Igor at the bench
Ready To Build Jewelry Box Kits
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We Passed our Final!
Today, Ed met with our building inspector and we got signed off on our new shop. We’ve worked for a year to transform what was an old abandoned pizza parlor into our custom cabinet shop.Please stop in and say hello the next time you’re in June Lake, CA. We have all of our jewelry boxes and silverware chests displayed there and of course we love to take on any custom woodworking projects.
From Idea to Computer Screen
When we last met I was perusing my architectural and design books in search of inspiration for my new jewelry box to add to our collection. The next thing I do is go to the computer (I used to go to my drawing board) and draw the general shape of the jewelry box or jewelry chest. We provide ample drawers in our pieces so I know the height of each drawer. But the width is optional. If the motif I have chosen is square in nature like the daffodil jewelry chest, that will drive the shape of the box.
When that is determined, I begin to use the drawing program to create a 3-D drawing of the box. This is something I could never do on the drawing board without a lot of difficulty. This drawing will allow me to look at the jewelry box or silver chest from all angles and it will give me all of the dimensions that I will need to cut out the parts accurately.
Looking for Inspiration
I imagine that people who don’t engage in design work are baffled by the process which transpires within the mind of the artist or design craftsman. I have done no extensive research on this subject and can only relate what goes on with me.
When I know it’s time to start designing, either because I have a special show I am entering or a client wants me to submit some ideas or I want to add a new jewelry chest or silver storage box to our collection, I begin to look at things in a new way.
I look at both buildings and landscapes searching for interesting ways that elements work together. I especially look for details and the way shadow plays between the elements in the scene I am appraising.
I also take to my library of architecture books, not to copy ideas but to notice that very small detail that I have missed before. It can take just one tiny element to be the basis for an entire piece of furniture or jewelry chest.
Next time I write. I will talk about how the idea becomes reality.
Prairie Style
In my last entry I gave a brief description of what is known as the Arts and Crafts aesthetic. Well, today I was looking in some of my favorite books looking for design inspiration for a few new silver chests or jewelry boxes and I came upon Frank Lloyd Wright and The Prairie School by Allen Brooks.
I love this quotation because it expresses perfectly the spirit of the Prairie style and also embodies the feeling we hope to create with our collection of jewelry boxes and silver flatware storage chests.
The buildings of the Prairie School were very respectful of their own time and place and very much American. They were not fanciful inventions for the sake of being different, but combined the best ideas that design had to offer.
Arts and Crafts
To some people ‘Arts and Crafts’ conjures up visions of calico, craft glue and smiley ducks in a row. But another and more interesting way to use that term is describing a movement of furniture, textile and architectural design which happened at the turn of the 20th century. Its father is said to have been William Morris in England and his reaction to the overly ornamental Victorian style. The vangards in this country include people like Gustav Stickley, Frank Lloyd Wright and the Greene brothers. All of their styles emphasized clean lines and craftsmanship.
I like to follow the arts and crafts aesthetic when designing our jewelry boxes, jewelry chests and silverware storage chests. I am a less is more kinda gal and am happy if I can show excellent craftsmanship and let the beauty of the wood we use in our jewelry boxes and flatware storage speak for itself.
Silver Cloth for Silverware Chests
As you can see from our home page we have designed some beautiful and unique silver chests and flatware storage boxes. I have always wondered why silver cloth works and I found this great article on NancySilver.com.
Silver Cloth is made for the purpose of protecting silver and jewelry from elements in the air that cause tarnish. The fabric is made of 100% cotton flannel using dyes that contain no acid, sulfur or salts. Silver Cloth is impregnated with materials that absorb tarnishing gasses before they can react with the surface of your silver or jewelry. Silver Cloth will not lose its effectiveness unless it is wet or washed.
Silver Cloth is used by many manufacturers to line silverware chests, flatware drawer liners, pouches and bags. Many homeowners and cabinet makers use Silver Cloth to line drawers, cabinets and even closets used to store silver and other metal items susceptible to tarnish.
Points To Remember:
- Sulfur and rubber causes tarnishing.
- Never wash or wet Silver Cloth.
- Never use sulfur-based glue or cement to adhere Silver Cloth. The recommended method for gluing Silver Cloth to a surface is white glue such as Elmer’s. Never use rubber bands on your silver.
- Before storing silver make sure that is it clean and dry. Salt or other food particles left on silver can cause tarnish or even damage.
Engraved Motifs
One of the most distinctive features of the jewelry boxes, jewelry chests and silverware flatware storage chests is our engravings. The first part of the process is to determine the shape of the box but at the same time the idea for the motif on the jewelry box or silver chest will drive the shape of the jewelry box. The next thing to make sure of is the the motif is able to be broken on the drawers so that the certain features, such as a flower, will not be broken in way that doesn’t make sense visually.
I must confess to one struggle I’ve had with the engravings on our jewelry boxes is trying to find the right color. I have learned through trial and error that certain colors want to bleed onto the wood. I absolutely have to avoid this situation and I have been able to whittle down my engraving colors to a small collection of colors that don’t tend to bleed.