Dreamy Mixed Media Boats
Lovely little boats by mixed media artist Kathleen Koopman are floating in the window at FOUND on a dreamy voyage. The sailboats have dainty handkerchiefs or recycled fabrics as sails and float through the air like something out of a bedtime story.
Others tell a story of companionship. Birds join in the journey.
We asked Kathleen to share her inspiration for these dreamy boats:
I'm part collector, part archivist, part archaeologist, and part researcher. I find things, arrange them, organize them, and display them.
My work for the past several years has focused on the assemblage of found objects, scraps, photographs, fiber, and paper, to create a narrative with memories and dreams intertwined.
I draw from a collection of artifacts, found: junk stores, the street, the landscape, the pathways of life: items cast off and abandoned, waiting for the opportunity tell their stories, effected by time and memory.
Constructing boats rose out of that process, out of these materials, as an extension of the assemblage process, and the inspiration grew fueled by the metaphors: voyages, sailing, hulls, rigging, sails, navigation driven by the vagaries of wind and water: discovery, travel, wandering.
Bon Voyage!
Kathleen Koopman. July 2014.
During Ann Arbor Art Fair week, Darcy Bowden will be our featured artist, bringing over one HUNDRED of her ceramic works to the shop! We're clearing out the center section to make room for this fun made in michigan show and sale. Her quirky, modern pieces often have whimsical POPS of color and sensitively drawn lines in the design. Other groups have a mid century feel with chunky sculptural shapes.
Ceramic Art & Printmaking Show with Darcy Bowden
Tuesday, July 15, 2014. Opening Reception Party. 4-8 pm.
July 16,17,18. Meet the artist 3-7 pm daily at FOUND.
Sat. July 19. 11 am - 2 pm. Clay Demo by Darcy! Hand forming & decorating simple, modernist bowls using ancient paddling techniques.
The group above is just out of the kiln over at 
Darcy is a long time FOUND friend and inspiration! Many Ann Arborites will recognize Darcy from her days as an art teacher at Huron High School. I almost forgot to mention that printmaking is another of her passions and she'll also bring prints, cards and other fun things to the show. Hope to see you during Art Fair Week 2014!
While we've been as busy as elves this past week getting all of our holiday merchandise into the shop, we've had some funny little elves to keep us company! The woodland elf above is corralling a set of votive candle holders. Perfect for tealights from our friends at Green Daffodil Soy Candles.
For the past 6 years, we've hung an upside down tree from the ceiling at FOUND. Of course there was an elf to help hang the tinsel from the branches.
Some of his buddies climbed ladders to help. But my favorite has to be the elf that grabbed onto a sled flying off the ceiling - hair and beard and eyebrows blowing back in the wind...
The biggest elf of all is Jolly Old Santa Claus himself. This seven foot fellow is sitting at his workbench, doing what Santa does this time of year - getting the toys ready for good little boys and girls.
We had fun putting together these fun display. But that's only the beginning. Watch the blog for more photos - or even better, stop by the shop and see for yourself!
Our favorite photographer, Charlene Plagens, is also posting wonderful images on the 
Here is our schedule of special events for the holidays:
November 4 & 5. CLOSED while we work some holiday magic.
November 6th. 9:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. First look at FOUND's 2014 Collection!
Friday, Nov. 8. Holiday Kick off Party. 5:00-7:00 p.m. Gift with purchase.
Sunday, Nov. 17. Kerrytown Open House. 20% off storewide + Merry Multiples!
Closed for Thanksgiving.
November 30. Small Business Saturday specials.
Friday, Dec. 6. Midnight MADNESS! Sales ALL day until midnight.
Dec. 13, 20. Festive Fridays - open til 9:00 p.m.
I found over a hundred pairs of vintage sleepeye sets of doll eyeballs at the Alameda Antiques Market when I was in San Francisco in August. The counterweight mechanism and piece that would attach into the nose makes it so they stand upright. Reminds me of something out of A Bugs Life or Toy Story. Fun to have on a shelf or play with.
At the Allegan, Michigan antique show, I found a huge lot of drawer pulls. Only have about 8 left, but they would be wonderful on kitchen cabinets.
Like old photographs? I added lots of new snapshots to the fifty cent box this week. And we have hundreds of loose cabinet cards and this wonderful old album filled with antique photographs. I also bought a collection of over 250 postcards, mostly addressed to young Nellie Jones. Some of my favorite Halloween postcards sold already, but the rests are all at FOUND now.
Remember - if it's old - it's on sale this month at FOUND!
A toy surprise in every box! Though the caramel coated popcorn and peanut treat was first introduced at the 1893 Colombian Exhibition World's Fair in Chicago in 1893, the name Cracker Jacks wasn't trademarked until several years later. And it wasn't until 1912 that the infamous prizes began to be found in every box. Early prizes such as baseball cards and metal toys are highly collectible today. Today the brand is owned by Frito Lay and the prizes are not that exciting - with stickers and temporary tattoos being the most frequent surprise.
Do you remember the excitement of scarfing down the contents of the Cracker Jack box as a kid to get to the secret PRIZE at the bottom? I don't actually remember the prizes, but the anticipation of some tiny terrific treasure that the box might hold made me want to save up my coins and take them to Della's store on Front Street to buy a box.
Recently, I found a fun stack of vintage unopened Cracker Jack prizes in an antique show booth. Can you guess what's inside? the package asks. Actually, though I wouldn't mind having some fresh Cracker Jacks to munch on right now, I'm more charmed by the vintage packaging for the prize than by the prizes themselves. The little envelopes feature jokes and riddles on the outside. These nostalgic graphics and typography would lend themselves well for scrapbooking or altered art projects. We have about 2 dozen vintage prizes in the shop right now. The candy boxes (and the tasty treats) are long gone, but the memories that these prize packages bring back are delicious.
So, can you guess what's inside?
With the temperatures and humidity rising this week, I'd like to go jump in the lake! I'll be doing that NEXT weekend, but in the meantime, these mugs and signs from a Georgia company called Go Jump in the Lake bring a grin to my face. A new shipment came in last week - great for the cottage this summer.
We had a ski boat when I was a teenager - what fun! I'd like to say a terrific water skier, but my best tricks were crossing the wake without falling and letting go of the tow rope with one hand long enough to wave at the people in the boat. Then I usually fell. It was fun anyway.
I know I showed you these frames made from water skis before - but I'm just fascinated by this clever upcycling - here's what the back looks like...the hardware and foothold hold the frame up!
Enjoy these summer days. And remember: if you're lucky enough to live on the lake, you're lucky enough!
Katherine is also the graphic designer behind our FOUND ads and a personal friend. It's been a pleasure to get to know this multi-talented woman - not only has she written and illustrated numerous children's books, but she is also a trained opera singer, makes custom fairy houses, does fine art portraiture and plein air painting, creates Ann Arbor ornaments, presents school assemblies, builds props and generally just knows how to get things done. On her 
