Makin' stuff......

Yay! My new wire mirror stand sold within a few hours of listing it!
And coincidentally, shipped to a home near the beach where I hang out in Sarasota!! Small world!

The purses with photo frames are still being requested, so I'll keep making them until I run out of handbags.....plus it's great fun to experiment with all sorts of display options! (I especially love the way they look in a wall grouping!)



More wire........I use wire nests in a number of projects, but am starting to list them alone on Etsy....we'll see how they do. (there is more work in them than you would think - hello carpal tunnel, my old friend)

Making lights out of metal anything is very addicting!! The flat Purina chicken feeder sold quickly!


Wood, iron, wire.....and lots of funk went into my new wall collage.
Again....endless display fun!
Makin' stuff is such creative therapy......and if I could accomplish even a fraction of the ideas I have brewing in my head, there would be 50 projects in these pics, instead of 5!!

Weekend wander

I got a chance to run downtown to the ACC craft show (no photos allowed) this weekend, and hit Scott's Market on the way back. I only made it through the North building before running out of time, but was totally inspired by what I saw....

How cool is the galvanized ? thing in the photo above with the old tintypes on the front! Love it!

Also love this old door with the lights made out of galvanized strips and burlap.

Unique idea to nail some metal patches on a table top.....wonder if they were added to hide something, or as an artistic touch? Regardless.....very interesting!

Galvanized or industrial metal ANYTHING is so hot now, and you always see the best of it at this market. (affording it is another matter....)

Interesting lights in the above pic, and wonderful rusty coils below.....of course I had to have one of those.

These letters would be great with holes drilled and retro lights added.


The perfect garden accessory!

Interesting old overhead light strips! Great possibilities!

There are still lots of French-themed booths.

I would have wanted to buy these cages that were, thankfully, already sold.

Love the repurposed galvanized basin.


Where CAN one buy these large sheets of zinc for covering tables anyway??

This metal mesh thing would make such a cool light!

Oh yeah I'll take one of those....just throw it in the trunk! (the LION I mean)


I wonder what goodies I missed in the South building? I may have to make the trek back down next month!

New Etsy stash

I'm finally getting a chance to stock up my Etsy shop again and here are just a few of the new offerings.....with much more to come.

It's nice to be back working on projects....which are much more fun than spring cleaning!! (BTW....I have lowered the price of lots of my previous Etsy listings)

a little fun in the sun

While in Sarasota I'm usually on the beach at sunrise, and on this particular morning there was quite a bird show.....
.....with the usual precocious gulls.....and lots of these orange beaked birds (below) that I had never noticed before - but have probably always been around (usually I'm scouring the water for dolphin sightings).
None of them were budging from their spots for passers-by, so it was easy to get close pics of them.
Also while in FL this trip, my son and family were doing the Orlando scene before embarking on the Disney Cruise, so we all went to Discovery Cove.
This is another one of those places I had never been to, despite living in FL so many years, and it was a pleasant surprise.
It's a bit pricey, but if hassle-free, water-themed relaxation is your goal (and you can't get to the Bahamas) this is the place to be. Classy and accommodating from beginning to end!
All the (pretty decent) food you can eat, wetsuits, snorkel gear, towels and lockers are included in the price, and they limit the number of guests, so no standing in lines or fighting for beach chairs.
You can do the optional dolphin encounter, or just hang out with the fish and rays in the reef pools. There is an interesting walk-through aviary, long winding river float, and shark encounter (behind glass) in the reef pools.
All in all, a fun time for kids and adults alike.
But alas....it was inevitably back to the gray, drizzly skies of the ATL. (I'm just glad it's a warm winter, anyway!)

Small business salute....Happy Birthday Mom....and a life lesson

Since I am finally done with the big 'Spring Clean Out' (from hell)......I was able to squeak in another trip to sunny Sarasota for Mom's Birthday, and wanted to surprise her with this post on her book store!

This month Mom turned 85 and I couldn't be prouder of her--she still works full time and is doing what she loves at her paperback book exchange: Bee Ridge Books.
Books are my Mom's passion, and about 30 years ago she decided to jump in the deep end and open a little store of her own. She found a spot just down the road from where my Dad had built his auto repair shop, located some inventory from a book store closing on Anna Maria Island, and was on her way!
My Dad built the book shelves and helped get everything rolling......
....and it has been a joy to Mom ever since.

This little shop has seen her through the loss of my Dad, her battle with cancer, and these brutal years of recession (plus the added challenge of the coming of Kindle and Nook--and the explosion of on-line book selling).

She has hung tough through it all!!

I hate to think of the small booksellers becoming extinct....these shops are a treasure trove for true book lovers and avid readers!! She has so many fabulous hard to find, and out of print books, and can provide invaluable help with comparative authors, or recommendations from her vast knowledge gathered over the years.
This trip she put me to work re-stocking the shelves....deja vu! I used to work here regularly when my boys were attending Sarasota Christian School and remember all the incredibly nice customers we had--it truly was a fun job!


Also on this trip we were delighted to have a visit from my cousin Jan and her husband Dale from the Quad City area--whom we hadn't seen in roughly 20(?) years! It was so great to see them again!!

Happy Birthday Ma!!

And the life lesson part? If possible...do what you love!!
Blessed are those who are able to pursue what they love as their work!!! I'm so glad my Mom is able to enjoy this gift!!

Exciting announcement!

Mark your calendars for Sept 28.29.30!!

You don't want to miss this!! BELLA RUSTICA URBAN BARN MARKETPLACE has a new venue!! AND is expanding to 3 days!!
The fabulous new site is Milky Way Farm in Lynnville, TN.

Check out this amazingly historic estate, complete with stunning manor house, massive barns and scenic grounds!
Stay tuned for all show details and updates on Linda's blog: Bella Rustica Nashville!

Etsy Cache.....

I've always wondered what other Ebay and Etsy sellers do with all the stuff that is listed and waiting to be sold and shipped. I find myself just decorating a wall in my office with it, since I don't have an extra room for storage.

As my massive cleaning/purging "everything unnecessary that I own is getting donated" project continues (after many months, only 1/2 finished---this is why I run away to Florida!) not much else is getting worked on....especially blogging and creating....but I did manage to make some wire bees during a brief time out. Kinda fun and spring-y--and not too involved.


Hmmm.....make that: "sassy loves trash....but is getting rid of most of it"!!
I found these cool mini photography letter magnets last trip home at my favorite St. Armands shop: Garden Argosy. They come in two large sheets, with about 6 of each letter, and are really fun to play with....I use them on old baking pans.

Motorcycle mirrors have caught my attention lately.....there's an idea brewing somewhere in my brain of how to repurpose these--it just hasn't materialized quite yet.

Back to the drudgery....