Winter Wonderland...

It's now December, and it is just starting to feel like fall is wrapping up.
I exhibited my work at the Holiday Speakeasy show at the Gladstone Hotel last night,
which was a lot of fun, and a reminder that yes, it is now December!
 
Our first snowfall a couple of days ago, admittedly, left me feeling pretty
excited about hiding under a blanket, and hibernating a bit after all of the
holiday orders are complete.

I'm working on custom orders, and etsy orders and can guarantee the pieces
will be finished in time for the holidays if you get your order in before Dec.15th.
Special exceptions can be made of course, so drop me a note if you're a last
minute shopper. 

See my work here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/touchthedutch?ref=pr_shop_more

Holiday orders are keeping me busy and the post office staff expect to see
me on a daily basis, which makes me glad it is pretty close by!
I have new pieces at Magic Pony on Queen Street West in Toronto, so
be sure to stop by there, or my newest gallery shop is Miracle Thieves,
on Dundas West, just across from the beautiful Trinity Bellwoods Park.

The opening party is tomorrow night, so if you are in the neighbourhood,
stop by, come out and support local designers and share in a toast to the holidays.
Oh, and there will be cupcakes.  Cupcakes make any opening awesome!
http://miraclethieves.com/winter-launch-please-join-us/

Speakeasy Holiday Show

We've been having an amazing fall in Toronto....this means a longer bike riding season for me, and, I picked a ripe raspberry from the bush in my backyard on December 1st!  The city is experiencing some spectacular weather and I've been enjoying the fall sunlight in my studio.  The studio opening party is still to be announced in the near future!

There have been long days, restless nights and many, many trips to the post
office to deliver my pieces to their new homes, and working on custom orders.

Despite all of this, I'm getting ready to participate in a holiday show at the historic
Gladstone Hotel, on Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario, on Dec. 1!

If you are in the city, please do come by and say hello!

The above image:

"Sound Advice"
Hand fabricated.
Shadow box with removable jewellery piece.
Acrylic, Sterling Silver, Vinyl, Nickel Silver.
2010.
Sold.

Speakeasy Annual
Holiday Sale
Thursday. Dec.1, 2011
7-11PM.

http://www.blttogo.com/

Chevron Studs

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82707240/chevron-studs-in-sterling-silver?ref=pr_shop

Spoons!

The beginning of a series of work that explore themes of abandonment, value and memory.  I re purposed and transformed a collection of spoons in an effort to experiment with subtle changes that affect our impression about whether an object is collectible, disposable, temporary, or lasting.

I sourced many of these spoons from rummage sales, thrift shops and yard sales.  No longer wanted, or valuable to their former owners, I would come across bags and bags of cutlery in these places.

Wanting to do something with the spoon form, which is an appealing shape to me, and likely the first piece of cutlery most of us have ever used, I re purposed many of them into absinthe spoons, honey dippers, and sugar sifters.  I gold plated many of them, combined plastic and metal components and pierced designs from the bowls of the spoons.  Check out Design Sponge and the post here for more images.  I also make custom ones and one of a kind spoons which you can find here on my etsy page: 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/41615583/pierced-mint-julep-spoon

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/02/anneke-van-bommel.html

Lost and Found Chairs, or "To a good home".

During the fall, I collaborated with Toronto designer, Cameron Maclean on a project we had been planning for some time.  Using abandoned, broken, curbside, solid wood chairs we planned to rehabilitate them and make them useful and beautiful again.

All of the chairs we found were covered in a minimum of 4 layers paint which we carefully hand stripped and scraped, sanded, disassembled, reassembled and replaced broken components with metal cobwebs, spindles and armatures.  While many of the changes were subtle, it was satisfying and exhausting to see the project come together.

In the works for over four months, slogging through snowstorms at night, too many meals from curry in a hurry to recall, and clothing forever covered in epoxy, wood dust and stain....they are here!

All of the chairs that we found were named after the street on which they were found: Sorauren, Dowling Avenue etc. in Toronto.

Launched as part of Toronto's International Design show week, at satellite gallery, MADE on Dundas. 

They were featured on Design Sponge before the show, and I wanted to share the post, written by Grace here!

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2011/01/lost-and-found-chair.html

Let the blogging begin....

Welcome....

It's day one of my new blog that I will be developing to document some of the experiments in my studio, recent musings and oddities that I encounter, as I explore.  I hope you enjoy!

Above image:

"Grizzly High Five brooch"
Nickel Silver.
Hand Fabricated.
2010.