California Treasures

The other day, I shared some photos of our fun weekend in California. Now for the treasures I found junking!

On the way to Old Towne Orange, I spotted a sign for a church lot sale, so we pulled in. For $2, I walked away with a vintage floral pillowcase and a stack of old books. Then we spent most of the day in the antique malls in Old Towne Orange. Here is what I found:

Vintage poodle wrapping paper, sequins, millinery, and bird pin.

Assorted ephemera:

We left Orange and drove to Fullerton to Gilding the Lily. What a FABULOUS store. Here are a few pics from the store:

And this is some of what I brought home - millinery, dresden foil, metal charms, ribbon, and mercury glass buttons.

But my favorite find of the day was vintage wallpaper!! Check out this fabulous poinsettia print.

 

I hope I get back soon. Gilding the Lily also offers classes. The projects look amazing!

 

Best Birthday Ever

My husband planned a trip to southern California for my birthday last weekend. We flew in on Friday night, spent all day shopping in Orange County on Saturday, and then Disneyland on Sunday. What he didn't tell me was that he was flying my sister and niece out to surprise me on Sunday and Monday. We had a great time. I was completely surprised. Here are a few pics of our adventures.

Shopping in Old Towne Orange:

Laguna Beach: 

Fun at Disneyland:

Balboa Island:

Griffith Park:

Chinese Theater:

Lunch at Mel's Diner:

A snack before we fly home:

I have to share photos of the treasures I found and where we shopped. More to come...



Junkin Jewelry for Junk Bonanza

All this TX heat has me longing for nicer fall weather. I was in the mood for some jewelry making, so I looked through my stash to see what I had. I started pulling out pieces that are definitely suited for fall. I made this bracelet that I'm planning to wear to Junk Bonanza in September, the first of my planned autumn junk excursions.

Is it a sickness to make jewelry for junkin trips? I guess I've been bitten by the junkin bug and this is just one of the side effects.

 I took a bezel from a do-it-yourself bracelet and placed a piece of old text in it. Then I coated it with a couple layers of Glossy Accents. I used pieces from several collections that I've been hoarding, including Vintaj, Industrial Chic, and a few vintage pieces. The result is a mixed up assortment of charms that makes me happy.

 

More Treasures

When I complained the other day that I hadn't been able to venture out to hunt for treasures, I must have felt sorry for myself. I gased up the car and headed south to Waxahachie to see what I could find. I was quite happy with what I brought home.

I found everything in this first photo in the very last booth of one of my favorite antique shops. Just goes to show that you never know what you'll find so keep looking. I'm participating in Michele's Christmas in July swap, so the vintage book will be used for that. I found some old quilt squares, glass buttons, folding ruler, and a vintage Vera napkin to add to my collection.

But my heart skipped a few beats when I uncovered this treasure trove of photos in another antique mall - again in the very last booth I visited. I saw a few loose photos in a pile and checked the price - 50 cents each! What a bargain. As I was scooping them up, I noticed what looked like a red celluloid album. I turned it over and guess what - it was a red celluloid album! Now, are you ready for the price? It might give you a heart attack. Get ready for it...

$5!!! And it was full of photos. How these treasures sat in this booth until I arrived is beyond me. I was giddy with excitement. I grabbed the album and the photos and skipped up to the counter to pay before someone realized that they had made a mistake and the album is really $50. What a great early birthday present to me! The album even included an old funeral card. I was just reading about these as I'm doing a ton of genealogical research on our families.
 

Beach Baby

I made another layout! I bought this Sassafras paper at Hobby Lobby, knowing that it's not my usual style. But, I had some boardwalk photos that I planned to scrap and thought it would be a fun background. Then I saw this adorable photo of my niece that I had printed, and wanted to scrap it immediately.

She struck this perfect little pose when we were sitting on the beach. It captures her personality perfectly! I added all kinds of embellishments to add to the "carnival" feeling of the paper - stamped banners (Pink Paislee Soiree), paper flags, a paper pinwheel, vintage ticket and playing card, a few flowers, and a pink tag tucked under the photo.

I added the title with some thickers alphas. I've had that song stuck in my head ever since I started working on this layout!

 

Vignettes

...that's what I've been making lately. On the mantel. On the dining room table. On the coffee table. On anything that will stand still. Here are a few from around the house.

First, I made over my dining room table using an old lace tablecloth and lace remnant. Then I starting layering on the "goodies." This is the only room that looks out to the backyard, so I wanted something nature-inspired. I pulled together old books, stands, a cloche, seed pods, a bird nest, and even a dried out honeycomb.

I added a few sparkling candleholders here and there.

I borrowed ideas from blogs and magazines I read and used what was on hand.

Next is a little "summer vacation" vignette on my coffee table. The mirrored tray and silver cups and vases are usually here, but I added the silver box and coral for summer. Then I tucked in vintage vacation photos.

Next up is the mantel. I tucked little vignettes among my everyday things, for an overall look that is much more my style than the mantel full of crystal that I had before. Now I have just a few special pieces that bring a little sparkle to the assemblages.

Here's a little one I made with an old flower frog and ephemera.

I made this Welcome sign using an old store display stand a while back. Now she has a place of pride on the mantel. I added an old candy box, vintage tiara, and shoe forms.

I made another vignette on the other side with an old cigar box (full of old spools), altered wood block, old millinery trim, and some rusty pieces.

Then I created a swag across the large mirror. I took a doubled length of creamy seam binding and hung it on the wall with upholstery tacks.

I used tiny clothes pins to add old photos, ephemera, lace bits, flowers, and anything else that I had laying around. I added a long vintage necklace for more sparkle.

Here's a wide look at the mantel and swag:



Now it seems like my black clock is out of place. Need to start looking for a replacement...

 

Recent Treasures

It's been a while since I shared some vintage finds. It's been so darn hot here, that I haven't ventured out much. I stopped by the thrift store the other day and came home with a few treasures.

Vintage wrapping paper, a book with sweet drawings, and glittered bells (already pulled from the plastic decoration). The fabric reminds me of the fabulous Vera prints. I'm hoping to make a cute summer purse and apron out of it. And did you see the PINK angel hair? That will be hitting my etsy shop for Christmas.
 

Furniture Friday

Each Friday, the Miss Mustard Seed blog features furniture makeovers, so I thought I'd enter one of my pieces. I wish I had a "before" photo of this old dining room buffet. We bought it at an auction with the specific purpose of converting it into our bathroom vanity. It was the perfect size, a great shape, and a steal of a price, so it came home with us.

I sanded, primed, painted, and glazed the dark wood to make it a much lighter piece for our bathroom. Husband cut out the holes for the sinks and plumbing, closed off the top drawer (since that's where the sinks and pipes are), and I added crackle-glazed knobs. It's the perfect fit for our new space!

Art Journal Grid

I was inspired by a post on Julie Balzer's blog where she did a grid of mini paintings in her art journal. I can't draw or paint, so I used the idea and applied it the way I could - with mini paper collages!

I started by gathering all my little bits of ephemera, tiny images, lace and fabric scraps, and any embellishments that would work. I went with a muted color scheme, so that helped limit my selections.

I measured my pages and decided that 2x2 inch squares (twinchies) would work best. I stamped a grid on the pages using my new Pink Paislee Soiree stamp set. Then I got to work assembling the collages.

I stamped, I layered, I stitched, I glued. I had a lot of fun creating these pages. They're actually in my friend Julie's art journal. Now I want to make some to go in mine!

 

Baby Boy

My husband is going to his first baby shower. A friend from his work is having a little boy, so I got busy buying gifts and of course making a sweet card to welcome the little guy.

I started with a scrap of patterned paper from a kit that was well used on these cards, then layered on sheet music, old paper, trims, and an image from a vintage mother's encyclopedia.

I stitched a border around the edges. A color-coordinated title and flowers frame the little guy.



Mr. Right

I played along with this month's Green Paper challenge. Miss Mary had beautiful images for us to use. I made a card using vintage wallpaper, the supplies images, and a scrap from an old letter (written by someone in my hometown).

I added some glitter here and there and gave her a necklace made from Liquid Pearls.

This week's Theme Thursday challenge is wings, so I put a pair of glittered wings on our maiden so she could perform double duty while she's waiting.

Some New Cards

I have a pile of monthly club kits sitting next to my scrap table. I pulled one out the other day and started making cards. I cut, I glued, I embellished. Here is what I came up with.

Happy Independence Day