2019 Goal: Hobby-to-Business – Blue Mountain Baskets

Category: 2019 Goal: Hobby-to-Business (page 1 of 2)

1st Week Open in our New Retail Studio!

2019-11-24 / Andrea / 0 Comments

Wow! It all started with a post from artist Don Kilby that he was leaving his studio to move up the street in Clarksburg. My business partner, Kerrie & I jumped at the opportunity to move into his old studio. In only 6 weeks, we hatched the plan to start up a creative community space called Blue Mountain Makers.

Blue Mountain Baskets now has an in-town working studio space combined with a the Blue Mountain Makers retail gallery to showcase over 30 local artists & makers! All of our Makers are local in the Blue Mountains & the Beaver Valley. My husband is delighted that all of my baskets, tools & willow have left the living room, garage, basement & porches (which he refers to not so lovingly as my “twigs”) and I am over the moon to have all of my craft located in a studio where I can be readily be creative.

There is space with 2 tables to hold workshops right here, and we will act as a creative community hub in Clarksburg offering special events and gatherings such as Maker Mornings & Artsy Afternoons. Watch for Festive Friday events in this week’s posts…

Our thanks to Julie from mycollingwood.ca who came to our opening and took these lovely photos!

Week 20: Artisan Market at the Marsh Street Centre

2019-05-27 / Andrea / 0 Comments

Athe artisan market on the weekend. I’ve made my own signs and shirt using a Kijiji Cricut maker! While at the market I completed a harvest basket of Dogwood and stripped willow.

Week 15: Spiral weaving workshop

2019-04-14 / Andrea / 0 Comments

Crafty pals enjoying the morning together making a spiral weave willow basket starting from a wood base. This project can be done in 2 hours and I love how each one turns out differently using the same technique!

Week 13: Experimenting with local heirloom willow

2019-03-31 / Andrea / 0 Comments

See the size next to the barn on the right & note the vibrant golden colour!

This week was busy, but while at a meeting onsite at the Clarksburg Retreat, I did ask to spend some time walking the trails in search of heirloom willow. The property was the Clendenan homestead which is an age-old name here. One tree by the barn stood out is on this old property saturated in local history. There is a golden weeping willow that looks to be as old as the Victorian house- this type of willow is a common sight here in the Blue Mountains (formerly Collingwood Township).

Here I put my secateurs on the trunk to show the scale of the granddaddy tree.

I know weeping willow is not known as a basket willow because its draping branches do not pass dry-&-re-soak test for strength. They snap & do not bend like good basket willows. Is it a different cell structure that also makes them droopy? But I am tired of listening to conventionalism. We have such wonderful golden weeping willows all over our landscape, so I would like to try to use them in some outside-the-traditional-basket thinking. Here is the result of using the weeping willow branches semi-green (I cut them and then let them mellow a few days while keeping the base branches in water)…

Week 12: Clarksburg has h’ART Workshops on March 23

2019-03-24 / Andrea / 0 Comments

We had a great time at the Marsh Street Centre with 2 willow weaving workshops. In the morning we made willow & dogwood baskets by starting with a stained wood base. This workshop is a great introduction to basket weaving. Starting with a wooden base shape of your choice, you learn traditional weaving techniques for the sides and border to create a small basket. Willow & Dogwood Basket on Wooden Base In the afternoon we made stars & hearts from willow and then wove large hearts out of dogwood and willow. Hearts, stars & garlands

Week 11: Business Workshop at Craft Ontario

2019-03-17 / Andrea / 0 Comments

A collage of cards from fellow participants in the workshop!

I took my first business workshop at Craft Ontario called Making it Work: Defining Business Goals & Individual Success for Professional Crafts People. Not only was it an inspiring educational weekend facilitated by Gillian Batcher from PASH Jewellery Design, but it was also a chance to meet & chat with other Craft Professionals who work in all sorts of media. I have plenty of craft & art company up here in the Blue Mountains but do like to learn from organizations such as Craft Ontario and its fellow members. Next I will do some online courses through my membership.

Week 10: Seize the moment & weave a basket!

2019-03-10 / Andrea / 0 Comments

Our 3-hour drive from Kingston to Newmarket turned into 6.5 hours due to a highway closure and jam that was hours long because of it. While my husband had to stay at the wheel, I was able to make lemonade out of lemons by settling into a weaving an Ethernet wire basket. Unfortunately willow weaving is not so portable, but I always have some sewing or wire weaving with me for these long drives. Using the 4 standard wire colours of CAT 5 & CAT 6 wire, I untwisted the CAT 5 to start the base weave and then graduated to the thicker wire as the spacing got bigger.

Week 9: New twist on weaving

2019-03-03 / Andrea / 0 Comments

I will admit here life has been a bit crazy as a Town Councillor etc., so my business focus this week was minimal. A challenge to creating balance in life, and I know I am not the only one out there feeling it!

I did however take a little time out for mindfulness & de-stressing by curling up with cats and learning how to do a 4-strand braid around a core or cable. Weavers of Eternity Paracord Tutorials for their video demonstrating the steps! While the norm out there is to use paracord for bracelets etc., this project allowed me to upcycle the Ethernet computer wire ends I get from my son’s business leftovers. After learning this technique, I wanted to use the 4 standard Ethernet colours in one 4-strand braid. So here is the end result…a unique iPhone cable with the beauty and protection of a Ethernet wire braid!