After having a grand time in Montreal, Darice and I hit the road to start the next part of our adventure. We rolled into Ottawa the day before our event and met up with a new friend I met at the Hollyhock Summer Gathering who took us on a tour of the city and Gatineau, Quebec. Our Airbnb was a top floor apartment in a brick building near downtown Ottawa as modern as our Montreal apartment was vintage! Getting to travel like this has been such a fun way to see how other people live and get to experience their neighbourhoods in a more intimate way.
OTTAWA
Getting cozy in our sweet Ottawa Airbnb!
After a day of checking out the sights we were ready for our Monday road trip event next to the War Museum on the 100th anniversary of World War 1. Etsy had it’s very own police escort because the Prime Minister of Canada (Stephen Harper) was attending a service at the building next door-I tried to convince everyone to flash mob him with an Etsy dance party when the event was over but no one wanted to play 😉 So instead we had a wonderful time talking to all the talented sellers that came out to Lebreton Flats to spread the maker love.
I adored meeting Sarah of Forestiere and hearing about her wild-crafted forest inspired line of accessories, I’m hoping she’ll come visit OMHG to share her knowledge of art history with us!
Caryne of Burrowed by Caryne is a powerhouse of creativity using upcycles textiles to create her one of a kind clothing pieces and accessories!
Dani of MTV Fora has been on this road trip of awesome too, I grabbed a quick picture of her looking stunning (as usual) for our travel log.
Cathy of Tangente showing off her finely crafted stylish and eco-friendly clothing line (this dress, gah!).
Sweet treats like frozen custard & ice cream cookies from The Merry Dairy.
And sweet songs from Kelly Sloan and the Claytones.
Handmade candles from a passionate supporter of the handmade movement in Ottawa Em of Hello Yellow-check out her darling shop! 
Lyndsay of Infinite Purpose takes stamped recycled silver to a whole other level with her poetic inscriptions like “honest hearts inspire honest actions”, “full time optimist”, and “set your life on fire”-plus she is just lovely, like her shirt says: Being kind is classy.
Littlest Bird Workshop selling their awesome selection of handcrafted skin care goodies!
KINGSTON
Our Kingston Airbnb was a truly magical urban cottage nestled near downtown-we spent three glorious nights in this house including one full day in our pjs reading, sleeping and recuperating from so much social time! There was a river of loose rocks weaving through the living room under a swing-the whole home was full of handmade touches that showed how dearly the space was treasured. This was the house that sealed my love for Airbnb something I thought was neat but wasn’t sure would be comfortable-was I ever wrong!
Brandy of Salvage Jewelry Co. is so fun and full of cheerful passion for our wonderful handmade world her upcycled creations are a perfect blend of modern and vintage. It was great to talk to her about how she’s built her business and learn that we have many similarities! Talking to vendors is probably one of my favourite things ever.
Helena of Here & Now creates minimal stained glass pieces of wearable art-originally from Russia and recently moved to Canada I think we are going to be hearing a lot of good things about this up and coming maker!
Nicole Tarasick has been selling on Etsy since 2005 and has built a reputation for her finely crafted Canadian themed textiles and home decor. 
It was so fun meeting Sylvie of Ox & Victor who is just starting her handmade journey with her line of jewellery made from reclaimed Swiss Army Knife components-it is always exciting to me to see makers taking their first steps (next stop: a thriving shop and creative life!).
Three cheers for the makers of Ottawa & Kingston! Today you can find the #etsyroadtrip at King St.W.and Brant St from 11-7 or tomorrow from 10-6 at the historic Distillery District on South Trinity Street, hope to see you there!
