Longwood Gardens Adventure

What a wonderful time of year it is to enjoy the plethora of creative displays. The talent abounds as people work in so many mediums to entertain our senses in every way. Recently Bill and Beth took Ella to Longwood Gardens. What a wonderful holiday adventure at any age. Here are just a few of the many pictures they took.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

We would like to take this opportunity to wish
everyone a very Merry Christmas.
Stephanie & Beth

Market Square Grass Roots Show

We just got the new artwork from The Market Square Show we are doing in February and thought we would share it with you. They did such a GREAT job and we are very excited to be participating in The Grass Roots Show February 6-7 at The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center Oaks, Pennsylvania.

Tilly Hare's Spring Trade Show... Coming Soon

ONE SHOE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE... CONTINUED!!!

One shoe can Really change your life. This is the continuing SAGA of the tale of one shoe. First, I wish to THANK all of you for your kind emails and understanding as I continue on this "ONE SHOE" journey. For those of you who are unaware of the "ONE SHOE" journey... To make a long story short I suffered a broken ankle at Easter that failed to heal properly. Whether it was due to my lack of attention to follow Dr's orders or my bodies inability to heal properly, I don't know. I had the surgery after much delaying and hesitation on December 1st and find myself a "ONE SHOE" girl yet again.


This however is more frustrating than ever since I am also lacking the ability to bear weight on this ankle for six weeks else I risk yet another surgery. This does not bode well for a high energy woman with the inability to "NOT WORK" for even short periods of time. My life is now limited to the confines of the first floor of our three story home and relying on the good graces of others. Neither of which comes easily to me to say the least. I can only enjoy bossing my husband around for so long and that time has long since passed. Christmas shopping is limited to surfing for sales. Christmas decorating has become a mere thing of the past and did I mention my daughter is getting married on the 19th of December in our home with friends and family. Praise Jesus for wedding planners but that is another story. I just want to say again "Thank You" to all my wonderful customers who have been so patient with me over the last few weeks and the upcoming month. We are moving as fast as we can to satisfy each and every one of you. Well... as fast as my new scooter and FIRE ENGINE RED walker will let me. LOL. To all of you... have a Wonderful Season and ENJOY your ability to GET OUT AND SHOP since "ONE SHOE" REALLY can change your life!!!

God Bless,
Stephanie

The Silver scooter. I can toodle pretty fast on this baby.


The Fire Engine Red walker. I move REALLY slow with this. You'd swear time just doesn't stop with this. It actually goes backwards.

A HEART FELT THANK YOU!!!

We would like to thank all of our wonderful customers for making our 1st Annual Holiday Online Open House a wonderful success. We truly appreciate each and every one of you!!!
Happy Holidays,
Stephanie, Beth and Stacee

Holiday Open House

OPEN HOUSE PICTURES

Bill and I would like to THANK everyone for making our Open House a wonderful success. We TRULY appreciate each and every one of you and hope you will join us for our next event whenever that will be. In the mean time due to your requests we have decided to open the showroom by CHANCE or Appointment. Please do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions. We can be reached at the mill at 610-459-1776.
Happy Holiday,
Beth and Bill Merryfield

Glad Tidings

Primitiques, Ltd. Retail Holiday Open House
Friday, Nov. 13th (5:30pm-9pm), Saturday, Nov. 14th (11am-6pm) and Sunday, Nov. 15th (11am-4pm)


Primitiques' 5th Annual Holiday Open House
Primitiques is open to the public just this one time a year! We are hosting our annual Holiday Open House in collaboration with our neighbors at the Heron Gallery Studios (The Heron Studios Art Show). If you would like to come, please send us an email or call us so we can assess our catering needs. Event's Press Release: The Heron Studios' Annual Holiday Art Show and Primitiques Reproduction Furniture Open House will be held Friday, November 13th and Saturday 14th 2009. Featured at Heron Studios are fifteen Delaware County artists exhibiting one of a kind works in a multifaceted array of media. Ceramics, jewelry, oil paintings, pastels, photography, wrought iron work, watercolors, fine woodwork, and wearable art are all on display within the inviting atmosphere of a converted cotton mill. The name Heron was chosen after a great blue heron was seen gliding through the intimate Chester Creek watershed nearby. Just up the stairs from Heron Studios is Primitiques, the venture of Beth and Bill Merryfield, creators of reproduction Early American Colonial furniture & Upholstered Make-Do's. Every piece is hand crafted then finished with hand-mixed milk paint to bring an authenticity and individuality to each furnishing. Their current inventory includes bowls, wooden smalls, candle accessories, tables, butteries, large cupboards, plate displays, Make-Do Chairs, and various shelving and cubbies. They are constantly building their inventory and reviewing new ideas with their dedicated staff.

Principle artists of the Heron Studios include Mary Gordon from Ruteledge, Marion Kassab from Media, and Lorri Primavera from Wallingford, PA. Now, the old mill, now called The Rockdale Industrial Center, is a creative retreat for seven women artists.

Mary Gordon's oil paintings of small towns and disappearing farming communities evoke a timeless quality in a contemporary realist style. Marion Kassab, a full time Art teacher at Hill Top Preparatory School, paints abstracted landscapes with an invigorating palette. Lorri Primavera's original works of contemporary jewelry are made of sterling silver, precious and semi-precious stones with a juxtaposition of colors and forms that gives her work a quirky beauty and diversity.

The other resident artists will also be featured. Donna Cusano, of Middletown, produces energetic pastel paintings of semi-abstracted landscapes and still life objects such as hot peppers and pastries. The whimsical and brilliantly colored ceramic tiles and mosaics by Carol Rydel, from Boothwyn, instill a sense of fun and humor that every member of the family can enjoy. Rounding out the roster are invited artists Joyce Berger, oil paintings, Camille Leavitt, wrought iron work, Pam Pawl- weaving & wearable art, Annie Sucheki, ceramics and Rob Porter, photography.

History buffs will love viewing this fine art and craft work in the mill, which has changed very little since it was first used to make cotton cloth and yarn over 150 years ago. Today, the artists at Heron and Primitiques depend on each other for friendship and artistic opinions as did the mill owners from long ago depended on many people's cooperation to make the mill run smoothly. This charming venue is the perfect place to see contemporary artists working in a historic setting.

Primitiques Holiday Open House: 739 Mount Road (2nd Floor) Aston, PA 19014
www.primitiques.com

We Will Not Be Able To Attend The Simple Goods Show.

We would lke to apologize to everyone. We will not be able to attend the Simple Goods Show as we had planned due to a death in the family. We hope that everyone has a wonderful time and hope to see you again at the Spring show.
Kindest Regards,
Stephanie & Beth

Holiday Open House!!!!

Dear Friends,
I hope this note finds you doing well and enjoying a beautiful Autumn Season. It is hard to believe that the days of fall will soon give way to crisp winter days of the holiday season. Primitiques would love to extend the invitation to you to join us at our historic mill for our 5th Holiday Open House.
This Event is Open to the Public and is a three day event; Friday evening, November 13th from 6 PM until 9 PM (we'll be ready by 5:30, if you want to come early), Saturday (November 14th) from 11:30 AM until 6PM and we added an additional day on Sunday (November 15th) from 11:30 am until 4PM. We hope to see you at our Holiday Open House. Please try to send us an email (primitique@comcast.net) or telephone us (610.459.1776) to RSVP if you are coming in order to assist us plan on the amount of food and beverage to purchase. Friday evening is our Preview Night and we will serve light fare, wine and beer.
Thank you for taking the time to read our update. We hope to see you at one of our Retail venue.
Beth and Bill Merryfield
Primitiques, Ltd.
739 Mount Road, A-2
Aston, PA 19014
610.459.1776

The Power Of Stress...

I am not generally one to share things with all but thought I would share this story as a friend thought it was a good one. Many people under value the power of stress. For some it causes nausea and vomiting while others see it effecting the back door area. Others experience a lack of appetite while still others find that even after eating the entire contents of the kitchen (including a solid stick of butter) they are no better off at staving the stress than they were before the food orgy. Some people fall into a deep pit and choose to sleep the time away as if they will wake up and by some miracle all will be well. Others like myself try and move faster as if getting more done will make it go away. Or, by some stretch make whatever jobs you complete reduce the level of stress because hey your to do list is getting smaller so surely that has to be a good thing. If only it were that simple. Life would be grand. Of late my family has been hit with an unbelievable amount of stress. Its like one hit after another. I feel like I have been in a street fight with some rival gang. Needless to say I am getting my butt kicked. But... here is the story of stress... The other night I was balancing way too many balls in the air and feeling the nervous tension that goes with it. I started moving faster and thought if I did more I would feel better. I came in the house from my studio to cook dinner (for one as the hubby was away dealing with the stress) and I was suppose to be cooking one of those boil in a bag pot roast quick meals. Totally non-nutritious but hey... I wasn't going to cook from scratch for just me. I put the pan on the stove, turned it on high and reached in the pantry. I pulled out a container of vanilla cream cheese frosting, popped the top off and peeled back the foil layer. I ran my finger across the foil and licked it away cause Lord knows you don't waste frosting. I grabbed a wooden spoon and in a daze stood there for what seemed like an eternity. I couldn't remember how to cook this stuff... How do I cook it? I know I have done this before... What do I do? Then it hit me... Its flipp'n frosting!!! What am I doing??? I was so wrapped up in stressful thinking I was literally going through the motions and wasn't even paying attention. At that point I shut off the stove. Grabbed the spoon and frosting and went to watch TV. I ate 1/2 a tub of frosting and called it dinner. Moral of this story... Somethings you can't change and sometimes you just have to go through the motions to get to the other side. Not to mention the simple truth that although its probably not the healthiest dinner in the world frosting CAN make it better!!!
Stephanie

Where Have We Been...Day 5 of the swanky flu, whatever it is...

Working with Beth is a joy. We email all day long. I just got this from her and laughed so much I decided so share her pain.

Stephanie,
Ok, in our quest to find nasal congestion relief, we have tried, tylenol cold/flu, theraflu (yuck!), zycam clear (serious yuck), nasal sprays (various kinds), homeopathic eucalyptis stuff, vicks in the humidifyer & sudacare shower dissolves. Here's the verdict: the nasal spray gives immediate, jolting clear airway for about 5 minutes of painful nasal breathing (so clear it burns) & then after 6 minutes, the nose clogs more than the lincoln tunnel at 5pm on friday. The tylenol cold and flu helps reduce fever, that's it. The shower dissolves did just that. It dissolved in a minute, going down the drain to help our copper pipes breathe easier. The theraflu, who knows because once I got the awful taste down I blacked out from taste bud failure. The vicks in the humidifyer with a towel over my head opened the air flow and makes my pores look somehow bigger than pot holes in March. The hot, hot shower and old fashioned blow-your-nose technique, thus far, is the only remedy that seems to give us any relief.

Just thought you could use a laugh, at our expense!
Beth

Marlborough Mass. Cash & Carry Trade Show

Hello friends,

We wanted to remind everyone that Primitiques will be attending the Marlborough, Mass. Cash & Carry Trade Show (Market Square) this Sunday, October 4th. We are looking forward to visiting beautiful New England in autumn Please contact us if there is anything you would like to pre-purchase and have us deliver to the show for you. I am attaching some pictures of a sampling of the smaller goodies we will be bringing to the show. If we have a larger piece that you would like to buy, please call us because we are not planning on bringing many big pieces this weekend, just smalls and medium size pieces. So, if you have your heart set on anything, be safe & call to pre-purchase your goodies. Please email us at primitique@comcast.net, anytime or you can call us at 610.459.1776. Please visit our website at www.primitiques.com to view our goodes. We have included a few pictures in this post.



Also, please note that the online trade show we participated in last night was a wonderful success. In fact, the site was "crashed" due to high volume, therefore, we decided to leave the site open (but, of course, password protected) so folks can shop on line, wholesale, at their leisure & comfort. We have 14 American artisans and craftspeople participating in the Jack Frost online trade show, so please, visit the site and email me your credentials so I can provide you with the password.

www.picturetrail.com/thequillandwell

Also, Primitiques' booth at the www.picturetrail.com/thequillandwell website has pictured our CURRENT and available inventory , so you can use this as a regular opportunity to view our new furniture, smalls, and accessories and purchase from inventory for us to deliver to Marlborough or King of Prussia in October. As always, don't hesitate to call or email us, we are here to help make your holiday seasons a huge success!!!

Below are some photos for you to check and see what we are bringing to Marlborough this weekend. Remember, many of our goodes are one-of-a-kind at shows, such as our Vintage Feed Sack Upholstered Chairs and Sofas. Our Windsor Chair line is ALL HAND HEWN and harvested from our chair maker's land. No two are alike but ALL are equally as authentic looking. We will be bringing our 200 under 20 program to Massachusetts this weekend, too! Remember, first come, first sold.

Review of Primitiques' "200 under 20" Program

Primitiques developed a line of original smalls to sell at our booth during Cash & Carry Trade Shows... We will bring 200 or more small, woodenwares to the show that are all unique and under $20.00! Some pieces will have Rusty Wire, Rusty Repairs and Make-Do Patches, too! Some of our Old-n-Rusty Shoo Fly Screens will also be under $20.00. When you buy at Cash & Carry Shows, Primitiques' has NO MINIMUM, PLUS we offer some wonderful Show Pricing (see www.picturetrail.com/thequillandwell for current inventory and we will honor our Jack Frost Show Prices IF you pre-order between NOW and FRIDAY, October 2nd when we load up our trucks)... Some wooden pieces will even be as low as $4.00!!! ~ How's that for a primitive economic stimulus plan! As with all Cash & Carry shows, all items are sold on a first-come, first-sold basis.

200 under 20's come in so many different sizes and shapes, it's impossible to picture them all, but all just simply Primitiqued!!! Below are some pictures of only a SAMPLING of the 200/20 program items we're bringing to the Marlborough's Cash & Carry on August 4th!





If you are unable to attend this show but would love to benefit from carrying the 200 under 20 line, please call us so we can put together your "care package" for you :-) Thanks for taking the time to read our previews, we hope they are helpful. Looking forward to seeing everybody in beautiful New England on the 4th!

Kindest Regards,

Beth & Bill Merryfield
Primitiques, Ltd.
www.primitiques.com
610.459.1776
www.picturetrail.com/thequillandwell