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  • Art By the Lighthouse

    Our biggest, and *possibly* last show of the summer is this weekend, in Niagara-on-the-lake, at the Niagara Pumphouse ‘Art By the Lighthouse‘ event. We’ve been busy bees, preparing tons of pieces, particularly sterling silver, for this art show. If you’re in the area, or feel like taking a day trip for the long weekend, come say hi! I’ve looked at some of the other artists in the show and this promises to be a pretty amazing show full of very talented potters, painters, sculptors and, of course, jewellers :) Hope to see you there!

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  • Jazzing it up this Sunday!

    This weekend the Blue Brick will be at the TD Niagara Jazz Festival! This year the Jazz Festival has decided to include an Etsy Market as part of it’s celebrations, and we’re totally thrilled to be included on the list. We’re only there on Sunday, but the entire weekend sounds like a blast. Come by and say hello!

    Etsy Market at the TD Niagara Jazz Festival
    Sunday, July 26th at the Village Family Stage
    11am to 6pm
    THE VILLAGE STAGE is located at 111 Garrison Drive, Niagara on the Lake. Google Map.

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  • Alpacas at Eighth and Mud

    Alpacas at Eighth and Mud

    On Saturday, after the farmers market, Tito and I decided to pay a visit to Alpacas From Eighth and Mud, a farm that I’d learned about during the Frogpond Farm art show. We got to visit with John and Sharon (the owners), meet the herd, view their fibre mill and learn about their processes, and finally, purchase some spinning and knitting fibre, an excellent tour all round! Thank you John and Sharon for the tour, we’ll definitely come back!

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    My spoils included 100g of undyed white fibre, I'm dying half of it (more on that later) and leaving the other half natural.
    My spoils included 100g of undyed white fibre, I’m dying half of it (more on that later) and leaving the other half natural.
    This stuff drafts like butter! This is an effortless lace weight spin.
    This stuff drafts like butter! This is an effortless lace weight spin.

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    Check out that beard!
    Check out that beard!
    The store, where many, many lovely things are sold.
    The store, where many, many lovely things are sold.
    A spinning machine. I'd never seen one before, fascinating!
    A spinning machine. I’d never seen one before, fascinating!
    Making roving, and blending their own hand dyed colour.
    Making roving, and blending their own hand dyed colour.

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    Soooo soft.
    Soooo soft.
    The biggest carder I've ever seen.
    The biggest carder I’ve ever seen.

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    You can buy poop! Had to take a photo, lol.
    You can buy poop! Had to take a photo, lol.

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  • Awesome and Creepy

    Awesome and Creepy

    On the way back from Georgia last week we passed by this abandoned park, just off the 1-75 in Tennessee. I didn’t have anything but my phone camera handy, but you know I had to stop and check it out! There are 2 rusting ferris wheels, a huge model rocket, a clown sign, something called the ‘patriotic palace’ and probably a few other tidbits that I missed in my hasty tour. All of it is being reclaimed by nature and it’s literally right off the highway. A quick google search revealed nothing about the park, but it had a great, creepy vibe to it, especially on such a glum, rainy day.

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  • A New Experiment; Wooden Bezels

    A New Experiment; Wooden Bezels

    I am super excited about these. This was Tito’s idea for a new bezel design using bits of bark and driftwood that we found at the edge of Lake Ontario. The wood has been carved, cleaned and sealed, with copper elements built on to frame the wood and hold the resin. I think he’s brilliant, but then I’m biased ;)

    These beauties will make their debut this weekend at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Farmers Market, come check us out!

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  • Niagara-On-The-Lake Farmers Market, and a Bit of Tourism

    Niagara-On-The-Lake Farmers Market, and a Bit of Tourism

    This past Saturday Tito and I had a booth at the Niagara-on-the-Lake farmers market. We’re there again this Saturday, and that’s our last appearance at this particular market for the year, so come down and check us out if you’re in the area! The market also features amazing jams and jellies from Gryphon Ridge, organic wines from Frogpond Farm and a host of other deliciousness, including baked goods, a florist and locally grown produce, definitely worth a trip.

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    After the show, Kim treated us to a little driving tour of the area, it’s amazing (for a couple of road trippers) how much of it we had never seen.

    Before all the erosion brought it to it’s current spot; here is where Niagara Falls used to be:

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    This is a giant whirlpool on the Niagara River. I should have taken a panorama to get the entire thing in, it’s huge!

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    Of course, we got to spend some time at Kims with her critter collection. This is baby muddy foot:

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    And something amorous is going on in the background there…

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    Amazing lunch in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake proper at the Shaw Café followed. Isn’t this place beautiful?

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    And finally, back to the big city for some PanAm Games action. Love it!

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  • FO – Tut Tut, looks like rain

    FO – Tut Tut, looks like rain

    What’s a long road trip good for? Casting off a Henslowe, that’s what.

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    The yarn is from ‘See Jayne Knit’ and the colour way is called ‘Tut Tut, looks like rain’. I decided to take the FO pics yesterday because the day and the yarn were a perfect match.

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    Normally I’m not a fan of variegated yarn and lace patterns, but I don’t think this turned out too badly.

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    It’s a comfortable size, the yarn is super soft, and I’m sure it will get lots of wear this winter :)

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  • FO – Custom Fit Featherweight

    FO – Custom Fit Featherweight

    The Custom Fit Featherweight is off the needles, fits like a dream, and I’m totally in love.

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    Blocking
    Blocking
    Magic. Gets me every time.
    Magic. Gets me every time.

    As soon as I really came to terms with having to seam it all up, I briefly panicked.

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    Luckily Amy Herzog has a number of fantastic tutorials on her blog that made it super easy. I got better as I went along, much faster than I expected to. Before I knew it, it was done.

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    Tito and I are currently road tripping through the US. Tennessee is stunning so I thought, ‘what better place for FO shots?’.

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    We even got photos with some super friendly State Troopers :)

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  • The Traditional Canada Day Trip

    Things to consider on a trip (in order of importance)

    10. Clothes (you don’t realize that you’re down to only 10 pairs of underwear until you have to pack for a 10 day trip).

    9. Toiletries etc. (depending on whether you’re driving or flying, and whether you’re going to a place that has access to a convenience store, this can take the place of item 10).

    8. Maps. This is always a good idea, right?

    7. Extra yarn (don’t want to run out).

    6. Did I mention extra needles, notions and a spare pattern or two?

    5. Enough active projects to occupy you. I need several. Your mileage may vary.

    4. I guess I should mention food here… But see item 9.

    3. Did I mention yarn?

    2. Yarn.

    1. Space in your bags for buying yarn.  

  • A new experiment

    A new experiment

    In the spirit of taking our jewellery/nature fusion one step farther, Tito has designed these beautiful bezels using copper and small pieces of bark and driftwood. Can’t wait to add flowers and resin and see the overall composition!