Kevin O'Leary Christmas Tree Heads

Christmas Day is a week tomorrow!  So I figured it was time to finally post some photos of these Kevin O'Leary Christmas Tree Heads that I took in early November.

I sculpted these "Mr Wonderful" ornaments back in 2012, while binge watching Shark Tank on You tube, but somehow never got around to seeing how these looked hanging in a tree. 

Here are the 10 I had left, laid out on the lawn:

They were each handsculpted, so  some look more like him than others! 

A Hawthorn Bush that still had some red berries on it seemed like a great place to hang them - the branches have spiky thorns to match Kevin's prickly television persona. 

Something about seeing these heads floating in the midst of a November shrub cracks me up.

As an aside, our place is relatively near the Haskap berry farms run by the guy who pitched his industry on Dragons' Den in 2013, to be told by Kevin "no one's ever gonna know what the [haskap berry] is, even after you're dead".   Here's a youtube clip of that.  

What a berry-grinch Kevin is!  People are planting these things all over the place in our area.  We have some in our own garden, the berries are delicious.   And Haskapa now even has opened their own storefront in Mahone Bay. 

An example of the back of one of the ornaments - they're all hollowed out.  These were made before I started using ornament hooks for pottery, as in this year's ornaments

 These next pics have been posted before, but these are the ones that I took to my two venues last month:

These three heads went to The Dart Gallery in Dartmouth

And these two went to Jenny Jib in Lunenburg

I'm not sure what price I put on the Kevin O'Leary heads, but I think the largest one was $45, and the smallest $35.

For 2016 I'm excited to try making some Celebrity Head Planters!

This Week's Favourite Things! Monday December 7th - Sunday December 13th, 2015

1.  The "Dart Wars" Star Wars tribute group show at The Dart Gallery in Dartmouth.  It's great!! Tomorrow, Tuesday December 15th is the very last day to visit the gallery, and see what's left of the show this year before it shuts for vital, unfortunately timed, structural repair to its building.  Here's a Dartmouth Tribune article about the show that just came out today.

a bit of the Dart Wars show - which has great Darth Vader and Stormtrooper "Gingerbread men" ornaments by France Arruda

2.  Also at Dart, this awesome new stoneware pottery, also by France Arruda.  Love this glaze combo, here it is on a bowl.

3.  The first annual Halifax Lights Holiday Market at the Historic Properties in Downtown Halifax.  This is so nice!! Very festive! Lots of great vendors sharing a few empty storefronts, as well as the regular shops.  This past weekend there were cool events like a parade of dogs in Christmas costumes that I got to see, and a concert that I wish I caught.

As the website says, a welcome-shoppers gift, there has been some free parking on the waterfront development lots.  Next two free days are Saturday and Sunday, December 19/20.  The lot nearest the market/Historic Properties was barely half full when I visited this past Saturday afternoon:

The Dart Gallery will be packing up shop to cross the harbour into a big space there for the next weekend, bringing a bit of the "Darkside" to downtown shoppers.  

Also popping up from Dartmouth: The Bodega Boutique and Dartmouth Shirts shared a large space, and are also participating in the final weekend.  Here's a pic of a window display from their pop up shop, with an awesome "Woody the Talking Christmas Tree" shirt.

 

4.  This Forbes article:  The World's Top Earning Youtube stars, 2015.  Love this.  Of all these I'd only heard of #1 through a South Park episode.  Nice to see people being themselves, doing what they love, and getting rewarded for it.  Also nice to see that these are just random individuals, and not big corporations that harm people or the environment in anyway.  Cool! 

5.  Bad Mouth Soap "Salty Dog" soap.  This is so nice, I grabbed a bar at Jenny Jib in Lunenburg awhile ago with some others, and finally used this one.  I think it's my new favourite, and the next best thing to swimming in the ocean, as it's a bit cold here for that now.  This soap is made of: organic coconut oil, Maritime Salt Maker Sea Salt, and scented with grapefruit and pine essential oil.  The salt makes for a gentle scrub.  Simple and refreshing, it'd make a nice stocking stuffer, as would any of their soaps.

Now Available at The Dart Gallery, December 10th, 2015

Here are the pics of the pieces I took to The Dart Gallery in  Dartmouth today:

First, new stoneware ornaments!  These are all $25 each (tax free Sat Dec 12 :), handsculpted, handcarved, and hand painted without the use of molds.  Each of these comes with an ornament hanging wire, and a tag.

First, two new Sullivan's Pond Geese

Golden Retriever, West Highland White Terrier, and a Pointer

Slug, pterodactyl, brontosaurus, triceratops and frog

four chickadees and two blue jays

bluebird, fawn, raccoon

The Canadian and American icons: beaver and eagle

four festive foxes

four wise owls and their mouse friend

penguin, sled dog, seagull

pig, rooster, calico cat, horse

five bouncing bunnies

two reindeer and a Christmas vulture

four woolly sheep

wren, goldfinch, red-breasted nuthatch, thrasher

nuthatch action shot

last but not least for ornaments, an alien

Five new figurines made it into the box, two bears, two rabbits and a turtle.   These are also $25 each.

 There are also two new bowls.  First, this brown rabbit bowl:

 And finally, this relief carved bowl with a fox chasing two rabbits.  The glaze on parts of this didn't turn out as planned, but it was a valuable learning experience for future functional stoneware relief carved pieces!

Time is running out to visit Dart this year.  The gallery has to close early, and unexpectedly, to address a structural issue with the building so Tuesday December 15th is the last day to visit the actual gallery this month, and to see the awesome Dart Wars group show (inspired by Star Wars).

But to help things along, everything in the gallery will be TAX FREE this Saturday December 12th.

After this, there's another chance for the Dart Gallery experience - at the very first annual "Halifax Lights Holiday Market" in the Historic Properties where Dart will have a display for the fourth and final weekend: Thursday December 17th - Sunday December 20th.  

This looks like a very nice festive market. Dart's presence here will be no small table - rather it'll be more of an empty shop turned into a 'pop up' Dart!

Parking will be free at waterfront development lots during the market, details at the bottom of this page.

Market hours will be: Thurs 17th, 4 - 9pm, Fri 18th, 4 - 9pm, Sat 19th - 12 - 9pm and Sunday the 20th, 12 - 4pm.  The theme for this last weekend of the market will be "The Night Before Christmas".  Sounds fun!

This Week's Favourite Things! Monday November 30th - Sunday December 6th, 2015

1.  CKBW - this is the Bridgewater radio station I listen to out in the shed while glazing. Great mix of new and old songs, and the various community/business announcements - it always seems to have just the right mix of music, talking and ads, great background for working.  I'm also a fan of our kerosene heater, essential equipment for glazing this time of year but I think this recent firing was likely the last of 2015.

2.  Nova Terra Cotta Studio in Lunenburg - popped in this past week for the first time in a while, everything is so beautiful, especially the platters.  Another reason to visit Lunenburg

3.  The Knot Pub - next door to Nova Terra Cotta in Lunenburg, great food, great value, cozy

4. This Bing Crosby Frank Sinatra 1957 Christmas Special (youtube video), especially the "a little toddy for the body" quote before they break into singing Jingle Bells

5.  Christmas trees.  We live near lots of Christmas tree farms and close to a couple spots where they all get corralled up for export on trucks.  The trees go all over, mostly to the United States but also other countries.  

Here's a recent National Post article about it:  "From Quebec to Panama: where Canadian Christmas trees are grown and shipped." 

example of a Christmas tree farm near our home

Plus there are tree lots everywhere.  Lots of local businesses have trees for sale this time of year, including our local hardware store and pizza place.  This got me thinking maybe there's a comparison to be made between tree growers and craftspeople.

Before moving here I learned that Lunenburg County has the highest proportion of artisans anywhere in Canada.  At the time I thought that was really cool - it still is - but it presents a few challenges in terms of the fact that Halifax, the nearest city, isn't exactly a huge city, and the province's entire population is under 1 million.

So lately after seeing so many ads for established, and new craft markets, plus all sorts of other shows in people's homes, all over Halifax and beyond, I wondered what it would be like if Christmas tree farmers only sold their trees locally.  

Maybe the crafters of Nova Scotia could take a page out of the Christmas Tree producers book, and work on establishing trade routes to larger Canadian cities and the United States, if this isn't already happening.

6.  This etsy shop, speaking of hand sculpted one of a kind: Anita Reay Art in Brisbane Australia

7.  Message in a bottle by The Police, stuck in my head all week.

Now Available at Jenny Jib, December 7th 2015

Here are pics of the pieces that I dropped off at Jenny Jib in Lunenburg this afternoon! 

First pic is a stoneware Whale Tail Fruit Cake Stand, along with 14 egg nog/hot toddy cups with relief carvings: mostly whales and dolphins, one polar bear and one tree.  

We 'test drove' the stand in our kitchen and it is perfect for presenting a special fruit cake - the delicious one in this photo came from Lunenburg's Thursday morning farmer's market. 

 The stand is $125, foodsafe, with handwashing recommended.  Cups are $20 each, foodsafe, dishwasher safe, microwave safe.  They're an ideal size for a cup of Christmas cheer. 

Top of the Whale Tail Fruit Cake Stand

Before heading to Jenny Jib I stopped to get a few pics on the Lunenburg waterfront.

Lobster trap Christmas Tree that now adorns the Lunenburg waterfront!

There was a convenient stump nearby, a great place to get another photo of the Whale Tail Fruit Cake Stand

and here's a close up of one of the cups, with Christmas trees and the water of the harbour in the background

"Rodney the Walrus" selfie in front of the tree

Rodney's profile, with the harbour in the background

Next up are the ornaments, I took in 26 new ones to add to the ones left from the last firing.  

Like the others from this season, these are $25 each, and as always, are handsculpted/hand carved without the use of any type of mold.  Jenny also has an assortment of my older stoneware animal ornaments at $12, $15 and $18 each.

Three Killer Whales, aka Orcas.... "Orcaments!"

a close up of the orcaments - all of the ornaments hang nicely from trees, and come with a ornament hanging wire as well as a tag, but with the wind it was much easier to get photos with them resting on something

Three dolphins and two whales

Four humpback whales

A lion, a Christmas vulture and a camel.

the lion was my favourite ornament from this season

lion side view

Two pelicans, a crab and a swordfish

A cheery yellow seahorse

two sea turtles and a lobster

 

A fox, a bunny and a raccoon

Jenny Jib is open everyday up to and including December 24th for your holiday shopping pleasure!  

Hours are: 11-5 everyday until Christmas, shutting at 4pm on the 24th.  There are also some extended hours along with other Lunenburg retailers as part of Christmas in Lunenburg.   The shop is open til 8pm on Friday the 11th and 18th, and til 8pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday December 21st, 22st, and 23rd.  

As a "welcome, holiday shoppers" bonus, Jenny is offering her stylish regular stock tax-free during the evenings she's open 5 - 8.  This doesn't apply to consignment pieces like mine and other art, as her rate is already super generous!

Parking is free in Lunenburg for December, perfect for a relaxing, scenic seaside shopping trip away from crowds.  

As of Christmas day, Jenny Jib shuts down for the winter, with a spring reopening date to be announced.