Crafty Shop Stop: Blim

Credit: Emily Bee ? Follow The White Rabbit

Blim in Chinatown Vancouver

Our seventh stop on the Crafty Shop Stop tour takes us to Blim, an eclectic space that serves as a shop, gallery, workshop and venue—now in its new location in Vancouver’s Chinatown

We pull up a chair with Blim owner/curator/artist/mother/teacher Yuriko Iga and ask her the same three Crafty Shop Stop questions we always ask.

DIY Vancouver: Describe your business.

Yuriko Iga: Blim is an independent, family-run art and craft facility located in the heart of Vancouver’s historic Chinatown. Our aim is to help build community through the spirit of fun and creativity, making the arts and crafts accessible to a wide range of skill sets and aims.

Established in 2003, we’ve helped bring together countless creators with workshops, screenings or other events for everything from screen-printing and button-making or knitting, to audio, film, animation, dance and spoken word. We’ve done so with a service and integrity-driver business model, that thrives solely on sales and community support, without government funding.

^{The BLIM shop in Chinatown.}

What can we find in your space?

The new facility is part studio, retail, gallery and venue space. The retail shop carries local made street fashion, hand printed t-shirts, cards, merchandise, books, screenprint supplies, vintage, deadstock, zines, buttons, blanks supplies and more.

If you have ever visited the old Blim location just off of Main Street, you will notice that the new space has a private studio option, a new music studio option, a new mezzanine gallery, a larger retail area and a larger workshop space.

[Friday, September 24, 2010, Blim hosts local band Watermelon as part of Olio Festival.]

What are your 3 favourite handmade items in your retail shop?

Blim’s signature crazy leggings, Sonja Ahler‘s new book and Lisa Cinar cards!

Blim owner Yuriko Iga lists this horsey painting card from Lisa Cinar
as one of her fave handmade items in the shop.