Close up view of the bloom of an airplant in a hand made vase available at The Virginia Farmhouse

New Additions- May 2020

Author: Mike   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: crafts • decorative art • gift store • gourmet foods • gourmet retail • hand made • home decor • locally made • new additions • virginia made • virginia wine • wine • woodstock virginia   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

We actually have a few new additions to report in this strange season-Face Masks made by Dawn Steed with a plethora of fabric patterns available at The Virginia Farmhouse

First: We’ve just gotten in a batch of face masks hand made by local lady Dawn Steed. These 2 layer masks are made with a variety of fabric patterns and go for $5.00 a pop.Bottles of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chambourcin from Cave Ridge Vineyard available at The Virginia FarmhouseAlso New:

  • Cave Ridge Vineyard’s 2017 Chambourcin, 2014/2015 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2013 Petit Verdot
  • Georges Duboeuf 2017 “Wildflower” Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Muse Vineyards’ 2018 Rose- on sale for just $15.99

three bottles of Muse Rose

Back In Stock:Bottles of Sake, British Beer and Ginger Beer available at The Virginia Farmhouse

Fuller’s London Pride

Jars of Plain and Ramp Salt from JQ Dickinson Saltworks available at the Virginia Farmhouse

Heirloom (Plain) and Ramp-Flavored Salt from JQ Dickinson Saltworks

Oh Yes- and we have plenty of options for Mother’s Day Gifts.view of the bloom of an airplant in a hand made vase available at The Virginia Farmhouse

Like this happy little airplant in a hand made flower bud vase by MJ Seal. The pastel lavender and coral hues of its flower go quite well with the verdant green glaze of the vase-Close up view of the bloom of an airplant in a hand made vase available at The Virginia FarmhouseClose up view of the bloom of an airplant in a hand made vase available at The Virginia Farmhouse

And there are plenty of other hand made and locally sourced goodies to brighten her day like these Wildwood Hearts from Bruce Rosenwasser-

Which reminds me- The Art Sale will continue through Mother’s Day and we still have a few prints of works by Shenandoah Valley Artists left like this one from Helen Jean Smith-Print of a painting by Helen Jean Smith depicting walnut gathering at the Mill of Forestville, VA

And please follow us on Instagram (@thevirginiafarmhouse) and/or on Facebook (@thevirginiafarmhouse) where you can keep up with all our new additions in real time (well almost real time:) and we are also posting daily (or almost daily) pleasant distractions- images of local scenery to help get your mind off of current events- like this:

Anyway-

*Stay Safe-Stay Sane*

Two wines from Shenandoah Vineyards that are available at The Virginia Farmhouse

New Additions- March 2020

Author: Mike   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: art • crafts • decorative art • Drinks • home decor • locally made • new additions • virginia made • woodstock virginia   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

We have a few new additions-3 hand kitted caps made by Jill GochenourIncluding these lovingly hand-knitted tamo-chanters from Jill Gochenourcolorful hand knitted tamochantersWe also now carry an assortment of her other  hand made and very functional outerwear like these “shawl-ettes”-2 miniature shawlsAnd these colorful scarves-

a large purple and pink scarf and a green and black infinity scarf

Also new: Shenandoah Vineyards’ Chardonnay and Riesling.Chardonnay and Riesling from Shenandoah Vineyards are now available at The Virginia FarmhouseThe Chardonnay is lightly-oaked and pleasantly buttery with a refreshing acidity on the finish. The Riesling is dry, crisp and citrusy.

And…..

The Art Sale will continue until the end of this month. We still have a few Helen Jean Smith prints left (framed and unframed) as well as an assortment of artwork from other Shenandoah Valley artists. A painting of a shady forest floor peirced by sunbeams painted by MJ Seal“Woodland Scene IV- Sunbeams on a Mossy Forest Floor”- Original painting by MJ Seal. Acrylic on board in hand made frame, 14″ x 11″. C. 2017

*This is my favorite of all the realistic woodland scene paintings I made- from a slight distance it’s like looking through a window into the cool shady depths of one of our verdant local forests on a mid-summer day.

Originally $115 this piece is now just $57! Including the beautiful, hand made frame it’s housed in.A painting of a forest in a black and gold Dutch-style reverse frame both made by MJ SealAlso….

Don’t forget: we will be CLOSED for most of the month of April for our trip to France (fingers crossed)- so stock up now!

Close up shot of two new wines available at The Virginia Farmhouse

New Additions- February 2020

Author: Mike   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: art • decorative art • events • home decor • locally made • virginia made • wine • woodstock virginia   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

We have a few new additions to the wine rack and the Art Sale continues-New wines from across the country and the world available at the Virginia Farmhouse

We scored some really great close out deals this month so the racks have been replenished with new offerings like:

  • Boet Le Roux Old Vine Columbard- This white wine from South Africa’s Swartland Region is light, crisp and citrusy with hints of pear and melon.
  • Fantini Montepulciano D’Abruzzo- A medium-bodied red from Italy with floral notes, a hint of spice and a pleasant acidity.
  • Figaro Tinto- a rich and jammy Spanish red with hints of black plum and tobacco.
  • Georges Duboeuf Cabernet Sauvignon- This full-bodied red hails from France- it is fruit forward with a spicy finish and velvety smooth tannins.
  • Siegel Special Reserve Chardonnay- A Chilean Chardonnay is crisp, light-bodied, full of tropical fruits and hints of citrus.
  • Uvaggio Vermentino- This Californian white wine has a very floral nose, bright, citrusy flavor and a refreshing acidity with some mineral notes.

Back in Stock: Guacamole + Blue Corn Tortilla Chips from Nana’s Cocina.A painting of a forest in a Wenge veneered frame both hand made by MJ Seal

And the Art Sale continues this month.

Pictured above: “Woodland Scene II- The Forest Floor in Late May”- Original painting by MJ Seal. Acrylic on board in hand made frame, 10 1/4″ x 8 3/8′.

This very textured and impressionistic view of one of our local forests is housed in a beautiful hand crafted frame. The frame is veneered with Wenge wood- a tropical hardwood from Africa that has an interesting cocoa and ebony striated grain pattern. With frame it is now just $40.00 (!).

Pictured below: “Winter Landscape- 2/26/18″ – Original painting by MJ Seal. Acrylic on board in hand made frame. 15″ x 10”An abstract winter landscape painted by MJ Seal

This soft, abstract landscape was produced through a painting process called “decalcomania” in which thinned out glazes of paint were spread across the board then wax paper was pressed into the still wet paint and peeled off. The resulting patterns left in the warm gray and white paints create the illusion of a wintery landscape with perhaps a field in the foreground and a forested mountain or hill in the background. Originally $150 this piece is now just $75.00.A painting of a snowy forest in a golden oak frame both hand made by MJ Seal

Pictured above: “Winter Landscape Study- Snowbound Forest”- Original painting by MJ Seal. Acrylic on board in hand made frame, 10″ x 14 3/4″.

This elegant and graphic view of a snowy forest is only $67.00. The golden oak frame provides a pleasantly warm contrast to the 10 cool shades of gray making up the painting (yes there are no true whites or blacks in this piece- only a handful of gray tints).

Pictured below:“Proudly We Hail”- By Elizabeth Strippy.

This print of an original watercolor depicts a snowy day in Downtown Woodstock. It is signed and numbered by the artist. Now only $15 it measures 18″ x 13″.Print of a watercolor depicting a snowy Court Square in Woodstock, VA

A detail of a framed puzzle map of the Town of Woodstock VA

Pictured above: A close up view of a framed puzzle map of Woodstock, VA. Just $30.00 this charming little piece of home decor measures 19 1/2″ x 13″.

In the print racks we have tons of illustrations like of these three chicken varieties pictured below- now only $3.00 each.Prints of illustrations of several chicken varieties

Also…. We will be closed for the month of April for our trip to France- so drop in and stock up now!

New Additions- December 2019

Author: Mike   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: christmas • crafts • decorative art • Drinks • food • gourmet retail • hand made • holiday • woodstock virginia   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • • •

We have something for pretty much everyone on your list-Hazelnut flavored mead from Misty Mountain mEadworks available at The Virginia Farmhouse

First- Mead from Misty Mountain Meadworks is back in stock- and we have their new brew, “Hazelnut ‘n’ Honey”. This mead is made from clover honey and aged with crushed hazelnuts- which impart a pleasant amaretto-like note. It goes great with -well- everything at the holiday table.

gourmet cheese knife set from Twine available at The Virginia Farmhouse

And just in from True- “Twine” Gourmet cheese knife sets, “Cahoots” Owl-shaped waiters corkscrews and “Spot-On” dog shaped wine glass markers. All great gift ideas for the gourmands and wine aficionados in your life- especially if they like dogs.

Spot-On dog shaped wine glass markers available at The Virginia Farmhouse

Cahoots owl shaped waiters corkscrews available at The Virginia Farmhouse

We also have a new addition to the jewelry table: beaded jewelry hand made by Sue Southee of Gemini Dreams. We now have a selection of her earrings, bracelets and a couple necklaces.

beaded jewelry from Gemini Dreams now available at the Virginia Farmhouse

And for those of you looking for some upcycled home decor I transformed this charming old window into a mirror. Some of the panes of glass in it must be truly ancient- the one in the top left looks like ripples on the surface of a pond.

An antique mirror transformed into a mirror by mj seal

portion of an antique mirror transformed into a mirror by mj seal

Happy Holidays from Us to You!

Functional hand made stoneware pottery with complex metallic glazes available at The Virginia Farmhouse

Fresh Out Of The Kiln- Our Latest Batch of Stoneware Pottery

Author: Mike   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: ceramics • clay • crafts • decorative art • experiment • gift store • hand made • home decor • interior decorating • woodstock virginia   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

They Survived! And even better the (somewhat experimental) combinations of glazes I used came out beautifully-Stoneware pottery with metallic glazes available at The Virginia Farmhouse

So for this large batch of pieces I used a dark, red stoneware clay called “Brooklyn Red”. This clay is heavy, groggy and due to the iron oxide content will stain anything it touches (before firing of course). It’s actually the kind of clay used to make red bricks and in is incredibly durable once fired. It is great for hand building pieces as it has minimal shrinkage during drying and and attached parts really hold together.

I also love this clay as it gives you a rich, dark ground to work off of- perfect for the metallic glazes I wanted to use for these pieces-A tuliptree leaf shaped dish and other functional ceramics with metallic glazes hand made by MJ SealI used 2 different combinations of Potter Choice Glazes from Amaco. In group one I applied 2 thick layers of Saturation Gold to the piece. Then I coated that in a blotchy layer of Temmoku (a dark, translucent brown/black glaze) and Saturation Metallic. After those layers dried I applied a little more saturation gold to the edges and rims of each piece for a little pop of gold.A luminary, soap dish and various serving bowls hand made from red stoneware clay by MJ SealDuring firing the glazes melded beautifully. In the areas with a thinner layer of Saturation Gold the glaze developed a dark bronze coloration that flashes iridescent blue when viewed at certain angles. The splotches of Temmoku and Saturation Metallic gave silvery, pewter-like touches and in areas where the Saturation Gold pooled and dripped you can see these patches of rich gold with little coppery flecks.

Soap dish and serving bowls with an ancient bronze like finish available at The Virginia FarmhouseIn the second group (which turned out to be my fav) I applied a couple thin layers of Saturation Metallic glaze over the dried clay body then a splotchy layer of Temmoku with thick blotches of Saturation Gold.Metallic finish on a stoneware leaf made by MJ Seal at The Virginia FarmhouseThis combination of glazes developed a rich and complex black metallic finish with patches of pewter and ancient bronze. On these little dishes I made with torn edges (the clay had started to dry out and had become unmanageable) the finish almost makes them look like shards of a meteorite-Stoneware dish with torn edges and metallic glaze hand made by MJ SealClose up of a meteorite like finish on a ceramic piece hand made by MJ SealIt’s always nice when an experiment turns out even better results than you were expecting!

Ceramics in Progress – September 2019

Author: Mike   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: ceramics • crafts • decorative art   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • •

Finally had a chance to make a few somethings out of a big block of red stoneware clay that we bought last summer (?) and has been sitting around the store ever since-

Some *potential serving bowls and soap dishes

Small and Medium sized planters

Wax tart burners/ luminaries and chafing dishes

These tiny vases would be great for flower buds or air plants. The medium sized vases would be great for succulents or small ferns (and flowers of course).

I made a bunch of serving bowls that could also double as pots for plants that don’t need a lot of soil- like the mosses I’ve been experimenting with.

You’ll notice all of these have little feet which not only make them stand out more but I think will nicely compliment the Raku- like glazes they will be getting once they dry. Keep your fingers crossed they survive the firing process.

 

Functional Arts and Crafts- Making a Mirror

Author: Mike   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: art • crafts • decorative art • experiment • gift store • hand made • home decor • interior decorating • Mirror • Picture Frame • Reverse Painting on Glass • shenandoah county • virginia made • woodstock virginia   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Easy as 1-2-3-

First I took a plate of clear picture framing glass and rubbed it down with alcohol to thoroughly remove any grime or oils. The glass’ surface must be  scrupulously clean- if it is not you’ll have issues with  peeling later on.

Then I drew up a little design for some corner ornaments on a post it note. I placed that under each corner and carefully dabbed on a thick coating of contact gilding adhesive. I used Pebeo’s Gedeo Mixtion Relief which comes in an easy-to-use tube with a fine-tip applicator. The adhesive is white when wet but dries clear. Remember you are reverse gilding/silvering- so you will be working in reverse on the inside surface of the soon to be mirror.

After the adhesive dried I cut up a sheet of 23 kt transfer gold leaf. I then carefully pressed the leaf (gold side down) into the adhesive. The parchment backing of the leaf was peeled back leaving the gold thoroughly stuck in place on the ornaments.

After the gilding size has cured for a few days I dusted off the excess gold leaf and sealed up the ornaments with a layer of raw sienna acrylic paint- which gives the overlying layer of gold a richer color and renders the ornaments opaque-

Next I turn the glass into a mirror with some handy-dandy Looking Glass Silver spray paint from Krylon-

The Looking Glass paint is easy to use- just make sure to apply it in multiple thin coats or the mirror with develop a blotchy appearance. Do this outside. Yeah note the weird reflections around the mirror-in-progress above- I did this in the parking lot against my car using a sheet of old plexiglass as a shield- hence the hubcap visible in the upper left.

After the spraypaint has dried (which only takes a few minutes) it needs to be top coated with something to protect it- I find Rust-Oleum’s Matte Clear Enamel works wonderfully. The enamel coating seals up the looking glass coating and it’s matte appearance makes the reflective finish more pronounced and brighter.

After the enamel has cured for a bit the mirror is ready to be framed. I placed this mirror in a cassetta-style frame I made a few years ago. The gilt ornaments beautifully complement this simple but classic molding profile.

A slightly closer view-

The Looking Glass paint gives a softer reflective effect than commercially made mirrors. It also has a slight texture to it (due to the droplets of paint) and with a dark board placed behind it takes on the appearance of an antique mirror.

Fresh out of the kiln 5/03/18

Author: Mike   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: candle holder • ceramics • clay • crafts • decorative art • experiment • hand made • home decor • interior decorating • pottery • sculpture • Sea form • soap dish • spoon rest • Stoneware • va • vase • virginia made • woodstock virginia   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

My first batch of pottery made with brown stoneware clay have finally been glazed and fired-

For this batch I applied an underglaze of Amaco’s Satin-Matte White and top coated that with their Satin-Matte Clear Glaze. Upon firing the white and clear glazes melded beautifully creating a creamy, grayish-white hue. The underlying khaki color of the brown stoneware clay really gives a wonderful depth to the finish. My favorites from this batch are these vaguely sea sponge-like luminaries which all miraculously survived.

Unfortunately only one of the bivalve-shaped napkin holders survived, and it shrank so much I think it works better as a sponge holder. The pieces I specifically intended to be sponge holders turned out nicely though.

All of the soap dishes survived- and I especially like how the clam shell-shaped ones turned out with the creamy white glaze.

A couple of serving bowls. The lip of these bowls undulates which gives them built in spoon rests.

Some oyster shell shaped spoon rests- the glaze looks perfect on these.

A cluster of miniature flower bud vases.

Some larger vases-

While these may seem purely decorative and very delicate these ceramics are both functional and quite sturdy.

Back in the game

Author: Mike   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: candle holder • ceramics • clay • crafts • decorative art • experiment • hand made • home decor • interior decorating • Napkin Holder • pottery • soap dish • spoon rest • Stoneware • vase • virginia made • woodstock virginia   |   Tags: • • • • • • • • • • •

So after a couple months hiatus I managed to have a very productive weekend of sculpting-

Luminaries, vases and napkin holders made from a light brown stoneware clay

In this batch I have made a variety of kitchen implements and vessels with a new stoneware clay that should come out a dark beige color. *If* they survive I’m thinking I’ll coat them with a distressed layer of warm white glaze and over top that with a clear layer which should give the appearance of antique ironstone pottery.

Two spoon rests and a soap dish.

This pieces in this collection, like most of my work, has a very organic look to it. The spoon rests and napkin holders look vaguely like seashells.

The napkin holders remind me of ancient brachiopod fossils.

My favorites from this batch are the luminaries which resemble primitive sea sponges-

A trio of very organic looking luminaries.

I really hope the luminaries survive as they were very time consuming to make. Each little hole in them is a potential starting point for cracks. With any luck these pieces will survive the slow drying process over the next couple weeks and then it will be time to glaze them.

 

Experimental Forms

Author: Mike   |   0 Comments   |   Categories: ceramics • clay • decorative art • experiment • home decor • interior decorating • pottery • sculpture • Sea form • Stoneware   |   Tags: • • • • •

I had a few scraps of stoneware clay so I decided to try sculpting out some physical forms of the vague shapes that had been floating around in my mind-

Macaroni vase A potential macaroni vase[/caption]

I had seen a macaroni vase in a recent issue of Better Homes and Gardens and decided I would try to make one using a flat slab of clay instead of a a wheel-since I do not have a throwing wheel. I rolled out some leftover clay, cut an hourglass shape out and rolled it up. Then turned up the openings and molded the lips a little.

Two incense holders and a strange cornucopia shaped dish Two incense holders and a strange cornucopia shaped dish[/caption]

I really hope the vaguely cornucopia shaped dish survives- it brings to mind some of the fossils I’ve found of primitive sea life.

IMG_5303 A slightly different view-