Art Fire's Christmas In July Sale

It's fun to find a sale, any time of the year, right?  All of our Christmas cookie cutters have been reduced for this sale.  Come check us out, and while you're there be sure to check out some of the other wonderful bargains being offered by Art Fire sellers.

Featuring Our Cookie Cutters Today

A couple of years ago we stumbled into a small lot of cookie cutters.   One of the vendors at Cross Roads was retiring and sold them to us at less than cost.  We jumped at the chance and it's snowballed from there.  We started out with around 25 designs and have built it up to over 250!  DH likes it because it is something he can do to help the business.  He's not very crafty, but he can sort cookie cutters.  I do have to help him with the online business.  He's never quite gotten the hang of selling online.

We are putting sets together this Summer.  People have requested them for gifts.  I have been giving sets as shower presents myself.  It's a great thing to give a couple just starting out.  I have been to a lot of showers where the couple got 2 or 3 toasters, but my gift of cookie cutters has never been duplicated.  Throw in a rolling pin, some cookie sheets, parchment paper and a recipe and you have a really great gift!

Here are a couple of our sets.  Zip on over to Don's Art Fire page, Cookie Cutter Guy,  to see them all.

click on the pictures for more information

Need a Bat?

Well, Folks, my luck is holding true to course.  Some of you may remember the Bat necklace I posted a while back that was created upon request for "The Bat Lady".  She stopped by the store yesterday and of course, she didn't like it.  It wasn't anatomically correct enough for her.  So, I have this wonderful batty necklace with no owner.  All I have to do is find someone who's not quite so knowledgeable about Bat anatomy, or who understands when you create something like this, it's bound to take it's own directions in design.  I would cry, but it would do no good.  At least I proved to myself I can do it.  That doesn't put any $$$ in the back though.

Here is another peek at it, now listed on Etsy.

Click on photo for more information.

I'm off to lick my wounds....

Tiny Bits of the Past - Micro Mosaic Brooch

click HERE for more details

I fell in love with this little gem at first sight.  Just look at the detail that went into it.  I work with tiny beads all of the time, so I know how hard it can be to get those small pieces placed correctly.  

Just thin of the work involved in just getting them cut correctly!

This pretty little brooch isn't perfect.  There is some corrosion on the back that show it's age.  I am sure it has a story to tell.  Like they say,  if walls could talk...

A Lovely Vintage Piece

click HERE for more pictures

Isn't this old piece of jewelry just wonderful?  I picked it up at a flea market for next to nothing.  I didn't even realize it was a locket until I got it home.  

Just think of the wonderful stories that might have once been a part of this vintage locket.  Perhaps it was worn by a girl as her love went off to war.  Or, maybe it was presented to a new mother to put a precious picture of her young child.  It might even have been worn by a widow to keep her dear one close after they departed, a picture in one side and a lock of hair in the other.

Whatever the history of this locket, it still has a lot of life left in it to create more stories with. I just love finding special treasures like this!  I have a couple more I will share in coming days.

Have a good day and make a memory.

How I Started My Summer

Hello Folks,

    I haven't been around lately.  Truth is, I haven't done much of anything lately.  The tools lie silent while I veg my way through the heat.  Oh,how I hate heat....

    I do have a really great personal story for you.  It is quite unbelievable.  If it hadn't happened to me, I probably wouldn't believe it myself. 

      I share a booth at Cross Roads with another vendor.  We sell a few antiques and not quite antiques from it.  She had picked up a few boxes of stuff from an antique dealer in Cory, PA.   She brought them in last Saturday and I was helping her unpack them.  She handed me a stack of  old photos and asked me to put them in the box we have for displaying them.  Before I did I glanced through them.  Ever get that creepy, prickling feeling?  I did.  There staring back at me was an almost splitting image of my Dad, Louis.  The only thing that clued me in that it wasn't him was the fellow had too much hair.  Dad's hair was thinning in his high school pictures.  Then I realized it must be his father, Guy.   I was about 90% sure I was right. 

     Sunday I spent a good part of the day searching for a picture of my Grandfather.  We have tons and tons of Hausmann pictures, but just a handful of Forbes.  The only pictures I could find of Guy were of when he was much older and there were no full face shots.  I did find one of Louis, his brother, Max and I think the baby is Greta. 

     Monday, Memorial Day, we were open at Cross Roads.  They had opened the grounds up to anyone who wanted to set up for a flea market.  One older "flea" saw "Forbes Farm" on my shirt and asked me if I had a shop inside.  I said I did and he introduced himself as a Forbes.  I believe he said Bill.  My mind sort of went frizzy at the time.  I said "We're related some how aren't we?"  He confirmed we are.  His father was Grant.  Grant was Guy's brother. I told him I would be right back.   I grabbed the two pictures I'd taken up to show the other vendors how much alike they looked.   I handed them to him and said "I think this is Guy"  He opened it up and said "Yup, that's him"!  I found the photo and had it confirmed all by chance.  So, Folks, Guy is back home.  I will find him a safe place to stay and be sure he doesn't wander outside the family again -  for as long as I live at least.

Or..... IS it Lou with a "comb over"?

Guy Forbes - or is it Louis?

                      

Left to Right

Louis, my Dad, Greta, & Max Forbes

What do you think?  My Grandfather or Dad?