A Deconstructed Sampler

I have been doing a little project this past month with my embroidery on my other blog. I did one letter a day and added a few little flowers to create this deconstructed sampler.  I have had this idea in my mind for quite some time and finally got around to doing it.  I do plan on selling them individually and as a whole in my etsy shop once I get the individual photos taken.

Which brings me to my next thought. I am thinking of combining my 2 shops and 2 blogs into Vintage Junky.  I thought it would be easier to keep things separate, but it is just more to keep up with.  So, I am asking your opinion on my blog.... would you like to see more embroidery/knitting/sewing type pursuits on Vintage Junky?  I originally separated it because I thought that the content was different.  But, it all within my interests.  So, what do you think?  

For Keepsies

The past few hunting trips I have just had some luck.  I mean, this past weekend I wasn't looking for something in particular and I always think that is when the best stuff finds me.  Like this cookie jar.  It was in a booth that I never, ever find anything.  And, it was on the bottom shelf with a cracked lid that had been repaired.  But look at it!  I mean, I have been on my "find high" over this one all week.  I will glance over at this baby and just smile.  And, I think the Mr and the little man are tired of me pointing it out and asking them to bask in all of its beauty.  Plus, it isn't something that fits into my style if I can even categorize my style.  Which makes this find all the more perfect.  Still, I know that this is just one of those things that I will always treasure.  I even went online to hunt more of them once I got home.  Because 2 is always better than 1.  And 20 is always better than 2 *wink* Seriously though, I don't think I need more than one.  I just need to know how to search for another if my precious ever gets into an unfortunate accident.  It is a McCoy.  They were made from the 1930s-1940s and came in a few colors and canister shapes too.  

Now these... these are something special.  Like the Mr thinks they are too... he isn't just buttering my bread like he does when he mock fawns over *my precious* These are some original plates from a book printed between 1780s -1804.  I love butterflies and he loves paper.  So, I decided to keep them.  I found 3 smaller ones that I am debating on keeping, but these are my keepers.  I even put holes in the wall that previously did not have holes.  If I am ever on Antiques Roadshow, this is what I will take.  I mean, I don't think they would take me seriously if I showed up with my cookie jar with the cracked lid.

The Mr purchased this piece from Carter's Creek Station Antiques  a few weeks ago for his studio space and he decided it wouldn't fit, so he turned it over to me.  Now, I know in the photo the chippy paint looks incredible, but it wasn't old paint.  It had been sprayed and it just wasn't going to last.  So, I painted it green.

I was going for that authentic old green color that you see so often falling off antique furniture.  I sanded the old paint smooth and left bit of it to peek through here and there.  This area in the entry was a little cluttered, so I cleared out all of that and put this here instead.  I am always trying to cover that annoying air return just enough so it doesn't impede its purpose, but that I don't have to look at it.

So, that is what I kept.  I have a BUNCH of stuff headed to my booth at Winchester Antiques today.  The Mr so kindly took it so I can take the little man to see his *girlfriend* today. Plus, I can't haul the trailer and unload furniture by myself.  I know, I know.  I probably should learn to do that myself.  But seeing as I can barely parallel park (I lack the confidence,) I don't see that happening any time soon.

Wishing you a great day~

Black is the new Black

Last week I tackled a project that had been on my list for quite some time.  The front door needed painting badly.  And, since we live in a subdivision with a HOA, I decided to just paint it black again since I would have to get permission to paint it any other color.  Plus, if I am being totally honest, black looks the best, but I would love to live in a white house where I could change the door color seasonally.  And, I had been wanting to paint the back of the front door... and I really wanted that to be black regardless of the front.  So, I painted it.  And I love the change.

I also hung this big hoop I embroidered with a ribbon and a few tacks tacked into the top of the door.  

Now for the boring, tiny before photos of the back of my front door through the ages (seriously, it isn't a long timeline.)

This is the color that  I most recently had it painted.  It was leftover paint from the dining room and I was just so tired of looking at the white.  I also removed the big painted wood piece and am planning on putting something else there.  I am taking that piece to my booth at Winchester this week when I go to restock.

We have been living outside for the most part.  Eating, playing, reading, crafting... it is all better outside!  We went on a little hunting trip Saturday and I found some treasures for me.  I will share those soon.

Now, I am off to finish up some pieces for some clients!

Sometimes, the antiquing stars align

Hello~  Hope you all had a lovely weekend! My boys took me on a little treasure hunting trip to some places we haven't been in awhile.  And wouldn't you know, all the things I had been looking for were found!  I don't go hunting solely for me much anymore with a booth and etsy shoppe to fill, but yesterday, I did!  I had been searching for this exact picnic basket.  I think I love it because it reminds me of stripy tweed suitcases.  I hadn't been able to locate one locally and neither had the Mr.  Yesterday   I found 3! (I only bought one... I am not that big of a hoarder yet!)  I love shopping on etsy so much, but there is something about finding it in person that is so rewarding.  And, I have been wanting this exact size globe with pretty, saturated color for awhile and the Mr.  spotted one after I passed up one that was twice as much.  The unrusted sifter and the pretty yellow botanical were bonus finds.  There is something that I don't love about the frame on it.... the gold is too new looking, so there may be some changing to it.  I also found a suitcase for my stack that I  was sure was going to fit, but it didn't.  So, I am going to have to make some hard choices here in the next few days.

Today I have big plans of working on client pieces and then coming back here to play some baseball with my boy and maybe pick some flowers.

hope you have a most lovely day!

Feels Good Getting Stuff Done

Since we have been at home a little more than usual this week with colds and ick, I was able to get some things accomplished that have been lurking in corners... either in my mind or literally pushed on a corner of a table.  I got my business books organized so that next year taxes should be much easier and quicker to do.  And, I had been meaning to take a closer look at this bird cage that the Mr surprised me with last year.  I noticed that there was some white and green on it before it was banished to the garage until I could work on it.  I planned on taking some time with some fine steel wool and see what was hidden underneath the black layer of paint.  I originally thought it was black~ green~ white.  Which wouldn't have been horrible, but seeing as I have a lovely little white one, I was really hoping there would be something better under the white.    So, I got to polishing with hot soapy water and some steel wool and realized quickly that 1. it was going to be tedious work and 2. that the prettiest aqua-y green actually lurked under the black and then white layer.  I decided to soak them once I realized the black paint was hastily applied and if it was wet long enough, it came off in sheets and took the white with it and left the green.  So, over a period of about 2 or 3 days letting Dawn and hot water do its work I was left with this:

Originally, I was cursing the person who painted this cage (I know, painting over an original finish??  how is that for the pot calling the kettle black?)  But, it was rusty in some places and that is where the black paint remains.  I didn't completely remove all the other layers, but left bits here and there.  I didn't want to spray any clear coat on it, so I buffed a clear wax over the whole thing.  I wish I could have left the green paint on the skinny little bars, but it came off with the other layers.

For now, I have no other plans than to keep it here in this corner.  I have played around with making it a lamp and we have actually wanted a bird for awhile, but I think this is just too small... how did they keep birds in these cages?

Hope you have a lovely Spring weekend!

The ones that got away

hello all!  We went to the flea last weekend before the germies set in and I left pretty empty handed.  When I go to the flea, I always have these grand notions of all the treasures I will find.  What I bought, I really like (and it is all for me... bonus!) It got me thinking about all the things that I have sold and now I am sort of kicking myself about the ones I let get away. Here are a few off the top of my head that I remembered and actually took photos of.

This piece I named Carol after the sweet friend that turned it over to me to transform. I loved the curves and angles of this piece and its stylish simplicity.  And those little drawers!  I love little drawers!

This one had little drawers too!  Harriet was sweet and simple too.  I think I am drawn to clean lines with just a bit of embellishment for my personal home.  I love the French-y details to paint and pieces with gorgeous hardware, but for my personal space this one is one that I think about often.  And, it is even white and my go to is definitely in the grey family.  This piece had a taller chest that matched it that I painted aqua and I adored it as well.  I really wish this one was in my bedroom though.

I remember rounding the corner and seeing this beauty at the flea one day.  I fell in love immediately!  There is something about old paint and it was so close to my own yellow that I created for my line.  Anyhow, I don't know that I ever planned on selling it, but I had a busy weekend that really emptied out the shoppe and I needed something. It sold almost immediately.  I have since been on the search for a piece, any piece with old yellow paint.

These dark slides.  I started out with about 50 of them.  Maybe I am exaggerating.  All I remember is that I wanted to do a little wall of these at home in a grid like fashion and one day I realized I had 3 left. 

I always try to have a place for something and when I bought this, I didn't have the perfect place for it.  But, I knew that it needed to come home with me.  I listed this awesome bowler hat form and the sweetest lady that is now a friend bought it.  I still love it and I am so happy it went to a good home!

This piece was the second piece I painted for my first booth.  But, it didn't go right to the booth until I didn't have another piece ready to go one after a busy week.  So, I had to fill it up with something and totally planned on switching it out once I had another piece ready, but it didn't work out that way.  Those pulls haunt me sometimes.

This birdcage was one of those things that I just adored and I even remember the gentleman that I bought it from.  This one also went to a dear, sweet, lovely friend! I have a new birdcage though that may soothe the pain though once I get it finished.

I am sure there are many other pieces and small treasures that I have let go and I know there are things the Mr. questions why I I let go.  I mean, I can't keep it all and I do love to share the vintage goodness!

Okay, back to trying to remove 2 layers of paint from a bird cage, but leaving one layer....

ps. I posted a fun little project I am working on in May over at Thimbled