Jumping Toaster Productions

I attended the annual Circle Craft Christmas Market held at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre with my wonderful mum and girlfriend on Remembrance Day. We had a fabulous time gawking over all the interesting kink-knacks and trinkets the artisans had at their booths! I try to attend the fair almost every year, cause it helps me gather new ideas for my own work and do a little networking while I’m at it. With all the numerous artisans at the show to talk about, it’s pretty tricky to narrow it down to a few short paragraphs in my daily blog.

An artisan I purchase something from each year I attend is from Vincent Van Designs They makes the most charming wooden ornaments you’ve ever seen. Very cute and collectable, they can also personalize them for you free of charge! This year I bought an elephant holding a strand of Christmas lights which are tangled all around him! Very cute and very detailed, especially the miniature Christmas lights with all different colors. My girlfriend bought a similar ornament except it’s of a snowman holding the strand instead, very much Christmas in a nutshell.

One of my favourite artisans is Diabolo Puppets by Steven Barkley. These fun hand made puppets are the best. I can’t tell you how much fun I’ve had with my hand up a rabbits butt! This white manic-looking rabbit with big floppy ears just cried out for me to buy ’em! He was just too cool to pass up and he was the last white one too! Not only does he look cool, he squeaks too, just the thing I need to annoy my neighbours with for hours and hours and hours and hours…Funny how some people just never grow up!

Puzzle Master Inc. by Allan Stein these have got to be some of the most challenging puzzles I’ve pitched against the wall in a fit of frustration. Thanks for the headache each and every year Allan. Nah, all joking aside Puzzle Master’s puzzles are some of the most unique puzzles I’ve ever played with. Problem is taking them away from a co-worker who ‘finds’ it lying around your desk! Not very productive, nor is it good for business when you got five people shouting the “You got to face it away north while turning the piece counter-clockwise!” I still don’t know what that means???

While there was much to look at, my favourite part about the craft fair is the tasting at all the wonderful home-made treats! However with a serious fish and nut allergy I have to be very careful about the tasty hand outs, good thing my girlfriend can accept the goodies!

Speaking of goodies, that’s the name of the next artisan! Goodies make the best dill pickles and dill veggies around. Oh my god there was almost a fist fight with my girlfriend and I at the dinner table cause I stole her pickle! I say if you love ’em that much, you got to protect your pickle! I almost lost mine following the ‘pickle heist’…my PERSONAL pickle that is! Good thing you can email them for more at: thelmasgoodies@hotmail.com

And lastly Tickleberry’s chocolate covered dried goods! Sweet chocolate covered blueberries and cranberries are my favourite! Yum yum yum I think I ploughed through both bags in a couple of days, good thing they provide their contact information on the bags so you can re-order! Email: sales@tickleberrys.com or Phone: 1-800-667-8002. Tasty, very very taste…did I share…no I did not!

And that was the fair, be sure if you didn’t check it out this year to sign up on Circle Craft’s website to get your discount coupon to attend the 2009 show! It’ll be something you don’t want to miss out on, so subscribe now!

With Christmas just around the corner, I’m busy shopping and wrapping gifts instead of posting on my blog! Over the next few weeks I thought I’d share with my readers a couple of companies I purchase goodies from to wrap up and stuff in stockings for the big day! One company in particular that I make sure I purchase my stocking stuffers from has a really creative name, Made By Humans.

I firmly believe that when you’re choosing a name for your company, you must choose a name that your consumers will be able to remember. Here’s Made By Humans reason for choosing their company name which is pretty deep and profound: The name Made By Humans serves as a reminder. Our company no longer makes handcrafted products. But no matter how much we, as a company – and all of us together as a society – have come to rely on modern technology, humans are still meant to be in charge of that technology, rather than the other way around. Technology should be a mere tool for human purposes. Hence we try to be everything that machines typically are not: playful in our approach, imaginative in our ideas, creative in our designs, unpredictable, even downright whimsical – in short, just human, all too human.

The creative, crafty people at Made By Humans have tons of items for home and office use! I love neat, functional items that brighten up my otherwise gloomy cubical that are also inexpensive to boot. You can typically find their goodies at museum shops, gift stores, home décor stores, stationery stores, catalogue and promotional companies across North America. If you’re on your way out the door to do a little shopping, make sure you pick up some amazing little items from Made By Humans!

As some of you may or may not know, I’m a big fan of collecting original comic book art! What I’m referring to specifically is, the original pencil drawings or inking done by artists before a copy is sent to the color artist. These can be quite hard to find and quite expensive if the artist is ‘well-known’ in his/her field and if the issue or company is popular as well. I’ve invested a lot of time and energy in ensuring that the artwork I’m obtaining is in fact ‘original’ by communicating through the seller of the artwork, the artist themselves (if possible), through comic archives and lastly through common sense.

But that’s not what this topic is about now is it!?! It’s about PRESERVING that valuable artwork at an affordable price! I couldn’t tell you the outrageous quotes I got from frame stores whom couldn’t even supply me with a decent frame 11-1/16 x 17-1/16 with UV ray protective glass for under $100.00! Another thing that bothered me was; I don’t know too many people that would spend over $200.00 on the artwork, only to leave it in the hands of the ‘frame specialists’ whom assume NO responsibilities for any damage that MIGHT occur while working on constructing the frame! Did I mention that MOST frame specialists GLUE the artwork in place, which means you damn well better love that frame it’s in cause it ain’t coming out!

So I had almost given up, until I came across Bags Unlimited! They have 100% Archival Comic Art Frames which are guaranteed safe for indefinite-term storage of your valuable comic art. The 3/32″ thick conservation grade, clear acrylic front sheet blocks 98% of harmful UV rays. The archival corrugated backing is lignin-and acid-free and the sheet of 4 mil clear Melinex serves as an archival spacer between the acrylic and the comic art. With a sticker price UNDER $40.00 per frame (the more you order the better deal) and FREE GIFTS why the heck wouldn’t you buy from these guys? Did I mention the shipping was lightning fast and through UPS? My God, finally a company that understands how valuable my artwork really is to me!

If you have a friend or loved one that collects artwork, check out the good folks at Bags Unlimited for all your framing needs and more!

Continuing my little write up about ‘Companies That Make Me Smile’ is a little business called Knock Knock. A fantastic little business that sells a lot of neat stationary items, my personal favorite is the ‘To Don’t Note Pad’. You got to love that, especially if you’re a procrastinator like yours truly. To put it simply, they sell fun functional items for home and office use. However there are a couple of items you should be careful taking to your office, if you’re surrounded by a number of stuffy, politically correct co-workers.

About Knock Knock: Our sensibility is proudly distinct, in contrast to the overwhelming homogenization and conservatism that characterize committee-created corporate product. We believe that many people are intelligent enough to appreciate wit, wordplay, and conceptual thinking, so we strive not to dumb down as we create.

Can you believe there are only fifteen staff members? 15 very talented staff members who not only create the products and books, but oversee the logistical dynamics of manufacturing, sales, and distribution. Keep up the great work, and please check out their website: www.knockknock.biz !

Wow, can you believe the Toaster turns 30 today? Break out the polish cause he’s looking kinda tarnished! Just want to thank everyone for such wonderful gifts and goodies! For all those who didn’t get a chance to hang out with me on the ‘big day’ you were dearly missed!

As some of you may have already read in my blog, it was my birthday on Dec 02/08! A very good friend of mine came over with a present for me not too long ago and I was delighted to open it and find The Incredible Hulk Action Figure! The Hulk was to cool to keep inside the packaging, so I took him out! For those of you who don’t know me, I don’t open any of the toys that I buy or receive, unless I intend to play with it or pose it on the shelf. This Hulk figure has got to be the best looking Hulk on the market thus far. It’s sculpted by the good folks at Hasbro, which was a bit of a surprise cause he looks bang on! I really enjoyed posing him on my model train that I have set up around the Christmas tree, what better way to celebrate Christmas than with the Hulk whipping around a Christmas tree? You’ll notice that there’s cardboard under the train tracks…this is to prevent the sparks from igniting the carpet and Christmas tree. Can you imaging the train catching on fire and whipping around the tree, which would go up in smoke pretty quick cause it’s fake…plus the smell of burning plastic and paper!?! Not a very fun Christmas if you ask me. Thanks to my good buddy Mark for the gift! If you want to pick one up for yourself, here’s the link to Hasbro: www.hasbro.com
Enjoy

Ho Ho Ho Brains? Yes, well some of us are a little strange…but that’s a good thing! Keeps the ‘Normal’s’ on their toes! Just a couple of quick pics from my NEW camera! Thank you mom, you’re the best! Oh yeah, she also bought me the ‘Mall Santa Zombie’ action figure from Sideshow Collectibles that you see in the bottom picture. Check out their wide range of toys and sculptures here: www.sideshowtoy.com

I’ve been terribly busy at my daytime job that I haven’t had a chance to post a blog until today! I’ve added a few photos you can view in ‘The Store’ of original artwork you may wish to purchase. Prices do vary depending on the piece you’re viewing and whether or not you want a picture frame with your order, so please feel free to contact me at: jumpingtoaster@hotmail.com to discuss your order.
Cheers

Hello Readers,

If you haven’t heard by now, Jeff Smith’s amazing tale of the Bone cousins has finally come to a colourful end! The final color volume collection of ‘Bone Vol. 9 Crown of Horns’ published by Scholastic is in stores NOW! What an amazing read people, I can’t tell you how enthralled I was to finally finish the story. I won’t ruin it for anyone out there who hasn’t finished reading yet, but I was a little sad to see the final outcome of the Bone cousins journey. A fantastic read all the way through with a few ‘adult’ moments that will leave you in hysterics. Meant for the younger one’s, this story is an instant classic for all ages. I encourage anyone interested in reading comics to begin with Bone! The simple line drawings on beautiful backgrounds makes Jeff Smith’s story materialize before you. He’ll captivate your imagination and soon you’ll find yourself at Barrelhaven with all the gang!

Please visit Jeff Smith’s site for more goodies: http://www.boneville.com/

For those of you with an iPhone, you’ll enjoy reading Bone on the go! A fantastic idea that will certainly change the comic book industry, go here for more information: http://www.boneville.com/2008/10/23/bone-iphone-comic-apples-pick-of-the-week/

Cheers

A fun read for the zombie enthusiast or anyone interested in horror movies in general. Formatted like a ‘guide book’ this fun page turner is full of zombie facts and lessons to prepare yourself for the zombie apocalypse. A great read for commuting on the bus or when you simply need a break from classroom text books and remedial readings. One of my favourite sections was about arming yourself using common house-hold objects against the ‘undead’. Easy choice for me…baseball bat! It’s got a good reach just aim for the temple and batter-up! Remember, you gotta take that zombie down hard, hit ’em in the head and when he’s down, WHACK!

Max Brooks is the genius behind the creative writing and if you enjoyed this book, check out his follow-up World War Z. It’s written more like an account of zombie encounters over the years, as apposed to this one which is clearly written like a manual or guidebook. If I recall correctly the Zombie Survival Guide does have a few ‘snip-its’ of zombie encounters written by witnesses throughout the book, so you do get a bit of a taste for what to expect in World War Z.

About the funniest thing that occurred while reading the Zombie Survival Guide was, the girlfriend asked me: “Would you save your loved one(s) in the event of the zombie apocalypse?” Unfortunately I was quoted saying: “I would dump you like a sack of dead weight in the nearest ditch and run for the hardware store to loot for supplies and weapons!” I probably should have reconsidered my final answer, but if the world was crumbling and the zombies were attacking, it’s everyone for themselves!

Protect yourself people!