Centre piece - mini wheelbarrow

The wheelbarrow- Centre piece is now completed and posted on my Etsy shop. It came out quite well. It can serve as a centre-piece for all seasons. The dried flower arrangement could be used with it at any time of the year.

The photograh here shows the underside of the barrow. The axels are made from cedar. It smells lovely

The front of the barrow is finished with wooden beads of various shades of brown ro complement the weavers of flat and round cane that are brown too.

The tomatoes, green pepper, and zuccini are from my garden, freshly picked.

Mini Wheelbarrow: under construction.

After many delays and a couple of prototypes, the mini-wheelbarrow centre-piece is under construction, ready for Halloween.

In the photograph you can see the wheelbarrow weighted down and clamped so the 1/8th plywood will be properly glued to the 1/4" base. This 1/8th layer hides the screws that tie the axells to the wheelbarrow body.

The wheelbarrows in the background are the prototypes that do not meet the standards I expect. I hope to finish the wheeelbarrow tomorrow with its basket edging, and then post it on my Etsy site.

A Transformational Day

During the "Storm of the Century" the transformer in our next-door neighbours back yard was flooded and we were without power for 22 hours. Today, Ottawa Hydro came to replace that transformer and place the new one on a plinth so it would not be subject to flooding.

The day began at 8 00 am with the arrival of a huge crane and other equipment.

The Crane telescoped out ready to lift the old transformer from that backyard, over our ajoined houses and onto the street.




The business began with the old transformer being lifted up.









It cleared the trees in the back yards.








Then it was swung over the houses.









Next a Bob Cat and other equipment was hoisted over the houses.









To land in Barbara's back yard.









The concrete plinth was next to be swung over.








Then came the new transformer.











A job well done, with power restored at 5 35 pm.

Capital Crafters Sale: 15% of at my Etsy shop

As one of the participants in the Capital Crafters Back-to-School Sale, I am offering 15% off any and all items in my shop via a PayPal refund. What this means is the for a $49.00 Rib Basket, a $7.35 refund would be made, with a net price before shipping of $41.65. For a Sewing Basket at $65.00 the net price before shipping would be $55.25 with a refund of $9.75. For the Cruet set from my vintage collection, the price of $449.00 would be reduced to a net of $381.65 before shipping with a refund of $67.35.

This offer is valid until midnight on August 31st. Act now to save.

Capital Crafters Back to School Sale.

20% off sock monkeys and 10% off other items at BabyBundleBoutique

10% off and Free Shipping at RadicallyRiley


20% off all items in the Dame's Yarn Fun Emporium

15% off all items in Wendance Designs


15% off all items in John Toft Basketry


20% off all items in Handmade Fun by a Dame Named Redd


20% off all items in Little Studio Photography and Jewellery


There are more shops joining in each day, check back often to get updates!

LoveTaryn: a talented Etsian.

One of the joys of Etsy is "meeting" many other talented Etsians on line and in chat groups. Recently I came across the beautiful work of Taryn Law in an Etsy chat group. I was so impressed that I asked Taryn to become a featured artist on this blog. As you will see she agreed.

Taryn writes:

My name is Taryn Law. I grew up right outside Chattanooga, Tennessee in a little town called Oolteweh. I moved to South Carolina in 1989 and currently reside in the lovely city of Aiken. I just started going back to school full-time. I am a Communications major with a track in Public relations. I love this field for it embraces my creativity and encourages me to use it to the best of my abilities. I enjoy doing anything that requires me to use my hands. I even find it more enjoyable when I can walk away from a project with a bit of paint, glue and sawdust on my clothes.

In February of this year, I was laid off from my job due to the economic crisis. As crazy as it might sound, it's the BEST thing that's ever happened to me! The job was far from rewarding and required all my time and energy. I never had time for myself or to work on the things I loved most. The day after I became unemployed I got down to working on my Etsy shop! I have always been a huge fan of Etsy but only recntly began selling my basket purses here. (The photographs that accomany this blog show three examples of Taryn's basket purses.) So far I have enjoyed every minute of it! I have met so many wondeful artists and have received so much support and encouraging feedback from so many talented folks.

The idea of the basket purses began a little over a year ago. I am a HUGE fan of the folk artist, Enid Collins. I always loved the basket purses of CaroNan. I collect Enid Collins handbags and had a ton of extra original jewels that I had acquired over the years and decided to make an Enid Collins inspired purse for myself. (See Karen's blog at http://lovetaryn.blogspot.com for her blog 2009/07.) It turned out great! The response was out of this world, and I immediately knew that making these purses was my calling. It was a bit of a merger of the two artists that I so adore. I would certianly never compare my work to theirs, but they have been such a powerful influence on me.


I thought it would be fun to launch character-inspired handbags for the first set of my product line. Each of these characters holds a special place in my heart, one way or the other, and I wanted to pass it along for others to enjoy! (Dorothy's Red Shoes are perhaps an example from this line.) I just launched my collegiate collection and have many more designs coming soon. (See the other two posted examples.) I have so much fun making these handbags for I get to use power tools, sew, paint and you name it. So much is incorporated into the creative process and it is so rewarding to see each of my basket purses come to life.


My creations and my Etsy shop are very special to me. They raised my spirits when I was going through a difficult time of trying to figure things out. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to share my creations with others and offer them one-of-a-kind hand bags that are truly made with LOVE by Taryn."

Statistics and ready for the mail

In an average month, my Etsy shop receives "visits" from around 1000 people. This is according to Google Analytics. Yesterday, after the publication of the Storque article, my shop received 553 visitors. And this was from 1 00 pm to midnight!

64 visitors to Storque left very favourable comments on the article too, while another 45 or so "hearted" my shop (i.e. declared it to be a favourite of theirs.) And, I received four new orders for baskets.

Earlier in this month I sold two baskets and found out exactly how much it costs to mail them to customers. Up to that time I had raised my prices a little and offered "Free Shipping" in Canada and the US. This was fine for vintage coins and trays I could pack flat. However, it was not fine for bulky baskets. A rib basket, measuring around 15" in all directions cost over $25.00 to mail. So last week I spent a full morning adding shipping costs to my store to recoup at least some of these mailing costs in future sales. I added notional amounts for shipping of $5, $10, $15 and $20 depending on the size and value of the basket or other items.

The vintage cat basket above was one of the baskets sold following the publication of the Storque article. It was listed with that nominal shipping cost of $20.00. The buyer is from California and I estimate the 24"by18"by18" mailing box shipping cost will be around $60.00. It will still bring in more revenue than costs, but another revision of prices is in the works.

Check out "Storque" at Etsy

Today, at 1 00 pm Eastern Time, the Storque online magazine of Etsy published an article I wrote about the challenges of retirement. You can view this report by going to my Etsy shop (click on one of my images adjacent to this blog). From there click on "Community" and then "The Storque."

Read and enjoy.

The complete book of Basketry Techniques

The complete book of Basketry Techniques is another book I would recommend to serious basket makers. As you can see from the page devoted to the weave called the Three-rod Wale, the instructions are very clear and understandable.

Chapters are as follows:

1. Materials

2. Workshop, tools and equipment

3. Structures

4. Basics and special techniques

5. Bases and staking up

6. Weaves

7. Borders

8. Handles

9. Lids, fastenings and fittings

10. Programme of work

11. Designing

It is a complete book. Its "Programme of Work" chapter has patterns for twenty-two baskets of increasing complexity. Anyone who masters all twenty-two baskets in this programme can properly be called an expert. I have mastererd perhaps half of them.

The Complete Book of Basketry Techniques is written by Sue Gabriel and Sally Goymer, published by David and Charles, with the paper back edition dated as 1999, and running to 176 pages. It is a worthwhile addition to your basketry library.

Ready for the Food Bank

An hour's work in my vegetable garden resulted in a good selection for the Kanata Food Bank. The first of the zuccini are ready as are the first real crop of tomatoes. The beans are almost done, so these may be the last I take.

Wednesday mornings are when the Kanata Food Bank receives donations. My first visit this year will be today but it will not be the last. Both the zuccini and tomatoes look like there will be bumper crops to share.

Back on track.

After the floods of July 24th, their aftermath, two-two-day sessions of having the upstairs parquest floor refinished and two bouts of stomach flu, I can now begin to get back on track with my Etsy shop and with life in general.

Today I posted these limited edition sketches we bought when we lived in Red Lake in the 1980s. The sketches are by a person named P. Spuzak. A search of the internet finds a Peter Spuzak from Rainy River, not too far from Red Lake in NW Ontario distance terms. (Only a five to six hour drive.)

The internet describes Mr. Spuzak as an artist, beef farmer and Township Councillor. But I could find no more information about his art.

I tried to contact the Art Gallery from which I bought the sketches (Omega Graphics in Red Lake). It is no longer in operation according to one of my friends who still lives there. So, the prices are guestimates of the value of these prints.

Bread for the table

Last week, the Minister at Glen Cairn United Church, my home church, asked if I could supply the church with a selection of my baskets for the communion table that coming Sunday. For Communion that day she planned to have a large selection of breads available and on display. People could then select the bread they desired, break a piece off, and then dip the selected bread in the Communion wine. Of course I agreed.

I selected around eight of my baskets as appropriate. Rev. Kathy Petrie, the Minister, then dropped by with a large selection of breads. All baskets would be needed.

I am told the display on the Communion Table was outstanding. (No photos were taken.) And after the service, people took the remaining loaves and rolls and crackers home to continue their feast. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend and see it since I had a horrible bout of stomach flu that caused me to lose eight pounds in twenty-four hours.

I have heard good comments about my baskets, and have received one order for a hearth basket from a fellow church member. And I have been asked to make a cornucopia for the Thanksgiving Service too.

Flood damage in my basketry storage area.

Just over two weeks after our basement flooded during that third "storm of the century" in thirteen years, we were able to get to the basement to start to check on items for damage. The "tear out" of the damged flooring and two feet of the wall is 99% complete, so we can now move things around and look at the damage not visible before.

The large yellow containers are sona tubes for pouring concrete forms that I used to store my cane and willow in. The water damaged these, so I have replaced them with large plastic garbage pails. The white willow shown here was stored vertically in these open-ended tubes and thus sat in water. Mould is evident at their tips, so off they go. The cane stored in these containers shows no sign of mould, fortunately.

The large Ali Baba basket shown below sat in the storage room. Its base shows signs of mould too, and so it must go.

On Sunday, one more person from the City came to document the damages. Since my basket supplies are classed as business items, they are not covered by our domestic insurance. This last person suggested I put in a claim to the City for the replacment cost of the business supplies I have lost.

(We have also appled to the City for a 100% grant to put in a sewer back-up valve.)

Eavesdropping, conversations and recollections

On Wednesday of last week, Anne and I had lunch at a restuarant in the ByWard Market area of Ottawa. We were entertained by the conversation from a group of four business men at an adjacent table. Their conversation centered around "greening" in the construction industry, particularly with respect to gypsum board (wall board). Apparently, in normal construction there is between five and ten percent wastage of this product. And this all goes directly to landfill sites. In Montreal, a pilot project has diverted this waste board to a comany that reprocesses the waste so it can be re-used. Transportation costs makes this Montreal site too costly as a destination for Ottawa's gypsum board, but a similar plant could be developed here.

This overheard conversation brought to mind another overheard conversation from the 1980s. This remembered was not entertaining.

At that time Anne and I were members of an Ontario Task Force on Services to People with Autism in Northern Ontario. One evening, after the day's sessions were over, we went out for supper on Toronto's Yonge Street. We chose a Chinese restuarant. As we sat down, another couple sat at a table behind us. This couple was composed of an elderly man and a young women in her twenties.

Their conversation was revealing, aweful and distressing. The elderly man, the young woman's uncle, was a survivor from one of the concentration camps of the Nazis during World War 11. His story was not about his surviaval but was about all his relatives, relatives of his niece, that had not survived these camps. The list went on and on. Ours was a very quiet meal that night.

It brought to mind another encounter I had with people who lived through such atrocities.

The attached photograph is of St. Edward's Mental Hospital, Cheddleton, Near Leek, Staffordshire in England. It was on the two-farm estate of this hospital that I was raised for my father worked as a baker there. During soccer season, one of the patients at the hospital arranged the hire of a bus to take patients, staff and staffer's children to see English League Soccer at the nearby city of Stoke-on-Trent. ( Stoke City and Port Vale were the league members). This patient also arranged dances for the patients and other activities.

I asked my father why this man was a patient at an insane asylum. The answer: "He was an inmate at one of the concentration camps during the war. It was his job to unload the gas ovens and bury or burn the bodies. The hospital was a safe place for him to live and hide from society."

After Anne and I left the Byward Market restuarant, we visited friends where the Down Syndrome son of the husband married the Down Syndrome sister of the wife. The son, Mark, was diagnosed with leukemia about 14 months ago. After a period of remission, the leukemia has returned and Mark has little time left to live.

During the remission period, our friends and the Down Syndrome couple went to Hungary, the country of origin of one side of the family. It was not a good visit, not because of the illness. The family found that fascism was rampant and growing there. "Others", people who were different, were not welcome. Remember that those murdered in the concentration camps, while primarily Jews, included people with developmental disabilities, gypsies and homosexuals.

History seems to be repeating itself once more.

Wicked weaves

On our last visit to the local public library, Anne selected the book, "Wicked Weaves" as one I might find interesting. For relaxation we both read mystery novels. As you can see, the title and the cover photograph of the book infer that this mystery is set around basket-making.

The story is set in the Carolinas, in Myrtle Beah, a favourite haunt of many Canadians, particularly those who golf. We spent two weeks in Myrtle Beach a couple of years ago and enjoyed it very much even with the latter part of the second week coinciding with biker week.

The story centres around the local basket-making there at a Renaissnce Fair big business resort featuring jousting, renaissence crafts, castles and kings and queens. When we were in the area we did not go to such a site, but we did check out the local basket-makers. The coiled baskets, as shown in the photo are made from braided sweet grass, pine needles and palm leaves. A very different basket-making craft than mine.

The novel has not grabbed me as yet, but details follow if you wish to obtain it:

Wicked Weaves, by Joyce and Jim Laverne, published by Berkley of New York, September 2008.