Gathering Dust

How Dare You Call That Redecorating? (and a contest)

Ok, I admit, when it comes to redecorating, rearranging a shelf of books is a pretty bold move for me.  When you start talking about painting and moving furniture, I'll be looking for a medal at the end of the project.

So, you may not think my mermaid redo of my bathroom qualifies as redecorating- but I'll still show you what I did.

This is the before- a shelf with hands holding crowns, some plastic shoes that used to be pin cushions and some framed magazine pages. (I added the mermaid to see if she would feel at home...)

Now- a collage on burlap, my sea pixie, a pail full of shells, my sea siren pillow and a framed picture of mermaids- all courtsey of my Les Sirenes weekend.

 
This is the wall over the commode. The only reason I bought this oval portrait was that someone told me it looks like my husband.  Looking at it here, I'm not sure that was a good enough reason.

The portrait was replaced with these mermaid prints by Danita.

I've had this sign in my bathroom for a while, too- I think its funny because my bathroom is so small.

I added this Atlantic City beauty pagent picture above it.

A piece of burlap, a shell "B", postcards and my keepsake project book are on back of the toliet.

While I had the hammer and nails out, I hung this antique picture of cupid in my guest room.  To the left is the beautiful collage that Lisa made for me, and the wallpaper collage that Karla made.

I probably don't deserve a medal for my redecorating hanging pictures, but I would like a gold star.

 
Estate sales this morning only get one gold star, too.  Part of the problem was the heat- I just got tired of getting in and out of the nice air conditioned car and facing the heat and humidity.

The butter pats are Meakin ironstone; the silver is quad plate- I love the etching; the books are a history of Opera and a history of composers- I bought them because they go with the red and blue cowboy boots I got a few weeks back; the bottle with a stopper came from a priest's estate and still had some liquid in it- I spilled it on some other books I bought- it was probably holy water, but not very lucky water.

This was probably my best buy- a boxful of yarn shop yarn for only $6- some yarns still had the labels, and most of them would have been at least $6 for a single skein...and knitting a nice warm cuddly scarf is good way to pass a 90+ degree July day.

THIS is a "what's it" I got this morning.  Can anyone guess what it is?  It's monogramed,  made of sterling silver and about 1 1/2" tall.

*****WE HAVE A WINNER!!!  Sandy correctly guessed that it is a PHONE DIALER for the old rotary phones.  It saved a lady's manicured nails*****

Leave your guess in the comments, and the first person to identify this not so common object will win this pretty blue rhinestone flower pin. 
  
Thanks for playing!

Junkin' California Style and Kansas Style

Last weekend, as part of our Les Sirenes weekend, Kim chartered a bus and took us mermaids shopping.  First the Long Beach flea market, and then the antique malls and cute shops in Orange.

 
Karla and I were warned that we might have sticker shock at the flea market and that California prices were going to be a lot higher than Kansas.  There were lots of things at the flea market that were priced more than I'd pay, but there are lots of things in Kansas that are more than I want to pay, too- I just don't talk about them.

And luckily, trying on hats is free- doesn't Cheryl look stunning in this chapeaux?

(The owner of all the religious icons in the first picture didn't like that I took a picture.)

On the other hand, the owner of this collection was happy to show off her Santas.

Downtown Orange was full of antique malls with great displays- some pretty and romantic like these.

Love the tole fixture contrasted with the chippy table.

Other booths had a funky industrial look.

 

I love the string holder in the upper right in this booth, and the camera with the huge baffle towards the bottom.
 
 
I know the doll head thing freaks some people out- but I admit, I'm weirdly fascinated.

But the lack of eyes does give this a spooky look.

We ended our shopping trip with a cupcake party hosted by Valerie and Cynthia- how sweet was that?  (And Cynthia is wearing her collier from the swap).

I got the usual flea market purchases...jewelry, some paper, some buttons- but my favorite buy was this Italian book.

I'd never seen a vintage book in Italian- and when I bought it, I thought it was about dogs.

 
But when I saw the illustrations of gun stocks, birds and THIS- Stambecco- I realized it was actually about hunting.  Cacciatore means hunting in Italian.  I thought cacciatore just meant chicken with tomatoes.

 
I did some estate sale shopping Kansas style this weekend- and I was happy that everything kind of went together. 

 
(And nothing cost more than $2.50- except the fireplace screen- that was $5- I know, I kind of feel like I stole all of it.)

Crafting with Mermaid Friends

The classes at our mermaid get together were great- besides playing with new supplies- like clay- the classes and instructors were full of inspiration.

Melissa Phillips showed us how to make this sea themed photo album to keep our weekend memories in.

 Karla made this little glittered mermaid for me out of a vintage ballerina and paper clay and I added it to the cover of my album.

This Sirene of the Sea Coussin project was Holly's class project.

***Although it LOOKS like a pillow- I think a coussin is actually a pad- because the label on my puppy pee pads says Coussins Anti-Fuites- just a little bit of trivia for you- I can only imagine what fuites is*** 

These cute mermaids were made in Jenny Hernandez' class.  Jenny showed us how to make the figures from air clay.  The air clay takes a few days to harden and dry, and she wanted us to have a chance to take home a finished sea pixie, so she made a finished figure for everyone in the class and we had a chance to paint and decorate it.

My sea pixie is on the right, Karla's is on the left- and Karla's coussin is behind the pixies.  I made a deal with Karla- if she'd paint my pixie's face, I'd sew the trims on her pillow.  When everyone in the class saw what cute faces Karla gave our mermaids, they were lining up to have Karla paint their faces, too.

Luckily, Karla had enough faces in her paint box to give everyone a little bit different look, so we didn't end up with an army of Stepford Sea Pixies.

Our class with Julie Haymaker Thompson was suppose to be a mermaid inspired crown/headpiece.  Julie gave us so many different variations and ideas that I found myself making two completely different pieces- a small sea shell headband and a burlap backed seashell collage.  At one point I realized I was making one piece with my right hand and the other with my left hand- talk about two fisted crafting...

 
The event had several swaps, but I wasn't sure about signing up- I  kind of had that fear of committement.  Karla said you'll feel left out if you don't join one- so I signed up for the Beach Coquette Collier swap hosted by the very talented Christine Rose Elle.

 

Christine divided us into four groups and we each made seven fabric flowers and sent them to Christine.  Christine sorted, grouped and arranged the flowers and made them into beautiful neckpieces.

 
I made the pink ribbon flower- it was kind of a learning curve for me- I made a lot of different kinds of flowers before I found one I thought would work.  I even tried knitting flowers.

Here's another groups neckpiece.

Val with her new pretty.

Julie modeling her necklace. 

Sherry with her collier.

So what am I going to do with all my mermaid finery? 

I'm going to redecorate my bathroom- I was also lucky enough to win these fun prints by Danita-

...and they'll be a great starting place for a redo.

  

 

 

Mermaids All Around- Les Sirenes

 
Artistis Affaire Les Sirenes hosted by Kim Caldwell  was a wonderful get away. The weather was perfect, the classes were inspiring, and Kim spoiled us like crazy- I felt like I was at a craft spa.

 
Our hotel was only three blocks from the beach, and even though I was too busy to see the ocean, with all the shell and mermaid decorations, I didn't miss it.  Everyone's chair was decorated with these beautiful shell decorated burlap swags.  (The burlap came in handy- for a few craft projects, I just snipped a bit off the bow- I wasn't vandalizing- Kim let us take all the table decorations home!)

 
Beautiful mermaid and sea coral fans decorated every table.

Lola, Kim's artistic mascot was there- all decked out in sea colors.

Every time we returned to our crafting tables, there were new gifts waiting for us.  We were such pampered mermaids...

I could go on and on (and probably will), but the real world and big girl job are calling me away from the sea- but I had such a wonderful time that I wanted to share just a bit of it while I'm still reveling in mermaid magic.

Swimming with the Mermaids

Tommorrow, I'm headed to California to swim with the mermaids.

The mermaids will be at Kim Caldwell's Artistic Affaire Les Sirenes.  I'm so excited to see a bit of Southern California, and spend some time with nothing to do but create and play- and take a side trip to the Long Beach Flea Market and do some antique shopping California style.   It sounds like the weather will be beautiful in California- especially compared to Kansas weather with temperatures in the 90's and heat indexes even higher.

Karla is going to the event, too- and while we're gone, my husband will be watching Button and his sister Agnes Rosebud-- and our "big dogs". 

 
Rosie and Button are so cute together- you get the feeling that they know they're brother and sister and are just DELIGHTED to see each other.

(I borrowed this picture from Karla, because I haven't been able to get any pictures of them sitting still- they're busy playing, wrestling and chasing each other.)

  

A Challenge and A Little Story

 Last week, Mary put together a collage sheet and challenged us to use all or part of all the elements in one piece of art.  We could also add whatever elements- other images, inks, embellishments etc that we wanted.

 

I printed collage sheet and took it to my craft table where there happened to be an empty photo folder.

I decided I wanted to tell a story- and the folder would be the start.

Miss Mary Hayes- the woman on the collage sheet- seemed to be a perfect fit for the outside of the folder.

On the fold opposite Mary, I added a bit of wallpaper and the floral trade card.

 
Inside, I added a page of ads from a 1900's Cosmopolitian magazine, and sheet music in the photo frame.

The other side of the folder got a copy of a French postcard from The Graphics Fairy.  I printed another copy of the postcard in a smaller size, and two sizes of Mary's letter and bundled them together.

Under the letters...

  ... a photo of Mary's sweetheart.  And of course, the letters are from Mary's beloved, who's far away, fighting the war, or taming the west. 

The project was a little inspired by watching a re-run of Cold Mountain a couple weeks ago- but I couldn't find a vintage picture of anyone as cute as Jude Law.

You can see everyone's work here.
 

 

Summer Slumps, Shadow Dogs, Stitching Samplers

  
Thanks for all the great suggestions for what to put in the oval in my newest stitching project. You gave me so many fun ideas that I'm going to have make a bunch of samplers.

But first I wanted to finish the one I started back in February.

 
I dug through my fabric scraps and found an old floral quilted stand mixer cover.  Remember when the best kitchens had matching covers for all their small appliances- toaster, blender & mixer.

 
I pinked the edges of part of the cover and sewed the sampler to it using French knots, a feather stitch and straight stitches.

When I'm done, I'll use some cafe curtain clips and a ribbon to hang it.

 

These clips are old- marked Germany- and besides using them on curtains, they are great for "clipping" projects together.  I have some for sale in my Etsy Shop.

 
 My Saturday posts usually show my Friday estate sale finds- but yesterday was a sloooooow day for estate sales.  Oh, there were plenty of sales out there, just not much that I wanted to buy.  Lots of Home Interiors and southwest style furnishings.  The sad little picture above is all I can brag about.

 
But that's ok- I have plenty of  junk treasures in my basement and craft room to keep me busy for quite a while- and if I'm at home, I have a chance to play with this little guy.  He's modeling his "Dog Whisperer" step in harness. He doesn't really like to "step in"- it's more like trying to put socks on an octupus

Button goes for a walk with his big brother and sister every morning. 

Yorkies have to wear a harness when they're on a leash because they're so small that a tug or pull too close to his neck could harm his trachea.

After his walk, Button likes to play in the back yard.  I used to worry that I might lose him the yard.

After all, our garden is quite overgrown  lush and it wouldn't be hard for a dog that stands only 8" from the ground to get lost.

But I don't worry about that as much as I used to- Button pretty much follows his big brother Buddy around like a shadow.  Wherever Buddy is, Button isn't far behind.

But when it's time to come inside and rest up after chasing squirrels, Button likes to take his nap snuggling up with his big sister Maddie.  Maddie is very patient and doesn't bark a word unless Button pulls her hair.

And on a completely different subject that I can find no easy transition to- a few months ago I mentioned going to an estate sale of a dancer.  I've listed some vintage ballet programs from that sale in my other etsy shop.  They have some beautiful dance pictures and fun ads.

  

   

A New Stitching Project

 
When I'm selling at an antique show, I like to have a project to pass the time.  Unfortunately,shows are not all selling, rearranging and shopping- sometimes shows have long blocks of down time, and I can't stand to just sit. Sometimes I bring a book, but I don't think that looks good to a customer- they might just pass by my booth because it looks like I'm busy, engrossed in my book, and they don't want to bother me.

 
  
Usually, I knit- but with temps inside in the 80's, it just seemed too hot to play with yarn, so I started a freestyle stampler in my favorite "sepia summer" neutral colors.

I just used little bits and pieces of lace that were too small for much else, but too pretty to not do something with them, buttons and white, ecru, gold & green floss.

 
So- my question of the day- in the very first picture- there's a gold oval- What should I put in the oval?

One more thing about stitching- see my needle in the picture above?  NOT a good idea to leave your needle in your work.  I can't tell you how many times I've bought an auction lot of linens or "fancy work" and found a beautiful piece that had a needle still in it- a RUSTY needle that stained the fabric. 

These are a few pictures I took of little displays in my booth when I wasn't stitching.

 
  Jewelry, of course.

 
Pretty old sheet music.

 
Old paper, pictures and lace.

I've added some "leftovers" from the show to my Etsy shops.  You can find these at Gathering Dust.

 
 And this (and more) at SugarPinkMoon.

 

Another Reason to Check Out Bottoms Up- Willow's Nest

 

After spending a little more time setting up my space at the Bottom's Up show and wandering around to check out other dealer's spaces, I'm sure this is the best show yet.

There are lots of great booths- one of my favorites is Linda and Ludmil of Willow's Nest.  Linda and Ludmil are from Texas and regularly set up at the great Texas antique shows including Marburger. 

Linda's art is amazing- compositions that make you look twice to catch all the details.

The vignettes are just the perfect combination of torn, tattered, worn and rust- primitive elegance.

And where else are you going to find a green bike?

My pictures are just a little peek at an inspiring booth- you really need to see the whole thing.

 

Everywhere you look, there's a little extra special something.

 
Not just ribbon, but ribbon on DECORATED spools....

 
 
Check out the beautiful rosette detail on this bed.

One final picture- not of Willow's Nest, but of my booth.

 
Remember the ballerina crinolines I got at an estate sale back in May?  I put them in my space at Bottom's Up- and ten minutes later sold them to Linda- and now you can find them at Willow's Nest... a perfect place for them.