Dipping in the Arts

I've paddled around many lakes and rivers in the 20 odd years of camping I've been doing with my family. I love canoeing, and exploring different waterways. Although my daughter detests canoeing, which we found out very early in our camping adventures (lots of tears were shed in those days), my son is enthusiastic about it as my husband and I. He did a long canoe trip this summer with a couple of friends with numerous portages. I was impressed by how far they went! He has his own kayak, but after he bought a beautiful paddle this summer, he's anxious to try more canoeing (kayaks are a pain to portage since you can't carry them over your head).

My husband bought me my first paddle years ago
... cherry by "Red Tail Paddle Company"

Another paddle given to me by my husband by "Grey Owl Paddles"

While camping this summer, we stopped in at Algonquin Outfitters to check out canoes and kayaks (window shopping only), and to browse their amazing store. This is where my son bought his own paddle with his hard-earned money. 

As we were leaving the store we noticed a stack of unfinished canoe paddles and a clerk came up and explained that the paddles were for a contest in celebration of Tom Thomson's death 100 years ago next summer. You buy the paddle and enter the contest for $25. Then you decorate the paddle any way you choose. Well, that sounded right up my alley! The best part is you have until next summer to complete the paddle :) Thank goodness because I have a tough time deciding on an idea. This is my paddle. It's pine and rather small, but I have been scribbling down all kinds of ideas for it since we came home.

If you are interested in the contest yourself, you can check out the details here. After you submit your paddle, it will be (hopefully) auctioned off next September with the proceeds going to a couple of art centres (details included in the link). Sounds like fun right? I've got a "Canoe Paddles" board on Pinterest where I'm collecting various images for inspiration. There's not a whole lot out there, but I've found a few. This photo was sent to me by Algonquin Outfitters. We saw the Tom Thomson paddle (third from the right) in their Huntsville store. Looks like the competition will be tight!

Algonquin Outfitters

Thanks for stopping by!

Wendy

Tiered Fall Tray

 I'm joining in the party Tiered Tray Extravaganza today!

This is not something I normally do, creating such a large display. Honestly, the most I will do in my house of this nature is put a few flowers from the garden into a vase for the centre of the table, or try to put some sort of vignette on my dry sink in the kitchen. But after reading Jemma's post on styling a tiered tray, I was inspired to try something a little out of my comfort level. 

 I gathered some supplies together last night, and popped into the craft store for some fake gourds and a couple of other trinkets, and put this together this morning. I don't have a tiered tray. I used a glass pedestal cake plate, placed a vase on top of that and set another smaller plate on top of the vase. Of course when I was at the craft store last night, I saw quite a few tiered trays, but I didn't want to spend much money, and left them on the shelf.

Here's what I came up with ...

 I tried to incorporate Jemma's tips for this display by using a variety of textures. I have gourds, a small pumpkin, fake red berries and fake maple leaves (our leaves haven't turned yet). There are real acorns and real Black-Eyed Susans and geraniums from the garden. There are some grasses (garden), hawk feathers and some burlap ribbon wrapped around the bottom. I used a pop of colour with the bright pink geranium and placed these throughout the display to draw your eye around the entire tray. To add some interest I placed a real deer's antler around the top tray, and a pair of ceramic owls, tiny jug (my grandmother's) and a small antique picture frame on the bottom tray. There is a piece of birch bark, and even some plain old sticks in there. Rocks sit around the bottom too.

Here are some close ups of the details.

A little nod to my grandmother who loved this sort of thing.
This is a tiny painting on a miniature wood slab that was once hers.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you like my fall tiered tray!

Be sure to pop over to Jemma's to see what others have contributed.

Wendy

Five on Friday

Joining up with Amy of Love Made My Home and her Five on Friday!

One: A new addition to Algonquin Park, this magnificent totem pole carved by Algonquin Elder, Dan Bowers. It stands at the East Gate park office. We only noticed it this summer, but I don't see a date on the accompanying signs.

Two: Camp Arowhon is a summer camp for boys and girls on Teepee Lake in Algonquin Park. We paddled past it on one of our canoe day trips. We could hear the kids chanting in the woods ... sounded very cool. At a mere $8,000 for six weeks, you too can send your child to this oasis of summer fun. It's been in operation since the early 1930's. I was never sent to summer camps, but I sure would have loved to have been sent to this one!

Three: An old wooden boat sitting in the shade waiting to get back into the lake. There's something so nostalgic about weathered wooden boats. Our canoe is carbon fibre to make it lightweight for portages.  It weighs 35 pounds. However, the woodworker in my husband had to have a little bit of wood on it, so we got cherry trim.

Four: As we drive into Dorset on Hwy 35 we pass this interesting shed that someone has nailed their collection of metal tools all over the outside walls. I've always wanted to stop and take a photo, but usually forget. This summer as we whizzed by, I took a few quick shots. I wonder what this shed looks like on the inside.

Five: A couple of boat houses on Canoe Lake, along with an old log cabin (now a cottage) in the background.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wendy

White Pine on "Big Pine Trail"