Wednesday 20 November 2013

Hardwood Hanging Ornaments

This week has been busy with custom orders and trying to replenish stock after a few good sales the past couple of weeks. As a result, pictures are often not the top priority. The high cost of delivering quality wooden products to my customers is often long days followed by long nights; laying out, cutting, sanding, staining, finishing....it all adds up to be more time consuming than many recognize. 

This is the process for making things out of pine. Pine cuts well, sands well, stains fairly well and is of course, affordable. Comparing the cost of pine to any hardwood instantly reveals a wide price margin, so dealing with pine lets me keep my costs down. However, it tends to be a bit bland at times, so stain or paint is necessary to bring a bit of vibrancy to my work, but this takes time. 

Oddly enough, this makes tonight's items relatively simple to make...



I started making these 3D ornaments a few months ago and have had a difficult time keeping them in stock ever since. The comment I get the most is "Those must take a lot of time..." but actually they take less time than many other ornaments because they aren't stained. 

The ornaments pictured above are a small selection of the 3D or compound ornaments I have cut. Those pictured are cut from solid walnut, cherry and maple, but by the weekend I hope (not that important little word) to have a selection including beech, hickory and african mahogany. 

The reason these don't take a ton of time (can you measure time in tons? Figure of speech I guess...) is that they are cut from solid hardwoods and then given a quick touch up with a needle file and then hand rubbed with an oil finish. Just enough to bring out the colour of the wood. 

If you're wondering, these are designed as hanging ornaments but can be used as earrings, necklaces or other adornments as determined appropriate by the owner. 

Christmas Orders:
Custom orders continue to come in. Please be mindful that if you have an idea for a Christmas present now is the time to get it in. We are past halfway through November already and if you wait too long I cannot guarantee that orders can be completed before Christmas. Consultations through email, phone or in person are available. 

Monday 18 November 2013

Craft Sale Update:

So it's been over a week since my last post. Something about well laid plans of mice and men comes to mind...but I really do have good intentions of posting more stuff. Hopefully I can catch up on that a bit later in the week. But for now...

First off: I would like to thank the staff and volunteers at Quinte Christian High School for throwing an excellent Marketplace Sale this past weekend. If you're in the Belleville area and missed it you have my apologies. I had intended to blog it last week but, well, last week got ahead of my a bit it seems.

One thing, among several, that really set this sale apart from a vendor's perspective was their attitude of helpfulness towards their vendors. One great example of this was their "hosts" and "hostesses" who were on hand throughout the sale to run minor errands or mind your booth while you "looked after business elsewhere" so to speak. Need a coffee? Flag down a host and ask them to get you one. Need a potty break? Flag down a host and ask them to watch your booth. They'll tell you that's what they're there for. As someone who typically mans a table by himself, this is a very appreciated service to openly offer.

Overall the sale was great. More than 50 vendors (not sure how many exactly) and an excellent turnout made this a great sale from the view of vendor and customer alike. I will be crazy busy this week in the shop trying to finish custom orders and replace my much-diminished stock for...

Two sales this weekend!
I will be in two places on Saturday; or rather, my stuff will be in two places on Saturday.

There will be a Mama Market at 301 MacDonald Ave. in Belleville running both Saturday and Sunday. A wide variety of vendors will be represented, but not in person. The idea of the Mama Market is that vendors leave their goods which are sold by the people running the market. I'm still not positive exactly what goods I'll have there for the weekend, but expect a full compliment of toys, since this was the reason I was invited to come. Hopefully I can have a good selection of cars, trucks, helicopters, trains (if I can get to them) stand up puzzles, tray puzzles, pull toys, toddler toys, marble machines and more available.

At the same time, I will be at the Community Resource Centre in Campbellford on Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. I can't give you any more details than that, other than it would seem to be a worthwhile cause to support. So come on out and support some local vendors who are supporting a local charity. As usual I will be accepting custom orders and providing consultations to potential clients as well as selling my usual (and unusual) wares.

Finally, a correction (or rather an update) on the previously announced schedule. I will not be at Crestwood Secondary School in Peterborough on the 30th of November as previously announced, but will instead be at the Batawa Community Development Centre for their annual Craft Fusion sale. I am told this is always a not-to-be-missed sale and that there is a healthy compliment of vendors to be on hand.

For Madoc/Marmora/Centre Hastings area readers, I will be making a special announcement later on this week regarding a sale in Madoc at a very convenient venue. Watch for that later this week.

Also, I have an opening on December 15th, so if anyone has a suggestion, please message me at mapleridgecreations@gmail.com. I would love to get into a cozy little venue somewhere fairly local if possible, but we'll see what comes.

Friday 8 November 2013

Wooden Teether Toys

Any parent of small children knows the pain endured when that child begins to get teeth. No, no...not their pain. Yours. The sleepless nights, the considerations of what stronger medications are available, and of course the emotional anguish of hearing those poor, desperate wailings echo throughout the house. Most parents would do anything possible to ease the pain our children go through, but at the same time there are considerations of over medicating, side effects, what chemicals are used in teething rings, and so on.




More and more, parents are turning to natural remedies for teething children. Maple Ridge Creations is pleased to now provide one of those solutions: all natural wooden teether toys.



These toys are designed for small hands and small mouths. They are made from durable beech, which is both hard and durable. Each toy is given a thorough sanding to smooth the faces and gently round the edges to protect both baby's skin from hard, sharp corners and soft gums from being cut on those corners.



We have five designs which have already been made and several more on the way. Shown at top are the crown, football helmet, gingerbread man, soccer shoe and lady's shoe. Designs on the way include a puppy, kitten and ducky.



Options are available for both boys and girls. The lady's shoe and crown are perfect for the little princess, while the football helmet and soccer shoe are great for the little athlete to be. The other designs are neutral.



Custom orders and designs are available. Call or email and tell us what you'd like and we'll make it for you. Personalization is available as well, just ask for options.

A quick reminder of where I'll be this weekend: Saturday I'll be at the Parkdale Community Centre at 119 Birch Street, Belleville for the Nova Children's Centre Craft sale. It will be on from 9am to 3pm.
Sunday I'll be at the Omni Learning Centre from 10am to 4pm for their annual craft sale. The address is 350 Dundas West, Belleville.

That's all for now.

Wednesday 6 November 2013

Rocking Triceratops Ride On Toy

Ride on toys have always been popular, and with the Christmas season fast approaching, they certainly make an excellent choice for toddlers and small children. I've been wanting to get around to some for a while now, but what to make? What style to follow? Maple Ridge Creations doesn't always go a different path from what's been done before, but as far as I know, this is perfectly unique. 


Based on the same design as our triceratops pull toy and puzzle, this is a very solid and sturdy ride on toy. Constructed from 1 1/2" spruce, the main body consists of a center section which includes the head and central horn, with additional body pieces and head pieces with side horns on each side. The legs are additional parts as well, with the tail being part of the main central piece. Trust me, this thing is solid and not coming apart any time soon.


The handle is designed to resemble reins and is constructed from 1" x 1 1/2" spruce with 3/4" dowel for the handle itself. The entire toy has been left unstained, unpainted and unfinished, but those are all available as options for extra fees.


Durable, attractive and child approved, my children have played with it a bit while it's been under construction and have enjoyed it tremendously. More designs are sure to follow. Email me with suggestions for new ride on toys or with ideas for names (no...we're not calling this one "Sarah").


I recommend this as a pick up order (and shudder at what the shipping would be). See my previous post to see where I'll be over the next month or email me to arrange a visit at the shop. 

Like this, +1 it, share it and keep sending in those custom orders!

Tuesday 5 November 2013

Where to find me in November

Well, it's been a few days since my last post. Things are plenty busy around the shop now that Christmas and holiday craft and gift sales are in full swing. Of course, whatever time isn't spent in the shop or vendoring is happily spent with my beautiful bride and three children (my toy testers).

I'll try to link some new products later on in the week, but what i wanted to do tonight was just to give  a quick overview of where I'll be selling from now until Christmas (almost). Of course custom orders can always be made through the phone or email and pick up from the shop (my house) is always available.

November:
9th - Nova Children's Centre Craft Sale: Being held at the Parkdale Community Centre at 119 Birch St. Belleville from 9:00am to 3:30pm.

10th - Omni Holiday Gift and Craft Sale: being held at the Omni Learning Centre at 350 Dundas St. West, Belleville from 10am to 4pm.

15th - Quinte Christian High School Marketplace: Being held at Quinte Christian High School (QCHS) at 138 Wallbridge-Loyalist Road from 4pm to 9pm.

16th - QCHS Marketplace again: This time from 9am to 3pm.

23rd - Campbellford Community Resource Centre: To be held at the Community Resource Centre (as far as I know) at 65 Bridge St. East Campbellford from 10 am to 3pm.

23rd -24th - While I am in Campbellford, some of my items will be at the mama market in Belleville at Family Space Quinte at 301 MacDonald Ave. It will be running from 9am to 3pm both days.

28th - Prince Charles Public School Trenton: To be held at the school from 2pm to 6pm.

30th - Crestwood Secondary School Christmas Craft Sale: To be held at the school from 10am to 2pm.

December:

7th - Cooper Craft Sale: I actually have almost no details on this in front of me. I will have more up when we get a bit closer to the date, but if you can make this one, try to make it. This one will be showcasing local artisans and marketers from the Madoc area, and is run for the benefit of the Rimington Women's Institute.

15 - Nothing concrete yet, but I'd like to try to organize something special in the heart of Madoc if I can. Just need to talk to a certain business owner...

21 - No special events, but that doesn't mean I'm closed yet! Last minute gifts will still be available. Please call or email to make an appointment if you need to come and visit my shop and pick out something. If you're local (Madoc, Marmora, sometimes farther...) I can come to you.

I expect to be closing for a week or two starting Christmas Eve and running until at least January 2nd 2013. Presuming we're still here that is!

And there you have it. Not my most engaging post, I'm sure, but hopefully it will give some of my readers and followers a chance to meet up with me at a local event. Maybe you're someone who's followed the blog but never had a chance to see my stuff in real life, or you've seen me, got a card, and now you're looking for something for someone in particular. Meeting me at shows and sales can be a great opportunity not only to see my in stock products, but to chat about any custom projects you'd like to have made.

That's it for tonight.