We are very pleased to announce that Mapleseed Gallery along with Between the Maples B&B and Holly Cottage Bed & Breakfast are partnering to bring you a great learn & stay package.

Book any two-day Mapleseed Gallery woodturning course along with a one or two day stay at the Between the Maples or Holly Cottage and receive a 10% discount* on both your course fees and your accommodations.

Our shop smock (jacket) is definitely designed with the woodturner in mind.  Well made (in the USA) it features:

• light weight nylon fabric
• short sleeves
• open mesh under the arms to keep you cool and comfortable
• zippered front and roomy construction
• stretch fabric on the back of the collar which makes for a snug, but comfortable fit (designed to keep the dust and wood shavings out)
• large flap-covered front pocket
• two large open back pockets (where they are less likely to become filled with wood dust and shaving)
• available in three sizes: medium, large & extra large

Order yours today

$55 (CAD) plus shipping

Contact us at info@mapleseedgallery.ca to place your order or to get a shipping quote

After a wonderful (but busy) holiday show season, it was nice to be back in the workshop. This gave us a great opportunity to work on a variety or activities and projects. Here are some of our January 2012 highlights:

• 
  We introduced the new spicemills.ca eStore.
  Partnering with our sister-site “spicemills.ca“, we launched the new  SpiceMills eStore on Etsy.  This online shop features a great selection of our:
  • handturned artisan spicemils
  • hand-blended peppercorns
  • wood care cream.
  [more info. . .]
• 
  We revised and updated our woodturning course program.
  The new 2012 schedule features two beginner programs and one for slightly more advanced turners.   The beginner courses are both two day introductory programs with one focusing on bowl turning and the other on turning pepper mills.  The intermediate course is a five evening program with participants working a multiple small projects.  The current course schedule run through to May 2012.  Summer and fall dates should be announced by the end of February.  [more info. . .]
• 
  We added a couple of new features to the Mapleseed Gallery website.
  We added a search functionality which will allow you to more easily find information and past articles, and a “tweet this” button that will allow you to share Mapleseed Gallery info via Twitter.  [more info. . .]
• 
  We kicked off the new year with announcement of more than 10 shows and events for 2012
  Once again we will be busy this year with a very active show and event schedule.  With more to come . . . we have started 2012 with with a combination of 10 art, craft and food shows.   [more info. . .]
• 
  We held our first ever “free shipping” sale in our eStore
  During the month of January, we paid the shipping on all pepper mills ordered through our spicemills.ca eStore. [more info. . .]
• 
  And we’ve been busy making more pepper mills too
  After a busy holiday season, it was time to get back to “turning”.  We added a few new spice mills in our eStore and have a bunch more on the way.

Free shipping on all orders over $25

Offer extended to end of February 2012

See details in our spicemills.ca eStore

(click here for details)

We kicked off 2012 with a couple of new woodturning courses.  Inspired by our very successful 2011 Introduction to Woodturning program, the new Introduction to Bowl Turning and Introduction to Pepper Mill Turning courses included the same focus on learning new skills, but provided the opportunity to introduce some new and enhanced projects.

Both courses featured a separate lathe for each participant and an emphasis on safety, building comfort & confidence, having fun, and learning basic woodturning techniques.  With a wide range of skills being taught, the Introduction to Bowl Turning program focused on faceplate style woodturning, while the Introduction to Pepper Mill Turning program focused on spindle style turning.

These beginner level programs each started with a brief but very important discussion about safety and included a full day of instruction, demonstration, and hands-on practice activities, followed by a full day of individual project work.  The formal activities were interspersed with some lively discussion about a wide assortment of woodturning related topics which among others included tool & equipment selection, tool sharpening, harvesting wood, wood selection, woodturning tips, other projects and more.

Each of these two day courses culminated in the creation of some pretty outstanding projects.

One thing for sure . . . both programs were a ton of fun!

Mapleseed Gallerys’ 2012 Woodturning Course Programs

• Introduction to Bowl Turning
  Two day course.  Participants will learn all about basic bowl turning and will make their own bowl take-home project.  No prior woodturning experience required
• Introduction to Pepper Mill Turning
  Two day course. Participants will learn all about basic pepper mill turning and will make their own mill take-home project.  No prior woodturning experience required
• Wood Turning Projects
  Five week course (one evening per week). Participants will learn all about basic turning kit projects and will make four of their own special take-home projects. Some prior woodturning experience required (eg. Students should be able to turn basic beads and coves prior to taking this workshop)

The perfect complement to any dish, these fragrant and flavourful blends adds a complex and multi-layered taste to any meal.

• Trio Blend Peppercorns: A delightful hand-blended mix of black, white and pink peppercorns. A rich fragrance and even flavour with a touch of heat and a hint of sweet, this Trio blend adds nice colour and is a wonderful choice for every day use. Our Trio mix includes approximately 50% black peppercorns, and approximately 25% each of white and pink peppercorns.
• Silhouette Blend Peppercorns: A distinctive hand-blended mix of black and white  peppercorns. With a robust fragrance and strong flavour, this Silhouette blend adds a rich taste and is terrific where a deeper peppery flavour is desired. Our Silhouette mix includes approximately 50% each of black and white peppercorns.
• Special Blend Peppercorns: A unique hand-blended mix of black, white and pink peppercorns, along with chili peppers, garlic, onion and rosemary. A beautiful multi-layered flavour, and rich aroma, this special blend adds a splash of colour and texture to any meal.

On Sale • Buy 3 . . .  Get 1 Free

Maybe you have never used a wood lathe or perhaps not since high school?  Maybe you already own a wood lathe but are apprehensive about using it?  Maybe you have always wanted to buy a wood lathe but want to give it a try first?  Maybe you just want to have fun learning something new?  Maybe it’s time you gave it a try . . .

Here’s what some of our students have said:

• “I had a lot of fun creating something functional and expressing the natural beauty of the wood. Your focus on safety gave me the confidence to have fun”
  
• “I took your course to help me decide whether or not I wanted to invest in a lathe and associated tools. The two days were such fun that I’ve decided to go ahead and do it”
  
• “The woodturning weekend was one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time”
• “Awesome fun! I though I’d be really nervous, but the small class size and friendly environment made me feel very comfortable“
• “I definitely had a lot of fun, and I think the way you taught the material will make it stick in my head . . . I know that my Dad and I will plan some weekend soon to get his lathe fired up!“

Sign up for a Mapleseed Woodturning Course Today

• Space is limited • Register early •

• Lots of fun
• Safe environment
• Learn & enhance skills
• Small class size (2 students max)
• Qualified instructor
• Modern equipment
• One-on-one attention
• Fun learning activities
• Uniqiue take-home projects

Hand-blended in small batches, Mapleseed Gallery Wood Cream with Organic Beeswax is perfect for all your kitchen woodenware. Designed to help to protect, revitalize, and beautify . . . this rich wood cream will give your woodenware a beautiful satin lustre hand-rubbed look and feel.

Use it regularly to care for your wood bowls, cutting boards, butcher blocks, pepper mills, knife blocks, utensils, and much more. Made in Canada, Mapleseed Gallery Wood Cream With Organic Beeswax is made with organic beeswax, organic carnauba wax, food grade mineral oil, and a unique blend of pure essential oils of lemon and tea tree. That’s it . . . nothing else . . . no toxic solvents, chemical dryers, colourants, preservatives or other additives.

Use it as a kitchen-safe sole wood finish (with regular re-applications) or as a top coat finish to refresh and protect your woodenware.

Located in downtown Owen Sound (874 2nd Ave. E.), Fulford’s is a unique shopping experience specializing in Gourmet Kitchenware & cookware, Luxury Bath Fixtures and plumbing parts, and a complete selection of unique and Traditional Hardware and Home Improvement items. Their team of professionals is highly trained to help you with all of your projects. Whether you are building a new house, renovating a powder room or looking for quality kitchenware for that perfect wedding gift, their team is here to help. Fulfords is a locally owned and operated business that has been part of the Owen Sound and Grey/Bruce communities for more than 78 years. Big enough to offer you the most competitive pricing around—yet small enough to care about their customers—Fulfords is the place for quality Kitchenware, Bathware, and Hardware. Click here for more information about Fulford Kitchenware Bathware Hardware.

If you are looking for great local accommodations, why not give our friends at Between the Maples B&B or the Holly Cottage Bed & Breakfast a call.

• Between the Maples B & B: Nestled among mature maples, this is a comfortable century home located in the city of Owen Sound, with a view of Georgian Bay. It is a 5 minute drive to the Mapleseed Gallery workshop.
  For more information, contact  Gord & Maggi Trimble at 519-370-0202 (1-877-470-0202) or visit them online at www.bbcanada.com/11029.html. Book your stay at the Between the Maples B&B and receive a 10% discount on both your your Mapleseed Gallery woodturning course registration fee and your accommodations (click here for details).*
• Holly Cottage Bed & Breakfast: Built in 1878 with a new addition added in 2000, this Stone Farm House offers you the charm of yesteryear with the conveniences of today. Located on Highway 26 (16KM east of Owen Sound) is about a 15 minute drive to the Mapleseed Gallery workshop.
  For more information contact David & Norma Collis at (519) 371-7178 or visit then online at www.hollycottage.ca.  Book your stay at the Holly Cottage Bed & Breakfast and receive a 10% discount on both your your Mapleseed Gallery woodturning course registration fee and your accommodations (click here for details).*

For a full list of local accommodations, restaurants, shopping, attractions and events, please visit Owen Sound Tourism at www.owensoundtourism.ca.

If you already have a Twitter account you can start following us right now at MapleseedArts.  If you don’t have a Twitter account yet, you can click here to create one.

See you on Twitter.