Handicraft, Hand-Dipped and Hand in Hand

City Mouse Now Country Mouse
No. 11

My endless quest to be a "Master Craftswoman" has taken me to many an interesting place. Here's a brief history of my crafting:
* I've traveled to rural Pennsylvania with my friend Josephine to learn wood carving from a Pittsburgh sculpture artist. I also returned there two additional years to learn silver jewelry making and how to add color to silver pieces using tinted resin.
* I've traveled to Abiquiu, NM to three times--one for more jewelry making, once for pewtersmithing, and once for blacksmithing.
* I've traveled to Gatlinburg, TN to learn how to crochet silver, copper and fashion wire to make jewelry.
* I've traveled to Arlington, TX, several times to learn woodturning and how to make everything from a pen to a bowl to a goblet. So, what this means is I will got to great lengths to learn a new craft.
Here is a picture of me learning to bend wood for a Shaker box. Aaron and I went to a crafts festival in Boonsboro, MD, in early September and that's where we met Sam & Bob. Interestingly enough, they are brothers who together has a thriving business making Shaker boxes. After 10 or more minutes of conversation, I was ready to risk our jovial exchange with a risky question: would you be willing to teach me how to bend wood? My question was followed by a nervous laugh from the two but after a few more minutes of conversation, we figured out how I might learn their craft in a "non-threatening" and "no commitment" kind of way.

So, we agreed that I would attend their next craft show at the Mountain Heritage Arts & Crafts Festival near Harper's Ferry last weekend. The picture above is step one in the process. This is when you take the wet wood and bend it around the oval box form. Next, as you can see in the photo to the right, you add the copper tacks to keep the "fingers" and band in place. The last step (in bending) is to make the band for the lid. That picture is below. I bent wood for nearly three hours and by the end of it, I was starving; I guess all the bending and marking and nailing (repeat, repeat, repeat) helped me work up quite an appetite.

I thanked Bob and his wife for a great afternoon of crafting and we talked about when I could come to their workshop to learn to finish the boxes. We waved our good-byes and I wandered through the festival looking for the food tents.

After glancing at the festival program, I realized that I had very few healthy eating choices. Almost everything offered was fried with the exception of the pit roasted beef and the hand-dipped ice cream. I opted for the beef over the ice cream--probably a first for me--and sat down at a nearby picnic table. The beef as quite tasty, although messy, and I was content to eat and watch people go by. I was nearly half way through my sandwich when an older couple asked if they could join me. "Please--I'm happy to have company. Especially if you'll let me taste your ice cream."

They were carrying Styrofoam bowls heaping with ice cream. After they sat down, the gentleman leaned forward, extending his spoon to me. "Here you go," he said. "It's raspberry. I hope you like it."

"Oh," I said startled and embarrassed. "I was just kidding. It looks delicious."
"It's hand-dipped," the woman said. "I love hand-dipped ice cream." I agreed and we chatted about the weather for a few minutes.
"This is quite a crafts festival. The range and quality of work is exceptional," I said. "It's the first time I'm attended this show."
"Oh," the woman said, "I love this show. Gerry and I came last year but this is the first time that we are attending as husband and wife."
"So, you're newly weds," I said with a question in my voice. "Congratulations! That's great. How did you meet?"
"I met Annabelle in the seventh grade," Gerry said in between a large spoonful of ice cream.
"Seventh grade!" I said. "Wow!"
In my head, I was hearing: "Yikes! 7th grade!!" I did a quick flip through my memory rolodex of boys I knew in 7th grade. Double Yikes!

"That's right. It was our first year of high school," Annabelle said. "We both got married to other people and started dating after we lost our spouses . We were both married for almost 60 years. My husband died in 2004 and his wife in 2007."
"I am a lucky man," Gerry said proudly between mouthfuls of raspberry ice cream. I took a quick look at Annabelle; she was blushing. By this point, I was starting to question my food choice as he seemed to really be enjoying his afternoon treat.
"You must have married really young," I said to Annabelle.
"Yes, I did," said with a far away look in her eye. "And I never regretted it."
The three of us continued to chat about how they had courted for most of year before getting married in their Methodist church. The Gerry sold his two story house in Harper's Ferry and moved into Annabelle's rancher near Charles Town. "It's easier on the knees," he remarked.
"You finished your ice cream," Annabelle said smiling and poking Gerry in the arm. "You must have been hungry."
"We don't get hand-dipped ice cream everyday," he said, returning the smile to her. He then slid his hand into hers. She squeezed his hand and smiled again. Clearly, it was time for me to go; I had obviously already disappeared from their view.