Let me introduce myself: I'm Janet Davis, an artist and entrepreneur living and working on the North side of Bonavista Bay, on the island of Newfoundland in Eastern Canada. There are many challenges to running a business here in a small rural community, and there are many wonderful benefits too. This blog is where I share some of those challenges and triumphs, and share what it's like to live in this part of the world.
Tonight, at the Barbour Living Heritage Village in Newtown (the New in New-Wes-Valley!), our dear friends Ian Foster and Nancy Hynes are performing at the stage at the Waterfront Premises. I hope to see you there! Duke and I are excited to be taking an evening off work at Norton’s Cove to go and be a part of the audience. I hope there’s a crowd!
This week in the studio, I’m still working on a special project for the Craft Council of NL’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. Here’s a progress shot… I should be able to finish carving today!
Madison & I printed a few mini-prints for two small online orders- these are drying, and will be sent to California and Toronto once they’re ready to go…
We’re absolutely loving meeting people in the studio at our busiest day of the year- I’m always impressed with how far away some people come from who have had Newfoundland on their bucket list for a while, and am equally happy to see our own folks supporting local shops like mine!
I’ve started taking my mornings off to catch up all the things I didn’t get done while I was sick- gardening, getting our house ready for visitors, a bit of house painting… But Madison is here to greet you by 10am, and I usually keep the shop open longer than our posted hours, doing the things that I can still do while it’s dark outside.
Don’t forget to visit our little Café Giftshop which is stocked with lots of these fabulous Dark Tickle products and lots more! All items in the Café Gift-Shop have a food theme!
Starting this week off, we have these extras on offer:
Partridgeberry Hand Pies
Blueberry Hand Pies
Apple Cinnamon Hand Pies
Strawberry Buttercream Brownies
Vanilla Buttercream Brownies
Chocolate Buttercream Brownies
Coffee Cookie
Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Funfetti Cookies
German Chocolate Layer Cake with Coconut Pecan Filling
Roasted Pepper & Tomato Soup (Veggie option)
Cod Chowder
Moose Burger served with caramelized onions, mayo, and cheddar cheese $18
Grilled T-Bone Moose Steak with partridgeberry BBQ sauce $29
Please call the Café to make reservations: 536-2633 We have a very limited number of seats. And this is our busiest time of the year. So call ahead! Even if it’s just a few minutes before your visit.
Thank you all for your support– it means a LOT to me. Shopping and eating at Norton’s Cove enables me to employ nine people in this small town, and to share some joy and beauty with all who stop in. And thank you to my gorgeous employees who are able to bring us all such great service and products at Norton’s Cove Café: Duke, Ted, Chrys, Amanda, Marcus, Trina, Kasie, Matthew, and sometimes Madison! xx
This week in the studio, I’m working on a special project for the Craft Council of NL’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. More info on this when I’m ready to submit the piece to the Craft Council Gallery! I’ve got a deadline of August 12th. Full steam ahead!
While I am feeling the effects of a COVID-19 infection that started around three weeks ago, I really am feeling much better, and am able to put an honest day’s work in, as long as I take a few breaks and remember to eat!
I am extremely thankful for every customer that has supported my small business so far this summer- it means so much, from every bookmark to every large piece that sells. Things are looking much brighter this week than they were last week.
Chef Ted has a couple of specials this week, in celebration of Come Home Year with the Town of New-Wes-Valley: Moose Burger served with caramelized onions, mayo, and cheddar cheese $18 Grilled T-Bone Moose Steak with partridgeberry BBQ sauce $29
Starting this week off, we have these extras on offer:
Partridgeberry Hand Pies
Blueberry Hand Pies
Salted Caramel Brownies
Vanilla Buttercream Brownies
Coffee Cookie
Ginger Sandwich Cookie
Short Bread Cookies
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Layer Cake with Buttercream Frosting
German Chocolate Layer Cake with Coconut Pecan Filling
Please call the Café to make reservations: 536-2633 We have a very limited number of seats. And this is usually the busiest week of the year. So call ahead! Even if it’s just a few minutes before your visit.
Thank you all for your support– it means a LOT to me. Shopping and eating at Norton’s Cove enables me to employ nine people in this small town, and to share some joy and beauty with all who stop in. And thank you to my gorgeous employees who are able to bring us all such great service and products at Norton’s Cove Café: Duke, Ted, Chrys, Amanda, Marcus, Trina, Kasie, Matthew, and sometimes Madison! xx
This week in the studio, you’ll find my assistant, Madison, ready to help you 11am-6pm.
Madison and I are trying to get a little printing done, but it’s going pretty slowly with me being so off kilter.
I’m still recovering from a COVID-19 infection, and really not feeling up to doing much work in the studio or at home. 5 minutes of trivial tasks wear me out, and I am going to the studio to do bits of work when a burst of energy hits me, but those bursts aren’t lasting long. Health guidelines tell me I shouldn’t be contagious now, two weeks after my first symptoms, but I do not feel recovered at all.
I’m so sorry for letting my guard against COVID down. This couldn’t have hit me at a worse time of year, and I’m trying my best to not feel sorry for myself as I’m missing out on so much that I was looking forward to. While my studio side of the business is open year-round, this is the time of year when I have the most foot-traffic, and any degree of success really depends on the next couple of weeks: the busiest of the year; I can’t help but worry about how this illness is going to affect my bottom line. Ah, the joys of entrepreneurship!
I will try not to worry too much, to try to aid in my recovery, and thank my staff for being able to carry on without much input from me right now.
Please call the Café to make reservations: 536-2633 We have a very limited number of seats. So call ahead! Even if it’s just a few minutes before your visit.
Thank you all for your support– it means a LOT to me. Shopping and eating at Norton’s Cove enables me to employ nine people in this small town, and to share some joy and beauty with all who stop in. And thank you to my gorgeous employees who are able to bring us all such great service and products at Norton’s Cove Café: Duke, Ted, Chrys, Amanda, Marcus, Trina, Kasie, Matthew, and sometime Madison! xx
Please call the Café to make reservations: 536-2633 We have a very limited number of seats. So call ahead! Even if it’s just a few minutes before your visit. We take reservations Wednesday to Sunday starting at 10am with our last supper reservation at 8pm.
Thank you all for your support– it means a LOT to me. Shopping and eating at Norton’s Cove enables me to employ nine people in this small town, and to share some joy and beauty with all who stop in. And thank you to Team Norton’s Cove who are getting great new reviews online- we really appreciate those reviews on Google!