7 November 2014 / #craft Rene Trim: Upcoming craft shows and workshops[caption id=“attachment_6360” align=“alignnone” width=“700”] Abstract Peace Flag by Ryan O’Neill Studios[/caption]Starting today, I will be updating you regularly on OttawaStart.com on what’s going on in the local art and craft scene. Why? Because the sheer number and variety of events our city and region offer clearly indicates that we are all appreciative and aware of the importance of supporting our thriving art and craft community! So check this page frequently for the latest on upcoming events, workshops, studio tours, vernissages, open houses and more. ** Camp Tech is coming to town ** Camp Tech is a tech skills training hub that provides half- and full-day in-person workshops for adults who want to learn web and digital skills. If you’re a little hesitant within the realm of technology, this is a great way to learn new skills which you can put into practice right away. Classes are designed for beginners, with an emphasis on developing skills that you can use immediately. Think of a fun hands-on approach rather than boring corporate style training. Camp Tech was founded in Toronto in 2012 by a group of working professionals. They organized their first workshop in Ottawa in March of this year - and now they’re back - by popular demand! Here is what the fall workshops encompass:On November 18 (from 6 pm to 9 pm), a professional SEO (search engine optimization) specialist will teach you how to drive traffic to your website without having to spend money. Find out how to optimize your website so that potential customers will find you faster by learning how to target keywords, what to include in your content, and how to elevate your social media SEO.The next day, November 19 (from 10 am to 4 pm) it’s all about WordPress. The self-explanatory title of the workshop is ‘WordPress for Beginners (AKA Website in a Day)’. You will learn how to build a website using WordPress – the popular blog and website publishing software. Whether you’re trying to set up a simple website for your small business or a personal blog, this workshop is for you. From pages to posts, widgets to plugins, you’ll learn all about how to customize and maintain WordPress on your own website.For more information on these workshops visit camptech.ca ** Upcoming shows November 8 & 9: ** * [ Handmade Harvest HOLIDAY 2014 ](http://ottawastart.com/events/handmade-harvest-holiday-edition-2014/) comes back to the Old Almonte Town Hall this weekend (from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday and from 10 am to 3 pm on Sunday). The show will host approximately 50 DIFFERENT vendors each day. * [ The Ottawa Artisans Guild ](http://ottawastart.com/events/ottawa-artisans-guild-christmas-show-and-sale-east/) will hold its Fall Show & Sale Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm at Lester B. Pearson High School in Gloucester. This is a juried show, which means the work of the participating vendors has been reviewed to ensure it meets the Guild's standards. Parking and admission are free but donations to the Ottawa Food Bank will be gladly accepted. * [ For a full listing of Ottawa craft shows, please click here... ](http://ottawastart.com/preview-of-2014-holiday-craft-shows-in-ottawa-including-pro-tips/) ** Hands On ** ** ** If, after perusing the above-mentioned shows, you feel the urge to do some crafting of your own, here are a few tips for you: * ** Always wanted to make your own jewellery? ** Here's your chance! Jewellery and mixed media artist Violeta Borisonik opens the door to her studio (located in Kanata) for a one day workshop on ** November 16 ** (between 2 pm and 6:30 pm). Violeta will provide the silver and the tools, and you get to go home with either a ring, a pendant or a pair of earrings! For details visit [ violetaborisonik.com ](http://violetaborisonik.com) * ** Or how about some 'Creative Sewing 101' with Nicole Shaw from Liv. ** Well Toys? Liv.Well is a local company that creates earth-friendly cloth toys for your child - and Nicole is a seamstress 'par excellence'. Over the next two months she will be organizing 4 workshops that will walk you through a number of fun and practical sewing projects for your house and family. Contact Nicole at [ livwelltoys@hotmail.com ](mailto:livwelltoys@hotmail.com) for more info. _ That’s all for now - have a creative week, folks! _** Did you know: ** The word ‘craft’ is derived from the German ‘kraft’ – meaning strength, commonly used to describe the skillful application of force. The words ‘art’ and ‘craft’ were used interchangeably to describe a highly-skilled occupation. In the Renaissance, for instance, if an artist was trained as a goldsmith, he would often also apply his skills to tapestry and making goblets.At the start of the 20th century, however, crafts had become ‘handicrafts’ - referring to products of the cottage and home industry. To this day, this definition still applies to a number of third-world countries where crafts are often a tradition, handed down from parent to child and mainly revolving around utilitarian products such as baskets and pots.In other parts of the world, including North America, crafts have evolved into something for the luxury market where people look for unique objects that serve an aesthetic function rather than a utilitarian one. Various surveys in Canada suggest that over 1.5 million people spend more than 7 hours per week on a craft. Approximately 25,000 of these people derive their principal income from making and selling craft items. The latest figures indicate that the retail value of domestically-produced crafts in Canada is an estimated $500 million per year.Currently, every province and territory in Canada has a major craft organization, united in one national body, the Canadian Crafts Federation.