FOUND - whimsical art, vintage treasures, fun finds!

end of year clearance at FOUND

It's December 26th and we still have a bit of Christmas merchandise left.  Not much.  But what we do have needs to go.  It's all now half off - and you can still take advantage of our buy 5, get one free special to make it over 65% if you need quantities of what is still here.

This was an amazing holiday season at FOUND.   A sincere thank you to all of you who helped to make it our best ever!   We always try to have an interesting mix.  Some things sold out almost as soon as we put them out - the day before Christmas we finally got our reorder of candles in the shape of paint brushes.  Not in time for Christmas gifts, but great throughout the year.

I'll be taking a little break to travel back to Illinois to visit family. When I return we'll do inventory and then start to restock for 2010.  I love fresh beginnings.

Christmas week hours at FOUND

Need last minute stocking stuffers, candles for your holiday table or unique handmade gifts?  We have a selection that you can't find any place else!

Here are the times we'll be open Christmas week:

Monday and Tuesday  10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Wednesday   9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Christmas eve  10 a.m. -3 p.m.

Closed Christmas Day

Saturday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

 

Need new stockings?  Margaret Shaw reknit these woolly ones from yarn she salvaged from thrift shop sweaters!  We have several other styles to choose from, too.  Here are some things to tuck in the stockings:

Earrings made from recycled glass, from Bottled Up Designs.

Locally made journals created from vintage books. 

Fun and funky lamps from Brad Devlin.  I want one of these at my house.

Picture frames in a variety of style for your favorite family photos.

For ideas under $5, see earlier post.  We still have some of those things left.  The mood is festive and fun in Kerrytown this week.   This is my favorite time of the year!

Cheery regards,

Mary

 

 
 
  
 

 
  
 

One week til Christmas

It's a week before Christmas and we still had new arrivals this week!  We often say you never know what you'll find at FOUND and it keeps changing all the time.  Dozens of antique and vintage ornaments were put out on Wednesday morning.

Pillar candles shaped like giant pencils.

More wool wreaths made from recycled, felted sweaters.

It's been a fun holiday season at FOUND.  We had a few people sing songs this week and get free jingle bells.  We'll continue giving away bells until Christmas eve.

If you need a lovely, simple arrangement for your mantle or dining room table, how about a few of these glass trees and some candles.  These trees are 30% off now.  

 
 

Candles from the Bullfrog Light Company of Charleviox, Michigan are always popular gifts.  We had another big order arrive today with simple birchbark style and with more of these Peace candles.   The special thing about these candles is that they glow from top to bottom when they burn. 

May your week be filled with peace and good cheer!

Mary

 Here's a special for anyone who reads all the way to the bottom of this.  Post a comment below and get 40% off any one item between now and Christmas (handmade artist things not included).  Be sure to tell the sales person that you posted.
 
 
  
 

Jingle bells...

What is your favorite Christmas song? 

Come in this week.  Sing (or hum) a line and get a jingle bell spray or set of five jingle bells on a red ribbon, FREE with any purchase..

5 gifts for $5 (or less) at FOUND

Need ideas of inexpensive stocking stuffers and little gifts? 

I started to write this post about FIVE  gifts and stocking stuffers under $5, but couldn't stop at five  because everywhere I turned I found more  thrifty things that fit the bill:

1.  FOUND magazine, issue #7. Just in from the printers, the latest compilation from Ann Arbor local Davy Rothbart and friends. Some back issues also available. $5 

 

2.  "Ann Arbor, my type of place" magnet with vintage typewriter graphic $3.  

3.  Chocolate filled candy cane.  New shipment due from Denver any day now.  We don't expect them to last long.   The wrapper says it's really three servings. Now that's a big candy cane! $4  

4.  Vintage Cat-eye marbles  10/$2.50

 

5.  Star Ornaments @ $4 each. Peace, Joy, Hope, Believe, Faith or Ho Ho Ho. These are great as ornaments or... gift tie-ons, around the top of a bottle, around a napkin for you place settings.

6.  Pickle & olive spoon. Designed and made in Ann Arbor. The perfect solution for removing slippery foods from a liquid. Made by the same guy who makes angels from forks, this is a very practical gift. Stainless $3.50. Fancy silverplated version $5

7.  "Curva Lama", the handy-dandy multi-purpose kitchen, household & garden tool. A FOUND exclusive for the person who thinks they have everything they need. Stainless $3.50. Fancy silverplated version $5.

8.  Vintage Mission Orange Drink Bank.  An old promotional item, the can boasts that it is dextrose enriched and makes thirst a pleasure.  $4.50

9.  Square candle that fits in a standard round candlestick holder. $4.50 each. Round tapers in a crayon-box assortment of colors $1.75 each.

10. Blank Ann Arbor notecards.  $4 each

11.  Retro measuring cups.  Made in Cleveland. $1.50 set

12. Vintage advertising cook booklets.  Give this to someone along with the ingredients to make one of the recipes and an offer to make it!

13.  Pocket size notepads with peace signs on the front.  Made in Ann Arbor.  $5

There's more but you'll just have to come in and find them yourself.  And remember - if you need a half dozen something, you just pay for 5 and get the 6th one free.  Such a deal!

Thrifty regards,

Mary

Easy chance to win $5 gift card:  Post a comment in the section below about something you cherish that has no tangible monetary value. You'll be entered the drawing  to win a $5 FOUND gift card, itself a great little stocking stuffer, plus any one of the items listed above!  Winner will be randomly chosen on Sunday night and announced here.

Trivia Bonus + Floral sale + Patera Party + eco Sunday

Quick Post: this weekend at FOUND:

Vintage Holiday Trivia - when you come in the shop between now and Sunday, tell us what the Gurley Novelty Company was best known for and we'll give you 35% off any one Bullfrog or other special candle in the shop.  Just tell the shop assistant the answer when you check out.  Offer ends Dec. 13th.

15% off all holiday florals, just in time to decorate!

Merry Multiples sale continues through 12/31.  Buy 5 of same thing, get 6th one free (combine with florals sale for super a sale).

Patera Party this Friday from 5:00 to 8:00.  We'll have the UV curing lamps plugged in and Cyndi will be here to help you finish up some gift making.  Bring images about the size of a nickel.  Make as many as you'd like.  Everything you need is provided at a cost of $6 per Patera.  If you have Pateras you've already purchased, but have been waiting for a sunny day....bring them in that night and finish them at no charge.   More info on earlier blog post.  Please give us a quick jingle or email if you plan to come.

Eco-Sunday Demo:  due to space constraints and a mix-up with our calendar, we will be rescheduling the Canvas Mixed Media Collage Demo by local artist Katherine Wilson in February.  And will have a repeat of Eco-Sunday #3 penny rug stitching this Sunday from 1:00 - 3:00 in the hallway outside of FOUND. 

More later,

Mary

frazzled tech frustration resolved + web special

I must admit I've been a bit frazzled lately.  In addition to running the shop, for the past 6 months, I've been trying to increase our web presence through a whole variety of (time consuming) methods...listing more items for sale on the web, optimizing key words for search engines and getting our url out in as many places as possible.  When I discovered last week that our website has been giving customers an error message after they go through the whole process of  entering their credit card info to place an order (for perhaps the last 2 months), I sort of flipped out.  Usually, I appear to be unflappable.  I flapped this week...

The shopping cart at www.foundgallery.com was sending everybody who tried to order on-line away with a very rude error message.  Thanks to 3 long distance customers who called last week to place phone orders for alerting me to this.  And apologies to the frustrated potential customers who emailed me  before.  I can do this blog stuff, but I'm definately not tech savy.  I spent hours over the weekend trying to work with tech support myself - with nothing but mounting frustration as a result.  When I was near tears this morning and saying some of the bad words that I seldom use, my son John stepped in and worked with tech support to fix the problem. 

For those of you who follow FOUND from a distance, here's a special to celebrate that the shopping cart is again working properly.  We'll send a free gift with any online purchase through Dec. 20:  a pair of 8" beeswax tapers ($10.95 value).  On check-out, just write in the comment box whether you would prefer the natural beeswax color or "Christmas Red" color.

On a lighter note, a huge thanks to everyone who is embracing Buy Local Week this holiday season - the traffic in the shop - especially during Midnight Madness - has been amazing!

With thankful regards,

Mary

Patera Party Friday, Dec. 11th

Here's a great opportunity to finish up some holiday gift making: 

We'll have some tables set up and the UV lamps plugged in for a  Patera workshop on Friday, Dec. 11th from 5:00 to 8:00 at FOUND.    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. 

There is a small materials fee of $6.00 per standard size Patera / $7.50 for the large Pateras.  Make as many as you'd like during this 4 hour event.  Everything needed to complete your pendants or charms is included: Patera frame, gel du soleil, paper sealer, jump ring, plus the use of our punches and UV lamps.  We will have circle, square and rectangular pendants with silver or copper finishes to choose from. Bring any uncut images, pictures or prepared artwork about the size of a nickel or anything else you would like to put in the frame with you. 

So that we have a good idea of how many to expect, please contact the shop this week.  734-302-3060.  We'll have snacks and make it a party! 

Regards,

Mary

Thanks to Becky at Nunn Design for the banner photo on this page. 

Eco-Sunday #3: Stockings from thrift shop wool

For the third of our eco-Sunday demos on December 6th,  Anne Sheill will demonstrate an easy way to make stockings from recycled skirts and jackets.  Anne will give tips on selecting fabrics for "penny rug" style embellishment and use basic handstitching to make stockings.   This is a craft easy enough for patient children, and 4-thumbed adults to do.  Stop by between 1:00 and 3:00 this Sunday, and Anne will show you how!

 

Anne has put together kits with these 10" tall stockings.  Stop by for this casual demo tomorrow between 1:00 and 3:00.

Regards!

Mary