Baltimore Brunch Spot

As our show season came to end for 2011, Rachel and I stopped in the Morning Edition cafe (corner of Fayette & Patterson Park Ave) for brunch for a Charms City Company brainstorming session!  This was our first time dining at this spot, even though we pass it often on our trips around the city.  Not only is the food amazing and reasonably priced, but the interior is so homey and cozy!  We'll be stopping in Morning Edition soon again:)

Picture from BaltimoreSun.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  We'd like to thank all of our followers, fans, customers, fellow crafters, friends and family for your support!  This past year has been so eventful and exciting that we wanted to take a minute to say THANKS!  Have a great Thanksgiving and happy holiday shopping:)

REMINDER: Trunk Show Saturday, November 19

Just a reminder that we'll be in West Reading, PA at Hello Bluebird on Saturday, 11/19 from 12-4pm!  Hope to see you there:)

Trunk Show - November 19th 12-4 @ Hello Bluebird!

This coming Saturday, Rachel & I will be heading to West Reading, PA to display our wares at Hello Bluebird.

We met Alex, the store owner, at the October Clover Market.  We absolutely loved all of the wonderful things we saw at her booth and were super excited to find out that she was taking new jewelry vendors:)  We'll be premiering our full jewelry line from 12-4pm on Saturday, November 19th in the shop.  After that, you'll still be able to find our jewelry for sale there - just in time for holiday shopping:)  Come by and hang out with us!  The address is 609 Penn Avenue, West Reading, PA  19611.

We've got a QR Code!

Charms City Company now has a QR code that takes you to our website.  You can find our events, press, where to buy, links to our blog, facebook and etsy shop from our website!  Hooray for technology:)

Clover Market Recap

Vintage suitcases, barn wood picture frames, brass stencils, old game pieces, owl trivets, wire laundry baskets, old games pieces and numbers... these are just a sample of the things Rachel and I bought at the last 2 Clover Markets.  We participated in the October & November Clover Markets that were held in Ardmore, PA - just outside of Philly.  These are upscale vintage markets that are filled with beautiful things!  We had a great crowd and nice weather for both markets and we certainly shopped alot!

We've already turned some of our finds into new jewelry pieces -

I was lucky enough to score a small sky blue retro suitcase, that I'm using as a laptop case.  I think it's just fantastic:)  

The top 2 photos are compliments of Janet Long, organizer of Clover Market!

We are looking forward to returning to the Market in the spring for the 2012 season:)

Hello, Spring!

Things at Charms City Company have been super busy!  We're now selling in 12 stores and have packed our calendar with lots of shows and festivals!  We started our spring show season with the Federal Hill Festival, Fenton Street Market and the Chestnut Hill Home & Garden Show.  That meant that we were traveling from Baltimore to Silver Spring and up to Philly.

While we've been busy crafting away, we were featured in the Urbanite magazine in May!  It was so cool to flip through the pages of Urbanite and see our jewelry highlighted in the Goods section!

Meanwhile, I'm making my final preparations for my May wedding and Rachel started a new job.  It's getting a little tricky to find time to create, but we're still dedicated to our hobby!  We've been coming up with new designs and making minor changes to our show displays.

Check our website for our latest jewelry, events and where to buy!  www.charmscitycompany.com

-Katie

Holy Sunday.

Katie and I spent a few, tired hours on Sunday morning, scrambling around to prepare for meetings with a few new shops. We eventually left Baltimore and headed north toward New York. A few car dances and a NJ Turnpike rest-stop meal later, we ended up in my favorite part of Brooklyn, Park Slope. I lived there 4 years ago and barely had time to recognize the place. After a quick swoop into Homebody, one of our favorite new boutiques, we jumped back in the car and headed to Philadelphia. Katie and I were both bummed that we didn't get to spend more time in Park Slope, as originally planned. It's such an awesome area, filled with eclectic people, unique restaurants, shops and art. The below picture on the left is a good one of the neighborhood.

We dashed down to Philly and ended up in Manayunk, one of the most inviting, urban towns that either of us had ever seen. The historic community is home to The Little Apple, another one of our new favorite shops that's now carrying Charms City Company products. It's lined with quaint shops and restaurants and is perfect for a nice stroll on a spring day. The below pic on the right shows one of the main street blocks in Manayunk.

I love Baltimore but have been wondering lately how I haven't yet lived in Philly, especially after visiting Rittenhouse Square a few months prior. I love the City of Brotherly Love.

The day was such  a whirlwind, it was hard to believe it had even happened by the time we got home. I highly recommend taking separate day trips to both Park Slope and Manayunk. They're both beautiful communities, with lots of charm and are ideal for a weekend getaway.

Getting Too Big for Our Britches

Katie and I looked around her house the other day and realized that we're outgrowing our workspace. We have hundreds of jewelry pieces, cascading down her exposed brick wall, 2 work tables, a shelf full of supplies and a designated area for show display pieces. The below picture doesn't do my explanation enough justice. There are oodles of props under the table and lots more spots around Katie's that look similar to the one below. The two of us have learned that being organized is definitely key in a small workspace.

Designing and creating jewelry is so much easier when our scavenged finds are organized by finish and size, etc. I now get excited when I find new ways of organizing our stuff. Another essential in our space is music. Crafting sessions feel strange without the sounds of Fleet Foxes in the background. My Friday nights usually consist of Katie's ipod mixes, a few glasses of wine and lots of crafting - which is fine with me. :) I wonder if others' craft spaces are similar to ours. I would love to hear if anyone has tips on maintaining a small studio. Happy Friday, everyone.

Give her the key to your heart this Valentine's Day

It's difficult to find a Valentine's Day gift for your lady, so we're sharing our top picks that we think will win over your significant other on February 14th. For the gals out there, go ahead and indulge with something special this V'Day.

A vintage key necklace is a quixotic gift, since it's a one-of-a-kind piece that holds a certain mysterious nostalgia. The keys that we've found date back to the 1800s, if not before. They may have traveled here from France, Germany, or many other parts of the world and once unlocked a secret treasure chest, or even an old jail cell. We salvage each hand-selected key from antique shops and flea markets and pair them with mixed chains into re-purposed, unique accessories. We pictured 2 of our skeleton key necklaces below. Check out our Etsy site for more of a selection.

We used found strands of chandelier crystals to create our romantic bracelets, which we've pictured below, next to our red Czech-glass, beaded bar necklace. The sparkling red beads are beautiful accessories for any Valentine. Both are available at http://www.etsy.com/shop/CharmsCityCompany

 

 

Another great Valentine's Day gift is a bottle of wine or champagne, tied with a pretty ribbon in pink, red or gold. You could dangle a personalized wine charm to the bottle for as an added touch. Check out our last blog post to see our vintage game piece wine charms. The Scrabble ones are our favorite.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's day. For more gifting ideas that will melt any girl's heart, check out our website: www.CharmsCityCompany.com. Thanks for reading. :)

- Katie and Rachel