. For more on each featured artist, pricing info or price list on the rest of our successful product line email the Agency @ labcraft@hvgb.net or just give us a call @ 709 896 2121.

Spring 2011

Hello everyone,

We have just finished another round of wholesale shows. We traveled to and participated in shows from just about one end of the country to the other. We exhibited at the Atlantic Craft Trade Show in Halifax, the Alberta Gift Show in Edmonton and the Provincial Craft Wholesale Show in St. John's. As in past years it was a pleasure to see and chat with our current buyers, established some new accounts and introduced ourselves to possible new buyers along the way. Several new products and producers were introduced with a great amount of success. Carvings by Douglas Earle and Wilson Semigak were very popular as well as 2 new products by Barb Wood. These were Labradorable dolls and a little doll in tote bag. Both receiving a large number of orders. As usual, as in past years our product line had it many orders for baby booties and parka dolls. If you click on the above link for wholesale shows you will see a few pics of our booth at the Atlantic Craft Trade Show as well as the Alberta Gift Show.

Spring 2011

The wholesale season is here once again. This year Labrador Traditions will be participating in the Atlantic Craft Trade Show in Halifax from February 5th to 7th. It is being held at the World Trade and Convention Centre on 1800 Argyle Street. It is our first time at this show since 2007 so I am really looking forward to reminding the buyers of the region of the quality hand made products Labrador has to offer.

From February 20th to 23rd we will once again be at the By Hand Show in Edmonton in the Edmonton Expo Centre ( formerly AgriCom building) . This will be our 12th year exhibiting in Alberta at this event. Our booth number is 10318 hall D. We will be exhibiting our regular product line that has been successful all these years as well as several new products from new producers. See you there, if you have any questions email labcraft@hvgb.net or call 709 896 2121.

Fall Events

The fall of 2010 will be a busy time for all involved with the Agency. First we have a marketing and promotional trip planned for the north coast of Labrador, followed by our 8th annual Labrador Traditions Christmas Craft Fair, product development workshops, and the Craft Council Christmas Craft Fair. Along with the everyday happenings of the Agency it promises to be a hectic but fun time around here.

In mid October we will be traveling to Nain on a promotional and marketing trip. We will introduce the Agency to crafts producers as well as anyone interested in the craft industry. This will also be an opportunity to purchase new product from new producers. For awhile now the Agency has been in a need of new products to introduce to the marketplace. This venture will benefit the producers, the Agency and the Labrador craft industry.

On October 30 we will be hosting the 8th annual Labrador Traditions Christmas Craft Fair. It takes place in the gymnasium of the College of the North Atlantic in Goose Bay from 10am to 4 pm. Approximately 30 exhibitors from Labrador will be show casing and presenting their work.

It is workshop time again. Over the past 3 years the Agency has been using funds from the Northern Strategic Plan to offer product development workshops throughout Labrador. Courses in slipper and doll making as well as grasswork, caribou hair tufting, and carving have been offered throughout all the regions of Labrador. This fall, the first workshop to be planned will be a caribou hair tufting workshop for the Goose Bay area. Grasswork is being discussed for January as well as a cultural product development session for the Goose Bay area in the new year. This was done in the Labrador Straits area in May 2010 and it was a great success. We are hoping to mirror that result for the Goose Bay workshop.

From November 18th to 21st the Agency will be attending the Craft Council Christmas Craft Fair in St. John's at the Arts and Culture Center. In the past we have been contracting someone from the area to setup and work the booth for us however this year we will be participating in person. I will be in the booth from start to finish answering your questions and tending to your buying needs. I will post more on booth number and approximate location within the building as I learn more.

On September 11, the Agency exhibited at the Big Land Fair in Goose Bay. Once again as in years past it was a well attended event. Pictured below is our booth with my usual little helper for the day, my daughter Julie. She really looks forward to and enjoys these events and has become a much appreciated addition to the Agency in times such as these local events. That's all for now, keep checking in as I think I am getting into a habit of this blogging culture. Still learning and I am sure I will be for the foreseeable future, but I am willing to be patient if you are.