Cindy’s Corner hums like a beehive

 

It’s a chilly, almost-rainy November morning in Bowling Green but warm and snug once you walk in the door of Cindy’s Corner Crafts and Collectibles at N. Main and Chase St.

Original craft creations are artfully displayed throughout the well-lit shop.

Towards the back, at a heavy honey-colored pine table behind the white cashier counter, Cindy and her friend Irene Micer chat while they crochet. Spools of brightly colored yarn dot the table. Their crochet needles weaving as they talk, miniature Christmas ornaments take shape. With a small refrigerator close at hand and microwave, their sitting and crafting area’s like a country kitchen. It feels like home.

Cindy Banks, her mane of thick dark hair slightly graying, explains how she first started Cindy’s Corner two years ago to be a haven for local crafters. She now has about 20. “We’re like a big family,” she says. “See what we create!”

To name but a few, Linda Beasley who works nearby at the Bowling Green Post Office, sells brilliantly colored painted gourds. Jennifer Buehole of Glen Allen sells soaps she makes, calling her business “Splash.” Brett Neunlist sells his birdhouses.

Then there’s Katie Holihan’s artful floral arrangements and Robin McCarter’s creative leatherwork. Shawna Bise sells her crocheted baby clothes.

“We’re all so versatile and we’ve all done so many things in the world,” says Irene. Her home is in Lake Land’Or and she retired here after serving as an emergency dispatcher in Fairfax County. She first got her start in the Brownies, learning embroidery when she was eight years old. Now her many creations are throughout the shop, including fancy scarves, appliqued blankets and amusing pen toppers.

“Crafting is like an obsession,” says Cindy, her fingers busy with yarn and needle. “It’s not about the money!”

“Now if we can just make enough to stay in business!” says Irene. Already there’s a Tuesday evening crocheting class and Cindy also wants to teach quilting and sewing.

She likes to point out high on the wall three paintings by Sidney King, the renowned painter who is Caroline’s ultimate crafter. Two of these are commemorative, painted on wood, depicting John Penn and Captain John Smith. She believes there’s a whole series and would like to locate more to safeguard them.

A little after noon Jackie Lizee and Gary Rouse come in, Cindy and Irene warmly greeting them. Artists in stained glass, they take their seats closely opposite each other in their workshop area across from Cindy’s kitchen and are almost immediately avidly at work. There’s a rack of varied colored glass, a bright working light, soldering guns, spools of solder, assembly boards, a grinder, pliers, cutters, pictures they sometimes work from. Jackie’s working on a squirrel, Gary on a turkey. A couple years back they met on the Internet and now live on Sparta Rd.

“His background in electronics has helped him with the soldering. We make a good team,” says Jackie, who taught him stained glass.

“We found out early on that we have the uncanny ability to answer each other’s thoughts,” says Glen.

Happy at their work, Jackie and Glen fit in well with the close-knit community of crafters Cindy has gathered.

“Everybody does a little something and it really works out nice,” says Cindy with her catching smile.

By CP Correspondent Ed Simmons, Jr.