Cruisin' Chronicles
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Shipping Deadlines for 2024
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
Find Us at The Shaker Heritage Society!
We are excited to announce that you can pick up your favorite Cruisin' Creations at:
The Shaker Heritage Society
25 Meeting House Road
Albany, NY 12211
A special selection of pine needle baskets along with our new fused glass offerings can be found in the Museum Gift Shop.
Below is a sampling of the pieces that are for sale.
Saturday, August 12, 2023
We're Excited To Announce!
We're excited to announce that Cruisin' Creations pine needle baskets are now available at:
Catskill Mountain Woodworking
431 Main St
Catskill, NY
518-947-4445
catskillmountainwoodworking.com
This is a delightful shop in the heart of Catskill. Shop their handcrafted wood products made from locally sourced material as well as many unique and useful gifts and pantry items.
Here are a few of our creations available at Catskill Mountain Woodworking...
Sunday, December 18, 2022
Thank You!!!
Santa and I are humbled by your appreciation of our work and your support when you purchase many of our creations!
Thank you seems like so little to express how much we appreciate you as you continue to support our small businesses, (Cruisin' Creations and Santa Snacks LLC), during these times of record grocery bills and high gas prices.
Along with supporting our small business you are helping a local charity. Your purchases from Cruisin' Creations have allowed us to make a record donation to Operation Shoebox! Operation Shoebox is located in Belleview Florida. It is an organization that sends care packages to active military all over the world.
As you can imagine the need is great for treats to send the troops as well as money for postage. Would you like to help Operation Shoebox? Visit their website - operationshoebox.com or mail donations to:
Operation Shoebox
8360 East Highway 25
Belleview, Florida 34420
Follow them on Facebook too at https://www.facebook.com/operationshoeboxusa
We are taking a little time off to recharge after a very busy 2022. We are also working on new ideas for 2023!
We wish you a very Happy Holiday Season and a very Blessed New Year!
Until Next Time...
Diane
Monday, July 25, 2022
Just Like Coming Home...
Driving into the Adirondacks is like coming home after a long trip. The farther north we drive the more the stress melts away. There's something about the mountains, pine trees, lakes, and smell of campfires that makes us feel at home. While we didn't grow up in the Adirondacks we have spent enough time camping there to appreciate all that they have to offer.
Northville, NY is a quaint town nestled in the Adirondacks on Sacandaga Lake. It is the quintessential little town with a 5 & dine store, tavern, small inn, and homes. Very inviting. And Northville is where the Northville Woodworking and Fine Arts Weekend takes place every July.
This year felt just like coming home. We have become acquainted with many of the other artists there, and were greeted as if we were old friends. The banter that went on with the artists we were near gave us a strong sense of belonging. And the shoppers in Northville did not disappoint.
We are so thankful for the sales, for the camaraderie, and for our surroundings. And we are so thankful for the blasts from the past - those people we've lost touch with who unexpectedly appear at the show to say, "Hi."
So, while thank you seems like so little for all that we received recently, we want to say THANK YOU! to all who stopped by to say, "Hi." as well as those who decided to spend their hard earned money on Santa's delicious gourmet seasoned pretzels as well as my pine needle baskets, keyrings, ornaments, and fused glass trinket dishes!
We're looking forward to seeing you at many of our other shows this craft show season.
Our next stop? Speculator, NY on August 11. Visit us and approximately 100 other artists at Routes 8 & 30 in Speculator NY. Support the Hamilton County TWIGS who raise money to help first responders and fire personnel.
What's New?
Sunday, June 12, 2022
New Skills Continued
Back in February I mentioned that I am learning a new craft - glass fusion. It has been the bane of my existence as well as a very enjoyable experience. The more pieces I make the more addicted I become!
Two of the things I've had to adjust to the most are the lack of instant gratification (Once I finish a basket, it's finished. No waiting. That's not the case with glass fusion.) and relying on someone else to place and fire my designs. Yes, I can see my designs coming together as I glue pieces of glass onto a sheet of glass; however, it takes several firings to get that sheet of glass into the desired melted stage and shape.
So, how does one make a dish or other item in glass fusion? I like to begin with a solid sheet of glass, generally clear, but other colors have also been used. I cut the pieces of the design I am making then place them on the sheet of glass. Once I'm happy with the design, I take a picture to see if there are any glaring mistakes and make any necessary adjustments. Once that is done the pieces are removed then glued in place using watered down glue. I've learned that it's important to make sure the glue is dry before putting the finished piece into the kiln. If it's not dry the pieces could shift. There goes your design!
The photos below show the beginning of the design, the pieces coming together and the finished product.
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, February 1, 2022
New Skills
Every now and then something happens in life that takes us out of our comfort zone and down a new path. That happened recently when a friend asked me to sign her up for a glass fusion club in our community. I decided to sign myself up at the same time.
One of the prerequisites of joining the club is to take a 3 hour introductory class. We took that class about a week ago. I was completely out of my element. Being a person who picks up most crafts quickly I found myself fumbling and wondering if this was a craft for me. I found the tools to be a bit tricky to operate at first and there's a whole new vocabulary to learn. The saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." came to mind several times during the class.
We made soap dishes and trinket dishes during the class. This is how mine turned out. I guess you can teach an old dog some new tricks!