life & style // no. 12 theotherpress.ca

New West Craft Fall
Market review

» A celebration of Halloween and fall

Naomi Ambrose
Staff Writer

 

right yellow jack-o-lantern-esque

lights brightened the ceiling on
the second floor of the River Market
in New Westminster on October 20.
These decorations were a reminder that
Halloween is near. Along with the lights,
several handcrafted items also served as
interesting mementos that reified the
presence of the spooky season. It was time
for the New Westminster Craft Fall Market!

While one vendor displayed her tiny,

mustard-coloured crocheted pumpkins
and her orange knitted woolen scarves,
another vendor showcased a unique
collection of multicoloured crocheted
items that resembled sausage rolls. The
Wylde Wood Collective also kept the
theme of Halloween present. Melissa Mary
Duncan’s collection of fairy art incorporates
characters that are associated with fairy
tales and Halloween. The collection of
Celtic costumes by Janice Murphy was
also displayed at this shop. A circular

mirror next to the Wylde Wood Collective,
decorated with a small black bat, was quite
fitting for those who desired to examine
their spooky aesthetic.

The New Westminster Craft Fall
Market was a reminder to appreciate artists’
and entrepreneurs’ creativity, intricacies,
and creations. This intricacy was evident
with Batiqua. Batiqua uses the technique
of batiking—a hand dye process that
usually uses wax to prevent certain pieces
from absorbing colour—to create products
that include aprons, cushion covers, and
wall hangings. Instead of using wax in the
batiking process, Batiqua uses a mixture
of porridge. I don't know how the porridge
prevents the dye from soaking in, but the
end result is beautiful.

Another vendor displayed his
collection of women’s handbags made from
upcycled leather, as well as his walking
sticks and walking canes made with sticks
from the Northwest Territories.

The market also contained other
items more associated with craft markets,
including handcrafted jewelry and soaps.

 

 

JaeNelle Busch, the co-owner of JB and Co.,
displayed her colourful assortment of said
soaps.

Busch, a first-time participant at the
market, also shared her insights about
the event. “I think it’s absolutely great. It’s
community [and] it’s local,” Busch told the
Other Press.

Linda Chow, a jeweler and the
owner of Linda Designs, said in an in-
person interview with the Other Press, “I
participate in New West Craft [markets]

a lot because it is local, and I] believe in
supporting local businesses.”

Britney Bankram, an attendant, also
expressed her thoughts when she told the
Other Press, “I really like it. I like [the]
market atmosphere.”

New West Craft is held every first and
third Saturday of the month. Fall Markets

 

 

Images via New West Craft on Facebook i

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will also take place on November 3 and 17.
The next craft market—the Winter Night
Market—is scheduled for December 1 at
the River Market.

When the curtains don't match the carpet

» Caring for coloured hair

Brittney MacDonald
Life & Style Editor

 

A someone seeking personal
perfection, I often get bored and

change my appearance to reflect whatever
might entertain me or make me happy.
Thanks to this, I’ve spent the past two or
three years of my life with a hair colour that
doesn't even attempt to fool anyone into
thinking it’s natural. I’ve done purple, pink,
blue, silver, and currently I’m rocking a nice
teal.

The problem I find with these
“fashion” colours, as the beauty industry
calls them, is that they don’t last. Most
formulas are listed as semi-permanent,
or they are permanent, but they fade
really fast. If you're thinking of donning a
colourful ‘do but you worry about the hair
maintenance required, here are a couple of
my tricks to keeping your colour fresh.

The first is fairly simple and I think
most people can figure this out on their
own: Wash it as little as possible. Become
very familiar with dry shampoo and
start training your scalp to not require
regular shampooing. This will prevent
the shampoo and other products from
stripping the colour from your hair. I
usually only wash my hair once or twice
a week, and my hair is fairly long. People
with short hair can go even greater lengths
of time.

My next tip is that when you do wash
your hair, try and find a shampoo and
conditioner that won't pull the colour out.
A lot of brands that seek to preserve the
natural oils in the hair won't remove the
colour you put into it. Due to this, formulas
meant for older hair, such as Pantene’s
Age Defy, will actually allow more of the

colour to remain. Don’t prioritize moisture,
since anything moisturizing usually means
that the oils present in the shampoo and
conditioner will sit on top of the hair
strands and then be washed away—with
your dye—the next time you wash your
hair. Instead look for something that claims
it repairs damaged hair. This means that
the formula penetrates the hair strands so
the colour will be less affected by the next
time you decide you need to “freshen up.”

This tip doesn’t only have to apply to
shampoos and conditioners. Since dyeing
your hair is damaging, especially if you're
doing strange colours that require you to
bleach it first, you need a good hair routine
that will keep your hair healthy. Damaged
hair is porous, making it easier for dye
to be washed out of it. Start using hair
masks, oils, and creams that repair in order
to maintain your hair’s health. This also
means that you need to avoid damaging
processes like heat styling without properly
preparing your hair first. I flat iron my hair
ona regular basis, but I also avoid blow
drying it and J use a heat protector in order
to minimize the damage I do.

In that same vein, you want to avoid
hot water. I know how lovely and tempting
it is to wash your hair in the luxury of a hot
shower—but this is beauty, so sacrifices
must be made! Wash your hair in cold
water, either in the shower—if you can
handle it—or do what I do and wash it
under the tap. Cold water will prevent the
pores in your hair from opening, so less dye
will be washed down the drain.

Armed with these tips, you'll keep
those curtains wacky for months. This
will make the arduous time spent actually
dyeing your hair something that you won't
have to constantly subject yourself to in
order to maintain your perfect shade.

  

Illustration by Cara Seccafien