If it weren't for the enchanting window displays, you might just walk past this tiny storefront in Ballard. Souvenir [0] has no sign -- purposely, to weed out the noncurious. It's an insider, word-of-mouth find, like a mysterious little shop down a Parisian street in the Latin Quarter.
Once inside, you'll find handmade greeting cards with ethereal images of hearts, flowers and birthday cake; delicate jewelry with precious and semiprecious stones; and an eclectic collection of objets d'art as well as vintage and antique finds. One gets the impression that this is owner Curtis Steiner's personal stash of secret treasures and obsessions, which he's chosen to share with the public.
Hidden treasures
Half the fun of browsing through this shop is opening the drawers of the 19th-century Dutch mercantile hutch to reveal obscure and bewitching objects. You might find porcelain dolls in traditional Chinese pajamas, a beaded ornament worn during an elaborate East Indian wedding or a teacher's manual for the MacLean Method of Writing, copyright 1946.
Many objects evoke memories. I saw folding wooden measuring sticks like my Grandpa's and red asphalt tiles like the ones in the basement of my childhood home. Steiner has an eye for fine details. Use the handy magnifying glass to get a close looks at pearls ringing Victorian hair broaches (with real hair in them), or a tiny, 5,000-year-old Sumerian cuneiform tablet ($1,100). Steiner's handmade cards ($7) line one wall, and alongside are vintage and antique buttons ranging from a small, steel-cut Victorian button ($14) to a set of six football-shaped Bakelite buttons ($65).
Sparkling jewels
Steiner creates ultradelicate jewelry with miniscule 18th- and 19th-century glass beads from France, Italy, Czechoslovakia and Germany. "I love tiny, refined things and like to exploit my tolerance of tedium," he says. Like a magician, the artsy but mechanically inclined jewelry maker has designed an invisible loop that transforms necklaces from short to long. He finishes the pieces with exquisitely hand-carved clasps using mother of pearl, tortoise shell and ivory from vintage piano keys. The fibers and antique embroidery floss in his "eccentric" silk fly necklaces and teeny beads for his DNA necklace are strung together to resemble the most basic molecular foundation. If they're still there, check out the black diamond earrings ($1,420). Jewelry runs from $180 to $1,400 and higher.
"1,000 Blocks"
You could say that Steiner is a perfectionist with an obsession for form and design, and no place is that more evident than his work titled "1,000 Blocks." Using black lacquer, Steiner hand-painted an identical pattern on 1,000 walnut blocks. The 1 1/2-inch cubes can be arranged into an endless number of patterns, resulting in a 75-by-30-inch panel. Take a look at Steiner's Web site [1] to see 100 of his amazing designs. But be forewarned: It's a mesmerizing and highly addictive visual, a medley of patterns paired with music from the Gotan Project. For a hands-on experience of the highly tactile cubes, go to the Seattle Art Museum [1], where an interactive set is on exhibit. A patent for the blocks and a book are in the works.
Connoisseur's Garage Sale
Don't miss Souvenir's annual garage sale Feb. 3, which starts at 9:30 a.m. and runs until 4 or 5 p.m. Steiner gathers all the merchandise that didn't quite make the cut for his highly selective shop and liquidates during a sale on Super Bowl Sunday. "It's like a high-end garage sale chockablock full of wonderful finds," he says. Score everything from vintage jewelry to a 1940s-era set of furniture. But go early -- last year there were about 60 eager buyers waiting in line when the doors opened.
Souvenir is at 5325 Ballard Ave. N.W.; 206-297-7116. Visit owner Curtis Steiner online at http://curtissteiner.com [2].
If you have a shop, sale, event or great product tip you'd like to share, e-mail seattleshopping@nwsource.com.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
