My Salvaged Treasures

Dressed in Jewels

2012-02-26T13:29:00.000-08:00

Here's my favorite yard sale find from last weekend after her minor makeover. She still doesn't have any clothes, so her only assignment this week was to model a few necklaces fresh off the assembly line.

She also wanted to show off the rhinestone belt I found at a yard sale on Friday. Her feet and pole were painted black, but I missed getting a full body picture.

Her neck is now firmly glued in place, so no more mishaps. I painted it with Duck Egg Chalk Paint and then added some lace and a vintage rhinestone button.

A mini tart tin was my inspiration here. A faux pearl earring, watch parts, and rhinestones were added for flavor.

A watch face, pink rhinestones and a cherub from an old bracelet were a perfect fit inside the bottom half of this vintage cold cream tin. I attached part of vintage earring to the bottom of the tin.

Not too shabby from the back side.

More watch faces, buttons, and rhinestones. Now I need to get busy on two other trays full of bits and pieces.

Linky Followers reminder: Don't forget that you have to manually update your new posts with the current post date and post title. I've noticed that a large percentage of the blogs I'm following through Linky Followers haven't been updated and I sure don't want to miss anything if this is the only way I'm following you. Just log in to your Dashboard, go to the "Last Posted Date" box and manually enter your last post date and post title. Click "Update It" All done:-)

I'm linking up my jewelry creations with:

Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
My 1929 Charmer for Sunday's Best
Knick of Time Interiors for Knick of Time Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Type A Decorating for Anything Goes

Double Duty Loaf Pans

2012-02-22T07:38:00.001-08:00

I finally had a chance to try out my new Silhouette Cameo that I got for Christmas. My idea was to start with something quick and simple, but there was nothing quick about this first attempt. I'm sure a seasoned user would be able to whip up this project in 15 minutes, but for me it was a four hour trial and error adventure.
The four hours included familiarizing myself with the basics by quickly reading over the directions. I spent a lot of time playing with the software, sizing the fonts, and then trying to figure out why it wouldn't load the black adhesive vinyl. Oops, I missed the part about locking the rollers back in place.

I have so many ideas floating around in my head, but will stick to the smaller projects until I get the hang of this. So much fun!

We all need a little extra space for storing junk.

These rusty loaf pans I bought at a flea market a
couple of weeks ago were perfect candidates for my first project.

They're still rusty, but now they have a little more character.

My buttons are happy.

I haven't decided if I'll keep them or sell them, but for now I like them right where they are. Hopefully my next little project will only take two hours.

I'm partying with:

Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday,

The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursday,

2805 for Potpourri Friday, and

Funky Junk Interiors for Friday Night Special

She's a Keeper

2012-02-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

Would you double park in the middle of the street for her? I'm not ashamed to say I did just that. I spotted her on the lawn just as I was driving up to a yard sale on Saturday. Cars were parked up and down both sides of the street and I just couldn't risk her being carried away in the time it took me to find a legal parking spot.

After a quick chat with her owner, I learned that she's a younger gal estimated to be in her mid 30's.

I'm thinking her blond legs and neck will look much better with a little color, and of course she needs some jewelry and something to wear. Her asking price was much less than my mental estimate, so with these two cooper pots the deal was sealed.

Love the patina.

Oh no, not a broken neck.

I picked her up by the waist after our photo shoot and this is where my foot stopped her neck. (I couldn't resist one more picture). A few more inches and it would have rolled into the deep end of the pool. Fortunately, a little glue will take care of this minor problem.

I'm partying with:
1929 Charmer for Sunday's Best,
Her Library Adventures for Flea Market Finds,
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday,
Boogie Board Cottage for Masterpiece Monday

Vintage Hair Brush Makeover

2012-02-15T07:10:00.000-08:00

When I purchased this vintage brush and mirror set at a flea market recently, I knew the broken brush had some life left in it. The mirror is still in good shape and I love the patina on both pieces, but the poor brush has seen better days.

You can see where the wood part of the handle is missing. I was lucky to be able to push the slightly twisted silver handle back into shape without breaking it.

I pried out the remainder of the brush which didn't come out without a fight; the old glue had turned black and was breaking off like glass. I grabbed a bottle of tacky glue, a piece of vintage lace, and an antique tintype photograph. I already had the tintype and have been waiting for an opportunity to use it in a repurposing project.

I spread some tacky glue inside the handle and started pressing the lace into place. It didn't have to be perfect, just enough to hide the raw edges of the lace and cover the inside.

Then I got a little carried away and didn't pick up my camera until it was finished.....

After gluing the photograph to the lace I filled in around the edges with an old necklace, watch face, rhinestone, filigree, and a flower brooch.

Much better.

I thought it would look better if I could hang it up, so I punched a couple of small holes in the top and added a short chain.

I think she looks real comfortable and right at home inside the brush.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

2012-02-14T06:49:00.000-08:00

I purchased a few dozen vintage Valentines at an estate sale in 2010 and this one was my favorite. I love vintage typewriters, so I knew she'd be a keeper.

She's been sitting on my work desk since the beginning of February. When a package arrived all the way from the Philippines a few days ago, I knew she'd be the perfect way to say "thank you."

I was the giveaway winner of this pretty bag from the very talented writer Diane at Diane Writes.

The colors are perfect for Valentine's Day.

Thank you Diane!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!

Flea Market Junking Fix

2012-02-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

My month-long junking dry spell came to an end last weekend. I didn't get a good junking fix while I was on vacation a few weeks ago, so it felt mighty fine to get out there and push my cart around....squeaky wheel and all. The first Saturday of every month is the DeAnza College Flea Market in Cupertino, so off I went with high hopes and a promise to myself to leave all the big stuff behind.

It was a silver kind of day.

I love the patina on this vintage brush and mirror set, but....

I don't love the broken brush. I had a rough idea of how I could repurpose it and the dealer was more than happy to accept my "it's broken" offer.

Rhinestones and pieces of broken earrings. Aren't those fish cute?

It's a good thing keys don't take up much room because I'll never have enough.

The frame was a great deal along with the rusty tins, salt shaker, and silver vase.

Yummy detail.

Switching gears here.....

A vintage pull down school map in great shape.
Marked, Weber Costello Chicago Illinois.

I couldn't find a date on it, but it's probably from the late 50's or early 60's, before zip codes and after Alaska and Hawaii.

I made my way around the entire flea market a couple of times just to ~~get some exercise~~ make sure I didn't miss anything. It wasn't easy leaving some very interesting large items behind, but it was nice to have everything fit in just one cart load.

Decked Out for the Dress Form Ball

2012-02-07T06:51:00.000-08:00

My gals are all decked out in jewelry and ready to party over at The Polka Dot Closet for Carol's Dress Form Ball. These ladies aren't shy; they're more likely to be seen wearing nothing but jewelry.

These four partygoers were brought to life with the use of patterns and a vintage linen table runner. I first introduced them in a Mod Podge post in September 2010.

I used the thicker directions from a vintage pattern to dress up this plain plastic flea market find. I never wanted to sell her until someone came along and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Seller's remorse set in soon after that; I wish I still had her.

This is Emerald. She stands about 15" tall and is always seen wearing her green velvet jumpsuit. She's actually very heavy for her size, although you wouldn't know it with that skinny little waist. Her jumpsuit can be unzipped in back and removed if she ever needs a change of clothes.

This paper mache lady (no name) is only 16" tall, but she does a good job displaying necklaces.

Ms. Adjust-O-Matic is one of my favorites even though she has some issues.
Don't we all.

I keep her in my studio wearing nothing more than a vintage lace collar and a simple belt. She's 30" tall and about 5' tall with her collapsible stand.

I don't usually use her stand when she's working at an antique show because the slightest breeze will knock her right over.

She's seen here wearing a vintage yo-yo quilt skirt. Can you see her skinny legs sticking out at the bottom?

Meet Nana.

Nana is the most versatile of all my mannequins because she has a Styrofoam-like core. I found her at a garage sale about five years ago and I'm never letting her go. She's 22" tall and about 32" tall with her removable stand.

She's wearing her stand in this picture because it allows me to display more necklaces.

Nana is learning to be a bit more modest. She now wears a vintage lace dresser scarf over her shoulders along with a lace belt with a rhinestone buckle.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

2012-02-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

Is it legal in Blogland to post about something I did so many years ago? It was 1990 when I first picked up a stenciling brush and attacked my living room walls. By the end of the year, every room in my house had been stenciled. When I ran out of walls, my obsession turned to stenciling furniture, lots of furniture. I was a crazy woman with a brush as my weapon and realized I needed another outlet for my addiction. I joined a stenciling club, participated in stenciling conventions, started making my own stencils, designed stencils that were sold in stencil shops, and finally decided to start my own custom stenciling business and charge for what I loved to do.

Meet Wally. I designed Wally for a client who wanted a little something extra peeking through her indoor window box. Wally was stenciled several times in different colors and sometimes with little kitty footprints up the wall.

There's a simple explanation for why I took a trip back in time. It was all brought on by the new toy I received for Christmas and just took out of the box a couple of days ago. It's been staring at me and driving me crazy because I haven't had any time to start playing with it. I finally got some supplies ordered with the Silhouette gift card, but now I'm afraid I'll never be seen or heard from again once I start using it.

My new Silhouette Cameo prompted me to dig out my old portfolio and revisit some of the stencils I used to make. All the pictures from my portfolio were taken with a good old point and shoot film camera.

This was my youngest son's room when he got his first big boy bed. I think he was about two years old at the time; now he's twenty two.

What a labor of love this desk project was. I remember buying the little school desk at a garage sale for $3.00; such a deal even though it was bright pink. I have no idea why I went through all the trouble to strip it and then paint it red with oil based enamel paint. I'd just spray paint it if I had to do it all over again. I removed the wood top and seat, painted them white and made a stencil to match the geometric designs on his bedspread.

I was hired to stencil this train three or four times, but the stencil was always one of my best sellers at The Stencil House.

Pay no attention to the lovely mauve bed linens. Circa 1992.

Another outlet for my obsession was to teach stenciling classes. In the early 90's I taught at House of Fabrics and used this picture in my advertisement. In one of my classes, the ladies told me that they signed up because they wanted to learn how to stencil this flower arrangement. They were real surprised when I told them that the flowers were real and the headboard was stenciled. It's hard to see any of the detail in this old picture, but the white rails and posts were shadowed to make it look three dimensional. What a lot of work, but I sure had fun with this design. This one was designed for a queen size bed....I never got around to adjusting it for a larger or smaller bed.

I still have a roll of Mylar around here somewhere along with the full size samples from my portfolio. I came across the electric stencil cutter a few months ago and decided to keep it just in case. The stencil cutter always reminded me of one of those wood burning tools most of us had as a child.

Stencils have come a long, long way in the last few years. I love all the designs that can be used over an entire wall for a wallpapered look, all the interesting motifs, and especially the fun use of letters and numbers. I'm excited about getting to know my Silhouette, but concerned that the obsession will repeat itself. Everything in moderation, right?

Rail Trip and Northwest Vacation, Part 2

2012-02-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

Part 2 of our Rail Trip and Northwest adventure began with a three hour early morning ferry ride from Seattle to Victoria, British Columbia. Coffee, yogurt, granola, and muffins never tasted so good when I finally realized I wasn't going to be a motion sickness victim.

The Olympic Mountains taken from the back of the ferry.

In front of Inn at Laurel Point where we stayed.

See that backpack? That's my version of roughing it. It was easy to pack a change of clothes and all the necessities for just one night and leave the rest of the luggage at the hotel in Seattle. Just one problem....they cancelled the ferry the following afternoon because of high winds. We had the option to take another ferry north to Vancouver and then get on a bus to Seattle....again. Thanks, but no thanks!! An extra day in Victoria even without clean clothes was the obvious choice.

Finally a sunny day.

Victoria Clipper with The Empress Hotel in the background.

View from the hotel room balcony.

Next time I'd love to stay at this bed and breakfast.

Bard and Banker Scottish pub. They have the best fish and chips I've ever tasted....so good that we ate lunch here twice.

Chinatown

My Mounty buddy.

The world famous Fairmont Empress in Victoria's Inner Harbour.
Built between 1904 and 1908.

Atrium at The Empress. This is even more beautiful in the spring and summer.

I didn't get a chance to have Afternoon Tea the last time I was here, so it was definitely on our agenda. They always recommend reservations, but it really wasn't necessary in January.

$378 for a bottle of champagne!! I'll stick to tea.

Cup after cup of tea....I floated out.

The little sandwiches were on the bottom plate, raisin scones, jam and cream in the middle, and pastries on top. It was an excellent experience and the food was delicious.

We played the part of registered guests and took ourselves on an inside walking tour of The Empress. We never saw another person in the hallways and unfortunately couldn't access some of the areas without a hotel key card.

A little spooky.

BC Parliament buildings at night with the inner harbour in the foreground.

A daytime view of the Parliament buildings taken from inside the Royal British Columbia Museum.
Construction began in 1893 and was completed in 1896.

The Royal British Columbia Museum was a great place to explore on our second day. We spent about three hours in here and only left because it was closing time. I reached too far over the railing when I took this picture and accidentally sounded the alarm. A man came out of a hidden room and immediately started giving us the evil eye. Oh sure, where would I stash one of those typewriters?

What a great way to travel.
It would have been nice to come home with a suitcase full of treasures, but I can do my junking anywhere. Enjoying the moment, the adventure, the laughs, and fun times with my good friend was priceless.

All Aboard! Rail Trip, Part 1

2012-01-29T12:40:00.000-08:00

What an adventure it was!! I'm still catching up with things here at home and trying to remember where I left off. Why do vacations go by so fast? The first two days really made us question our sanity for traveling to the Pacific Northwest in January, but overall it was a good choice and so much fun.

Klamath Falls, Oregon

This is the cute little sleeping room complete with a toilet/shower combo, sink, seating for five, table, closet, mirror, and storage. The seats fold down for the bottom bed and the top bunk folds down from the ceiling. We sure had some good laughs at the size of the room after the beds were folded out; it looked so much bigger on the Amtrak website. I won't mention the sound of the flushing toilet.

I had no idea there was a movie car. They weren't thrilled with my suggestion for a bowling alley, lap pool, spa, or gym car.

One of the advantages of traveling during the off-season.

Just when we thought train travel was the only way to go in weather like this, they made an announcement that Portland would be the end of the line. A mud slide on the tracks somewhere between Portland and Seattle put a halt to all rail traffic in both directions. Plan B was a 3 1/2 hour, dark, stormy, icy, white-knuckle bus ride to Seattle. Our bus driver really deserved all the applause when we finally landed safely at the train station in Seattle.

The restaurant at The Edgewater where we were staying.

The deserted streets of Seattle the following morning. They rarely get this much snow.

We weren't going to let a little snow keep us inside all day, so we bundled up and headed out on foot.

Pike Place Market

Most of the snow had melted after the second day....another opportunity to walk around and do a little shopping.

I really had to talk myself out of this awesome watchmaker's cabinet. I would have bought it in a heartbeat if I had an easy way to get it back home.

Watson Kennedy.....such a fun store!

Of course we had to make time for all the typical tourist destinations.

The ride to the top of the Space Needle where we ate lunch.

Dan the Comedian, our tour guide for Underground Seattle

So many interesting pieces of history left underground.

Underground museum

What a stark difference between the old and new. Part of the underground is directly below this gorgeous old building.

Love the sign!

I was a little disappointed that I didn't come home with a suitcase full of treasures; most of the pieces that really spoke to me were either too big or not for sale. Too bad all the goodies in the underground or the museum weren't for sale. I'm sure I'd be able to find a good place for the State Hotel sign.

I'll be posting about our field trip to Victoria in Part 2. I'm missing all the great food already.

Rail Trip

2012-01-17T17:06:00.000-08:00

I'm packing up my train case and rolling ~~down~~ up the tracks on Wednesday night for a little getaway. My good friend Pam came up with the idea of a train trip to the Seattle area.....in January. The last time I was in the area they were having a heat wave; don't think that will be the case this time. The weather forecast isn't looking so good for the week, but I'm always up for an adventure. I pulled my rain gear out of hibernation and packed my clothes in extra large suitcases just so I'll have plenty of room for all the treasures I hope to find. I won't be completely "unplugged" for the week, but will certainly go through blogging withdrawals.

Do you think the train will make any junking stops?

A 24 hour trip calls for some extra room to spread out, so we decided to splurge on a sleeper cabin.

We'll take the ferry to Victoria for a few days.

After a week of shopping, eating, relaxing, visiting with family, more shopping and more eating, we'll be travelling back home the same way we rolled in. I sure hope we're still speaking to each other.

Not Your Average Chicken Feeder

2012-01-14T13:46:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I have to take an object and turn it upside down, inside out, hang it on a wall, or turn it on its side to figure out what it should become.

I rescued this rusty green chicken feeder from the Alameda Antiques Faire a few weeks ago. The painted table top/drawer is now resting comfortably on my desk and it's doing a great job holding papers. After cleaning out the loose rust and spraying it with a coat of clear matte acrylic sealer....

It finally ended up on its side.

I pulled out my stash of glass tubes, added water and flowers,

then snuggled them inside the chicken feeder. I cut up some old sheet music pages using a paper cutter (much faster than doing it with scissors). A shredder would work also, but you'll end up with much finer pieces. The tubes stay firmly in place with the help of the shredded paper.

Move over chickens!

Hardware Jewelry Creations

2012-01-10T15:23:00.000-08:00

So far my new strategy for 2012 is working. Instead of putting all my new treasures away where they belong, I've been trying to keep them in plain sight for a while. I'm much more likely to get something put together if I can see what I have to work with.

These are a few of the jewelry creations I made with bits and pieces from my New Year's Day Treasure Hunt. Now I need to get busy with the stuff in the garage.

This batch of jewelry was made with two of the doorknob plates, a drawer handle plate, and some of the watch faces (not pictured). I already used a couple of the curtain rings. One of the drawer handle plates was too thick and it snapped in half when I tried to bend it for a bracelet. I guess I'll be using the other piece in a different project.

I didn't glue the M from the vintage typewriter because I want to be able to personalize it.

This door knob hole is a bit heavier than the other one and has a worn paint finish. I sprayed the front and back with three coats of matte acrylic sealer. I added an old watch face to the center hole and topped it off with a rhinestone from an old necklace.

I didn't glue in the typewriter key, so this brooch can also be personalized.

This drawer handle plate was much easier to bend and shape. I cleaned it up with some #0000 steel wool and gave it a good spraying. I covered up the holes by slightly bending two watch faces to conform to the shape and then glued them on each end using E6000. After gluing the larger watch face on top, I added a lace edge setting and a vintage typewriter key.

Back side. You can see how the large holes are covered by the watch faces. I punched smaller holes closer to each end for attaching the chain.

The "B" typewriter key is permanently glued in.....Yep, I'm keeping this one for myself.

I'm not sure how long my strategy will work. When things start to look too cluttered I'll have to go back to my old ways of keeping my supplies out of sight and out of mind.

I'm linking up my jewelry projects with:
My Repurposed Life for Catch as Catch Can,
Funky Junk Interiors for Friday Nite Special,
At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday,
The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursday

Good Things Come in Threes

2012-01-08T08:06:00.000-08:00

I just had to ~~show off~~ brag about these treasures I was lucky enough to win in three awesome giveaways. It's always such a treat to receive a package in the mail with my name on it. I felt like it was my birthday.....eight months early. The generosity of my blogging friends never ceases to amaze me.

I was thrilled to win this gorgeous Union Jack pillow and Annie Sloan Chalk Paint apron from Robyn Story Designs in a giveaway hosted by Kim at Savvy Southern Style.

It's so soft and fluffy.

I think I'll have to wear an apron over this apron because I'm such a messy painter and I don't want to mess this up.

It was like Christmas all over again when I went through the box of goodies sent to me by Loretta and James from At Home with Loretta.

Look at all these goodies. Christmas towels, stocking hangers, appointment book, notebook, journal, pencils, and lots of candy.

The package is empty because I can't resist caramel. I was kind enough to share one with each son, but the rest were mine, all mine.

I love these jars from Vanna at Delusions of Grandeur. I had them filled up the day after I received them.

I'm always looking for ways to keep myself organized. Jar #1 contains gold and silver metal buttons, #2 bits and pieces of vintage lace, #3 is full of creamy white buttons.

They're right at home on the painted white shelf I purchased last month.

A bigTHANK YOU to Kim, Robyn, Loretta, and Vanna.
I love all my treasures.

New Year's Day Treasure Hunt

2012-01-04T08:43:00.000-08:00

What a great way to start off the new year! Since My Dreamy Start to 2012 fell through, I decided to spend the day out at the Alameda Point Antiques Faire to do a little treasure hunting. I think it had been almost a year since my last visit, so I took my time and spent almost seven hours walking, shopping, visiting with friends, and eating....a lot of eating.

The beautiful San Francisco skyline directly across the bay from the antiques faire. It was a little hazy and chilly when I took this picture around 7:45am, but it turned out to be a gorgeous winter day in the high 60's.

When will I ever learn to carry an extra camera battery? It died on me after just a few pictures.

This space was full of beautiful sea shells and coral.

I never considered buying this old cash register, but I was loving the detail and patina. The dealer told me it took four people to lift it off his truck.

My purchases.....

I'm really trying to keep from filling up the other half of my garage, so I behaved myself and limited my purchases to items that don't take up a lot of space.

I'm a sucker for old frames, especially the round and oval ones. These two will eventually get a chalkboard or burlap insert.

The chippy hand painted black box is actually the top of a little old table; the opening at the top is where the drawer used to be. I got it for next to nothing because the bottom (back side) is falling apart. I think it will be perfect for holding papers after I glue it back together. I liked the rusty green paint on the small chicken feeder.

A small stash of rhinestones.

Typewriter keys and the sweetest little pieces of lace.

These will keep me busy for a long time.

I'm always happy to find old hardware to repurpose.

My first necklace of 2012.
I used one of the curtain rings, a watch case filled with pearls, watch fob, and an unidentified little gadget.

I'm sharing my treasure hunt finds with:

The Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday,
From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday,
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday, and
2805 for Potpourri Friday

A Dreamy Start to 2012

2011-12-31T08:13:00.001-08:00

I thought about making a New Year's resolution to stay away from Pinterest Land. I thought about it long and hard for a whole five seconds and then decided against it. Maybe I'll rethink it again for 2013 if my plan to allocate five minutes every now and then doesn't work. My plan goes into effect tomorrow, so for now I can still dream about a perfect way to spend the first day of 2012 courtesy of Pinterest.

In my dream this is where I'll be spending New Year's Eve.

The Travel Enthusiast

This looks like a good place for a nice dinner.
I'm sure they have a dress code, so I'll need something to wear.

Four Seasons

It wasn't easy shopping for something sparkly that's age appropriate.
I think this might do, but I'm hoping it comes in black.

Marie Claire

This isn't my every day style, but I need something fancy schmancy to go with my dress. This Edwardian garland diamond and platinum necklace will work if they let me borrow it.

TMW Jewels

This little hotel on the French Riviera will be the only hotel available. Darn, a two week minimum stay is required. Looks like I'll have to settle in.

Concierge

January 1st will start out with breakfast at a sweet little cafe.

Vintage Home

Early morning shopping at a Paris flea market is next.

Oh Happy Day

Browsing through the antique stores will be fun.

European Antique Market

A quick stop for nourishment before more shopping.

Facebook

I'll make time to shop for after Christmas bargains.

Decorating with Sheets

I have to leave time to explore the charming neighborhoods.

French Larkspur

I'll explore until the sun sets.

My French Country Home

This restaurant will be a nice quiet place to relax after a long day.

Sunsurfer

What a day!

Daily Contributor

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and blessed 2012.

May all of your dreams come true.

Some of My 2011 Favorites

2011-12-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday celebration. It was sure nice to get away for Christmas this year and enjoy this special time with family and friends. I spent an extra two days at my mom's house so we could get in some good quality junkin' time together. Now that I'm back home, I'm trying to get the house put back together again and prepare for another round of visitors.

With everything that's going on this week, I thought it would be a perfect time to share some of my favorite posts from 2011. Just click on the title to bring you to the original post. Hope you enjoy them....again.

Repurposed Yardsticks
I turned my yardstick collection and some old hooks into hanging racks

Visions of Spring Repurposed Jewelry
(most viewed)
Bits and pieces of vintage jewelry, keys, and rhinestones

New Life for a Tired Old Camera
Jewelry created from this beat up old Brownie camera

Upcycled Old Sewing Machine
How I turned this rusty old sewing machine into a necklace and bracelet

New Life for Tired Old Linens

A tutorial on how to turn old linens into pretty new hangers

Precious to Me: Nana's Quilt

My grandmother's crazy quilt

Under the Sea Weekend Finds
An instant shell collection

Chalkboard Books
A tutorial on how to turn inexpensive books into little chalkboards

Button Love

My vintage button collection

Repurposed Folding Rulers
(most comments)
Old folding rulers meet a salvaged cabinet door

I hope you're all enjoying this last week of 2011. Even though Christmas is behind us, there's still so much happening this week. I'm really looking forward to getting my creative groove back in January:-)

A Pause on the Path for Best of 2011 Blog Hop

A Touch of Sparkle

2011-12-23T07:31:00.000-08:00

One more day! Are you finished with your shopping, wrapping, cleaning, cooking, decorating? My shopping is finally finished, but wrapping is still in progress. Cleaning is on hold until next week because we're not hosting Christmas this year, and I'm still cooking up a few side dishes to share. Decorating was the first thing I finished this year because I only put out about half of what I normally do.

I thought I'd share a couple of jeweled Christmas decorations I made about ten years ago. The tree is just a Styrofoam base that I wrapped in silver ribbon. I used silver spray paint on my first pathetic attempt and then watched it disintegrate right before my eyes. Oh well, the silver ribbon looks much better. I attached bits and pieces of vintage jewelry, then filled in with loose stones and colored push pins.

This tree is usually one element of a much larger centerpiece on our Christmas dining room table. Since I'm not hosting Christmas dinner this year, I found a new spot on a small end table to display my vintage jewelry tree. The cloche is a recent purchase and the antique mirrored tray came from an estate sale several years ago.

For my wreath, I wrapped the Styrofoam base in gold ribbon and used hot glue to attach the green, gold, and white jewels. In this picture the wreath is hung on an old cast iron mirror stand.

I took a picture of it in two different locations and finally settled on this one....

It's a perfect fit right in the center of this chippy old arched window.

I could easily become addicted to making these if I didn't use all my stray jewelry pieces for other projects. Now I save up what I don't use in my repurposed jewelry creations and pass them on to my mom. She's now the jeweled tree and wreath queen.

Wishing you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Let's Go Shopping

2011-12-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

I really should have been working on other things and concentrating on my "to do" list on Friday instead of playing at Room With a Past in Walnut Creek. This awesome store is only open four days a month, so I had to seize the opportunity when opportunity knocked. It was my first visit to this location, and I have to say I like it even better than their sister store, Paris Flea Market in Livermore.

Love the polka dot seat on this pretty pink bike. Too bad it wasn't parked in the right direction because the finger took me on a little detour down the street.

The entire store was packed full of vintage treasures with just the right amount
of holiday decor mixed in.

This gorgeous swag is made from book pages with sewing pattern flowers added to each end.

I knew it was time to settle in and get comfortable once I discovered these tasty treats; I can't shop on an empty stomach. Does being on a sugar high make you spend more money?

Burlap and silver.....always a good combination.

Piles of vintage ornaments all ready to be wheeled out.

Aren't those lampshades adorable?

This 4' tall shelf with two curved drawers on the bottom spoke to me.

It spoke very loud.

I've been looking for something narrow enough to fit in a small space in my studio. This was perfect because it's only 11" deep. Can't wait to get it all loaded up with goodies.

How many of us had this same house? It sure brings back good memories.

Now you know where to buy your angel wings.

I almost bought the large framed French map above the mantel. Glad I passed on it because it would have been too big for the space I had in mind.

I wish I had room for this.
I wish I had room for everything.
I'm proud of myself for having so much self control.

Invisible Vintage Holiday Towels

2011-12-14T07:50:00.001-08:00

I hung up my sweet vintage holiday hand towels a few weeks ago and had a good laugh as I thought about the last time I saw them. I've been hanging these "just look, don't you dare use them" towels in a corner of my laundry room/half bathroom for years.

Every December I remove the vintage towels that hang here during the year and replace them with these cross stitch towels my mom made in the early 50's. The stitching and thread color is like new and the little rhinestone she added at the top is still holding on. I love them just the way they are.

I wasn't laughing at the wrinkles that will not iron out.

I wasn't laughing at the stain or the stiffness from the old starch. I was

laughing at myself. Questioning my sanity, or at least my eyesight.

The last time my friend Pam and her daughter Leah were here, they both commented on my pretty towels. There was a friendly sarcasm in their comment which soon turned to laughter. They weren't laughing at the towels I usually have hanging there, they were laughing at my Merry Christmas and Happy New Year towels because....

it was March. Not early March, but late March and way past the legal grace period for taking down holiday decorations. I use this room every day and clean it on a regular basis (I do, I really do). They weren't hanging there because I was procrastinating about putting them away, they were still hanging there because I never noticed them. How scary is that?

I asked my sons and Mr. MST about them, but they just thought I wanted them there. After all these years they've learned not to question my decorating decisions.

Repurposed Folding Rulers

2011-12-09T10:13:00.001-08:00

I love it when I'm able to finish a project using only what I have in my ever growing stash of stuff. Is it possible to have too many folding rulers? In my case, yes. I had at least a dozen vintage rulers sitting around doing nothing. Some of them were formed into various shapes including stars, but a few of them were calling out for a new life.

'Tis the season

This door came off of a little cabinet I picked up at a garage sale for next to nothing at least a year ago. I seem to remember that it was the only part I was able to salvage.

The rulers were easy to cut with this coping saw, but I had to use a hacksaw for the metal ruler.

I painted the door with Duck Egg chalk paint and used a dark stain over the top. The dark stain makes it look greener, which was the look I wanted. A light pencil mark in the center made it easier to keep the rulers centered.

I left the ends alone on the longer pieces and rounded off the edges with sandpaper on the cut ends.

Of course I had to top it off with a vintage rhinestone button. It looks much more sparkly in person.

A little greenery, tiny vintage ornaments and a rhinestone brooch add a little sparkle to the knob.

I'm linking up my folding ruler Christmas tree with these festive parties:

Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special,

Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday,

Under the Table and Dreaming for Sunday Showcase Party,

Dittle Dattle for Amaze Me Monday,

My 1929 Charmer and Oasis Accents for Sunday's Best,

Centsational Girl for Holiday Link Parties,

I Can't Stop Crafting for Head-to-Head Showdown,

Space46 for A Pinteresting Link Party

Thank You for your Beautiful Creations

2011-12-08T12:34:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited to share a couple of gorgeous creations I recently received from two very talented blogging friends.

I was the lucky winner of this stunning rose pin from Dana at Lambs and Ivy Designs. Dana creates the most amazing French ribbonwork flowers and turns them into jewelry and accessories. You can check out more of Dana's beautiful creations in her Lambs and Ivy Designs Etsy shop.

Wouldn't this be so pretty on a denim jacket? Can't wait to wear this Dana.
Thank you!

Then...

I was so pleasantly surprised yesterday to receive this beautiful handmade ornament from my friend Marsha at Tattered Chick (aka Sassy Mini Dolls). Marsha's Etsy shop is also full of her fabulous handmade treasures.

This is so precious. I love the texture of the antiqued paper and the sweet face on this little girl. I'm hanging this in my work space so I can enjoy it all day long.
Thank you so much Marsha!

A Jolly Good Weekend in the Vineyards

2011-12-05T11:28:00.001-08:00

The back roads of Livermore, California were alive with wine tasters and shoppers this past weekend for Holidays in the Vineyards, their annual wine country tradition. This was the fourth year I participated as a vendor at Big White House Winery, John Evan Cellars.

A family owned winery located located at the end of a small two lane road in Livermore's wine country.

Gorgeous views of the vineyards...

Just as the road comes to an end.....

....the party begins. Each of the six vendors had a table set up in the tasting room. Once again, my table was located just under the hanging Christmas Tree; I was sure tempted to hang necklaces all over it.

The walls of the tasting room are lined with paintings created by Laura Marion, sister of co-owner, John Evan Marion.

Standing room only.

It was hard to get a good shot of my display because of the large window directly behind the table. I actually needed sunglasses inside!

Even these sweeties were enjoying their day in the sun.

"Yes Ma'am, I'll smile and pose for a treat."

Malibu, Angie, Gizmo, and Gene Autry were visiting from 1luckydogrescue
in Pleasanton.

I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Now that my show schedule has come to an end for the year, I really need to get busy with a little holiday decorating and shopping. It seems like I get started later and later every year. Oh well, it all gets done eventually.

Trash to Treasure Clocks

2011-12-01T07:16:00.001-08:00

I'm seeing galvanized metal everywhere these days. Even though I'm much more traditional in my decorating style, this look has really been growing on me......fast. I wouldn't want an entire house full of it, but a little here and there seems to blend with any decor. I love all the industrial and rustic storage containers I'm seeing. Galvanized buckets have been used for holding just about anything, fabulous light fixtures are everywhere, and prices around here have skyrocketed for the larger and older storage pieces.

I was lucky to find a couple of inexpensive galvanized metal pieces that were hiding on the patio area of an antique store. I had to dig for them, but the effort was well worth it....

I think this might have originally been used for holding small potted plants. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it at first, so I got busy with some #0000 steel wool and was able to remove most of the rust. I love rust in the right places, but this just looked dirty.

Rhinestones always have a way of making things look better. I don't even mind that some of these buttons and earrings are missing rhinestones. It even keeps perfect time! Notice the time? I couldn't resist doing what they always do in the jewelry stores.

I bought a couple of these little clock kits at Michael's. They didn't come with directions, but it doesn't take much to figure them out. I drilled a 1/4" hole in the metal and then poked the clock through the back. The brass hardware made me a little crazy, so after the mechanism was in place, I painted it black with a little acrylic paint. Too bad I couldn't get rid of those horizontal lines in the metal.

The clock mechanism is now attached to what was the rusty tray bottom.

Self supporting.
With rhinestones instead of numbers, it can also stand on its side and be
displayed vertically.

This was ready for a makeover also. I think it was originally a sign holder/plant marker from a nursery.

It still looks right at home in this potted plant. I used white glue to attach a piece of thick scrapbooking paper to the front, and then used E6000 to keep the vintage silver buttons firmly in place.

(the plant doesn't really look this bad in person)

A perfect fit. I was happy I didn't have to drill through two layers of metal.

I'm not sure where the final resting place will be for this one. I might put it back in this plant after Christmas, or maybe I'll find a perfect spot on a wall.

Antique Store Adoption

2011-11-27T07:15:00.001-08:00

Happy post-Thanksgiving to all. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday celebration. I was still enjoying the leftovers on Saturday, but decided to call it quits when I ran out of my broccoli cheese casserole. My hand is healing nicely after a knife wound I accidently inflicted on myself while trying to remove the foil from the top of a wine bottle. Note to self: In the future, use a foil cutter thingie or just skip this step altogether. It's always something....at least I got out of dish duty.

I was hoping to get in some good yard sale therapy this weekend, but no such luck. Instead of the yard sales, I got re-acquainted with some of the goodies I found at an antique store a couple of weeks ago. It was almost like discovering them for the first time.

What do you get when you cross a sweet little metal tray.....

and a funny looking metal sculpture thing?

You get this cutie patootie vintage TV tray.

The tray slips through the metal slats on each side.

It even does what any good TV tray should do; it folds up flat for easy storage.

What could be better than one sweet little TV tray?

Twins! I spotted the first one set up and loaded with dishes; the price tag was for the pair. What pair? After a quick look around, I found her sister folded up and all ready to come home with me. I'm convinced they were such a bargain because the dealer thought a little rust was a bad thing. I would have bought the entire family if they were available, but I'm happy to have these two cuties.

I'm bringing my vintage TV trays over to these parties:

Charm Bracelet Diva for Club G.W.,
Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday,
Knick of Time for Knick of Time Tuesday,
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday,
Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday

Give Thanks

2011-11-20T16:57:00.001-08:00

I have so many things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. It's so easy for me to get caught up in my every day routine by busying myself with things that need to get done, and then wondering why I didn't get through my written or mental list at the end of the day. Two steps forward and one step back. That's fine with me, at least it's progress.

Tomorrow our home will start to fill up with friends and relatives. Some will be spending the night, and some will be travelling back home after a full day of food and fun. I won't get through everything on my "to do" list, someone will be making a last minute trip to the grocery store, something is sure to get over cooked, and during dinner I'll be the only one to notice a stray spider web on the dining room ceiling. I know that nothing will ever be perfect, so I promise to be good and not sweat the small stuff. I'm just going to enjoy the day and give thanks.....lots of thanks!

Hope you enjoy the Give Thanks inspiration I found on Pinterest this week. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Annie's Eats

That's My Letter

It's the Little Things That Make a House a Home

TaterTots and Jello

At Second Street

The Gathering Place Design

Uncommon

Resurrection Fern

Pure and Noble

A Diamond in the Stuff

Dear Lillie

Pottery Barn Kids

Domestic Adventure

Norman Rockwell

Wishing everyone a blessed Thanksgiving!!

Jewelry from Bits and Pieces of Little Treasures

2011-11-16T19:10:00.001-08:00

I've been on a jewelry making marathon all week long trying to gear up for another craft show this weekend. This will be three weekends in a row now, so I'm real close to making jewelry in my sleep. These are a few of the pieces I've been playing with this week.....

I found two of these ornate brass doorknob escutcheons along with the matching key plates on Etsy. I added a watch face with a little rhinestone to the center hole, and then surrounded it with rhinestones from an old bracelet.

What's that funny looking piece the clip-on earring (top necklace) is attached to?

That metal thingie with the bead hanging from it is a garter clip. They make a mean bracelet too!

What pulley would be complete without rhinestones?

My typewriter key stash is getting a little low, so why not make good use out of the other parts. These were made from the metal margin/platen scale. I cut one inch pieces using heavy duty metal snips and then rounded out the sharp edges with my Dremel grinding bit.

Locks and watch parts are always a good combination. The one on the left still has its working key attached. You just never know when you'll need to lock something up.

Here's one of the matching key plates. I kind of like it sideways.

I'm linking up my repurposed jewelry with:

Antique German Sampler

2011-11-14T07:22:00.001-08:00

My craft show didn't start until noon last weekend, so when it came down to sleeping in or getting out to a few yard sales, the sales won out. I found this really interesting 15" x 18" sampler and even took the time to get some history on it from the owner.

She was a little confused on some of the details, but told me that it represented five generations of her friend's family from Germany. Her friend was the daughter of the couple appearing on the top line (Pelma and Mantz), the names are difficult to read. She actually brought out a portrait of her friend's mother and a plate with the portrait transferred on it. No, she wasn't interested in selling the portrait or the plate; at least I tried.

Pardon the funny color of these pictures. My light was getting bad inside and outside. The sampler actually has more of a very light coffee colored background.

I took it out of the frame so I could get some better pictures without my reflection. I was going to take it out anyway just to get the money that was hidden inside (I wish).

The family crest.

It's such a shame that it has this stain right in the middle.

The fine detail of the stitching is gorgeous.

I'm going to put it back in its frame for now and just enjoy this beautiful work of art.

This cross stitch was waiting for me at another sale. It's not as old or detailed, but a new mat and frame will give it some real charm.

I'm linking up my needlework finds with:

Charm Bracelet Diva for Club G.W.

Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday,

Knick of Time for Knick of Time Tuesday,

No Minimalist Here for Open House Party

A Simple Quilt Full of Wonderful Memories

2011-11-09T08:17:00.000-08:00

My mom has been sewing and making quilts for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, Mom was always at the sewing machine making clothes for us or for herself. She taught me how to sew at a very young age, and she even gave sewing lessons to some of my friends.

During the 60's she started making quilts from bits and pieces of leftover fabric. Along with a group of ladies from the church, they would make dozens and dozens of these simple quilts to send to children in remote regions of the world. I remember asking her why they didn't just buy blankets...shame on me for not realizing how special these were.

The back of the quilt is folded over on the right side.

I could comment on almost all of these little squares, but that would get too long. These are just a few of the fabric squares I remember so well.....

My first pair of bell bottoms.

More bell bottoms. Oh, how I loved them!

This was one of my favorite dresses, especially when I wore it with my daisy sandals.

These lovely apples belonged to my sister. I can still see the picture of her with the puffy little sleeves.

I see an owl.

These two were muumuus. My mom made a lot of them for herself.

Mom had a shorter dress made out of this pink and white stripe. We still have a picture of her in the dress with her black go-go boots.

I have no memory of ever wearing anything made out of these last four samples. I either erased them from my memory, or my younger sister was the victim.

I'm sure this quilt was originally meant for someone else. When my mom gave it to me so many years ago, she must have known how much I'd appreciate it some day.

I do, I do.

She's been perfecting her quilt making skills all these years and is still go strong.

I'm linking up my Memory Quilt with:

From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday,

The Coloradolady for Vintage Thingie Thursday,

Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday,

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday, and

2805 for Potpourri Friday.

Rescued and Repurposed Keys

2011-11-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I have enough keys in my jewelry making stash to open any door in town. Just when I thought it was safe to take them off of my "focus list," I discovered a bag of these at a yard sale....

I wish I knew what hospital they came from. I would love to get into those Diet Cabinets, the Diet Kitchen, maybe the Linen Room, and....what about the Doctor's Dressing Room? There's even a key tag (not pictured) that says "Penthouse." I think it was the most used of all the keys because the writing is so faded.

How could I resist....

The TelKey (pat. 1928) tags are made from some type of heavy duty card stock
with brass connectors.

Nurses Dressing Room

Work Room

Nurse's Office. A little faded, but still hanging in there after opening the door for years.

These were fun to decorate with vintage clip-on earrings and little rhinestones from old bracelets. You can click here to see my first batch of these from last spring.

They do double duty as necklaces by adding a chain through the attached bail.

Thank you all so much for your input on my last post: Should I Paint It? I decided to leave the drawers with the beautiful patina alone:-)

I'm linking up my repurposed keys with:

Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday,

Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special,

Dittle Dattle for Amaze Me Monday, and

Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Should I Paint It?

2011-11-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

I love this little three drawer cabinet. It's only 18" tall x 12" wide, sturdy enough to use as a stool, very heavy, and perfect for storing office supplies and my jewelry making tools. My mother's friend gave it to me a couple of years ago, but I never got the story about where it originally came from. I want to lighten it up with a fresh coat of paint, but then I started feeling guilty about covering up the beautiful old wood. Would you paint it, or leave it alone?

The three cast iron pulls are marked Pat. May 6, 1873 on the back.

It looks like someone already refinished it at some point. I never noticed the dripping varnish until I saw this picture. Might be time for new reading glasses.

Remnants of green paint on the bottom and sides. I sure wish it had its original paint.

Someone sure built this to last!
To paint, or not to paint?

Pinterest Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

I'm hooked on pumpkins; they're my favorite part of Halloween. I love them....all shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. I especially love all the decorated pumpkins I've been seeing on blogs and on Pinterest. I hope you enjoy my pumpkin patch courtesy of Pinterest and some very creative artists. Enjoy!

Perfectly Imperfect

Shanty 2 Chic

Better Homes & Gardens

Landee see, Landee do

A Diamond in the Stuff

Midwest Living

Alisa Burke

Better Homes and Gardens

The Swell Life

Eddie Ross

Martha Stewart

House of Hawthornes

Shabby Lane Shops

Good Housekeeping

Sunset Magazine

Johnny in a Dress

Martha Stewart

Womans's Day

Have a safe and happy Halloween.

Trading Stamp Jewelry Creations

2011-10-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

I can't help myself, I'm hooked on trading stamps. Since the redemption stores are a thing of the past, I'm feeling the need to keep the stamp alive. Who doesn't have a story to tell?

I combined these S and H green stamps with one of my favorite things: vintage typewriter keys. I just opened up the back and placed the stamp in front of the Shift Key paper.

How about a trading stamp bracelet? S and H, Blue Chip, Top Value, and Holden.

This trading stamp bracelet was made using a silver plated bracelet form and Diamond Glaze. I made some of these bracelets earlier this year using vintage maps. You can click here for the tutorial. Diamond Glaze can be a little tricky to work with, especially trying to keep the bubbles out. It's not really visible in these pictures, but the Top Value stamp dried with a couple of bubbles in it. I thought I was being so careful to make sure no bubbles were left behind, but they just had to sneak in there after it was dry. Darn!

More S and H Green Stamps set in vintage typewriter keys.

Ever since I started making jewelry with these old trading stamps, I can't believe all the stories I hear when people are shopping in my booth. Everyone has good memories of trips to the redemption store, but not such good memories of putting the stamps in the books. We had an entire drawer just for Blue Chip stamps and it was my job to put them in the books. Not a fun job even with a sponge.

I'm linking up my trading stamp jewelry over at these fabulous parties:

My Repurposed Life for Catch as Catch Can,

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday,

2805 for Potourri Friday,
The Vintage Farmhouse for Creative Things Thursday,
Quilted Cupcake for Thrifty Thursday,

Keeping it Simple for Motivate Me Monday, and

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating for Flaunt it Friday

Uprinting Giveaway Winner

2011-10-26T08:53:00.000-07:00

Thank you all so much for entering the Uprinting giveaway.

The lucky winner of 100 5x7 personalized postcards is...........

Amy from Into Vintage.

Chosen by the True Random Number Generator

Congratulations Amy. I know you'll come up with a very creative idea for your postcards. I'd love to see your finished product after you receive them. Have fun!

Sue's Country Barn Sale

2011-10-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

Sue's Country Barn is open for business again! Sue only opens for a couple of weeks in April and October, so when those barn doors opened on Friday morning, I was there waiting. What a great way to start off the weekend. Once again the barn was packed full of fabulous treasures and eye candy in every corner.

A bathtub full of pumpkins and a rusty old bike greet you in front of the barn.

Another "hello" when you walk in.

Lots of fall decor.....

and timeless treasures......

Too cute. They look worried that they won't be adopted.

Love the chippy paint on these wall sconces.

Sue's Country Barn is located at 12607 E. Hwy 120 in Manteca, Ca. She'll be open daily from 10:00-5:00 through October 30th. Sorry, no website, blog, or email. You can click here for a peek at Sue's barn sale from last April.

I would have bought everything here if ~~money was no option~~ I wasn't so cheap. I sure had fun oohing and ahhing, but I've become so spoiled with yard sale prices. I almost left empty handed until I spotted this sitting outside full of dirt and grime....

I know, I know, it's still a mess in need of a major cleaning job, but it's the perfect metal storage piece I've been looking for. You can't tell from this picture, but the slots are at an angle when hung on a wall. I'm in the beginning stages of moving my work space into an upstairs bedroom and knew exactly where to hang it. So much for plan A. The cubbie is 5' long and the wall is 4'6". Unfortunately, it won't fit on any other wall because of the doors, windows, and cabinets. I'm determined to make this work in that spot, so now it's on to plan B. I hope it works!

I'm linking up my barn sale tour with:
Charm Bracelet Diva for Club G.W.,
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays,
Type A Decorating for Anything Goes Party

I Love a Good Church Parking Lot Sale

2011-10-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

I went out early on Saturday morning with my well organized list of yard sales. I didn't have a long list, but there were a few that looked promising. My plan of action literally took an illegal U-turn when I noticed what was going on in a church parking lot just a few blocks from my house. How did I miss this one on Craigslist and the newspaper?

Church sales around here always have the best prices and these folks obviously didn't want to pack up anything at the end of the day. Everything except the stereoscope/cards and hardware came from the church sale.

Don't the Shiny Brites look appetizing on the milk glass egg plate?

The milk glass cake plate, dishes, compote, floral frog, glass rolling pin (it's hiding under the cake plate) and clip on earrings all came home with me for less than the cost of a latte. I also bought a old wooden suitcase, but completely forgot about it when I was taking these pictures.

On to a few other sales....

Two porcelain black doorknobs and the chippy old hardware to match.

I almost passed on this antique stereoscope with 22 Biblical Keystone cards. The little slider thingy that holds the cards in place was missing, so the nice lady made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

I went back for one more round at the church sale before coming home. I found a humongous roll of packing foam for $1; very useful, but not picture worthy. Knowing that they were practically giving things away, this was worth a closer look.....

1963 Mattel in great condition. So different from anything I usually bring home, but so much fun taking a trip down memory lane. I had the Barbie and Ken case in red.

The famous bathing suit and shoes. Very cool glasses Barb!

Her messy closet was packed full.

One of the ladies helping out at the sale, pointed to the table and informed me that Ken went along with the case. I took one look at him and decided to leave him behind because he was missing a limb. After I got home I noticed these in one of the drawers....

So sorry Ken. Poor guy, his shoes aren't even the same size.

I'm linking up my vintage finds with:

ColoradoLady for Vintage Thingie Thursday,

Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday,

From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday,

The Thrifty Groove for Thrifty Things Friday,

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday, and

2805 for Potpourri Friday

Uprinting 100 Postcard Giveaway

2011-10-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

I was recently contacted by Uprinting to offer one of my readers a chance to win 100 personalized postcards. Wouldn't you love it? Think of all the possibilities, especially this time of the year. What a perfect way to send your holiday greeting cards, party invitations, or to promote your business. Uprinting is a leader in the online printing industry and postcard printing is just one of many products available. You can either upload your own file or create your design online. Phone support is available and live chat is just a click away.

The winner will receive 100 postcards

5" x 7"

14pt gloss cardstock

no folding

front only printing

2 business days print turnaround time

free shipping

Giveaway is limited to US residents 18 years of age and older. Winners are allowed to win only once over a six month period.

You'll have two chances to win:

1) Leave me a comment on this post telling me what you'd like to have printed on your postcards. You can always change your mind later if you come up with another fabulous idea.

2) Like/follow Uprinting on Facebook or Twitter. Be sure to come back and leave me a separate comment.

That's it!!

Please make sure I have an easy "one click" way to reach you. I will also need to provide your name and email to Uprinting so they can contact you to claim your prize. The Uprinting postcard giveaway will end at 6:00pm PST on Tuesday, October 25. I will announce the winner on October 26.

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by Uprinting. No monetary compensation was given and I will receive a postcard for hosting.

Pleasanton Antique Faire Fun

2011-10-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

I was a vendor at three antique shows over the past four weekends and feel so thankful that our weekend weather cooperated. Last week we had several days of mid-week rain, so putting up with a little fog and chilly morning temperatures at the Pleasanton Antique Faire on Sunday was fine with me. Even though the attendance was noticeably down from previous shows, I never had time to do any shopping or stray too far from my booth. Oh well, shopping is much more fun when I can give it my full attention.

This old washboard found a new home early in the day. I drilled holes on both sides of the frame and screwed in two brass drawer pulls that stick out about an inch from the frame. I glued a vintage flower brooch to the top and put two hooks on the back.

A few key necklace creations.

I bought this frame, tissue box, and pretty little soap dish at an estate sale the day before. The picture in the frame is from a large collection of vintage fashion magazines I bought a few months ago.

This fashion magazine picture was a perfect fit in the long frame. October is never to early to put out Christmas ornaments, or maybe I should call these "gazing balls."

These lovely ladies were my new neighbors.

Debbie and Linda from The Paris Flea Market in Livermore.
They were so much fun and I'm hoping they return to the same spot in May. The warehouse-shop is full of collectibles, furnishings, accessories, vintage clothing, and more! The Paris Flea Market has a sister shop, Room With a Past, located in Walnut Creek. Both shops are open just four fabulous days each month, so be sure to check out their websites for sale dates and shop hours.

Look at this amazing booth. You'd never know it was their first time setting up at a street fair.

Our booths were back-to-back and I had a hard time keeping my eyes off their treasures.

As much as I love doing the outdoor antique shows, I'm really looking forward to a much needed break. My show schedule for the rest of the year consists of four indoor shows with just one table to set up and no weather worries. Yes!

I'm linking up with:

I'm a Happy Giveaway Winner

2011-10-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

I was happy to be the lucky winner of two giveaways recently, so I wanted to send out a big THANK YOU to Jana and Amy.

All these goodies are from Jana's 300 followers giveaway at Collected Treasures.

This fun assortment of little treasures will keep me busy for a long time.

Adorable little vintage cards, envelopes, and buttons.

Game tickets, quilt pieces, ribbon, and the sweetest smelling lavender.

These beautiful damask flocked note cards are from Amy's Etsy shop, Rational Designs. Amy's shop is full of beautiful cards in different styles and colors. Thank you Lori (Pretty Things) for sponsoring this giveaway.

I've already used two of the cards.

Thank you so much Jana and Amy!!

Button Love

2011-10-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to remember the moment when I first realized I was a button hoarder. I've always had an ample supply of buttons hanging around, but somewhere along the line it got to the point where I had to start doing something with them. I started sorting them, making jewelry, and selling them by the jar. These little beauties are so small and they fit neatly inside drawers, jars, trays, and bowls. They're never in my way, no one is planning an intervention, and I'm not tripping over them, so maybe I should just call myself a button collector instead.

I'm certainly not an expert, but I am addicted to them....

Celluloid, plastic, wood, and metal.

Coat buttons. These make a great base for layered button brooches.

Most of these are vegetable ivory, also known as Tagua nut.

Look at all this color. Fabric buttons are perfect for making bracelets. They're lightweight and stand up to being knocked around.

I keep these colorful plastic buttons sorted by color.

These are good for seasonal jewelry.

Metal buttons are also great for bracelets. My favorites are the little cut steel and picture buttons in the top part of the tray.

A platter of silver and gold metal.

A few military buttons.

I love mother of pearl buttons and the way they look displayed in jars. I keep them separated by size, color, carvings, and shanks.

Brown, white, and black plastic. You never know when one of these might come in handy.

Colored and clear glass buttons.

Black glass and gold luster in all different shapes and sizes.

Rhinestones and carved acrylic.

Bakelite

Assortment of metal and picture buttons

A little bit of everything.

I'm linking up my button collection with these fun parties:
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground,
Potpourri Friday at 2805,
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home,
Flaunt it Friday at Chic on a Shoestring Decorating.

Chalkboard Molding

2011-10-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

I was so happy to find this six foot long piece of heavy oak molding while I was out junking a few weeks ago. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but finally decided to paint it and make it into a sign. I couldn't make up my mind on what I wanted it to say, so I decided to take advantage of my recent chalkboard paint obsession.....

Now it can say something new every day.

I taped off the inside and painted the top and bottom with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I used Old White as a base coat, Old Ochre as a top coat, and then used a clear wax.

I taped off the top and bottom and used a black spray primer (Rust-Oleum automobile primer because that's all I had). Then I sprayed on two coats of chalkboard paint.

Before

After

I wish I had a seaside cottage!!

It would look so much better hung in a permanent location, but now I can't make up my mind if it will be living with me or making its way into my booth for the antique show on Sunday.

Update: It didn't last long at the antique show yesterday. Seller's remorse set in soon after, but I feel good that the man who bought it was going to use it as a welcome sign for his upcoming family reunion. I like that idea.

Join me over at these awesome parties:

Under the Table and Dreaming for Sunday Showcase Party,

Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday,

Keeping it Simple for Motivate Me Monday,

Boogie Board Cottage for Masterpiece Monday,

Type A for Anything Goes Party, and

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays

Under the Sea Weekend Finds

2011-09-27T06:14:00.000-07:00

I wasn't too enthusiastic about the few yard sales on my list for Saturday morning, but you never know unless you try, right? My first stop was completely unexpected as I drove by several people setting up tables in an empty parking lot. I quickly weeded through a few tables of toys, dusty dried flowers, and old clothes. Then I spotted these....

An entire basket of them just waiting for a new home. Two of the coral pieces are 11-12" wide, heavy, and very fragile.

An instant collection.

I didn't notice this tiny starfish until I got home.

A sea horse was clinging to the same piece of coral.

This gorgeous Trumpet Triton is 13" long.

Look what was clinging to another big piece of coral. No, not really, but they sure look good together. I found the vintage brooches at the next sale along with the easel in the last picture.

The cast iron basket is from the same parking lot sale. It's not old, but how could I resist for 25 cents; plastic flowers and all. The tray, creamer, and aluminum pitcher were from another sale.

My last find of the day was this 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" signed oil painting. I love the pretty winter scene and beautiful colors, but not the blond frame. I think these two will look great together after a paint job.

I'm linking up and sharing my treasures with:

Charm Bracelet Diva for Club G.W.,

2805 for Potpourri Friday,

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays,

Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday,

No Minimalist Here for Open House Party,

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Chalkboard Books

2011-09-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

I picked up some 1975-1983 Reader's Digest Condensed Books at an antique shop a few months ago for just $2.00 each. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them, so I stashed them away until inspiration hit while I was using chalkboard paint on another project.

This one is decorated with a vintage mother of pearl buckle and buttons, then topped off with an old clip on earring.

These Reader's Digest books make perfect specimens for chalkboards. They're inexpensive, easy to find, they're thick and stand up easily, the front covers are smooth, and they're guilt free....you can still read them.

I taped off the front and used a paper towel to cover up the back and sides. I sprayed on one coat of black primer and two coats of Rust-Oleum chalkboard paint.

I cut the trim about 3" longer than the book and then used my finger to apply regular ol' Elmer's glue directly to the trim. I wrapped it around the inside on both ends and put a piece of wax paper under the front cover to keep the glue from sticking to the first page.

The metallic silver rosette used to be a shoe clip. I added a vintage earring to the center and another rhinestone earring to the bottom of the rosette.

Since there's not a lot of room for writing, wouldn't several of these look good together with just one letter on each book? I'm off to tackle the other two.

I'm linking up my chalkboard books with:
My Repurposed Life for Catch as Catch Can,
Under the Table and Dreaming for Sunday Showcase Party,
Dittle Dattle for Amaze Me Monday,
Boogie Board Cottage for Masterpiece Monday,
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday, and
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures,
Brambleberry Cottage and Homemaker on a Dime for Creative Bloggers' Party and Hop,
Decor to Adore for Fall in Love with your Home

Mes Amis Antique Show - What a Day!

2011-09-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

It was a fun-filled day on Saturday for the Mes Amis Antique Show in Roseville thanks to Sandy from The Olive and Rose. The weather was gorgeous and there was a steady stream of happy shoppers all day. Once again, I was so busy and never had time to come up for air until late in the day. I miss not being able to get out to visit other vendors, but being busy is a good thing!

It's always a treat to have plenty of room to spread out.

This is my Adjust-O-Matic friend I bought a few months ago. I just can't seem to part with her, so I'll be using her for display. She has a stand, but I thought it would be a bad idea to use it outside; don't want her hitting the pavement after a gust of wind.

My S & H Green Stamp necklaces were a big hit. I'll be listing some of these in my Etsy shop as soon as I can get some decent pictures. I'm having the hardest time photographing the convex glass.

A few of my treasures.....

....and more treasures. It was so nice to see my blogging friends again.
Marsha from Sassy Mini Dolls and

Courtney from French Country Cottage. I wish I had more time to visit with both of you.

This is Sandy's 1963 Shasta trailer. She did a fabulous job decorating the inside with beautiful vintage goodies.

Sandy and Annette set up shop right in front of the trailer.

A big THANK YOU to Sandy, her family, and her friends for making this show a huge success!

Antique Show Preparations

2011-09-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy the last couple of weeks with preparations for three antique shows over the next four weekends. I've been working out in the garage with pricing, packing, painting, and fixin' stuff up until it gets too hot out there, then I retreat to my more comfortable, but crowded inside work space for replenishing my jewelry inventory. These next few months are always really busy, but I love it and I love this time of year.

Tomorrow I'll be packing up (I wish I had room to bring everything) for the Mes Amis Vintage Antique Show. My friend Sandy Bryan of The Olive and Rose has put together this awesome show that will be held on Oak Street in downtown Roseville, Ca. this Saturday from 8:00am-4:00pm.

It looks like it will be a beautiful day on Saturday with temperatures in the mid 80's. What a great day for a drive, shopping, and visiting with friends. I wish you could all join us!!

Weekend Finds and More Projects

2011-09-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

Why do I keep bringing home strays that are in desperate need of repair or repurposing? My project pile is always out of control, so I've been trying to at least make an attempt to talk myself out of buying another project. I have a soft spot for anything that might look better with a fresh coat of paint, and when the price tag is too ~~cheap~~ inexpensive to pass up, it usually comes home with me.

This metal filing cabinet with six drawers was just too good to pass up. Even if I left it alone, it would be great for storing jewelry supplies, but I'd have to keep it hidden away in a closet. I think it deserves better treatment than that, so it's going on my chalk paint waiting list.

I spent about two seconds convincing myself to buy this heavy, solid oak, six foot long beauty. I can't wait to get a fresh coat of paint on this. I'm still not sure if I should make a sign, put hooks on it, or both.

What would you do?

This frame is marked 1979 on the back. I usually go for much older frames, but the detail on this one makes it another perfect candidate for a paint job.

These caught my eye just as I was giving up on finding any jewels to repurpose. The little basket is a clip on earring....too bad she only had one.

I love folding rulers.

Fortunately, not all projects take me so long to complete. A couple of adjustments made these rulers instant picture holders.

I'm linking up my weekend finds with:

Southern Hospitality for Today's Thrifty Treasures,

Charm Bracelet Diva for Club G.W.,

Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday,

From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday,

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday,

Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday

Chalk Paint Love

2011-09-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

I finally had a chance to try out the chalk paint I won in a giveaway last month....I love it! Yes, I'm happy to say that I'm no longer a chalk paint virgin. Now I understand what all the excitement has been about. I wanted to start with something small, so I picked through my stash of frames and came up with two perfect candidates.

Both of these frames used to be gold. They weren't a bright gold, just gold enough that they weren't selling. I have no idea what happened to the "before" pictures. I always delete them from my camera after uploading, and they're nowhere to be found on my computer.

I used Country Grey as a base coat and Old White for the top coat. I only have the clear wax, but now I'm thinking they need a little something extra to bring out the details. The dark wax is going on my list along with a few other colors.

It's hard to see all the distressing on the square frame, but it's there.

My next victim was this old metal tool box.

You wouldn't believe how much elbow grease it took to get rid of all the grease! I was amazed at how easy it was to paint. Before chalk paint, I would have just spray painted it.

I found this French graphic at The Graphics Fairy. Windows, hinges, pulls, handles of all kinds and styles.....not a perfect translation, but I thought it fit in with the tool box.

It took me several attempts on plain white paper to get the reduced size just right, 43% was perfect. Then I printed it on a patterned end page from an old book. I really like the subtle pattern and the natural yellowing of the edges.

It was so nice not to have to sand or prime before painting. The real test was painting the tool box and having the paint stay right where I put it. The inside of the box developed some rust spots after the paint was dry, waxed, and sanded. Oh well, a little rust is a good thing, right? After I get a few more colors and some dark wax, I'll be ready for a painting marathon.

I'm linking up my chalk paint projects with:

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday,

2805 for Potpourri Friday,

Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday,

My Repurposed Life for Catch as Catch Can,

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday,

My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday, and

Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday.

Decisions, Decisions! What to Uprint?

2011-09-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was the lucky winner of a giveaway from Tammy at Type A. Tammy was giving away a 16 x 20 printed rolled canvas from Uprinting. I was so excited to win, but couldn't figure out what I wanted to print. Should I print something as a gift for someone else? Where would I hang another piece of art in my home? What about a sports picture for one of my sons? Too many choices! Then an idea came to me in the middle of the night. Don't you just love those middle of the night ideas?

I decided to print something to use in my booth when I'm set up at the antique shows....my home away from home. I thought this would be a great way to showcase a variety of jewelry designs without taking up a lot of space. Even though most of these pieces have already sold, I thought this would be fun and interesting displayed in an old frame.

I chose twenty pictures of my repurposed jewelry creations and put them together in a collage; each picture is 4" x 4". Unfortunately, this "picture of a picture" really doesn't do it justice. In person, all of the pictures are crystal clear and almost three-dimenstional looking.

Now I'm on the hunt for a perfect frame!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend. I got back home early Sunday afternoon and this is how I spent my Friday afternoon......

Yep, I held out.

I have to admit that it was hard concentrating on my favorite magazine with this scenery in front of me.

We Have a Winner!!

2011-08-31T06:25:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to announce the winner of my Anniversary Inspiration Giveaway!! I'm sending out a big THANK YOU to all of my faithful friends and new friends for stopping by to enter. Thank you all so very much for your encouraging comments and support.

The winner is....... Michelle from Petite Michelle Louise.

Congratulations Michelle!!

A big THANK YOU to everyone who entered.

I'm heading off to beautiful Lake Tahoe tomorrow for the Labor Day weekend. I picked up my copy of Flea Market Style yesterday and promised myself not to peek until I'm firmly planted in the sand, in a beach chair, in the shade, and in full view of the lake. Do you think I can hold out? I hope everyone enjoys this last long weekend of the summer. Stay safe and have a great weekend.

Road Trip Repurposed Necklaces

2011-08-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

I love a good road trip, so I decided to do some travelling across the country this week. I started in California, worked my way down to Texas, up to Iowa and Wisconsin, and finally ended up in New York. I wish! What an adventure, but only in my dreams. I still had fun putting these necklaces together as I imagined myself stopping at every flea market, yard sale, and antique faire from California to New York.

Do you remember these cute mini license plate key chains? They were issued by the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) as a fund raiser from the early 1940's through the mid 1970's. They matched your car plates and if you lost your keys, they could be traced back to you if an honest person dropped them in a mailbox.

California

Texas 1957

Iowa 1960

Wisconsin 1942

Last stop: I Love New York 1954

There's one more necklace with a New York license plate, but I just couldn't get a good picture of it.

I'm excited to say that I've been busy with trying to get my new Etsy shop open....finally! It's been a slow process with everything else I've been working on, but hopefully I'll have the shelves stocked and the doors open in the next couple of weeks.

I'm linking up my Road Trip necklaces with:

Late in the Day Yard Sale Finds

2011-08-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I can be out the door early with a long list of yards sales to visit and still come home empty-handed. This was NOT the case on Friday. It was close to noon when I stopped at an estate sale not expecting to find too much. I was shocked to see so many goodies still unsold because their prices were so reasonable. It was nice to be able to move through the house without a big crowd and take my time picking out a few treasures. After the estate sale, I stopped at three other yard sales and still found some great stuff late in the day.

This is my absolute favorite find of the day. I love the patina and plan on leaving it just the way it is.

I didn't get a good picture of that lamp in the back, but what a deal it was! It's numbered and marked Italy on the bottom.

Lace, linens, and more linens. The white linen napkin in the center is one of a set of twelve.

A sweet acrylic box with a tray insert.

Lace collar and more bling. How could I pass up that necklace with thirty rhinestone beads?

I like the chippy finish on these candle holder sconces. Not crazy about the gold, but I'm thinking about just leaving them the way they are. They're not a bright gold and have just the right amount of patina.

This cute little pink tray was actually a purchase I made last month....it's been hiding in my garage. The silver tea pot and milk glass salt & pepper shakers are from a last minute stop on Friday. You never know what you're going to find late in the day and the prices are much better!

I'm linking up my yard sale finds with:

Southern Hospitality for Today's Thrifty Treasures,
Charm Bracelet Diva for Club G.W.
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrify Tuesday,
ColoradoLady for Vintage Thingie Thursday,
Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday,
From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday.

I'm a Happy Giveaway Winner

2011-08-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

The giveaway fairy has been so good to me lately. It's so exciting to open an email that starts out with "Congratulations." I love it!!

First, I was the lucky winner of Linda's giveaway at Coastal Charm. This very generous giveaway was offered by Martha at KateCreativeSalvage.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

I won two quarts of paint, one can of wax, a wax brush, and a clay knob and tag from Martha's Etsy shop.

I'm really looking forward to receiving my paint and attacking my first project.

Thank you so much Linda and Martha.

My next surprise email came from Tammy at Type A. I was the lucky winner of her giveaway from UPrinting.

I won a 16 x 20 rolled canvas.

I'm looking forward to browsing around over at UPrinting. The hard part is deciding what to have printed. Thank you so much Tammy.

My "Inspiration Giveaway" is open until August 30th. If you haven't entered yet, there's still plenty of time.

A "HOT" Transformation

2011-08-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

I recently found a treasure trove of goodies at a remodeling yard sale over in Berkeley and posted about them here. Parts of rusty metal thingies, small wooden architectural pieces, and some porcelain bathroom fixtures. Oh my! I've had so many ideas spinning around in my head, but this is the only one I've managed to transform so far.

I removed a gas valve that was attached to the hole in the top of the base. I wonder what this was in a previous life. The man at the yard sale found it in his basement and thought it was once part of a gas line or gas lamp. There's no hole in the bottom of the base. Any ideas?

I think it's right at home in the bathroom now. My first idea was to use it as a paper towel holder, but the iron rod wasn't tall enough and would not come out.

I sprayed three coats of matte acrylic sealer on the inside and outside.
Love all the detail.

All five knobs were slightly different and the HOT knob was the only one that was a perfect fit on the rod....it screws right on and off.

They were meant to be together.

It would work great for holding spools of ribbon or thread, but with that HOT knob, I think it's right at home in the bathroom.

Check out these fabulous parties I'm linking up with:
My Repurposed Life for Catch as Catch Can,
Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday,
Pink Postcard for Transformations and Treasures,
Very Merry Vintage Style for Share the Love Wednesday,
Vintage Farmhouse for Creative Things Thursday,
Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursday,
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday,
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday.

It's Time for a Giveaway

2011-08-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

I thought it was about time for a giveaway when I reached my one year blogging anniversary last month. I published my 100th post shortly after that, and now I've reached 500 followers!! Three big reasons to celebrate and to say "thank you" to everyone for all the inspiration you've given me over this past year.

I wanted to include some of the treasures that inspire me....

A scalloped edge milk glass jar filled with vintage mother of pearl buttons, two different pieces of vintage lace rolled up and secured with rhinestone shoe clips....

A little Chanel perfume bottle filled with pearls and decorated with vintage buttons and a rhinestone....

Two postcards wrapped with vintage lace, another piece of lace secured with an old clip on earring, and some pink floral trim wrapped on a wooden thread spool....

This is a simple, but elegant necklace I made with a vintage chandelier crystal. It hangs from a 21" silver plated ball chain. I'd be more than happy to make it longer for the giveaway winner.

I was in the bookstore recently and started looking through this beautiful hardback book by Jo Packham and Jenny Doh. Book of Inspiration, Where Women Create. I was amazed with all the gorgeous studios featured in this book, and knew it would be a perfect addition to my giveaway. Such an inspiration!

I wish I had drawers like these to keep all my supplies organized.

Did you notice I like mannequins?

My giveaway closes at 6:00pm PST on August 30th. I'll use the True Random Number Generator to determine the winner and then announce the winner on August 31st.

To enter:

1) Just leave me a comment here on this post.

2) If you'd like a second chance to win, I'd love to have you follow me. Just leave a comment telling me you're a new follower or that you're already a follower.

3) For a third chance, you can spread the word by putting my giveaway button on your sidebar, or mention it in a blog post. You'll find the giveaway button near the top of my sidebar.

Please be sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do:-)

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Hugs, Betsy

Salvage Yard Fun

2011-08-09T07:23:00.000-07:00

It was close to noon on Sunday when I felt the urge to get out and do some junkin'. It was too late in the day for the monthly antique show in Alameda, so I decided to try my luck at the salvage yards in Berkeley. With the promise of a good lunch, my son Scott seemed more than happy to tag along. Just before we left, I thought I'd do a quick Craigslist check. Sure enough, there was a Sunday only block sale that was advertising loads of vintage hardware and architectural pieces. The salvage yard could wait until after lunch. First stop was the block sale.

Someone else was busy going through the box of bathroom fixtures when I got there. I managed to pull these beauties out after he walked away. Thank you for leaving some for me!

I filled a big box full of architectural bits and pieces, wheels, rusty thingies, lamp parts, and the rusty old sconce that looks like a birdhouse.

Yes! They even left me some bling.

This is enough to keep me busy for a long time. Maybe it was a good thing we didn't get there when they first opened up.

First stop after lunch was Ohmega Salvage. This is always a fun place, but I rarely buy anything because they're just too pricey.

What a way to greet customers. Look at those legs!

Rare French Guy from 1920. $850.00.

Have you seen the September issue of Country Living? This reminds me of the front cover.

I love this color, but not for my bathroom fixtures. They also had sets in blue, peach, and yellow. This lavender set could be yours for only $1800.00.

I like these. I'm not sure why, but I really like them.

Next stop was Urban Ore. This place is bigger and junkier than Ohmega, but much cheaper too.

When pigs fly? You'd need a moving van just to get her home.

These were the only things I bought at Urban Ore, and one of the only places I can still find them at a reasonable price.

I'm so happy that I made this last minute decision to just drop what I was doing and go. The weather was perfect with temperatures in the low 70's and overcast skies. Best of all, we had a great time catching up with each other.

I'm linking up my Salvage Yard Fun with:
Charm Bracelet Diva for Club G.W.,
Very Merry Vintage Style for Share the Love Wednesday,
From My Front Porch to Yours for Treasure Hunt Thursday,
Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday,
Colorado Lady for Vintage Thingie Thursday, and
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday