Vintage handbag project........

I have been collecting black vintage handbags for awhile, but couldn't formulate an idea of how to use them until I had this brainstorm while thrifting. I love vintage little stamped metal frames, and thought they would be cool on the bags. (It is hard to find the old ones, so I had to incorporate a few newer ones, but I rubbed black magic marker on the edge and then wiped it off quickly to just highlight the design and give it a more aged look.) I put holes in the back of the frames and wired them to the bag, then added my favorite dried weed....Chinese Tallow!!


I really love how they look in a grouping on my "chocolate milkshake" wall color in my office.
I had so much fun creating these, and love how they turned out...I am going to put snow scenes in them for the Lakewood show coming up and hang them down a tall iron porch rail.


(Figuring out which setting on my camera to use for the best photo is still challenging--this auto setting doesn't show the brown of the wall color.)

Been Junkin'...........

I don't get to go junkin' too much right now because of classes, but I've found a few things.....

I try not to keep the stuff I find, but I doubt I can part with this frame!!!


So many possibilities of what could go in this funky lamp--it has a wide opening on the bottom to fit stuff in when taken apart.


We are going to use this large wire birdcage in our Christmas display........



I love this twig reindeer head basket, and haven't seen one before this, but they probably sell them in Target or somewhere and I never noticed!

More "Been junkin' ".........

What is it about lamp parts that always gets my repurposing wheels turning? I see these bell parts with bulbs strung above the booth, or in a funky light collage.......


I'm picturing these rusty tulip and flower petal shapes with bulbs, and coming out of this weird rusty cylinder thing below---a sort of funky bouquet lamp??? (Studying takes priority right now, but it is my last semester, and I can't wait to get to all my projects!)


I found a bunch of chippy panels and moldings---can't resist anything tin either.

Lakewood dealer profile.......Bev Norris......

You can't miss Bev Norris' booths in Hall G......it is floor to ceiling of the coolest stuff around.....from quality antiques to the best handmade treasures. Bev makes way cool handmade things--shown in the following photos-- and stocks lots of the trendiest in antiques. She is the best of the best in seasonal displays and merchandise!

More Lakewood dealer profile.........Bev Norris....

Lakewood dealer profile.....Mary Kay and Tricia.....

We are so glad to have our new dealers Mary Kay and Tricia in Hall G!! Every piece in their booth is fabulous and vintage cool! They have such a great mix of antiques, and huge talent for display--you've gotta check them out and say HI next month....they are in G407.


What a cool vintage wicker tea cart!!


Tricia's daughter Bianca is a very talented artist and sells her creations as well.......check out these cuffs, collars and wallets in the pic below that she has designed...so cool!



I love her drawings on cards which are really great.....what talent!

Lakewood Dealer Spotlight..........Barbara Browne

Meet Barbara Browne......a very beautiful lady who is a perpetual ray of sunshine here at the show with her positive energy and sunny personality! In addition to being an antiques dealer, she is a very talented artist who creates the most fabulous designs in wool and fabric..... like the pillows and hats in the photos below.........


These pillows are so wonderful!! I love the designs, and am so inspired by Barbara's creativity.


Her hand-knitted wool children's hats are the cutest ever.....she does them like pumpkins, too, and they are just too adorable!

Be sure to stop by Hall G at Lakewood, and meet Barbara and see her great artwork and eclectic and unique antiques!

Lakewood show this weekend........

With three shows to do this month, a trip to FL, and classwork, it was hard to get ready, but we managed, and this black chest sold already.


This iron treasure didn't photograph too well, but it is a very old antebellum design with the original paint--can't tell if it came off of a gate, or sign, or house, or what, but it is so unusual.


We have some great architectural birdhouses in different designs, using vintage hardware and wood.


Pincushion collage using vintage materials.


Martha made this great vase/photo holder.

Shark's in the water and Mom's on the beach!

Looks like a shark, but these are really dolphins!!

I got a chance to go down and see my Mom in Sarasota after the Crabapple show, and while I was taking my early morning run down the beach, I was thrilled to see the dolphins playing very close to shore!!
I've never seen them so close and shallow! By the time I got back and into the water they were farther out, but it reminded me of the times when we would swim in the cove off the marina in the evening when the dolphins were there. (We were always told that there would not be sharks around if there were dolphins).


This is amazingly just a dozen yards off the beach. I will never get tired of seeing the dolphins, and always look for them when I am there. (I REALLY want to be a mermaid when I grow up and hang out with these guys all day!!)




I love these pictures of my Mom on the beach------she certainly appears to be the center of attention....and her hat is so cool!! (miss you already Ma)

Honest Scrap Award

Thank you so much Lisa of Recaptured Charm for naming me for this award!

I am supposed to share 10 honest things about myself, but since I am not so good at that sort of thing (and I have a classwork deadline to meet), I'd better fast-forward..........

For the..... 7 blogs that inspire me.....I have chosen them internationally, and they are:

BrabourneFarm.................Australia

Chekdesigns........................Australia

Hviturlakkris......................Sweden

Lottensvita..........................Sweden

Cowboysandcustard...........England

Lucybloom...........................England

Shabby-homestyles............Germany

(these are all Blogspot sites)

Thanks again Lisa!

Crossroads at Crabapple show pics..........

I can't say enough about the nice ladies that organize and put on this show---it was our first time here and it was really great! They try to make sure it's a good experience for everyone, and are very helpful. Thanks so much Sally, Jody, and everyone!




There is a good mix of artists and antiques, and I love the unique things you can find here--all in a quaint setting that isn't too big.

More Crabapple show......

Martha made some wonderful things for the show--these recycled sweater pumpkins were a good seller, and her collage spoons are always a hit.

She has such a talent for display!


Bev always has the most creative booth........you can find her at Lakewood 400 where she has cool displays and quality merchandise.

I loved Brenda's antique dove decoys!

More Crabapple show......

Setting up next to Brenda, Sharon, Steve and Kay was so much fun! They brought such cool and seasonal creations, and people were packed in their booth all day!


Martha, Brenda and Kay....... still getting set up before the show started.



Check out Sharon's witch, and the giant sunflower/gourd acorn !



Sharon's handmade cinnamon pears.

More Crabapple show......

Michelle is one of the hardest working antique dealers I know--always bringing the coolest, and most unique stuff to the shows!! She's one of the few dealers I know that I want pretty much EVERYTHING in her booth!!

More Crabapple show.......

It was great to run into Mark again--he does the most unique, high-quality, and functional repurposing treatment to old trunks (they tilt to open for storage!), and is really making a name for himself in the art world! Before he heads off to Baltimore for the ACC Wholesale market, you can catch him locally at the Chastain show next weekend in Atlanta---then he's booked for prestigious shows out West like Beaver Creek, Vail, Telluride, and Crested Butte. Check out his website (www.antiquetrunktables.com).


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Crabapple Antique Show........

We will be setting up at the Crabapple antique show for the first time, and are very excited!! It is an outdoor show, and it should be a gorgeous fall day tomorrow, so be sure to come out if you are in the North Georgia area.

Shop visiting......"Antiques In Old Town"......

Rowanne's shop in Lilburn is always the most "consistently cool" shop around, and the best of the best! We really got inspired here, and found some great treasures!


Cheryl's booth is, as always, full of "beautiful everythings", and her displays are just the best! Love the jewelry!

More shop visiting......"Antiques In Old Town"......

The "Farmgirls" display area is just over-the-top awesome.....my pics don't do it justice....you have to see it in person!

More shop visiting......"Antiques In Old Town"

My friend Becky always has the best eye for vintage treasures....and displays it so beautifully.



This is the outside of the cool "Glamping" display room---it is so neat inside--all decked out for a night of glamorous camping!

Clever photo ideas!

Shop visiting....."Vintage Village"

Martha and I needed some inspiration for next month's show, and a junkin' fix, so off we headed to some local shops (and we didn't even need a boat! but sure did have to make a lot of detours for bridges out and roads closed).

First stop was this always cute shop in Snellville.
Susan, Lisa, and Sherry were there yesterday, and let me roam around and take pictures....these are just a few that turned out--(I am still trying to figure out the new camera settings).

There are lots of bloggers in this shop ..... Charm House, Vintage Hag, Sea Witch, and more, and the booths are all wonderful.

Susan Aikens (My Vintage Heart) was just back from the Springfield show (lucky girl) and had some of her new finds out--she has several booths here, and I always come away with some of her unique treasures. The first three photos are from Susan's booths......

Below is a pic of Lisa Bolt's booth. She is also an interior designer, and has a very cute display.

This is one piece of artwork by Sherry Haynes (revampedchic.com) who will be setting up at Scott's show (2nd weekend) starting in October, in the South Building, so be sure to stop by her new booth!

Shop visiting continued......."Vintage Village"

What a a cute pincushion collage by Janice (It's Sew Special) using vintage style fabric, dog figurines, buttons and ribbon.

The button necklaces brings back memories of my Grandma's front porch in Illinois--we thought it was great fun to sit on the swing and string buttons!

This vintage Dutch dress is very striking in this upstairs room filled with blue and white dishes and lots of jewelry and millinery items.

Despite the rain.....

It was a great weekend show at Lakewood 400 even with all of the rain. We had reps from 2 different major movie productions come through buying for sets, which is always fun, and pretty good crowds braving all the water.

Thank you to all our regulars and new friends, we appreciate you coming out to the show, especially in those conditions!!

Wish I were headed to the Texas shows, with, what seems like the rest of the world!! (Maybe some smart person with a big beautiful farm--of which there are so many in the Georgia countryside--will start a similar type once-or-twice-a-year show in this area!) In the meantime, we will be hard at workin' and junkin' for next month--hope you'all will be back from Texas by then!

Now, if I could just find someone with a boat....I need to get out of here....it must be bad, I have never seen the schools close because of rain!!

September Lakewood show photos.........

More Lakewood photos.....

More Lakewood photos.......

Show preview.......

We have been working hard (and shopping hard!) to get our booths ready for the next Lakewood show.........here's a little fall collage using a great old german basket, painted clay pots, berry baskets, and some of my kitties with vintage bowties.

Side mirrors project......

Here are some orphaned side mirrors I put a wire edging on for hanging up.....these are so hard to photograph.......I have a few more different shapes that will be done in time for the show.

Corbel project......

I really wanted to use these corbels in a way to showcase them and display their simplicity without altering them too much.....I think vintage painted wood objects become works of art after generations of weathering and wear. I would love to know where these came from, but it is rare to be able to get the history of the things we buy and sell.

I have wired it to hang either way........can't decide which way I like it best......depends on the wall I guess. I also can't decide if I should put something in the middle, but I should have it figured out by the time I take it to Lakewood in a few weeks.

Family photo charms

(Mom, I know you aren't going to like this picture of you, but I love it!!)

I like all the different things artists do with the soldered charms, but I'm partial to using family photos. I burnished this one dark, and covered it with clear nail polish to preserve the finish.

Chicken wire dress form.........tutorial

Start with a section of chicken wire (these come in rolls of various lengths and widths) and cut a straight line across, and form into a cylinder. Where the seam up the back joins, you will have to twist the ends to secure each little opening. Below photos show the way I cut and twisted the ends to minimize sharp points.


Now comes the fun part!
Start scrunching the wire into whatever shape you are trying to achieve....mine never come out the same. (You will know you are done when your hands are cramped, and your manicure in shreds!)

Spray paint the color you want---I combine black, rust and brown to get a rusty, vintage look.

These take about 4 hours from start to finish.