Miniature Shopping!

I went to the big miniature shows in Chicago last week and came home with new treasures.

'A Charmed Life'

I finished a project today! Wow~I amaze myself. While visiting a friend in the fall, I was inspired by her framed Mary Engelbreit print, 'A Charmed Life'. She added vintage buttons inside the shadow box style frame and I was entranced. Today, I searched through my jewelry to find my old charm bracelet along with some other charms, pins and Cracker Jack prizes I have collected. I remembered that I bought a shadow box frame with a padded back (@9"x11") at Pottery Barn some time ago (I think Hobby Lobby has one like it) as well as purchasing the afore mentioned ME print (actually a greeting card which measures 5"x7") online and got to work, polishing the sterling silver and planning what would go where. Luckily, I had some short pins in my stash which I used to pin the extra charms in the padding. I ended up taking all my charms off to rearrange them~my fingers are sore from prying open the jump rings. But I am very pleased with what I accomplished and I have room to add more charms! So is this project really finished?! The hunt is on!

The frame is pictured with the glass closed (the frame has a magnetic closure).

Here it is pictured opened.

This is my friend's inspiring project with a portion of her collection of vintage buttons. Loverly! Thanks, Jen, for the inspiration! I am joining Nita for Mod Mix Monday! http://modvintagelife.blogspot.com/2014/01/mod-mix-monday-134.html And also Linda for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com/2014/01/nifty-thrifty-tuesday-no194.html Joining Kim for 'Wow Us Wednesdays' at Savvy Southern Style http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net

New/Old Storage/ Display

I needed a way to display some of my cherished toys when I found this vintage small crib on wheels. It was a light bulb moment~I could put a sheet of glass on the side rails and use the bed for display as well as using the glass. I wrapped the mattress with an old quilt top and am happy with it. Having large windows and sliders throughout the house, leaves me without much wall space so this moving display works well for me. I am still struggling with whether or not to sand and paint the crib. Not sure I like the chipped look. I am joining Funky Junk this week for their Junky storage ideas.

http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2013/12/party-junk-junky-storage-ideas.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:%20blogspot/KCcu%20(Funky%20Junk%20Interiors)

ChRiStMaS Crafting

I have wanted to make an ornament wreath for several years~have been collecting vintage as well as other beautiful ornaments and finally decided this was the time! Georgia Peachez was my inspiration~but then I found great instructions from the gals who write the blog, RetroRenovation, which helped immensely! So why bother writing my own how-to when they have done such an excellent job? Plus they contacted Georgia for her follow-up comments~so helpful! http://retrorenovation.com/2010/12/11/how-to-make-a-christmas-wreath-out-of-vintage-ornaments/ My sister decided to join me in this crafting experience. We set up our supplies on my dining room table and right away found out that we were short on ornaments. So I spent several shopping excursions searching for just the right ornaments for both of our projects. The first wreath is mine~love the jewel tones! After I made it, I found some purple star earrings which were just right to add bling to my wreath.

I made the funnel tree after seeing something like it on Pinterest. I just found the base-an old fashioned bill holder which I added a wine cork to. This helps hold the funnels in place. Final touch is the glittered star on top!

The retro/vintage wreath is my sister, Lynne's. I found several packages of retro looking ornaments at Target to add to her wreath. Each wreath required 80-90 ornaments as well as many smaller balls to fill in the gaps.

I bought a large jar of small vintage glass balls at an antique store a few years ago, so I decided to make an ornament tree using the same tips I learned for the wreath. I collect Wee Forest Folk, small mouse figurines, which are sculpted, cast and then hand painted in MA. I have been collecting damaged mice and thought they would be adorable peeking out of the tinsel on my ornament tree. I just love it! I hope to add more ornaments as I find the right size and colors.

These projects are addictive! Yesterday, I decided to make another wreath, using some beautiful Polish ornaments I bought several years ago at World Market. This is a smaller wreath, using an eight inch wreath form. Now if only I can stop fussing! HaPpY Holidays!

Found Treasures

We are visiting our son, so I now find I have time to post. First up, some treasures I found in the past two months or so. The blue violin reminds me of my Gramma Zim. She had a glass violin with ivy growing out of it in her dining room. 💕memories of the farm and my grandparents. It joins some favorite finds on the windowsill in my kitchen.

My husband took me to some of my favorite stores in Traverse City, MI, a month or so ago. I found several sweet things at good prices, but I am finding I enjoy estate sales and the terrific buys you can get over antique stores. Of course, now I have started new collections, including 'The Three Little Pigs', blue Shirley Temple glassware, funnels, and adding another small shelf to my growing collection. The hand now holds a miniature teddy bear and I am thinking that the fancy handkerchief will be a pretty tablecloth on a miniature table.

The tiny bulldog mama and pups (stamped Japan) was picked up at an estate sale close to home, along with the Lusterware salt cellar. 💗 the raised flowers on the basket! The small snuff box is sterling with a mosaic floral top, found at an estate sale near an exclusive country club. There is even some mother of pearl in the mosaic to make it really sparkle. The tiny charms are old and I wonder if they were prizes from Cracker Jacks~another new collection is started!

These velvet acorns were made by the Hot Skwash pumpkin creators~love their work!

The acorns have now joined my growing collection of Hot Skwash pumpkins. I found an adorable iron bunny to hold one of the velvet creations.

I added several new robots to the next booming collection. I found two more Hallmark retired robot ornaments online to join this next display. Robots and Wee Forest Folk~an unusual combination~but they make me happy!

It's always fun to share my treasures. Now back to browsing blogs and Pinterest!

HaLLoWeeN!

So HaLLoWeeN is this week~and I have not opened one tub of Halloween decorations. Now what does that tell me?! I might have gone overboard with 'stuff'?! Guess I would agree with that, since I have some great things on display. Luckily, I store many of my best things in a spare bedroom closet. And...I bought some terrific new things. So I will share pictures of the new or favorite things I have out. PS It doesn't help that my living room is still full of craft supplies, waiting to be taken back down to my new remodeled art studio (Ha!).

Clowning Around

Who knew that clowning around would be so much fun! Last weekend was the annual 'Folktoberfest', a gathering of Wee Forest Folk collectors from all over the United States in a small rural town in Michigan. This year's theme was 'Wee Ring Circus' with amazing mice made special for this event. We earned raffle tickets for dressing up, entering displays, or other fun things (I joined a group of mouser friends and performed as 'Rock Lobsters' to earn even more tickets). The raffle tickets were entered in drawings for mice (I was lucky and came home with one!). Oh! I decided my circus needed a bearded lady~she is quite ugly but cute at the same time... Here are some pictures~of clowns and lobsters and special mice~Enjoy!