The Moncton Miniature and Doll Enthusiasts’ Club 27th Annual “It’s a Small World” Show and Sale

The Moncton Miniature and Doll Enthusiasts’ Club is pleased to announce their 27th Annual Show and Sale “It’s a Small World” to take place on Saturday, May 2, from 10am to 5pm at the Dan Bohan Centre on Fatima Drive in Riverview. In what promises to be a truly magical experience for all, this event will showcase the collections and talents of doll and miniature lovers throughout the region, with vendors and display participants from such varied locations as Saint John, Fredericton, PEI, and Ontario. Drop in and fall under the spell of the enchanted world of dollhouse miniatures and collector dolls with a chance to win the door prize of a 50th Anniversary Barbie doll!

The Moncton Miniature and Doll Enthusiasts’ Club has had a presence in the Greater Moncton Area for over a quarter of a century! This is a club that has the luxury of having a core of its original membership as driving force behind its success, with many long-term, talented individuals contributing to its longevity as a creative outlet for a hobby that has an important international following. All proud owners of collector or vintage dolls as well as 1/12 scale model houses, dioramas, furniture, and accessories, members of the club create entire worlds in miniature with faithful recreations of period homes, scenes, and costumes. Indeed, this wonderful group of like-minded individuals share technical skill, an eye for detail, an appreciation of history, an awareness of beauty, and expert knowledge in a hobby that has captured the imagination of an increasing number of men and women worldwide.

The Moncton Miniature and Doll Enthusiasts’ Club has to its credit seasoned collectors and artisans with collections containing examples of from the world of collector dolls ranging from Madame Alexander to Barbie and miniatures that include the work of such well-known Canadian artisans as Ted Keating, Phillip Aiken, Robert Street, and Janice Crawley to name but a few. Club president Shirley Capsan’s powerful collection contains the work of many fine area artisans, and veteran member Jeanne MacArthur deals in vintage dolls as well as her own handmade porcelain collector dolls. Doreen Johnson creates meticulous crocheted clothing for Barbie, and June Aud’s extensive collection includes the finest work of many of our local artisans including the late Helen Coldrick whose spirit lives on in her work which still graces the collections of club members past and present. Barb Byers and Debbie Lassard also bring their innovative talents and artistic vision to their renditions of real life captured in miniature! These are just a few of the members whose stellar collections are certain to captivate attendees.

Among the attractions this year are miniature dealer John Constable’s wonderful sales table replete with furniture and accessories for the discriminating collector, club member Janice Surette with her exquisite replicas in miniature of antique wicker furniture, Bronwyn Robbins’ display of ball-jointed Asian dolls, and seasoned collectors and amateurs alike, a special sales table of items donated from the collections of club members with all proceeds going to a local charity!

This weekend, take a break from the concerns of real life and discover the world of make believe faithfully rendered in the realistic representations of the scale model world. Here you’ll find it really is a “small world” after all!

Sliver Chainsaw Carving by Gary Smith

Woodcarver extrordinaire, Gary Smith, can be found, tools in hand, at the Marché Moncton Market each Saturday! Continuing a craftsman tradition in a hobby that has lasted some 25 years, Gary’s work covers a range of styles, from intricately rendered wooden scenes of rural Canadiana in flora and fauna utilizing the finest in handheld tools, to life-sized outdoor pieces carved with a chainsaw which grace the properties of a growing clientele anxious to own a unique piece of authentic New Brunswick art. Gary’s pieces include sculptures, planters, plaques and mirror frames, and personalized signs in a number of woods including oak, cedar, pine, and black spruce.

Gary Smith spent many years as an employee of CN in Moncton, using his spare to hone his skill as a wood carver. Upon retirement, Gary’s art form has taken on new and exciting dimensions with the added luxury of time to explore new horizons in his art. The results are truly magnificent. Not only does Gary create one-of-a-kind pieces from his own imagination, he also takes custom orders to client specifications. A multi-talented individual, Gary is also a songwriter and singer with a musical CD to his credit. Entitled, "Pure Country," Gary is a one-man band responsible for music lyrics, vocals, and guitar playing.

For more information on Gary and his extraordinary art, contact him at 386-2586, e-mail at carvings.45@gmail.com, or visit his table at the market where you are certain to be impressed at his skill in a medium that reflects the soul of our natural woodland surroundings transformed into wonderful art for all time!

Classic Comfort / “Snuggle Up to a Cure” for Breast Cancer

Welcome to the "Snuggle Up to a Cure" fundraising campaign for breast cancer research! This brand new and exciting venture is being initiated by Classic Comfort of Moncton, New Brunswick, in what is destined to become an ongoing campaign. With the goal of raising $100,000 nationally by October, 2009, the focus of the "Snuggle Up to a Cure" campaign is a "pillow drive" featuring sales of a specially manufactured, jumbo-sized pillow, 10% of the purchase price going to fund research into breast cancer. Made of 100% cotton outer shell encasing a fibre-logic filling, these pillows will be available for sale at all of the retail outlets across Canada which carry Classic Comfort products. Also available online at the Classic Comfort’s website at http://www.classiccomfort.com,/, "Snuggle Up to a Cure" will also have its own national website at http://www.snuggleuptoacure.com/ to facilitate sales. Updated on a weekly basis, this website will have a complete list of retail outlet locations carrying the pillow, links to other related websites, as well as facts and information on breast cancer and research by the Canadian Cancer Society.

The special pillows offered for sale by the "Snuggle Up to a Cure" venture were developed through careful research by one of the best cause manufacturers in North America. Made by Classic Comfort, these pillows are comprised of exceptional quality and are competitively priced with a significant percentage of the purchase price going to fund research in a disease which presently affects 1 in 9 women across Canada. "We all know someone whose life has been touched by cancer," says Mrs. Denise LeBlanc, President of Classic Comfort, who has a close family member suffering from breast cancer. "The ‘Snuggle Up to a Cure’ campaign is most certainly a win/win situation for all involved," she continues, "from our manufacturing company which has created a quality product we can all be proud of, to the retail outlets that profit from sales, the consumers who purchase a product they can use everyday and who can feel good knowing that a percentage of the purchase price is going to a worthy cause, and for the Canadian Cancer Society who receives much needed revenue for research into a disease that not only affects the sufferer, but can devastate entire families."

"Snuggle Up to a Cure" is an ambitious project that is just the latest philanthropic venture for a company with a history of contributing to worthy causes. With a commitment to full accountability to the public for how much money goes to what cause, Classic Comfort believes in giving back to the communities in which they live and work. Classic Comfort has donated blankets to Headstart Moncton for families in need, and to the SPCA for pets in transition. Their Angel Fund and Blanket of Hope (BOH) are two other campaigns with plans for additional fundraising and a line of new products to follow in the near future. For a company with humble beginnings, the last ten years in business has seen a steady growth and much success. Celebrating a 10th Anniversary in 2009, Classic Comfort’s success has instilled in its team a realization that true rewards come in the form of service to others.

The driving force behind the rise of this manufacturing company comes from the passion and vision of a truly remarkable woman. A decade ago, Denise LeBlanc started her company in the basement of her home with a simple idea and a focus on providing top quality fleece bedding. By diversifying her product line over the years and expanding her company to form a group of service-related and manufacturing companies in the Greater Moncton Area, Denise LeBlanc has demonstrated a determination that has earned her a stellar reputation in her field. One of just a few females in the manufacturing business in North America, she champions the role of women in business, achieving many firsts in her career and in her service to her community, including being the first woman president of the Chamber of Commerce for the Town of Bouctouche. A firm believer in the power of women, she says, "Retailers in Canada have yet to realize that 80% of the buying decisions and purchasing power belong to women." Indeed, it is this recognition of "girl power" that has re-awakened a passion in Denise LeBlanc to stand behind a cause that is "all about women."

Denise LeBlanc is joined in her various business endeavours by her son, Mathieu. He brings to her organization impeccable qualifications with a degree in marketing from the Université de Moncton, hands-on experience watching his mother build her companies from the ground up, an invaluable work ethic participating in summer work terms during his schooling, and a unique male perspective. Denise also credits the success of her business enterprise with the dedication and skill of her team of employees, many of whom have been a part of her business from the beginning. A heartfelt "Thank You" also goes out to each of the many retailers who are participating in the "Snuggle Up to a Cure" Campaign. Do your part in finding a cure for breast cancer. Purchase a Classic Comfort pillow and give a whole new meaning to the Classic Comfort company’s commitment to "improving lives one night at a time."