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18 + WATERLOO CHRONICLE * Wednesday, july 25. 200 â€" There‘s always something new _ at the Cobblestone Gallery _ Buttercup Limited Edition Necklace by Foxy Originals. 4 Dancing Souls by Jan Benda. Just when you think you‘ve seen every piece of Canadian handcrafted artistry at the Cobblestone Gallery, owner Bob Evans finds another treasure. "I can‘t resist," said Bob who has owned the oneâ€"ofâ€"aâ€"kind gift shop inside the Atrium, next to Waterloo Town Square, for the past 16 years. "I keep finding new people doing neat things." Those people include artists from every province and territory in Canada, creating art that, in many cases, is exclusive to the Cobblestone Gallery. "I work with more than 250 artists from across the country," Bob said. "And they‘re making things that you won‘t find any where glse in the world." Back then, he had three items in mind to sell: functional and decorative pottery; glassware; and a small selection of jewellery. Just like the gallery itself, everything Bob sells is unique â€" a business philosophy he‘s followed since he first opened his doors. MOR! UNIQUE â€" EXOTIC + HANDCRAFTED Thro[xgh a letterâ€"writing campaign, and Distinctive Furniture a keen eye for rare handâ€"crafted gifts while travelling, he built up a solid list of artists and put together an interesting inventory of items. The store‘s popularity soared from day one, Bob said. But surprisingly, one of the art forms he thought would be among his best sellers took a backseat. "Glass didn‘t do as well as 1‘d expected, but the pottery and jewellery took off right away," he said. "It was a different time, and people seemed more interested in the earthy look than the glass look." But times have changed. These days, pottery and jewellery continue to be popular choices among Cobblestone Gallery‘s customers; but glassware has caught up as the people‘s choice for gift items. One of the artists behind that shift, Bob believes, is Jan Benda, a glass blower who was trained in the Czech Republic. Two of Benda‘s most popular pieces that the Cobblestone Gallery carries are a rimmed dish that comes 5 in a variety of mixed 3 : colours; and a piece called the Dancing \ Souls, which "honours f the dance of a | relationship in all of its s manifestations; and mirrors both form and formlessness, as well as the asymmetry and [ symmetry _ of _ that 14 Princess Street East, Wateroo Tel: (519) 883â€"0222 www.mori.ca "The Dancing Souls is a very popular choice for a wedding gift," Bob said. On the flip side, trendy gifts for young girls and women can be found inside the