It’s that time of year again when the grackles and starlings show up, invade feeders, and scare other birds away. Luckily, we have some tips to at least help reduce their numbers at your feeders! These birds really like sunflower seeds and peanuts. It’s a good time to switch to feeding seeds they don’t like … Read more
It’s hard to believe but hummingbird season is coming soon! We recommend having your feeders out by the end of April, or 1st of May as this is usually when we start to see the first ones coming through. We carry many types of feeders but we really love the saucer style feeders from Aspects. … Read more
The snow is starting to melt and it’s already starting to feel like Spring, especially here at the shop! Easter is just around the corner and we’re excited to share our newest arrivals from Stitch By Stitch! These beautifully detailed felt ornaments are ethically handmade by artisans who genuinely enjoy what they do, and most … Read more
Last fall we started carrying a new line of cards from Amélie Legault. She is a Montreal-based author and illustrator known for her quirky and playful creations that bring joy to all ages. Our customers loved her fun cards so much, so this year we brought in some mugs as well! Birds wearing slippers, beavers … Read more
Brenda was recently at the Gift Show in Toronto, and met a new company making some really neat puzzles! StumpCraft is a jigsaw puzzle workshop based out of Calgary, Alberta. They locally craft laser-cut, heirloom quality puzzles showcasing the best of Canadian fine art! We brought in some of their smaller puzzles first, which are … Read more
We recently received some new beautiful pieces of metal art from a couple of our Canadian artists. The walls are now full again with so many great options! We have about 5 different Canadian companies that we like to showcase in the shop. From Ontario, we carry art from Murals in Metal (Lucan), Metallic Evolution … Read more
Studies show that 68% of Canadians believe in the importance of shopping local. Which is a powerful economic force, since 66¢ of every dollar spent locally STAYS local. This superpower creates what is called the boomerang effect: Money spent locally means a reinvestment in the community through spending or donations. At Avant-Garden, here’s how we … Read more
Solmate Socks are always super popular in the shop, especially at this time of year! Aside from fun patterns and bright colours, they’re mismatched with love. The company uses sustainably sourced, eco-friendly fibers. This means that textile waste that would have gone to landfill is upcycled into quality yarns without adding any additional dyes to … Read more
Many people come to the Avant-Garden Shop repeatedly for our great selection of greeting cards! We carry over fifty different lines of cards that cover many occasions. We recently did a count of all the lines that are Canadian and local artists, and that number is over thirty! These cards are beautiful pieces of art, … Read more
We have a new artist in the shop! Megan Archer (they/them) is an autistic nonbinary artist based in rural Nova Scotia. They founded Aflame Creations in 2011, and have been single-handedly crafting this unique and vibrant enameled copper jewelry ever since. Every piece is a small story in colour and texture. Each piece begins with … Read more