CHEX TV air date: Friday Nov. 28th, 2014 Click link to watch video here. On this episode of the Garden Gate I’m talking about recycled content in some of our products. ?Instead of using new materials, these businesses all use recycled materials to make their products. ?This means less pollution in the environment and also that items are being reused before they are recycled! 
Our fun Happy socks for instance are made from recycled cotton T-Shirts! Leftovers are recycled into rags mats and other products. ?If a sock isn’t made quite right then it is made into a hat! You should see these fun and colourful hats! Scarves, mittens, baby and kid socks are also available. We also carry some really cute puppets that are made out of recycled wool sweaters. ?The puppets are made by sewers in Toronto. ?One of the owners (Josh Title) has even appeared on Martha Stewart Living! ?Josh showed Martha how to cut the fabric and put the puppets together. ?Puppies, elephants, cats, birds and even moose can be found in the shop!
? And most recently we added a line of mittens made in North Bay. ?The owner Josee, has in her first year of business, recycled over 1000lbs of wool sweaters into beautiful mittens! ?She is an excellent sewer matching up patterns from really weird sweaters and turning them into warm and fun mittens that she calls SMITTENS! 
And closest to home are some crazy metal animals and Christmas trees made out of recycled propane and oil tanks. ?Every one is unique. ?These come from Dog Bite Steel in Uxbridge, Ontario,
Month: November 2014
Garden Gate: Episode 50! – Maxwell pottery & Madoc Rocks
CHEX TV air date: ?Friday Nov. 14th, 2014
Click link to watch this episode.
On this episode of the Garden Gate I showcase a couple of items which are great for people who love to entertain, live on a lake or spend time at a cottage!
Dip sets shaped like canoes and stone coasters from Madoc!
In 1991 Daniel Maxwell and his wife Jodi returned home to Northern Ontario to establish their Pottery Studio. Using a strong stoneware clay, all work is made on the pottery wheel or is hand built. With his own recipe of glaze colours, Daniel hand paints each piece in one of his many unique designs.
Daniel attributes his pride of craftsmanship and tasteful use of colour to having studied and worked at Sheridan College School of Craft and Design in Oakville, Ontario for nine years.
Daniel says to his customers “I make funtional pots. I want people to enjoy them for their utilitarian qualities as well as their decorative appeal.”
Daniel’s lead free pottery is dishwasher, microwave and over safe and brings many years of pleasure.
Nick Butts creates wonderful stone coasters out of rock he mines near Madoc and Nephton. The rocks are cut down to coaster size in sets of four. At this point some stones have designs such as loons or moose added. Then they are coated to protect and bring out the textures and colours.
Again these are terrific items for a cottage, but also a great gift for a man. He can use these in his “man cave!”