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

Discovery Centre at Fort Wellington

On Saturday May 19th, my husband and I had the pleasure of attending the grand opening of the new Discovery Centre at Fort Wellington. About a year ago I worked on illustrations of Johnny and Sue, conservators that help tell the story to visitors of the history of the gunboat and how they have found evidence that this gunboat dates back to 1800s. These two characters are aimed towards children who come to the Centre and are supposed to be fun/friendly and help children be interactive with the display. It was a great freelance job and often when I work for Parks Canada the locations are far from home so I never see the final product. So this was a real treat! The illustrations were done in watercolors and merged with photography and text in photoshop by a Parks Canada designer. She was very clear as to want was needed, roughs were done first, then revised (if needed) then done in color. The whole job took a couple of weeks on my part. What was really wonderful was seeing the whole job come together, many different artist, were used to create this new Discovery Centre, all with different skills. And I'm happy to say that I was part of this project.

Entrance to gunboat display Johnny and Sue, conservators

Clue Panel

Clue Panel

Clue Panel

Poster outside exhibit, children can take their photo in uniforms

Ice Cream for sale

Prescott, Ontario, is home to Fort Wellington, built during the War of 1812 to defend the St. Lawrence River shipping route between Montreal and Kingston from possible attack by the United States. It also is the home for a new themed exhibit that will feature a preserved British gunboat hull. Preserved wreckage of an early 1800s British gunboat hull was discovered in the waters of Brown’s Bay, near Mallorytown Landing, in the 1960s. At just over 50 ft long, the remains of this gunboat are an important artefact from the War of 1812 period. The relocation of this gunboat provides a unique opportunity to engage visitors and help tell the story of the role that the British military played in the defence of Canada along the strategic St. Lawrence River during the early 1800s.

Gunboat

Gunboat

Handmade Harvest Show - Thank You

Every time we remember to say “thank you”, we experience nothing less than heaven on earth.  Sarah Ban Breathnach

 Yesterday, May 5th was our 2nd time participating in the Spring Handmade Harvest Show and it was another huge success.  Emily Arbour and Colleen Hewitt  put together a great show and are all about the details... People were lined up at the door at 8:00am and the show does not start until 10:00 am, and it was cold out! Everyone was lined up for the wonderful swag bags. All the vendors donate  5o items for these bags. It can be anything from earrings, magnets, soap samples, brooches, hair clips or discount couples, you name it and the more creative the better! These bags add up to more than $200.00 so they are worth the wait even if it is cold outside. Almonte is called the friendliest town in Ontario, this show has the nicest people shopping and volunteering. It is such a pleasure doing this show. The Hall is so bring and sunny with lots of room and space to wander and visit the vendors.

Vintage Tin Cuff Bracelet

SOLD OUT! Vintage Tin Cuff Bracelets

Crazy Fox display at Handmade Harvest Show

This year we had some new items that were a big hit and SOLD OUT!  Our vintage tin cuff bracelets and earrings were snapped up within a couple of hours. These one of a kind bracelets are unique and fashionable.  I will be making more for our etsy shop and our next show, Idle Hands in Ottawa, June 9th. 

Another sell out was our leather wrap bracelets, made from repurposed leather and vintage items. These wrap bracelets can also be worn as necklaces or anklets, three pieces of jewelry in one. Each one has hand stamping on them. "Once upon a time" "Dream Big" "Into the Woods" "Make a Wish" and each one tells a little story. I did not even get any close up photos of these. Once again, we will be making more of these for our etsy shop and next show.  

It is great for me to get out and do these shows. The feedback is wonderful and an important part of the creative process. My husband and I make it a rule to always have fun at these events. So thank you, Emily and Collen. Thank you, Almonte for being the friendliest people in in Ontario and maybe even all of Canada! And a BIG thank you, to everyone who purchased an item from Crazy Fox, you guys rock!!!!

With Grace

Grace comes into the soul, as the morning sun into the world; first a dawning, then a light; and at last the sun in his full and excellent brightness. Thomas Adams (1612-1653)  

Last summer the day after my birthday I lost my best friend Grace, a 15 year old boarder collie. She was my muse and my best friend and my constant companion. It took me weeks before I could tell the rest of my family and friends that she was gone, it felt like a part of me disappeared. We were lucky to have another dog, Boo also is a boarder collie. However, Boo was not the musing type and was very independent. My heart ached for another muse but I was not ready for another dog. I knew when I was ready one would show up. And luckily one did find his way to me and our family. Animatch an adoption site was having a "meet and great" at a popular antique market (Finnigans, in Hudson, Quebec). It was love at first sight and I have to say everyone was surprised with who choose us. He was not a boarder collie or a big dog which has always been my first love, but a small, feisty terrier. Wally is a Norfolk terrier and is a perfect muse. It has been a couple of months since we got Wally and my heart is full again, while I miss Grace everyday, I am so grateful for for the time I had with her. She is never very far from me and I think she would approve of Wally's attitude and most of all his ability for musing...

Wally musing...

Wally (who is never more than 2 feet away from me), making sure I do a good job

Wally helping with photography

Copper Cuff Bracelet - Chimera

Spring has Sprung!

Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night.  Rainer Maria Rilke

I've been really busy with my regular job which is a graphic designer and illustrator. I'm working on some interesting projects but, I can't wait to get back to Crazy Fox. We have a couple of shows coming up towards the end of spring and I need to get working on that! Crazy Fox makes my heart sing and I can't wait to get creating again!!!! The weather here in Eastern Ontario has been incredible. This is the warmest spring that I can remember ever having and we are breaking all kinds of records. Normally the temperature for spring is from 3 to 7C (41 degree F) and this past week we have been hitting 24 to 26C (78 degree F). This is our normal summer weather! Needless to say it is hard to get anything done when it is this nice outside. This weekend, I'm taking a break from my regular work, hopefully the weather will stay warm and I can get some new photos up on etsy. Have a GREAT weekend!

Lacing Cat - Spring 2011