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The High Noon Craftacular is once again upon us. Handmade jewelry, clothing, bags, stationery, home goods and gifts are what’s available. Although The Glitter Workshop is closed, they’ve kept this tradition alive. The first fifty shoppers get a free swag bag, too. Sponsors include Anthology on State Street, a shop that also peddles a lot of handmade, crafty things. Tami Beirne, owner of the Boho Bauble, will also be selling her jewelry.
The High Noon Summer Craftacular, Saturday, June 28. 10a–4p. High Noon Saloon, 701 E. Washington Ave. Info: Naomi@glitterworkshop.com or 219-5933.

Speaking of Anthology, a recent email from the shop is trumpeting all of their great new stuff in stock. A recent trip to the New York Stationery Show yielded half a dozen new greeting card lines. They’re also excited about a new paper line from Italy that features Florentine architecture, pasta, poppies and typewriters. Sounds interesting.
Of course they’re always hosting events like bridal showers, birthday parties and kids’ events. So stop in and create a postcard July 1–15 or July 16–31 to make a paper garland for good wishes for yourself or a friend.
They’ve also started a new blog: anthology.typepad.com.
Anthology, 218 State St. 204-2644. anthology.typepad.com

On down the line to Epoch at 214 State St. I stopped in recently to check in with Jennifer Brewster on her new digs (photos at left). The store is painted in fun, eye-popping colors and is chock full of great, mint-condition vintage stuff. Brewster only carries items from the 1970s and older.
She also stocks reworked vintage stuff like button rings and brooches and old polyester pants that have been revamped into cute skirts.
Brewster has such an eye for vintage that she can usually eye up an item and tell instantly what era (Epoch is “era” in Latin, by the way) it’s from. When she and I visited she pulled out a shoebox of items a customer had recently dropped off. It contained a beautiful Grecian-style copper necklace, bracelet and earrings. She also pulled out a lightweight aluminum bracelet and earring set with a bird engraving. Brewster told me both were from the 1950s. She also pointed out a cherry red Bakelite earring and bangle set (retail price: $65). Neat stuff!
Epoch, 214 State St. 255-2385.

Madison Magazine’s BEST of Madison party is this Friday June 27. All winners and attendees receive a gift bag. I have my hands on a sneak preview of what’s in the lovely, reusable Trader Joe’s grocery bag:
-Ancora Coffee
-A FREE thirty-minute massage or pure focus facial from Styles Salon Spa
-Money-saving coupons from J. LaMore, Ann Taylor, Dazzle and Pop Deluxe
-A buy one get one lunch coupon from the Capitol ChopHouse
-Candinas Chocolates
-A buy one get one coupon from Stella’s Bakery for use at the Farmers’ Market
-Savings coupons from JukeBox Bandstand and Madison Magazine

In other words, our swag bag is just as swanky as say, the freebies in the gift suites at the Oscars. Weeelll, maybe that’s a stretch but hey, you can’t argue with free stuff, right? I’m making my appointment for that massage ASAP!!

Recently I did a with Heidi Anderson, owner of unearthed. Anderson’s cool little digs received national attention on Dwell magazine’s website!
I love what Dwell blogger Michael Cannell "wwrote about the shop: “Why are we so sentimental about American life of an earlier era? unearthed, a small shop in Madison, Wisconsin sells oddly beautiful vintage items, typically from farms, factories and schools, like the 1960s classroom lab tables shown above and the carnival bottles below. ‘Each one with a story to tell,’ said Heidi Anderson, its founder. ‘They offer the kind of character that speaks in loud whispers to the sharp observer.’” Way to go, Heidi!
Anderson’s pieces are reworked in such a way that to an observer they’re familiar (those beakers from high school science class) but transformed into beautiful, useful and decorative objects for the home.
unearthed, 2501 University Ave. (across from Lombardino’s) 441-1993. unearthedmadison.com

David Bacco Chocolats opened in Hilldale Shopping Center in late May. Previously, Bacco’s chocolates were featured at CoCoLiQuot (now closed).
According to Bacco, popular flavors at the store include caramel, cashew caramel, Pomegranate Malbec, Tahitian Vanilla and Honey Lavender. Prices: $1.80/single; $8.25/4-piece; $15.50/8-piece; $22.50/15-piece.
David Bacco Chocolats, 550 Midvale Blvd. 233-6100. davidbacco.com

Stylemaker Q&A

I first wrote about Heidi Anderson’s unearthed, an “architectural and vintage finds” business, when it was housed in the top floor of Hue Gallery. When Hue’s owners decided to change it over Ma-Cha Teahouse, Anderson found herself looking for her own space and she found it: on University Avenue across from Lombardino’s. “I like the location I’m at because it’s within a neighborhood,” says Anderson. “It’s a little offbeat where I am so the rent is low, so I can also afford to be out looking for pieces. I also have this wonderful stoplight that I have a captive audience because there’s a high density of drive by traffic.” (photo, left: red and white metal gas station numbers)

A lot of storeowners I’ve talked to were doing something totally different before they decided to pursue their retail passion full-time. That sounds like the case with you.
I used to do marketing at the [Wisconsin] Union writing membership newsletters and promotional pieces. I’ve found it to be extremely valuable as I update my website and send out marketing pieces to my customers. There were a lot of business skills that collided with my passion for found objects as art for the home.
My interest [in unearthed] is just personal and it’s always been there in my own decorating but I started pursuing seriously five years ago. I took baby steps with the typical route; renting a booth at a mall to see how it feels. Then you see the reaction you get from the public and move forward with that.
I started noticing businesses like Scout in Chicago doing something similar. I wondered if Madison wasn’t right for this. I was always conscious of keeping the overhead low and then I could price accordingly and build my business over time, realizing that Madison didn’t offer anything like this. It seemed urban enough to support it.
I was at Hue [Gallery] for two years. Prior to that I had my own warehouse and prior to that, I was in antique malls. I also sell on websites like vintageandmoderininc.com. That helps me reach the coasts. It’s helped me sell to a New York architectural firm that’s renovating a Manhattan hotel.

Where do you go to find the items you sell?
I tend to concentrate on Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. I go to the small towns and look in the antique shops. What I look for is more edgy and urban than what some stores have.
There’s a great salvage shop in Dubuque, Iowa called Restoration Warehouse. I go to the Elkhorn fair in Elkhorn. I’m always looking.
I do have some people bring things to me now that they know what I’m looking for. (photo, left: industrial stool)

What businesses around town have your pieces?
Pasqual’s in Verona has several stained glass windows that they’ve used as dividers between customer areas and the kitchen. They also bought some decorative urns.
Ken [Monteleone] from Fromagination purchased quite a bit. He was looking for unique character pieces. He bought blue stools, maps, clocks that came from the state Capitol and seed sacks that represented farms in Wisconsin.
Another recent customer was Café Four in Mineral Point. They opened April 1; they make pizzas in a woodburning oven. The owner purchased quite a few things to decorate the space as well, such as tractor and farm implements like harrows and seed wheels. He also bought wooden foundry patterns, dental cabinets to use as serving stations and seed sacks to decorate the space. You know, they just become conversation pieces.

What are some of your most popular pieces?
People have reacted very well to some of the ceiling tins as wall hangings. They have a beautiful orange patina and they’re from an old schoolhouse. The color makes people feel good and there’s that history that can be shared.
People are fascinated by the stories behind everything that has an industrial nature or a utilitarian past, like the vases I have that are made out of vintage wallpaper rollers.
Right now I have a series of posters taken from the old Dick and Jane books and they’re full size. Everyone recognizes those. One person purchased them for a baby’s bedroom; one gentleman purchased it for his office.
When people come in and they recognize something they always want to share a story; like about the lab stools I have from a high school.

What are some unique items you’re carrying right now?
Seven old jewelers’ worktables (left). Each one has the original markings on it from when two jewelers worked side by side on the solid maple station. They have four drawers where the jewelers stored their jewels and tools overnight and they’ve got burn marks from the welding torches. They all have so much quality and character.
I tend to try and find things that I can display in multiples even though they’re unique. You create a sense of design rhythm when you have multiples.
I also have some wasp’s nests that are used as decorative art and hung from the ceiling. It’s a perfect example of art coming from nature that you can use in the home.

What is your artistic process when you refurbish something?
I’m attracted to things thing that have sculptural integrity; things that have character. I do tend to favor things that have an industrial past: farms, factories, schools, even. It’s not like I got out looking a specific item; the item usually presents itself.
Then it becomes a matter of, say, adding a piece of glass to make it a table or adding a mirror to an old Gothic window.

Do you work with interior designers at all?
Occasionally I work with interior designers. I would love for more of them to discover us as a viable option for design.

Obviously the “green” movement is hot. Using found objects for art sounds pretty green.
There was a woman in today that deals specifically in green design and we talked quite a I am crossing paths with other groups locally that have the same interest as recycled, reused, refurbished things.
Right now I’m showcasing the tiles from the Rennebohm’s on University and Randall. The Madison trust for Historic Preservation salvaged all of the prisms and are selling them as a benefit. People can buy them as a little piece of history.

I assume your home contains a lot of your pieces.
It does. It seems to be an incubator for pieces and they sit there a while, and then they move over to the shop. My kids always grew up with strange things in the living room.

How much time do you spend scouting for items?
It’s something of a seasonal issue because spring, summer and fall are much more active. It’s usually ten to fifteen hours a week; half the time I’m scouting, half the time I’m in the shop. That time might include finding a welder to make a stand so that those old floor grates can become pedestal tables. It’s a part of the business I do enjoy.

Do you work with a lot of local craftspeople?
I use a welder, upholsterer, carpenter/woodworker, and someone for metal refurbishing.
Recently I had to go to an auto body shop to find someone to help me restore a brass cabinet (below) from the state Capitol. They’re old fire hose cabinets and they’re gorgeous.

Any exciting future plans for the shop?
I'm teaming up with a talented local jeweler, Mary Jane Armstrong, to display her jewelry in the shop. She often uses recycled material in her work (metalmestudio.com).

unearthed
2501 University Ave. (across from Lombardino’s) 441-1993
Hours: Thurs, Fri, Sat 12–6; anytime by appointment
unearthedmadison.com