Cruisin' on the River

Chestertown was lucky enough to be one of the ports on the American Cruise Line's Spirit tour.

Friendly people from all over the US boarded the ship in Philadelphia and arrived in Chestertown last evening.

This morning they set out to explore the town --- Robert Ortiz Studio was early on the tour.

We enjoyed showing them around the shop and giving them a look at what we do.   Steve Croker showed the steps he takes to create carved ginko leaves used as accents on many of Robert's designs.  He explained the different woods and how they compliment the furniture.  He also showed how he uses real leaves as his guide in order to achieve the most authentic detail possible.

Everyone was interested to hear Bob tell about the process he goes through to create such beautiful furniture.   He starts by chosing boards from the saw mill that have been cut and dried properly.  He uses a jig - essentially a pattern - to cut the pieces.   People want to know how long it takes to make a piece of furniture - how many man-hours - but all of Bob's experience, design time, trial and errors go into the making of each piece.   So the answer is - 'it takes a life time' to make.  View many more photos of tables, chairs & cabinets at http://www.ortizstudios.com/

Our current project is an entry table with mahogany base and walnut top.  The base is still under construction, you can see one leg before the final cut has been made and the other leg shows how it will look when finished.   Take note of the 'ribbon' wood grain.  The top has two coats of linseed oil finish so far -I applied the second coat today -- it will eventually have five.

 

Here's a display of Baltimore Painted Screens.  This old folk art has been gracing the windows and doors of Highlandtown  since the 1920's.  Newcomers are always surprised to find that you cant see in from the street - but those inside can see right through.  

We enjoyed the cruisers - and look forward to future visits.

Inspiration

Inspiration for me comes in many forms --  an ordinary walk will find me snapping pictures to take home and tuck away until the right idea comes along. 

It could be a stroll through the flower district in New York ,

 or a walk downtown Chestertown where the trees throw beautiful shadows on the brick sidewalks.

Or it could be the top of a grand old building ..... interesting pictures are everywhere, just waiting for the chance to star in a work of art.   Hmmmm - I think I'd better get busy..... Inspiration is calling.

OBX and Sunshine

We just returned from a wonderful visit to OBX -my brother and his wife live there and we arelucky enough to visit at least once a year, sometimes several times.  Not only do we enjoy a healthy dose of sea air and sunshine, but we get to spend time with family: looking over old photos, re-telling childhood stories -- laughng, loving and building new memories along the way.  This visit was no exception.  In between great BBQ (Carolina style, of course), shrimp, grits and birthday cake, we took walks on the beach, scouted out thrift and antique shops, enjoyed the fresh berries from their garden, sipped pina coladas on the deck -- AND watched my brother surf with his new board.   You wont be able to miss him in the water now, - that neon orange can be spotted a mile away!  He was as excited as I've ever seen him - and we were loving it from the shore, thrilled with every wave he caught! 

Nice Ride ...

Love and Marriage

Its wonderful to celebrate a loving marriage.   Our good friends, Dick and Ivy, came to visit last week and shared their 54th wedding anniversary with us.  John was the Best Man at their wedding, in England, in 1956 - and they honored him again by naming their first child after him.    We had a great week.   Ivy and I watched 'the boys' remember and tell stories about their days together in the Army, and we could almost see them grow younger with each tale.  We spent hours over pictures and the time just melted away.   When you see a love that endures over a lifetime you know you are getting to be part of something really special.   We are grateful to them for sharing their special day with us - and we look forward to the next visit already!

                                                                              CHEERS!

Going, going, gone ..

Susan and I love to go to Crumpton - and when she came to visit last month that's just what we did. The Dixon Furniture Auction in Crumpton, MD is open every Wednesday through the year, except the weeks of Christmas, New Year's and July 4th. 
There is always something for everyone at Crumpton.   Here on the inside tables you can find everything from glassware, buttons, lamps, small toys, books, seashells to carvings and small furniture.

In the field outside, the auctioneer rides along in a golf cart, while the crowd follows watching and waiting for their coveted item to come up for bid.  You have to keep your eyes and ears open because he moves pretty fast - not to mention how fast he talks! Stay alert and you can win your bid and bring home a 'find' to repurpose into a 'treasure'.

and ... let's not forget the food!   This is only a fraction of all that's available.   We sometimes go just for the hotdogs - wrapped in soft pretzel dough - they are 'melt-in-your-mouth' 'to-die-for' good! You will also find ice cream, baked goods, roasted chickens, a full scale restaurant, home canned goods, fresh meats of all kinds, and cakes  & pastries ... and although we didnt find our 'treasure' in the field this time, we surely did find something sweet to bring home!!

I hope she comes to visit again soon ...  my mouth is watering for a pretzel dog:)

DIVAs Give Back

I am fortunate to be friends with a great group of women who gather regularly (?) - or semi-regularly - to talk about design projects, our likes and dislikes in decorating, creating crafts, learning from each other - and always sharing good food and building friendships.  We call ourselves DIVAs - Discovering Individual Vision & Ability.  Most recently we gathered at Judith's house, starting off with dinner and catch up conversation.  Then we unleased our creative energy decorating mirrors we donated to Laura's Home - a women's shelter in Ohio.  My friends, Terry Graul and Carolina Martin, have partnered to bring about a makeover of the shelter, building on a theme of "Inner Beauty - A Sparkling Idea from the Inside Out".  With that in mind, we used a poem which was a favorite of Audrey Hepburn to inspire us in our crafting

We worked into the evening, still laughing, chatting and thoroughly enjoying ourselves.

Then we wrapped them all and sent them off to the deserving ladies of Laura's Home

... our inspiration poem ....

Beauty Tips by Audrey Hepburn

•For attractive lips, Speak words of kindness
•For lovely eyes, Seek out the good in people

•For a slim figure, Share your food with the hungry.•For beautiful hair, Let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.•For poise, Walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.
•People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.
•Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.
•As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
•The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
•The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a Woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she knows.
•And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows!

Spring has sprung!!

Every where I turn there is color to behold!  A trip through the Farmer's Market this morning was like walking through a rainbow of flowers.

Back at home we are enjoying the blooms of the pear tree, nectarine tree, and the lilacs! It makes dinner on the patio a feast on every level! What could be better than spring color, dinner al fresca, and a little wine to slow the senses and take it all in??

The Gallery Show

April's First Friday in Chestertown was a wonderful warm spring evening.   It seemed like the whole town was out to enjoy the festivities of 'downtown' Chestertown.   Cathy and I were thrilled -- so many people came to view our gallery show at PNC Bank!  Everyone loved her pastels, and my screens were a hit as well!  As is usually the case, about half of everyone was familiar with the history of Baltimore Painted Screens - from either living in Baltimore, or visiting grandparents, relatives or friends there from 'back in the day' when these screens were so popular.  The other half were amazed to realize that the paintings were actually on a real window screen!  The bank provided wonderful refreshments , and we had a chance to visit with our friends and neighbors who stopped by -- thank you all!!

What A View

We took our first boat ride of the season today -- the view was super.   The water was cold, and the air crisp -- but the sun was wonderful.   We watched Osprey working on their nests.  Max had a chance to chase sticks in the water, and John and I toasted each other and the beginning of spring.   Life is good ....