This Weekend at Chartreuse

I love taking something

old and repurposing it

into something new so I'm 

always looking for pieces

I can transform.

When I was at the auction a

few months ago I picked

up some antique church pew

ends for a song because I thought

they'd make a really

cool base for 

a kitchen island.

I collaborated with my friend,

Drew on a design that would be 

beautiful and functional, with a 

substantial easy-maintenance galvanized

top and an additional shelf below for

extra storage.

I love the way it turned out!

What do you think?

It's for sale this

weekend in my shop,

The Kramer Angle,

at Chartreuse and Co.

in Buckeystown, Maryland.

Another piece I transformed

was an incredible screen

door that was taken off a 

Long Island estate that was

slated for demolition.   

Check out the before and after:

At just under 8' tall

it would make an incredible

statement piece in a 

foyer or living room.

I also love turning

old bottles, buckets, cans, etc.

into unique lamps

and have several available

at this weekend's sale like

this old water bottle & crate.

A few more sneak peeks

at what's in my shop this 

weekend:

We're open 

Friday, September 16th - 9 - 4

Saturday, September 17th - 9 - 4

Sunday, September 18th - 12 - 4 

4007A Buckeystown Pike (Md Rt 85)

Buckeystown, Maryland

Next door to the Buckeystown Post Office 

and St. Thomas More Academy

 

I hope you can stop by!

My Mentor

If you bounce around the blog

world or have ever been to

Chartreuse and Co. 

where I have a shop

you've met my friend,

Molly Strong.

Or you've stopped by because you bounced

over from Molly's "Market Monday" link party where she encourages us to share our latest projects!

This is the first time I
have participated, so thank you
for stopping by!

Molly, also part of Chartreuse, 
is an incredibly talented 

artist, a really good friend and

one of the two people in the world

that makes me laugh the hardest!

Take a look at some of what

Molly has created and you'll see

what I mean:

The girl has talent!  

But more than anything, 

Molly has been an inspiration to me.

She encourages me.

She believes in me.

I never thought I had any artistic

talent, but Molly taught me to 

believe in myself, to reach deep 
and draw upon

that which defines who I am:
  

the pain, the joy and the sorrow.

So, I may not have the same talent 
as Molly does, but I am thankful to her, 
because without her encouragement 
and her faith in me, 
I never would have picked up 
a Sharpie marker and created this:

I know, amazing, isn't it? 
  

And to think I have had 
absolutely no formal training!

Incredible!!

Can't you just feel the JOY 

coming off the "canvas"?

The sense of flight, 

the raw emotion, 

the realistic portrait of

an American family on 

a summer day! 

Juxtaposing with 

the oppressive, down-trodden 
emotion of the dog, so 
clearly haunted by
being defined as  
"pet quality only"
his entire life!

I really do think I nailed it 
on this one!

People often say to me, 
"Gail, how do you define your art?".

Am I an impressionist, like Claude Monet, a surrealist, such as Salvador Dali, or a realist along the lines of Da Vinci?  

My answer?

I'm not sure.

My art career is still in it's 
infancy, I don't know where it will lead, therefore,

I hesitate to define my style. 

What do you think?  

I know what Molly thinks:  

The girl's got talent!   

(Now, go back and tell Molly I said hi!) 

(Limited edition prints available this weekend
in my shop at Chartreuse and Co.)

Remembering

Love to all!

The Possibilities!

I've been looking for an interesting

auction to go to this weekend and

found one where this house

and barn will be sold.

I absolutely love

the stone house and the thought

of opening that beautiful barn
for monthly sales

leaves

me breathless!   

Hmm, maybe I should go,

just to check it out, right?

Road Trip Report

My "assistant" and I drove to my
home state a few weeks ago to visit 
family for a few days. 
  
While we were there we hit
the road with my mom to

shop my favorite source for the 

industrial salvage 

furniture and lighting 

I stock my shops with. 

This is me with my friend, 
(whose name shall remain anonymous to protect my source!)  

one of the creative geniuses

who take parts 

like these

do a lot of this:

  
and turn them into this:

They also 
create these 
fabulous light fixtures:

The best part?

It's the real deal, 
not the cheaply made
reproduction
imported industrial style furniture
popping up everywhere these days!


It's all made from
reclaimed, salvaged parts and 
I love it all!


Curious about what I picked up
for my shops?


Make plans to check it out at:


The Kramer Angle
at 
Chartreuse and Co.
in Buckeystown, Maryland 
(open the third Friday - Sunday of every month) 

Wild Rose and Co. Marketplace
in Walkersville, Maryland 
(open Tuesday - Sunday) 

and at my next 
Barn Show 
in Gambrills, Maryland
(October 7th, 8th and 9th)  

 My "assistant" contemplating a vintage stool! 

 
  My mom doesn't always "get"
industrial style but she's my
biggest fan and I love having her 
with me on buying trips!