News

This past week we launched several new products at the Long Beach Art & Crafts show. We had been working for several months to create new items for this years crafts show around the tri-state, and the reaction was excellent. We created three separate items, a whale, and anchor and frames all handmade and created from locally sourced reclaimed wood.

The process starts working with local carpenters who provide us with the wood needed to make the art. This batch came from a cedar floor that was laid in a Long Island home in 1934. We then strip it of any nails and get rid of the wood that doesn't have enough character to be considered. Our customers and ourselves tend to like the pieces with a lot of aging and knots. We then glue them together and the pieces form one solid piece to be cut into shapes. Our original pieces, a whale and an anchor, are those that are standard for any ocean community like those around the Tri- State area.

After selling out at the show, we are steady building more pieces and coming up with new shapes. No doubt we will continue to keep innovating in this area. We love the whole process of creating something from scratch and in this case we are taking wood that is normally wasted and up cycling it into a piece of art.

We also launched some new frames made of discarded pallets. People have been using pallets for a many years to create fencing, art and even furniture. A quick stroll on pinterest will blow your mind on how much you can do. We decided to take this concept in making full finished frames. We are offering them in 11x17 inches with grooves for sliding in glass. We also have them as fully planked with a piece of glass face mounted to the front with art undernearth.

For now these are only available out at our local shows. We are also going to be launching a line for sale for our wholesale accounts that come out to the NYNOW show this August at the Javitts Center. So you will need to come out and see for yourself these hand crafted pieces of art.

Here are some images of the process...

The floor that will soon be art

Hand cut and painted signs made to have a vintage distressed look. We use Annie Sloan chalkpaint then wax the frame afterwards so that it maintains the finish

Team carpenter and artist Steve Corrigan looking over one of the pieces prior to sanding.

School of raw wooden whales ready to get some paint.

Painting up the whales

Some of the finished planks that we're sold at the show.

Obviously I am dumbfounded by the devastation around our area. A lot of friends, families and our customers got affected by Sandy. We got spared from some of the major effects the storm brought so I am working on some new art and some fundraising options to help support. My hands and hearts go out to all those affected.

Here's a few quick desktops and icons for your computer or FB page.

Mark your calenders for some great events coming up. 

Long Beach: August 25-26th on the boardwalk

Argyle Lake Arts & Craft Fair, Babylon NY: Sunday, Sept 9th

West Islip Country Fair: September 23rd

Bay Ridge 3rd Ave festival: Sunday September 30th

Irish Fest Long Beach: October 6th

Oyster Fest 2012: October 13th and 14th inside the tents

St. Anthony's Mothers Guild Holiday Fair: November 3rd St. Anthony's High School, Hicksville NY

Was great to meet all of you at the fair last weekend. I'm all caught up with emailing my new friends and shipping out all of the orders of goods that sold out. I also made a trek back to LB on Friday and personally dropped off all of the orders from the area.  

While the show went great, i am already in the studio making some more things for the next fair on August 20-21. 

Any questions or comments can be sent to me directly at james@ilostmydog.com