Canadian Hand Made Gifts & Souvenirs From Coast to Coast
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Greetings! :

Happy Canada Day. I cannot begin to express how lucky and proud I am to be a resident of this magnificent country. Mother Nature has blessed us with beautiful forests, majestic mountains, an abundance of fresh water, oceans to sail, land to grow crops upon and an abundance of wildlife from birds to fish, to moose to whales. We have the Northern Lights to paint the sky and if you are lucky enough to be able to get out of the city (where we have jobs and education) there are stars to dream upon. As a woman, this country allows me to own a business, speak freely and drive a car. Quite often I feel that people take the rights we have for granted, especially when one starts to listen to the shenanigans going on elsewhere on the planet. I am proud that this little shop supports the work of Canadians from coast to coast. From the first Canadians, our indigenous peoples, to people who have transplanted and now call this land home, Cornerstone Canadian Art & Craft's mission is to support Canadian artists, who in turn support their families and communities, no matter what part of this beautiful country they hail from. From coast to coast, we have some of the most amazing and talented people in the world creating for us. We are open all weekend with the most amazing staff, to celebrate Canada Day and we invite you to come in from the heat and spend some time being inspired and to take a little piece of Canada home with you to admire all year long. We cannot achieve our mission without the support of all the great customers and friends who visit Cornerstone from near and far. We are blessed with many people who think of us first when they need that special something, either for themselves or to share as a gift for someone special. In these turbulent times, we thank you for supporting Canadians and for supporting us. When the times get tough, we bring out the best in each other and rally to support each other!

It's HOT out there folks! Remember we will be a part of the No Hot Pets program again this year. Please DO NOT leave animals (or CHILDREN) in the car!!!!! We allow you to bring your leashed pet (or a pet in a stroller) into the store instead of leaving them in a hot car. We are also a partner of the water bottle refill program so we will refill water bottles and pet bowls too! Animals are afraid of fireworks so please be mindful of pets when you are celebrating long weekends. The last thing you want is to be searching for a pet that's bolted outside at night because it's afraid. Be mindful too that fireworks frighten our natural wildlife as well.

From our heart you yours,
Penny & the wonderful staff at Cornerstone
ZIA piece
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Photo of the sunset at my cottage taken by neighbour & friend,
Suzanne Alden Brown
Featured Artist - Vaness Jane Martin Fine Art
Vanessa Jane Martin is an abstract artist working out of Kingston. She loves to create vibrant, beautiful, textured one of a kind pieces. Vanessa enjoys painting with acrylic and textured mediums on wood. Her work is privately displayed throughout Canada and the United States. She is actively involved in the art community here! Vanessa is our feature artist for the month of July so we invite you to come and admire her work and to take a piece home to adorn your own walls!
BuskerFest Scavenger Hunt Saturday July 7
We are at it again!!!! 11 shops in the DT are creating another scavenger hunt for BuskerFest and we want YOU t o be the Star!!!
( Literally!!) The hunt will be on to locate a RED STAR in each of the 11 participating stores. The hunt will take place Saturday July 7, from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Get signed off at all 11 locations and you will be entered into a draw worth over $275.00!!!
This is a FAMILY FRIENDLY event!!!
Maps with all the participating locations will be available at each location on Thursday. Stay tined to our FB page for more details as they unfold!
New Class Saturday September 23
Do you know what scratchboard art is? Until recently I didn't either! That was until I ran into the most amazing and talented Lori Dunn. In a past life, Lori was a zookeeper and her love of animals shows in the amazing and highly detailed pieces she creates using scratchboard.


What is Scratchboard?
Scratchboard art is a form of direct engraving on a specially prepared board. The boards consists of three layers of material. The base is hardboard that has a layer of white kaolin clay applied to it. The clay is then sanded smooth and a layer of black ink is applied over top. The image is etched one “scratch” at a time using an extremely fine tool such as a scalpel or exacto blade. The black is removed to reveal the white clay beneath.

It is one of the only forms of two dimensional media that is subtractive, as material is removed rather than added. Artists must work in reverse of classical artistic training in that they are rendering highlighted areas only. Tonal variations are achieved by the depth of etching as well as how much surface area is removed.

Many hours are spent on each scratchboard artwork and they may take months to complete. Lori Dunn uses professional grade clayboards that are completely archival, of museum quality and highly resistant to fading from sunlight. Finished works are sprayed with a UV resistant varnish to further protect the image.

Scratchboard produces unique works of art with a level of realism and detail that is unsurpassed by many other media. The absorbent clay can be colored afterwards using specialized inks or paints but many people prefer the simplicity and beauty of the black and white image. 


The Fee for this all day class is $135.00 and will include materials and lunch at a local eatery! The class will run from 10:00 AM sharp to 4:00 pm (be prepared to go a little over and stay until 5:00 PM if we need some extra time) There are only 8 spaces available for this amazing class. To register please call the store at 613-546-7967 and have your credit card handy or come to the store and pay in cash or debit. I already know that I will be participating in this event so that leaves 7 openings!!! I expect this class to fill up quickly as Lori is in demand at many places to teach her techniques. Don't miss out!!!
Ontario Choice Awards


Once again, we are honoured to be a finalist in the Attractions Ontario Choice Awards 2018 (small museum/art gallery/historic site) category. Voting happens from April 27 - September 30, 2018. You can vote for us once every 24 hour period so please make sure that you place us on your list of things to do daily! I cannot tell you how honoured we would be to win this award! Not only would it be good for us, but it would also be another great reason to come and experience Kingston with all it's fabulous shopping and wonderful restaurants.
Oh Canada!
It goes without saying that we are polite, (sorry) helpful people noted for our maple leaf, maple syrup and moose! We are also known for hockey, basketball and beer! But we are so much more than that. But on a lighter note, I have dug up a few "Canadianisms" that try to explain a few things about us. Feel free to share them !
Joe Greene Jr. - June 23
Joe Greene Jr. Was here to talk to people about his carvings and share the stories of his culture that inspire his work. I describe Joe as a "gentle giant"! (as you will see in the picture of us). In spite of the rain, people came out to enjoy his work and it was a pleasure to have him at the store. I hope that I can convince him to come back again on a nicer day and bring his work again. You have until Tuesday July 2 to see and buy a piece to take home. His work is incredible and would make a great addition to anyone's collection. Thanks Joe!
To stay up to date check out our website for more details about Cornerstone Canadian Art & Craft and follow us on FB, Twitter Instagram and Pinterest!

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