Birdhouses – Cynthia Reyes

A Good Home, Art, Artesans, Artists, Authors, Birdfeeders, Birdhouses, Books, Handmade porducts

“The Blog Shop”: Great Gifts by Creative People

November 8, 2014November 8, 2014 Cynthia Reyes

My blogging community is brimming with ultra-creative people.

They’re remarkable. They make beautiful things with their hands, hearts and minds.

Or support projects that help talented artisans to make a living.

So today I’m celebrating these creative types and highlighting some of their products/projects that would make great gifts for loved ones.

LOTUS WONDERS, made by women in a Cambodian village, in partnership with other women in Canada. Order products and read their story at: http://www.lotuswonders.com/collections/all

Thanks to consultant Stephanie MacKendrick, former head of Canadian Women in Communications, for bringing Lotus Wonders to my attention.

2. MICHAEL’S WOODCRAFT. Michael lives on a mountainside in S. Carolina. He carefully chooses the wood and makes each beautiful object himself: cutting boards, ice cream scoops, and other useful items.

Visit his blog and online shop at: http://michaelswoodcraft.wordpress.com/shop/

3. JEAN LONG AND JESSICA CHARNOCK’S CREATIONS. In their gorgeous log cabin east of Toronto, this couple is always creating beautiful objects.

The Log House - Photo by H. Grange — The Log House – Photo by H. Grange

Jessica hooks original wall-hangings using recycled wool, and makes large teddy bears using recycled fur.

Jean works with wood. He creates large pieces of furniture and unusual birdhouses and feeders.

See: https://cynthiasreyes.com/2014/01/11/youve-never-seen-birdhouses-like-jean-longs/ – or email: jenjes@mac.com

4. SIMPLY SPLENDID VICTORIAN AFTERNOON TEAS by Marilyn Mirabelli. Check out the gift packages including the Tea and Cookie of the Month Club.

http://www.splendidafternoonteas.com/services/TeaAndCookie.html

5. SARAH VERNON’S FIRST NIGHT DESIGN. Blogger Sarah produces beautiful art prints.

See Sarah’s website at: http://www.firstnightdesign.co.uk/

6. BOOKS BY GIFTED AUTHORS:

MT McGUIRE’s award-winning K’Barthan Trilogy series isn’t just for young people. She’s a very good writer, with a wicked sense of humour. Who else would write a trilogy made up four books? For more about her new release and the series, visit her blog: http://mtmcguire.co.uk/

You can also read about MT at: https://cynthiasreyes.com/2014/04/02/author-mt-mcguire-at-home/

SK NICHOLLS’ writing has also been highly praised. Her new novel, a roman-a-clef, is titled Red Clay and Roses.

Visit her blog for more: http://redclayandroses1.wordpress.com/redclayandrose/

WHEN CONCHI BLOWS, by Omar Sheriffe Vernon El Halawani. It’s an interesting book, based on the author’s own interracial family history in Jamaica. He died before the book was published, and asked that proceeds from it be used for a worthy cause. His cousin Robert Vernon carried out his wishes.

http://www.amazon.ca/Conchi-Blows-Sheriffe-Vernon-Halawani/dp/1463712235/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1382PA7Z0Y7T30Z9AWZ3

7. And, finally, from New Zealand, Quarter Acre Lifestyle has just launched their online store of handmade soaps and other products. I know this couple is still setting up some payment options, but thought I’d give their products a mention now. Visit: http://www.tumbledowns.co.nz/for-sale

As my blogger friend Gallivanta (whom I’ve never met in person) did for my book, A Good Home, I’m shining a little light on the good work of others.

**Dedicated to everyone who creates something, hoping that someone else will value it.**

A Good Home, Birdfeeders, Birdhouses, Birds, Life in canada, Lifestyle, Renovating, Restoration, Restoring old houses

Men Who Build Stuff

May 18, 2014May 18, 2014 Cynthia Reyes

I promised to follow up with two different men who both work on houses.

One – John – has been working on a BIG house, restoring it by himself.

The other – Jean – creates tiny houses – for birds. When last we heard from Jean, he was working on his Xtreme Birdhouse. While I was impatiently waiting for the photos of the finished product, Jean sent me these other ones, made from the corks of wine bottles and said:

“I can assure you that I was totally sober when I worked on those…. lol…..”

Jean Long's Wine cork Birdhouse — Jean Long’s Wine cork Birdhouse

I promised to believe him. Which doesn’t mean YOU have to.

Jean Long's Creation — Jean Long’s Creation

As for his Xtreme Birdhouse, it’s complete, and it’s even larger than it looks in these photos:

Which may explain why Jean calls it “The Bird Cathedral”. Congrats, Jean, on one heck of a birdhouse! Here’s another view:

Jean Long's Bird Cathedral — Jean Long’s Bird Cathedral

So let’s go over now to Prince Edward County and check in with John, our intrepid house-restorer, and his wife Ann. When last we heard, they were about to move into the beautiful old house. Here are some photos, starting with Ann sitting on the step waiting for the truck:

John says: “The Move went as smooth as SILK!! No surprises, no grief, and very good weather!”

The couple had spent the days prior cleaning the house, and now it was time to roll out the rugs and put things in their places:

Within a day or two, the dining room, living room, master bedroom and third floor den were partially set up.

John’s office, meanwhile, looks like it’s always been there….

Of course, there’s a lot of work left to do. They’re also keeping an eye on the garden, to determine how much work it will require. But one thing you and I know about John: he has a plan for getting it all done perfectly, and on time.

Ann and John, congratulations.

Top 4 photos by Jean Long, remainder by John Garside.

A Good Home, Birdfeeders, Birdhouses, Birds, Furniture, Garden, Recycling, Woodwork

You’ve Never Seen Bird Feeders Like Jean Long’s

January 11, 2014August 30, 2014 Cynthia Reyes

Imagine yourself a talented creator of furniture, wood furniture made mainly of pine and cedar. Beautiful benches, chests, cupboards and armoires furnish your home.

You end up with smaller pieces of wood, left-overs from those bigger items.

If you’re Jean Long, you use these pieces to make birdhouses and feeders.

An astonishing variety of birdhouses and bird feeders – most of them whimsical, each of them well-made, each unique in some way.

Although I’ve known Jean for years, and have been lucky enough to own a Jean Long birdhouse, I start to smile the moment he opens his studio door for the latest tour: I never know what to expect, but I know it will be fun – a journey of discovery!

Over the years, Jean has built hundreds of birdhouses.

Roughly half of them were given to friends or donated to organizations for fundraising purposes.

Many are scattered over his 10-acre property.

A former educator in a demanding leadership role, Jean found building birdhouses a form of stress relief. Retired now, he still has birdhouses on the brain.

Since each creation is an original, the challenge (and joy) is to keep creating new designs.

Some ideas come to Jean in his dreams. Some come from the sheer drive to find out how many objects he can use in his birdhouse designs.

“I use old rubber boots, watering cans, old lamps parts, hub caps, old metal roofing , scrap metal, old nails, old frames, old windows, barn wood, etc…. to build my birdhouses,“ Jean says.

Today, Jean is working on his 867th birdhouse. It’s a large, very complex one that takes much time and patience – he calls this kind his ‘’Xtreme Birdhouses’’.

And they’re stunning, even when in progress. I can hardly wait for this one to be completed.

For more information, to see or to acquire a birdhouse, please contact Jean at: jenjes@mac.com

A Good Home, Birdhouses, Collectibles, Faux fur, Furniture, Garden, Homes, Hooked Rugs, Interior Design, Log houses, Nature, Recycling, Teddy Bears

Handmade in Canada – Beautifully

November 17, 2013November 29, 2016 Cynthia Reyes

Jessica Charnock is a stylish, beautiful woman – a former model – whose creativity is prolific.

She and her husband Jean live in the hills overlooking a sprawling lake east of Toronto. “Made in Canada” is alive and well at their home – a house they created by joining two log cabins together. Gardens – bearing an abundance of fruit, vegetables and herbs — grow well here, as do evergreen, oak and birch trees.

I love visiting with Jessica and Jean. They’re gracious hosts whose welcoming home embraces me with warmth. Visiting with them also gives me a chance to practice a few words of French – a language I once worked in, though now my skills are rusty.

A walk through their home reveals a large number of Jessica’s or her husband’s creations. Upstairs, Jean’s studio is filled with intricate wooden birdhouses, benches, and an assortment of other wood furniture, all handmade by Jean. A person could get lost exploring Jean’s creations.

Downstairs, one sees the results of Jessica’s own creativity. I always walk into her domain eagerly, wanting to see what new thing she’s created. A grand armoire that she made by hand decades ago stands in one corner of a room, its pine exterior mellowing with age. On some walls, beautiful hooked rugs hang, “paintings” made from wool.

Great Blue Heron hooked rug – created by J. Charnock

Hooked Rug of Lac Baker – created by J. Charnock

In this homestead, almost everything is made by hand (there’s even a clay bread oven outside). Materials are recycled. Jean’s birdhouses are made of wood pieces left over from other woodworking projects. And Jessica makes bears out of once glamorous fur coats. Yes, bears.

Brown Bear on Rocking Horse – created by J. Charnock

She has cleverly recycled and re-purposed her old fur and “faux fur” coats – and turned them into bears.

Grey Bear made of recycled Persian lamb fur – created by J. Charnock

She’s quick to point out that these large stuffed animals are not the usual “Teddy Bears” designed for children to play with (although children will find them irresistibly cuddly, I’m sure).

Brown Bear with Blue Scarf – Created by J. Charnock

They’re cuddly, yes, but they are also large (24 inches) and are collectibles. The people who’ve been lucky enough to acquire one so far, are adults who bought them for themselves.

Jessica will also make the bears to order, and owners who want to supply their own fur or faux fur coats for this are welcome to do so. The hooked rugs may also be ordered; same goes for Jean’s birdhouses.

Congratulations to Jessica and Jean, for their exciting creations, all handmade in Canada. If you wish to contact them, please email: jenjes@mac.com