GutterCherry:

The erra of stovetop (not the original).

“What are the three parts of a stove? Lifter, leg, and poker…” One of two dirty jokes Mommom told me.  (The other one was favorite vegtibles in the garden, “lettuce, turnip, and pea”)  Just a wee bit outdated, but still scandoulous by any standard (ahem).  Me? I like metal, and cast iron is a trip to work with. Solid and beautiful, it is a pleasure to create a peice with a sense of history behind the material. The duce you say? I should refurbish it and donate it to a museum? Well, more often than not single unattached parts – no matter how old, end up as scrap to be melted down. Which is exactly how I found this old stove top.  I almost made it into a picture frame but I had many concrete form holders laying around (that’s what those metal hooks are).  Besides, I like function and my own face so I made it into a coatrack with mirrors.  I added wine corks to the hooks because I have a lot of them too.  Good to tack notes on to remind myself stuff not to forget before I leave the house.

…My what a wordy post!!

I made this mirror from what I think was a homemade chimney cover.  It was covered in soot when I got it.  My intention was to clean it up and then powder coat it a nice lime green or red. However, after I cleaned it the natural metal and remaining paint was too cool to cover. So, I rubbed it with furniture wax and buffed it up to bring out the patina.  I then added the mirror to the back and hung a glass rod from an old chandelier.  I originally wanted to cut the mirror round to fit the protruding hole.  It was then I realized someone fabricated it because it isn’t perfectly round and I noticed the welds were not manufactured (these days I can tell my fellow welders techniques from machines). All together I think it looks rather Asian inspired.

PS. It was hard to get a good picture of the scale, and since I curled my hair this morning I thought my head would put it into perspective better (big as it is).

Gosh, I’ve been obsessed with mushroom hunting since I stumbled across a drunk man on a rainy hike.  He was picking morels even though his glasses were foggey and he was soked to the bone, I have never seen a more blissfull soul!  I thought to myself  ”I can do that”, and ever since I’ve been on a rampage!  So, for almost a year now I’ve been reading, gathering, spore printing, and checking the daily mushroom reports (yes, they have those).  To round out my education I decided the next step was to go out with a professional mycoligist.  So here I am, the proud picker of some lovely chanterelles (yet to be cleaned) and one lonely boletus!

I made this duvet and pillowcase from three sheets that have been kicking around the family home for years.  Mom said these were the first sheets her mom gave her when she got married.  Circa 1960′s then.  By the prints I’d say that’s right on.  I couldn’t stand to get rid of them, I am sentimental that way.  Also, my extra down comforter needed a home. Just in time for winter!

Last month my family gathered to South Jersey to dismantle the house my grandmother lived in.  The house has been in my family for many generations, many people lived there. My cousin is currenly living there as my grandmother is living in a care facility.  It is going on the market and was badly in need of purging the contents. Treasures abound and I saved this one (shot gun barrel and an antique pipe vise) for myself.  For anyone who has sorted through and cleaned out an entire home, the process is daunting and emotional. Booby-traps of sentiment and land mines are rampant.  This little lady sat on the back of my grandmothers toilet for as long as I remember. Researching her origins online I found her to hail from Japan.  My grandmother called me a “mud gutter” blonde, which I see a resemblance in my new (old) keepsake too.