A Vintage Green Life

Memento Mori

2012-03-01T11:16:00.001-08:00

Victorian mourning piece......or memento

This Victorian hair piece is one of a group of similar pieces I bought.

In rough condition, it was actually a brooch.

The pin was broke leaving just enough metal to fashion a ring or bail.

I paired it with a piece of old watch fob, part of an old rosary,

some antique faceted black beads,

a religious medal,

and some other bits and pieces.

Unfortunately as I was working on it,

the hair moved a bit in the case.

Can you tell?

Soooooooooo.........

It's off to the jewelers with it. I think she can take the glass off ,

which needs to be cleaned anyway,

and reposition the hair.

At least I hope so, cuz I really like this piece!

Fingers crossed!!!!

COMBINING..............

2012-02-25T15:50:00.000-08:00

Some of my favorite things..............

Torquoise, African trade beads,

Victorian mourning hair watch fob piece,

Old fishing gear.

And this wonderful ceramic amulet that Steph

made and sent me .

I kept everything simple and let the amulet

have the attention it deserves.

Thanks For All The Inspiration!!

2012-02-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

OK, is this a bit better??.................

Still grey, but a dark charcoal,

sanded it a bit.........

put some wax on the top.

Maybe needs darker knobs?

A work in progress................

I need to find something to hang under the turtle shell

for better balance.

It will be fun to fill this out over time.

Thanks for all your suggestions!

It really helped to motivate me.

#1 Auction Rule..........

2012-02-14T21:11:00.000-08:00

PREVIEW.... PREVIEW..... PREVIEW!!!!!!!!

OK Jan, here's the story:

(at risk of a little personal embarrassment)

I wasn't planning on going to the little auction that I sometimes go to,

and at the last minute thought....housework or auction??

I am so out of here!!!

So against my better judgement, and going against my number one rule...

I didn't preview anything, and yes, still got a bidders card.

A bit into the auction all of the sudden I hear the auctioneer say

"pie safe"!!! What???

Something I have always wanted.

From where I was sitting it looked pretty good,

punched tin sides, screen doors on the front.....yum!!

When he asked for $50 I shot up my card.

$50 for an antique pie safe...are you kidding??

Happy dance!!!

The fact that no one else seemed to be bidding should have been a clue to me.

I only live ten minutes from the auction, so I went and paid for it

and told them I would be back tomorrow with my truck to

pick it up.

The next day I go back to help the guy load it up and got my

first good look at my "treasure".

First of all it pretty much had only three legs.

One of the legs was all but gone from rot, and the other three

weren't all that much better.

Trying to act like I knew that all along, no big deal......

I proceeded to help load it into the truck.

When we attempted to lay it on its back, the back

totally fell apart.

It was one of those pieces of furniture where the back sort of all fits together?

I am sure there's a name

for that type of construction, but I don't know what it is.

And I am sure it works good, before termites have had their way

with pretty much the whole piece.

I thanked the guy for helping me, couldn't even look at him,

and got the heck out of there.

CRAP!!!!!

So, I'm driving home, and in my mind i'm going........

well, I can probably get something for the punched tin,

(this was when I still rented space at antique store)

I can take the doors off and sell them, the knobs were cute,

get the picture?

But the first order of business was to get it into the garage

and well hidden under a blanket with something piled

on top of it so my husband wouldn't see it.

The first chance I had I gave it a good cleaning.

I decided it was pretty far gone but maybe I could use it for storage?

IF I could get it put back together that is.

So.......first I cut the legs almost totally off.

Not that I had a choice......

Then I got out the nail gun and piece by piece nailed it back together.

But there was a lot of rot and termite damage. A lot!!!

Ok..... I can do this, right?

Off to Lowes for some wood rot filler junk.

I had never worked with this before and I really don't want to again.

I got the areas filled in, let it dry and tried to sand it.

Yeah, right.

Sort of lumpy and bumpy and yuck!! And hard!

Deciding that this was just going into the garage to hold supplies, I decided to throw a coat of

paint on it . I mixed up some mistints I had bought cheap

at Lowes, and started painting it.

Somewhere in the middle of painting it......(fumes??)

I decided that if it was going to hold my supplies

for making memory jugs, maybe it should look like one as well?

So all the places where the lumpy filler was,

I just covered with stuff I had been saving for art projects.

And actually, I don't think it turned out too bad.

It has sort of grown on me.

And by the way.....that pie safe is now rock solid!

I need to repaint it this summer, I never expected it to end up in the house so

it still has the paint I made from mixing several colors together.

What color would you paint it?

A darker gray? Black?

I tell myself it's a piece of folk art, but then I say that

about my rubber band ball too......lol

So there you go Jan, that's the story .

(I put a link to Jans blog , Gracies' Cottage, up above.

Jan's an antique

dealer that probably always previews........

and has the best "stuff")

A Crants For Ida Estelle

2012-02-09T16:57:00.000-08:00

Since this is not a traditional crants, in that I made it in

memory of a much younger girl, I took a few liberties.

I attatched a small frozen charlette doll to one of the gloves.

Down through the center I hung two white leather gloves,

and a vintage handkerchief.

One glove has the doll and Idas name....

as well as her date of birth and date of death.

The other glove has a sweet poem .

Be always ready no time to delay

I in my youth was called away

Great grief to those that's left behind

But I hope that I'm great joy to find

(I copied this from a crants from the 1700's)

Wax flowers from an antique bridal headpiece

in the center of the rosettes.

I attatched a small religious medal and a button

from a childs high button shoe.

(like Ida wore)

OK, let's meet Ida Estelle Walster:

Ida, with her Father , Charles Lloyd Walster

(my grandfather)

Ida, with her little brother Harry,(my Dad)

I'm disapointed..... in this picture they have on the sweetest high button shoes

but they don't show.

(there was one more sister and five more brothers to follow)

I don't know a lot about Ida. She was the first born child

of Charles Lloyd and Edith Carolina Walster, my paternal grandparents.

She was named after both of her grandmothers.

She died when she was five years old. I have heard a couple of different

accounts but think it's safe to say she had a brain tumor. She was taken to

a hospital in Seattle, a distance of over 30 miles. I am not sure how they traveled,

but at that time there was a train depot in Maltby and they may have traveled by train.

It had to have been an ordeal.

Ida did undergo brain surgery (remember this was in 1927)

She survived the surgery, but briefly.

I do know she liked to draw and apparently was fairly gifted for

a child of her age.

She lived her short life on a dairy farm,

and I think was happy and very much loved

with extended family also living nearby.

Lets take Ida her crants.

This is Bear Creek Cemetary

in Snohomish County,Washington State.

This cemetary dates back to the late 1899

or early 1900's. It is still in use today.

A view of the simple country cemetary.

This has been an interesting study for me,

I don't think I am quite done with crants.

(You can see my previous post for a brief history of crantses.)

(crants is the singular, crantses is the plural)

Some pictures for my family:

Maltby Community Church, as it is today.

Maiden Garlands.....

2012-02-01T17:23:00.000-08:00

Also known as Crants (from the German kranz- which means wreath or garland)

Defination: A garland carried before the bier of a maiden and hung over her grave.

Made as a funerary memento, as a token and symbol of

"triumphant victory over the lusts of the flesh."

These were carried in the funeral procession or placed on the coffin.

Afterwards they were hung inside the church,

sometimes over the pew where the maiden might have

usually sat.

Although usually made for a young woman that had died a tragic

death and still remained a virgin, in some places they were also

made for young men.

I also found a reference of a crants being made for a younger child.

The earliest garland known to exist (1680)

can be found at St. Marys' Church, Beverley, Yorkshire, England.

The most recent was made in 1973,

and is found amongst the 43 Virgin Crowns at Abbotts Ann.

The garlands were usually constructed from two hoops

of lightweight wood, with bands crossing and attatched

at right angles, forming a sort of "crown"

These were then wrapped with paper or sometimes cloth.

At the "joins" there were sometimes fastened very intricate rosettes made from paper.

Hanging from the center of the crown you could often find a handkerchief, or a pair of gloves,

either real or made of paper.

The name of the person being remembered was often written on the glove or handkerchief.......

sometimes the date of death was included, or perhaps some bible verses.

The glove is evidently a survival of the custom to throw down the gauntlet

as a challenge to anyone who might dispute the charactor of the deceased.

A couple of literary mentions of crants:

Re: Ophelias' burial...................

"Yet here she is allowed her virgin crants,

her maiden strewments".

Shakespeare-Hamlet (act 5, scene 1

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

"Well, here I am to-night, hoping for sleep,

and lying like Ophelia in the play,

with "virgin crants and maiden strewments".

Dracula.....(Bram Stoker)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

And also..................

"A chaplet of white flowers is borne before the corpse

by a young girl nearest in age, size and resemblance ,

and is afterward hung up in the church

over the accustomed seat of the deceased.

These chaplets are sometimes made of white paper, in imitation

of flowers, and inside them is generally a pair of white gloves.

They are intended as emblems of the purity

of the deceased and the crown of glory which she

has received in heaven.

.....................Washington Irving

Abbots Ann Crowns

Although widespread in England and Wales

the custom of Maidens garlands (crants)

was also practiced in parts of Europe,

for example France and Germany.

An example of what one might have looked

like when it was made.

I had never heard of this custom before,

and found it very interesting.

Some of these are in a state of decay, being very old,

and some are in the process of being gently restored.

Some of them apparently had some color on them when made but time and dust has

made them it's own color.

Have you ever heard of a crants?

I am taking the liberty of creating a crants of my own

partly as an art/history exploration project,

but mostly in memory of a member of our family.

Stay tuned................

Some links to explore:

http://www.midlandsheritage.co.uk/miscellaneous-heritage/2734-maidens-garlands.html

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-518198/The-innocent-and-touching-custom.html

Winging Their Way.....

2012-01-31T11:04:00.000-08:00

Valentines......................

I haven't played with paper much lately,

So this was fun................

Making my valentines..................

I need to work with paper more.................

Therapeutic !!!!

A Bit of Mexico in My Mailbox!

2012-01-28T14:56:00.000-08:00

Our Lady..........

Our Lady of Guadalupe

My dear friend Cathie just had a wonderful getaway

to Mexico with her husband Bill.

While there she came across a small stand where they were

selling some pieces of artwork........

She was kind enough to bring this piece home to me.

Don't you love it!! It's painted on a piece of rusty tin,

and has such a great folk artist style.And for me the subject and colors,

couldn't be more perfect!!

Thank you Cathie, thank you for the wonderful gift and thank you

for knowing that it's exactly the kind of thing that

"this someone" with rust running through her veins would love!!!

If you haven't ever been to Cathies' blog

and are in need of a bit of tropical .........(and right now who isn't)

pop over and read about her vacation.

She's also an amazing artist, gardener,

collector , and all around interesting gal......

(In the interest of full disclosure, she's from Iowa,

and you know those Iowa gals are a wild and quirky bunch!

I love 'em!!!)

Chinese Nail Guard........

2012-01-23T16:43:00.000-08:00

The Year of The Dragon........

A Bit of Horse Gear.....

2012-01-22T21:18:00.000-08:00

Remember this?

The bit of brass reads.............

David P. Cosc.

Malden Mas.

no. 60

(as near as we can make out)

I found this chain complete with the two metal pieces at

an estate sale. I am guessing that since it was

near a box of old horse tack that

it was also horse gear.

Could No. 60 be the number of the horse?

AND......

The view outside my window.........a little bird feeder I made from an old light fixture

and some prisms.

It's seen a lot of action this week!!

Recycling Wool

2012-01-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

Scrapping Together A Small Lap Throw..

(I made this pincushion a long time ago...using a piece of felted sweater)

Small Lap Throw.....or??

This is the second one of these I have made.

They are fairly small, under four feet in length and width.

We use them mostly when we are watching tv and need just a little something,

or when we are sitting out on the porch.

They're also kind of handy to just throw in the car.

This one is made from a piece of Pendleton blanket I found.

Someone else had already cut into it and crafted from parts of it,

that is why the design is offcenter. I had to use it as it was.

The "vine" is made from old sweaters from thrift stores.......shrunk and nicely felted........

The fun thing about sewing with the sweaters is you can manipulate and shape them so easily.

I also shrunk the piece of wool so there are no unraveling worries,

and also that way you don't have to turn the edges under.

The buttons are from my button jars,

odds and ends of embroidery thread were picked up here and there.

However, the floral fabric for the binding was purchased new.

I had it in my head that I wanted to use a floral fabric for

an unexpected contrast, and I couldn't find anything that would work.

I have made several things from felted sweaters,

have you?

Tell me!!!!!

Memory Jug #19

2012-01-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

The Latest Addition To My Collection.......

I found this memory jug online.........

It came from the Pennsylvania area.

11 1/2inches tall, it's made on a stoneware gin bottle.The items include

wirerim glasses, scissors, keys, metal sword,

wishbone , several interesting buttons,

and of course.....a peach pit!!

This is the second old jug I have bought that has a small bottle on it that has

broke over the years. If you are making one and want it to stand

the test of time, I would avoid small bottles

no matter how cute they are.

In The Garden:

Yesterday I planted peas. The weather has been so mild here, almost spring like,

except there isn't the length of days.

For the last two years by the time I could get them in the ground,

the weather turned so warm that they didn't do very well.

This is my first year with raised beds so I decided

to experiment a bit.

Yes it's early, but if the climate is changing , maybe we have to as well??

(Of course it could start snowing at any moment )

They might not do anything .......not enough sun?

I'll let you know.

Roadtrip........

2012-01-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

Took a Little Trip....................................

We went on a quick little roadtrip between

Christmas and New Years.................

stopped at a couple of antique stores................

This is what I found........Do you know what it is?

Does this help?

OK, totally out of scale, I know.

There were two very nice (correct size) madonnas there as well,

But I had to make a choice, and thought I could easily

find another Madonna at a later time.

The niche......maybe not.

This niche is from a church in Oregon.

Maybe a wall outside?

The back part has not been exposed,

so it was obviously built into something.

I love the chippy blue color!!!!

This spring we would like to do something "grotto like"

with it in the garden. On a VERY small scale.

We have a lot of rocks and pertified wood that we could use,

and probably some rusty and crusty with it as well.

A memory jug grotto??????

The only other things I brought home.............

some 30's fabric and two old Chinese frames.

The frames won't stay straight so I decided they were perfect for the

this room ,

the one we call ..."The Burrow".

We were sad to see that one of our favorite antique stores was no longer there, and that another of our favorites had downsized.

One of the dealers we talked to said:

"I am just barely making it. It's in my blood so I am not quitting, but it gets harder every day.

Between paying my rent and comission, and my road expenses.......It's just hard.

Not to mention it gets harder and harder to find quality merchandise."

Don't forget, each dealer is a small business........

buying vintage or used is a great way to BE GREEN,

and more fun than composting!!

Looking ahead......Always

2011-12-29T16:19:00.000-08:00

I always love these days between Christmas Day and New Years Day. A time of reflection as well as expectation. And like most everyone else, I like to think about what my goals for the fresh shiny new year will be. This year I am keeping to the same one as last year: Try to be more present in the moment....... live each day to the fullest, well, you get the idea. I am a habitual list maker as well.........I am going to try to ease up on the list making. (I always lose them anyway)

But here's the problem........even as I think those thoughts, write those words, my mind wanders here.....

To the garden.................................

Where the garlic is the only thing standing right now..........

but soon..........

And the seed catalogs are arriving daily......

and I am making LISTS of seeds and varieties to try.

See my problem??

This morning while outside getting some air, I looked at Bella and thought

I need to be more like her..........play NOW......

run NOW..........have a bisquit NOW!!!!

Didn't someone write a book .....something like........

"everything I need to know in life to be happy I learned from my dog??"

Wishing you the Happiest New Year ever!!!!!!!

Enjoying The Season

2011-12-15T08:49:00.000-08:00

little by little.........

I am getting things done......................

Tree is finally up,

well it was UP, but now it is decorated!!

The only new ornaments I got this year were

these handpainted gourds.

OK, that's done

Next the fun part........baking!!

How about you?

Are you ready?

MOVING ON

2011-12-13T15:33:00.000-08:00

She gets a New Life..............

Recently I have been taking apart some jewelry

that I made a few years ago. Things that didn't sell,

that I never finished ,or that just needed a makeover!

This tintype was once part of a different necklace,

one that couldn't have been more different.

It was pretty blingy.......... think old rhinestones, that type of thing.

I think mixing it with these vintage trade beads

is an interesting pairing.

"Camouflage"

A Virgin A day.......Day 10

2011-12-10T09:06:00.000-08:00

In The Garden............

Our lady of The Pacific Northwest Garden?

This arch in our garden that we built last year was made mostly

from wood we found in a give away pile along the road, and a few bits I had picked

up here and there.

When we were all done and stood back to have a look,

the pattern reminded me of a halo or aura of light.

I had a statue of The Virgin in my art supplies

that I had picked up at a yard sale for ten cents

because it was chipped on the bottom.

Seemed a perfect match.

It's nice when working in the garden to look up and see her watching.

It's cooooooold here now so

I have her tucked into some evergreen boughs.

Linked to Rebeccas blog Recuerda mi Corazon

for the tenth day of

A Virgin A Day.

A Virgin A Day.......Day 9

2011-12-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

Saint Anne and The Virgin Mary..................

As I have been thinking so much about Mary this week, I found myself

wondering about her as a child.

As a young woman.

I found this painting depicting Mary as a child with her mother Saint Anne

and thought it was so beautiful I wanted to share this with all of you

for Day 9 .

Linked to Rebeccas blog Recuerda mi Corazon/.

Join us there as we continue our journey.

photo credit here

A Virgin A Day.......Day 7

2011-12-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

Small Cigar Box Wall Shrine.................

I made this small wall shrine out of a cigar box

last year.

It is home to a small Icon from Poland.

( it happened to be in my Christmas stocking one year :)

Linked to Rebeccas blog

Recuerda mi Corazon/

along with lots of other amazing blogs

sharing more amazing Marys,

As we continue our journey

with Day 7 of A Virgin A Day.

( I apologize for the darkness of the photos. )

A Virgin A Day....Day Six

2011-12-06T06:50:00.000-08:00

Mary............................................

(photo.....Steph)

                           A little religious "kitch."..........
                     But I can't help it.........I love it!!!!!!
                            ( it even plays music!!)
                           Still beautiful in it's own way.

                                           Prie Pour Nous........................
                                           (Pray For Us)

Linked to Rebeccas blog, Recuerda mi Corazon
Please go there to visit the sites of others on this
journey, and join in.

Edited to add: this treasure belongs to my friend Steph......who lives in Belgium.

A Virgin A Day.......Day Five

2011-12-05T08:26:00.000-08:00

            The Black Madonna of Czestochowa

This image of Mary has always fascinated me.
As well as the history and legends surrounding her.

Linked to Rebeccas blog Recuerda mi Corazon/
as we continue our journey with Day Five of
A Virgin A Day.

A Virgin A Day.......Day 4

2011-12-04T07:24:00.000-08:00

From Friends..........................

La Vergine Col Figlio

(The Virgin With Child)

Vatican Rome Gallery

(A lovely old postcard from Steph)

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

(A prayer card from Kathy)

I keep these tucked in to the door on my altar.

Linked to Rebecca at Recuerda mi Corazon

In celebration of

A Virgin A Day

A Virgin A day.....Day Three

2011-12-03T06:47:00.000-08:00

I wear Our Lady on my sleeve.

My coat sleeve...........

For all the world to see.

Linked to Rebeccas blog, Recuerda mi Corazon

for day three of the celebration of

A Virgin a Day .

Support Small Business

2011-12-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

Duvall Books......................

Today I had to run to town to go to the post office,

so I decided to stop into the book store

to see if a book I had been wanting had turned up yet. It had!!

It made me realize how lucky we are to have this store,

and how sad I would be if we were to ever lose it.

Others have said it and said it well,

but it bears repeating.........

In this time of year when we are all spending a bit more,

try to remember to support your local small town businesses

if you can.

So......... I thought I would show you one of my favorite small

book stores,

Duvall Used Books

When 's the last time you saw a bird skeleton

hanging on the wall at Barnes and Noble?

I wonder if coming here is one of the reasons my kids both turned out

to be such avid readers???

(my grandson loves this store too!)

Everywhere you look........something

fun!!!

Open 7 days a week,

and until 9 on Saturdays.

We like to go out to dinner then stop in and sit around

and poke through the books.

I know, get a life, right?

Great selection of used and suprisingly current books.

(antique and obscure as well)

Meet Polly, always happy to help you find what you are

looking for, or to put you on the list and call you when

it comes in. (and it will)

Plus, she is always wearing the best vintage clothes ....!!!!!

We need these small stores.

Please support the ones in your town,

(especially the book stores, which

I have a special fondness for :)

A Virgin a Day.......Day 2

2011-12-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

Old Russian icon

Please visit Rebecca at her blog here

to find many links

to other blogs that are celebrating A Virgin a day.

Twelve Days of Mary

2011-12-01T10:12:00.000-08:00

Day One.......

Rebecca at Recuerda mi Corazon is hosting a celebration......

The Twelve Days of Mary..................

with postings each day in honor of

Our Lady.

Our Lady of Guadalupe ............my belt buckle from Junk Gypsies

You can go to Rebeccas blog

to see more Virgins

and take part in the celebration!!

Junk and Rubbish

2011-11-21T16:57:00.000-08:00

Same estate sale.........part two........2 weeks later

Some of these pictures are for Vix........who told me that where she lives

they don't have estate sales like we do, where you actually

go in the house and rummage around.

This was a fairly good size log home, and you can see from the driveway

how much traffic there was at this sale over the course of several weeks.

This couple, one deceased and one now going into an assisted living

situation, had owned several antique stores.

Thus accounting for the amazing amount of accumulation.

Inside the house........ I didn't spend much time inside since I had been in there 2 weeks ago.

Just a quick walk through on my way to the back, to see if they had added anything new.

I know, it doesn't look like a lot now, but remember, this is after already having a 3 day sale

two weeks earlier.(and marking everything 50% off the last day) The company handling the sale said they had been there for a month and a half getting ready.

There was different items, but the same type of things as before.

Nothing for me.

This was the second building, a carriage house with a loft.

Again jammed packed, and they had brought different things from the warehouse into here as well.

Looking back at the house I just came from, you can see that the porches

were packed too. Things like metal bathtubs, cream separators, nautical things...

metal lockers, antique stoves of all sorts, giant scales,

just stuff!!

See the lighter ring on the house? Someone took a wheel of some sort

from there.

Back side of the carriage house.

The first day of first sale this area was packed with galvanized wire

type items. Baskets, carts, etc.

YUP!! Gals wiped it out fast!!

There were two cute young gals getting their picture taken with their

huge pile of "loot". They were starting a business and this was the first stuff they had bought for it.

OK, here we go....... the big draw for this part of the sale,

a huge metal warehouse, packed to the rafters,

laid out in aisle after aisle after aisle.

You had to dig, but actually it was pretty well organized,

boxes were labeled fairly well.

clock parts, fuses, lamp parts, bottles, dishes,

horse tack parts, bins and bins of nuts and bolts and that type

of thing.

This place was full of men.......men in their glory.........

men not talking........ just digging!!!

And of course several women as well.

This doesn't show how big the place was because at the front right there is a workshop .

So farther back it opens up again to the right.

Someone mentioned they had seen a rat.......that cleared

out some gals.

So here's my loot. Not much.

And so dirty I probably shouldn't have even put it on the rug.

A box of rusty stuff for jugs, some glass canning jar lid thingies for

my upcoming leaded glass project.

cigar boxes, a spool of wire, chain, a big conk,

an old fire alarm sprinkler head that is kinda cool.

Two sewing baskets, no beads and coins on top,

but I am thinking of playing with them a little.

I don't know what that chain thing on the cigar box is.

It has a mans name, a town in Mass. and the number 60.

There was a lot of old horse tack and civil war stuff.

Could this be old tack?

I would love to hear from anyone that has any idea.

Two weeks ago when everything went 50% off I went back and bought 11 old crock whiskey

jugs for making memory jugs. I was hoping to find a lot of "stuff" to use making them. Didn't happen.

The sale had been open already for an hour when I got there.

And wouldn't you know, there was a guy with his truck loaded full!!!

Smack in the middle was the front grill from an old car. DAMN!!!!

I have been wanting one of those for a lonnnnnnnnng time.

Oh Well.................................

However.........................................

I did see my neighbor Jennette from Smashing Rubbish at the sale.

So after going home and cleaning up..(really really good...did I mention rats??)

I drove over to her shop, and visited a bit with her.

Look how cute her shop is!!

She had two fun customers in there shopping that were all

dressed in vintage complete with furs. She carries quite a bit of vintage clothes

and they were in checking it out.

Hey! Speaking of conks!!!

It's not a large shop, more boutique like,

plus her studio.

You can find Jennettes blog Smashing Rubbish here.

She has better pictures.......

check it out!

So my question to you is............

when you are in that type of situation.....dusty, musty,

possible rodents.....do you wear gloves? mask?

I do on occasion see people doing that.

I am thinking it might be a good idea.

What do you do/think?

ODDFELLOWS......."on my bench"

2011-11-13T17:25:00.000-08:00

Bits and pieces of Oddfellow medals,

Old shoebutton

Lourdes medal,

Watch/clock key

Antique agate bead

Oddfellow medallion

Clay beads from Steph

Old tapemeasure

Jasper with fossils in it (Steph)

Antique agate bead

I have wanted to use this old tapemeasure in a piece of jewelry for a long time.

I have seen a lot of gals out there doing some wrapping with strips of saris

and other fabric but this old dingy tape

just happened to suit my color palette .

The fraternal organization Oddfellows

dates back to the 18th century.

You can easily find their history online if you are at all interested.

I just really like their OLD medals and jewelry.

Something about that big funky eye??

I have a few more pieces of old broken Oddfellow ribbon holders that I have picked up.......

So will probably make a couple more pieces.

Out and About

2011-11-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

To a couple of sales this morning.....................................

Didn't buy a lot. The fencing mask was probably my favorite

thing.

Although wooden dough bowls, tobacco tins, and tiny scales

rank right up there.

I notice I tend to buy the same things over and over.

Do you do that?

Seriously..........I hardly ever even bake bread and when I do

I don't use my wooden bowls.

Why do I need so many?

I am not sure why I felt compelled to buy these,

They are marked Germany, and I think lead?

They will probably end up in some sort of project ,

On a jug?

OK, The truth? I tried to talk them up to my junking partner,

but she wasn't falling for it so I had to buy them.

Had to!!

So cute, even had the box they came in.

Can't seem to resist baby shoes.

A glass negative ,

Another thing I am strangely attracted to....................

These were two HUGE sales, lots of really good stuff.

I am not sure why I walked away with so little.

I think it probably had to do with

the fact that they both said 1/2 price on most items on Sunday.

Well, there ya go.........................

I will cross my fingers and hope that some of the things I

was interested in will still be there.........

when I go back on Sunday!!

Did you go out junking about this weekend?

If you did I hope you had great junking company like I did,

quirky houses to wander through,

and found some great things to add to your collections!

Ivory and Teeth

2011-11-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

Plays with Teeth.....and bones......

Ivory, Bone, Brass beads,

Tooth........

( I don't know what kind of tooth, it was found by my sister Marilyn)

Ivory piece.......... estate sale

Turquoise.......old coin,

Yellow Opal............................lots of different shades,

(I really like the variations this opal has.)

Religious medal.....................

Just starting to settle in for the winter.

Opening up little sacks that have been tossed

here and there over the last few months

as I found little bits and pieces

but didn't have time to do anything with them.

Some I had forgotten!!!

It's time to play audio books and get busy.

And "yes" to those of you that I am sure are tired of waiting,

SOON, I promise!!!

Dio de los Muertos

2011-10-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Honoring......

Jays life and music

Milagros.....The Shop

2011-10-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Milagros......

This past weekend we drove down to Seattle to a shop

called Milagros to pick up a couple of things to decorate my altar for

Dio De los Muertos .

They don't allow photos in there because most

of their inventory is handmade

by artists in Mexico.

However I asked , and she let me take this one photo.

A dance costume.

It's a great store, in Post Alley right above the Seattle Public Market.

Actually they have now opened a second store as well, just a few blocks away.

The second store carries a lot of the same inventory but also had some very OLD Mexican pieces .

There was one piece I would really like to have, but a bit spendy. I

have to think about it a bit. Actually I can't STOP thinking about it!!

Not to tempt YOU or anything..........but.....they ship....:)

After a bit of wandering in and about the Market

we headed to one of our favorite antique stores in the same area.

Again, no photos allowed. They said it makes the dealers nervous.

After promising not to take any photos of the amazing jewelry in this place, they let me take a few

pics but it was a quick sort of covert operation and I apologize for the quality.

So.......I know when we go antiquing, we are all drawn to different things........

(thank goodness!!)

Here are a few photos of the sort of things that I am drawn to...............

See those Chinese fingernail protecters???

always fascinating to me!!!

Another one of those dolls.............

This one with a child and some sort of charm hanging from it.

Couldn't see the tag, and with my camera out, didn't want to ask for help...:)

Always attracted to these old shell art pieces.

(made me think of you Cathie:)

And lastly, these old half dolls........

Someone had taken a couple of them,

altered and dressed them up a bit

and put them under domes.

Kinda fun and cute!!

All that walking around and sneaky camera work made us hungry,

so we found a little spot right above the market

to have some brunch and a mimosa

while we people watched.

People watching.................always the most fun!!!

From our observations........... in Seattle, at the Market on a

beautiful October day, the two most common accessories were a scarf

(we saw some beautiful ones!!)

and a camera!

Hope you all had a great weekend as well!!

Starting My Altar.......

2011-10-22T16:03:00.000-07:00

Antique Icon, painted on tin............

Found in Colorado by my mother in law Anna.

I have wanted to make a larger altar for quite a while.

My small one is always so jumbled and loaded that

to handle anything on it means moving other

things around......not good.

With Dio De los Muertos just around the corner

this seemed like a good time to at least get a start on a larger one.

So inspired by all the beautiful ones I have been seeing on

some of my favorite blogs, I sat down with a list of

how I wanted to be able to use mine, what I wanted it to

include, and where I wanted to put it.

I bought this little cupboard 3 years ago at a citywide garage sale.

It's been sitting in my garage .....waiting.......

I decided it was the perfect size, and will just fit on my buffet

in the dining room.

First step: Took out the shelf so I can

put in taller objects and have more light.

Second : Painted the inside........the paint is still wet here.

Since my plan is to leave this up year round

I needed to use colors that are somewhat compatible

with the rest of the house. You can see here

that I toyed briefly with the idea of turquoise....

Couldn't do it.

So black it is.

This paint was in the garage , left over from another project.

I also love the two drawers, I think they will be handy to store

incense, candles, photos, etc.

A tin heart I made, surrounded by milagros.

I didn't have enough milagros, but a little visit to Ebay, and now more are on their way.

I'll add them later.

Starting the fun part...............

At home, sitting on top the buffet.

The old test tube is for flowers.

The flower frog is to hold photos.

(Hey Steph......notice the postcard!!!!!...:)

Still more to do,

I have some religious medals I want to add,

But I like things that are an ongoing process,

(like me!)

I am happy with this first version,

and will be decorating it next week for

Dia De los Muertos.........

So......to be continued .........:)

BTW: If you want to see some stunning

altars that will take your breath away,

visit Lauries' blog to see some of hers as well

as links to other beautiful altars.

NOMAD...........Sibella Court

2011-10-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

This was in my email box!! An announcement for Sibella Courts new book.......

"Nomad....Bringing your travels Home"

It's going to be available for purchase in early November!!

It's already available for pre-order here:



Courts' last book "ETCETERA, Creating Beautiful Interiors with the

Things You Love" is one of my all time favorite design books!!

If you haven't seen it, here are a couple of photos to give you

an idea how rich and layered her style is.

A tough act to follow..............................

(from Etc:)

(from ETC:)

I can't wait to get the new book, and

if it's anything like the last one it will be

like reading a piece of art!!

*****UPDATE TO MY LAST POST:****

OK, I took the Native American "whatever"

in to a friend of mine that is a dealer, and handles a

lot of Native pieces. She had never seen a piece like it

or come across one in any of her books.

Without doing research on it...... in her opinion:

It is: Native American, probably East Coast.......

circa 1880's or so...............

made to hang on a wall

to hold a fetish

not for tourist trade.

So that's all I know/don't know at this point.

HOWEVER:

My grandson Matt took it to show his third grade class

since they are studing Native Americans,

and it was declared

"COOL AND CREEPY!!"

(he was happy!!)

(priceless!!!!!)

Auction Treasure

2011-10-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

Native American Pocket? From a belt? saddle? For a wall???

There is a small auction every two weeks

in the next small town over.

I usually try and preview it the day before and that way if there

isn't anything I REALLY want,

I don't go just for fun and end up buying lots of stuff I don't really want or need

just "because it was a screaming deal??"

Yesterday throwing all wisdom out the window,

I went to just watch the "treasures "

parade by.

And ended up buying this........................

I am really not sure what this is.

It has two small pockets on the front, they are wool,

and edged with a red fabric that has frayed.....silk?

The embroidery on it doesn't look like thread.

Maybe hair? Horse?

Some of it has been dyed red.

There are horsehair tassels (dyed blue)

that are set in silver tubes,

and some of them are missing.

This is the back...........

lined with a red cotton, edged with a zigzag of red felt, there is a small pocket on

the bottom.

It's going to be fun researching this,

trying to find out age, tribe, purpose.

THE BAD.............

It was a box lot. Yup. That means there's

always the "rest of the box".......

I will probably try to send that drum home

with my grandson...........:)

A couple of things will go into the "I might make something out of that

someday " box.

But I don't need an airline flotation device

laying around here.

(I hope!!)

How does that even end up at an auction??

Off to the Goodwill donation box!!!

Dia de los Muertos

2011-10-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

Talisman earring.................................................

Working on some

Day Of The Dead jewelry.

I know, rather subdued .

This is a single earring because I find that's

all I seem to be wearing these days.

I will probably make a very short one with

just a bead and skull to wear with it occasionally.

SO.....................................

I am standing at the jewelry counter at my local Goodwill,

waiting for a "lady"

to get through looking at EVERY single

piece in the counter.

(I go every couple of weeks looking for pieces to take apart)

Finally, realizing she's going to be a very long time,

I asked if I could look with her, after her.

Before long I see her pick up a necklace, and immediately put it down.

I asked the clerk if I could please have a look at it.

I start looking at it, and the lady says VERY loudly,

"Oh, I could never wear that I am a Christian".

I realized she thought it had skulls on it.

I told her....."It's not skulls, it's elephants".

Not listening, not hearing, not caring,

she still went on and on about how she was a Christian and could not wear "it".

I am starting to feel like I have a blinking light

over my head flashing HEATHEN!!!!

I turned to the clerk and said "I'll take it please".

This is my new necklace that I am pretty sure is Ivory,

even down to the tiny clasp.

I now happily own it because she "could never wear that".

I quickly realized that lady had far more problems than I could ever hope to address over

the jewelry counter at the Goodwill.

Cute huh!!

This is my favorite rosary.

It came from a nuns estate in Montreal.

It hangs on my bedpost and when I am particularily

troubled I hold it in my hands to just feel it.

I am not Catholic but it still comforts me.

I like to think about all the prayers it has heard, and

feel how worn all the many medals are from those prayers.

Oh look.....

what's that I see at the bottom of the crucifex?

A skull??

I'm pretty sure the nun whose fingers

wore these metals almost smooth was a

CHRISTIAN

Blog Problem....."no comment!!"

2011-09-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

                                          Some of you have emailed me that you
                                           are unable to comment on my blog.........
                                          I am not sure what the problem is, I haven't
                                          changed anything. Is anyone else
                                           having this problem?
                                          Have any answers??
                                         If you do please email me @
                                          gayle.vintagegreen@gmail.com     Thanks!~

Getting my flower beds ready for winter........................

I found a very welcome guest!!!

Julia: I strained and bottled my blackberry liqueur this morning........

Yum!! Hey! It's 5 o'clock somewhere...right??

Hope yours turns out good as well!!!!!!

Memory Folk Art

2011-09-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

NOT A JUG...............BUT WHAT?

I am not really sure what this piece was created on.

It's not a typical jug,

and it was built on a plate.

Interesting old bottle, and of course...

a peach pit!!

I swear.....peaches must have been a novelty!!

The seller of this piece dated it "1950-1959".

I assume because there are two Canadian pennies on it,

one dated 1950, and the other 1959.

I don't think these pennies are original to the piece ,

there is no paint on them and I think they were added

at a much later date.

Sweet angel on top,

has a bit of a broken wing.

Bottom of the plate.

I think this is a turn of the century piece, with the two

pennies added later.

There are some really fun bits and pieces on this

piece of memoryware,

(I really like the egg)

and I haven't seen one made this way before.

I have no idea what was used as

the foundation.

Any ideas?

Age?

Indian Fabric Boho Bag

2011-09-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

First project from the Indian fabric........................................

My goal with this purse/bag was

to end up with a lightweight,

medium size purse/bag that was

colorful with an ethnic vibe,

relatively inexpensive, and fairly easy to make

since sewing is not my first love........:)

After trying to make my own pattern, I finally bought one.

I used Butterick pattern B5449,

one of their easy cheap ones......$2.99.

So with $20.00 for the fabric my total

cost was $22.99 plus tax.

Everything else used was materials on hand.

The lining was an old paisley shawl, bought long ago.

it was orange and I dyed it to match fabric.

What I learned:

This fabric has little glass mirrors in it, and they

seem to want to be right in the path of the sewing machine needle.

You can avoid some by pattern layout, but not all.

Yow will have to watch for them and remove any that are in

your seam path.

Second........I suck at making tassels. And it's not really something I plan on

taking the time to get good at.

So..................I am going to be looking for replacements.

I think I saw some on Etsy, I will be heading over there to have another look.

I am really happy with this bag, think I will get a lot of use out

of it, and it's medium size is perfect for me .

If you want to see some really great bags, with price tags to match,

have a look here.

Beautiful, but not in my budget........

Under $25 works for me everytime!!!

Bringing in the last of Summer................

2011-09-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

GATHERING IS GOOD...........................

Herbs hanging and drying.........................

Blackberries and mulberries brewing into a liqueur........

Marigold seeds drying .....for next years planting

The ever present zucchini.................

We have been having lots of chicken, garlic and zucchini pizza!!

Check out her dough recipe.......if you need one.

Garlic ready to be planted for next years crop......................

And lots of corn!!

Not from our garden, from the farmer down the road.

We have been using this recipe

LOVE IT !!!!!!!!!

In between all this country mouse thing, I did manage to get out for a bit

and "gathered" this..................

I have a love for textiles and these from India

are high on my list!!!

Indian crazy quilt?

Do you love it too???

I bought this for a specific project.............

Now the hard part,......cutting into it

Mr. Postman Look And See...

2011-09-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

                                                       "I think of most things in life

                                                       as either a Bob Dylan or a

                                                       Beatles song."  .........

                                                                                  Steve Jobs

                  I agree wholehardedly.   Today could be Strawberry Fields,
        except it's blackberries I'm knee deep in. So since I am waiting
                 for the mail to bring me a jacket I bought on EBAY, I have
                  decided my life song today is Mr. Postman.

                    What song are you living your life to today?

Altered Doctors Bag

2011-08-27T23:18:00.000-07:00

It started out like this...........

An old alligator bag with great hardware,

but in really bad shape.

In fact this bag was given to me by an antique dealer that was

going to throw it away but decided I should use

the hardware.

OK, still not TOO bad......

OUCH!!!!!

What I love about projects like this is you can't lose. They

are already deemed garbage by "normal folk"

so what do you have to lose?

It's actually somewhat freeing,

and some of my favorite projects have come about this way.

So, with that in mind......

Maybe ready to be used by a different kind of Dr. now??:)

I didn't cover any more than I had to.

After cleaning and conditioning, the leather

was really quite beautiful.

But I still needed to make it sturdy.

So the first thing I did was take a curved needle and some

upholstery thread and sew up all the tears.

It didn't need to be perfect because I knew I was

going to cover it, but it needed to be structurally sound.

Next I started with one of the ends and spread the whole area I wanted to cover with glue.

And I spread it fairly thick.

I actually mixed two glues together, because I didn't want to run to store, and I only had

a few dibs and dabs of different ones.

So just think thick, white, dries clear, will hold a Buick together.

Then I just pressed the fabric on. In my case a wonderful old

saltillo that I have used in so many projects that everything is starting to look alike.

(But I will miss dreadfully when it is gone)

I did do a dry fit before I spread the glue, knew that I was going to have a fold on one end etc.

If you get your glue where you want it, you can trim the edges after it dries.

If you are the sort that has patience. :)

So no sewing of the fabric, just glue.

If you do a project like this, remember that you will be opening and closing it,

so cut the fabric big enough and fit it to accommodate the movement.

When both of the ends were done............

I cut a piece to go along the top of the front and back.

Again, just glued it on.

Cutting the botton uneven.

Originally that piece was for contiguity of color......

as well as to sew the embellishments onto.

You don't want to be pushing needles and wire through

that gater any more than you have to, plus it IS old and

can tear easily.

I soon realized that the blanket by itself wasn't going to hold the amount of stuff I wanted to put on the bag.

So I punched holes through the top corners and wired a chain across to use as the support

for all the beads and whatnots I planned on adding.

The back is still plain, I am not sure if I will add anything to it or not.

The beauty of a project like this is the fact that

it is never done..................

You can add or subtract forever.

I forgot to show you the inside.................

Stained, but no holes.

It actually cleaned up pretty well.

I wish I could tell you where that dirt is from.......

But I can't .

But it's very cool!!!

Shootouts: The round polished bone is from Steph

And a lot and I mean a LOT of the other things are from Terri

And the dirt.......that's my secret!!! :)))

SORRY!!!

Collector.....or Hoarder??

2011-08-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

Every time I have to dust

I question my packrat (slighty hoardish?)

tendencies

This is a family bible, held together with a ribbon

with family history on it

written by my Grandmother.

My daughters first pair of moccasins

My first jug.....

the beginning of a love affair!!

(with jugs :)

No rhyme or reason,

No careful editing,

Just "stuff" that over the years has caught my eye

And makes me happy.

Until I have to DUST!!

So what do you do?

Seriously.......

What do you do??

Learn to live with the dust?

Grit your teeth and dust when you really want to be elsewhere?

Pack it up?

Get rid of it?

What do YOU do???????

This is just one dust collecting cupboard...

I have more problem areas......

I suppose in the time it took me to write this,

I COULD have dusted .....??

Naaaahhhhh.....

EDITED TO ADD: I never dust the jugs. To

me that'sjust part of their patina.

A Little Giveaway!!!

2011-08-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

coin purse necklace......

I decided to have a giveaway on my blog. Not because I have reached any milestones....clearly I haven't . Not because I want more followers.......well, I would like more, but I have to say, the ones I have are amazing and leave me such great comments, and send me such FUNNY and uplifting emails....a lot of them I consider friends and most definately kindred spirits. Sooooooo......this giveaway is just 'cuz.

And......here's the good part....you don't have to enter ....or do anything!! If you have EVER left a comment on this blog.....I took the liberty of entering you myself. (except family, sorry my dear family....I do love you the most...but...) I did it this way because..........I HATE it when magazines give NEW subscribers
a great deal.....or banks give the NEW accounts a free giftie.........I always think.....HEY.....what about me?
I am the one that's been here thru thick and thin??? What about me??? Well, you guys are the ones that
leave comments whether I post something weird, boring, ugly, strange, whatever........you still comment, make me happy,encourage me, make my day a bit brighter.....thru thick and thin. That's why this ones for you!!

Having said that.......I never enter give aways that I wouldn't really like to win...so if I entered you and you won and you think...."I SO do not want that"..... let me know and I will pass your "prize" on to some other "lucky"
commenter. OK? OK.....So here we go.................................I threw you all in a hat....and the "sorting hat" spit out these winners:

First.................the winner of the coin purse necklace..........

DEB.......of Talking Trash fame!!!

(whose blog I LOVE by the way!!)

and.....who just had her own giveaway!!!

I had a lot of fun making this necklace, inspired by several lovely

ones I have seen here and there on

different blogs and at shows......I used vintage jet beads, rosaries, and chain,

along with some pieces from the

Industrial Chic line.

Hope you like it Deb!!

Second.....................................

the winner of a pair of earrings ........................

Kelly ........

from Eccentricities

(Another great blog.....In fact she has TWO!!)

AND makes crazy cool mosaics!!

These tintype earrings are part of a group of earrings I

made from an old gem type albumn I bought years ago.

I especially like this pair because it has a girl on one,

and two boys on the other......

some sort of a love triangle??

Two old shoe buttons are used for the dangles.

I hope you like these Kelly!!

If you gals email me at

gayle.vintagegreen@gmail.com

with your information I will get these right out to you!!

A GREAT BIG THANKYOU to all of you my friends for taking the time out of

your busy day to

stop by my blog and leave your generous comments.

I really do appreciate it!!

This was so much fun!!............ Can we do it again some time??

Hugs to you all!!

Memory jug #9

2011-08-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

This jug is a bit different......................

I used an epoxy clay to form the snake on top..................

influenced by the folk art jugs made in the South.

This is a small jug, only seven inches tall

Still looking for a finish I am in love with.....

something less shiny.

This jug will get one more "going over"

to pick up any spots I missed or smooth out rough spots....

But I like to let it sit for a couple of weeks before

that happens.

Then I usually "dress" them as well, by hanging things from the handles.

On an entirely different subject...............

Want to see something cute??

We have Barred owls that share our property with us....

"He" could have cared less about me..... had his eye on something rustling in the bushes.

Ahhh, maybe cute isn't really appropriate...????

Just Hanging....

2011-08-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

Where it lives....................................

Just hanging...........

On a tiny old door.......like art

Easy to grab....wear.... put away.....

New necklace made by Steph.........

Where do you keep your favorite pieces...........

the ones you wear most often...............

do you keep them out...........

so you can enjoy them..........

even when not wearing them............

I hope so..............

On my bench.....

2011-08-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

bone, jasper, and brass beads...................

different rosary parts...........

Vintaj necklace parts..............

I made these earrings to go with this necklace................

It took me a couple of hours this morning to get them light enough that they were

wearable.

I always tend to start with too big...too many....too much....and have to edit down.

Finally... I am happy with these..........

Repeating a lot of the same elements, but still very comfortable to wear.

Mine to care for ....For a while....

2011-08-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

Native American ............

Native American smoke tanned leather bag..........

with beadwork....... and deer toes.

Smudge mark on the back......

where it was blessed by George Kicking Woman

Small beaded amulet bag...........

Also blessed.......

Upside down Raven.............................

Artist.......Steve Wofford

I have a feeling I will be wearing these two pieces together

A LOT......................

Artist..... Steve Wofford

Beautiful things, I am so honored to have these

to protect and care for..........for a time.

(we are not pharaohs.....we do not take it with us)

I purchased these from Terri at Frost Creek.....it is my understanding that she will

be dispursing more of her collection in the coming weeks.

If this is your "kind of thing"

you might want to watch for her to list them.

(Not sure, but I think she only ships USA)

Thanks Terri!!!

Garden Gate.....Finally Done!!

2011-08-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

At Long Last!!

Similar to the other arch........................

Yet different!!

We needed this done so we could string the hot line.

Good bye deer!! Kitchen closed!!

A Good Day......

2011-07-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

This morning.......

I am working on a new memory jug...

and hit a wall!!

Can't find those certain few pieces that will tie it all together.

So in my raggity, paint splattered , holey jeans

I ran to town to poke through a couple of shops.

Didn't find a single thing for my jug......

But don't you just love those old tin beakers!!!

I am not passing up old photos of cowgirls!!

Likely the only tomatoes I'll get this year.....

Hmmmmm.....maybe I'll go hang these in the garden..................

Speaking of garden......here is the new garden gate.

I am now rabbit proof....soon to be

deer proof!!

This afternoon...........................

Dyeing raggity bits for the critter/crones that are

going to live in my quilt, and hanging them

on bushes to dry.

My window boxes aren't anything to brag about this year,

but I noticed when I deadheaded these black petunias

that my fingers were purple.

Has anybody ever tried to use them for dyeing?

My partner in crime

Looks sweet and innocent doesn't she??....... HA!!

I should mention that the sweet little coin purses and the Queen Victoria beaker mug

came from a new shop here in Duvall.........called.....

Smashing Rubbish Studio & Vintage General Store.

owned by Jennette Neilsen, who I just realized lives right up the street from me!!

Her business card describes the store as:

Boho-Naturalist Styling, Decoration and Design.

I wish I had photos 'cuz it's a really cool shop. But I am sure I will be back there soon and I will be better prepared.

I wish her all the luck and success because her shop is a breath of fresh air for this area,

more like what you would find in a larger city.

By the way Jennette has a blog

check it out, I am sure she will be posting photos of her cute store soon!

Hope you had a good day too!!

STEPHANIE BROUWERS.........artist

2011-07-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

and my friend...........

Yesterday this came in the mail from my dear blog friend

Stephanie Brouwers.

I was and still am speechless ! We were supposed to be

doing a bit of a swap from our stashs'......I had

no idea she would be sending one of her amazing jewelry creations

along with some really fun things for me to "play" with.

My photo is not very good and in no way does this

piece justice, but if you would like to see it better here is a link

to the post she did when she made the necklace.

That's right....she's a skilled photographer as well!!!!!

(Hope you don't mind Steph...)

If you haven't made it to her blog yet, it's

listed on my sidebar.......vlaDtHeBaTs' aTTic.

Be sure to check out her jewelry.......... her art......... her thoughts.

Thank you dear Steph , for everything you sent!!

I will be so proud to wear this!!

(: so glad you're in my tribe!!! :)

A bit of inspiration........

2011-07-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Afghanistan?.......................

Found at a little antique..and...bits and pieces shop.....

Back....

Found together........but different

Both have additions and repairs

I think these are old...............but I am not sure,

Lately it seems my old radar is a bit wonky..................

any idea???

You can enlarge the photo to see better.