Barnes ignited collection

A few weeks ago, my coworkers and I visited the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.  I don't think I could love a museum more!  I won't go into too much detail and history about the museum (you can get all that information here), but beyond the stunning works of art, I was captivated by the way all of the art was curated and displayed along with metal objects, like skeleton keys, hinges, and escutcheons (a decorative plate to cover a functioning item).  I have always loved skeleton keys but this trip has ignited a desire to start an antique escutcheon collection along with my keys to display as wall decor!  Here are some beautiful ones I have found on ebay...

A Victorian brass escutcheon salvaged from a remodeling project. A small piece at only 1 1/2" high but with beautiful ornate detail!

A beautiful, rare Victorian keyhole cover with swing plate!

An Art Deco plate with a beautiful aged patina!

why I love...

Here are 2 examples of why I adore Robert Lance Jewelers! The craftsmanship is impeccable and you can't beat his pricing. These 2 beautiful custom-made rings are part of my wedding ring set and go wonderfully with my antique engagement ring and wedding band. (left: shared prong sapphire ring, right: bead set diamond ring with milgrain edges and engraved sides.)

halloween every day

I love Halloween... and I am not just talking about the festivities on October 31st. Halloween, an amazing jewelry store located at 13th and Pine in Philadelphia, is a must see for any jewelry lover. The selection is amazing. You could literally spend hours going through the tons of cases crammed with jewelry. You can find anything from antique pins, to engagement rings, to basic sterling silver bangles, to chunky bezel set rings, and as all the sales people will tell you, anything you see, or dream of, can be custom-made to suit any of your needs.Two levels of the store are filled with cases set into the structure of the walls and architecture of the space. Every case is themed, anywhere from a case of all antique cameo pins to garden themed charms, forming an almost diorama of sorts.My favorite reason to hit up this store... the replica filigree jewelry in sterling silver... the look and style I love without having to break the bank on the more commonly found gold versions. This time around I walked away with a lion's head necklace... just like I have been looking for ever since I took the trip to the NYC library.

a walk in Philadelphia

I was walking around Center City this weekend and some cute accessories two girls were wearing caught my eye. I am often inspired by what people are wearing around me. I feel like my eye is always looking out for something new. It is also a test on what your mind remembers... it would be a fun experiment to glimpse something quickly, make a replication from memory, and then look back at the original and see what you took away from it. I am sure the designs would vary greatly but would hold some similar key points! So here they are... one cute black bow headband and chain link earrings:I am headed off to Seattle tomorrow for work for a few days and I plan to be chock full of inspiration when I get back! I'll share photos as soon as I can!

Made in Philly!!!

I saw a poster for this website today and I am totally in love! It is a company based in Philadelphia that sells products that are made by people in Philadelphia. As if I couldn't love Philly even more! Check out their site: http://www.madein-philly.com/

I will definitely be going to their next event. What a great way to bring a community of local designers and artists together.

craft fair season!

I went to the crafts and fine arts festival in Collingswood, NJ this weekend. There was a wide variety of items, ranging from the commonplace craft staples to some fresh, new ideas I was really excited about. Regardless, no matter what, a craft fair is always inspiring to me, even if I just get a glimpse of what others out there are doing or how people are merchandising their booths and packaging their items. (That's why I love this time of year... it seems like every weekend there is some kind of local neighborhood craft fair!) I walked away from this fair thinking of ways to experiment some more with enamel... so all in all, a successful day!

supply shopping and the end result

I took the day off from work yesterday, for no particular reason other than to just have a relaxing yet personally productive day off, and went supply shopping in my neighborhood. Of course I had to hit my favorite stores...
First stop, Anastacia's Antiques... I love this store and the woman who owns it, Stacy. Every time I go in she directs me to anything new I would love and always looks out for anything I say I am interested in buying. I looked for some small side hair combs to add to my collection but had no luck this time around.
Next stop, Antiquarian's Delight, an antique mall housed in an old synagogue. This place is an antique lovers dream. I stopped by to shop at Barb's store and found an awesome broken watch face. I talked to Barb for about a half hour about a bunch of items I was interested in... speaking to this woman is like getting a crash course in the history of antiques... I love it!
Final stop, Beadworks, my general jewelry supply store. This place is conveniently located in walking distance from my house and they have a good selection of quality semi-precious beads. The sales people are really sweet and they really try to get to know their customers. I bought some silver beads, chain and a few other items and headed home.

And the projects began... what a great use of a vacation day!
From my day's shopping, I finally had all the pieces I needed to make my much desired watch necklace! I oxidized silver chain and some silver faceted beads and added two pieces of pyrite to the chain as a special little touch. I am really happy with the result!