Here's What's New at Wooden Toy and Gift, May 2014

April showers bring May flowers, and the birds come too, of course. Rick has been anticipating this season, and working his scroll saw to produce pretty plaques that celebrate the Spring season.  Here are a few of his new pieces, which will be available in the shop and online at his web store, www.woodentoyandgift.net.  They will also be on display with more of his art in Lark Rising Gallery of Bearskin Neck Motor Lodge, Rockport, Massachusetts. This is his first art gallery showing, and it opens on June 1st. We're very excited to have this opportunity to show his work among other artists' pieces in this gallery. Visit the link for Lark Rising Gallery to see more!

Plaque of four scroll-sawn flowers. One eighth inch Baltic
Birch plywood, backed with 100% cotton. Hang in the window
for a stained-glass look.

The same flowers as shown in the plaque of four, but cut separately
for smaller pieces that give the same stained-glass look.

This delicate rose plaque measures 7 1/2" x 9 1/2 inches.
The rose itself and does have thorns.
It is cut of half-inch pine plywood and is centered on
one-quarter inch plywood covered in 100% cotton.

This large 10" x 13" Cardinal Plaque is cut from one quarter inch  Baltic Birch
plywood and backed with 100% cotton.

These individual bird plaques each measure 5 1/2" x 5 1/2".
They are cut from one quarter inch Baltic Birch Plywood.
 These are also backed with 100% cotton and, when hung in a window,
have the same stained-glass effect as the flower plaques do.
Additional plaques of Chicadee and Blue Jay are also available.

As always, if you are reading this in your email, we invite you to share this message with your friends and relatives. We would love to have them, too, join our mailing list to receive these newsletter updates. 

If you've found us through Facebook and would like to receive updates, please look at the right margin of this blog page and find the "Join us by email" link.

We're happy to meet new friends, at our shop or virtually on the web, and we look forward to meeting even more at the

Lark Rising Gallery of Rockport, Massachusetts.

Thanks for visiting!
~ Rick and Terry Palardy, 

Wooden Toy and Gift & Quilters' Quarters

Winter has set in with a ferocity here in Northern Essex County. We're only ten miles from the New Hampshire Border along the Atlantic Coast, but the air is dry and cold this week. Zero degrees overnight, four above in the morning hours, and still in the teens in the early afternoon. It will drop again, but we might have some above freezing temperatures over the weekend.  Might~  that is the key word.

The barn has been very cold these past few weeks, and the snow has been frequent, requiring time from Rick for clearing the driveway, steps and sidewalk out front. His time for working on his scroll saw in the shop has been limited by these climate factors. But he has been gathering patterns and will be ready for some steady work hours when the freeze relents once again.

Here is how our inventory looks now ~ The rocking motorcycles are all sold (one is on layaway but will no doubt be picked up by summer.) The doll cradles, beds, pedestal tables, school desk/chair, and small lap desk have also sold out.

 ~ There are a few pieces of the 18" doll furniture left. We still have three Grandfather Clocks, one each of the Single and Double A-Frame Porch Swings, two Side Chairs, two Chests of Drawers, two China Hutches, two Armoires , and the two toddler-sized Push-Me-Pull-Me sleds. When these last large pieces are gone, they will not be replaced, so purchase or layaway now to hold these items for Valentine's Day, Easter, Birthdays and other gift occasions. Email us at woodentoyandgift@comcast.net for sale prices and layaway details, or stop in to see us.You can also call us at 978-352-2676 to leave a message and we'll return your call.

Rick will continue making various wooden trucks and vehicles as they are not cumbersome and take up less space in the shop. He'll replace the turtle puzzle and other small items that have sold this season. And he will focus more time on the scroll saw plaques and ornaments as they are easier to ship and store.

In the other room, the Quilters' Quarters is beginning to grow with new wooden/Plexiglas fabric cabinets, more bolts of fabrics, interfacings and battings large and small. The thread drawers are full to capacity with many bright colors and all three brands (Coats/Clarks, Mettler and Gutermann.) The Quilters' Lending Library has an assortment of comprehensive books and magazines for borrowing, and there are other new books for sale as well.  Terry has begun scheduling individual coaching lessons to help quilters and non-quilters choose or design patterns and select fabrics, color schemes, sizes and threads.

The shop hours are now established and predictable: Wednesday through Saturday, 11 am - 7 pm. Other hours can be arranged to fit your schedule; call the shop at 978 352 2676 or 6758 to let us know when you could come by. Individual lessons can be flexible as well.

Remember: the "No Parking" signs out front  are for school hours only (Mon - Friday, 8 am - 4 pm.) Parking is not restricted on the other side of the street (and parents picking up children are often parked there from 2:30 to 3:00 pm, but otherwise it is quite clear.) Evening and weekends you can park on both sides of the street. Our driveway will also accommodate three or four vehicles as well, all of the time.

Rick and I always look forward to seeing friends and family, neighbors and visitors.  Come by and see the changes. We're always open to suggestions!

Be well, and be warm.
~Terry and Rick

Holiday Shop Hop December 14th; Santa Tours the Town collecting Toys for Tots December 15th

Baltic Birch backed with gold stars on red cotton

We're going to have a wonderful weekend in Georgetown, Massachusetts~ Small Businesses like Wooden Toy and Gift and the new Quilters' Quarters will be offering refreshments, entertainments, discounts, door prizes and more on Saturday, December 14th.

Two layers of Baltic Birch backed with brown cotton fabric

And on Sunday the 15th, Santa will be touring the town, visiting every street in every neighborhood with the U.S. Marine Corps' Toys for Tots campaign.  Each year, Georgetown residents donate over three thousand gifts to the toy collection. The Georgetown Fire Department sponsors this parade of apparatus and vehicles to gather the toys right from the source: Georgetown families.

Fire Department Christmas tree backed with red and green cotton

Wooden Toy and Gift helps the fire department by collecting donations in our shop and placing them in the Marine's hands as they come by our shop.  We make our own donations to them on that day as well. 

A new collection of ornaments at Wooden Toy and Gift

The beautiful wooden rocking motor cycles have all been sold, and many of the large pieces of 18" doll furniture have also found their way into homes that treasure their dolls.  Rick is making more small items now; he has a collection of scroll sawn ornaments, plaques and figures for sale in the shop. 

Two layers of Baltic Birch with red cotton fabric

Terry has expanded the Terry's Thoughts and Threads  portion of the shop to include Quilters' Quarters, a place where townspeople and others can find fabrics, notions, threads, batting, ribbons and trims that we used to be able to buy in our five and ten store called Cressy's. We lost that wonderful resource several years ago, and now Wooden Toy and Gift and Terry's Thoughts and Threads are stepping up to replace the goods that stitchers have had to travel out of town to find in recent years. 

Frosty the Snowman and a little girl sculpting him; open design

Enjoy this "Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and join in the celebration this coming weekend.  Santa will be glad to see you street-side offering your donated new, unwrapped toys to the Marines that ride with him each year in Georgetown.  And we'll look forward to seeing you on Holiday Shop Hop Saturday!

Away in a Manger, open design

Merry Christmas, everyone!

with love and care,

Rick and Terry

Baltic Birch backed with green cotton fabric

Remember, you can buy Rick's beautiful scroll saw work in the shop, or order online at www.woodentoyandgift.net.

You can also visit Terry's Thoughts and Threads portion of the shop at  www.terrycrawfordpalardy.com.