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Showing posts with label craft sale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label craft sale. Show all posts

Von Allan at the Vanier Artisans Christmas Market


Vanier Artisans 2025 Christmas Market poster in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on November 29 2025 that Von Allan will be exhibiting at

In what has become a Christmas tradition, I’ll be one of the artists at the Vanier Artisans 2025 Christmas Market! For those in the know, I’ve been doing these for the past number of years and they are always a tremendous experience with a diverse group of artists and craftspeople. And since I live in the community (Vanier Strong!) and I also did the art for the poster, I can honestly say it’s my favourite market of the year.



This is the first time that we’re doing the event at a new venue! St. Margaret’s Anglican Church was kind enough to collaborate with the Vanier Artisans and host the event this year. It’s a truly lovely venue, in the heart of Vanier, and will have a nice Christmas vibe to it. It was actually built way back in 1887, so it’s architectural design is pretty unique. And it’s in a great location, at the corner of Montreal Road and Cody Avenue on a major bus route and with easy access to parking in the back.



As the City of Ottawa notes on it’s website, “The cornerstone of this solid limestone heritage building lined with brick, often described as Vanier’s oldest building, was laid by Lady Agnes Macdonald, wife of Sir John A., in 1887. Its belltower is in the old English style. Initially a mission of St. Bartholomew’s Church in New Edinburgh, it functioned as a “chapel-of-ease” on the main dirt road from Ottawa to Montreal, in an area that became the community of Janeville. By 1915, it began providing regular services in English to its membership of mostly poor immigrant families.”



As always, I’ll have everything on my “shop” page, so that includes a full compliment of WOLF’S HEAD graphic novels, plus other comics and graphic novels (including SHEBA THE GREAT!, LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LOSS: A COMICS COLLECTION, and STARGAZER), as well as Christmas cards, art prints, and so on! Some photos are at the end of this post!



Here are the details! A formal press release is at the end of this post, too!

Date: November 29, 2025


Time: 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM


Location: St. Margaret’s Church, 206 MontrĂ©al Rd, Ottawa, ON K1L 6C9


Cost: Free admission!


Facebook Event Page: Vanier Artisans 2025 Christmas Market Facebook Page


Amenities and Features of St. Margaret’s Church:
  • Public washrooms

  • Accessible access

  • Free parking

  • Metered/paid parking

  • Family friendly

  • OC Transpo nearby

Here are some Photos of What I’ll Have Available!

And there will be a few surprises, too!


Various art prints, comics, and graphic novels by Von Allan
Wolf's Head trade paperback graphic novels (Volumes 1, 2, and 3) by Von Allan
Wolf's Head Book 1 Hardcover by Von Allan
Love, Laughter, and Loss Hardcover by Von Allan

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Shop Local, Give Handmade: The Vanier Artisans Christmas Market Returns in a New Festive Space!



Ottawa, Ontario – November 25, 2025 — The holiday spirit is shining brighter than ever in Vanier. This year’s Vanier Artisans Christmas Market returns with fresh energy, a stunning new venue, and a warm invitation to shop local and bring home something truly special.



Now hosted at St. Margaret’s Anglican Church (206 Montreal Road), this community favorite Christmas Market celebrates local talent and craftsmanship. Each purchase directly supports Ottawa’s makers and helps keep Vanier’s creative traditions thriving.



Organized by Charlotte Taylor and a passionate team of volunteers, the market features an exciting range of handcrafted goods, from preserves, candles, soap, and baked treats to art and photography prints, knitted and crocheted items, jewelry, and comics and graphic novels. Many items are made in small batches, so visitors are encouraged to shop early and secure their favorites before they’re gone.



“We’re so excited about our new home at St. Margaret’s,” shared organizer Charlotte Taylor. “It’s the perfect place to bring people together to celebrate the season and support our local artists. Every purchase makes a difference and keeps creativity alive in our community.”



Event Details

About the Vanier Artisans Christmas Market

The Vanier Artisans Christmas Market is a cherished, community led event that showcases the heart and talent of Ottawa’s local makers. It’s a celebration of community, creativity, and the joy of giving handmade, one meaningful gift at a time.

Christmas Craft Sale 2023 in Ottawa



Update! The 2024 poster and event information is at https://www.vonallan.com/2024/10/2024-vanier-artisans-christmas-craft.html

As has become a bit of an annual tradition, I’ll be one of the exhibitors at the upcoming Vanier Artisans Christmas Craft Sale on Sunday, November 26th. This has been a really fun event in the past and the organizers (led by the amazing Charlotte Taylor) create a really great atmosphere. And the mix of artists is really neat; comics will be represented by yours truly, but there will be a wide diversity of artists and artistic practices at the show. Crafts, clothing, food, art, you name it!

One of the things I enjoy the most is the spirit of solidarity that everyone shares. In some events I’ve done in the past, that spirit has been sorely lacking. It’s hard to put into words, but I’ve certainly experienced a hostile competitive attitude in some of these other events. It’s a shame, because I strongly believe that we’re all in it together and that competition between artists should not be an element of any art show.

I was tasked to come up with a poster for this year’s event. This time I wanted to do something with Santa Claus, mainly because I don’t think I’ve ever drawn the big guy before. The problem with that is that Santa is so iconic it can be hard to “shake” other influences when approaching a design. I did what I could in that regard and came up with something that hopefully captures the ol’ elf in all his glory. With a little bit of wonder thrown in, too. I also included the final pencils ‘cuz I know that some folks like seeing the “process” from pencils to the final piece. It was a great deal of fun to do, too. And it all came together pretty quickly; literally I went from not having any firm ideas — save for the notion of including Santa — to getting in an image in my mind’s eye. That image held through right to the final colours and poster design.

The show will be at the Vanier Community Service Centre (270 Marier Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1L 7H8). And I’ll have not only comics and graphic novels (including WOLF’S HEAD!), but various art prints, cards, and whatnot, too! If you’re in town, why not drop by? It really is a lovely event!

Vanier Artisans 2023 Christmas Craft Sale Poster by Von Allan

Pencil version of the Vanier Artisans 2023 Christmas Craft Sale Poster by Von Allan

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Wolf's Head by Von Allan

Link to Von Allan's Wolf's Head comic book series

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