My Vintage Vignettes

Paris in Georgia

2011-10-16T21:15:00.003-05:00

My summer was bookended by trips to Savannah, Georgia to move one of my college students back and forth. There are a lot of great places in Savannah, but my favorite has to be The Paris Market. It's in a beautiful old building on Broughton Street and is filled with a mix of old and new. Upstairs fine soaps, jewelry, paper goods and novelty candy tempt, while down the wide, wood stairs (with antique books stacked up against the walls), acrylic chairs mingle with old cameras and many other intiguing items. I always spend a lot of time upstairs in area with small items perfect for crafters: bags of broken jewelry, milagros, old French medals and tiny porcelian figures. I chose these two little female figures and one of the shop owners explained in her lovely French accent that they were placed in cakes for a specific celebration, somewhat like the baby in the King cake. I also could not resist this French deed dated 1883. The penmanship and stamps on it are stunning. If you've been to The Paris Market, please leave me a comment and let me know what you found.

Chandelier love

2011-09-24T16:53:00.003-05:00

I used to think chandeliers were too formal for my home, but then I began seeing them used in cottage-style decorating. Suddenly, I wanted one. I had my heart set on an old brass one, with the arms that look like tree branches but I had a small budget. After years of searching, this one turned up at an antique mall at an incredibly low price. Amazingly, it didn't need rewiring and only 3 crystals were missing. It hangs in my craft room and is impossible to walk under if you're over 5" 4". Impractical, I know, but it's my craft room and I love it and I fit under it. Two of my other favorite things, tole painted floral trays, and toile also have pride of place here. It's a space that's mine, all mine!

A Small Transformation

2011-04-02T20:33:00.003-05:00

I am working on a page in an altered book. The book has a story, set in the mid 1800's, and a dance is an important part of the story. I liked the idea of using the pink Martha Stewart paper strip as an announcement of the dance. The pale pink wasn't working with the patina of the old book pages that will form the background so I dipped the paper in coffee. This aged the pink, especially around the edges, but still wasn't right. Since purple is a color used throughout the book, I decided to dip the paper in Tazo Passion tea, which a lovely deep ruby color. I let the strip dry for awhile and still wasn't content.I took the damp tea bag and pounced it over the paper strip and then blotted with a paper towel. I really liked the mottled color, like the purple had faded with time. I found a font very close to the old page of penmanship and printed out the words A New Year's Eve Ball, using the mirror image mode on my printer. I used a solvent pen to transfer the words to the paper strip. This transfer method gives a faded, aged look perfect for this page. I'll share the entire page spread when I finish it.

A Lost Skill

2011-03-06T19:16:00.003-06:00

When I was purchasing this wooden darning egg at the retirement community thrift store this weekend, my cashier commented that he hadn't seen one of these in years. It's true that the art of darning has largely been lost. When our fabric was homegrown, homespun and hand stitched it was very valuable and darning samplers like this one prepared girls to mend the household linens and clothing. My mother was a child of the Depression (as well as a New Englander of Scottish descent), so I remember moments of frugality in our household. She would stretch the heel of my father's socks over a lightbulb (same shape but much less charming than this darning egg) and attempt to darn them. She must not have mastered this skill because I remember my father complaining that they felt lumpy to walk on. I don't darn or even stitch very much, but I can't resist collecting vintage needlework tools like this one that remind me of a time when women shaped their lives with a needle.

A Heartfelt Return

2011-02-13T19:41:00.005-06:00

Most images of cherubs and cupids don't appeal to me, but I loved this old one with all its delicate details, from the flower garlands in her hair to her beribboned ballet flats. She became the inspiration for a Valentine's Day gift cone. I used a paper mache cone and painted the inside gold. The outside was covered with a decorative paper (this one was actually a Christmas gift wrap). I had the vintage braid and lacy flowers in my stash. I gilded a small wood ball with Rub 'N Buff to finish the bottom of the cone. I like the way this echoes the shape of the quiver she carries. Some Valentine's edition Lindor truffles would be the perfect way to fill this!

On a personal note, thanks for stopping by. I know it has been ages since I last posted. It was a busy year with two children graduating from high school and starting college and their older brother, who is a college junior, moving into his first apartment. I logged a lot of hours criss-crossing the country in a packed SUV. I'm happy to say everyone has settled in nicely, and I now have more time to create and blog about it. With three times the tuition, I also have much less money to spend, but that's okay since craft store clearance racks and thift stores are some of my favorite places. I hope you'll join me again and invite me to visit you.

Carla

The Little French Fashion Book Progresses...A Bit

2009-11-19T16:23:00.013-06:00

Finally...the time and the sunlight to get some photographs of the slow progress I've made on the little French fashion book. I added some beads that are aqua-lined-with-copper to the velvet trim on the cover. The ribbons that tie the book together are vintage seam binding from Beth's Etsy shop and a brown ribbon with teal undertones from an amazing shop in Parkville, Missouri called Florilegium.

I finally finished the first page, which is a celebration of my one of my favorite motifs...the paisley. Antique store finds include tiny jet buttons, a lace applique and what seems to be a homemade French thread card. I tried a new technique for this page, using my printer/copier and freezer paper to transfer an antique embroidery pattern from a book on to a strip of muslin. There are four more pages of this book in progress and I am about to start an altered book project that I'll also share as I go. You can always click on the photographs to see the details.

A Masked Ball Swap

2009-10-17T16:51:00.007-05:00

Stacey of Flotsam & Jetsam sent out an invitation to join her Masked Ball Swap. I loved the idea of putting a fashionable spin on the Halloween theme so I joined in. My partner was Amy who lives in California. She doesn't have a blog but you can see some of her paper creations here. Her package was full of fun things: jars of Halloween candy whose lids were topped with a toad and a rat, painted party horns and a pumpkin pie candle, a fancy little coffin box topped with my monogram and filled with treats and an orange striped billard ball--unlucky number 13! All wonderful, but I was really wowed by the cigar box ballroom she created for me. That's the cover above and below you get a peek inside. Amy added beautiful glitter details to the belles' costumes and surrounded them with tiny pumpkins, a bat and a cat. Don't you just love the girl on the swing?

For Amy, I covered a box with flocked paper...black damask for the body and black and silver stripes for the lid. I embellished a butterfly mask to decorate the top.

I created a couple of tags in the ball theme and wrapped fancy trims around them to use in future projects. A vintage box discovered in Minnesota did hold a dark secret...a vintage heart-shaped perfume bottle with a keyhole design. I filled it with black glitter and tied a silver ribbon and a little black key just under the cap. A rhinestone shoe pin from Victorian Trading Company was added as a keepsake of that imaginary night of dancing and intrigue.

The swap was a lot of fun and I'd like to thank Stacey for proposing it and Amy for being such a generous and creative partner.

Paper Trail

2009-09-06T07:40:00.009-05:00

What did I do with my summer? Well, apparently I gathered a lot of paper. I made three trips to Minnesota and was able to visit Hopkins and its wonderful main street full of antique shops two of the times. That's where I found this journal which is full of blank, nicely yellowed ledger pages. Love that cover! The graphics on the green card, which I've read is a lotto card, were also appealing and were found at the same shop, Auntie M's.

These papers are destined for French-inspired projects, although the little 4 o'clock tea menu is from a Chicago restaurant called The Blackstone. Lobster salad, brandied peaches and Blackstone nectar anyone? This came from the Old Summit Country Antiques Show which will be back in town next weekend.(For a sneek peak at one dealer's offerings, visit Beth.) The tiny DuBarry book was found in Hopkins, also at Auntie M's. That beautiful French date book page in the background was purchased from Mary at Green Paper. Now you know my sources and a bit about my summer!

Something Old

2009-07-26T08:16:00.017-05:00

Most Saturday mornings I stop by my favorite thrift store which is located in a retirement community. I seldom walk away empty handed because--and I don't know how to put this politely--old people have old things. I never know what I am going to find, but I'm sure to get advice from the community residents who serve as volunteer staff on how to carry, clean and use the items I've purchased. Sometimes though, my cashier just shakes her head ever so slightly and I know she's wondering why I would want that old thing. Here are some of my recent finds.

Cameos

None of these cameos are fine or valubable; in fact, all but one are button covers. For just a dollar, though, I have a great stash for future paper and fabric projects.

Lace Collars

I ran across a group of these for just 50 cents each. The lace trim at the bottom of the photo was separated from the collar and will become part of my little French fashion book. Do you suppose it was the same person who jazzed up her plain blouses with these and the cameo button covers?

Tools and Craft Supplies

No lightweight plastic here. Older tools are made of sturdy metal and wood that has developed a nice patina. Even the brads have a wonderful tarnish that only age can bring and were just a few cents more than the original price. I have found some big pieces for the studio recently, too. A relatively new printer/scanner/copier was just $15. It was out of black ink, but there was a brand new black cartridge still in the box and right beside it for just $1. Another favorite find is a pair of storage cubes. I have to take back what I said about no plastic, because these are made of plastic, but an old plastic that is incredibly heavy and has yellowed to the color of French ivory. They're perfect for scrapbook-size sheets of paper and there were two of them to stack in a corner of the closet for just $3 each. Have I convinced you to grab the phone book and start calling the retirement communities in your town?

Secondhand Books and Surprises

2009-06-28T07:30:00.007-05:00

I recently purchased a secondhand book because of the charming little pieces of art published in it. This sketch of the ballerina Marie Taglioni is my favorite. She was the first to dance on point and the artist commented, "She danced quite beautifully, quite as if she flew in the air, so gracefully and lightly."

This pretty-in-pink portrait of a musician was done by the same artist, who lived during the 1800's. Can you guess who the artist is?

This portrait is entitled "Mifs Victoire Conroy from nature" and is dated December 1836. Any last guesses? The artist of these three pieces is none other than Queen Victoria (The Sketchbook of Queen Victoria by Marina Warner). For some reason, it really surprised me that Queen Victoria was such a good artist. I know that young women of that era were expected to have "accomplishments" such as drawing, playing music and sewing, but somehow these light, pastel pieces don't seem like they would have been created by the woman who looked somewhat dark and dowdy in her later-in-life portraits.

And here's another surprising piece of art, also found in a second-hand book. This is a collage, from a series on Queen Elizabeth, by Gloria Vanderbilt (Gloria Vanderbilt Book of Collage). It fascinated me that a fashion designer and a woman of such wealth would choose to make her art out of scraps of humble materials like gingham fabric, paper doilies and tin foil. You can see another one of the Queen Elizabeth pieces at David Duncan Antiques. I'd love to hear about your secondhand book finds.

All Things Marie

2009-06-19T20:43:00.009-05:00

Have you seen Marie from Somerset? It's filled with gorgeous art inspired by Marie Antoinette. It must have made quite an impact on me, because I seem to be finding her image all over the place, and somtimes bringing the item home. Like this box from an antique mall in Des Moines.

Or this tiny notepad from Barnes & Noble (tucked in a watered silk bag found in an antique store in Hopkins, Minnesota.)

But my favorite item has to be this piece, which now adorns my dress form. It has the sacred heart emblazened with flames and Marie's cipher. I found this a couple of weekends ago at an antique show here in the Kansas City area. The dealer's tag had no clues about the piece--I just recognized the cipher from seeing it used in several of the Marie magazine art pieces. Now, I'm reading Queen of Fashion (What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution) by Caroline Weber. Has the tragic French queen inspired you?

Good Things Come to Those Who Blog

2009-04-10T11:00:00.008-05:00

If you have visited a few blogs or picked up a copy of Artful Blogging, you are sure to have read wonderful stories of friendships, collaborations and acts of kindness and sharing that have occurred as a result of these electronic pages. In the short time I've been blogging, I've already met some very welcoming and supportive people, but a recent post brought a whole new kind of surprise. Stacey, an antiques dealer in North Carolina, saw one of the tags I had done for a swap and wondered if I would be willing to make one for her in exchange for some vintage ephemera. Of course, I was flattered that someone would want one of my tags, but I also jumped at the chance for an exchange because I love seeing what vintage treasures turn up in other cities. These are the beautiful things that Stacey sent me. The two sheets of embossed die cuts are from Germany and are pre-WWII. They have a great patina that new pieces can't match. In the background, you'll see an 1872 issue of Peterson's magazine that is filled with great text, art and needlework projects. Stacey asked what kind of ephemera I liked and I mentioned I would love to have items I could incorporate into the little French fashion book I am working on. She thoughtfully chose items with that in mind-- the belt buckle was even made in France. Stacey sells her antiques at Booth 41 in the Gresham Lake Antique Mall, in Raleigh, NC and through Ruby Lane online. Stop by her blog Flotsam and Jetsam to meet her and visit her Etsy store sweettea16. Last time I looked, she still had some of those wonderful German die cuts available.

My Puppy Valentines

2009-02-14T21:38:00.009-06:00

What a delight it has been to participate in the Puppy Love Tag Book Swap. Karla, who was our hostess, created covers for more than 50 of us who wanted to swap and put the books together with ribbons and charms. My cover has what I think of as one of Karla's signatures--a pleated ruffle made from vintage paper. And look at the cute little Scottie dog charm. It reminds me of third grade, when a boy who liked gave me the prize from his box of Cracker Jacks. Ah, young love! Here's a look at how six of the swappers celebrated the theme with paper, glue and creativity!

Debe Leon wowed me with her clever combination of cheesecloth, crepe paper, flocked hearts and a vintage valentine image , but those tiny dog bones dotting the red and white baker's twine really pulled at my heartstrings

Robin chose a vintage photo with dogs that look a bit like my terriers. How important it is to claim things with the word "mine" when you are young. Robin expressed this so beautifully by adding the hand-stitched sentiment to this wonderful image.

Don't you love the concentration this boy is putting into expressing his affection for a girl while his faithful pup waits for his attention? Amy Wald added a sweet crepe paper ruffle stitched with Valentine's Day red to finish her tag.

Like me, Carrie Witherite, chose an image of a white dog sitting on a pink pillow. I love the Victorian feeling she created for this tag has with rose wallpaper and layers of green velvet ribbon, pink rickrack and delicate lace.

Debra Ganas picked a cute vintage image to show that no matter what language we use to say the word love, the meaning is the same everywhere--we don't want to leave the one we l0ve behind. The striped scalloped circle pulls the words and the image together and adds a playful toch.

I know this tag's maker--it's Shawn. I met her and her cute little daughter at Karla's blogger tea party. The deeper colors and wistful image she chose to portray that old-fashioned phrase "Be Still My Heart" are just perfect.

Valentine's Day may be over, but thanks to Karla and all of these talented women, I have lovely, lasting memories of it.

The Pups are in the Mail!

2009-02-01T15:25:00.007-06:00

My posh pink pups are on their way to Karla's for the Puppy Love Tag Book Swap. I was pretty pleased with how they turned out, but I wish I'd learn to do broader strokes of layering and less fussy detail. I seem to get hung up on things like making the tiniest slit in a paper bird's beak so it can be glued under and over a bit of lace so it looks as though the bird is acutally holding the lace in its mouth.

In this case, I was quite taken by the tombourine this trade card dog was holding. I really got caught up in turning it into an "instrument of love". I cut away the original advertising and sandwiched tiny, free-floating punched paper hearts between the paper pup, pink vellum and a background paper. That tested my cutting and gluing skills! Then I handstitched through those three layers to attach gold sequins and beads to highlight the three tombourine jingles. For the life of me, I can't figure out how one person, making six little tags with such teeny details can make such a mess! There were sequins, beads, snips of paper and bits of trim everywhere! It was a jumble of everything I had considered and everything I had used. This morning the studio straighten-up began--but only after an inspiring hour spent with the new issue of Where Women Create.

Puppy Love in Progress

2009-01-24T16:31:00.003-06:00

Here's a sneak peek at some of the pretties I'm putting together for Karla's Puppy Love tag swap. I'm going very pink and gold with this one. I hope your weekend is a creative one.

A Good Weekend

2009-01-18T21:08:00.003-06:00

What makes a good weekend? For me, it starts on Friday night listening to my son do color for a college hockey game on a far-away Minnesota radio station that streams over the internet and into my laptop, which was literally on my lap so I could hear every word. (This is when I really love technology!) Then on Saturday, having a few hours to myself to visit an antique show, a thrift store and a couple of craft stores. I guess I wasn't in a spendy mood because I didn't come home with much, but I did find a vintage trade card that will be the inspiration for my tags for Karla's Puppy Love Swap and that made me happy. Perhaps the sweetest part was Sunday morning, lounging in bed for awhile with a cup of coffee and all these beautiful magazines from Somerset. I have had a weakness for magazines since I was a kid (anyone remember Jack & Jill?), but I don't think any publisher has consisently awed me the way Somerset has. The new Somerset In Love is so pretty and I can't wait to see Marie. Eventually, I pulled myself out of bed and started working on those tags because you just can't read these magazines for long without being inspired to go make something beautiful yourself.

Light the Lamp

2009-01-04T16:44:00.015-06:00

During a recent visit to a thrift store, which had been squeezed between other family errands, one of my teenage sons said, "Look, Mom," and pointed to a high shelf. He had spotted a pair of lamps with figurines that looked just like the people in the toile patterns I love. The man was missing a hand, but the woman appeared intact down to the tiny, sculpted roses in her apron.

At first glance, I thought the lamb's leg was broken, but it was just tucked under. The figurine and base certainly needed some cleaning, but the price was so right!

I spent about an hour cleaning the lamp with a damp terry dish towel and Q-tips. (Some old things have a patina, but others are just plain dirty!) It cleaned up beautifully--no permanent stains, just a lot of dust. I found a silky shade for $7.99 at Tuesday Morning, and for safety's sake, I will probably rewire it. I've heard it's a pretty simple DIY project with a kit from the hardware store, so I may even try it myself this time instead of asking my husband to to it.

In hockey, when you "light the lamp" it means you scored. For those of you who don't have a family of hockey players like I do, the phrase comes from the red light behind the net that is lit up when a goal is scored. I think I should be able to borrow that phrase for this vintage score, don't you?

Here's to 2009!

2009-01-01T12:28:00.002-06:00

Wishing all of you a wonderful new year...filled with the old!

A Holiday Table Project

2008-12-27T10:00:00.004-06:00

I found a number of these small metal wreaths at an antiques and collectibles market the Saturday after Thanksgiving. No one was quite sure what their original purpose had been. I loved their white-washed gold, and I puchased five, immediately knowing how I would use them. The day before had been a holiday for me and instead of spending the early morning hours among shoppers, I had lounged in bed with a cup of coffee, watching HGTV Christmas decorating specials. It seemed that every holiday vignette had the chairs decorated as beautifully as the tabletop, and this was my inspiration when I saw the wreaths.

I gathered sparkly ribbon, a cream-colored cardstock and a damask print scrapbook paper, alphabet stamps from a vintage set, gold metallic ink, gold DMC thread and a circle die cutter. I punched out cardstock circles, stamped them with each family member's initial, and glued them to the scrapbook paper circles. I rubbed the edges over the gold stamp pad to gild them. I puched a hole in the circles with a large needle, threaded them and brought that thread up through the ribbon and knotted it. The metallic thread did not hold the knots well, so I put a drop of glue on each knot to secure it. The wreaths were suspended by the ribbon. I tied the ribbon into a bow and kept it from slipping when the chairs were moved by placing a small peel-and-stick glue dot underneath.

The wreath place markers were a pretty new addition to our holiday table, and even the three guys admired them!

It's Christmastime!

2008-12-25T13:59:00.002-06:00

Happy Holidays!

Long Time Gone

2008-12-07T11:47:00.009-06:00

My poor

blog has

been sorely

neglected

of late because

somehow, in this terrible

economy, I have been blessed with a full-time job. For the first time in nearly 20 years, I am not a stay-at-home mom or a mom with a part-time job chosen to fit around her children's schedules, but a full-time, salaried employee with all the responsibilities that go with that, and it has been a bit overwhelming. Between the 40+ hours a week, the need to play catch-up with my computer skills after hours, and to find a professional wardrobe, many other things have been pushed into the background, including my blog. I am back to blogging, however, and I will learn to balance everything as so many others do. Gone are my thrift store Wednesdays, but I will never completely abandon the vintage treasure hunt. I found this rusty tin and Czechoslovakian bracelet for a couple of dollars each at a great new Goodwill store.

This elegantly chippy Italian magazine holder was a curbside find. It will make a nice place for scrapbook paper or perhaps all those wonderful Somerset publications that keep appearing at my bookstore. The first issue of Where Women Create was stunning and inspiring. Congratualtions to everyone who had a hand in creating it, and to everyone who was featured there.

And, I did take a minute or two to drape Madame with a beribboned lace piece that someone must have begun putting together as part of a camisole or nightgown, but never finished. It was stuffed in a $2 bag of lace at a thrift store. I think this bit of frippery makes her look more like a Mademoiselle, don't you? I also picked up the latest issue of Artful Blogging and was so happy to see Tiffany's Show Me Your Form featured there. I had a great time participating in that blog challenge. And now I'm off with my real life dress form, my daugher, who has a fitting for a dress she will be modeling in a charity fashion show.

Isn't She Lovely?

2008-09-14T14:47:00.011-05:00

For the past few months, I've been admiring the antique fashion plates featured in various magazine articles. When I ran across this 1842 hand-colored plate from a publication called The Artist on a recent trip to Minnesota I couldn't resist starting my own collection. Her wistful expression, pearl-draped hair and pretty pink dress were all wonderful, but the blue paisley shawl draped over the railing was the detail I couldn't resist. (Click on any of my photos to see more detail.) I found my fashion plate at Auntie M's (how perfect for a Kansas girl!) in Hopkins, Minnesota. In a previous blog I raved about another shop in Hopkins called Blake Antiques, and this town has definitely become a destination for me as we go back and forth to my son's college town. Hopkins' main street has some great old architecture and wonderful antique stores. If you have the chance to visit Auntie M's don't miss the lower lever. The basement booth where I bought this image (and several other items) was wonderful--full of vintage items perfect for collage, crafting and collecting. Here are the covers of a little French fashion book I'm working on. I was inspired to start it after reading Sandra Evertson's article Album d' enchantillon in the Summer 2008 issue of Somerset Life. I don't have an extensive collection of vintage textiles, but I was intrigued by the idea of playing with vintage fashion images, snips of old trim and lace and bits of ephemera. I have a few pages started, but as I'm new to collage, I'm in a "hunting and gathering" mode for this project so I can layer each page with as many pretty things as possible. While I was working in my studio this afternoon, I had the pleasure of listening online to a live radio broadcast of my son doing color commentary for his university's women's soccer game. This was a wonderful broadcasting opportunity for a freshman, and that kind of opportunity is why he's attending a school so far away from home. We miss him a lot, but we're so proud he has the courage to follow his dreams.

Scarlet Letters

2008-08-30T15:20:00.009-05:00

This is the latest addition to my small sampler collection. I usually don't even look at samplers on ebay because my budget is pretty small and I hate being outbid! This one had a very low starting bid and no one else even bid against me. What luck! The really old samplers are silk on linen. After 1840, the number of samplers being stitched and their quality declined. Later samplers were more likely to be stitched like this one, with wool on a coarse open weave canvas. Many wool samplers fell victim to moths, but this one seems to have fared well. My new sampler, with its ornate letters, is similar to one in the book that got me interested in collecting samplers. It's called a Sampler of Alphabets and I just happened across it on a remainder table one day years ago. I found the samplers so breathtaking that I bought the book and began my study of this form of needlework. At one time, I maintained a website about samplers and co-founded a sampler guild here in Kansas City. I have also been lucky enough to study samplers in the archives of several museums and to attend a sampler symposium in Colonial Williamsburg. I'm not as active with them now, but I still love samplers. Here's a French sampler I own. The red and white combination was quite popular in that country. Unfortunately, someone washed this and the red binding bled, causing the linen to be stained. It's always ill-advised to wash old needlework because the dyes were not colorfast. Here's the sampler with a similar one in the book. And here's a different kind of red and white sampler--a knitting sampler. M really put herself through the paces practicing all kinds of techniques. (You can click on any photo to see more detail.) In a previous post, I showed you my favorite sampler which I thought had been stitched by a girl named Martha Lord. Now I know much more about it thanks to Susan at Miss Maddie's. Susan is a vintage textile appraiser in Canada. She did some research and was so kind to share it with me. A twelve-year old Martha Rod appears in the 1841 census of Raleigh Parish, Essex , England. This is exactly the right age for a samplermaker-- so her name was probably Martha Elen Rod and the word Lord was a religious reference which was very common in samplers. Susan also found a listing for a Hanker's Hall that was a branch of the Monmouthshire and Glamorganshire Banking Company listed in 1852. So now I know more about the stitcher and the building she chose to memorialize. Thanks, Susan!

These are the days...

2008-08-13T15:22:00.009-05:00

I'm a Saturday's child and, as predicted by the old rhyme, you'll find me working hard for a living many days of the week, but recently Wednesdays became a set day off for me. I couldn't be happier, because Wednesday also happens to be one of the days the retirement home thrift store is open. Unfortunately, it's a popular day with the antique dealers, too. Don't get me wrong, I really like antique dealers. I sold vintage wares once and I'd love to again. It's just that, unlike the residents who are looking for a nice blouse or the employees who seem to favor kitchen items, the dealers are like me--they're looking for the old stuff. I have realized, though, that now that I'm not buying for resale, we aren't really competing that much. Now, I mostly buy for my little vignettes and for collage, and I'm sure the nice volunteer ladies who bag my purchases find some of my choices curious. These are some of my recent finds. Even at $2.75, it's a pretty ugly pile isn't it? But look closer. Oh sure, the button jar had lots of big, brown and boring and a good number of gold and gaudies, but all of these beauties were in there too. I waited until I got home to sort through them, but while I was waiting in the drive-thru at Starbuck's I amused myself just turning the jar round and round to try to see what was inside. Those mother of pearl buttons are so tiny they must be baby buttons and those funky green ones remind me of Tic-Tacs (Go ahead and tease me, Cami--I know colored buttons always seen to remind me of candy). The pages of the old watercolor paper pad were very yellowed-- just perfect for me! Look how beautifully these images from Sandra Evertson's Les Mode Francaises tag and sachet project printed up (Somerset Life, Spring 2008, pages 96 and 97). Sandra also used brads as an embellishment and gave a recipe for tarnishing them. For a quarter, I got a box of brads already darkened with age and perfect for the project. Now I just need the right fabric to make the sachet bags. (For now, you'll just have to trust me that the green file box will look better when I get done with it. ) I do buy some things that are pretty from the start. You can see I already turned the little gold and white tiered stand into a ribbon holder. This grouping (without the ribbon) was just $5.50 (and there's a second set of the blue and white dishes not shown.) According to the old rhyme, Wednesday's child is full of woe--maybe she should come shopping with me!

Show Me Your Form Party

2008-08-01T00:28:00.000-05:00

Tiffany at Shabby Scraps came up with the wonderful idea of a party to show off our dress forms. I love the button she designed for the event, too. You can see it on my sidebar, but be sure to stop by her blog to see the original as well as the list of the 50 or so bloggers participating. Wonder who's under the lovely lace in my photo? She'll remove her wrap and join the party when you click {here}.

My Favorite Thing

2008-07-27T14:57:00.009-05:00

Cindy, who has the beautiful blog, My Romantic Home, has invited us to share our favorite thing. This sampler, which was stitched in 1840, is definitely it! I collect antique textiles, and especially samplers, and this is the oldest piece I have. Did you know these were stitched as part of a girl or young woman's education? There are certain things sampler collectors look for in a piece and this one has just about every one of them. There are trumpeting angels and a female figure, which are overshadowed by a huge butterfly. This lack of perspective in sampler art is common and gives them a folksy or whimsical feel. There are birds and trees and flowers. There's a verse--it's a version of one which was stitched frequently-- and the sampler is signed and dated by the stitcher. (You can click on the photos for more detail.) There is also a wonderful building with its name stitched underneath. It could be the girl's school, a prominent building in her hometown or possibly even her home. The sampler is probably English, but at this point in time I have been unable to document that. When I purchased this sampler about 10 years ago, I reframed it myself using museum-quality archival materials because I want it to last another 168 years. Thanks for letting me share something so precious to me with you, and I look forward to seeing your favorite thing!

My Imperfect (but mostly pleasant) Life

2008-07-22T14:41:00.012-05:00

Getting the craft store ready for inventory had really been cutting into my fun time. I had to work a lot of extra hours, miss the bloggers' craft day at Karla's cottage and even work on my birthday. I did have one free day to drive out to Greenwood, Missouri with my daughter, however. This little town has a number of antique shops, and I especially love it in the fall when it's all decked out in pumpkins and corn stalks. There's a lot of focus on primitives here and those fall decorations really seem to complement them. Unfortunately, on this summer day, the tea room in the antique mall was closed for vacation. My daughter and I love eating there (great sweet potato fries) so that put a definite kink in our plans. It was also unusual to see a number of empty booths in the antique mall. I did find a couple of little things across the street at the Greenwood Mercantile. Here's a Rit dye rack I bought. This is just a piece of one (3 tiers, 6 colors to a tier) as I've seen a larger one in a local antique mall with the full range of colors. I always look at it longingly when I go to that mall, but it's too pricey and too big for the space I have, so I was happy to find this little piece. A few of the dividers were broken or missing, but I replaced them with bamboo skewers soaked in leftover wood stain and cut to length. I've had fun trying to match up items to the dye colors stamped on the rack and I think it will look good when I get it filled up with ribbons and such. I've also seen one filled with old millinery flowers in Kaari Meng's book The French-Inspired Home. I also picked up this vanilla box. I like old graphics and have been looking for some vintage blue and white packaging since I saw Debbie Dusenberry of Curious Sofa mix it in with her blue and white transferware in the January 2008 issue of Country Living. I also spent one evening at an auction that I've started to attend regularly since Beth introduced me to it. I got this Blue Willow condiment set for just $3 because the salt shaker is missing. There's a complete one on ebay for more than $230. That's one of the nice things about imperfection-- it's affordable. As Beth said, you never know when I might run across a match for the missing piece and I've actually had this kind of thing happen to me. Years after I purchased an empty Delft tool rack, I found matching tools minus their rack---in Greenwood! I also got this really tall jar (I seem to be into these lately) for $4 and there's not a thing wrong with it. The exact same thing sells for $24.99 where I work, so it was worth staying late at the auction to bid on it. Have you ever been to an auction? I was a bit wary of them because I thought I'd accidentally bid on something I didn't want or lose my common sense and pay way too much for something because I got into a bidding war, but those things haven't happened. The auctioneers and their spotters make eye contact with the bidders so it would be pretty tough to bid without meaning to. I find myself getting very relaxed by the auctioneer's patter (each one has his own style) until they hold up something I want to bid on and then I get a rush of adrenaline. The spotters at this auction are so friendly, bringing boxes and newspaper to you with your item if you didn't come prepared to wrap it and these guys are just plain comedic when they model the merchandise-- fur pieces and rhinestone necklaces never looked so good.

What's Under the Cloche? (3)

2008-07-20T10:49:00.007-05:00

A while ago I picked up a couple of spool knitters at my favorite thrift store for a quarter each. They reminded me of the ones I had as a kid and I liked how they were such opposites --one tall, thin and black, the other short, plump and ivory. They sat on my craft table with no purpose, but caught my eye when I was creating a panel, all in blacks and creams, for the Birds and Bonnets Swap. I thought the three would look good together under my cloche. Last night I recreated the swap panel. I began putting together the vignette this morning, knowing I wanted the display to be strictly black and all shades of vintage white. Some dried twigs called wintercress, found on clearance at Michael's for $1, made a tree background for the the bird and filled out the top of the cloche. As usual, I used a vintage pin-style flower frog as a base, anchoring the twigs in it and propping up the panel on it. I draped yellowed lace, another thrift store find, from the black spool and pinned a leftover scrap of coffee-died polka dot ribbon to the white one. I cut a circle from black and ivory damask scrapbook paper to ground the display and scattered vintage buttons over it. So tell me, what's under your cloche?

My French Dress Form

2008-07-04T10:49:00.006-05:00

Madame arrived a few days ago, rather unceremoniously, in a cardboard box by way of New Jersey. Like so many bloggers before me I set out to antique her French form, using the instructions from Heather Bullard published in the April 2008 issue of Romantic Homes. Here she is in her natural state in the back yard. I thought it would be easiest to paint the form upright, so I left it on the wood base, but because I'm a sloppy painter, I put the base inside of a garbage bag and secured it to the metal pole with masking tape. The form was first sprayed with Kilz white primer and then painted with Valspar interior flat finish paint in the color Churchill Hotel Wheat using a foam brush. Then Valspar's antiquing glaze in a color called Asphaltum was watered down and ragged on. (The paint and glaze were purchased at Lowe's.) To me, this glaze appeared very grey in the bottle and I was a bit worried, but the company website described it as a deep brown and I was happy with the way it looked over the paint. Like Heather, I ordered the dress form with a black base. (I picked an ebay "buy it now" seller after searching with the words "dress forms". There were a number of form sizes and styles, base finishes and price points to choose from.) I sanded the base and neck cap to age them a little and then rubbed them with a less watered-down solution of the antiquing glaze. I had the most trouble with the neck stamp. I stamped, painted over the stamp, and then re-stamped it several times because the image was blurry. I finally realized I was using a dye-based stamp pad and that the dye was, to borrow a term from the textile world, fugitive--it was running. I used my handy Michael's online coupon, purchased a pigment-based ink pad and was happy with the result. The stamp I used is from a collection called French Mail by Crafty Secrets Clear Art Stamps and was also purchased "buy it now" from an ebay seller. (Yes, I'm an impatient crafter!) Since my studio has a lot of sewing collectibles, I began Madame's decoration with a needlecase necklace I've had for years. Now on I'm on the lookout for more thrift and antique store necklaces, pearls, chains, pins and who knows what else to adorn her.

What's Under the Cloche? (2)

2008-06-22T22:12:00.006-05:00

Now that June is racing toward July, I decided it was time to get a summer vignette under the cloche. I based this display around a little souvenir booklet I purchased on our recent trip to Minnesota. I am always drawn to personal papers that have fallen out of the family line, but I think this one really struck a chord with me because my oldest son had just graduated from high school the week before and were were traveling to register him for college. This little booklet celebrates the end of the school year with a number of poems with one comparing education to a ship and another that's just plain honest: "My pupils 'tis the close of school, Vacation days have come. And you're released from task and rule, And lessons' weary hum." The inner pages are all professionally printed, with one reading "with best wishes from your teacher 1908". Another lists the location as Elm Dale Township, Morrison County, Minnesota; the teacher as Nellie Sullivan (is that her picture pasted to the cover?); and a listing of students including five Nelsons, five Johnsons and eight Andersons--fifty-three students in all. To back the souvenir booklet, a 25 cent thrift store flag took a quick tea bath to knock down the new look a bit and then was anchored in a vintage pin frog. Some antique store stars cluster around it, repeating the stars and stripes theme and perhaps suggesting star pupils. A swirl of vintage rick rack adds a festive touch. To make the bottom of the cloche more interesting, I photocopied and cut a circle from a page in a beautiful old book I own that was copyrighted in the late 1800's and is titled Real Penwork Self Instructor in Penmanship. So, what's under your cloche this summer?

Tea and Creativity

2008-06-13T20:05:00.009-05:00

On Monday, I visited my retirement home thrift store and found these two apothecary jars for $2.25 for the pair. (The tall one holds little bits of shell that I thought might be interesting for mosaic. I know--they're tiny and I'm crazy!) On Tuesday, I attended a blogger tea party at Karla's and met Shawn and Marilyn who live nearby and Becca from Ohio who was passing through on a trip to Colorado. It was a beautiful afternoon and we had a good time chatting out on the patio and touring Karla's studio. (I think it's fascinating to get a peek into another person's creative space.) The sweet little bottle in the middle of the photo was a party favor Karla made for all of us. The colored pearls I bought in Des Moines immediately found a home there. On Wednesday, I met up with Beth at an auction. Although I didn't come home with anything this time it was fun to peek over Beth's shoulder and see what her box lots contained. You don't have to live around here to have the same experience--she has a very entertaining two-part box lot "reveal" on her blog, so head on over there next. I did play around with the colored pearls and the pincushion. Originally, I thought I'd do a variety of flower designs using all of the colors but I ended up with a swag and just the blue and creamy white pearls (my colorways are so predictable). I'm not sure this design will be the end result and I can't decide if I should keep the stained, vintage fabric, or if I should cover it over with something cleaner. For the time being, it does look pretty on the old Singer.

Bliss at Blake Antiques

2008-06-04T17:52:00.015-05:00

I found my bliss behind these green doors at Blake Antiques in Hopkins, Minnesota. This is a unique and wonderful antique store. The selection of merchandise was outstanding, and all of the booths and cases were beautifully arranged. There wasn't a Beanie Baby in sight and there was smooth jazz playing instead of that oldies soundtrack that so many antique malls seem compelled to play. In a lower area, there was a large inventory of vintage wedding dresses and accessories and a library of reference books. There were at least a dozen things I wanted, including a beautiful old chatelaine that was over $1,000, but this pretty blue sewing basket won my heart and was affordable. There were some very nice vintage sewing tools that came with it, too. I also couldn't walk away without this paper doll who is lovely in soft green. Just look at all of the beautiful ribbonwork in her basket of posies. And her blonde waves and rosebud red lips are too cute! I found this celluloid pincushion basket and the pearls in a Des Moines antique mall. I plan to make an arrangement of pearl flowers on top of the pincushion. I'll show you the results if it works out. The rusty miniature tools-- not old, just charming-- were $1.99 at a Goodwill in Minnesota and I thought they'd be fun for a Spring vignette. I also purchased the orphaned blue lustreware teapcup for 49 cents. I'll pass along a few bargain finds, too. If you have a Big Lots in your area, they are getting some nice things in their scrapbooking aisle. I love the vintage letter shapes of K & Company's Twinkle Type and at $4 it's cheaper there than where I work using my employee discount. The Inkadinkado Stamps were another find there at $4. I've noticed their selection does vary by store, but isn't that always the way with bargain shopping? And finally, if you're a fan of cloches or Anna Griffin stamps and punches, a number of them have been put on clearance at Michael's. Happy summer shopping--wherever it takes you!

Birds and Bonnets Arrive!

2008-06-03T21:24:00.009-05:00

My panels from Karla and Beth's Birds & Bonnets Vintage Workshop Swap arrived this weekend and aren't they wonderful! The collage artists who created the panels I received are: Cindy Mayfield , Nancy Burns, Karen Otto and Chris Peden (from left to right in the first photo and from right to left in the second photo.) Karla and Beth did a great job of putting the panels together and offered lots of nice prizes. I was so lucky to get this wonderful tag made by Karla. I've admired the way she puts pleated flourishes made from vintage paper on some of her tags and now I have one with that detail! My photos just don't do justice to the beautiful detail everyone lavished on all of these pieces. (You can click on them for a better view. For some reason, it usually takes me two tries to get the enlarged photo.) I would like to offer a heartfelt thanks to Cindy, Nancy, Karen and Chris for sharing their artwork with me; to Beth and Karla for thinking all of this up and organizing it; and to Amy at The Vintage Workshop for providing us with great images.

Never Enough Blue and White

2008-05-24T20:09:00.010-05:00

When Analise announced china was the topic for this Sunday's Show and Tell I knew I'd be busy with the camera --and what you're seeing is only a small portion of my blue and white collection. What better accent for blue and white china than heirloom pink roses and sunshine? I was lucky enough to have both today. This is a rare instance of another color mixing with my pure blue and white palette, but I loved the combination of the pink plaid and the blue squiggles on these spice jars. My family members are all too familiar with my blue and white obsession. One of the best birthday presents I ever received was from my brother on my 40th birthday when he gave me The Blue Room collection of plates from Spode. To add interest in this plate rack, I mixed in some Spode spice containers. The one old piece in this gathering is the lid (bottom center) I found at an antiques market. With blue and white, all ages seem to mingle well. These Blue Willow spice containers were another present from my brother, who also loves old things. I believe my love of blue and white began when I was a girl and a kind neighbor gave me a Blue Willow plate and told me the pattern's romantic story of forbidden love and transformation. Spice containers are some of my very favorite items because I love the lettering on them just as much as the designs. The plate was given to me by a friend who found it at a garage sale. I like the little flying bird and the verse which is a verse also found on two other things I have collected--samplers and autograph albums. The cup is one of my more valuable pieces. It's a Clarice Cliff version of the pattern "Tonquin." Its beautiful scene is one that I'd love to be able to walk into. Pieces with a Dutch influence also appeal to me. The little children depicted on the silver purse seemed right at home among the blue and white windmills. I have some pieces of the Blue Onion pattern displayed on a Victorian bamboo shelf that I am in the process of restoring. The round object on the left is an egg poacher. I have so much blue and white that I now try to limit myself to buying unique pieces. At my informal house, the plates are more likely to be hung on the wall and the cups turned into a lamp than to be arranged in a proper place setting on a fancy tablecloth! In fact, this vignette on top of the kitchen pantry is as close as these odds and ends will probably ever come to the table. They do get attention though, as this is my seasonal display area. The rose plate stays for the spring and summer and is replaced with a blue and white turkey plate and dried leaves, small pumpkins or bittersweet in the fall and a blue and white holly-rimmed snow scene plate and evergreens in the winter. I won't blog much in the next few days as I'm driving to Minnesota to get my son registered for his first year of college. I promise to try (emphasis on try) not to buy any more blue and white along the way! If you know of any good spots for vintage shopping in the St. Cloud or Minneapolis/St. Paul area please let me know in a comment or e-mail. Thanks again to Analise of Sugar*Sugar and Cerri at Little Pink Studio for getting us all together.

Share Your Studio Saturday

2008-05-23T11:06:00.010-05:00

The Little Bluebird Diaries is hosting a Share Your Studio Saturday with the theme being organization. I have to admit that I do have a couple of those plastic organization bins in my closet for rough items like china shards for mosaics, but I much prefer storage items with a vintage look. To store paper scraps for decoupage and collage, I made this box. I purchased a wood file box from a craft store and painted it inside and out in a chocolate brown. I decoupaged an image of a woman spinning flax onto the lid and glued two layers of ribbon around the edges of the lid. For the sides of the box, I cut scrapbooking pages into panels and decoupaged them one at a time, trimming them to an exact fit with an Exacto knife after the glue had dried. I dropped a piece of gold embossed scrapbooking paper into the bottom just to pretty it up a bit. Most of the time it's hidden by all the paper scraps, but I like knowing it's there. This little chest of drawers came from an antiques market. I think it was cobbled together by some guy in his home workshop years ago. It was roughly done, with circles of wood for drawer pulls. It had been painted over several times in red, blue and a dirty cream color and the sides of the drawers were covered in graphite. I spent a lot of time sanding, painting and waxing it. The rose drawer pulls caught my eye at another antique market and I decided to use them on this project. There were 4 smaller ones and 2 larger ones and they were probably supposed to be used in pairs, but I used one centered on each drawer front. I wanted decoration on the sides that echoed the design of the pulls. After much searching at my local hardware stores and then online, I choose these appliques from Rose Blossom Cottage. They had a very similar motif, were the right size and worked with my budget. The appliques looked like clay when they arrived and were steamed over a pot of water to a pasta-like consistency which activated the glue. Once dry, they painted up nicely. I decoupaged some toile tissue paper inside the bottom of the drawers. You can see that the drawers were originally grooved for dividers, but they were missing and I did not replace them so I could have larger storage areas. This drawer holds an assortment of ribbon and trim odds and ends and the others store items like stamps and ink pads. This still shabby little chest of drawers sits on a vintage folding table that serves as my work space. Now I'm off to gather ideas from the rest of you--I've found that as my interest in blogging and collage grows, so does my stash of tools and supplies!

The Ladies of My Studio

2008-05-21T17:53:00.007-05:00

Pleasant faces keep me company while I play with paper, cloth and trim in my studio. The ladies of a blue and white toile are scattered around the room, and I've found that others I've brought home mirror them in dress and pose. I find it pleasing when one design element is echoed by another, and I seem to be drawn to the same images over and over. A basket of fruit, a rake, a pretty dress--because of these gentlewomen it's always an idyllic summer afternoon. . It's striking that these two young beauties have such similar features and wistful expressions. The one on the left is a postcard image and the other graced the cover of a vintage book called The Kingfisher's Egg, whose blue spine, rose border and ribboned portrait beckoned me.

Lovely Linens

2008-05-17T22:05:00.015-05:00

On this Show and Tell Sunday, it is my pleasure to share some of my vintage linens with you. Most of the pieces in my collection are embroidered and were made for use at the table, but I use them elsewhere, and especially in my studio. In my studio, I display pieces of Blue Willow, including a stacked teacup lamp I made, on top of a white roll top desk. This long piece of cloth, perhaps a towel for drying dinnerware, anchors the vignette and is embroidered with the word "China" in a variegated blue. Several vintage linens decorate my slipcovered chair. A towel with a blue monogram was turned into an envelope-style pillow. A long bag with a tasseled drawstring and the word "Corsets" stitched in white was also repurposed. The beautiful hand towel came from a retirement home thrift store and someone has witten 408C (probably an apartment number) on an edge in permanent ink. The corset bag had the initials JT stamped on a seam. Although not nearly as pretty as the tradition of stitching initials on linens to identify them at communal laundries, these inked marks served a similar purpose. A blue and white doily is draped over the back of the chair in true grandma style. A tablecloth and napkins wait in a white basket for their next tea party appearance. Here's another tea cup napkin from my collection. I love the sweet little French knot flowers. My most recent find came from an auction. My new blogging friend Beth invited me to go and I found the whole auction process exciting. This towel, with its very fine stitchery, and the Blue Willow plate it rests on came home with me for just a couple of dollars each. This little blue and white piece is a darning sampler. These pieces were done by young girls to teach them how to decorate and maintain the linens they would one day make for their households. In a future post, I'll share the rest of my sampler collection with you. In the meantime, you can click on any picture to see more detail. Thanks again to our hostesses, Cerri and Analise.

What's Under the Cloche? (1)

2008-05-14T08:28:00.005-05:00

I had been admiring cloches (or bell jars as they're sometimes called) for quite some time. I was seeing them in decorating magazines and I liked the way they brought a sense of importance to whatever was placed under them. I was finally moved to buy a cloche after looking through Decorating Cottage Style, by Neva Scott, a Lark/Chapelle book. The vignettes presented in their books are so often my style and this title was no exception. Bell jars appeared throughout the book, but there was even a section called "Books, Buttons and Bell Jars." Stacks of blue and white china, a bird's nest, old books and even silverware looked lovely displayed under glass. Of course, it would have been wonderful to find an antique cloche with old bubbled glass, but I am not known for my patience. Mine came from a discount department store called Gordman's and I recently saw some very pretty tall ones with a bit of cut glass ornamentation at Tuesday Morning. What's under my cloche? This spring it was a dried pussy willow branch which echoes the ones in the vintage Raphael Tuck Easter postcard. The branches and postcard are supported by an old pin-style flower frog. Propped up against that is a little Whitman's candy tin, added for its pretty blue color. I know there's a trend in magazines lately to decorate with French chocolate boxes, but I'm fond of using Whitman's tins in my vignettes. I'll show you more of my decorating with Whitman's in a future post. So tell me, what's under your cloche?

Recent Treasures

2008-05-12T10:25:00.002-05:00

After visiting with Beth and Karla at Beth's antique booth on Thursday, my time to browse got cut short. I went back on Mother's Day and treated myself to these two treasures. I love how wide the rose lace is. The petite mother of pearl spoon reflects light beautifully and may be paired with some salt and pepper shakers with mother of pearl lids (in a vignette of course--we don't dine that elegantly around here!) Beth has a wonderful eye! This photo is the first one taken with my new camera, which was a Mother's Day gift from my family. It's a Fuji Finepix and was rated one of the top five budget-friendly cameras for bloggers. My megapixels have doubled, but what I really love is that it has a battery pack that actually holds a charge. With the old camera I could hardly get a good shot or two before the double A's were out of power. The next shot is taken with the Auction mode. The camera provides a choice of layouts and then combines shots. Cool, right? This little stash is from a visit to my favorite thrift store last Friday. It cost $3.15, with the bone china thimble being the most pricey item at $2. I got the thimble for the little crocheted teacup I picked up in Omaha a few weeks ago. I love the print on the vintage wrapping paper. It's called "Caught in a Shower" and is circa 1949. I bought it, the rick rack and the deck of cards with future collage projects in mind. The little wood hobby knitters are destined for a future installment of "What's under the cloche?" Now that I've said that I better go photograph the first installment!

A Thank You Note

2008-05-09T09:52:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I got to meet Karla and Beth while they were re-doing Beth's antique space. They were just as warm and funny in person as they are on their blogs. And what a great rapport they have! I would like to thank them for being so encouraging to new bloggers like me and for thinking up such fun challenges for all of us. My photo today is of a panel I created for their Birds & Bonnets Vintage Workshop Swap. This was my first try at collage and I really liked it. I'd also like to thank Amy at The Vintage Workshop for the images she provided for the swap and for the additional download she is giving the participants. The choices are wonderful. It's been a long time since the question "What's next?" held such excitement for me.

Blast from the Past

2008-05-01T22:51:00.002-05:00

My brother was just in town visiting and he brought me this paper doll. Don't you love that red hair, hourglass figure and those kicky majorette boots? He got it in a retro shop in Napa Valley (he takes the best vacations!). He said it seemed so familiar to him, and he remembers a Carnation Ice Cream store from our childhood. I can't say I remember that store, but I remember my love of paper dolls. Our local hardware store (it was a very small town) sold books of paper dolls for a quarter and I bought lots of them. I also took out a book from the school library about making your own paper dolls. I remember using a batch of flour and water paste and scraps of fabric and rick rack. I wish I had saved some of them. My favorite paper doll memory is from when I was a bit older and I had the mumps. My Mom came back from the grocery store with a Twiggy paper doll for me. I watched Twiggy on tv and adored her short hair cut, big eyes and boyishly thin figure. The clothes that came with the paper doll were all those great mod styles: the bell bottom pants, the mini-dresses with cut-outs on the side and the patterned hose. There was even a paper mini-dress for me! The dress didn't survive, but I still have Twiggy. While my brother was visiting, we toured the Steamboat Arabia museum. If you're in the Kansas City area, I would recommend it to you. It sank in the Missouri River in 1856 and its cargo has been rescued and restored. My favorite items are the tiny porcelain frozen Charlotte doll, the calico buttons and the Italian glass beads. The beads have such beautiful colors and such a glossy surface--they remind me of that beautiful holiday ribbon candy. One of the amazing things to observe about this collection was how much detail was lavished on the most mundane items. For example, the handle of a saw would have amazing curves cut into it or beautiful flowers painted on it. I've visited several times and I always find some new detail to delight me there.

Find of the Spring Day

2008-04-20T11:45:00.005-05:00

We are finally getting what we deserve--spring weather! After working yesterday morning, I couldn't resist using the sunny afternoon to drive out to an antique mall to look for bits and bobs for Karla and Beth's Birds & Bonnets Vintage Workshop Swap. I am excited about participating in my first swap and my mind is buzzing with ideas. I ran across this box. It has so many motifs that I love. The rose, the berries and the ships. Ships always conjure up such romantic images for me. Cargoes of treasure from distant lands, reunions with loved ones. And this ship has that same look as the ones found on delft--so I can almost see that perennial favorite of mine: blue and white. The dealer had marked it down from $25 to $5, so how could I resist? On the bottom, it's stamped: 2 Pr. Men's 1/2 Hose Size 10. Can you imagine? Such a beautiful box for socks. The lid has some problems, but that's okay because I'd like to display it open like this. Now what should I fill it with? The white buttons have already found a home in their calico top jar. Perhaps the blue and white china shards that I save for mosaics. Or maybe those old clothespins wrapped with my thrift store laces. For me, that's one of the most delicious things about a vintage find--the pondering. What associations does it bring to mind? What should I put with it? Where shall I place it? You know what they say about travel--that sometimes it's not just the destination but the getting there. That's what vignettes are to me--the pretty resting places that result after a creative journey.

Play Days

2008-04-15T12:54:00.005-05:00

I forgot to upload this hankie photo for Sunday's show and tell. This little vintage pincushion doll (her dull green skirt was covered over with new fabric several years ago) has such a pinched look in spite of her fancy surroundings. I guess it's just the nature of her job. We finally have some warmth and sunshine and I visited several thrift stores yesterday, but didn't really find much. I'm starting a new work schedule this week with more weekdays off and I'm supposed to be cleaning for out of town guests, but I spent the morning in my craft room straightening and finishing a couple of little projects. Now that I have the jar from the Omaha trip, I decided to give my white buttons a good soaking (ala Cerri's method) so they'd look better on display.

My History in Hankies

2008-04-12T20:59:00.011-05:00

It's time for another Sunday Show and Tell, thanks to our hostesses Cerri and Analise . It's amazing what a woman can do with a simple little square of fabric, isn't it? I think that's one of the things that makes so many hankies appealing--the intricate needlework lavished on them. I don't really collect hankies, but three of them made it out of my childhood with me, and I've been lured by the beauty of a few more along the way. I had such fun this week in my "in-between" moments washing, pressing and posing these pretty little squares. So here it is-- my history in hankies. This is probably my favorite hankie. I think it may have belonged to one of my grandmothers. In dressier days, I wore it much like I've photographed it. I tucked it in the pocket of an ecru linen blazer and accessorized it with a strand of pearls. It was a romantic look that I loved to wear. Here's a detail of the fine embroidery and cutwork. These two hankies were mine when I was a girl. Don't you just love those Little Bo Peep colors? Periwinkle blue was always my favorite crayon. Here's another hankie from my little miss days. I think I got this about the time the movie Mary Poppins came out, and I can see her influence on the little lady. This hankie is so sheer and delicate. The beautiful little tear drop of lace is only found in one corner. I couldn't resist a hankie that had my initial and was in my favorite color combination of blue and white. I've loved blue and white since childhood when a kind neighbor gave me a piece of Blue Willow and told me the sentimental story behind the design. Now you've seen my hankies and you know a bit more about me. I hope you'll leave a comment so I can get to know you, too.

Omaha Score!

2008-04-12T19:52:00.005-05:00

Last weekend I drove my son to Omaha to play in some lacrosse games. He scored in the final seconds of a game, and I made the most of the few seconds I had to antique! Actually, it was one and a half hours, but it wasn't nearly enough time for the old Omaha market district. (Thanks to Beth for suggesting this area to me.) I shopped at the Fairmont Antique Mall, which was in the old Fairmont dairy building, and at Second Chance Antiques, which was just as a review in Country Home magazine had promised--absolutely jam-packed and home to two cats. This tin is probably my favorite find. I've never seen one with raised detail like this, and the flower basket is a motif I love. Here is a detail of the side of the tin. The wheat sheaf is the perfect motif for a Kansas resident like me. I thought this chunky little jar would be great for storing buttons or ribbon in my craft room. Of course, I loved the blue and white floral lid. I think someone may have just covered it with contact paper. Feeling the influence of Sugar*Sugar, I scooped up the vintage clothespins. I recently bought two bags of old lace trim for just $1.99 a bag at a Savers and I liked the idea of using the clothespins to store the lace pieces. I probably won't paint them in pastels, but I will paint them, since the acid in the unfinished wood would be bad for the lace. Perhaps a chocolate brown color would set off the lovely old yellowed tones of the lace. I also found a couple of holiday items and some sewing notions, which are a favorite of mine. Because I like the silhouette of the crocheted shoe, I'll just leave it as is. I bought the card of bone rings because I've always wanted to make a ribbon chatelaine. I think these rings may be smaller than the ones usually used and I may not have enough of them, but if that's the case, I'll just tuck the card into my French memo board. I absolutely loved the little crocheted cup-- such detail in such a tiny piece! Now I just have to find the perfect thimble to put in it. The man at the register told me he could tell by a code on the tag that it had been there for 24 years. I'm not sure if that's true, but it was so dirty I thought it might turn out an ecru color after a good soaking in Oxiclean, if I was lucky. Turns out it was a pretty, pale shade of yellow. I love a road trip, no matter what the destination, because I never know what I'm going to see or find along the way.

Sunday Best

2008-04-04T13:33:00.009-05:00

For the show and tell suggested by Cerri and Analise, I have but one hat to show. At first it seems like just another straw hat with a pretty pink bow, but that black veil adds a bit of mystery. At one time I had another hat, but I can't find it and I fear I might have given it away. It was a little black number, no brim, with a black veil and and a curved arrow made of copper-colored beads. The arrow seemed to be pointing to the face underneath, reminding me of those old roadside advertising signs meant to attract attention for the place below.

A South of the Border Beauty

2008-04-02T17:25:00.007-05:00

One of my favorite thrift stores is a place with limited hours. I'm usually waiting outside along with a couple of antique dealers when the doors open, so it's essential to move fast. One day I headed straight for my favorite area, the linens, and saw this little pincushion senorita sitting on a shelf. With an involuntary gasp of delight (this drives my kids crazy when they shop with me), I pounced. I immediately knew she was old and some chips on the back of her head revealed vintage newspaper underneath. A name and the word Mexico were painted on the bottom. Sticker shock? She was only seventy-five cents! In truth, I think she's a bit homely. The glaze is very heavy-handed and shiny-- so shiny, it's hard to get a good photo of her. Those big eyes should be her stand-out feature, but her nose is much paler than the rest of her face and draws too much attention, but it was love at first sight for me. A couple of weeks later, in one of our nicest antique malls, I was surprised to run into her sister. Her coloring was slightly different, but I recognized her right away. She'd obviously done a little better in life. She was locked in a glass display case and her tag read: Vintage Mexican papier mache pincushion head $65.

A Stumbling Blog

2008-03-29T16:21:00.005-05:00

A few days ago when I started this blog, I thought it would just be about vintage things, and I wouldn't make it about my family life. Without my family, however, I probably would have quit before I'd even really started because I'm so old school. I was a writer and editor for years, and my first computer was strictly a word processor. I still tend to view computers as just that-- a way to get words right (and of course a way to get those all important messages from teachers, coaches and team moms). But I was lonesome for someone who appreciated old things as much as I did, so I tried to blog. I picked a template, but I was dissatisfied with it. I wanted a blue damask background, but I didn't know how to create it. My sons worked on it and then my husband took time away from his deadlines to create it for me. Next, I was frustrated with how my photographs were turning out. My daughter stepped in and taught me the very basics of Photoshop, showing me how to adjust contrast and crop. Yesterday I picked up a copy of Artful Blogging and learned I'd broken a rule of blog etiquette--I'd mentioned people and had not linked my readers to their blogs. I asked my son to show me how to hyperlink and in the process I discovered there were a bunch of other useful icons I had overlooked. Last night, I tried them all, creating a silly practice post that was a patchwork of color, fonts, quotes and lists. My blog is a week old now and I'm glad I cluelessly jumped in. I've already met people with similar interests and sharing spirits. And here are some other things I learned this week:

I need to see old things in a new way.
I need to use (or at least try) all of the tools available to me.
I need to appreciate my talented family more. (Thanks Steve, Zack, Nick & Sarah)
I need to blog with heart.

My cup of tea birdhouse

2008-03-26T23:26:00.007-05:00

I didn't have much time to prepare by the time I found out about Karla and Beth's birdhouse bling but I wanted to participate, so here is one I did some time ago. The twiggy silverware pulls really appealed to me when I bought it, but the top section was plain. I figured it already had the silverware so why not add the dishes? I had saved the pieces of several blue and white "accidents" so I made my first mosaic with them.

Topping it off

2008-03-24T20:42:00.005-05:00

The top of the tv cabinet holds some of my favorite books and some pretty finds. I bought the French ivory hand mirror, the mirrored tray and the figurine for my booth when I sold vintage wares, but they stayed with me when the booth closed. The figurine looks a lot like one of the women in the toile wallpaper. The tole bucket and gold vase came from a thrift shop located in a retirement community. A number of things from that thrift shop, some decorative and some useful, have made their way into my craft room--everything from a delicate pincushion shoe to a very sturdy and retro turquoise metal toolbox.

The pulls find a home

2008-03-24T19:54:00.003-05:00

I was leaving a church sale one morning when an old tv cabinet in the parking lot caught my eye. I liked the curvy insets on the door panels. I stood there imagining the ugly, brown scratched-up wood covered with crisp white paint. In the insets, I'd apply blue and white toile wallpaper left over from my craft room's accent wall. And those wreath-shaped pulls I'd found would be the finishing touch. The cabinet went home with me for just $7. I spent quite a few hours under an awning on my patio working on it. I had to pull out some speaker fabric and supports. I removed the hardware and spackled the holes so I could place my pulls where I wanted them. I sanded it, primed it and gave it several coats of paint. I moved the cabinet to my craft room to wallpaper the insets. I drilled holes for the pulls and screwed them in. At Home Depot, I purchased some wood for shelves and they made the cuts for me. They were also painted white and, luckily, were in the perfect spot when I rested them on some of the original wood supports. When I can get around to it, I think I will put a Briwax finish on the paint to give it some soft lustre. In the meantime, it hides a small tv and cd player. It brings a bit of the toile from the accent wall over to a plain wall. And, of course, it gives me yet another flat surface where I can arrange my finds.

Getting pulled into a project

2008-03-24T17:41:00.004-05:00

I have a thing for pulls. I found these (there were three) at an antiques and collectibles market and bought them without having a place to put them. They are brass and were painted brown. I used the little wire brush wheel on my Dremel and took the paint off of the high spots. I've found that I don't like the way brass looks when it's polished (too harsh for me), so I rubbed the pulls with Treasure Gold metallic wax. I apply it with my finger, and I usually choose Classic Gold or Florentine Gold. After the pulls sat for awhile, I buffed them with a paper towel to take off the excess gold. I really like the soft shine this product gives the metal.