The Aura Collective

One Of A Kind Spring Show - Toronto - 30 March 2011

2011-03-04T10:15:00.000-05:00

A reminder that the One Of A Kind Spring Show returns to Toronto on Wednesday 30 March and runs to Sunday 3 April.

The Toronto show is the only spring show on the OOAK calendar, so be sure to check it out and support our wonderful Aura Collective artists.

One Of A Kind Spring Show - Toronto
Wednesday, 30 March - Sunday, 3 April

Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place
100 Princes' Blvd., Toronto ON M6K 3C3 Canada
Tickets: $12 at the door

Store Plug: "Whatever Lola Wants" in Toronto

2011-02-09T18:19:00.002-05:00

Every once in a while, I stumble into an "artist-related" store and admire the place. Yesterday, I met Kimberley Price in a little shop on Bayview Avenue in Toronto called "Whatever Lola Wants (WLW)". Kim was working in the shop at the time, and she gave me some merch for Aura Collective.

From the outside, I found it hard to grasp what the shop sells because the sign says simply "WLW". As it turns out, the store carries mostly Canadian made jewellery, accessories, and quirky bits geared to the female market. There is a nice window display that changes often, but some information on the sign would be helpful to the passer-by. But I digress.

Rhonda, the shop's owner, is a lovely woman who has been hard at it for over 2 years now with WLW. It is never easy opening a stand alone store, and downright impossible to make a go of it selling Canadian art and craft. But Rhonda's determination and keen eye for interesting pieces and new artists is paying dividends.

The store carries artists such as Amber Higgins (beautiful glass heart necklaces), Kim Price (gorgeous fine beaded jewellery), dconstruct (eco-resin jewellery), Matteo Mio (leather handbags at sensational prices), and Alicia Niles (glass jewelley) - to mention a few. My wife picked up a great leather baggage tag, and a provocatively funny birthday card during our short visit. But I will be back soon.

Long story short, you should drop in to WLW (1625 Bayview, 647-350-1833) next time you're in the area . You won't be disappointed. Good on ya, Rhonda!

UPDATE: Rhonda has launched a new website for the store for Whatever Lola Wants (WLW) called wlwonbayview.com.

VIP Art Fair - Disaster Strikes!

2011-01-22T16:50:00.007-05:00

A good idea that many of us were keen to see in action has fallen flat in its debut today.

The VIP (Viewing In Private) Art Fair is an exclusive international art fair conducted entirely online during the week of January 22-30, 2011. Today was day one. As the website states:

"An unprecedented event, VIP Art Fair gives contemporary art collectors access to artworks by critically acclaimed artists and the ability to connect one-on-one with internationally renowned dealers—from anywhere in the world and without leaving home."

The event has attracted significant media interest, including publications like BusinessWeek and the Economist. According to the Economist, 138 galleries from 30 countries had signed up to display and sell works to registered users and collectors.

While a very interesting concept to those of us who sell art online, the website had its share of troubles on day one. Technical issues plagued the first day due to excessive website hits, with errors encountered every time a gallery or artwork is selected for view. The technical issues appear to have been resolved at the end of day one. When the event lasts only a week, and there is only one chance to impress your audience, a lost first day is a major annoyance for organizers and the public.

According to the website, the VIP Art Fair heralds a new online approach to marketing artwork:

"VIP Art Fair’s innovative technology presents artworks in relation to other works of art and in relative scale to the human figure. Inquisitive visitors can zoom in to examine details of a painting’s surface, get multiple views of a three-dimensional work, and watch videos of a multimedia piece. Galleries will provide comprehensive details on artworks and artists, including biographies, catalogue essays, artist films and interviews, and in-depth information that will empower collectors"

As someone who has developed an art-based website devoted to the public, execution is everything. Aura Collective does not yet display or sell wall art (paintings, murals, fabrics, etc) because showcasing the pieces online in an effective way is difficult and expensive. We were (and are) very keen to see the technology in action here.

As for the technical issues, you test, test, and test again before going live. It is surprising that excessive website hits would crash a website devoted to a global audience. Perhaps the organizers were pushed on their timelines and rushed the execution, only time will tell. It is easy to sympathize with the organizers (gallery owners apparently), who perhaps miscalculated the complexity of going live in such a public way.

Great idea, poor execution. One has to wonder how much was invested in this venture.

It is disappointing to see the site face troubles on the first day, because it gives ammunition to the cynics who say art cannot (or should not) be sold over the internet. It will be interesting to hear of the success or otherwise of the participating galleries. Fingers crossed the Fair achieves success across all metrics.

Despite the troubles of the VIP Art Fair, the concept is sensational even if the execution is underwhelming. I look forward to seeing this and other events bring art to the global masses via the online channel.

Is there such a thing as bad publicity? Maybe not.

Artist Beth Mueller - True Holiday Spirit

2010-12-07T14:31:00.000-05:00

Here's a nice story to get you into the holiday spirit!

Last evening, I received an email with a "funny question" from Beth Mueller - the acclaimed artist from Barre, Vermont. Beth produces beautiful ceramics, clothing, and paper using simple but colourful motifs to express experience and emotion.

As you know, Aura Collective showcases Canadian art so I was intrigued by the approach from an American artist.

Beth had recently shipped an order for holiday cards to the Gardiner Museum here in Toronto. Unfortunately, the order arrived too late for the Gardiner to sell 12 boxes of cards prior to Christmas. Faced with the prospect of shipping the merchandise back to Vermont, Beth contacted Aura Collective to see if we would accept the cards and donate the proceeds to charity.

Of course, we gladly accepted Beth's generous offer. So Aura Collective will donate 100% of the proceeds to Habitat For Humanity by default, or to the customer's charity of choice.

If you would like to purchase a box of Beth's cards (see examples at her website www.bethmueller.com), please email me at Aura Collective and I will contact you immediately to finalize the order. Or call 1-888-318-2872 and go through to Sales.

Unfortunately, we don't have time to place the cards on the website.

Thank you, Beth. And happy holidays to all!

Alan McIntosh Studio Sale

2010-12-07T13:51:00.001-05:00

Alan McIntosh, the wonderful artist who crafts magical utensils, is holding a studio sale on Saturday, 11 December 2010. There you can see how Alan does what he does, and buy some pieces direct from the artist. The salad servers pictured below are a great example of Alan's work.

Alan's studio is located at 20 Stanley Avenue in Toronto. Alan's studio is a little hard to find, so a map is below.

View Larger Map

One Of A Kind Show Back In Toronto

2010-11-25T09:32:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again. The One of a Kind Christmas Show is back to the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto (details below).

We are delighted to have eight Aura Collective artists presenting at OOAK this year. Good luck to all! Remember, if you can't buy at the show, you can always go to the Aura Collective website.

dconstruct Jewellery - Sean & Lisa Reico (Recycled Resin Jewellery)
Lisa Ridout (Silver Chain Jewellery)
Don Beamish (Cutting Boards)
Kate Church (Sculptural Puppetry)
Judi Patson (Themed Jewellery)
Sylvain Tremblay (Pepper Mills)
Virginia Wilson Toccalino (Filigree Glass)
Gillian Batcher (Precious Metal Jewellery)

One Of A Kind Show Details:

2010 One of a Kind Christmas Show and Sale

Thursday, November 25 to Sunday, December 5, 2010
Weekdays and Saturday 10am-9pm, Sunday 10am-6pm

Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place

100 Princes' Blvd., Toronto ON M6K 3C3 Canada

A Visit With Don Beamish at Larchwood Enterprises

2010-09-01T17:13:00.004-04:00

The summer weather in Eastern Canada has been sensational this year. So I was fortunate to spend some time with artist Don Beamish in Margaree Valley, Cape Breton in August. One of Don's cutting boards was recently endorsed by Aeroplan with a listing on the Aeroplan merchandise website, and what better way to talk business than a visit to Cape Breton.

It is from this small picturesque community in Nova Scotia that Don produces some of the most beautiful and functional cutting boards in the world.

How does Don and his crew do such good work? Because every step of the process is personal. There are over thirty steps to making a Beamish cutting board or chopping block, and each one is hand made using only quality larch wood.

A side note on wood. While wood is the best material for a cutting board, not every wood is appropriate for cutting boards. In fact, very few woods are suited to the demands of the average kitchen. Because cutting boards are constantly wet and heavily scarred with knives, there is a tendency for the board to deteriorate quickly over time particularly if the wood is soft. Most wood will wear quickly and splinter when used as a cutting board, and this makes it difficult to clean.

Most of us have experienced a piece of wood in our food from an inferior cutting board. While beautiful to admire, bamboo is particularly bad for splintering and shedding wood into your food.

Don is careful to use only larch wood in his boards. Why? First, larch contains natural oils and is a bacteria resistant wood that resists water and rot. Second, larch is very hard wearing unlike other inferior woods but communicates tenderly with your prized knives. And third, the larch end grain is gorgeous and Don's boards are a sight to behold.

What's end grain? Think of taking an axe to a tree stump. Cutting into the tree from above has little effect on the stump. But cutting sideways into the stump causes damage. Most cutting boards use pieces from a plank of wood (think the length of the tree trunk). Don uses the end grain because the boards heal naturally when cutting with the grain rather than against the grain. Also, the end grain highlights the pattern of the tree's growth rings which, in the case of larch, are magnificent.

The end result is a beautiful, hard wearing, bacteria resistant cutting board which takes centre stage in many of the best kitchens in the world.

See for yourself at Aura Collective.

Aeroplan Expands Aura Product Listings

2010-08-09T15:53:00.006-04:00

Now you can support more artists using your Aeroplan points. And in case you needed more of an incentive, 10% of every Aura product purchase from Aeroplan is donated to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Aeroplan has selected two (2) new pieces for presentation on the Aeroplan Merchandise website - the Black Onyx Necklace With Blue ‘Stone’ Heart by Kimberley Price, and the Artisanal Cheese Set by Don Beamish and Alan MacIntosh.

The necklace from Kim Price (shown below) is a lovely piece that incorporates a handmade lampworked glass heart from Amber Higgins with black onyx and silver beads.

The Artisanal Cheese Set (shown below) teams a beautiful cutting board by the esteemed Don Beamish with a one-of-a-kind cheese cleaver from Alan MacIntosh. The combination is stunning.

Congratulations to three very talented artists.

Sean and Lisa Reico Join Aura

2010-03-12T13:08:00.008-05:00

We are very pleased to announce that Sean and Lisa Reico from dconstruct jewellery in Winnipeg have joined the Aura family.

Well known on the art show circuit, this talented couple incorporate an environmental element to many of their collections. Using recycled resin and concrete from areas around the world, the Reico's create an edgy style of jewellery which appeals to young and old alike.

With no cuff, earrings, and necklace combination exceeding $100, this portfolio of jewellery is very accessible and makes a wonderful gift.

Welcome, Sean and Lisa!

New Pieces From Kimberley Price

2010-02-17T12:43:00.004-05:00

Aura Collective is pleased to showcase some new designs from Kim Price. Designed specifically for the upcoming Spring/Summer season, these pieces incorporate silver shells, flowers, and pearls.

As we're sure you will agree, the new pieces are beautiful.

Gillian Batcher Joins Aura

2010-02-01T15:19:00.001-05:00

Gillian Batcher is a wonderful artist from Toronto. Her work is remarkably mature and fresh, and she can be found working in the Spadina District of Toronto. Her signature Long Twig Necklace (below) is stunning, and at 52 inches in length, it is a very bold piece. Worn against black, it is out of this world.

Gillian uses a range of techniques in her work, including Mokume Gane. Her offset men's cufflinks, for example, are quite a statement.

Welcome to Aura Collective, Gillian.

Elisabeth Soppelsa Joins Aura

2010-02-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth Soppelsa is the newest artist to join Aura Collective. A native of Switzerland who came to Canada in 1972, Elizabeth has been exploring the realm of jewellery for many years now. And to great affect.

As you can see, her work is striking and very personal. Elisabeth is in touch with the world around her, and draws upon her environment and experience in creating lovely one-of-a-kind pieces.

Welcome, Elisabeth!

Kimberley Price For Valentine's Day

2010-01-22T17:33:00.004-05:00

Just in time for Valentines Day, Kimberley Price has collaborated with Amber Higgins from Worn Beadies and created the Heart Collection.

The Collection is composed of six pieces, and showcases Kim's design aesthetic and Amber's beautiful lampworking skills. The result is wonderful and the value proposition is exceptional. The two artists have been working together for many years, and the synergy is apparent.

You can see the lampworked beads in the Large Red Filigree Heart on Sea Bamboo necklace, and the Large Blue Stone Heart on Black Onyx.

While these pieces are particularly special for Valentine's Day, we will continue to carry the collection throughout the year.

Goldman Sachs - What "Gives"?

2010-01-21T09:57:00.004-05:00

Today, Goldman Sachs (GS) reported 2009 net revenues of $45,000,000,000 (that's 45 billion). That is a pretty impressive number.

Even better, the company posted net profit of $13,000,000,000 (that's 13 billion) in 2009. To put it in perspective, that's a net profit margin of 28.8% which is pretty much as good as it gets in business. Any business owner who can generate this level of profit is exceptionally happy. Usually, business people are pretty happy with a 10% profit margin.

Everyone knows that GS has come under fire for its excessive levels of compensation. In 2007 the company paid out $20 billion in compensation to 35,200 employees - around $615,000 per employee. In 2009, a relatively paltry $16 billion was paid out.

To defray criticism this time around, the company announced a contribution of $500,0000,000 (500 million) to its charitable arm - Goldman Sachs Gives. Now $500 million is a large sum of money to give to charity -pretty impressive, right? Comes out to 1.1% of net revenues.

To put things in perspective, Aura Collective (our company) donates 15% of net revenues to charity. Net revenues is top line revenue less discounts to customers. Simple, easy to understand net revenues. We don't donate "a portion of profit". And we donate to our customer's nominated charity (any one of the 85,000 registered charities in Canada).

If GS were to follow our lead, and we wish they would, the company would have made a donation of $6,750,000,000 to charity. That's $6.75 billion to charity in one year.

Come on, Goldman Sachs. You can do better than 1.1% of revenues to charity. As one company, you guys can make an enormous difference to the world.

We like to think we make a difference, but you guys KNOW you can make a difference.

Be a true leader in the world. Donate a percentage of net revenue.

Kate Church Does It Again

2010-01-05T00:23:00.005-05:00

Fresh from a competition win and sold-out success at the Toronto OneOfAKind show, Kate Church from Mahone Bay in Nova Scotia has listed a handful of new sculptural puppetry pieces with Aura Collective to kick off the new year.

These pieces are magnificent, and take my breath away. I feel privileged that Kate works with us.

Collectors should take note.

New Article On Aura In "Yonge Street" Online Magazine

2009-12-14T09:53:00.003-05:00

We are very excited to announce that Aura will be featured in the launch edition of a new online magazine called Yonge Street.

Yonge Street tells the story of the new economy in Toronto -- a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play.

The weekly online magazine will present original stories, video and photography to tell that story.

The magazine is set to launch in January. A preview of the article can be seen in the beta version of the website:

Yonge Street

Very cool magazine concept.

Aura Artists at OneOfAKind Show in Toronto

2009-12-01T10:27:00.003-05:00

Aura Collective has seven (7) artists appearing the OneOfAKind Show at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place in Toronto from 26 Nov - 6 Dec.

This is a great opportunity to meet the artists and experience first-hand their wonderful work. And there are no regrets! And even if you don't buy at the show, you can always buy at www.auracollective.com.

Please take the time to support our artists:

Don Beamish - Wood Artist (cutting boards)
Kate Church - Ceramic Artist (dolls and puppets)
Alan McIntosh - Metal Artist (utensils)
Judi Patson - Precious Metal Artist (jewellery)
Lisa Ridout - Precious Metal Artist (jewellery)
Sylvain Tremblay - Wood Artist (spice mills)
Virginia Wilson-Toccalino - Glass Artist (glass objects)

Each of these artists produces beautiful work, and much of it can be found at Aura Collective 365 days a year!

Keep an eye out for more artists joining the Aura ranks in the weeks and months to come. 2010 will be very exciting indeed.

Aura Featured in TV Segment on Ethical Giving

2009-11-20T14:21:00.006-05:00

Aura will be featured on TFO (la télévision francophone en Ontario - the French channel in Ontario) in a story on Ethical Giving on Thursday 26 November at 7:10pm (Rogers Ch 13). The story will be presented by reporter Mathieu Chantelois.

The feature will present a pepper mill from Sylvain Tremblay and a Heart of Gold from Virginia Wilson Toccalino.

Tune in!

Aura In NOW Magazine

2009-11-19T12:41:00.004-05:00

Aura is presented in the annual NOW Gift Guide. See page 40 in the 19 November print edition.

Remember that you receive a 15% discount on any purchase when entering code HABITAT2009 during checkout.

And 15% goes to Habitat For Humanity Women Build projects across Canada.

Seeking Your Feedback

2009-11-17T10:20:00.006-05:00

When you create something new, you often work in a creative vacuum.

We were fortunate to have the time and space to achieve a new level of creative freedom when creating Aura Collective. With the elimination of all "matter" (read corporate culture) in our creative workspace, we had nothing impeding our creativity or forward motion. And we were able to move fast on both fronts - very fast.

We went from the grain of an idea to creative concept to established website within 10 weeks. Amazing what happens when you're motivated by passion!

But there are some downsides to working in a vacuum - namely the lack of feedback on your ultimate creation. While we continue to fine tune the Aura model and our website, we need thoughtful feedback.

Is the website easy to use and understand? What about product selection (we are always expanding our selection but are we moving in the right direction)? Would you use gift cards if offered? Are we on the right track with artists and charities? Etc...

Anyone interested in giving us feedback will receive a 20% discount on their next purchase. Simply send an email to feedback@auracollective.com with your review of the website and we will respond with your discount code.

Filigree Glass Canes by Virginia Wilson Toccalino

2009-11-12T15:23:00.007-05:00

With the holiday season rapidly approaching, perhaps it is a good time to promote some ornamental pieces we have at Aura Collective.

Specifically, filigree glass canes and icicles by Virginia Wilson Toccalino, one of our accomplished glass artists. Each piece is individually made from handmade glass rods.

At $37 for a set of three including free shipping, these pieces speak for themselves. A wonderful and different holiday gift for someone (or everyone!) special.

Julie Anne & Andrew Danylewich Join Aura Collective

2009-11-10T10:07:00.012-05:00

A big welcome to Julie Anne and Andrew Danylewich from Nova Scotia! This couple from Liverpool produce some remarkable precious metal art.

Julie Anne produces gorgeous folded copper and enamel bowls (pictured) as well as some lovely unique jewellery.

Andrew is an accomplished artisan using the 17th century Japanese metalworking technique known as Mokume-gane. The cuff (pictured) is a wonderful example of this beautiful art form.

Be sure to check out these great new artists, and please join us in welcoming Julie Anne and Andrew to the Aura family.

Aura in the Media

2009-11-05T15:03:00.003-05:00

With Christmas coming and sales through Aeroplan now ticking along, Aura is finding a few friends in the media - both linked to our partnership with Habitat For Humanity Canada.

First, Lisa Ridout's Habitat collection is presented in the "Gifts That Keep On Giving" section in Canadian Living's December, 2009 edition on page 38.

Next, we received a call from Adria Vasil, the acclaimed Ecoholic Columnist at NOW Magazine, a widely read weekly in Toronto. (BTW, you might want to check out Adria's new book, Ecoholic Home, which was just released. Very cool.)

NOW wanted to include some pieces in the annual Gift Guide in the Ethical Giving section. We've been told that some Aura products may appear in the 19 November edition. Be sure to pick up a copy and check it out. Or see it online at www.nowtoronto.com.

Keep spreading the word!

Buy Corporate Gifts From Aura and Donate Big!

2009-10-22T22:50:00.005-04:00

It has been a great week at Aura Collective.

Out of the blue, a wonderful mid-size regional company purchased a range of items from Aura and in so doing, initiated a $300+ donation to the Huntington Society of Canada. And all this company did was purchase thoughtful gifts for their employees or customers from Aura Collective.

I wish every company had the foresight to understand that, by purchasing corporate gifts from Aura Collective, the company is supporting remarkable Canadian artists and, at the same time, supporting the company's charity of choice. Why? Because Aura Collective donates 15% of the retail price of every item sold to the customer's charity of choice.

Let's take an example. Say XYZ company wants to give each of its 50 employees a Christmas gift (or perhaps a thank you gift for winning that big account or contract). The company can purchase a range of pieces from the Aura website - or a company rep can give us a call on 1-888-318-AURA (2872).

During checkout, the customer (company) is asked to select a charity. Like most Canadian companies, the company supports a particular charity (ABC charity) as part of its social responsibility charter. The purchaser simply enters ABC charity in the Charity Selector Tool during checkout, and voila! Aura Collective donates 15% of the total order value to ABC charity. Remember that you can select from any of the 85,000-odd registered charities in Canada when purchasing from Aura Collective.

Pretty wild, eh?

Everyone wins - the company, the employees, the artist, and of course the charity.

I love coming into work in the morning...

Fraser & Hoyt Incentives Partners With Aura Collective

2009-10-22T22:34:00.003-04:00

While it went unannounced, Aura Collective partnered with Fraser & Hoyt Incentives (www.myreward.ca) from Halifax back in June to bring fine Canadian artists to more than 6000 employees across Canada. Now, these employees can use reward points earned during work hours to purchase remarkable fine craft from Aura Collective through various corporate reward websites.

And here's the kicker. Fraser & Hoyt Incentives accepted the Aura Collective business model that 15% of the sale had to be donated to charity. No negotiation over pricing, no kicking and screaming, no threats - just quiet appreciation for the concept of giving back.

The people at Fraser & Hoyt are top notch, and we are proud to work together with them in expanding the reach of Canadian artists and supporting charity.

Here's to Fraser & Hoyt Incentives and the myrewards program.

Annkristine Hedlund Joins Aura

2009-10-15T15:02:00.009-04:00

We are very proud to announce the addition of Annkristine Hedlund to the growing Aura family.

Annkristine designs some sensational accessories for human and animal alike.

The belt shown above is an excellent example of Annkristine's detailed work and we present her pieces in a new section called Accessories.

She also makes some great canine collars for all you dog owners out there. These pieces are displayed in the Outdoors section under Canine.

Also new in the Outdoors section is Equine gear for the horsey set, including browbands and lead lines. Very good work.

Welcome Annkristine!

Aura Collective On Aeroplan!

2009-10-08T10:45:00.003-04:00

A new milestone for Aura Collective!

Today, 3 pieces by Kimberley Price are presented on the Aeroplan website. Not only can Aeroplan members purchase these beautiful items with points, a donation of 10% of each sale will be made to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Aura Collective has been working together with Aeroplan representatives for some time in the promotion of Aura artists. The three pieces on offer represent the beginning of a new channel to market for Aura artists. We are working hard to grow this channel to market.

Now people can use their points to purchase beautiful pieces made by stunning Canadian artists - a first!

We are hopeful that Aeroplan members will recognize the value in purchasing magnificent art and fine craft from Canada's best artists while contributing to the effort to find a cure for breast cancer research.

Aura Collective Supports Habitat's Women Build Program

2009-10-06T12:23:00.006-04:00

Aura Collective has partnered again with Habitat For Humanity in support of the Women Build Program.

The Habitat Women Build Program empowers women as leaders through homebuilding projects supporting families in need with safe, affordable housing.

When you purchase any item from Aura Collective, we will donate 15% to the Women Build Program and you receive a 15% discount on everything we sell!

Simply enter charity coupon code HABITAT2009 during checkout.

What better way to feel good about buying top quality handcrafted jewellery, objects, housewares, and even toys - all designed and handmade by Canadian artists - while supporting the fantastic work of Habitat For Humanity.

Improvements To The Aura Charity Model

2009-10-06T11:47:00.003-04:00

As you know, Aura Collective donates a portion of retail sales (usually 15%) to the customer's charity of choice. We also have three charity partners (Habitat For Humanity, Field Hockey Canada, and Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto) to which we donate 25% from sales of our Charity Collection.

To add a new partner charity was a big deal. We had to develop a collection of pieces designed specifically for that charity (well, Lisa Ridout did anyway), gain approval from the charity to showcase the pieces online, then promote the programme to charity supporters. Clearly, this is a rather cumbersome process that makes it very difficult to gain new charity partners.

So we've decided to tweak our model to make it easier for new charities to join our partner charity programme. We are issuing Charity Coupons to interested charities. When used by charity supporters, these coupon codes provide a couple of benefits:

Aura will donate 15% of total order to the specified charity
Supporters receive an automatic 10% discount on all Aura products during checkout

The new model is easy to use.

When adding an item to your cart, a window pops up requesting your charity coupon or discount code. Enter the code, and everything self-calculates in the checkout process. Simple. The charity is automatically allocated the 15% donation, and the 10% discount is applied to your entire order.

A list of charity codes can be easily found on the Partner Charity page visible on the navigation bar. So shop until your drop knowing you get a 10% discount AND your good work is helping your charity of choice as well as homegrown Canadian artists!

SickKids and the Big Fundraising Sinkhole

2009-10-01T12:54:00.006-04:00

A news article appeared today in the Toronto Star concerning the $2.7 million severance payout to the President of the Sick Kids Hospital Foundation. As a company that donates a minimum of 15% of retail sales to the customer's charity of choice, I sat up and took immediate notice.

I also downloaded the Foundation's annual report to check the facts.

SickKids is the fourth largest foundation in Canada with 2009 revenue of $100 million ($109.4 million in 2008). The Foundation supports children's health research across Canada to the tune of $60 million annually, so it's a pretty big deal.

In 2008, the Foundation held an endowment of $490 million. Proceeds from the endowment supplement annual charitable giving as mandated by the Board.

The President, Michael O'Mahoney, was paid an annual salary of $612,000 plus incentive payments in 2008. According to the Star, incentive payments made up $2.1 million of his severance. Whoa! Good gig.

In reading the article, the biggest shock was administration and fundraising costs equated to 40 cents on the dollar. Wow! That means SickKids must have paid out upwards of $40 million to generate $100 million in revenues.

Well, the Star got it wrong. It's worse. Yes, program costs were $39.1 million (39.1%) to get that $100 million in revenue. But on top of this, there was $10.2 million (10.2%) in "general fundraising and administration" expenses.

To be clear, SickKids paid out 50% of its revenue in expenses. Is this high relative to the Foundations peers? Yes, very. Prevailing benchmarks by Charity Navigator in the US state that no less that 75% of revenue should go towards the mission of the charity, while no more than 25% should be spent on expenses associated with fundraising and administration.

So while that is a reason to dump the President, its also a reason to dump the Board of Directors of SickKids. The Board hired the president, set his objectives, oversaw his performance, and approved his budget. The Board is responsible.

To satisfy myself, I keep scanning down the SickKids financial statements looking for any other reason for the sacking of the President. And then I see it. A loss of $58.4 million on endowment investments during the year! An entire years work in fundraising was wiped out by the markets.

What better time to cut costs and restructure your internal team than a time of catastrophic loss. Time to clean house.

So SickKids is a little sick but it will sort itself out. The Foundation remains the largest supporter of children's medicine and research in Canada. It could just do better managing its affairs. And the system sorts itself out over time. Just watch SickKids in the coming months.

But please don't buy into the "I'm never giving to a big charity again because of this travesty!" hype. Big charities need big money and incur necessary expenses to get it. Money isn't free, even for charities. They need every spare cent, and we all need to help.

And Aura will continue to make that happen!

Kate Church Joins Aura Collective

2009-09-29T14:57:00.005-04:00

The circus is in town here in Toronto. Specifically, Cirque du Soleil is presenting a new show which features an other-worldly cast of fantasy characters that inspires the soul and fascinates the mind.

So too does the work of ceramic artist and puppet maker Kate Church from Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. We are overjoyed to present a sampling of Kate's magnificent one-of-a-kind work at Aura Collective starting today.

Kate's characters have come to the attention of the Cirque's artistic mindset, and the fit was so good that the company has licensed some of Kate's characters.

Kate's new pieces presented at Aura are classed as "Executive Toys" and feature a new cast of wonderful character puppets - from Birdee the groupie to Mad Harey (shown above) from her SHRINKS Series of characters. These are sensational puppets that delight the child within and challenge the creative spirit.

Sculptural puppetry as Kate calls it. With Christmas coming up, these puppets are a great gift for the bored executive or carefree person in your life.

Welcome to the family, Kate.

Awesome New "Artists" Section

2009-09-22T10:14:00.005-04:00

Wow, how time flies.

It seems like a lifetime ago when we launched the Aura Collective website in beta form way, way back in April 2009. At the time, we were pretty pleased with the result - and especially with the charity selection tool in the checkout section (which was developed from scratch).

As far as we know, Aura Collective is the first and only company anywhere to allow customers to direct a portion of the retail price (a 15% portion!) to their preferred charity. And the customer can choose from any of the 85,000+ registered charities in Canada. Pretty awesome, we think.

At the time, we moved heaven and earth to get the website up and running within 8 weeks of conception.

Since then, we've been pretty busy making small modifications to improve the look and feel of the website - from improved navigation and "view all" product functionality to cool product zooming technology.

Today, we launched our latest improvement - this time to the benefit of Aura artists. We have added all artist products to the artist's profile in the Artists section. Now, if you wish to see all of Lisa Ridout's jewellery, you can simply go to Lisa's artist profile where you will find every one of Lisa's pieces in one handy location spanning all product categories. It's like the addition of an "artist store" within the Aura mall.

Want to see all of Sharon McNamara's wonderful glass tableware? Go to Sharon's profile.

Want to see all of Virginia Wilson Toccalino's glass objects? Go to Virginia's profile.

You get the picture. And so it is with all Aura artists.

Enjoy!

Aura Donations To Charity

2009-09-14T13:37:00.004-04:00

Every purchase at Aura Collective results in a donation to charity.

While we are not unique in our philanthropy, we are unique in our approach to charity donation. Why? Because when a customer purchases a piece of original art or fine craft from Aura, the customer directs the donation to charity (not Aura).

And the customer can choose from any of the 85,000 registered charities in Canada! Not from some select list of Aura-nominated charities. Any registered charity in Canada!

This form of donation democratization is unique in our experience. Not only do a customers define themselves by what they buy, they also define themselves by which charities they support.

Cool, eh?

Here is a small sampling of the charities supported by Aura customers:

Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
Canadian Diabetes Association
Pictou County Children's Aid Society
Habitat For Humanity
Field Hockey Canada
Tim Horton's Children Foundation
Sanctuary Ministries of Toronto
Canadian Tire Foundation For Families
Beginnings Counselling and Adoption Services of Ontario
Canadian Thyroid Cancer Support Group
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

So which charity would you support if given the opportunity? Food for thought...

Sylvain Tremblay Grinds Out Great Pepper Mills

2009-09-02T12:51:00.011-04:00

Sylvain Tremblay is one of those exceptional Canadian artists that works day and night pursuing his passion. In fact, most artists are the same. In Sylvain's case, his passion is spice mills.

Shown at left is a classic example of a mill designed and handmade by Sylvain in his workshop north of Montreal. It challenges the owner with the age old question "which came first - the chicken or the egg"? Let your guests have some fun trying to figure it out. The Black-Black pepper mill shown is available at Aura Collective.

Each of Sylvain's mills is a piece of beauty and they delight, challenge and amuse me. I love them and they look awesome in the kitchen or on the dining table.

By the way people, by purchasing the mill shown (as an example) you support a wonderful Canadian artist plus Aura Collective will donate $12.00 to any registered charity of your choice! You choose during the checkout process. We do this with every piece we sell online.

It's all part of the "Beauty of Giving". Win-win-win.

Judi Patson Joins Aura Collective

2009-09-02T12:34:00.007-04:00

We are very excited to welcome jewellery designer and artist Judi Patson to the Aura family this week.

Judi produces some very cool jewellery - from necklaces and bracelets for women to cufflinks for men.

You can check it out here - just sort by artist and you can't miss the blue background product shots.

Judi joins a growing family of exceptional Canadian jewellery artists at Aura Collective including Lisa Ridout, Kimberley Price, Mandy Deskur, and Laurie Boisvert.

Welcome Judi! And keep an eye out for more artists joining the Aura family in the days to come.

The Aura Donation Process

2009-08-18T12:04:00.003-04:00

So my wife purchased an item from Aura Collective a couple of weeks ago without telling me. (She was "testing" the company, I gather). As part of the purchase process, she donated 15% of the purchase price to her registered charity of choice - the Pictou County Children's Aid Society, a community organization in Nova Scotia close to her heart.

Of course, I found out about the purchase soon after because, well, that's my job. We discussed the purchase briefly but not in detail.

Anyway, she was surprised to receive an email a couple of weeks later from CanadaHelps confirming that the donation had been made by Aura Collective on her behalf to the Pictou County Children's Aid Society.

(FYI, Aura Collective uses CanadaHelps to administer all our donations. CanadaHelps is a public charitable foundation and is Canada's only donation portal that provides access to all of Canada's 80,000 charities, from national organizations like national cancer charities to smaller groups like local animal shelters and soup kitchens.)

The email from CanadaHelps came as a pleasant surprise to my wife but she wondered why it took so long to receive confirmation of the donation. Good question.

We sell original art and fine craft with free shipping and a 14-day free return policy. If you're not happy, you can return the item within 14 days and Aura Collective pays the freight and credits your account. No questions asked. We want to eliminate any concerns or risks when purchasing from Aura Collective.

But we can't make the donation to the customer's charity of choice until the product return period expires - a minimum of 14 days from the date of shipping. We then make the donation.

My wife loves the Kim Price bracelet she received, but she thinks we should better communicate the purchase process to our customers. Point taken.

Kimberley Price - New Additions at Aura

2009-08-03T14:24:00.007-04:00

We have just released some new bracelets and earrings from Kimberley Price, one of Canada's foremost bead specialists. Kimberley uses old Middle Eastern and African trade beads in her captivating pieces.

The new additions to her collection include earrings and bracelets designed specifically to compliment her stunning range of necklaces and chokers.

An example of one of the new bracelets is pictured at left. More of her work can be found here:

http://www.auracollective.com/collection/1

Beautiful work.

15% Discount for Blog Readers

2009-07-30T10:43:00.003-04:00

As a thank you for being a supporter of The Aura Collective, we would like to offer readers a 15% discount on the purchase of any item(s) from the Aura Collective website. This discount is offered in limited numbers, so be sure to make your purchase soon before the number of coupons is taken up.

As Canada's trusted seller of fine craft and original art, remember that Aura Collective also donates 15% of the purchase price to your charity of choice. What an senasation wedding gift! Original art or fine craft from one of Canada's finest artists plus you support the bride's favorite charity!

Simply choose your preferred charity from any of Canada's 85,000 registered charities during the checkout process. What an awesome shopping experience when you know you are supporting your favorite charity!

To redeem your discount, simply enter the code AUBL10 in the coupon box during checkout. The 15% discount will be applied to your entire order.

Together with Aura's policy of free shipping in Canada, this has to be one of the best deals going.

A Beach State Of Mind

2009-07-26T13:28:00.012-04:00

Your faithful correspondent finds himself in beautiful Northern Nova Scotia - specifically in Black Point, Pictou County. We do go to great lengths for our readers.

I sit here looking out over a lovely garden with the deep blue waters of the Northumberland Strait providing a background that rivals any spot on earth in terms of beauty and serenity. The trees here are mainly spruce and the beach is sandy and littered with sea shells. The area is unspeakably beautiful with magnificent beaches (check out Melmerby Beach), and remains a hidden gem in Canada.

The shore floods my current state of mind.

So it is of no great surprise that the beauty of this rugged region infuses the work a number of Aura artists including Don Beamish, Sharon McNamara, and Laurie Boisvert.

But in particular, this shoreline is the inspiration of a wonderful artist named Christie Chaplin-Saunders from Chester, Nova Scotia. Twice this week I have been pleasantly surprised by people close to me displaying her beautiful ceramic work - a ceramic urchin bowl owned by my mother, and a gorgeous mussel bowl in the kitchen of my cottage neighbour. Both pieces are shown to the left.

Now, I know I'm a biased commentator but Christie's work really captures the essence of the shore, don't you agree? If you live in a large urban centre like me, these pieces can serve as a constant reminder of places close to one's heart.

The Aura Family

2009-07-21T22:15:00.000-04:00

Since launching our website in late April, we have added exceptionally talented new artists at a healthy clip. These wonderful people are the salt of the earth.

For the record, no one is more entrepreneurial than an artist. For each piece you lovingly admire in your home or office or garden, an artist gave up their heart and soul to you. Often for little monetary reward.

First off, each piece requires exceptional skill - honed through years of constant trying, failing and sometimes succeeding.

Then there is the process of making the piece in question and getting it into your hands - design, materials (procurement), production, marketing, sales, etc, etc, etc. I am amazed every time I meet a new artist. No one puts themselves "out there" like an artist.

As of today, our family of exceptional artists is growing fast and includes (in no particular order):

Lisa Ridout, Ontario - Handcrafted chain jewellery
Virginia Wilson Toccalino, Ontario - Filigree glass
Sylvain Tremblay, Quebec - Pepper mills
Don Beamish, Nova Scotia - Cutting boards
Ken Toldnes, Ontario - Walking sticks
Sharon McNamara, Nova Scotia - Glass serveware
Alan McIntosh, Ontario - Stainless steel utensils
Mandy Deskur, Ontario - Handcrafted jewellery
Christie Chaplin-Saunders, Nova Scotia - Ceramics
Jean Pierre Schoss, Ontario - Steel sculptures
Laurie Boisvert, Nova Scotia - Handcrafted jewellery
Kimberley Price, Ontario - Handcrafted beaded jewellery

To each of these magnificent artists, welcome to the Aura family!

Why "The Aura Collective"?

2009-07-21T16:05:00.000-04:00

When told of the name of our new company - Aura Collective - people give some interesting responses:

"Granola", "Weird", "Communist", "Odd", "Excuse Me?" and "You're kidding, right?".

Those are the people we know.

Aura Collective is Canada's trusted seller of Canadian fine craft and original art. The Aura bit relates to the company's mission to donate at least 15% of the retail price of any piece sold to the purchaser's charity of choice. The Collective bit is the meeting of like-minded people in the merging of beauty with good deed. Hence, Aura Collective.

People who don't know us are stunned to find out the company was started by a couple of technology entrepreneurs who (shock, gasp!) came from the commercial side of the business. Excuse me? You guys weren't even the ever-so-artistic tech guys?

Well, no. But we did have a view of business that was different from most. Having sold our company to Thomson Reuters in 2007, we did our time in the company before moving on to greener pastures. Those greener pastures included a commitment to doing business in a different industry (less tech please) and giving back in some capacity. So we started Aura Collective.

Our blog "The Aura Collective" is designed to appeal to those of us who appreciate beauty in art and support Canadian artists while encouraging people to look around them as an alternative to the pervasive "outsourcing" ethos pervading business these days. Beauty is everywhere, particularly in your own community.

"The Aura Collective" will discuss relevant issues on the minds of artists as well as informing on news and events in the fine craft scene. We will also discuss some of our experiences in managing Aura Collective, the company.

We hope you enjoy taking the ride with us.

Welcome to Aura's New Blog

2009-07-20T15:08:00.000-04:00

Onward and upward, our friends!!