A Few Projects & Pickins

Painting stuff with blackboard paint is rather addicting!


So is playing with old hardware and wood! This new wall photo holder/shelf piece evolved from trying to use up some of my hoarded junk that is badly in need of reduction.

The vintage coin purse necklaces are pretty simple and I'm no jewelry maker, so I hope they will be bought by gals with a vision for adding cool stuff to make them wonderful.


Here's just a few of my fresh pickins (not much time for that these days).....I am MAD about this bird cage....

.......and the iron fence parts!!



~I hate being MIA in blogland! I miss you all, and the fact that I don't get to comment on all of your amazingly interesting and fabulously creative blogs drives me nuts! (I still haven't got my computer fixed yet....or is it just Blogspot that is so messed up?.... so I can't always see your pics!)

Scott Antique Market

I only get to Scott Antique Market (2nd weekend monthly in Atlanta) a few times a year, but it is a great place to keep track of the latest trends. The dealers in the large tent in front of the North building are always very interesting.....
....there is lots of burlap covered stuff, architectural, industrial, and weathered wood.
(I actually have no idea what these are....driftwood?)


I was surprised to see hundreds of different metal junk lights, so I made a mental note to use up what I have and move on from THAT idea!!


More junk lamps-these kinda look imported to me, but I LOVE the tables!! Wish I got better pictures of those.
Inside the North building is some very high-end stuff, but always interesting.

(There are "3300 booths?" spread out on two properties called the North and South buildings because they straddle I-285. It's a pain to have to travel from one to the other, but there is a bus, too)

I actually ran through both buildings and the outside dealers in under 2 hours, which is why these pics are not so great.

Outside of the South building is a great place to get those hard to find hardware and architectural pieces....anything rusty, crusty and garden-y that you are looking for is probably out in this area-- it takes hours to sift through it all, but it was so hot I wasn't even tempted!
I did want one of these cool metal baskets but forgot to go back and get one before I left--did I mention how HOT it was?
I ended up only buying one lampshade and one lamp, but it really sparked some much-needed creativity to see what was trending at this show!

Wall Vase Collages

Working with wood and my stash of rusty stuff is a nice break from wire!

Piecing it together is like doing a mend bender puzzle....

...which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't....

...but it's always nice when you get something completed that meets the criteria: funky yet functional!

New on Etsy....

Using a vintage frame, I gathered and shaped my wire branches around the inside to create a tree shape with roots along the bottom-- to make a new version of jewelry holder.

It could also be used to hang photographs, or display interesting vintage collections, but a jewelry holder seems the most practical application.

It needed a bit of something at the bottom, so I made a wire nest to hold watches or ??

The shops of Monroe, Georgia

With antique shops still closing everywhere, it's hard to find places worth the drive to do some pickin'.... but thankfully Monroe (east metro ATL) offers a nice day's worth of shopping.
There are about a half dozen antique shops here, with the largest being the Warehouse Antique Mall located in this massive old cotton mill.
The perfectly chippy patina of the green paint on the old brick walls is worth the visit! (and be sure to look down....the maple floors are original to the building circa 1895)

The offerings here are decidedly "eclectic".......
....but my friend Becky's booth always has wonderful unique vintage merch!!
This group of houndstooth print cases caught my eye.....


......as did this metal chicken coop.

There are 513 dealer spaces in 60,000 square feet--according to the flier.


Next stop is The Cotton Depot, which is a few blocks away and closer to downtown. The restoration has been wonderful here, too......
....with a cute garden area out front.......
....and you can still see the cotton bales and the weigh scales in the floor.
The first booths inside the door are marvelous!! Pam Hall and Lenora Gambrell take decorating to a new level and do the most amazing displays! You really have to see them in person, and hopefully get a chance to meet these sweet and very talented girls.


The original brick walls make everything look fabulous in the three large warehouse sections filled with quality booths!


And of course Lane Ward never disappoints with her talent for trendy treasures and wonderful decorating!
(Cool chicken wire lampshade, girl!!)


This gigantic metal trunk is so unique.


Davis Street Antiques is located between the above two shops and is the newest one.

Owner James Woodall has done a great job acquiring quality dealers and there are lots of very interesting antiques here!
This vintage oil painting caught my eye......
....and this great trunk.

The composition baby doll wanted to have his picture taken.

I ran out of time to shoot the other three shops, but be sure to check out Hodge Podge, Ladybug, and Old Mill that are in the same area. There are a variety of places to eat here, and some beautiful historic homes.....


....as well as some great affordable vintage fixer-uppers!!

**I only had about an hour to get to all these shops and do the photography, so forgive the brevity.....and the omission of all my other dealer friends that have wonderful booths in these shops!