The Leslieville Flea's blog posts have a new home!

The Leslieville Flea's blog posts have a new home!! Now all of our blog posts and information about the Flea can be found at
www.leslievilleflea.com

It's the place to go to for all things Leslieville Flea. To receive our blog posts and stay up to date on Leslieville Flea events, sign up at

www.leslievilleflea.com

See you at the next Leslieville Flea, December 15th at the Jimmy Simpsn Recreation centre, 870 Queens street east

Upcycle Saturdays....Guest Blogger Jack Fouracre from Son of a Woodcutter

Hello all,

My name is Jack Fouracre and I am the Son of a Woodcutter. Before I begin, I must say that it’s an honor to have the opportunity to write this post - the Leslieville Flea Market has been very influential for us since I officially launched Son of a Woodcutter back in the Spring. The Flea has inspired me to continuously innovate and seek out new ways to use reclaimed materials. The feedback from Flea goers has certainly helped guide my business to what it is today.

Barn Board Bottle stands, the perfect seasonal gift! It works on very simple physics and always impresses the crowd. It’s completely free standing, and believe it or not, it still works with an empty bottle ;) Imagine this as a gift accompanied by a bottle of wine. Swing by at the next flea on Dec 15^th and let me show you one in action!

The name ‘Son of a Woodcutter’ was simple to come up with as it has been an inside joke with my family and close friends, ever since my brother and I were children. My father has always worked with wood, and when we sold our family farm in the UK sometime during the early 1990’s, he became a full-time woodworker. Since I was a boy and to this day, whenever I would mention anything to my dad along the lines of: “Dad, check out this go-cart I just made!” or “Dad, I failed my maths test,” his reply would be: “Well, you are the son of a great woodcutter.” Back then and even now, it still doesn’t make any logical sense to me. I still wonder: is being the son of a woodcutter a bonus or a hindrance!?!

The ‘Against The Wall Console’ from reclaimed barn board (underside) is designed specifically for the narrow hallways of Toronto’s mid-century homes and condo’s alike. These sleek consoles make a great place to throw your keys and wallet before kicking your shoes off after a hard day

How did I get into the business? When I arrived in Canada four years ago, I dreamed of a career in finance. I had a short spell working at a stock brokerage and a wealth management firm, but I would sit there stressed, fingers red raw from bashing keys and staring out the window, wondering if this was really what I wanted from life. My girlfriend and I needed a coffee table and I wondered how I could construct one without any tools. I figured: if I built three and sold the extra two, I could cover the cost of some basic power tools. This is where it all started, three tables led to ten and the rest is history. I wake up each morning and look forward to going to work!

Reclaimed Barn Board picture frames 

All of our products are made from reclaimed materials including pallet wood and barn board to name a few. Pallets really are hidden gems and it drives me wild to see all that character in the wood go to waste or landfill. There is something so very satisfying about making use of another man's waste, creating something that is oozing character and that really gets people intrigued. Considering this, we still stand by our three principles; craftsmanship, functionality and design. When a barn comes down in Ontario, there are so many parts that we can make use of. The beams go for benches, the doors for coffee tables, the flooring for desks and the grey siding for all manner of different things. When I look around at other reclaimed furniture stores and see items priced in the $1000’s, I feel there is no need for prices to be that high. Using reclaimed materials does take more man hours than picking a pre-cut board from the shelf at Home Depot but I want everybody to enjoy having this furniture in their home, not just a select few. That’s the driver for me, knowing that the general public see my items as affordable and well built, buying a piece that carries values and will last for a long, long time.

                                           
Coffee Tables from reclaimed pallet wood

Our flagship item, the Pallet Top Coffee Table is the design that started it all, we are proud to have shipped them all across Canada and the US. Since our humble beginnings, we have settled into a new workshop that enables us to explore different materials and continue to find creative ways to re-use and upcycle reclaimed wood. Our product line now includes furniture and smaller products such as mirrors from vintage window frames, chalkboards, trays and many more.

Happy Saturday everybody and thanks for taking the time to read my post, head over to our website at www.sonofawoodcutter.ca for more info and pictures of our work.

FOUND AT THE LESLIEVILLE FLEA......... BLINDED BY SCIENCE!!

Sarah and Emily from Mississauga found a vintage science kit at Mies En Scene.  Nostalgia and function in one package......Mom Donna tells us that the kit has already provided hours of fun and learning. Mom Donna also tells us that she removed the scalpels before giving it to the kids.....good thinking mom....

Found at the Leslieville Flea- Industrial cool

The Leslieville Flea's first indoor market at the Jimmy Simpson Recreation centre was a shopping mecca of cool retro and vintage finds. This industrial lamp from Sourced and Salvaged will provide function and style for a uniquely stylish home. Darius from Sourced and Salvaged promises that the lighting selection at the Leslieville Flea's December 15th market will shine just as brightly!

Guest Blogger...The Broody Hen!

Our guest blogger, Lisa Edgar of The Broody Hen, tells us what she loves about selling at the Leslieville Flea Market:

Let me tell you about the Leslieville Flea and Broody Hen - that's me!  

As I stand on the other side of my table, with my hours of hard work and devotion laid out in front of me, my quilts, blankets, pillows, onsies, tees, bunnies and more, I witness the most wonderful interaction between shoppers as they pause, scan my table and say to each other or to me if they are alone, "who do I know that's having a baby?"  Or they admire a monkey tee, laugh and say, "this would be perfect for my nephew, he's a real monkey"!  "Or my niece would look adorable in this owl onsie"!  Instantly it zaps them out of their world and brings babies, children and good friends baby bumps to mind. A 15 year old girl shopping with her mom said "it's weird because if you think of it, almost everyone at all times knows someone who is having a baby" Well spotted little lady, this is why I am here and what I build my foundation on. I get to hear about babies or see adorable baby bumps and even more adorable I get to goo goo at babies in their strollers or in baby slings. And babies well, Leslieville is full of them! At first I was insecure about my placement at the Flea when I decided to just bring baby items.  But one glance around you see a parade of strollers and bellies and I feel better that it is where I am meant to be. 

The vibe at the Leslieville Flea has been so great. I have met so many awesome people, shoppers and vendors. The feedback about my pieces and the Leslieville Flea has been so positive! I am proud to say I sell at the Leslieville Flea. It has given me the confidence to apply to other local craft fairs so I now have a full Christmas craft show season lined up! 

Here are some pictures of some stock coming to the November indoor flea, Sunday November 17th from 10am-4pm at The Jimmy Simpson Rec Center, 870 Queen Street West.

  

Add Eco chic fabric scraps filled bunnies

Soft and Colourful blankets

Custom Name Blocks...place your order in time for Christmas!

All natural baby safe laundry soap and DIY sewing kits

Onesies and tees

Super Cute Baby Bibs

In the meantime, check me out on etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/broodyhendesigns 

and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Broody-Hen-Designs/496877570360322

And follow me on twitter @broodyhendesign

See you at the next flea,

Lisa 

Leslieville Flea Guest Blogger - Heather of Best of Her

Our Guest Blogger today is Heather of 
Best of Her | www.bestofher.com

Last winter I worked in England for a small furniture business. My boss went off to auctions and teardowns and came back to the warehouse every week with these amazing antiques and vintage treasures. My job was to give these pieces a fresh, updated look by painting them. It really is pretty amazing what a coat or two of paint can do.

When I came home in the spring I decided to make use of my father’s woodshop and started out by working on pieces I found around our family farm. I then began to scour garage sales and even the ends of peoples drive ways on big garbage days… Seriously, you can find some awesome stuff.

I’ve turned upcycling furniture into my business and it’s so much fun.

My project this last week was for a client who just repainted her front hallway. She had this old pine cupboard that was just a little bit too country for the new look.

Removing the back decorative detail immediately streamlined the piece, and then I got to work with my palm sander, some paint and some nice dark brown stain.

I sanded the old finish off the top and applied a new coat of dark espresso stain. I painted the rest of the piece using Benjamin Moore’s “Overcoat” (after mixing it into chalk paint, check out this article for how to do this yourself! http://howtodistressfurniture.net/definitive-guide-homemade-chalk-paint-recipes)

Finally to finish, I distressed the edges and corners of the piece to let a little bit of the old wood show through, sealed it all with a coat of water-based Varathane in a satin finish and switched out the old white porcelain knobs for something a little more modern.

She was thrilled with the result! Upcycling is a great way to give an old, quality piece of furniture a brand new look.

Be sure to come check out my furniture as well as a variety of handmade hardwood cutting boards, hand painted kitchen utensils and vintage housewares at the next Leslieville Flea this Sunday November 17^t from 10am-4pm.  It's moved indoors to the Jimmy Simpson Recreation Center (870 Queen Street East).

Upcycle Saturday: Stylin' with The Leslieville Flea...When One Door Closes...It becomes a Headboard!

Welcome to Upcycle Saturday!
This week we show you how to take an old door and turn it into a headboard.  It's a super simple project and costs next to nothing!

Step 1: Acquire an old panelled door...we'd suggest shopping at The Leslieville Flea

The beauty of using an old door is that it is solid and usually made from a good quality hardwood.

Step 2:  Cut the door down to the right size for your bed

Step 3:  Sand and then finish the door in a paint colour or stain of your choice.

Step 4:  Hang the door on the wall behind your bed

* Designer Tip:  You can add molding and trimwork to the top if you want for a more decorative look

Voila!  Instant (almost) headboard thats inexpensive, stylish and eco friendly!

We look forward to seeing you at the next Leslieville Flea, November 17th, 870 Queen Street East from

10am-4pm