The Thrill of the Hunt {Beads and Beyond}

Time is flying faster than ever it seems.  Maybe its the deadlines.  Maybe it’s simply juggling life in between each night of homework.  By the time I post this, it will be Tuesday and I still haven’t told you about Friday!    This past weekend I went to the big Gem and Jewelry show that comes to the Dulles Expo Center 4 times a year.  This time I had a great time attending the show with Jeanette.  There was something special about this time around, because it was one of those instances when my online jewelry world merged with my in-person world (if that makes sense).  We met a fellow jewelry designer who I’ve recently had the pleasure of “meeting” through our blogs.  Tracy Statler lives within an hour from me and as it turns out we have so much in common. I really felt like I clicked with her right away and hope to meet up again one day soon.  The only down side to the gem show was just how little silver one can get for their dollar these days with the sterling silver spot price at an all time high.  The above picture represents over $150.00 (and that’s shopping from the wholesale area).

With the older boys skiing with their Grandparents,  we packed up our youngest son and our pup and headed on a quick trip to the Antiques Capital in PA – my new #1 absolute favorite antiquing destination.  We stopped in Emmitsburg, MD on the way and visited the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.  There’s a special place in my heart here as this is the town where my Grandmother was born.    It had to be the windiest day of the year, even one of the metal park benches had blown over.  Despite the cold, we were determined to visit the shrine and learn more about this remarkable woman, the first American-born citizen to be canonized.  She is the founder of the Sisters of Charity.  Widowed by the age of 30 with 5 young children, it is truly a wonder and inspiration to read all that she accomplished in her 46 years.  

We were up by 6:00 a.m. on Sunday morning to hit this gigantic antique mall (so large that yes, my husband got lost and could not find me….I had to call him twice on his cell phone to give him location markers!),   There were tables set up outside too in the freezing cold – apparently people are known to be there by 4:30 a.m. with their flashlights.  I’d like to visit again once it’s warm  – that’s going on my virtual calendar for the Spring.

You may know I’m crazy about collecting Scottie this and Scottie that…  I’ve never seen one of these Black and White style jack-in-the-boxes before.

This next picture is something that I’ve been on the look-out for recently – antique spool cabinets.    You may know these can be hard to find and very pricey, but something about these general store table top displays really appeal to me.  My beads would be stashed in style in a case like this!  I apologize for the blurry picture – the lighting was awful in this area inside the building.  This Willimantic 6-drawer case was bought at an auction in NY and was saved from a rat-infested building, so I was told by the dealer. I would love to save it personally, but it was $3,300!  Notice the beautiful leather detail on the sides and hardware – everything is original and even signed by the cabinet maker in one of the drawers.

This dealer had more antique hardward than I have ever seen!  You name it, he had it.  I selected a few pieces that I thought would work well for future jewelry designs –

My husband found this sweet pin – truly the deal of the day at just $2.00.  He was proud to earn Brownie Points for this one –

A few more favorites …… these 100-year-old ribbons.   I described my interest in these old sequin-studded and old bullion-trimmed pieces in this post.  Imagine attending a gathering or convention today.   Our modern plastic name badges cannot compare to the attention to detail displayed in these ornate ribbons!    Just look how incredible – the ribbons are reversible and just as pretty on the back side, a surprising all-black look.

With finds like these, is there any doubt why I keep going back for more? 

Thank you for joining me in this Show and Tell segment.  🙂 I appreciate your visit!