Canadian Hand - Made Gifts & Souvenirs
From Coast to Coast
Greetings! :


Wow. The response to last month's newsletter was overwhelming. I think I hit a chord with everyone and we all seem be on the same page. We want to make the planet better, safer and habitable for everyone including all of natures creatures and plant life. We all want to contribute to the bigger picture. And we shall! One of our artists, Jessica Lin, rang me up because the newsletter had struck a chord with her. She and I talked and she suggested that perhaps we hold an event in conjunction with Earth Day on April 22 in an effort to "give back to the planet". We discussed what that might look like and she suggested a Silent Auction. We would ask our artists to donate a piece of work and we would host a silent auction. Brilliant! So on Saturday April 18th (the day before my 59th birthday!) Cornerstone will be hosting a silent auction and we will be working directly with Earth Day as they have a program called, "Artists for The Earth". We will be registering the event and we hope you will come and have some fun, have some great snacks and bid on some art and help make the world a better place. We will even have an on line event with some pieces for those who are unable to visit in person. (But it will be way more fun in person!) We will continue to update you with details about the event as we get closer and please check our website and social media pages for more details. Oh and artists.... let me know if you want to be involved and what piece you would like to donate for this noble cause!
This month's featured artist is Lisa Ferguson, from Harrington Ontario. Lisa focuses her attention to wildlife & plant life from her own backyard! These pieces are beautiful! While capturing all the details, she has created a softness that makes you want to reach out and touch them. Lisa has also been very generous and is contributing a piece called, "Fox in Trillium", for our all month in-store charity CupCake event. The in store donation box is at the front desk and you can fallout a ballot to win. One entry per donation please!
Our on-line CupCake donation link is open! For every 10.00 donation you make on-line you are given a chance to win, "Spirit Island", an open edition print donated by Nathalie Parenteau. Our CupCake party Days are February 22-24. Why have cupcakes 1 day when you can have them for a weekend! For every cupcake you buy you can enter to win an awesome 3-D, wooden puzzle from Robert Knox. The CupCake events we have are our way of getting involved with community as well as helping to save the lives of animals. There are stories daily of cats & dogs being abandoned in the worst possible ways and many existing in deplorable conditions. We are asking all our friends & family at Cornerstone to contribute. While it means a lot to us, it means even more to them. By taking care of the animals closer to home we can manage to take care of animals on a more global scale. Remember that pets on leashes are welcome at Cornerstone!

FebFest is a month long winter festival in Kingston with many events taking place near us. Go skating in Market Square, have some Beavertails and stop by the store to warm up and check out what we have! There is always a gift to buy and we can help you pick out the perfect one!
Check below to see all the festivities including an "Artsy Afternoon". A fun way to spend a winter Sunday, browsing through participating shops looking at art and having some snacks! We are Canadian and we love winter!

Retirement happened to one of our favourite artists. Let's congratulate longtime craftsperson, Gary Kennell from GKE Boards on his retirement. We still have a few of his amazing boards left but once these are gone that is it! So Gary, although we are sad that you will no longer be making your fabulous boards (& candle holders!!), we wish you a long and happy fun filled retirement! Happy Gardening!

While saying goodbye to Gary is a pleasant, some goodbye's are harder. We are sad to say goodbye to Dreamspin Fibres felting artist, Maureen Harding. We were informed by her family that Maureen has gained her wings. We were honoured at Cornerstone that you and your work were a part of the fabric of the store. You will be missed.

From our heart to yours,
Penny & the staff at Cornerstone
ZIA piece
Happy Retirement Gary!!!
Work by Maureen Harding from Dreamspin Fibres
Featured Local Artist - Lisa Ferguson
This month's featured artist is Lisa Ferguson from Harrington Ontario. Using her own backyard for inspiration, Lisa uses a variety of mediums to create her beautiful pieces. C'mon down and check it out for yourself! Make a donation in store and maybe take "Fox In Trillium", home with you!
National Cupcake Drive 2020
Win! Win! Win!
We are again raising funds to help the OSPCA to save animals. We love animals here at Cornerstone and as you may already be aware, leashed pets are allowed in the store! Every year hundreds of animals are dumped, lost &/ or injured. The OSPCA societies of Ontario spend a great deal of their resources vetting these animals and helping to find them new homes wherever possible. I have 2 rescue cats currently and have rescued more in the past who made it well into old age and brought plenty of love & joy into my life. I know that many friends & customers of Cornerstone are animal lovers too! In the past you have been generous and helped us raise funds for this cause. We are asking you to please helping us once more. Nathalie Parenteau has come through for us once again and has donated a print to sweeten the donation drive! For every 10.00 you donate through our page, you will be given a chance to win this print!

Just click on the cupcake above to be taken to our company donation page!

Our in-store cupcake event will occur on Saturday February 22.
Our month long in-store donation event has begun! For each donation you make you have 1 ballot to win "Fox In Trillium" by our featured artist, Lisa Ferguson
Feeling like something a little sweet?
Come down for CUPCAKE WEEKEND!
February 22 -24 you can purchase a cupcake and fill out a ballot to win a 3-D wood puzzle by Robert Knox. These puzzles are awesome and not as easy as they look to put together!
Fun for the family and a conversation starter for sure!
It's challenging to get a picture of them together but here are my rescue furrbabies! Melinda Marcella (aka Belle Ella aka Pooper!) She is a calico cat (11 years) & Maddison (aka Maddie) is a Tortie (pushing 17 years & still has "tortie-tude") I can't imagine life without them. Let's help find some other cats & dogs some loving homes & to help to stay safe.
Zentangle Classes
Zentangle is a meditative art form that uses a series of repetitive patterns to create unique pieces of art that may be completed within 20 -30 minutes. Zentangle can be taught to children (7 & up), adults and the elderly to help create focus, relaxation and the sheer joy of creating even if you "can't draw!"I am a certified Zentangle teacher and I will be happy to teach you this art form. Whether it's a formal class that we have or you gather a group of friends together and we schedule a class for you, Zentangle is for anyone! keep checking back on our website for when we have formal classes or call the store at 613-546-7967 for more information. Those coloring books that you see? A lot of those are based on Zentangle! Wouldn't it be great to create your own to colour?

If you want to join our FB group please click the link below. We accept beginners as well so please send us your tangles! I also put them up on our FB page & they sometimes make it to Instagram too!



We have just started the group so that we can get together, people who like Zentangle here in Kingston. Join, Post & Share. We are working with coming up with a schedule where we can meet monthly at a the store to tangle and share ideas. We are open to ideas and just looking for a fun, relaxing way to hang out and do some Zentangle!
Happenings In February.....
Scavenger Hunt!!!!!
On Saturday February 8th from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM will be "The Heart of Downtown Kingston" scavenger hunt! The heart below will be hidden in plain sight in 11 participating retail stores. Grab a ballot at any of the locations. Get all 11 retailers to sign off and you will be entered into a draw for a prize valued at over $275.00. The prize will consist of either product, services or gift cards! This is a family friendly event! Come and get some fresh air and check out stores that you may not have thought to come into!!
FebFest.....
For the whole month of February 2020!
The 16th annual downtown winter celebration, FebFest will take over downtown for the entire month of February stocked full of winter fun for the entire family! Click on the photo for details.









BUT WAIT.....JUST IN!!!!!

The Third Annual "Artsy Afternoon" will be on Sunday, February 16th, from 2-5 PM. Consider this a winter afternoon version of "Art After Dark". Light refreshments will be served. It's always a fun time!
We Will Rock You will be coming to Leon's Centre on Monday February 3, 2020 at 7:30pm. The upcoming musical is by Queen and Ben Elton. In 2002, many of Queen’s hit songs were compiled into a rock musical experience called We Will Rock You
Produced by Annerin Theatricals in Alberta, Canada, We Will Rock You is a quirky, eccentric and heartfelt story of outsiders that also offers a creative cautionary tale for the cyberage. It reflects the scale and spectacle that marked Queen’s live performances and earned the band its pinnacle position in rock history. The audience can expect We Will Rock You to rock as fiercely as the best of Queen’s concerts. Click on the logo below for more information.
.... Kingston is Ready to Rock The Brier 2020!
Kingston hosts The Brier! The Biggest men's curling event in Canada will be held at the Leon's Centre (our Neighbour!)
Taking place from February 29th to March 8th 2020, with the Brier Patch entertainment taking place just next door!
Here are some links to help you plan your trip to Kingston and the Brier 2020...
Froid'Art 2020
Froid’Art 2020 is back by popular demand! There will be 21 pieces of art frozen into 300 lb blocks of crystal-clear ice, some are lit up at night! Hosted by Martello Alley this is a free outdoor ice event!Our dear friend, David Dossett, who owns Martello Alley created this event in 2015. Congratulations David! You can keep up to date here
(Shown below is one of David's own pieces from last year)
These pieces will not be around for ever! As the sun warms things up the blocks disappear so make sure to take the tour! Maps can be picked up at Martello Alley or Martello On Brock. Yes!! You heard it correctly! Congrats to David for opening his second shop on February 1st, in the Downtown!
Looking Ahead.....
April will see us doing the Annual Golden Egg Scavenger Hunt on Saturday April 4, from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
easter egg
April 18th we will have our Artists For The Earth silent Auction event at the store in association with Earth Day that happens on April 22. It is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this year and what better way to show our love for the planet and show that each of us can have that bigger impact that we all want, then to join in! Earth Day.org is a non-profit organization with branches and programs all over the globe. Stay tuned for more details!
Down the road a ways we will have a new painting class with award winning artist (& TV star), Marissa Sweet! She will be doing a 1 day painting class on Saturday May 23rd. Stay tuned for more details! Spaces are VERY limited! if you took the last class with Marissa you will be creating a new & different piece!
Sale!!!!
Come to our annual sales event!




Our Annual February Savings Event just in time for The Heart of Downtown Kingston Search! Beginning February 8th and continuing for the rest of the month! Savings on selected seasonal and end of the line pieces! Be sure to stop by and check it out!
A Taste of What's In Store.....
To stay up to date check out our website for more details about Cornerstone Canadian Art & Craft and follow us on FB, Twitter Instagram and Pinterest!

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