Concrete Cat

Chemex and a Home Run

concretematt — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:58:15 +0000

While making some ‘perfect’ coffee one morning we discovered a second use for our terrarium base! (Meet Cybil – the world’s smallest concrete terrarium.) Our concrete home base compliments the elegant hourglass shape of the Chemex coffeemaker, protects the surface the coffeemaker is placed on, and lasts a really really long time.

Each base is cast in standard grey, hand finished and polished. It fits all sizes of Chemex coffee makers. Custom colours can be ordered upon request.

We are selling these bases directly through our website for $28 CAD +Shipping please contact us directly to place your order or inquire about bulk orders. Your Chemex is special and it deserves a “home base”.

Meet Cybil – the world’s smallest concrete terrarium

concretematt — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:13:09 +0000

Concrete Cat is proud to announce the launch of our newest product the “Cybil”, the world’s smallest concrete terrarium. Caring for these tiny ecosystems in your office or studio is simple. They also make a great gift for any special moms in your life that you might like to celebrate.

Our terrarium fits perfectly on your desk, table or window sill. The subtle curves of the base compliment the glass dome covering each tiny ecosystem. Each base is cast in our specially formulated ultra high strength blend, these are designed to stand the test of time and only get more beautiful the longer you own them. The base of terrarium is 6 ½” X 6 ½” and stand roughly 4 ½” tall, we are currently selling each terrarium with easy to maintain locally sourced moss but there are endless opportunities to customize your ecosystem with your favorites plants.

We will be launching the “Cybil” at the 6^th annual Alberta Avenue’s “That Bloomin’ Garden Show & Art Sale” on May 12^th. The hours of the show are 9am – 4pm and it is located at 9210 118 ave, Edmonton AB. Please come by and say hi if you would like to take a closer look. We are also taking special orders for out of town buyers so just say “hi” through our contact form and we can make arrangements for your order.

Quinoa and White Bean Falafel with Cilantro Lemon Tzatziki

concretematt — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:16:14 +0000

This recipe is a highly guarded family secret. As a gift to our loyal fans and readers we have decided to share this great summer recipe with you. We hope you enjoy it!

QUINOA PATTIES

1 cup rinsed quinoa
2 medium carrots, grated
4 green onions sliced thin
1 can of cannalli beans or some other white bean
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of salt
ground pepper
½ cup olive oil

Serve with:

4 pitas (each 6 inches)
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
4 medium carrot julienne

1. Cook quinoa as directed on package and let cool.

2. Mix grated carrot, sliced green onion, bread crumbs, cumin, salt, pepper, and eggs.

3. Drain and rinse the white beans then mash beans into carrot mixture with a potato masher.

4. Mix in cooked quinoa. At this point the mixture should hold together in balls and be a bit sticky. You can add a bit more egg if the mix seams too crumbly. If you have the time refrigerate the mixture for 2-4 hours to help it hold together.

5. Fill a large high sided pan with ½ cup of olive oil and heat to roughly 350 degrees F. I test the oil with the handle of a wood spoon. If bubbles form around the handle when placed in the oil then your oil is hot enough.

6. Scoop out quinoa mixture with a table spoon into your hand and shape a small cookie out of the dough and place in oil. Make sure your patties do not touch each other and try and get a full batch into the oil as quick as you can.

7. Cook for 5-8 minutes and then flip. Keep a really good eye on them at this stage. DON’T LEAVE THE KITCHEN! Place then on a cookie sheet on a raised grill when done and salt lightly. These can stay warm in the oven while you cook the rest of your quinoa.

Serve in a pita with cucumber, julienne carrots, and Heide Original Cilantro Lemon Tzatziki. Serves aprox 6 people.

HEIDE ORIGINAL CILANTRO LEMON TZATZIKI

1 tub of Balkan style yogurt
3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
zest of half a lemon
¼ cup of chopped cilantro
cheese cloth
strainer

1. Line a medium sized strainer with cheese cloth and place it over a medium sized bowl to catch the wey.

2. Pour tub of Balkan style yogurt into the cheese cloth lined strainer and let yogurt drain for 3 hours in your fridge.

3. Dump yogurt juice down the sink. I don’t know if it is good for you or not but at this point the yogurt juice seems like garbage.

4. In your medium bowl mix cilantro, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Your tzatziki is done you can store this in the fridge for up to 24 hrs.

Concrete Tactile Paintings

concretematt — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 16:32:27 +0000

Side A

Concrete Cat is proud to announce that our lead designer and founder Matt Heide has just launched a portfolio of his personal art and sculpture work. Concrete Tactile Paintings are the result of 4 years of experimentation, research and long nights in the studio. Each CTP is a double-sided work of art that combines the texture, depth, and richness of sculpted works with the colour and vibrancy of paintings and printed graphics. To fully experience these works of art check out www.MattHeide.com and book a private viewing.

Side B

Concrete Cat is proud to foster an attitude of creativity and artistic freedom in our work and we encourage all of our employees to explore their artistic side. Concrete work can be an art form but that can only be achieved by giving artists the freedom and security to explore their creative minds. Concrete cat is always on the look out for talented artists who are passionate about working with concrete, if this sounds like something you would be interested in please contact us.

Check out Matt Heide’s Gallery at www.MattHeide.com

Clean Your Mug

concretematt — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:49:28 +0000

How to clean coffee stains from a stainless steel travel mug.

I love Coffee. I love making coffee at home and taking it with me on my day to day travels. It is a great way to save money, ensure you always get the perfect cup of coffee and lower your environmental impact. I have a great stainless steel Thermos travel mug but after a few months it develops stains that not only look gross but affects the taste of the drink inside. So here is a quick and easy household remedy for those unsightly coffee stains.

Dirty Mug - BEFORE

Mix together 2 tablespoons of baking soda and a half-cup of hydrogen peroxide in your travel mug. Give it a really good mix but keep your lid OFF your cup. Let this stand for one-hour stirring occasionally to make sure all stained areas get coated in the mixture. After one hour wash the cup out with warm water and a scrub brush. If your cup is not clean give it another treatment. You should have a shiny clean mug now ready for your drink of choice.

Clean Mug - AFTER

Fire It Up

concretematt — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:28:50 +0000

Concrete Cat knows how to renovate. Here’s a good example of how concrete has the ability to adapt to anyones personal style that’s already in place and ignite a new life.

FAST.
We understand that your project has many parts that all need to come together quickly. Save time and SKIP THE SHIP! Anxiously waiting for parts to get here from abroad is not always worth it. Concrete Cat will personally deliver and install your fireplace. The install of a Concrete Cat fireplace will typically take 1-2 days. With our “emergency speed” service we can have a fireplace surround, mantle, and hearth installed in your jobsite one week from when you purchase your product.

CHEAP.

Our prices are fair and we give you the FULL price UP FRONT. No surprises. On 90% of the fireplace jobs we have done, our price was 75% of what our competitor’s estimates were. Concrete Cat’s hand made & hand finished work prices competitively to stone, limestone, granite or quartz. It’s true. Contact us for a quote and we’ll show you the proof.

CUSTOM.

Concrete Cat is managed by three talented artists who have experience across three very different fields. By bringing together the minds of a designer, a polyartist, and a sculptor we create some of the most fitting and complimentary designs in the fireplace world. A fireplace is the centerpiece in a home and requires the skill and attention to detail only an artist can bring to the table.

Concrete Cat fireplaces are fast to purchase and install, cheaper than competing products and designed and built by hand by accomplished artisans. Drop us a line and let’s build something just for you!

When is handmade better than machine made?

concretematt — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:36:37 +0000

Humans are still relevant.

Objects that will have a lot of interaction with human hands will fit that role better if they are also made by hand. Items that need extremely tight tolerances, low production cost, and consistency between and during each production run are more suited to be made by machines. Both processes have strengths and weaknesses that designers need to keep in mind during the design process. Hand made tells a story that factory made just can’t do.

Handmade items tell the story of the craftsperson that made them. I have always felt that I need to come to an agreement with my medium. I am not forcing my will upon the concrete or wood that I am working with; I am guiding it in the process of crafting. Sometimes the medium will speak back and refuse to do the things you want them to. During these times a craftsperson needs to listen and have the agility to make design changes during the fabricating process. A machine just can’t do this. Humans still have a huge edge over machines with our pattern recognition and abstract reasoning. To play to these strengths the design and fabrication processes need to be flexible to make changes on the fly in reaction to the materials we work with.

Many of my best practices today are the result of “mistakes” during previous projects. This element of surprise draws us to beautiful objects. One of the best examples of this is the application of filters to photos in post processing. Many filters are actually replicating artifacts of mistakes that would have been made during the process of photo developing. Yet we perceive these mistakes as being artistic and have found ways to instruct machines to replicate these processes. Even with something as simple as a photo it is really hard to make a filter look authentic. Think of how much harder it is to replicate authenticity in a three dimensional object that can be tested by more senses than just vision? This is why hand made objects are still relevant.

Some designs look great on the computer but don’t work in practice. If I am fabricating a prototype in the studio I am able to see the areas that are not working during the sculpting process and make adjustments as I see fit. All of my work is extremely tactile, I design all our projects I do to be touched that is why it is so important that I do most of it by hand. Don’t get me wrong, I love the ability to design with a computer and cut prototypes with an auto lathe. But the process is cold and sterile and for certain projects much too rigid. There is no warmth or human element to an item cut with an auto lathe. A machine tends to whitewash the fabrication process and takes away some of the human element. In contrast something sculpted by hand lends itself to be touched, picked up, or caressed. This in a nutshell is our view on hand made items. If you want to encourage your audience to touch your designs consider doing as much of the process by hand as you possibly can.

Why Concrete? Why Cat?

concretematt — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:15:10 +0000

If you’re considering concrete for your design product you really need to ask yourself why you would go with concrete vs product X. And then once you decide you’re on board with using concrete why would you choose Concrete Cat over our competitors. I hope my quick rundown of our most common projects can help you make that decision.

KITCHENS– In your kitchen concrete is the cheapest 2” of solid surface you can get. The thickness and weight of true concrete will give your kitchen a solid and professional feel for working on. Pastry chefs love to work on concrete because they get a solid surface for kneading on that doesn’t flex or echo if they need to really pound on it. 2” of pure solid surface also means you have an amazingly durable surface with the option to refinish and make changes to colour of finish in the future. No other product can give you this. I challenge any other solid surface out there to match the value of wet cast traditional concrete, pound for pound, dollar for dollar.The reason you would choose Concrete Cat for your kitchen is that we have 3 experienced designers on staff that understand how to play to concrete’s strengths. Your project will be worked on by a sculptor, graphic designer, and 3D designer with combined experience of over 30 years. No one else can offer you this wealth and diversity of expertise in this field.
BATHROOMS– When it comes to bathrooms it’s all about sinks. Concrete can give you a fully custom designed integral sink at a price that is cheaper than any competing material. Our sinks average $400 each; I have yet to find a solid stone sink under $800. A custom designed integral sink means that your sink is designed for your specific space and your specific usage. We design sinks to maximize the function of your bathroom.At Concrete Cat we sculpt all our sink molds by hand in our shop. Our competitors buy their sink molds online from a catalog. What is more custom? Concrete sinks need to be custom made, catalog ordered sinks just don’t cut it for us.
FIREPLACES– This is really the best category because when you look at the numbers you have to go with concrete. Fireplaces have to be made of solid stone, anything less is cheap, it won’t last and is also hazardous. Fireplace mantles and hearths cannot be made out of MDF! Concrete is typically 2-3 times cheaper than it’s next closest competing solid stone surface. Plus you get the added benefit of having a fireplace completely designed for your space and specific needs.When we design something at Concrete Cat our first goal is the function of the piece. How will it feel to the touch? Will it be comfortable to sit on? Will it make your guests wonder how you had something so beautifully designed to fit your space perfectly? We really get this; it is why our fireplaces are so sought after. We can design and deliver a fireplace that will give you the best value for your money and fit your space and lifestyle perfectly.

If you have any questions or comments please send us a quick message, we would love to hear from you!

Space 3 Series of Concrete Sculptures

concretematt — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:09:11 +0000

Over the Christmas holidays I set a goal to finish my latest series of sculptures. The three sculptures that I completed are heavily influenced by photography from the Hubble telescope as well as my own science fiction influences; this is probably the most evident in the third piece. All three pieces in this series cast coloured concrete and are double sided with an A side and a B side. My A sides are the side that have the black pigment application and the applied texture. I call them A-sides because the texture is the very first part of each sculpture I work on so it essentially drives the concept of each piece I work on. B-sides have the tendency to be a bit more abstract and emotional which has its pros and cons. They are immediate gratification while working on them but the colour is quite delicate and has a high margin for error.

RED WHITISH, AND BLUE
27” X 18” Sculpture in multicoloured concrete

The first in the series is “Red Whitish, and Blue”. Originally this sculpture was intended to have some sort of political slant to it but once I started in and saw what the colours were doing as I mixed them I knew I would have to change my inspiration. The bulk of what I did with RWB was driven by just using the concrete and experiencing the vividness of red and blue in a backdrop of white. Because all the colours I work with transfer through to both sides of a sculpture I need to be very deliberate with what I do, it is easy to keep moving forword but once I add a colour I can’t go over it. Each move is a permanent decision, thus I need to be deliberate in my intention and execution. I really like the age that the white backdrop creates but I felt that I needed to go dark with my backdrops rather than light.

WORK NIGHTS AND DARK MATTER
28.5” X 24” Sculpture in multicoloured concrete

My next sculpture in the series became a bit more intentional in subject matter with the two separate sides, this is where I really began to see the separation of the A side and B side and how each side could have connections in colour but still be very distinct. The B side is called “Work Nights” and the A side is “Dark Matter”, this is the sculpture that really begins to hammer in the space photography inspiration in my work, as well as the dichotomy of the artistic intention and actually working with a medium and not just beating it into submission. Even though I have a very clear vision for what I want the concrete is dynamic and has a life of it’s own through many step of my process. If I try to hard to force my vision when my material clearly has other ideas it is a recipe for disaster. I feel this work speaks for itself so there is not too much to say about it other than it is moving in the right direction.

BLADE RUNNER
45.5” X 23.5” Sculpture in multicoloured concrete

The final act in this series is “Blade Runner” which is mainly inspired by the colour of the Drew Struzan illustrated movie poster and some subject matter. My vision of space has always had its roots in movies like Blade Runner or the Alien series, more so for the feel of these movies lights and colour palette. I feel really drawn to working with colour that has a sort of aged feel to it. The B-side of Blade Runner is particularly good at capturing this vintage colour flavour, I view it as some of my best work to date.

This series of originals will be going up for sale shortly, I would like to try and keep the three of them together but will entertain separate offers as well. Please contact us directly for view and sales, just put “sculpture” in the subject heading.

ALBA – CONCRETE CLOCK Wrapped and delivered

concretematt — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:48:12 +0000

Hi concrete fans! We have the perfect last minute Christmas gift for you. We have exactly 3 ALBA “Media Edition” – Concrete clocks left from the extremely limited run we did with Furni Creations. Furni’s design and concept are beautiful and the amount of hand finishing that went into each individual clock makes each one a unique gem.

We will sell them on a first come first serve and if you live in the Edmonton #yeg area we can arrange a pick-up (Bonnie Doon area) or drop off for December 24th just in time for Christmas. Please contact us and put “CLOCK” in the subject heading to arrange your sale. We accept Paypal and cash. Merry Christmas from Concrete Cat!

$195 CAD WRAPPED AND DELIVERED
(Edmonton & area only)

FEATURES:

Solid concrete casing handmade
in Edmonton, Canada by Concrete Cat
Grey Metal grill
Soft Tactile silicone buttons
Non-Slip Silicone base with debossed graphic
Built in Audio amplifier and speaker (for 1/8″ input source such as
Simple built in alarm with snooze function
Wall transformer with interchangeable adapters (works with CAN,US,UK,EU and AUS plugs)
Freely downloadable ipod©/iphone© application to allow you to wake to your own music or sounds with purchase (to redeem see instructions)
10 stage dimmable display
Larger LED display
WHITE Dock included with audio output and charging capabilities using your native charger (compatible with iphone©4 and newer only)

dimensions: 6” x 6” x 2.5”