by Cindy on October 21, 2010
Hello!
Where was I? Oh yes, in my last post I told you I’d fill you in on the treasure I took home! It’s funny because it was one of the very first things I saw when I went in to the antique/salvage shop, Housewerks. I was immediately drawn to something so humble but recognizably a treasure. I just knew it would be too expensive though so I just moved on. I later met up with my husband after milling about separately (after all, he was slowed down with the baby!), and he told me that there was this great piece that I just had to see. I knew we had seen the same thing. When I went back upstairs to give it a second look, there was a buyer with her tape measure out giving it the once-over. It was one of those sweet pieces that go fast….an old chest taken right out of a 100 year old + drug store! Here it is, our chest from the James Drug Co…..
How many times have you found an antique and wondered where it came from, or who owned it? This was such a rare incidence that we were told exactly where this piece came from and a bit of its history. Recently, the James Drug Co. (also known as the James Pharmacy) building was bought so they moved right next door. During the move several fixtures were sold – fixtures that have been there most likely since the store opened in 1900. What caught my eye first are the amazing drawer pulls. Yes, they are covered in paint, but I can see the detailed beauty beneath the layers. And the pull-out counter used for mixing medicine. There were old paper labels here and there in the drawers that stated “Poison”, or “Keep in a cool place”. We were so lucky to fit this in the back of our SUV. There was not a 1/2″ to spare…I was holding my breath when it came time to shut the back door. And driving home, my knees touched the dashboard.
My husband looked at me a bit strange (but just for a moment) when I suggested we go and see the actual drug store where the chest came from. How many times can you go and see the location where your antique spent years and years?? As it turns out, the James Drug Co. was close by in an up and coming section of Baltimore known as historic Federal Hill. Federal Hill is steeped in Baltimore history, and happens to be where my brother proposed to his wife.
I plan to put my sweet old find in my future studio, but it will need some work first. I do know that I want to reclaim those amazing drawer pulls and remove the paint so you can actually see their beauty. I imagine it would be best to try and repaint the face of the drawers (they are a peach color now) , this would be the least labor intensive. Please tell me what you would do with these drawers and how you recommend going about it – I’d love to hear your thoughts, if you’re familiar with this sort of thing.
Thanks for stopping by and paying me a visit!
by Cindy on October 18, 2010
Hello. Thanks for stopping by today!
I was lucky to spend a wonderful evening with a friend over the weekend. Lori Anderson was up for a show, and we went out for dinner afterwards for a little girlfriend time. We had the best time chatting, and the best dessert afterwards. Jamaican Coconut Pie at Bonefish Grille was served warm with a rum sauce, and every little bite was just scrumptious. I was happily surprised to see they share their recipe on their website right here! Photo by Bonefish Grill:
Well we made a little jaunt to Baltimore to hit a few antique/salvage destinations. It was unusually easy since my parents took the older 3 boys to Hershey Park, PA for the day. So with just the baby and Hodgie, we were on our way. Just look at his smile! It says, “I’m going antiquing with Mommy and Daddy!” I’m really kidding, but actually he endured it and seemed to have fun too.
If you love architectural salvage and quirky finds, and you’re anywhere near Baltimore, you’ll want to visit Housewerks. Click on the link and you’ll see just what an incredible shop this really is. Housewerks is housed in Bayard Station which was a part of the Chesapeake Gas Works in the late 1800s. They actually host weddings and private events here…and I saw that they will be having a Halloween party too! Now I know it would be a super spooky place decked out for Halloween – I saw the basement!
Oh there was great amounts of rust everywhere! It was fun taking pictures of old locker doors and ironwork. Walking out on the back balcony, there was a stunning and beautiful statue of the Holy Mother and Child. A plaque at the base stated that this statue was a memorial from a Mother and Father to their beloved son who lived from the 1930’s to the 50’s. I wondered how this statue ended up here, and felt sad.
That’s it for my rusty round-up. As you might guess though, we did find something here that we couldn’t resist. Next up, I’ll show you what we brought home…..
by Cindy on October 14, 2010
Have you heard? The second Best of Step by Step Wire is due out in just a few weeks! You can preorder this issue right here! I’m so excited about this issue! 🙂 You’ll find popular previous designs by Jeanette Ryan, Jen Judd Velasquez, Cassie Donlen, Sara Richardson, and other favorite artists inside!
I designed Au Courant Corsage over the summer envisioning a simple statement piece – a necklace with a large cluster of lampwork hollows, something asymmetrical. I wanted to showcase lots of wire. This necklace has 12 feet of 16-gauge wire alone! With visions of hollows in various shades, I began to look online…..when I found Charmaine Jackson of Encircle Designs, and saw her custom-order hollow color chart, I knew these were the beads I was looking for. I noticed that she was in Virginia too, and that sealed the deal.
I visualized a cluster of beads reminiscent of a floral corsage. Do you remember those corsages worn to a homecoming dance – pinned right on to your dress, or better yet, worn on your wrist? This is my modern version of wearing a small bouquet. The challenge was how to create a nice, bulbous focal with round beads. I cannot tell you how many different ways I redesigned the focal cluster. I wanted it to “sit” just right. I decided I needed to use smaller beads (the above picture is the first go-around before changing the bead size). Charmaine was wonderful and made a custom set of beads in the smaller size I requested for a second round, under a tight deadline. I think I fiddled with this focal more than I have in any project I’ve made to date. When I work with a new wire concept, I often generate a pile of practice pieces. This project was no exeption. You’ll see how something amazing happened when I brought my pieces of wire to the beach; they oxidized naturally from the salty air.
I also have a necklace in this issue taken from the Step by Step Wire vault: Heartstrings. Heartstrings is special to me as it was my first time being published with Step By Step Wire magazine – back in 2008. The silvered ivory lampwork beads are by Kim Typanski, who sadly no long makes beads. She is pursuing another passion – horses!
I’m looking forward to seeing this issue in print . I’m considering teaching my first class with the Au Courant Corsage project in mind – maybe keeping it simple and adapting it to a bracelet.
See I promised there would be a jewelry next! Thank you for stopping by – it always makes my day to hear from you! 🙂
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