Estate sale picking

I have visited a few estate sales lately and found them mostly crowded and thin on the stuff I love.

Does that affect you the way it does me?  It makes me more determined than ever to uncover a treasure!

At one sale, I liked these blingy little buttons; they are sewn onto a piece of velvet and then the velvet has a snap on the other side.  So, I guess it was an embellishment.  But to me, just two pretty vintage buttons!

Check out these beaded poinsettias -- hand made by someone long ago.  I love finding little boxes of Christmas kitsch!  I haven't decided yet to keep or sell them.  They are listed in my shop now!

A little made-in-Japan spun cotton girl doll -- or is it an elf?  Look at those big eyes. I thought she was cute and she's in great condition, so she's going in my shop for sure.

Something unusual: a little girl's hat.  It is made of a kind of shiny terry cloth, in pale blue, and lined with satin...

then it holds its shape with wire (like a headband) at the front.  But what I thought was unique was the little "tail" of three flaps in back, bundled together with a ring.  And the intact white millinery and paste-y sparkles!  This is also going in the shop as soon as I can get it cleaned and listed.

I find this stuff kind of hard to resist: a small (for your purse) red leather stamp holder...

I'm not sure why there are numbers on the front of the little pockets -- unless they are for denominations of stamps (cents.)  I can just imagine the young woman who would have carried this in her bag so she could write letters, and stamp them, while she rode home on the train...

Then, I bought this book all about barns -- all different styles/varieties.  It was a "bonus" included with an encyclopedia set...

more than you would ever want to know about barn construction!  I really like stuff like this.

This rusty, dented garbage can got me one of "those looks" at checkout, but I think it's lovely -- dents and all!

'Remember how I was just talking about how much I love salmon red and Tiffany blue together?  Then I found this linen towel...with birds!  It's faded in a lovely way.

Old burlap sacks -- one that is huge (like, lawnmower size) and the other with a finer weave and soft fibers.  Each was 75 cents.  What a bargain: you can't buy that timeworn texture.

Old linens -- especially ones with beautiful monograms...

 and tatting -- are almost impossible for me to pass up at estate sales.

I don't care for butterfly motifs myself, but I know someone else will love this little cut-out design on this child's linen pillow!

This one I probably won't be able to part with...

especially since it has  these sweet little button holes in the back; I think it's of the age that buttons were removed so it could be squeezed through a wringer.  I can just imagine the tiny shell buttons that were lovingly removed and re-sewn onto it with each washing.

But there were two finds that made me more happy than all of the others put together: one was this box of old paper napkins and doilies; there were stacks of them in this box from the 1950's -- some very old and faded, and all different styles including metallic ones.  I love to use these in my collages and paper art!

Then I found something I have very much needed/wanted: a small quilting frame, similar to the one above in size, but a different design.  I think they call it a lap quilting frame (which is just how I like to sew!)  Mine has four legs and is adjustable, too, but actually folds flat and, as my husband was pleased to note, is made from quality oak with stainless steel hardware.  It will be perfect for that hand-quilting job that has been hanging over my head for a couple of years now.  I can't tell you how excited I was to find this for about $20.  Have you found any "finds" lately?

O-KLAHOMA!

photo via Late Night Coffee

First and foremost on my mind is that it is a sad day in OK, and my thoughts are with them.  I've spent time in the city that was hard hit yesterday, Moore, as we have friends that moved to that very town from here a few years ago.  They are, thankfully, safe.  But so many others aren't, and it is heart breaking. I have other friends in the area that I haven't heard from yet; so we wait.  Given the situation with utilities, it may be a while. Stay strong, OK.

For the love of junk

As soon as the weather warms around here, people get to junking!  This weekend my community is having their neighborhood garage sale; would you believe I haven't been out "shopping" yet?

...Because, for the first time in a while, I spent some time this week thrifting and doing some other junking/exploring.  You might call that "bad timing", because now I feel like I have plenty to keep me occupied without hitting the neighborhood sales.

I found this fun old novelty fabric the other day and I am in love with it.  It is just so FUNKY!

Not to mention it continues with the Breakfast at Tiffany's kick I've been on lately...do you see how it says, "Love for sale at Tiffanys"?

I found this great old souvenir New York cocktail glass -- in Tiffany blue and gold -- at the same store.

As well as this rhinestone beauty that was all gathered up in a little bag so I couldn't really see what it looked like until I got home.  It was marked "belt".

But I do think it's a necklace, and I love it!

At the same thrift store I found this cool old silk scarf with the super fun, retro images of ladies of ladies and gentlemen on old bicycles.

It's actually in "cutter" condition with a few holes, so it will likely end up as art if I can bear to take scissors to it.  I just love its whimsy, and to me it whispers, "France"!

Hmm...just looking at this stuff and talking about junk makes me want to get out and see a few of those garage sales anyway.  Therefore, I won't be taking any bets on me staying away!  Stay tuned!

Breakfast at Tiffany's on the brain

I've had Breakfast at Tiffany's on the brain the last couple of weeks; it might have something to do with a certain, special article coming up in Somerset Studio Gallery magazine's Summer 2013 issue, set to hit newsstands on June 1.  (Wink, wink!)

One of the Birdsong 3 swaps I was working on had us creating a rosette; well, I got to designing layers of petals with vintage fabrics and I can't seem to stop!  Here's one in progress, with a Tiffany blue center -- it's not the one I'm giving away in the swap but I am enamored by it!  You can see how I finally taught myself to do it: sewing the layers on a piece of felt which I will later trim away.  I love pairing aqua with salmon red -- it's unexpected but beautiful, I think.

Then, I had a chance to work on a project I've been dreaming of doing for about a year -- ever since Karla gifted me this GORGEOUS Breakfast at Tiffany's pendant she got at the Affair at Tiffany's event last Spring.  She is so sweet: knowing how much I love the movie/wanted to go to the event/was drooling over all the photos, she sent it to me!

~Isn't it TO DIE FOR?~  I've been saving it for just the right inspiration...which came in the form of rosary/glass beaded chain, pale pastel pearls, chandelier glass, and a rhinestone key.  Remember how in the movie Holly was always losing her apartment key?

I used three kinds of chain because the pendant is heavy; then, I added this fantastic piece of vintage bling that I purchased a while back from a woman who was destashing.

To give you an idea of the size: here I am wearing it.  I LOVE IT SO MUCH!  Thank you again, Karla!

While I was at it, I decided to make a bracelet, too.  The centerpiece on this one was a gift from Tamatha; she gave it to me as a pendant on a silver chain and I took the pendant off, put it on the bracelet, and used the chain in the necklace I just showed you.

Don't look too closely or else you can see that the glue was still wet when I took this photo -- but I was too impatient to wait.  It dries clear.

I have another beautiful handmade Audrey pendant that was a gift from Tami; I took time to add a backing to the pendant while I was at it!

I love that pretty crown print on the paper, which I then sealed with Decoupage.  I will wear this as a pendant on its own.

Ah!  Okay, that Breakfast at Tiffany's fix ought to hold me for a while -- how about you?

A button grab bag from the thrift store

Kathy's always showing fun vintage button purchases on her blog, and it has really whet my appetite for finding a button grab bag of my own!

The other day I found this one -- it sure does fit the bill, huh?  Like most, it contains buttons and an odd assortment of other items one might find in a button box, sewing drawer, or even a junk drawer.  The most unusual item in this particular pile was, I think, the music holder that attaches to an instrument so it can be played in a marching band.  (It's buried so I'm not sure if you can actually see it in the above photo.)

Most of the buttons were just common plastic sewing buttons, BUT I was excited to find some great vintage ones here and there -- including this pile of realistics: white stars, clear glass stars, red horseshoes...

keys, tea pots, padlocks; etc.  Do you see the little elephant in front of the blue buttons?  It's glass!  The one above him is a butterfly -- also glass.

the pink ones in the bundle and the round blue one are also glass (as are those stars); the blue ducks are cute, aren't they?

More glass, and some pretty pink sparkly buttons.

There were quite a few carded buttons in the lot but my favorite is the torn one with the Cinderella girl on it!  At first I thought she was a fairy but I think she's just wearing a big bow in her hair.

I love the ephemera that comes in these bundles, like the paper measuring tape that says, "Here's one for good measure" (it's from a mens slacks manufacturer); also that green metal Singer seam ripper thing is fun!  ~Sigh~ this has satisfied my button treasure hunting urges for a while, I think!

A little bird told me

This is one of my favorite things that I've made recently.  I added a ribbon so now it's a hanging piece of art -- and I tried to list in on Etsy only to find I couldn't part with it yet.  Does that ever happen to you?

The little birds really speak to me.  I hope you're having a lovely Monday!