Gathering Dust

We're Not in Texas Anymore- Bottoms Up This Weekend

 

My (brief) tour of Texas Antiques has ended- but I've got some pictures from set up at the

Bottom's Up Antique show right here in Kansas City.

This is a little collection of jewelry caskets, an old powder tin, a celluloid prayer book and way back in the right corner, a little bit of one of my favorite ever Gothic clocks.

Just can't have too many broken pocket watches.

1860's Harper Magazines, chippy white metal lamp shade and lace...

 
  
I bought this umbrella (with ribs only) from Teresa  of Garden Antiques.  I've clipped old photos to it- but it still won't keep you dry.

 

A deflowered hat used to display hat pins- and old photos.

From Kevin of Past Preserved- lots of trophies, quad plate & pewter.

Wooden croquet balls and bar bells in a wire basket.

 Check out these lady's frocks.

Love this coffee table with tin storage bins underneath from Locust Grove.

 ...and these crown shaped bowls.

Great burlap chair from Prize Antiques.

Come on down and see us! 

Round Top & Warrenton...What Caught My Eye

 

Probably no surprise, but most of my pictures show whites, creams..."low color" along with rust and sepia.

With the occasional contrast of black.

We all liked to stop and linger at the same kind of booth-lots of white, lace, sewing notions, hardware and paper.

I don't have any pictures of the things I bought- most were small- we were traveling in a Scion, so we pretty much had to stick with smalls.

I did buy a fantastic old store register/safe with lots and lots of little drawers.  It's metal and HEAVY- and still in the back of the Scion until I decide if I keep it or sell it...but I'm looking around my little house and wondering where would I put it?  But if I decide to keep it, I'm sure I can find a way.

 
My small items are priced & packed and loaded to go to Bottoms Up antique show this weekend- Friday & Sat Oct 1 & 2; 10am-5pm both days.  Come out and check it out.

I'm setting up tomorrow and I hope I can channel some of the fantastic displays I saw in Texas. 

(That's the inside of a piano).

While I'm at Bottom's Up, I'll make sure to take plenty of pictures- its always full of great displays, too.

 
I hope you don't get tired of  pictures of the old, the rusty and the crusty.  Of course, Bottoms Up also has plenty of the elegant, cool, funky and retro side of antiques.

I can't resist a picture of string- lots of string.

 The raffia really adds to the warmth of this display.

What is it about worn leather, crusty metal and an old number tag from a cash register that makes our hearts beat a little faster?

Check out the backwards books- spines to the back of the shelf.

A collection of white & cream leather Bibles in all sizes- beautiful!

This is what I want my Christmas decor to look like.

A background of brown transferware works with just about anything, but I love the contrast of the old woman's picture with the baby shoes.

And that's it- my Round Top pictures.  Hope you were able to get some inspiration from them, too.
 

I {Heart} Texas

When Lisa invited Karla and me to join her and Jodie in Texas for the Round Top antique shows, I had no idea there'd be so much more than just shopping.

The scenery and small towns in the area around Warrenton and Round Top are just beautiful.  Rolling hills, longhorn cattle, old farm houses and still thriving main streets were all part of the charm.  We saw cotton fields- something I'd never seen, and huge room size bales of cotton.  Doesn't the cotton look pretty with this galvanized tub?

Here's a picture of  me, Karla & Lisa taken by Jodie in the charming little town of Fayette Texas.  (Jodie told us she's rather take pictures than be in them).

Karla playing Southern Belle in the Fayette town square.

If you're going to wear tennis shoes, you might as well make them pretty.  Actually, the tennis shoes were switched out for sandals shortly after- it was a HOT day.

The area is jam packed full of fields of stuff- old stuff, new stuff, new stuff made to look old...this is kind of where's Waldo picture- can you find the elephant?

We met up with darling Anne of Fiona & Twig for an afternoon of shopping.  Anne brought along her husband, Mr Twig, and he was a lifesaver.

 
He happily watched our carts while we shopped, saved seats at lunch and made sure we were all going in the same direction.  I told Mr Twig that he really set the bar high for husbands helping with junking.

Lots of humor in this part of Texas- at least I though this was funny- a booth called "Dead People's Stuff".

Zapp Hall- the sign is made with rows and rows of bottle caps.

Outside the famous Royers Cafe.

Lisa, Karla and me inside Royers- before we filled up on fried chicken and pie.

I took lots of pictures of displays that caught my eye- I'll post those tomorrow.

European Sewing Notions

For the past three years, Lili and I have done a swap- I'll send her little paper things like wallpaper, postcards & valentines and she sends me FABULOUS things like European sewing treasures.  She said she got these at a "boot"- I think that's a Dutch word for flea market.  The boot is the trunk of a car, and in theory, people sell out of the trunk of their car.

 
The package was wrapped with a map, twill tape with numbers and a gingham accent tape.

Inside was this sweet box- and inside the box:

 
...the red and blue theme continued- red seam binding- LOVE the label, a floss keeper, more number tape and playing cards with beautiful designs,

A back to school postcard, a snap card and thread card.

More twill tape- this has my initials on it!!!  (Maybe I should sew it inside my clothes before I go to camp).

Antique bobbins and an etui.  An etui is a crossword puzzle word that means needlecase.

(I know one other word that is used only in crosswords- "ort"- which is a scrap of food. That has nothing to do with this post, I just thought I'd throw it in there to see if you were paying attention.)

I don't know how I can come up with a swap gift for Lili to come anywhere close to what she found for me...

I might just have to put on my boots and go to Texas to do some shopping....Karla and I should be on the road in an hour or so on our way to Round Top. 
 

Treasuries on Etsy- You, Too Can Be a Curator

I used to think you had to be a "big wig" at Etsy to put together a treasury, but they've got it set up so anyone with an account can put together a group of favorite items.

This is one I put together called By the Numbers.  To put together your own treasure, go here.   But beware- just like Flickr's mosaics, this can be addictive.

I'm Not Usually Spontaneous But I Have A Map of Texas Antique World On my Lap...

 
.... because I'm going to Antique Week aka Round Top. 

It started with an email from Lisa telling me that she and Jodie were going to Round Top...she ended by saying something like "it would be fun if you could go to..."  Lisa should be careful what ideas she gives people....

...I was reading Lisa's email about 530 in the evening.  The phone rang and it was my husband telling me that he was done golfing and on his way- he'd be home about 8pm.  Eight pm?  He was golfing about 25 miles from here.  "Yeah, it was raining in Pleasant Hill, so we just kept driving south until we found some sun, I'm in Oklahoma."

"Ok, drive safe, and by the way- I'm going to Texas for Antique Week".  I emailed Karla to see if she felt like a road trip and a plan was made. 

Needless to say, I'm pretty excited- but I had to skip Karla's pre Silver Bella get together today, because this is the only day I have to get ready for the October Bottoms Up Antique Show .  I'm not a Bella, but Karla invited me anyway- its not because I'm a good guest- I don't help with dishes or clean up afterwards.

 
Since I had to work at my big girl job yesterday - a Friday, which is usually reserved for estate sales, I had to get a little "fix" this morning- and I found six 1890's fashion magazines- they weren't cheap, but I LOVE them. 

 
(This weekend I may be fondling magazines).

  There are even a handful of color plates.

 
I want to say a very big thank you to everyone who took Karla & my Romantic Gothic Ghosts workshop so far.  We've gotten enough positive feedback and requests for a another workshop, that we've got a second class in the hopper.  (We'll probably figure out the details on that long car ride to Texas).

 

 If you didn't sign up for Romantic Gothic Ghosts and are still interested, the blog will be available for at least a year- and although the projects are fun for Halloween, most of them don't scream "Trick or Treat" and could be used year round. 

And now, I'm off to sort, clean, repair, fix, polish, glue and price for the antique show in two weeks- the shopping and selling are the fun part of selling antiques- the part in between is not quite as much fun.

Vintage Notions

 
Last Saturday at the antique show, Amy Barickman was signing copies of her new book Vintage Notions. 

 
I'd planned on reading the book during slow times at the show, but really didn't start actually READING until I got home, because I was so sucked in by the wonderful images.  For a "pots & pans domestic history" girl like me, this book is like the holy grail.  I found myself wanting to fondle it, just for its shear beauty.

 
It's based on newsletters published by The Woman's Institue of Domestic Arts and Sciences between 1916 and 1934.  The Institute was founded by Mary Brooks Picken, who was a pioneering businesswoman in a time when I'm sure it was difficult to be a woman in business.  Mary made many contributions to the domestic arts, but I think one of the most significant is how she encouraged woman to use their "home skills" to enhance their lives, including making money from their talents.

The book reminds me of a "best of" the 1920's & 1930's Modern Priscilla, Needlework & Ladies Home Journal magazines.  Some craft projects, some sewing ideas, some inspirational articles and some recipes all with those wonderful illustrations.

 Speaking of notions, I've been loading up my Etsy shops-SugarPinkMoon

with cookbooks, catalogs and toys.... 

and buttons....lots of buttons.

 
 and Gathering Dust has journals, pictures and little collage doo-dads.

 

"Low Color" at the Antique Show

On Friday, after I got set up for the antique show, I took a few pictures of my space. 

 
Besides my sewing stuff, books & other assorted bits & pieces, I had some Edwardian clothes.  And even now, after the show, I STILL have some Edwardian clothes- apparently show goers weren't as interested in vintage/antqiue clothing as I am.

Single Victorain baby shoe.

 
Lace, trim, needles, notions.

 
Music and old paper.

 
Wooden egg darners- rarely used anymore- so much easier to just buy NEW socks that repair the old ones.

Pretty prayer books contrasted with white watch faces.  

Are you seeing a trend here?  Except for the first picture, nothing I brought to the show had much color- we've got black, we've got white and we've got a lot of cream, tan, oatmeal, vanilla etc etc.

When I got done taking pictures in my booth, I walked around and took pictures of whatever caught my eye.  I guess  I shouldn't have been to surprised that most of these pictures are "low color", too.

Ironstone bowl full of little envelopes.

More ironstone.

Shoes, lots of shoes- we love our baby shoes.

Ironstone, baby shoes and string...staples in shabby, modern country, farmhouse decor.

I'm not really sure what you call this look- the first time I saw it was when I saw pictures from Round Top and I started calling it "Texas Chic".

 

Speaking of staples- can't forget the wisk broom.

And a shabby little cream cabinet to store your "smalls".

This really isn't a good representation of the show- there were plenty of colors to be found, but you can see where my eye goes.

Old Summit Country Antique Show THIS SATURDAY

This Saturday, I'll be selling at one of my favorite- and one of the best- antique shows around these parts.  The Old Summit Country Antique Show specializes in a mix of folksy, country, primitives and a little bit funky.

 
I'm bringing a "few of my favorite things."  ( But nothing mentioned in The Sound of Music.)

Sewing stuff- once again, it's all about the graphics.  Did you notice on the blue needle package it says "War Time Package- Pre War Quality".  I love those little details that clue us into the details of everyday life in the past. 

 
My 17 year old niece was telling me that she likes history- middle ages and the Renaissance.  I told her I liked 20th century history-  not who was president in which year, or when Congress passed a law.  I like history that tells about the everyday life of people.  My niece said "Oh,  Pots & Pans history".  I'd never heard that before- I don't know if she made it up, but I think it's a good description.

 
Another one of my favorite things I'll be bringing to the show is brown transferware.  I love it, but I live in a small house and I know I can't keep everything.

Come on out to the show- Saturday, Sep 11, 2010 at the John Knox Pavilion, 400 Murray Road in Lee's Summit MO.  Stop by and say hi- my booth is at the base of the stage, and I'll try to remember my Gathering Dust sign.

 

 

 

 

Vintage Paper, Old Paper, Aged Paper- We Love Our Paper

In my last post I mentioned the great antique shopping in Kansas City last weekend- but that's not where I did my shopping- I went to the flea markets in Sparks and White Cloud.  Found some cool stuff, but my favorite of course is the paper.

Like this HUGE Kansas City Grain Market review- it'll tell the price of every crop sold on any given day in Kansas City in 1925- and THAT is news you can use.

 

Good paper.

 
A tattered album full of Victorian trade cards, postcards, calling cards and scrap.

 I probably would have bought it for the cover alone, but what a bonus- but the cards are so sweet and pretty- a business card is not the same as a calling card, and a flyer on your windshield or tucked in your door is NOT the same as one of these beautiful trade cards.

 Very good paper.

But THIS, THIS is GREAT PAPER.  It's a 1930's ledger from a Kansas County Courthouse- it documents the trials, the outcomes, the awards etc.  I haven't had a chance to read much yet, but I'm guessing it will either be really interesting or really boring.

Love those marbeled end papers.  Don't you wish you could just call Crane & Company in Topeka and reorder one of these?

Oh yes, GREAT paper...

Speaking of paper (in a round about way), I love to print on fabric, but the ready made printable fabric is expensive.  Diane Knott told me about an easy way to print on fabric.

Get a package of full size Avery labels- they're 10 to a package for $4.40 at Wal-mart.  Peel off the backing, and with the sticky side up, smooth your fabric onto the label.  I used a light weight muslin, and my colors weren't very intense, so I'm going to   experiment with the color saturation in Picassa, as well as sturdier fabrics.

I downloaded these bird images from Sandy at Quill Cottage.  I was going to make a bird book- but now I can make a FABRIC bird book. 

We're having fun in our Romantic Gothic Ghosts class.  Check out our flickr group to see  some of the projects people have made.  If you're interested in the class, but short on time right now, don't worry, the blog will be available for at least a year- and these projects have a life way past Halloween.

I've loaded up my Etsy shops- SugarPinkMoon with lots of (new) old jewelry, and Gathering Dust with all the old paper you see here.  But not the ledger- I have to read it first...