upcoming

File under "Never thought I'd do that"

Spent the day walking around looking for one of those Deep Sea Divers that you put in Aquariums. And I found a dandy - you see I like to paint little pictures of odd and old toys and who can forget this classic fella, just started laying in the piece and I've got a good feeling about him already - not that you can tell if it's a dame or a fella in there, it's just everytime I look at the little guy I think of Scooby Doo and Shaggy being chased on the cartoon - but he also glowed - and that was way boss. This one doesn't glow, but we don't always get the World.

Upcoming shows - The Linux cafe at Harbord and Grace sometime in September, a great place for coffee and french toast - it's a wi-fi zone too so you can read the Mad Craft Shoppe there whilst looking at fun paintings of antique toys and other miscellania by yours truly. David and Lena are very nice people to chat with also. If David has gotten around to putting up the film cans and sign for the place - I painted those too.

Sept. 24- I'll be donating two pieces to the Rochdale Auction at Theatre Passe Muraille ( http://www.passemuraille.on.ca )on the 24th of September, have yet to decide what pieces to put up but you will be able to support killer Toronto theatre AND pick up a piece of art. Jeanne Beker will be hosting the event ("You are an obsession - you're my obsession "- I know you're humming it, admit it). Go to the Theatre Passe Muraille Website for details. I'm sure that they're up by now.

Also the BIG pre-christmas show at the Cameron House ( http://www.thecameron.com/ )(god bless, god bless I worship at your fine Red Door, which is a good luck Feng Shui thing, so paint your door red people, but be warned it will take at least three coats to get the desired good luck red that I'm talking about, and remember to wash your brushes.) will run from Nov. 5th to Dec. 3rd keep posted for the evening of the Opening where many fine wares from the shoppe will be displayed - there may even be time for me to show my line of clothing, branching into T-Shirts with the "Ten Out of Twelve" line of custom T-Shirts for boys and girls.

All of these works will be posted on "Hello" for viewing and you wil be able to click and go there and look at them and everything!

good morning world

Hello all, this is the first post - and that means that the Mad Craft Shoppe is now open for business !

Welcome to the Grand Opening !

Have some cheese, try the pie (the pie has sausages in it - I know !) and I believe there is a drink or two to be had.

It's just begun to rain in Toronto, a beautiful darkness had swept over the city and hopefully will stick around.

I'm sure that is something we all enjoy - I'm sure it's part of the global consciousness or some such, looking out the window at the rain,

"What are you doing?"

"I'm looking out the window at the rain."

"Me too."

I like to get a coffee when this kind of weather settles in but currently my coffee shop the Urban Annex cafe is closed for holidays til the 26th of August- I can't believe it either - you have to drop by for a large Sumatran, it's a helluva good brew and they play mostly reggae and almost every woman who works there has dreadlocks - not that that makes them any better than anyone else, I'm just surprised that so many different women with dreads end up working at the Urban Annex Cafe - maybe there's a resource online for dreadlocked women to find suitable employment. Much to ponder.

Soon there will be very exciting images appearing here at the Shoppe, you see I've been very busy painting pictures this summer and making simple tool boxes (called, "Thugs" in the Olde English) and making cork boards and picture frames and shadow boxes and all kinds of crafts for you to admire and comment on and maybe get a splinter from. They will be here for you soon, so be patient.

I was turned onto this Blog idea by my very good friend John Patrick Robichaud, his blog is called "Periapeticisms" or something, it's a big word that I think means something like "violent mouse death" in latin, it's a cool blog, he travels all over the world with theatre and you get his impressions on his blog - unfortunately you don't get his impressions of people from other countries - but I think he should give that a shot, it would probably be hilarious.

So feel free to comment and contact me at any point, if you something that strikes your fancy, here at the Mad Craft Shoppe your satisfaction is of paramount importance.

All the best to you friends, both old and new,

A. Shay Hahn