Thursday, December 30, 2010

Onwards and Upwards!


To all of our friends, loyal customers, artists and designers,


The new year is going to be very big for us!  As of February 1st, HQ will be selling it's last handmade creation. After almost 5 years of art and indie design the lease at our store will be up, and we've had the long and difficult decision of choosing whether to move the store to a new location, or call it a day and move on to phase two of world domination. This has no doubt been a huge decision, and we had to weigh many factors.

On one hand, we've enjoyed so much of our time creating HQ. We've had the chance to meet incredible and talented artists and designers who inspire us each day. We've thrown over 50 art openings, have helped new designers create their very first collections for our racks, and given our postcard printers contact info to more people than we can remember. We've seen our artists grow, flourish, have babies and move to new cities. Some of them even ended up moving here and buying duplexes with our friends and some of them ended up in our wedding party. Seeing the new and amazing things they’ve come up with has easily been the highlight of our job.


On the other hand, the day to day realities of running a store often overshadow the parts we love. As you all know, both of us also create our own work (clothing and art) so it's quite a juggling act balancing everything. Angie's line (Norwegian Wood) began in our 3rd year of running HQ, and with it's growth much of the brunt of the work at HQ has been laid on Tyson, giving him very little time to work on his art. So when the time came to think about moving vs. closing, the possibility of having time to develop our own work really appealed to us.

But.

We hated the idea of losing contact with the creative community and creating opportunities for new designers and artists.

Then came Smart Design Mart.

Although this was an idea we dreamed up along with our friends (Mike Giles, Marc Simard, Yana Gorbulsky and Elaine Ho) an exciting side effect we soon discovered was that this could be a way for us to continue to be part of the community and help it grow. We've been so encouraged by the success of the shows that we hope to continue expanding them to include more specialized shows throughout the year.

To celebrate the 5 years of HQ, we will be hosting our final art exhibition on Friday January 14th, 2011. It is a group show entitled "BFFs" featuring works by almost all of the artists we've worked with over the years. Many of these artists are from out of town and since all the art must be sent back once we close, this may be your last chance to see much of this art here in Montreal! Take advantage!

Since you are all indeed our Best Friends Forever, we hope to see you there!

And as of right now we have marked down stock from various designers. 20-25% off on all collections by Birds Of North America, Valerie Dumaine, Betina Lou, Josiane Perron, Lifetime Collective and Brixton. As well as deals on our books! Get them while you can!



xo
Tyson and Angie

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Sales and holiday hours

20% off on all Betina Lou pieces

20% off on all Birds Of North America pieces

20% off on all Josiane Perron pieces
 Well, we're still in the middle of the holiday season, so that means erratic hours and sales!!!

20-25 % off on all collections by:
Betina Lou
Valerie Dumaine
Josiane Perron
Birds Of North America
Lifetime Collective
Brixton
Also, look for sales on Top Shelf books!



Monday, Dec. 27 12-6pm
Tuesday, Dec. 28 12-6pm
Wednesday, Dec. 29 CLOSED
Thursday, Dec. 30 12-8pm
Friday, Dec. 31 12-5pm
Saturday, January 1 CLOSED
Sunday, January 2 CLOSED

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas

Some friends of mine had this when we were kids. I remember loving this issue because it was the first time I saw horror and Christmas mixed. It was like the joining of chocolate and peanut butter... soooo good!
 Well, I'll be closing up shop in less than an hour. If I don't see you before I lock up, Merry Christmas, etc. Go home, snuggle up with the family, pop in your copy of "Gremlins" and have an awesome Christmas.
Best Christmas movie of all time.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Holiday hours

Poodle plate $35

Monsterbet prints $5 each
Only 5 shopping days left until Christmas! In order to make your last days of shopping a little more enjoyable, feel free to come down to HQ, have a beer with me and finish up the last gifts on your list!


Top Shelf books $5-$50
Monster Pillows $20-$40

My dog Mary. $20,000 or best offer
See you soon!
 Monday, Dec 20 11-6pm
Tuesday, Dec. 21 11-6pm
Wednesday, Dec. 22 11-6pm
Thursday, Dec. 23 11-8pm
Friday, Dec 24 11-5pm
Saturday, Dec. 25 CLOSED
Sunday, Dec 26 CLOSED
Monday, Dec. 27 12-6pm
Tuesday, Dec. 28 12-6pm
Wednesday, Dec. 29 12-8pm
Thursday, Dec. 30 12-8pm
Friday, Dec. 31 12-5pm
Saturday, January 1 CLOSED
Sunday, January 2 CLOSED

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

5 best and worst Christmas gift ideas 2010 edition

Well, it's been a year since the last time I did a best/worst gift post and I'm happy to report that I did not receive any dud gifts in that time. I did however, give out piles of useless garbage to my friends and loved ones. Sorry guys, I wrote the post but failed to follow it's wisdom.


The 5 worst:


#5 Something you just learned to make

Yes, I know times are tough these days and if you cannot afford to buy gifts for people, we wont judge you. Well, some of us may judge you in secret. Shit, I'm judging you right now but that's beside the point. And that point is, nobody wants to be your crafting Guinea pig.  Sure, it's awesome if you have some kick ass skills at knitting or sewing but if you are just learning to do so and your scarf turns out be the craft equivalent of the Men's room at a Taco Bell, then nobody wants it!

 #4 Socks
 Yes, I know it's cliche. No kidding, socks are a bad present. I realize I'm stating the obvious here. But people still give them as gifts. Whats wrong with these people? Everyone knows it's a horrible present and yet, here we are. By giving someone a pair of socks as a gift, you are straight out saying to them that you think they are a boring and useless person with no personality. And that you wish they were put in a catapult and flung far away to an island made out of broken glass surrounded by an ocean of vinegar.

Oh, and that they are adopted and nobody loves them.


#3 Equipment for something you want to get into
 Oh boy. This is a doozy. Some people just do not have the confidence to try something new on their own. So, in order to take up a stupid or ridiculous hobby, they force someone else to join them by buying them expensive gear that no rational, normal person would ever buy themselves. So, on behalf of all the people who have no interest in juggling, unicycling, hang gliding or any other dumb hobby you have in mind, I say STOP! Return whatever it is that you bought and just go get them a pair of socks.

#2 Night Vision Goggles


 I know it may seem like an awesome idea but what kind of creep uses these? Instead of the goggles, just give them the inevitable restraining order instead.

 #1 Convenience store junk


 This is something you could get away with in High School. It's your friends birthday, so you go to 7-11 and buy $30 worth of candy. Pretty awesome when you're 17, pretty awful when you're 30. There has to be an easier way to give someone diarrhea, right?


 The 5 Best:


 #5 Miju/ Norwegian Wood colab
 Unisex and pretty original this is an awesome gift for anyone that's a hard person to buy for. The overall height of the medal is 3 1/2", the width at the widest point is 1 1/2" and goes for $30.

#4 Jewelry by Elaine Ho


 Again, I'm trying to stick with a unisex theme here and Elaine Ho's jewelry is always a crowd fave across the board. Creepy and cute designs, all hand made in her studio here in Montreal. Jewelry ranges from $65-$200

 #3 Monster pillows

 Does adding something I make in this list make me an asshole? Yes? Oh.... uhhh let's just pretend that I didn't make these monster pillows then. Are we cool now? Awesome. I love you. $20-$40.

 #2 Leather products by Broundoor

 Wallets, belts, purses, coin pouches and fanny packs all hand made of recycled leather. If you've ever been to any of the craft shows here in Montreal, you've seen Marc hammering away and new designs. Super tight skills and amazing craftsmanship make his work a popular item for gifts. $25-$100.

#1  Ceramics by Daphna Lewinschtein
 Really cool ceramic plates and sculptures by Daphna. One of those "I wish I had thought of that!" happens often when new people see her work. $20-$200.



 Oh and what a coincidence! I happen to have all of these things from the best list right here at HQ! Funny how things just work out.


Thursday, December 09, 2010

It's Probably Worth More Than That! 5 opens tonight!

Meeting Alien by Aya Kakeda. Watercolour, ink on paper $85.
 Tonight is the night! Our 5th annual exhibit of works priced at $100 or less. We hope to see you all here for a fun night of music, art, drinks and shopping.
Alien Abduction by Aya Kakeda. Watercolour, ink on paper $85.
 And remember, like every edition of "It's Probably Worth More Than That!", the art comes home with you at the time of purchase. You will be able to tuck it under the Christmas tree for your lucky friends or family and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done!
Mouse Girls With Mouse Babies by Aya Kakeda. Watercolour, ink on paper $85.

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

It's Probably Worth More Than That! 5


 Just a couple more days until the 5th edition of our annual group art exhibit of work priced at $100 or less. And just like every year, the artwork comes home with you at time of purchase, so it can be wrapped up and tucked under the tree for your favourite people on Christmas morning!


Phew!

I just finished hanging the show and I can't believe how much work we have! There is always something for everyone, so bring your friends!



Get here early, so you can have first pick of work from some of these amazing artists:

Aya Kakeda
James Kerr
Jen Storey
Rebecca Rae Nolette
Benjamin Deshaies
Mimi Trailette
Garrett Van Winkle
Sean William Dawson
Peru
Chris Dyer
Laura Berger
Ian Langohr
Tyson Bodnarchuk
Regimental Oneton
Myshel
Fred Casia
Elaine Ho
Dale Hayward
And many, many more.

See you soon!

HQ

Monday, December 06, 2010

Smart Design Mart day 3

 Phew! I have no idea why I got up at 6 am this morning but here I am, writing this semi coherent post.
 Thanks to every single designer and artist that participated in the event. It was a huge success and we couldn't be happier. Oh, and a huge thanks to Julia from La Raffinerie for all her translation work for the SDM website and vendor info. She really helped us out big time!
 Like I said, it's early and I'm exhausted, so no more text here... just pretty pictures.







 See you next year!

Sunday, December 05, 2010

Smart Design Mart Day 2

 Day 2 has wrapped up and turned out to be an amazing day! For those of you who need to start their Christmas shopping (like me), grab a few last items or just want to hang out in an amazing atmosphere, today is your last day.







 See you there!  p.s. thanks to Brenden Fletcher for taking all the photos!