Custom Toy Box

A while back, "A" was commissioned to make a custom toy box for a couple who wanted a new family heirloom for their home. It will be a toy chest for their grandchildren now, perhaps blanket storage or a hope chest some time down the road. They wanted, something that would fit perfectly in the space they have reserved for it, and it had be a quality piece that would last for years to come.

It's been amazing, watching a board of wood be transformed into a beautiful box. Here's my version of the process (warning: I am sure I'm not using proper furniture-making terminology here so if you're a carpenter, forgive me!):

It started with this giant board of Royal Cedar, 22" wide by 10' long

After cutting and planing the boards much of it was reduced to these shavings on his workshop floor (the kids love playing with those thin curls of wood, and so do I. A craft project just waiting to happen!).

cutting the dovetails

the separate pieces ready to be assembled

And here's a shot of the box with the finish applied. I love how the dovetails pop in contrast.

"A" is working on the lid now, and once the whole things is complete I'll share some pics of that, too.

If you'd like to browse some more of A's work, here's his portfolio.

Quality

This back to school season was different from the ones before, because it featured very few new items for the big day. No shopping excursions were necessary because, well, we have so much already. Our closets and dressers are stuffed full and need no supplements. The girls did design and help sew a new skirt each (look for those soon!) and other than that, the only thing they lacked were backpacks.

This was going to be a challenge for us, as we have made a commitment to start buying more responsibly. It didn't feel right to run out to some big store to buy the latest and greatest cheap import. I considered homemade but, given my sewing skills, I imagined the girls lunches falling right through the bottom on their way to school. With making backpacks myself ruled out, I was off on an adventure to source handmade, quality ones.

After a lengthy Internet search (a time span, "A" reminded me, that was about equal to the time I would have spent on a trip to the store), I found the perfect backpacks.
Handmade by DCR Creations, these backpacks were custom made for the girls in prints/designs they got to choose themselves. When they arrived in the mail, we pulled them out and immediately started exploring them. We marveled at the quality handwork, we were thrilled with the cute theme-matching fabrics used for the linings of all the compartments, we found the water-bottle pocket, and then the girls noticed something else: the smell! They were lightly scented with just a hint of fruity aroma. This was their favorite feature of all and if they had the chance, I'm am sure they would ask you to smell those new backpacks, too.

We considered it a small victory to have sourced some great backpacks that served as an alternative to the inferior mass-produced ones. This gives us hope that we will be able find quality, affordable handmade products whenever the need arises.

DCR Creations is a mother-and-daughter run business that sews backpacks, wallets, aprons, totes, lunch bags, and so much more. Most products they offer can be custom-made in any fabric you see on their website.

Desk Job

This weekend brought new life to an old desk. The husband made this desk and stool set for our oldest daughter when she was one. Another child and countless craft projects later, this desk was in serious need of a makeover—and a new owner. Yes, sadly, our girls no longer fit at it. But the set, handcrafted by "A", is a quality family heirloom, not something I'm willing to Freecycle or yard sale away.

So we scrubbed, sanded, scraped, and washed (believe it or not, this photo was taken after it was cleaned). Orange and olive green paint were the chosen to revitalize this tiny work station.

The finished product is headed to the nephews' home today, for many more years of use and abuse.

As for the blueberry overload—I will be featuring blueberry recipes for the next few days (however many days it takes us to eat them all).

Today's recipe: Simple Blueberries and Cream

Ingredients:

Heavy Cream

Maple Syrup

Blueberries

Instructions: Beat heavy cream with an electric mixer until it is the consistency of whipped cream. Add a bit of maple syrup to sweeten the cream to desired taste. Continue to beat for another minute. Add blueberries and enjoy!
note: we froze some blueberries and used those in our cream, for a yummy cooling treat.

Table Talk

A few months ago, my husband (I'll call him "A" from now on) completed our new dining room table and, aahhhh, is it a beauty!

It brings so much to our home. Because we live in a small house, he crafted a table that would have a lightness to it—I'm not talking about color, but structure. He designed a trestle table, that has thinner lines below, so as not to appear too heavy in the room. And it is beautiful in it's spot, letting the light from the adjacent windows flood the room.

Working out of his cramped workshop in our basement (a room over from mine), "A" had to address his first, most obvious challenge—how to fit a finished table out of the basement and through the narrow stairway to our dining room. The solution? This table completely disassembles (as many trestle tables do). Made with keyed through tenons, the trestle can be removed from the legs, the legs detached from the top, making moving and assembly a cinch.

But the best part of this table is the secret it keeps.

This carving is in the center of the underside of the table top, visible only if you crawl underneath it (which might explain why we frequently find the girls under there). The texture of this carving is irresistible, and it is a crime you can't all run your fingers across it.

Our family spends so much time seated at this table which, aside from meals, is host to homework, craft projects, blog and jewelry photography shoots, sewing endeavors, and so much more.

What's next for our resident woodworker? He's making a bench to go with the table. I can hardly wait, and will surely be keeping you posted on the progress.

That Stack of Fabric

Remember that gorgeous stack of fabric I was making plans for? Well, I made it into, uh, a gorgeous stack of fabric...

I got one of Anna Maria Horner's "palette piles," excited for a project worthy of such stunning material. I thought of making napkins, but quickly shelved the idea, thinking napkins we not a good enough end product for these pretty prints. They would just get stained and otherwise defaced. Then it dawned on me—what better thing to make with the fabric? They are out on our table, in plain sight all day, every day. They get used at three meals a day, plus whenever snacking requires them. And, as an added bonus, they are an attractive addition to the the kaleidoscope of colors hanging on the clothesline.

Paints and Plates

A couple of years ago I had the ultimate score at the thrift shop—a large box of plain white plates and matching tea cups. The plates are the kind with the little circle indent where the tea cup sits, perfect for serving hot cocoa and cookies. These would be perfect to paint and give as gifts to all the little girls in our lives.

I decorated many of these sets as gifts and saved the last 2 for my girls, on which I planned to paint their favorites things. For 2 years now. And still haven't. Which brings us to yesterday, another rainy day with boredom setting in. So, I set the girls loose with paint and their very own tea sets to decorate however they pleased. The finished products were colorful, imaginative and just-how-they-like-it. Which, I know, is better than anything I could have designed and painted.

We use Pebeo Porcelaine 150 paints—water-based paint that you can cure in your own oven. Just paint and then bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. The paint is non-toxic, permanent, and dishwasher safe. You can use it on ceramic, glass, metal, and terra-cotta, among other surfaces.

I am thinking another visit the thrift shop will yield all kinds of new pieces we can paint. Maybe we'll go today. Since it's raining. Again.

Blog Debut

The first blog post!

This is a good time to let you know what AGA Elemental is all about:
my influences
my interests
my jewelry

Or, to be specific: nature, metal, all things handmade and local, fashion, sustainable living, books, the craft world, gardening, design, creative inspirations and last but not least, trying to make a living through my craft

Please join me as I explore this vast world of crafts and the Internet in an effort to nurture an awareness of handmade crafts, inspire people, promote my own work and the outstanding work of others, and become entrenched in this community of bloggers and crafters and tweeters and...