Shopping Neverland

A friend of mine recently told me about a fantastic place in our city where I could indulge my love for thrift stores, junk shops, and decorative arts. It's Liquidation Warehouse (whose web address is actually shopneverland.com -- how cool is that!?) !

Right near Virginia Commonwealth University, downtown in a section of old, old buildings, is this gem. The buildings are incredible; HUGE with massively high ceilings, and are all brick. Walking into this place is like walking into a huge costume and prop department on some movie lot or theater campus. The woman who greets you as you come in even says, "have fun! Let me know if you need help with anything....and don't forget to look UP!" The ceilings are indescribably high and all kinds of interesting stuff is hanging in the space above your head.

It's amazing in there! There were some antiques and stuff like that, but mostly there were piles and piles of stuff that used to be display items and decoration in large big-name department stores.
This picture is at the entrance to the 'Christmas Room', where there are tons and tons of sparkly and beautiful decorations of all kinds. This photo does not even remotely do justice to the extreme sparkliness of this place. All the lights and shiny Christmas ornaments, glittery trees and garlands...it's wonderful! And, one of the owners tells me this section of the building used to be a public icehouse. So fascinating!

I know there's someone out there who needs a bust of Napoleon with a neon hat brim...

Recognize the old Bloomingdale's shopping bag logo behind me??

There were more kinds of manniquins than I knew existed....and they had huge boxes of just parts...hands, legs, arms, heads...

For you, Kerry! Lots and lots of cool-looking (but a little too expensive) old suitcases!

Oh, and if you were wondering where Cloud 9 really is...I think I found it...

There was TONS of great stuff, and so much of it could have found a home with me, but I was good, and restrained myself. My total haul consisted of four heavy crackled glass ornaments for my kitchen window, two really fun wooden poseable mannequins, and a "neck" plastic display -- I needed something to photograph necklaces on, and this will work great! I just need to paint it or cover it in some way.

I think I'm going back tomorrow, with Noah. I got an idea for a Christmas present for someone...

Drinking the Kool-Aid

How many of you know the origin of my Kool-Aid reference in the title? :)

And no looking it up on Urban Dictionary! ;)

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Anyway.....I have decided to add another layer of social networking to my already-networked life. Yup. I'm on Twitter now. Go find me @hotpieceofglass and follow along!

(I can't wait to get a smart phone now....joining the 21st century, that's me! ;) )

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And for today's jewelry-related content that I just know you all are waiting anxiously for (ha!)....

I found a robin's nest with four tiny blue eggs in it the other morning, and HAD TO make some egg beads. These are them:
This is the nest:

How cool is it that I could make beads that look just. like. that!? :)

Now I have to decide how to use them....

New series!

I've been working diligently on a new series of pieces for my collection. Here are the first pieces in "Industrial Revolution"....a collection created using copper and mixed metals, glass beads, and found objects, with a steampunk/clockwork/turn-of-the-last-century feel.

"Fortune's Amulet"


and the matching bracelet..."Springs Wash"


Both will be available on Etsy as soon as I get them posted later today. More pieces are forthcoming, too, I just have to get the photos taken!

Hey, don't forget I have a page for A Hot Piece of Glass on Facebook, so if you are an addicted Facebooker like me, check out the page and become a fan!