Archive for April, 2011

Carol welcomes Shawn Hart of the Humane Society to Laura’s Emporium.

Shawn’s brought her whippet Bella along to draw the winning tickets for our month-long raffle benefiting the Humane Society of St. Lucie County.

And the winners are . . .

Thank you to all of you who supported our efforts to raise money for the Humane Society!

Bella spent some time getting to know Tootsie, who’s a regular at Laura’s.

Some of the most beautiful items you will run across will be made, at least in part, of wood. Furniture, figurines, carvings, clocks, gun stocks, humidors—the list is endless.  It stands to reason, then, that the variety of woods used to create these works of art is nearly endless as well.  Rosewood, cedar, mahogany or teak, common or exotic—they all have an inherent warmth and beauty that captures the eye and makes us want to surround ourselves with wood.

There are several websites with information and images of thousands of woods, and I’ve used all of them over the years.  But I’d recommend Paul Hinds’ woodpics, a “non-commercial site focusing on color-correct pictures of exotic and domestic woods” at http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/index.htm as your first stop in identifying a wood.

With most wood identification sites you access a photograph of the wood by clicking on the name.  This process works great IF you know what kind of wood you have.  If not, you can spend hours clicking, viewing a photograph, going back, clicking on next name, etc.

Paul Hinds’ site has photos of over 500 different types of wood in a single column on the main page, making it easy on the eyes and surprisingly quick to go through.  By scrolling down you can view about five at a time.  If you see one that’s similar to what you’re looking for, you can click on it.  A new window (yay! you won’t lose the main page) pops up with—at the very least—general info and a larger photo.  In almost every case, you’ll find many additional photos displaying different cuts, veneers, raw wood, planks, finishes, etc. and divinely detailed close-ups.  Amazingly, the website has over 22,000 photos for you to peruse!

An ILLUSTRATED glossary gave me an understanding of many industry terms, an added bonus when previous readings had left me scratching my head going “huh?”  The glossary covers not only what the average person might want to know, but also targets woodworkers and carpenters.  With specific wood terms, wood toxicity, common and botanical name lists, articles, and new information added frequently, nothing is overlooked.

Presented in a conversational style, it’s easy reading. Donations are accepted to keep it commercial-free.  If you’d like to know your woods, be sure to bookmark Paul’s website—you’ll find it extremely useful, and the woods are breathtaking.

Tell ‘em I sent ya’
Victoria

My name is Gary and this is my “man shop” (Booth #33).  I started collecting and selling man stuff when my wife Darlyn and I came to Satellite Beach, Florida in 1979.

At that time, Darlyn started an Antique Doll & Baby Carriage shop in Frontenac Flea Market.  As I  sat around waiting for her to close, I thought to my self, “Why just sit?  SELL!”  I then started to sell anything and everything I could to make a ‘buck.’  You name it, I sold it.

We moved from Satellite Beach to Stuart in the mid 80’s and opened two shops in nearby antiqueing venues; one in White City and the other in Jensen Beach.  Recently, Darlyn and I located our shops to Laura’s Emporium.

My wife’s booth (#14) is located near the main entrance to the Emporium, which is surrounded by a charming baby stroller and two elegant gold leaf chairs.  Delightful dolls, small antique treasures and ladies luxury ‘la-di-das’ complete the Victorian space.

My “man shop” is located in one of the upstairs loft rooms.  It includes fishing rods and reels, computers, VCRs, DVDs, record players, boating accessories, golf equipment, and more.  For the collector, a variety of Star Wars figures and spaceships can be found as well.

Come to Laura’s Emporium and enjoy the finest in antiques, vintage and recycled items.  Bring back memories and make some new ones!

When Vernon B. strolled through Laura’s Emporium and spotted this secretary in Booth #F3, he saw beyond the white paint and purple flowers.  Down to the solid wood and quality construction, and the possibilities within.  After bringing that vision to the surface, he brought in photos for our website.  Thanks for sharing, Vernon, it’s stunning.

Divena & Vince #20

Suzette, David & Tiger #32

Susan #40

Gail #44

We’d like to thank our Partner Business
Weatherbee Nursery
for sponsoring our free March raffle for
a beautiful gardenia bush

Please visit them at
701 East Weatherbee Road
Fort Pierce, FL 34982-8537
(772) 464-6880

And tell them ‘Thank You’ from Laura’s Emporium!

Congratulations to Pamala P. who won the March raffle for a beautiful gardenia plant from Weatherbee Nursery.

And an honorable mention to Jenna W. for her enthusiasm.
She wrote ‘Pick Me!, Pick Me!’ on her raffle ticket.
Sorry, Jenna . . . we draw the ticket with eyes closed!