A Thunder Bay Country Market Vendor
Story by Nicole Pocion, Photos by Anna Buske
Earlier this spring, the Thunder Bay Country Market welcomed Lunar Moose as a new vendor. Ellie Törnblom, artist and owner of the unique handmade jewelry business, shares her excitement to be a part of the local market. “I love being here,” she says. “There are just so many different talented people here to celebrate.”
Törnblom started Lunar Moose before the pandemic, selling her creations online and at local craft fairs. The Thunder Bay native has been a part of the local artisan community for a while, working at Global Experience, painting commissions inspired by children’s drawings, and being the president of Artisans Northwest.
Recognizing the potential of selling jewelry, Törnblom came up with the unique idea of using paper to construct earrings. She started by making hoop earrings out of paper through a fine-tuned lamination process. She even found a way to utilize the scrap paper. “Every time I cut the hoops, there would be a little dot in the middle, so I started making studs,” she says.
Growing up in Thunder Bay, Törnblom always enjoyed being outdoors, and finds artistic inspiration in nature. ”One day, I went for a walk, and I found a wasp’s nest on the ground,” she says. “And I noticed how [the wasp’s nest] is basically paper […], so I thought, ‘Gee, let’s see if I can use this to make earrings.’” Since wasps in the region abandon their nests every fall and build new ones in the spring, using them to make earrings does not harm the wasps. Next, Törnblom expanded to using birch bark in her jewelry designs. “My earrings are all made with paper, including nature’s papers,” she says.
Lunar Moose combines Törnblom’s love for nature and art. “For me, I see [the jewelry] as mini-sculptures,” she explains. “I still get to play with colour and shape, and it’s all those artistic things that I love.” Törnblom describes her creations as “wearable pieces of art” that combine nature with minimalistic function. In addition to earrings, she also makes bracelets and necklaces.
Find Lunar Moose on Instagram @lunar.moose.treasures and visit the storefront every Wednesday and Saturday at the Thunder Bay Country Market. Unique pieces are also available at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, the Thunder Bay Museum, and Ungalli Clothing Co.
