Top shop for gifts.
Buyers bought gifts from this shop and gave them 5-star reviews!
Announcement During COVID-19 emergency, Canada Post has suspended delivery commitments. So, we have temporarily removed shipping upgrades from our listings.
Announcement
During COVID-19 emergency, Canada Post has suspended delivery commitments. So, we have temporarily removed shipping upgrades from our listings.
Items
Reviews
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Sarah May on Dec 30, 2020
5 out of 5 starsSuch a beautiful gift! My mom loved it and was amazed that an eyeglass case could be so nice! Great communication from Kathy and Jim - they added a personal note with the gift since it was mailed directly to my mom.
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Anna on Dec 13, 2020
5 out of 5 starsBeautiful workmanship. Arrived earlier than expected. Unique product and great service.
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Megann on Nov 20, 2020
5 out of 5 starsWe purchased two of Kathy and Jim's ring boxes for our elopement. They were beautiful! The grain is stunning, the workmanship is great quality, and communication was quick and easy! These boxes helped to make our day extra special. Thank you, Kathy and Jim!
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jmoon on Nov 2, 2020
5 out of 5 starswonderful craftsmanship and so thoughtfully packaged. Arrived safe and sound. Thank you.
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Megann on Oct 21, 2020
5 out of 5 starsAbsolutely stunning and great quality. We used two of Kathy and Jim's wood ring boxes for our hike in wedding. They kept our rings safe, and matched the environment so well. Pick up was easy!
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Shannon on Oct 13, 2020
5 out of 5 starsI purchased this lovely box for my mom's ashes and could not be more pleased with the quality and workmanship. The wood is warm and lovely, smooth to the touch and beautiful to the eye. The ingrain piece of darker wood is a small nod to my mom's faith and devotion to always being kind, gracious and good. The back is secured with about 10 screws and feels solid. I've enclosed her ashes as well as all the sympathy cards, cards from flowers sent and her death notice from the paper so I don't have to figure out where things are. This was the best way to safekeep my mom's ashes. I love it!
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Richard on Oct 1, 2020
5 out of 5 starsArrived very quickly and really well built. Love the hinges and the magnetic lock. Looks great and feels great. Also loved the recycling of the egg carton for shipping. Love to support small Canadian business.
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Kate on Sep 6, 2020
5 out of 5 starsAbsolutely beautiful item, exactly what I wanted! I use it as a catch-all next to my favourite chair. It's even more gorgeous than the photos: pictures can't do justice to the glow of the woods, and the precision of the workmanship.
Shipped quickly, seller was communicative, overall a great experience. Highly recommended. -
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Chris on Aug 8, 2020
5 out of 5 starsI was looking for the ultimate jewelry box for my wife when my search ended here. Such a beautiful piece of work and the quality and craftsmanship is second to none. Thank you so much, Jim.
CB, Burlington, ON, Canada
July, 2020 -
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pantsbuyer on Jul 30, 2020
5 out of 5 starsExceeds expectations. I was hoping for a cool-looking gimmick, but it’s incredibly functional too. And the wood is a lot more beautiful in person than in the pictures. I wasn’t planning to spend $55 on a sunglasses case, but I’m weirdly glad I did.
About KathyandJimSawada
It all began in the tool aisle....
We are a husband/wife team who ventured into the fine crafts field in 1997. It became a full-time occupation for both of us in 2002. It’s a great head-space! Before entering the fine craft field, Jim held various management and technical positions in the computer technology field. Kathy was an accredited teacher and stay-at-home mother. She also conceived, planned, organized and conducted programs for groups of preschoolers.
We are both self-taught. Research, experimentation and imagination keep us moving along on the road of discovery. Our work has evolved and continues to do so.
KATHY'S STORY:
I had never used, or even considered, wood as my medium for artistic expression. I got involved in woodworking when I discovered the scroll saw (while killing time in yet another tool store waiting for Jim to poke through all the available gizmos). Jim has been a hobby woodworker and cabinetmaker for years and had made beautiful boxes.
I moved up to the band saw when I started to design free-form, sculptured boxes. Those creations got me involved in an exhibition at the Varley Gallery in Unionville. The Varley Gallery subsequently invited me to participate in a couple of fundraisers, Benchmark and Reflections, neither of which had any relationship to my band saw boxes, but both of which sent me off into completely new directions. Benchmark required artists to convert a provided rough-hewn milking stool into a work of art.Reflections posed a similar challenge using a provided framed mirror.
My works were a hit. But, I couldn’t build the underlying benches and frames. Enter Jim’s cabinet making (and rising to the challenge). The rest, as they say, is history.
One of the things that is the most fun in this work is that I never know what will be created next! Having had no formal training, I can do whatever amuses me…and sometimes the finished product is a complete surprise!!
JIM'S STORY:
As a newly married young man with little money but a lot of curiosity it was essential that I embrace new skills of many kinds. Plastering and painting came first. Close on their heels were changing diapers and learning to sleep and think at the same time.
My formal education and my initial career were computer related.....but we all know the importance of a meaningful hobby. It was Kathy's father, Fred, who introduced me to the joys of woodworking: first enticing me with a small table saw, then with some of his chisels, then some techniques and encouragement and some very good advice (as well as some very bad advice). It was a learning curve that I embraced with enthusiasm.
As my family grew, my skills were challenged and expanded with practice...practice ...practice: building book shelves, beds, desks, cabinets, a dollhouse, a go-cart. I discovered and learned to love all of the grains, colours, strengths and weaknesses of various woods.
Then the day came that the family was grown and there were no more beds or desks or shelves to be made.......but.... Kathy has always loved boxes......so I started to make boxes. And I continue to make boxes.
Each box is a personal journey for me as I choose the colours and size and conceive the design. It is important to me that each box is unique in some way. Each is handmade with patience and attention to every detail. It's the pride of the artisan in me perhaps...I like to think so.
Shop members
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Kathy
Owner
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Jim
Owner
Shop policies
All works are our own designs, completely constructed, finished and decorated by us.
We pride ourselves in making art that is as functional as it is eye-catching.
Accepted payment methods
Returns and exchanges
I gladly accept returns
I don't accept exchanges or cancellations
The following items can't be returned or exchanged
- Custom or personalized orders
- Perishable products (like food or flowers)
- Digital downloads
- Intimate items (for health/hygiene reasons)
Returns and exchange details
EXCHANGES:
We do not offer exchanges or replacements. Each item is one-of-a-kind -- there are no duplicates.
LOST/DAMAGED SHIPMENT:
Reimbursements for lost or damaged items will be subject to Canada Post/USPS or UPS procedures and policies. Items are fully insured. Original shipping fees are refundable.
JUST NOT HAPPY WITH IT:
Return the item to us.
Ship the item within 14 days of original delivery. Ship it in its original packaging, insured for its original value. Use "Signature required on delivery" option for items valued over $125 CDN. If returning from the USA, be sure to identify the item as a 'returned product' to your shipper. Failure to do so could result in customs fees. Buyer is responsible for return shipping and customs fees.
Upon receipt of the item, intact, we'll issue you a full refund for the original item cost, excluding original shipping cost ( embedded standard shipping plus any options).
Payment
Order cancellations will not be accepted after shipment.
Shipping
Items are available for pickup at our studio. Contact us prior to purchase to make arrangements and to avoid shipping costs.
The cost for standard shipping is included in item prices.
Items are shipped from Toronto, Canada via -
-- standard: Canada Post Expedited Parcel within Canada
-- standard: Canada Post Expedited Parcel to USA
-- optional upgrade : Canada Post Xpresspost
Delivery times shown in listings are what Canada Post cites as standard or expected delivery times. We cannot guarantee those times.
Shipment is tracked and insured, has delivery confirmation. Signature required upon delivery in Canada for items over $200, and for all Xpresspost items to USA.
Stationery items are shipped through regular postal service without insurance coverage, delivery confirmation or signature.
Buyer is responsible for any international customs/duty/tax fees.
Additional policies and FAQs
Custom orders are welcomed. Please bear in mind that the price of your custom item will be around the price of similar items that we make. We only work in small volumes, e.g. maximum of ten items in an order. Do not expect volume discounts ..... we have no automated equipment.
A minimum $90 design and setup charge will apply to custom "one-off" orders. For example, a custom jewelry box that is pretty much the same as one of our existing ones (size, complexity) that sells for $400 could cost $490. That charge may not apply to simple customizing of the interior of a work in progress, e.g., your choice of lining, minor re-configuration of dividers and trays.
A 15% non-refundable down payment will be required to proceed with the final design and making of your custom piece.
Not all woods are always available; but, we shall do our best to accommodate your request. Please allow 8-10 weeks for your unique item to be designed and built.
PERSONALIZATION
We do not do engraving. We recommend that you arrange with a local engraver for such work. That puts you in complete control of design and time-frame.
You could have a custom plaque made by a local trophy shop. Such plaques, in brass or coloured brass, can be quite ornate and cut to any size. We have used, and directed people to, Hoult-Hellewell Trophies & Awards in Toronto.
Another option is CNC laser or router engraving. A client used Hot Pop Factory in Toronto with excellent results on their keepsake box.