Indulge Your Shelf

There are slim pickings for antiques and thrift shops in the Glenwood Springs area, but when I was there over last weekend I found some in nearby Carbondale and here are some of my fun finds: A pink enamel mini candelabra!  It is decorated as if it were part of long-ago wedding decor.  I love it!  I also picked up some buttons at that thrift store I blogged about earlier . A vintage hat, which I freely admit I intend to pull apart for its flowers!  I love the lime green! Who can resist a puppy with a big bow peeking over a fence?  This runner, with its sweet pink edging, has the puppy embroidered on both sides. Here's an old, strip-quilted piece of fabric; it's about big enough to make into a pillow.  Below, a view of the back. This kitty is the creme-de-la-creme ; it's a piece of antique crochet lace from Spain that was originally marked $60!  I found it at the one antique store I went to.   Now, if you know me, you know I didn't pay that f...

I swapped with LuLu Kellogg for an Easter Ornament, lucky me!  LuLu and I had a class together at Silver Bella, so I was thrilled to be chosen as her partner! She sent me this GORGEOUS cone-shaped beauty!  It's wrapped in textured wallpaper and embellished with minty green, frothy crepe paper trim and a rose; I love the velvet rick rack around the bottom -- and the glass bauble! And Marie! She also gave me this cupcake with a bunny pick, set on a lavender crepe paper plate! And then , she spoiled me by including this beautiful cuff bracelet! I love it so much!  (It's my first cuff!) Here's what I sent to LuLu: I made the little chick in her favorite color, pink.  She pulls an "egg cart", which is actually a vintage salt and pepper shaker/toothpick holder -- here's how it looked "before". I painted and glittered two plastic eggs, and then created a tiny bouquet out of vintage millinery flowers to go in the cart; the cart's wheels and hardware ...

We took a trip to Glenwood Springs with our friends and some of their family, who make us feel welcome as if we are related, too. For the first day or so, it felt like all we did was EAT! And drive! But eventually we got on to the important stuff: skiing!  Except for me - I don't ski.  I shopped!  One store had a binder full... of buttons!  How funny is that? I haven't had a chance to photograph what I bought, yet. We also went to the Hot Springs!  I didn't take photos there, but others did so I'll try to get a hold of some to show you. I came home sick with a rotten cold . But I don't want to dwell on that...I'd rather remember the beautiful scenery. Sunlight mountain and the fun and the friendship! I hope you're having a great Spring Break!

Some pretty things I found at the thrift store, finally! incredibly sweet quilted and embroidered table topper this tiny (about 3" x 2") print on silk in a pretty metal frame; I'm planning to use it on a journal cover  a gorgeous old soup bowl... I just love the wild roses on this one! there is nothing in this box besides what you see through the window in the front, but I love it! I will display it exactly as it is! what a pretty plate honoring Kentucky, made by one of my favorite makers Thanks for peeking at my fun finds! I'm linking up with Linda's party:

For a while now, I've been hearing about some Etsians being very dissatisfied with the site, and changes that have been made to it...but I have only recently begun to actually see complaints on the site, in the forums.  As someone who has sold a lot on eBay, and in brick and mortar craft venues, and in shows, I have to say I just don't get how anyone can find fault with Etsy ! It's a wonderful community of sellers to belong to; yeah, of course in any community you're going to have the cheaters and the liars and the people who don't work as hard as others do.  But I have found them to be the exception.  I think it's a great and supportive bunch of buyers and sellers. Especially after we had our taxes done -- I did all the math in preparation, and saw that my sales as a very small eBay seller had a chunk equal to 10% taken from them with all those eBay fees by the time it was all said and done.  Not Etsy, though!  They only charge 20 cents for a 3 month listing...

Happy Spring!  It's officially Spring, and we're on Spring break here, so feast your eyes! If you're a fan of InspireCo., Amy Power's zine , as I am, you will have seen the adorable watercolor paint box thread holder/kit project that Lynn Lesback contributed.  Well, I was thrilled because I had the above, great little flat tin that would be just perfect for the project! I filled mine up with this awesome thrifted rick rack and trim in Easter colors... and wrapped it all up in great ruffled purple seam binding for an Easter treat! This was another project in the zine...an Easter wall hanging, in the shape of an egg, which I made with a variety of my favorite vintage wallpapers, surrounded by vintage crepe paper! I made a few of these.  It was so much fun!! In the "nest", a tiny bird holding a vintage flower.  I used the phrase, "Take Flight" for mine. Here's a little vintage, plastic flower pot holder I decorated with buttons; it holds a ...