bottled.. bagged..and on the road

got my order of bottles finished and on the road to the seller ... i thought they turned out so cute .. i had to share - of course i did -

i used old bottles that i have found here and there - i have been collecting forever - finding most of them at canton over the years - they are cute used as vases in the bath or just as they are - displayed in the bathroom - i like the victorian looking labels but have been surprised by the number of people who like the deco looking ones - but my absolute fav has to be the red rose toilet water label - love that one..

define ...

found a portion of an old dictionary yesterday - just a few pages from the back of one that was falling apart - normally - i think something like this would have been thrown away - webster's unabridged dictionary - pictorial illustrations - i think they date from the late 1800s to early 1900s. pages 1698 - 1765. wonderful only begins to relay the story - the ideas just flew around in my head - you will know when you see - here's a sample page - enjoy -

spring to fall

here it is spring and it was a beautiful day today - sold the little metal desk/table i had offered on the email group - so now it is out of the way and on its way to someone elses home.
working on some halloween items for a magazine ad that we will be sending off tomorrow - 3 items can be in the ad and these are the ones we have chosen - one is a sign that we make - wood sign with hand painted design - the other two items are the cards we make - one for thanksgiving and one for halloween - the magazine doesn't come out until sept - so that gives us a few months to work on our website to ready it for fall - the christmas ad has to be in by may, i believe - so once we get this done, we will be starting on things for christmas - i have some fun ideas of items we will be making - so am looking forward to sharing -

Happy Happy Spring!!!

well, spring is here - i am hoping we don't get anymore really cold weather - i know tomorrow is supposed to be cooler and wet - but my dewberry bushes are starting to bloom out and it won't be long and the berries will be growing - love a good dewberry cobbler in the middle of summer - here is a pic of my dewberries blooming -


i have been pretty busy - finally got my big order out and have been working on some new projects - just offered this cute metal table on a local yard sale email group for $10 - hope it sells - it is kind of in the way -


made one of my purse clocks - think i might put it in the guest room - but the color really reminds me of spring - used to sell these pretty good at canton and warrenton -



started working on an order for bottles that i do - here is what one looks like - i really like it - it is a heat applied transfer to an old bottle -



and finally - Happy Easter to everyone - we make and sell these little 2 1/2" pocket mirrors with floral initials - we retail them for $2 and wholesale them in lots of 100 for $1 ea. they have been a good seller too. aren't they sweet!


we will be having easter breakfast with family at the local golden corral - love that place - at least for an old fashioned big breakfast - we only do it on holidays and since we are all getting older - it makes it easier to get together and not have to worry about who cooks and who cleans. -
enjoy the day!

toad-ally cute!

i found this cutie this morning at a local church bazarr - they weren't sure what to do with him and almost tossed him in the trash - so were quite amused when i offered to buy him -
anyway, he is mine now.

he's a keeper and has a spot among my pots on the side porch -

i love concrete - big pieces - small pieces - old pieces -

four leaf clovers and the like

got an order this morning from a dealer friend who sets up in warrenton, for a product that we make and wanted to share - i take old vintage and victorian era postcards scan them and enlarge them and put them on cardboard with easel back and a little envelope.

for the last 3-4 years we sold these ourselves at both warrenton and canton and always did real well with them. the original cards are part of our personal collection - of over 10,000 - that we have been collecting for the last 25 years.

its fun going through the cards and remembering when i got one or another - sometimes i remember and sometimes i don't. lol!

anyway, when i get bored, i will highlight a few of the cards, for fun, with glitter paints and accent them with curly wire strung through holes i drilled at the tops - sometimes, i will accent the wire with raffia - all to show the customer what can be done with these -

so, i just finished highlighting this st patricks day card and wanted to share - i am going to include it with the order for them to show their customers.

i think that is thistle with the clover - but i could be wrong.

thrift store finds

hit a local thrift store this afternoon - i hadn't shopped there since before Christmas and had been having a feeling that i needed to stop in and see what i could find - i always find something fun and always cheap - well here is what i found - two, not one, but 2 old majolica plates with a dog lying in front of a dog house - i wasn't sure they were that old - even though i was sure they were majolica - i only paid $5 each - but when i got home i searched ebay and found several listed as having sold for anywhere from 250 - 80..and mine are in absolutely mint condition - i think i will keep these - also found a great old bowl with a beautiful rose design , paid $10 - a very large satin type vase with a painted design - very art deco - paid $5 - a sweet little hand painted bavaria vase with daisies - paid $1 - and a tlaquepaque bean pot - paid $5. there were some other things i considered but i was low on cash and had errands to run - i am happy i listened to that inner voice and stopped in - the plates were calling me - what was even more of a surprise was, as i was going in the store a local big time dealer - who sets up at marburger farm antique show - was coming out empty handed and gruffly said 'no use going in there - it's picked over' - i love it when that happens - trust you will and you will.

stumped

this is so cool - found this yesterday cleaning out some old storage sheds - it is huge - measures about 24" long by 19" wide and very thick - about 4". it is real wood and appears to be a slice of an old tree - someone chopped out the center and then screwed and nailed a section of sheet metal onto the bottom. it has the original bark and is/was filled with various rocks and shells - it had dirt/soil in it but i emptied that out and put the rocks and seashells back in - i think they might have used it to plant a cactus garden - i think - i am not a cactus person, so am not sure how i will use it - i think if i decide to keep it - i will just take all the rocks and seashells out and wax it and clean it real good and use it as a tray of sorts on my living room ottoman - not sure if i am going to keep it or sell it.

i also found a stack of old bibles -

an old bottlecap man - holding a tin jello mold -

a box of clothes that included the cutest little childs crocheted outfit in lavender with cream color 'bunny' buttons.

had fun - but i was filthy dirty - and the dust mask i wore didn't seem to do that much good because today i am feeling stuffed up.

hope everyone had a good weekend and enjoyed themselves - i am so looking forward to the sun shiny days.

found

found today - velvet tapestry - Martin Luther King - love it. can't you just hear the words to Abraham, Martin & John -

my bestest find - eva'!

feeling a little puny today - i think it is the up and down of the temps that has me feeling less than - so, laying here on the sofa and thought i would share my best find - ever - with you - introducing 'sugar booger' - not sure what kind breed she is, but i think she might be a leopard catahoula - she has some of the same markings - she just kind of showed up one day - so, actually, i guess she found me - she kept digging out from under the fence of her previous owner when she was just a pup - would come running to my workshop and spend all day at my feet and wander home at the end of the day - finally one day the owners asked if we knew anyone that wanted her as they couldn't deal with her getting out of her fence all the time - and so she came to live with us - joined our minpin, jax - and she is the best cuddle-er on four legs.

i love her.

door # 2

had to clean out 3 units today - wanted to share a few of the things that were left behind by previous tenants - if you want to see more pics, email me.

painted cabinet with glass knob

needs a little tlc, but i think it could be pretty cool - it's a cabinet - looks like it might have been pulled out of a wall - it has shelves inside - the sides other than the door front are rough and mostly plywood - but the door and facing could be removed and used to front a cleaner piece - i love the flakey paint on this piece. i have more pics, if anyone wants to see them.

just a big four poster bed

remember that song - i think brenda lee sang it - someone left one behind - can't believe some of the things people walk away from - of course, it is missing the rails - but i think someone will want to buy it.

appropo

rescued this from the dumpster today - pretty fitting - considering - it's a print - glued on a piece of plywood - varnished - there is a gold plaque at the bottom - but it is discolored and hard to make out - i placed it on the shelf above my computer station -

voted before lunch - now, lets watch - history - gotta love it.

Happy Wishes!

found a pretty cool assortment of vintage 1950s/60s era greeting cards - beautiful illustrations - so sweet - i remember my grandmother sending cards like these - i remember a box of cards and letters from my mother to my father - most of the cards i found here are - thinking of you - birthday - congratulations - type of cards. someone had left them behind to be tossed in the garbage - i just couldn't throw them away.