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

I added a few more stores on where you can find some of my type maps. 

Here's an updated list of who, what and where.

MANHATTAN

Harlem Flo (currently in construction merging boutique and florist)

2276 Frederick Douglass Blvd (Eighth Ave)
Harlem
Time out article about them here.

Carries New York City map framed and unframed

51 Avenue A  

New York, NY 10009
212) 228-0145 

Website

BROOKLYN

Shop Exit 9  Cobble Hill

Carries Brooklyn map framed and unframed

127 Smith Street  Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 422-7720

Thank you's go out to everyone that came out for the fair this past weekend in Fire Island. Was great to see some customers from last year and just as nice to make some more people happy with our art. Luckily the weather held up for the entire weekend and into the night.

All posters that we ran out of and that need to be shipped are mailing out tomorrow. You should have by the end of the week or early next week the latest.

Next up for me is back to Long Beach on the  25th and 26th. I will actually be away on vacation but some of the metalbox crew will be holding down the fort. I will have a few new things available at this fair as well, so come out and say whats up. Until then check out some of the images of the fair and the weekend.

Jam session during happy hour 

Dude named Tom Brady buying on of Genes pieces....Irony!

Best dressed on the beach too.

Water was rough all weeknd. Didnt even get a change to get wet....sucks. Next year were staying an extra day.

Michelle and me winning in darts til 3 in the morning. We were the official King and Queen of the dart board on that night. Check out that form!

2 maps hanging in the window at Klines. Great store for getting your beach gear and souvenirs.

View from the ferry of the Great South Bay and the Robert Moses bridge in the background.