The Backyard Bear
Arts and Crafts

What a great day it was for the sale today.  Lots of people shopping, checking out all the wonderful vendors at the MAC sale.  Alot of talent in the Christmas show!.  Thanks for all the compliments on my crafts.  I've almost sold out and I'll have to get down to business and make more bird houses and mitts keep the inventory up!

Will chat soon!

Mary Ann

Wow ... I did it again...didn't blog for quite a few months.  I had a good excuse I was moving.  What a time that was.  We moved from my tiny house to a house 3 times the size.  Now both of us have room to do our arts and crafts, or in Mike's case, his job.  After months of going through old boxes, new boxes and other boxes.... had a yardsale, threw away lots, donated lots and still needed 2 large trucks to move us just across town.  But it was worth it.  We've been in the new house just over a month and we've been busy renovating and organizing.  Now its time to get down to crafting and making items for the upcoming craft shows.

I've been painting again.  I painted a picture of a pair of cardinals and donated it to the Muskoka Arts and Crafts "Who Art Thou" sale.  They give you an 8 x 10 canvas which you paint or decorate then they are all sold for $45.  The artists are not allowed to sign the front of the piece, only the back so art is sold by how the purchaser likes the picture, not who did it.  I think its a great idea.  It helps promote both MAC and your art as well.  You can attach business cards or a brochure on the back of the canvas. 

Last night I painted a fish on driftwood.  The fish was a perch and I'm quite proud.  I'd rather paint on driftwood than a canvas.  To me it adds more texture and more of an outdoorsy feeling.

Its time to sign off.  My next craft show is on November 29th and I'm hoping to sell most of my items. 

Till the next time.....

Mary Ann

Its been a few months since my last post. I've been busy making/painting/designing items for the craft sales I'll be in this summer.  I'll be at the Bala Craft and Antique sale on June 27/28 and the Baysville Walkabout on July 25.  I can't wait. 

I've been painting wildlife on driftwood which I've been collecting from the Muskoka River.  I'm also making birdhouses which I am testing to make sure they can stand the outside weather.  They are natural looking but I'm not a bird so I have to make sure they withstand the weather if they are to be used outside.  I've got 4 of them in various testing arrangements.   I've found that with a coat of clearcoat they seem to withstand the rain and snow (gak...yes snow in April!).  They would look nice on a porch.  If you don't want swallows to start living in them while on the porch you could always plug the hole.  So far I have 16 for sale and hope to have lots more made before the craft sales.  .  Various natural items decorate these cool looking birdhouses....sticks, birchbark, vines, pine needles. 

The driftwood paintings are fun to do  I've been painting seagulls, raccoons, fish and my cat.  Maybe someone out there would like a portrait of their pet on driftwood? 

Here are a few pictures  of the many things I've been working and the reason why I've been so busy and not blogging!

This is my cat Marabou checking out her portrait.

Seagulls

Natural Birdhouses

If your interested in any of my paintings just send me at email! 

Till the next time...

We woke up to more snow, winter is still holding on.  Kinda grumpy today due to a bad cold and  I haven't had one in years so I guess I was due.  That hasn't stopped me crafting though.  I've been making my swushions.  Cushions made from wool sweaters.  Its a fun project.  I was able to find a number of interesting sweaters at Value Village last week.  I've posted a few of my swushions but I have lots more.  I've also been experimenting with the remnants of the sweaters and hope to have more mittens (smittens) and slippers (swippers) made.  That way more than 90% of the sweater is used.  The rest goes to the local recycling depot to be made into something else.

I had a wonderful surprise on Friday night.  My bestest friend dropped in on her way to visit her mom.  We've been friends since we were 6 years old.  I showed her what I've been up to and within minutes she scouped up 2 of my swushions.  I hope when I get to craft shows that the same happens.  Its fun to make all of these things but its getting hard to find room.  My craft room needs the "Clean Sweep" team to drop by...or I need a bigger house! :P

Well..I'd better get back to my swushions and the cleaning of the craft room.  Till next time...

Today was a mild day, well much milder than these past few weeks.  It actually got to +5C today.  As it was a nice day I decided to get out into the workshop and make an easel for my friend Judy (who makes the painted t-shirts).  She wanted a table top one.  Out of scrap material this is what I was able to make.  To make it a little more personal I added a little something to the tray.  I hope she likes it. 

It was Groundhod Day yesterday....6 more weeks of winter coming.  Do I care, well not really.  I do love the snow and staying in cause its too cold or too blistery allows me to work on my projects. 

I've been painting again.  I finished my Loon Floor Cloth. 

I'm quite pleased with it.  Not sure where you live but loons are common here in Canada on the lakes.  The sound of a loon on a lake can be breathtaking.  It sounds so lonely but also so gentle.  I painted the loon near cattails and lily pads.  When I finished the painting I signed my initials and then dabbed some green paint around the initials just to give it a little depth.  I stood back and little did I realize that not only did I give it depth I painted what looks like a lily pad underneath the water, being weighed down by my initials.  How cool is that.  I had no idea what I did until I stepped back.  I was really pleased.  It must of supposed to happen.

I'm also painting up new designs for Christmas.  I realize we just had Christmas but my mindset is still back in December.  I've been inspired again by the driftwood and my paint brush.  I will post these new creations once they are finished.

I finally went snowshoeing on Sunday. The weather was warm...+2C.  My two dogs Nike and Oreo love to go for long walks.  We walked for 1.5 hours through the trails.  The funny part of the whole trip is that Nike is afraid of bridges and so I had to get down on all 4's like a dog coaxing Nike all the way across the bridge.  We were the only ones in that part of the forest...thankfully!  It would have made a funny video.  Hopefully we can get out again this weekend as it is to be warm again.

Until the next time...Happy Snow Day!

Ahh...must be spring..only -5 C this morning, but wait, it won't last long.  It will be -20 C tonite.  This weather is weird and the worst part is Saturday is going to be cold.  I want to get out snowshoeing...... maybe Sunday will be a tad warmer!

I've been sewing like crazy here in Bracebridge.  Not sure what the count is now but I know I have over 30 mittens stockpiled for when I can go to a craft sale. I was in a zone but last night, for some reason I made 2 left handed mittens.  The 2nd left hand was 99% done before I realized my mistake.  I thought of just finishing them but how many people do you know with 2 left hands?  I had to rip it out and finish it up this morning.  It was the last of the material I had so I had no other choice.  Either that or find a person with 2 left hands.  It did work out fine in the long run.  No one would ever know the frustration I had making that particular pair.  Thats when I realized that I need to take a break for at least a day.  Sometimes too much of one thing isn't good.  I'll concentrate on a few more ideas for my store and then get back to the sewing.

I'm still getting wonderful positive comments from owners of my mittens.  Their description is "are they ever warm".  This is a good thing with -20 C degree weather!  Once this stockpile of mittens gets a little bigger I'll be concentrating on floor cloths and more driftwood ideas.  I'm also stockpiling odds and ends for my bird houses I'll be building once the weather allows me to get out into the workshop. 

I've been talking to my friend Judy lately.  The owner of the very first pair of Muskoka Mittens.  She's been painting T-shirts.  Wildlife art on a shirt.  Her last commissioned T-shirt was of a loon with its reflection in the water.  It's awesome!

I

I've been bugging her to set up a webstore as well.  When she does I'll post her link so everyone can see what a great artist she is.  If your interested in commissioning a T-shirt from Judy then just email me and I will gladly pass it on to her.

Till then, I must go.  TTY soon!

Wow...its the middle of January already.  Its cold here.  Yesterday I woke up to -35 C.  I haven't checked the weather network this morning but I'm sure its close to the -30 C mark again.

Well, considering all that its a good time to check the warmth of my mittens.  So far they seem to work.  My hands are toasty warm!.  Speaking of mittens I've been busy sewing and sewing and sewing.  I now have 15 pairs made.  I had issues last night with my sewing machine but I perservered and its now back working properly.  This morning though I've run out of thread so its off to the fabric store to stock up so I must go now!  TTY later!

 Welcome the first blog of The Backyard Bear.  Today I will fill you in on how this name was picked for my webstore and how it all began.

Once upon a time..

A couple of months ago my good friend Judy was having a birthday.  Wondering what to give her I remembered I had a few metres of fleece fabric stored away for the past couple of years.  A good purchase at the time but it took up alot of space.  I decided to make her mittens.  After purchasing a pattern and changing it slightly I made her a pair.  These ones had a bear silhouette on them.  She immediately ordered a pair for her daughter as a Christmas present.  Then her friends at work saw the mittens and started to place orders as well....more Christmas presents.  Things started to snowball and within 6 weeks I sold over 30 pairs of mittens.  The original bear/moose fleece fabric had finally been exhausted and I was out scouring for more of the same. This was not an easy task so I started looking at 2nd hand stores for material. I found alot of really nice fleece hanging on the racks.  Now that Christmas is over I've been receiving nothing but positive feed back, how warm they are, how unique.  I even have an order for 6 more for next Christmas....talk about early shopping!  My goal this spring is to make at least 100 pairs of mittens to sell in my web store and at craft shows.  I've already made 6 pairs this week, only 94 to go!

In the meantime I've also been working on making driftwood lamps and making/painting floor cloths. I'm thinking up more woodsy ideas each day and hopefully I'll find enough time to make everything!  It can be a long winter in Muskoka.  If I can't get outside to enjoy the winter (too cold or just too much snow) then I may as well create.

Now you may be asking...how did you get the name for your webstore.  Bears are my favorite animal and for the past few years we have had a black bear visiting the neighbourhood backyards.  Although its really nice to see this its unfortunate as well.  Bears don't belong in towns and I believe the reason behind his visiting our neighbourhood is the fact that the town has let developers come in, destroy their habitat and build cookie-cutter homes.  Can you imagine waking up to a large machine ripping out trees all around your house?  This happened just up the street two summers ago.  A developer arrived with his machinery on Friday night and by Sunday acres were gone.  A scar, it looked like Chernoble happened in my town.  It was so sad.  All that wildlife lost their habitat...where are they to go?  Sometimes after destroying the habitat the scars still remain.  Two years later no developments, just bare rock, broken trees and woodchips. I have an acre that has 7 old apple trees and a field as my backyard and if that bear needs a place to stay I welcome him. He can snack on the old apple trees, and he can have a snooze under them, hopefully feeling safe.  Well, this was my first blog in my new website. I hope you enjoyed reading.  Please take a minute to sign my guestbook.  Thanks!