Finnegan's Flea Market and Animatch

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. Josh Billings

I always say I'm going to go to Finnegan's Flea market once a month in the summer and it never seems to happen. However this last Saturday, we finally got to Finnegan's for the first time this year. Finnegan's is such a beautiful spot located in Hudson, Quebec. You can spend endless hours visiting all the booths hunting for treasures. This time I did not find too many items, a couple of old tins, which will soon be turned into bracelets, some keys (as seen below), some vintage jewelry (normally I find more, but it is the end of the season) and some really cool vintage medicine bottles, which will be great for backgrounds in photographs. All in all it was a great day, however the real reason I wanted to go was to say Thank You to Animatch. We met Wally, our Norfolk terrier last year at Finnegan's at a "Meet and Greet". Once a month, Animatch brings 3 to 4 dogs to Finnegan's so people can meet these amazing dogs. Each dog has their own story. Animatch finds "forever homes" for every dog that comes through their doors, however long it takes and they do a great job! So thank you to Animatch, my life is so much richer with Wally in it!

Finnegan’s market is open Saturdays from the first Saturday in May to the last Saturday in October. Located at 775 Main Road, Hudson (Trans Canada Highway exit 22) east of Montee Lavigne (Trans Canada Highway exit 17). 

Tapestry Dreams

Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by.  Life is like that - one stitch at a time taken patiently and the pattern will come out all right like the embroidery.  Oliver Wendell Holmes

When I find a piece of beautiful embroidery it brings me back to my childhood, when I would sew daisy chains with my mother. I would sit for hours trying to get the stitches perfect. My mother had so much patience with me and I'm sure when I went to bed at night Mom would fix my work because every morning my work looked better than the evening before... Over the years all the pieces I had embroidered have disappeared, but my love for the art never has. I often wander flea markets in search of "Tapestry Dreams". I look for table cloths and runners with stains and holes and come home with these treasures and turn them into repurposed items like bracelets, purses, pillows, lamp shades and more. Endless hours have been spent embroidering these pieces and I think it is really nice to honor their beauty and their story. Try some of these ideas yourself, maybe you have a piece of embroidery from your Grandmother waiting to be transformed into a unique one of a kind item!

 And check out some great ideas on my Tapestry Dreams pinterest board

Crazy Fox Bracelets

An amazing moth made with vintage embroidery

Custom initial jewelry with repurposed items

A mother's heart is a patchwork of love.  Author Unknown

I love working with my customers to create unique one of a kind pieces for them.... I worked with Kim to create this wrap charm bracelet with the initials of her three girls. Forever "K" initial wrap bracelet is made from vintage, repurposed and found items. Four letter "K" initials to represent Kim and her three daughters all with the same first letter to their names. An antique typewriter key K, vintage cuff link K, a script K and hand-stamped K create this one of a kind bracelet. "Forever" and "XOXO" is hand stamped into copper and represents Kim's love for her children. This bracelet wraps around the wrist twice and has its own unique story. Copper, brass, metal, pewter, glass repurposed vintage beads, hearts and more. This bracelet can also be worn as a necklace. Two pieces of jewelry in one! and it was a joy to create this for Kim and her girls...

If anyone would like a custom piece please drop me a line and we can talk about your own original piece of jewelry. The bracelet can represent your children or grandchildren or any of your loved ones. A new take on the traditional charm bracelets. Maybe you have a piece of jewelry from your Grandmother or Mother that could be incorporated, a broken necklace or rhinestone brooch. Or maybe a quote that means something to you, "Forever", "Lovely Girls", "With Love"... I made myself a wrap bracelet with the words "With Grace" after my sweet dog Gracie who, passed away last year. I like my pieces to tell a story, a story of love, hope and happiness.

Created for Kim and her girls

Made from copper, brass, metal, pewter, glass repurposed vintage beads, hearts and more.

Peculiar Children

Believe in love. Believe in magic. Believe in others. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. If you don't, who will? Jon Bon Jovi

I was so inspired by the book "Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children", that I went searching for my own peculiar photos and created unique, magical pieces of jewelry. The novel is centered around vintage black and white photographs that Ransom Riggs actually found in private collections. These early photographs used tricks in order to create optical illusions - levitating girls, a double reflection in a lake, anthropomorphic...  In the book Riggs asks the question, “What if these weren’t optical illusions at all?  What would the stories behind them be?” I found that to be so interesting and magical, what if the Snake Charmer actually could hypnotize snakes by whispering sweet songs to them. What if Chicken Boy was a chain smoker and his pet chicken could talk... And what if Twins cat girls were really half cat - half human... The imagination is a wonderful thing and I choose to believe.

Peculiar Children Necklaces/Brooches

This book is just that, peculiar. It's also one of the best stories I've read all year. Combining a fantastical, creepy plot with actual vintage photographs that he's integrated into the text, Riggs' dark tale should appeal to a wide range of readers. Teen Jacob Portman thinks his grandfather's implausible stories about his stay at a children's home on a remote Welsh island were just stories, but when he travels to the island with his father, he finds that there was much more to his grandfather's life story than he could have ever guessed. This was a very suspenseful, intriguing tale of unusual friendship and I loved it! Pick it up this summer and enjoy the magic. And rumor has it that Tim Burton has signed on to direct the movie adaptation! I think it would be a perfect fit for him, and I can easily picture Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Peregrine. Hmmm, but who would Johnny Depp be? Jacob’s dad?

Twins

Chicken Boy

Snake Charmer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vintage Tins

One person's trash and another person's Treasure...

As you know I love anything old and found. These treasures to me hold a story of yesterday and a simpler time of life. So, I'm always on the hunt for new material to create something unique and wonderful. We just started to create jewelry out of vintage tins and the older the better. I love the rusty faded tins. I search old barns, attics, damp basements, flea markets and garage sales in search of these treasures. My husband hand cuts the tin, then grinds, then files and sand the all edges then seals the tin for added protection. I add on the pretty decorative pieces that turn them into bracelets, earrings, rings and necklaces. All these tin pieces are made from repurposed vintage tins and have beautiful aged patina to them and that is what makes them so different! They are not perfect but each one does have a story. Tins were one of the earliest marketing forms of advertising anywhere from biscuits, candy, coffee, cigarettes, condiments, gasoline, medicinal items, motor oil, tea, tobacco, etc. The initial attraction of these tins is the advertising, colorful graphics and lithographs. Our new jewelry are great conversation pieces that have a touch of old world charm.

Vintage Tins, that will be turned into jewelry

Vintage Tin Bracelet - Talcum Powder Tin - SOLD

Vintage Tin Bracelet - Mr Peanut Tin - Cocktail Party $26.00

Vintage Tin Earring - Biscuit Tin - Faded Blooms $8.00

Williamstown Parade

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. Abraham Lincoln

Williamstown had a parade! The parade was to celebrate the Bicentennial of the Williamstown Fair which has been serving South Glengarry community since 1812. The fair grounds are nestled in the quaint village of Williamstown surrounded by beautiful large pines and is right across the road from our house.  The Fair has maintained it’s country charm and throughout the years continues to be a local hub with it’s roots deeply committed to rural life.

The whole village came out to support and watch the parade go by. The theme of the parade was 1812 and the floats were decorated with period pieces and costumes. The parade started and ended with pipers, which in this community, rich in Scottish traditions is a must! As the pipers walked around the bend in the road towards the village I got a lump in my throat and as the second float approached I started to cry (I know crazy!). The second float belonged to good friends of ours, who have been farming in this area for years. The little house on the float was used in another Williamstown parade. Jennifer Vogel was just one years old when she sat on her mother’s (Cyndy) lap in 1984 and rode along the streets of Williamstown. Now, Jen had her two daughters (Margaret and Morgan), along with her brothers and cousins on the float with her. I can only imagine how my friends felt watching as their children and grand-children passed by, 4-generations of farming, still going strong. 

Today, on Canada’s Day there are more events planned for the Bicentennial, a family picnic, games and maybe we will get lucky and have some fireworks tonight. I am so proud to be part of this village, where history, family and friends create this wonderful community. Happy Canada Day everyone!

Margaret peeking out from the window

Vogel family - Carry-On Farms

Jennifer and her daughters - floats, pipers and history

Vogel family - Carry-On Farms won best float

Refreshed Studio

Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work... Ralph Marston
I finally have finished my huge cleanup and painting my design studio!  Our house dates back to 1900, over the years renovations have been done but overall the rooms are small. I use two small rooms in our home as studios, one for my design and illustration work, the other for my Crazy Fox jewelry. I'm in this 10 x 13 studio day and night and while it looked great before it was time for a change. The walls went from a pale robin's egg blue to Behr "Celery Ice". I love the new color, it is very refreshing and cool and looks green or yellow depending on the time of day. My cupboard (which you cannot see in these photos) has book shelves and two filing cabinets in it and was filled with tissue drawings, proofs, samples, books and more - almost everything was recycled, it was time to let go and renew. Of course I picked the hottest day of the year to paint with the temperature over 39 degrees C, but now as I sit in my clean studio it is all worth the mess and heat. Next week I start the jewelry studio, which is a bigger mess! One day I hope to have one large studio until then I'll be happy in my refreshed studios!

Refreshed Studio, with Wally, supervising

before and after