In memory of Tony Ciuffini

This summer, friends and family in the music box world lost the highly regarded Tony Ciuffini, loved for his kindness and good humour, and respected and admired by all of us for his expertise in music box restoration.

Mr. Ciuffini was a generous mentor to me, and a friend who I wish I could have just one more conversation with. I miss him terribly.

The Ciuffini family has suggested that in lieu of flowers friends might donate to multiple sclerosis research for a cure. In honour of that special request, a portion of all My Secret Music Box sales this year will be donated to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

To learn more about multiple sclerosis and it's impact visit:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org
~

The Perfect Little Music Box Locket

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a miniature music box that plays the song "You Are My Sunshine"? How about the devastatingly romantic "My Heart Will Go On"?

miniature music box locket Song Bird by My Secret Music Box

 I'm delighted to be able to share some fresh new tunes that are available for personalising your My Secret Music Box locket.

Click the links below to listen to what all of the wonderful songs sound like. Can you imagine how special it would feel for someone you love to own this token and reminder from you?

Currently Available Songs
(you may wish to adjust your volume settings before clicking the links below)

Amazing Grace

Anniversary Song

Ave Maria

(NEW) Can't Help Falling in Love with You

Close To You

Fur Elise

Happy Birthday

I Left My Heart In San Francisco

Jesus Loves Me

(NEW) Just The Way You Are

(NEW) Love Is Blue (l'amor est blue)

Love Story

Moonlight Sonata

Moon River

My Favorite Things

(NEW) My Heart Will Go On
Pachelbel's Canon in D

Romeo and Juliet (A Time For Us)

Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme from "Dr. Zhivago")

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Swan Lake

(NEW) Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral (That's An Irish Lullaby)

(NEW) Wedding March (Mendelssohn - Mid-Summer Night's Dream)

(NEW) Wedding March (Wagner - Here Comes the Bride)

What A Wonderful World

When You Wish Upon A Star

Wind Beneath My Wings

You Are My Sunshine

(NEW) You Are So Beautiful To Me

You Light Up My Life

Each My Secret Music Box locket is outfitted with an authentic musical box, and when it is wound with it's little brass key, a short tune sings out. 

Out of these 30 songs, which one is YOUR favourite?

The unicorn's song

Once upon a time not so far away from where you're sitting now, a little unicorn lived by herself in a clover glen.

In the daytime she would sun herself beside the clean, sparkling stream. 
In the evenings she would sing to herself and it was such an exquisite sound that every nearby bird stopped to listen in wonder at the sweetness of her voice. 
At night she would sit still while the stars told her bedtime stories until she fell asleep.

One morning while searching for a rare flower for her daughter's birthday the queen's sister happened to wander close by the glen. And from the glen she heard the most beautiful sound she had ever known. It was the unicorn's song.

The queen's sister crept as quietly as her fine robes would allow her to do and she peered through the branches of a wild rose bush to look and see the source of that wonderful music.

This is what she saw:

Little Unicorn Music Box Locket
by www.mysecretmusicbox.com

Outblush featured "Sweet Molly" today

How nice! Take a look at what the writers at Outblush had to saw about my Sweet Molly musical locket today.

"This is no ordinary locket..."

Charming cat face musical locket

An adorable heart-shaped photo-locket with a real music box inside.

Available at www.mysecretmusicbox.com

Make a big impression with a little music box

It fits in her palm and is always there to remind her of your special friendship. Choose from 17 different songs for the locket to play when the tiny key on the reverse side is wound. Choose a heart-shaped locket and include a personal message on the inside.

Current Favourite

The whimsical, speckled blue pattern is a current favourite among our fans, featured here on MSM's cat cameo and silver stag lockets. Inside each locket you will find an authentic old-fashioned wind-up music box which plays a short tune of your choice.

Listen to them play

Choose from 17 different melodies: http://listen.mysecretmusicbox.com
such as Moon River, You Are My Sunshine, Love Story, Happy Birthday, Close To You, My Favorite Things....

Miniature music box lockets by My Secret Music Box. 

Where to find a music box in Toronto?

The time has come - I will be selling a goodly portion of my vintage music box collection at the Toronto St Lawrence Antique Market located at Front & Jarvis for a few more Sundays between late September and December.


They are disappearing quite quickly though (sweet sorrow!) and I might not have many more left to sell as the weeks go on.


You can email me if you want to make sure I'll be at the market on a given Sunday - send me a note at clockworkfantastica (a.t) gmail.com

I'm also saying "so long!" to some cute vintage salt and pepper shakers. Bye Bye cute squirrels, Bye Bye little deer, Bye Bye pink elephants, Bye bye Miss Priss...

New From My Secret Music Box...

Love My Bicycle Miniature Music Box Heart Locket

An old-fashioned wind-up music box is hidden inside this bicycle themed locket. When the tiny key on the reverse side of the locket is wound, a little music box plays a short tune.

The vintage styled bicycle is plated in bronze and antiqued with a rich deep patina. It rests on floral Italian papers lining both the inside and outside.

Shop here

Make Your Own Glittering Musical Ornament!

An excellent tutorial by Amber of SaltTree who shares how to make your own top notch ornament with a working music box inside.

Using this:

and This:

Step-by-step instructions are on Amber's blog: http://salttree.blogspot.com/2011/11/glittering-musical-ornament.html

The music box mechanism employed in this project is available here: http://shop.tunedteeth.com

Delightful!

Handmade Market at the Good Earth last weekend

This is what my booth looked like at the HandMade Market in Beamsville Ontario over the weekend.
The show actually went better for me on the 2nd day, rain and all. I will attribute this to the lights I added to the display on Sunday - plus, I do believe it's a serious and shopper crafts lover who comes to the fair in the rain.

I really like the little cabinet seen in the centre of my display. A lucky find, it suits my miniature music boxes perfectly.

I debuted the little folding heart lockets at the show on Saturday.

This is my point of view - the reverse side of the display

 It was a well organized and very well attended event. It was still hard to balance the expenses of coming from Toronto overnight though.I had some good conversations with some of the visitors. We chatted about clocks, music boxes, and Saturday morning cartoons of the 80's.

About a show: The More Than Metal Show

For the past few months I worked relentlessly to put produce a very successful jewellery show here in Toronto.

The show went great, just really tiring. I'm planning on doing it again, but with more help next time for sure. I did all the website stuff, press copy and releases, ad, postcard and poster design, door-to-door flyering (I was really paranoid about getting the word out effectively), getting sponsors, performed the catering etc. etc. OMG.

The funny thing is that the show was partially conceived out of frustration with my experience with a lot of craft shows - I wanted to put on a show that would suit my type of work and others like me, but of course I had no time at all to man my own table. Very ironic.

I only had a chance to take a small handful of photos, but you can see the ones I got with the help of a friend here some photos One of the participants blogged about it too http://sahetahscrazedwritings.blogspot.com/2011/07/more-than-metal-show.html

I mean, everyone looks like they had a good time and all of the written feedback I got from the artists says they had a very positive experience so I'm relieved.

5 Questions: Interview with Dave of Bix-Reed Handmade

I sat up and cheered when I saw these musical boxes on Etsy, handmade by Dave from Bix-Reed Handmade. Dave makes delightful wooden music box nightlights that incorporate charming retro woodland and nursery images.

They are meant to "keep the bogeyman away", but I think they are also brilliant decor items to light up the dark corners in any space.
I had to know more, and Dave very graciously let me into his creative mind to ask 5 questions.

Squirrel Buddy Musical Night Light by Bix-Reed Handmade

"Why did you choose to integrate music boxes in your work?"

since my night lights are primarily for kids (and adult kids), it just made total sense to add music to them.  my friend, who bought one of the first boxes i ever made, has said it's now turned into a tradition with his 2-year-old daughter: her tucks her in, reads her a story, then clicks on the light.  and before leaving, his daughter always points to the light, signifying she wants the music.  and he's said that the first few minutes of bedtime had been the worst for her.  she was always getting up or getting scared or calling for him to come back in.  now she just listens to the tune and nods off, while he and his wife get some much-needed quiet time.

"What is the most challenging step in your creative process?"

time.  i can only get into the workshop on tuesdays and thursdays.  but once i'm there, i'm just so excited to work on the projects i've been cooking up in my head that everything goes very smoothly.  since time is precious, i don't waste any of it fretting or doubting myself.

Duckie Music Box Night Light by Bix-Reed Handmade

"When do you know a piece is finished?"

this is lame answer, but it's instinctual.  i just know.  there have been plenty of times that i've finished a piece, but something about it just doesn't look right.  and if i don't immediately think 'love it!' then i know i need to rework it.  or shelve it altogether.  but when it works, it works.

Happy Cat Music Box Night Light by Bix-Reed Handmade

"Do you have a favourite piece?"

i love them all, really.  but if i absolutely have to choose i'd say "happy cat." "bedtime bear" is a close second, though.

"Where can we buy your beautiful things?"

right now, only on etsy.Shop: Bix-Reed Handmade

thanks!
dave

3 good things at my door

Three wonderful things arrived for me by delivery yesterday.

This spectacular mug by Meow City was the first. I think it's wonderful and I can't wait to see what this artist does next.

meow city ceramics, by Drury Brennan

This was the second; a Dancing Skeleton, just about the size of my palm




And the third was a Valentine from someone who knows I love flowers.

A cure for feral children

Given this....."the world has crumbled and the cities have exploded; uprisings and social disorder due to energy shortages have destabilized the country; and two mighty warrior tribes have gone to war. The crumbling remnants of the government attempt to restore some form of order, but life has become a whirlwind of looting and a firestorm of fear, in which men began to FEED on men."

I certainly did not expect this:



But it could happen, I suppose :-)

Toronto Erotic Arts & Crafts Fair

My Secret Music Box will be at the Erotic Arts & Crafts Fair this Saturday at the Gladstone. Remember, romance is erotic too! It looks like a good day to be at the Gladstone Hotel; Skin Tight Outta Site Rebel Burlesque will be performing downstairs, too.

Erotic Arts and Crafts Fair
Saturday, February 12, 2011

NOON – 8:00pm
The Gladstone Hotel
1214 Queen Street West
Toronto
Admission: FREE
http://www.eroticartsandcrafts.com

Have a warm and safe holiday season

Have a warm and safe holiday season. I'll be hibernating with my family for the rest of the year. See you in 2011 :-)

This weekend: Make your own music box & the Wandering Winter Craft Show

I'll be running a workshop today to teach 5 or 6 people how to build a real mechanical music box using my DIY Music Box Kit. No flimsy paper strips here, this is the real deal with a mechanical wind up movement at its core. This happens from 2-3 PM at the City of Craft event. If you miss the event you can also pick up a kit at one of my favourite shops, the Wise Daughters Craft Market in the Junction at 3079 Dundas Street West.

 do it yourself music box kit - supplied by Tuned Teeth Music Box Supply Company

available at Wise Daughters Craft

THEN on Sunday December 19th, I'll be doing my last gift show of the year at the Gladstone Hotel Wandering Winter Craft Show. The Wandering Winter Craft Show happens from 10-4 PM.This is just down the road from City of Craft and happens at the same time, so it's a good chance to hit two excellent craft shows at once if you're in the neighbourhood.

after packing up and heading back

 After packing up and heading back to homebase when the show was done, instead of relief I felt strangely sad. I think it was like the very mildest sense of 'empty-nest syndrome", because I had worked for months up to the night before preparing to do this show, and when it was done and the laughs were had, the crowds were met and friends made and my little display was finally taken down and carted home, my craftoholic heart said "what next?" And the answer was not "plan, plan, panic, make" - it was "take a rest, the show's over!" I had to recalibrate.

The best part is meeting other creative vendors who I know have been working day and night like myself in putting our stuff out there. It was nice to meet Susan J in person and I do believe I saw the founder of Bust Magazine moseying around. Although I could tell attendance was down, I had a lot of fun at this gig and hope I get a chance to do it again. The Bust Craftacular gets a thumbs up!

 

My pretties

Here are some brand new pretties that I'm preparing for the upcoming Craftacular.

pretty floral hair combs ~ www.mysecretmusicbox.com

pretty floral hair combs ~ www.mysecretmusicbox.com

an array of musical pendants ~www.mysecretmusicbox.com

as earth turns in her winter sleep

"Will she EVER update again?" you wondered.

I just got some vendor info about the BUST Holiday Craftacular in my email. It gave me an unexpected rush of nerves. It's very exciting -- this is my first time at this event and I've heard about it for years. I wonder what to expect. Doing all I can to make it a good experience...

Me and my musical jewellery will be at table #46 on the first floor. I also learned that me and Mr.Man will be sitting across from puppet makers, which is just, one our favourite things in the world, besides squirrel monkeys