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...

We are also available at The Schenectady Trading Company, 609 Union St, Schenectady, NY.  theschenectadytradingcompany.com

Until Next Time...

Diane

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 

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?

I've been working on many new basket designs as well as many of the fan favorites. Here are a few new ones that will be available for your viewing and purchasing pleasure. Remember...it's never too early to pick up holiday gifts!

See you in Speculator!

Until Next Time...

Diane

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.

Once the design is securely glued it's time to decide how to fire it. There's tack, contour, full, and bubble. The higher the heat the more the glass will melt together. Naturally, it makes sense to start with the least amount of melting, tack, then go up if the design is not melted enough. The wave below was fired on contour. Much to my dismay it melted more than other contour pieces I had fired so I added more blue glass as well as white frit and tacked them to add more dimension. I debated on whether to slump it into a square dish, but decided against it. This wave was too big of a design for me to tackle as a beginner so it's not my best work, but it does look pretty above our kitchen cabinets. 

Other pieces have not been as involved. I tend to be a very symmetrical person. I guess that's why I liked geometry so much as a high school sophomore. Watching other club members turn out the most beautiful asymmetrical designs is challenging me to do the same. While I have not done any yet, I have purchased some gorgeous pieces of glass and am working on designing some pieces that are out of my comfort zone. Watch for more fused glass photos in the future! 

Below are a few more pieces I've made. They're in no particular order. 

Unfortunately, the clear plastic plate stands are not sturdy enough to hold these heavy plates so the black metal shows through the dragonfly design.

The round and square mosaic dishes will be available for sale at our craft shows this season. There are only a few; when they're gone, they're gone. 

So what do you think of my first fused glass creations?

Upcoming Events

We are a month away from the start of our craft show season! Join us at the Northville Rotary's Woodworking and Fine Arts Weekend 2022, July 15 - 17 in Northville, NY. You can check out many of the artists and their wares on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/223659131530990

Until Next Time...

Diane

 

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!

Since taking the class I have ordered a number of supplies and have found inspiration for several items I want to make. I'm really looking forward to that first meeting which will take place next week! 

Stay tuned for periodic updates!

New Inventory

Currently we are building new inventory for you to enjoy during our craft show season. We have many new charms for ornaments, new bases for keyrings, and always a new series of baskets for you to enjoy.

Below is a recent shipment of charms that arrived at our studio. Do you have a favorite or a suggestion for a themed ornament?

Upcoming Events

 We are in the process of setting up our 2022 craft show calendar. The most current shows will be listed at the top of our upcoming events list. 

You can always shop local and online at theschenectadytradingpost.com at 609 Union St, Schenectady, NY as well as cruisincreations.etsy.com

Until Next Time...

Diane

Holiday Shipping Deadlines

Each year we set clear shipping deadlines for you to receive your Cruisin' Creations in time for the holidays. With shipping demand at an all time high, it is even more imperative that we set early, firm deadlines for 2021. Please note:

Custom baskets must be ordered by Nov 10. This includes wood based monogram baskets as well as our family tree/birthstone baskets. Click the links below each photo to view details about each style.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/818099271/monogrammed-pine-needle-basket?ref=shop_home_active_2&frs=1

https://www.etsy.com/listing/982898693/design-your-own-birthstone-pine-needle?ref=shop_home_active_1&frs=1

First Class packages must be ordered by Dec 8. Remember orders over $35.00 ship free!

Priority shipped packages must be ordered by Dec 10. Priority seems to take longer around the holidays so better to be safe than sorry.

Please note: we are no longer shipping internationally. 

All of these dates plan for arrival before December 25. Please adjust accordingly should you need your purchases before December 25.

Upcoming Events

We are excited to be participating in three live events in November! Stop by one or more of these shows to pick up our most recent designs.

Nov 6, 9 am - 2 pm at O'Rourke Middle School, 173 Lakehill Rd, Burnt Hills, NY

Nov 20, 9 am - 3 pm at Colonie High School, 1 Raider Drive, Colonie, NY

Nov 27, 10 am - 4:30 pm at Saratoga City Center, 522 Broadway, Saratoga, NY. There is a $5.00 entrance fee which supports the Saratoga Center for the Family. 

Santa Snacks will also be selling at these three events. You can pick up his 4 flavors of gourmet seasoned pretzels for $5.00 each. Blitzens Bits is a savory blend of garlic and dill. Comets Crunch is a tangy blend of honey and mustard, Prancers Pieces is a sweet blend of cinnamon and sugar, and Rudolphs Red is a slightly spicy blend of southwest flavors. 

Did you know Santa Snacks are for more than snacking? Use them for pie crust, croutons, breading on chicken, fish, and pork, along with many other uses. Stop by to pick up your Santa Snacks and receive your free copy of these tasty recipes. Remember, Santa Snacks make great stocking stufffers!

You have other opportunities to pick up Cruisin' Creations! Stop by:

The Shaker Heritage Society, 25 Meeting House Rd, Albany, NY from Oct 13 - Dec 19. This Holiday Market is open Tues - Sunday from 11 am - 5 pm.

The Schenectady Trading Company, 609 Union St, Schenectady, NY. Open 7 days a week. Stop by Sundays 11 am - 4 pm, Mondays 11 am - 6 pm, Tuesdays & Wednesdays 10 am - 6 pm, Thursdays 10 am - 7 pm, Fridays 10 am - 6 pm, and Saturdays 10 am - 5 pm. 

Can't make it to any of these events? We have a selection of baskets and ornaments in our Etsy shop - cruisincreations.etsy.com

What's New?

New designs are created daily. These are the latest! What do you think?

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Until Next Time...

Diane

Recycling

Because I was brought up in a home with two very resourceful parents, I have always had a problem with throwing away those things that still have some life in them, those things that can be put to good use. I subscribe to my father's motto, "You never know when you might need it." That motto has served me well over the years although I have adjusted the degree to which I follow it. After all, we can't store everything now, can we?

The philosophy of never knowing when you might need something has been applied to Cruisin' Creations as well. Pine needle baskets, keyrings, and ornaments can be made out of a number of things. We repurpose anything that has holes around the outside edge and will work up into a unique, one of a kind piece.

We also subscribe to that philosophy when it comes to boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, and newpaper. Most boxes arrive at our home fully intact and ready to be used again. Those boxes are broken down and stored for shipping baskets. The same can be said of the enclosed bubble wrap and packing paper. We save all that is serviceable and reuse it when we ship out an order. 

You may have received a package from us with an Amazon arrow on the side of the box, or one with old tape removed. You may have received bubble wrap that wasn't cut straight or had duck tape on it. That's because we are doing our part to reduce waste and keep our shipping costs down.

No only does reusing boxes, bubble wrap, and packing paper save the environment, it also reduces prices. And we all like to pay lower prices for our purchases, don't we?

What's New?

We've been working away at building inventory and believe you will enjoy these new pieces and more that we have to offer. 

Upcoming Events

We are so looking forward to a new event - The LaSalle Institute Fall Fest and Craft Fair on Saturday, Oct 23 from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm! Stop by 174 Williams Rd, Troy, NY. Looking forward to seeing you there! PS Santa will be there selling his gourmet seasoned pretzels, too!

Remember you can also shop local at:

The Shaker Heritage Society, 25 Meeting House Rd, Albany, NY Open 11-5 Tuesday - Saturday, 12-5 Sunday.

The Schenectady Trading Company, 609 Union St, Schenectady, NY Open 7 days a week.

Until Next Time...

Diane