Paddle for Charity Fundraiser

My last round of paddle making got quite the reception on Facebook, so much so that I ended up teaming up with a local kids charity that was running a canoe fundraiser. I decided to make them a custom paddle with their logo on it to be auctioned off.  The paddle is made from poplar with walnut strips.

 

I laminated the the shaft and wrapped the blade in a way that it looks like the walnut runs right down the centre of the glad and shaft.  A died epoxy tip was added to protect the end of the blade.

 

I painted the entire paddle with a thin coat of epoxy for protection, then a coat of poly to protect from the UV rays.  The paddle was a huge hit and raise them a bunch of money for their camp programs, it was a great fit for both of us!

Classing it up…

A month ago I ordered a custom brand from Heavy Industry.  I found them on Etsy where I also have a shop.  They were absolutely awesome to work with.  I sent them my logo in jpg format, asked about what size would work best for the font, and presto, here’s my awesome new brand.  I splurged for the electric branding iron, didn’t want to have to mess around with a propane torch trying to get it to the right temperature.  I’m really pleased with the brand, and I think it helps developing an identity, plus it looks pretty cool.  I’ve put it on a few items so far, including the business card holder seen above.

Last week I finished off this coffee cart for Patisserie la Toque.  They wanted a modern looking coffee cart with a bit of an industrial feel.  Seemed like the perfect opportunity to try my hand at a concrete counter top!  The cart is 3/4″ Baltic Birch plywood and a 2″ thick concrete top.  I put it all on casters so they can move it around for cleaning purposes.  The cart + coffee maker must weigh in at around 200 lbs. so it’s quite sturdy.  Already they have had lots of comments from their customers and it might lead to a few outdoor concrete table orders.

52 Create – Packaging

52 Create, my weekly creative outburst for 2011.  Hot on the heels of my first Etsy sale, I realized that I couldn’t simply wrap the camera in newspapers and send it away, I needed to give it some class.  While I realize this week’s craft isn’t exactly epic, I do feel there is some importance to the first impression when the buyer opens the box, and as well you can never work hard enough to establish some great branding.

 

The box is made out of card stock, stapled together to form two boxes that fit inside each other.  The red tissue paper was left over and my wife designed the logo (which was printed by inkjet onto the paper before I folded it).  As you can see above, I gave in to the customer’s request and burnt “M9” onto the camera.

 

My other 52 Create projects.

 

My Etsy Shop