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

As I am writing this, the temperature has definitely begun to "dip" and I have a small cube heater on to blast some warm air my way. Normally the first snow to arrive are some flurries in November and possibly even holding off until December. But this year on October 17th around 11:30 pm there was a major snow "kafuffle" that had me worried that we might be "in for it!" Predictions of the "coldest & snowiest winter yet" have me scampering to ready myself for the winter season a little earlier than normal or than I would like to! (Considering some Halloween's have been 75 degrees F in the past!) I will begin by reminding everyone of the assortment of lovely and cozy items we have at the store from mittens from Hides and Hands, to slippers from Garneau, capes and hats from Mod Atout Express, and beautiful scarves, cuffs and hats from Brenda Taylor. With the holiday season and all it's festivities fast approaching, you want to make sure that you are prepared for inclement weather while doing your shopping!

As the official kickoff to the holiday season begins we would like to announce that there will be the return of the Christmas window competition! Windows of participating retailers will be lovingly decorated by November 17th (The Santa Claus Parade!) Voting for your favourite window will be done online and will end on December 17th and the winner of this friendly neighbourhood competition will be announced on Wednesday December 19th. You will only be allowed to vote once and the winner of the competition gets.... bragging rights!!! We hope that everyone will come out to shop and to see all the beautiful storefronts of the participating windows as a lot of hard work and effort goes not these events.

The featured artist for November is.... Still me :0 Sometimes you have someone lined up and then stuff happens. Hope anyone who didn't get the chance to see my work comes down to take a look !

We have a few new artists to Cornerstone in November. April Lacheur (Yapes Paints) paints beautiful images and turns them into a variety items including a whole series of cards (including 2 holiday images!). With such a large selection it will be hard to choose just one! ( We will let you get more if you twist our arms!!!)We have some great cards and fun prints from Alison Warren. She puts a whole new twist on some traditional Canadian images of geese, Moose and deer. She whimsically "dresses" them in Burberry plaids, Buffalo Checks, Hudson Bay blanket colours and more, making them a great addition to a den or cottage/cabin wall. Lastly we have Jennifer Cahill with Forged By Fire. Jennifer makes lovely wood turned items and personalizes them with wood burned images including flowers, bees, Celtic designs and more. I have even had the honour of sipping wine from one of her lovely "Bumble Bee" goblets at a friend's house! Her pieces would make for a memorable gift for a special occasion (or as my friend did... for herself and company!)


From our heart you yours,
Penny & the wonderful staff at Cornerstone


P.S. Many people tell us that they are scouting out holiday gifts now. It's a little different here at Cornerstone so we remind people "if you see it, like it then buy it!" We feel badly when you come back and your chosen item has already found another home. Many of our artists are unable to recreate a similar piece on short notice and before the holidays. Avoid disappointment!
ZIA piece
Just a preview of what's coming... but we are tough Canadians!
Featured Artist - Penny Knapp
Since you already know who I am, I will simply say that when I have time, I like to be out and about taking photographs. My favourite subject matter are architectural details and sculpture. I also love taking pictures of landscapes and just catching moments of "joie de vivre". My other passion is Zentangle, a meditative art form. I am very much looking forward to going on a retreat this month where I can learn new techniques that I can bring back to everyone via a Sunday morning class! So please come over to the shop and take a look... I hope you find a piece that connects with your spirit.
Join us for the Holiday Window Competition
I remember as a small child going to Yorkdale in Toronto at Christmas and looking at all the beautifully decorated storefront windows featuring festive scenes of the holiday season. (Maybe that's where my love for all things sparkly began!) To this day I love looking at all the decorations and the ingenious ideas that people come up with. You can pass this tradition down to your children right here in DT Kingston!
The Holiday Window Competition will kickoff on Saturday November 17th, during the annual Santa Claus parade event. Participating retailers will have their windows decorated for a friendly competition. Stay tuned for the voting link where you can vote for your favourite window! The link will be available on FB and at participating retailers on November 18th. The last day to vote will be December 19th. The prize for the first place winner? Bragging rights until next year!
Festive Friday Friday November 30th

DT Kingston will be launching holiday festivities and staying open until 9:00 pm. Cornerstone will have staffer "Lovely Lynn" playing her guitar and singing some holiday favourites. Mark your calendars and come join us for some holiday good cheer and super shopping! I say this every year... If you see it and like it BUY IT! we cannot guarantee that one of a kind items can be re made at all!!!
Jessica Lin
New artists
April Lacheur - Yapes Paints
April Lacheur is a professional self-taught artist and acrylic painter living in beautiful Maple Ridge near Vancouver BC Canada. She works mostly in acrylic to create bold and playful interpretations for west coast nature with special focus on trees and tree roots and our connection to nature. April has been building a thriving art business since 2007 and her original work can be found in private collections across North America and even in Australia. April also offers a line of popular reproductions such as greeting cards, prints and calendars.
 April’s style has often been called unique and combines bold colors with clean line work. Her most recent work includes loose abstract backgrounds representative of letting go, overlaid with more stylized line work, representing what is most important for us to grab hold of. Trees in her paintings have exposed roots and transparencies, encouraging the viewer to remember and share their own roots, their unique stories. A reminder that we are not unlikes trees in a forest, living together in a community.

BTW....
Definition of Yapes Paints:
Yapes: (y-ape-s) April’s nick name Paints: She sure does!

Alison Warren
Alison Waldron-Warren is a Canadian artist currently working out of Ajax, ON. Her Canadian Wildlife series is a tribute to her time spent in Northern Ontario. The juxtaposition of fabrics and animals is a play on the views one may find on a crisp fall day at the cottage. The images allow one to bring the beauty of the North home with them throughout the year. 
I met Alison at ArtFest in Pickering Ontario and immediately fell in love with her take on our Canadian wildlife What is more Canadian than A Canada Goose decked out in Hudson Bay colours or more chic than a moose in Plaid!
Jennifer Cahill - Forged By Fire

Fire Forged by Jennifer Cahill

I am an Awarding Winning, Freehand, Self taught Pyrographic (Wood Burning) Artist and Wood Turner from Port Hope Ontario. All my pieces are created freehand, I do not use any traces, transfers or copying, making my pieces unique and one of a kind. I create many different pieces including Wall Art, Jewellery, Food Safe Bowls and Goblets. I believe in trying to reuse as much as possible, so all my turned pieces are made from rescued wood from local trees that had to come down. I believe that the tree can have another life in the form of beautiful art. 
I have donated my original pieces to raise funds for many causes such as in an auction to an amazing organization, Beads of Courage and have also donated my artistic skill to wood burn a Beads of Courage Bowl for a child to collect their beads in. I have also donated some of my pieces to raise money for a Service Dog Mina for her surgery, so that she could get back to work doing what she loves and helping her owner, a boy that has autism. I feel like my artist ability is my super power and I need to use to the best I can.
My inspirations for my pieces come from so many different places and events in my life. I even get inspiration from the wood itself. I work with the wood rather than on the wood. By wood burning freehand it gives me the ability to put my heart and soul in each piece making each piece unique and one of a kind.
My pieces can be seen at the Burlington Art Gallery, Northumberland Arts Gallery and the Cornerstone Canadian Art Gallery in Kingston.
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