FOUND - whimsical art, vintage treasures, fun finds!

The Christmas Shop at FOUND is open!

 

The Kerrytown manager told me that  last year she had several phone calls asking when "that Christmas store" upstairs would be opening.  She soon realized they were referring to our annual transformation in early November.  All the "regular" odd things we carry are still here, but yes, the Christmas Shop in Kerrytown is once again open at FOUND! 

Our shop isn't very big, but we've packed a lot in.  Here's the front side by the hallway. 

 

To keep more of the floor space clear, we hung a tree from the ceiling!   This is our eco-friendly tree...more about that in another post when I give some ideas for easy-to-make ornaments from repurposed materials.

Here's a simple project - take an old faded sled (one that doesn't have sentimental value in your family) and spray paint it silver.  Add sprays to make a great focal point on your front porch or even over the fireplace.

 


If the sled is in nice condition, just tie a bow and some natural evergreens on it.  The wall below had a really cool sled with good old paint hanging on it - for 3 days!  Gotta get something else hung in that spot tomorrow.

Here are a couple more shots before I head home for the night.  As usual, we mixed vintage pieces in with the new holiday decor.  Adding the unexpected in to a display in the shop or in your home gives a fresh take on decorating.

Warm and fuzzy regards,

Mary
 
 

amazing process: M. Shaw Art Socks

I never cease to be amazed by the creativity of artists who use repurposed materials.  Michigan's own Margaret Shaw is handpainting, then unraveling thrift shop sweaters to make original wool Art Socks for FOUND.   Take a look for yourself:

We have a nice selection of these unique mismatched socks at the shop right now in medium and large sizes and a lovely palette of colors.  Comfy & warm wool Art Socks.  An eco-friendly gift idea!

This video was created by Kerrytown friend, Wendy Williams.   Thanks Margaret and Wendy for showing us how this is done!

Cozy regards,

Mary

p.s.  sorry I haven't written in awhile - meant to post photos as we worked to get the "Christmas Shop" at FOUND put together.  Camera problems.  We're ready for holiday shoppers now!

Here's a reminder of upcoming events:

Saturday, November 7.  Holiday Open House @ FOUND.  Gift with purchase.  Refreshments.  9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 15th.  Kerrytown Open House.  10:00 - 6:00.  Special savings throughout Kerrytown Shops, including FOUND. 

Sunday, Nov. 23.  1:00 - 3:00.  Make holiday cards using recycled materials!  Details to follow.

Sunday, Nov. 30.  Margaret will at FOUND knitting these fun wool socks and answering questions.  Also, this is the day for the Annual Tree Lighting, with caroling and Santa in the Kerrytown Courtyard at 5:30.  Come to meet the artist, stay for the festivities!

Friday, Dec. 4th - Midnight Madness from 10 a.m. til Midnight, of course!   This is also when we kick-off Buy Local Week, a community wide event where we encourage you to shop at locally owned businesses.  As our special thanks for your patronage throughout the year, receive an ornament at FOUND with any purchase from December 4th through Dec. 12th.

organized chaos...

We spent Sunday night and all day Monday  in organized chaos as a great group of people joined in the annual transformation of FOUND for the holidays.  The process will continue on Tuesday.  We'll reopen at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday. 

It's 2 a.m. and I just finished Briwaxing some things that we need for our displays.

ZZZzzzzzzz...

Good-night,

Mary

Halloween treats

This year Halloween is on a Saturday and there will be activities in the Farmer's Market and Trick-or-Treating in the shops.  We'll also have a free little Halloween give-away for anybody who comes in on Saturday.

 Some customers got to reminiscing at the shop today about store bought vs home-made halloween costumes.  One guy remembered putting oil on his face as a kid and rubbing coffee grounds over it for the stubble of an old man...

My mom loved halloween.  She'd dress up and go to the door with a bowl of (spaghetti) guts or (onion) eyeballs or fill a rubber glove and make kids shake her hand before they got their candy.  Believe it or not, kids loved coming to our house.  Her friend Dot's house was the probably the best trick-or-treat place in town - they gave out hot dogs!

At my house on Saturday night, I'll have a big bowl of Reeses and Kit-Kats for all the neighborhood kids.   And a pot of homemade chili to welcome my hubby back from a month in San Francisco.

Happy Halloween!

Mary

 

Pirates invade FOUND seeking treasure...

The Ann Arbor Treasure Hunt is in full swing!  Almost $1,000 in prizes from participating businesses will be given away to groups who follow the clues, snapping photos of the anwer to the clue, then mailing in their whole set of snaps at the end of this month.  I won't repeat the details here, because Capt. Sam, the organizer and head pirate, has all the details if youclick on this link.  with a list of all the participating businesses and clues.

These salty pirates were in on Monday with their parrot friend, Polly.  They tried to look evil and fierce, but weren't very convincing when they broke out in laugher(and not the nasty arrrggg-kind of laughter, just the this-is-so-much-fun kind).

This is a great activity for friends and families.  A fun way to explore various locally owned places that you haven't visited before.   Lots of kids were in over the weekend, searching for something at FOUND that was "forks and spoons to start, turned in to unique art".  Not exactly hidden, but treasure, for sure!

There's less than a week to finish the A2TreasureHunt. 

 

FOUND calendar

Here's a quick FOUND calendar of our in-store schedule for after Halloween.  I'll give more details on each in future posts:

November 2 & 3.  CLOSED for holiday switch-over.

Wednesday, Nov. 4.  9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.  Get first dibs on our fun new holiday collections.  An amazing assortment!

Saturday, November 7.  Holiday Open House @ FOUND.  Gift with purchase.  Refreshments.  9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 15th.  Kerrytown Open House.  10:00 - 6:00.  Special savings throughout Kerrytown Shops, including FOUND. 

Sunday, Nov. 23.  1:00 - 3:00.  Make holiday cards using recycled materials!  Details to follow.

Friday, Dec. 4th - Midnight Madness from 10 a.m. til Midnight, of course!   This is also when we kick-off Buy Local Week, a community wide event where we encourage you to shop at locally owned businesses.  As our special thanks for your patronage throughout the year, receive an ornament at FOUND with any purchase from December 4th through Dec. 12th.

Friday, Dec. 11.  5:00-8:00 p.m.  Patera Party.

 

Patera making with assistance from Cyndi Thayer

Here's a great opportunity to get a head start on holiday gift making: 

We'll have some tables cleared and the UV lamps plugged in for a  Patera make-and-take on Sunday, October 25 at FOUND.  Just drop in between 1:00 and 4:00.  Cyndi Thayer will guide you through the steps to make personalized pendants using Nunn Design jewelry findings and quick curing gel du soleil UV resin.  Make one for free.  Bring any uncut image about the size of a nickel if you want to use something special.

If you would like to make additional Pateras that afternoon, there is a small materials fee of $6.00 per Patera, which includes everything needed to complete a Patera including the frame, gel du soleil, paper sealer and jump ring, plus the use of our punches and UV lamp.  We have circle, square and rectangular pendants with silver or copper finishes to choose from.

I'm in Illinois now and wish I had taken photos of completed Pateras with the gel du soleil resin before I left town... we've been pleased with how easy it is to use.  It's so simple, you don't really need a workshop, but it's always fun to try something out for free before you decide to make more.  And since the days are getting shorter with less days of sunlight, it will be handy to try out the UV Lamp, too.  It retails for $34, but we'll have take 10% off the day of the workshop.

Regards!

Mary

Reminder:  20% off Old Stuff Sale continues through Nov. 1.  Comment on any of these FOUND blog posts to get additional 20% off one item i.e. 40% off any one vintage item purchased by November 1st (yes, even that huge green cabinet by the front door...).

Annual 20% off "OLD STUFF" Sale at FOUND

The clock is ticking.  I won't say how many times these clock hands will go around before we start to get our holiday things out - but you can bet it'll be sooner than you realize....  

Each year we  schedule an "Old Stuff Sale" to begin the middle of October.   Every antique and vintage thing in the shop is 20% off through November 1st.  The sale started today.

Do you have any creative ideas for these antique tin ceiling corners? 

These lovely Limoge violet dishes are 20% off.  And all the other china, flatware, pottery and vases in the shop.

 

So are these silk threads and all our antique buttons - just when you need them for projects you've been meaning to start.

 

We have a whole tub of vintage blocks - the flowers may be fading, but you can spell lots of other words.

 

All of our snapshots, paper packs, sheet music and ephemera is on sale.  Great for card making and paper arts!

Know anyone who would like a vintage train time book?  Or authentic old luggage tags?

 

You know the variety of  vintage things we have - they are ALL on sale for the next 3 weeks.  I don't have time to post more pictures now... need to go put up more signs for this sale..

Regards!

Mary

Oh, here's a bonus for those of you who post a comment below or if you write on the FOUND facebook wall:    Take an additional 20% off any one vintage item during this sale.  That's a whoppin' 40% off one item for my blog readers! 

The making of a childrens' book...with Philip Christian Stead

As mentioned in the last post, you're all invited to the debut book signing for Creamed Tuna Fish & Peas on Toast, Saturday, October 10 from 3:00-6:00 at FOUND, with local author and illustrator Phillip Christian Stead. 

Earlier this week Philip and his wife Erin (who is also an illustrator) brought over the canvas originals that had just been returned from the Roaring Brook Press and set up a display at the shop.  It's created a lot of interest and books are going out the door already.  We can hardly wait until Saturday afternoon - stop by and have Philip personalize a copy of Creamed Tuna Fish and Peas just for you!

We'll leave the displays up for the rest of October.  If you would like an autographed book, but can't make it to Ann Arbor, they are available on our  foundgallery website.   

Having this little shop is a learning experience.  It's amazing the variety of people who walk through our doors every day.  This book is just one example of all the creative projects that my customers do with the bits and peices of vintage ephemera and doodads gathered at FOUND.  Mostly I just know that if I find it, someone will take it to the next step.  My customers constantly teach me things and give me ideas.  I didn't realize how much I don't know about the process of getting a children's book created and published until the past couple weeks.  Philip and Erin answered dozens of questions for me.   It's interesting to hear about the steps involved to get to the stage of actually seeing stacks of your book in print.  We're not usually booksellers, but are just tickled to have these!

Regards!

Mary

Philip Christian Stead artwork and book at FOUND!

What an amazing find this children's book is for FOUND!  It is entirely typeset using vintage toy printing sets AND the backgrounds are filled with bits and pieces of old letters and advertising and postage stamps.... 

  

The author-illustrator lives in Ann Arbor...and unbeknownist to me had gathered some of the things for this book from FOUND.   One of his friends showed me an advance copy and I just knew this was a book that my customers would love.  The mother/teacher in me knows Philip Stead has created a story that is  fun to repeatedly read aloud to children.  The "finder" in me knows that beneath the ink and bright colors is a jumping off point for a game of "I Spy" and art projects.  Themes of recycling and reusing and making do with the materials at hand emerge from the illustrations. 

 

We're pleased to announce that this emerging childrens'  book author will debut Creamed Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast at our shop in Kerrytown.

You're all invited to FOUND for an Author Event with Philip Christian Stead on Saturday, October 10th from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.  Books will be available for $16.50 and he'll sign them on the spot.  He's also bringing in the original collage artwork and the printing sets that he used for the lettering.  What a fun opportunity to meet the author and learn about his unique techniques.  You can also visit his website to learn more. 

We hope you can join us on the 10th as we celebrate the arrival of Tuna Fish and Creamed Peas on Toast.  Refreshments will be served, but we promise it won't be anything fishy.

Regards!   Mary