TIN CAN FOLK ART

The Burrow.......

I love folk/tramp art!

I especially love this piece because it was made by my late 

father-in-law, Rudy Hajek.

It was this piece of tin can art that got me interested in

searching out other pieces.

Can you imagine making all those cuts.....out of cans?

And.......he made several of these.

This piece I found at an estate sale, it is an old flue cover.

1940's

                                                                                                                                            

A bit rusty but not without a certain charm.

I like the different colored metals together.

I started hanging old chippy mirrors and frames in here,

the powder room,

Along with other pieces of chipped up "treasure"

We realized it reminded us of the Weasleys house, because nothing will stay put,

 ( it's next to stairs) and we are forever tilting and straightening.

It is a very small room and  the wallpaper and floor to ceiling frames and mirrors

(all tilting and a bit wonky) makes it seem very tall and  well, CROOKED  and WONKY!

So now we call it "The Burrow".

 We are still on the lookout for other pieces of tin can folk art to fill in some of the other empty frames. 

How do you decorate your home? Do you care what others think?

Or do you just have fun and do what makes you happy? 

MEMORY JUG.......

My First..........

This is the first memory jug I made. On this one when it was done I "stained " the whole thing using an oil based product to help the items blend together , giving the whole jug a more cohesive look.

  

I don't do it that way any more, I have decided that I personally like each item to just "be".

Doing it that way also takes a much longer time to dry, and I couldn't keep my hands off it,

so from me dabbing at it all the time trying to get it to dry, it's color is uneven.

I also have a really hard time with the sheen it takes on.  

                                                                         

In the next day or so I will be trying something else over the top of this in an attempt to even out the color and take down the sheen. But I thought you might like to see how  my very first attempt turned out.  

Although this is a very large jug, (one and half gallon?) I think it gives you an idea of  the large amount of bits and pieces

it takes to make one of these.  

But then the search is the best part........

RIGHT?????

ROYAL WEDDING OOPS!?

  FOR REAL??????

                                      

                                                    

                              
                          What's wrong with this picture?? Real or hoax???
                             They are going for ridiculous prices on Ebay.
                                  Can't decide if I want one or not.  


                      

HAPPY EASTER!!

WISHING YOU A JOYFUL EASTER

                                                                         

I MISS MARY ENGLEBREIT!!!!!

A Little Sale................

A set of stamps, cigar box, baby cup, liqueur tags,

old recipe book, watercolor tin, gem tintype album

These were sold seperately, one piece for $2.00, one piece for $3.00.

They told me they didn't fit, weren't a set..........looked like they were to me,

I'll take them!!

It looks like these might be all there, haven't layed them all out yet.

I'll have to think of something fun to do with these.

I love these old recipe books that have all the how tos and manners sections in the back.

But my best find was later at The Goodwill.......this big stack of old Mary Englebreits Home Companion!!! 

I miss this magazine so much!! I used to have them all, finally went thru them and clipped out my favorite homes, projects, etc. Now, here I am , buying them again. (go figure!) I got so many ideas and inspiration from that magazine!! I still remember the day the issue came that had Elizabeth Maxson in it with her kitchen cupboards painted black! The minute I saw it I knew that was for me!! You can imagine what people said when I said I was painting my cupboards black. Remember this was several years ago. My kitchen isn't as grand as Elizabeths', but I still love my black cupboards....Thanks Elizabeth!!!!!

But I took it one step further..................

Every handle is different on mine. A really really nice dealer finally caved to my pleading and let me pick through her stash of  dresser pulls. I love all the different designs, metals, and patinas.

I know this is dark, but if I turned on any more lights you wouldn't be able to see the great light fixtures my Husband made me, out of old space heaters.  Aren't they cool?!!!

Now if I could just get Elizabeth to come and finish the job by decorating my kitchen!!

Sorry these photos are so dark, I am trying to do better, really I am!!

If you enlarge them they are a bit better.....

                                                                             

MAD HATTER PINCUSHION

Working on some sewing projects today ...........

Using this "pincushion" I made last year.

"Sewing Nuns"

Fraternal Pins

No Words Necessary

I think I made this shortly after I saw Alice In Wonderland.

I think there's a little "Hatter" in all of us.

"Do you think I've gone round the bend?"

"I'm afraid so. You're mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I'll tell you a secret.....

All the best people are."

-Lewis Carroll  (Alice in Wonderland)

BOTTLE TREES AND BLOOMS

TRILLIUM........

Worked outside all day today, clearing a new spot for a future project. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a clump of Trilliums on the edge of the woods. With their three clear white petals they always remind me of the Trinity. So perfect that they make their appearance at Easter time.


BLEEDING HEART........
                                                                              

This is the first of my bleeding hearts to come up. Still not much color but it's coming. So it's a good thing I

have my...................................................................................

 BOTTLE TREES!!.........        

      

I love my bottle trees!! I have two smaller ones but I am hoping to get a larger one made this year.

bottle trees were originally mostly a Southern thing I think. But now can be found almost anywhere.  It was "believed" that the bottles would attract and trap evil spirits. The only way the spirits could get out would be for the bottle to break

   

ALSO.......I want to say thanks to Joy for the mention on her blog . I was perusing the comments left on another  blog and saw HER comment.......her blog name is almost the same as mine so I clicked on over and introduced myself. She is in Canada, has a space in an antique mall, and is a lover of vintage . Check her out!

LAMP PIECE GOES TRIBAL

I have been researching primitive, tribal jewelry, trying to get that feel in my own work while still using recycled pieces and using  some of the bits and pieces I have picked up over the years while out junking around.  I have been studying the work of Ramona Solberg and going thru photos from  last years vacation to Wyoming and Montana.  In Cody at The Buffalo Bill Museum, they were having a special exhibit on Plains Indians. The clothes, the beadwork, all amazing. I couldn't take any photos in there, but I could sketch. And I made notes of color combinations, patterns, anything I could think of that could be used as inspiration when I got back home and was working on something.

When I found this lamp piece a couple of weeks ago in Phoenix I bought it knowing I was going to try to use it in a necklace. From studying things at the museums, I have no doubt that if a Native had found this piece laying on the prairie some where, it would have been used for something. Maybe a handle , maybe to decorate a weapon, but for something. So I tried to keep that in mind as I worked on this piece. I also made this a bit longer than I usually do, thinking more 'breastplate". Suprisingly, although it felt heavy and awkward while working on it, it isn't heavy to wear.  But it is big, and is definitely not for everyday wear.

I remember thinking while in the museum that the Native Americans were the original recyclers. They didn't waste anything . Two things that I saw that were my favorite examples of that were.........a warpaint kit that had been made out of a small shaving bag. (I think we can figure out that story) and the other thing that stuck with me was a beautiful deerskin shirt, painted, quill work, beadwork, and what at first glance I thought were small round mirrors.They  were actually pieces of tin cans that had been cut into small circles and sewn onto the shirt. It was stunning.  I am quessing that a can  was just something that was not to be wasted. Boy do we have a lot to learn!

  

Besides the lamp piece, I used some old steel cut links from my stash, two Tibetan prayer beads, and two carved Himalayan beads. ( at least I was told that's what they were) My sister Terri (an amazing bead artist ) gave me a huge stash of glass beads, silver beads, all kinds of fun stuff when she decided her eyes were done beading. The white beads are from her, made of bone. The closure is once again from  Industrial Chic.

OK, what do you think? Go ahead, I can take it.........Tribal? Primitive? Too Bulky? Sick of the Industrial Chic closures? Weird? Can't figure out my reasoning?????................. ( Keep in mind , I COULD take this apart and make a weapon :)   The beauty of this is I COULD take this apart and redo, or rethink the whole idea. So I welcome your comments and critique.

AND THE  MOST IMPORTANT THING OF ALL:  My grandson, Matthew........who will go junking with me at the drop of a hat, loves art, loves The beatles, and plays the drums, just turned 8 this past week.  Anyone that wants to wish him a Happy Birthday can do so in the comments at The Tin Palace Project.

Thanks!!

British Royal Commemoratives

              

The April issue of Romantic Homes did a short feature on the british royal commemoratives being issued to celebrate the upcoming wedding of prince William to Kate Middleton. I have been collecting British commemoratives for over 20 years and thought maybe you would like to see some of my favorites.

This is the messy cupboard most of them live in. Guess I should have straightened up the clutter............

Queen Victoria.............

To commemorate her Diamond Jubilee Year,  1897

                                                                              

I found this one in Canada,( one of my favorites)

                A pitcher issued in Memorium of King Edward VII
                                    born Nov 9,1841, died may 6,1910

  King George V                                                                      

             King George and Queen Mary..to commemorate their Silver Jubilee
                                                      1910-1935
                                                                          

   Edward, Prince of Wales, the coronation that never took place, however...the
   commemoratives had already been sold. (can you say Wallace!?)
  
King George VI                                                 

                              King George VI..."The Reluctant King"..coronation
                                                 May 12, 1937
                                                                               

                 Queen Elizabeth I                                  
                                  my personal favorite royal                         
                                                                    

                      Queen Elizabeth I ...... as a young girl                          
                                      (this is a newer mug)
                                                                            

                                 I like the ones with  Margaret on them

Queen Elizabeth II

                          Teapot  featuring Elizabeth when she was a child
                                                                         

             To commemorate Queen Elizabeths' coronation                                    
                                                     
A lot of these I have never seen before in antique stores or in researching them. I purchased some of these from an antique dealer that told me they had been in a storage unit in Canada for years and became available when the owner passed away. There were a lot more that I would have liked to have bought IF I would have had unlimited funds!!! For example....a Princess Margaret one....very simple, sort of a pottery like mug. I think I made the mistake of letting my excitement show.....all of the sudden it wasn't for sale.  LESSON LEARNED!!!

I have newer ones, one cute Charles cup(when he was a child) I unfortunately dropped and broke. Lots of Charles and Diana, Andrew and Fergie, etc.  To me the newer ones lack the charm of the old ones and are almost cheap looking. But that won't stop me from hunting down at least one William and Kate!!

Will you be staying up to watch the wedding? I know, corny, but I probably will. Nobody does pageantry quite like the Brits!!  ( I wonder if Rachell Ashwell is going to watch??)