More Weekend Finds & Happy First Birthday Tinkerbelle!

Some treasures from a stop at Objects Found in Catonsville, MD and The Fancy Flea festival at The Pink Cabbage in Ellicott City, MD. I bought the doll, and for some reason the seller threw in Raggedy Andy for free. I didn't even ask about him. And the Edgar Allen Poe volume, copyright 1902, was inside the vintage wooden bird cage. I had just gotten a box of vintage floral birds the day before, so I guess I am officially on a bird kick.
Tinkerbelle Louise turns one today- June 6. I adopted her six months ago from the Small Miracles Cat Rescue in Ellicott City, and she has been such a joy! She deserved her birthday "cake" with candle.

Memorial weekend vintage finds

I flew from Maryland to Indiana for my great-nephew's open house Saturday. He graduated from Center Grove High School near Greenwood and will study geology at Indiana University. He's also an incredible artist (new pics to come).
While in Indiana I hit some of my favorite antiques shops: AlleyCats in Leesburg, a great new antique mall; and a few shops in the well-known antique town of Pierceton, IN. I had seen two vintage Barbie cases (actually for Ken and Skipper) back in September 2010, and they were still there! The owner even gave them to me for half price, and they were already cheap!
Given my latest fascination with embroidery, I was on the lookout for vintage linens, and boy, did I score! Sets of gorgeous pillowcases, towels and doilies and baby dresses, all with amazing examples of detailed needlework. My plan is/was to embroider some more on some of them, but don't know if I want to spoil them. And I think I will frame the nine panel daisy doily.
You can see my other goodies-- a vintage art deco purse, small china doll, paint tins and a very smooth, much-used eyewash cup or egg cup. It just feels neat. I keep meaning to make an altered paint tin much like Connie Govea Stuart showed in Somerset Studio May/June 2009. And I'd like to make a big book of vintage textiles samples and lace bits like Sandra Evertson's Album d' Enchantillon featured in Somerset Life summer 2008. It's just a huge, gorgeous, rich, French-y book/album.
My travels took me through my hometown of Anderson, for a cemetery visit, and a much cheerier stop at the landmark, Gene's Root Beer (....or is it Gene's Hot Dogs?) Ack. Either way, it was a staple of my childhood. It was a big deal for girls to be able to be carhops at age 14. Saturday's carhops were about 30 years past that. But the good news was the food had not changed!
Today, Memorial Day, is the first day I've seen sunshine since I've been here. And now it is about 90-F of course. I've seen or driven through hail, sideways rain, thunderstorms, tornado watches and warnings; my planes were delayed or forced to circle, flights cancelled, bags lost/delayed. You know, the usual travel stuff.

More, more, more in my Etsy shop, including handmade items by me

I added a couple of my Marie Antoinette figures to my Etsy shop, and lots more vintage goodness! Check it out.

Head 'em up and Move 'em out and Let's get some New Inspiration!

After nearly 18 months of struggling with an absent muse, an ailing body, a mixed-up mind, a stressed heart, a busy job, the combination of Too Much Stuff and The Tax Man Cometh made me finally sort through my vintage goodness and start listing some items in my Etsy shop again.
The above pictures are just a sampling, and to the right is a live link to my Etsy shop and a preview of some other things. I finally decided if these items weren't inspiring me to create, it's time to move them on and possibly find some new inspiration. I hardly ever keep anything very long, unless it has personal meaning. These are all vintage finds I had been saving for my next great mixed media or altered art project which, sadly, hasn't been forthcoming.
You may remember I blogged about lack of inspiration here. Well, a lot of that STUFF you see will soon be available in my little shoppe. My frustration is your Aha Moment perhaps. Even my Etsy shop has been neglected, with the same sad four handmade items sitting there for a year. Sheesh.
I've also gotten busy and sorted through my vintage Barbie stash and listed nearly three dozen items on Ebay here. Maybe it is "out with the old, in with the older." Or perhaps less clutter (can an OCD person even have clutter?) will inspire me. What do you think? Is it hard to part with treasures you "might" use or might "need" some day?

Art: Inspiration

It's not like I've made any actual art lately. But I was missing my art blog, so I thought I'd post a few pics of inspiration I've found lately. I went to two thrift shops operated by Humane Society groups-one large and one small. I also went to a Goodwill (I can stay in there for an hour or more when the gettin' is good).

The (ugly) gold Pyrex bowls aren't exactly inspiration and that is not my pic, because mine are still in the trunk, but Pyrex sets from the 1970s are hot, hot, hot. I got this set for $10, and I'll probably upcycle (sell) them on Ebay. Similar sets are going for $50, and the older primary color sets are $75-$100. I used to have a ton of different Pyrex and Corning Ware accessories from my first 'grown-up' kitchen in 1980. And my mother had the classic white with cornflower blue motif as well as some of the rose/pink and white pieces. Honestly, how did avocado, gold, mustard, and coppertone ever become so popular in the 70s? What were we thinking?!

The lamp shade was $3.50, and I latched on to it for the gorgeous needlework. Is it crewel or embroidery, or is that the same? Anyway, I've been told this is a retired and highly-sought-after shade formerly sold by IKEA. I was thinking of cutting it up for a sampler and maybe some dolly clothes, but don't know if I can do that.

The big felt flower pin might be old or new; I can't tell. But I just like it, and will probably wear it. It would be better on a hat, if only I did hats. Maybe a purse or coat.

Lastly, the plastic necklace, cut up, will make some great pull rings for Blythe dolls: the two hearts and the peace sign. Everything else will just get sorted into my bead box.

I don't think I'm in an art funk. I've been SO busy lately--on vacation, playing with my niece, playing with my Blythes and Barbies, cooking up a storm, reading mags, staring at the computer (yes, busy, I said). And, isn't painting doll faces, making eye chips (eyeballs), and rerooting doll hair a form of art? I think so. For a peek at what's been consuming my time, visit my Blythe blog, Blythe-O-Mania Untamed. It may have to be renamed or have an addendum for Barbie Mania.

An Art Retreat- Staycation Style

Finally, something resembling art to talk about for this blog! With many glorious days of vacation ahead of me, I made a list of all the art projects I want to do, gathered my supplies, and gathered my niece Abby, 12 (13 in a couple weeks), and we started creating.

I had not had time to enjoy Carla Sonheim's new Drawing Lab book, and since the class I took from her a few years ago at Art & Soul is still one of all-time favorites, I decided to do some of the exercises with Abby. We tried single-line drawing, vine charcoal, faces, and we used a ceramic poodle and ceramic cat for our animal drawings. We did the Picasso pets and Modigliani faces.

We forgot to try drawing each other with the wrong hand! I still have my portrait someone did of me in class. The person whose face I drew with my wrong hand and without looking, left class early, shortly after receiving her sketch from me! LOL. But seriously, if you want to have a lot of fun with easy-to-follow exercises while learning to draw or improving and expanding your drawing skills, get Carla's book!

We painted watercolor backgrounds, talked about Artist Trading Cards and Zentangles, and like hunter-gatherers, cut out magazine stuff and collected trinkets for collage. We then wore ourselves out and had to watch five straight episodes of I-Carly while lounging. I have always loved Miranda Cosgrove since School of Rock is one of my favorite movies. As I had driven 13 straight hours Friday, and about seven Sunday to an out-of-state Blythe meet, with another seven hours coming two days after 'Art Day,' you could say I was worn out.

But, not too worn out for a huge antique mall, of course! I took Abby to North Webster, IN, scene of so many summers during my childhood and her father's. Abby is really my great-niece, but that makes me sound old. Her dad is my nephew. When we were kids in the 1960s and early 1970s, we always went "up north" to the lakes in Kosciusko County, riding from our homes in central Indiana. But I digress.

The North Webster Antique Mall is HUGE and is in a former favorite dimestore of mine called Rinker's. Rinker's hadthe best selection of water toys around, plus clothing, candy, gifts, etc. The Rinker name is still well-known via Rinker Boats, and the Rinkers were from my hometown of Anderson, so they, too, were just "lakers" once upon a time.

I saved my favorite booth for last, which is full of Shabby Chic goodies. I always save it for last. Before we got to it, I was carrying plenty of strange stuff, and Abby had a great, old, small Samsonite hard suitcase in mint condition. If I had know how much she would have liked the SC booth, we would have gone there first! Abby found a second case, a large, square, Tiffany-blue satin train case, also in excellent condition. And with two suitcases, as Abby told me, now she has a collection! Poor girl doesn't stand a chance coming from a collecting family--dolls, model cars, Fiestaware, Coca-Cola items, granite ware, kitchen advertising/tins, stamps, coins, jewelry--her great-grandmother, grandfather, aunt, great-uncles, great-aunt (me) have been collectors most of our lives.

We trotted off with our goodies to a re-sale shop, another antique shop, and then, being practical, off to the spa for some pampering. I got a long-awaited hi-lite with 'my girl,' and Abby got her toes and fingers painted an nice Twilight-like shade, called Lincoln Park After Dark.

After that we joined my daughter, Adrienne, 27 in a week, for some more retail therapy. I knew I could bribe Ade to drive with the offer to fill up her gas hog. We hit Fazoli's first, a favorite of all three of us, and inhaled our food as Adrienne had taken over the "whistle and clipboard" from me, and was hurrying us along so we could get to Glenbrook Mall.

Abby and I made a bee-line for the bookstore. The darling smarty-pants was volunatrily reading Hamlet in the car, and then bought Romeo & Juliet. Ade, of course, went to Abercrombie & Fitch. Then we all hit Trade Secret's 50% off going-out-of-business sale, where Abby was able to get a bottle of her new polish color, and Ade and I stocked up on hair products. Sad they are going out of business, but great sale! Maybe it is just this mall location? Or an uninformed clerk?

We then hit a few stores trying to stock Abby up a little for back-to-school, including Forever 21 (I was the only one who bought anything. How appropriate!), American Eagle, and we pretty much closed down the mall. Too tired to hit Border's after.

And we knew we'd be getting up early for Day Four: a trip to The Indianapolis Children's Museum to see the Barbie retrospective. And added surprise: Rock Stars, Guitars & Cars, which I also enjoyed. At the museum we met my Blythe friend from Cincinnati, Libby Sherman, and her daughter Phoebe, same age/same grade. Libby and Phoebe looked like Living Barbie Dolls, and were just as sweet. A good time was had by all (I think). Abby and I were a little worn out, and I was grumpy about not looking like a Living Barbie. Hey, what if YOU had once been Miss Beaver Dam? We got some clever Blythe pictures, and shopped until we dropped in the gift shop.

Then it was time to drive Abby to her home, south of Indianapolis, where I got to see my very talented great-nephew, her brother Josh, for a few minutes. Josh and one of his bands were contacted after a You Tube video and offered some free studio time! Very exciting.

Before I left, Abby and I dug out her massive 1990s Barbie collection, and I helped her find shoes and clothes that would fit her new Blythe doll I gave her. We also found a few little Kelly trinkets to fit my Wonder Frog, and a Barbie sheepdog that looked just like my late mother's dog named Bonkers.

All in all, the four days whizzed by, and while I felt a little Bonkers with all the driving, we had a great time, and I was excited to hear about Abby's plans for her suitcases, art and Blythe. You go, girl. And she will, be going, that is, to one of my fave places, Portland and Seattle, missing the first three days of school to go to a conference with her dad. But well worth it and quite manageable for this excellent student. So proud of you, Miss Abby!

Bry's Beautiful Blooms

I swiped this picture fresh off the blog of blog friend Bryanna the minute I saw it because I knew you'd want to see these gorgeous fabric blossoms which she makes layer by layer and then carefully burns the edges for a more vintage look. Bryanna and I just got done with a fabulous swap, which you can read and see more about below and on her blog, and I was lucky enough to receive two of these awesome flowers as pins.

She posts a nice and simple tutorial on her blog at The Canary's Cupcake, so flit on over and see for yourself how easy these can be to make, and I think you'll agree they look as yummy as the prettiest cupcake!

In the pink, and do we see a pattern here?

I wish I could claim any of this artwork as mine. Oh, I own it all right, but ah, to be the creator. I love the Parisienne, a print from Lulu on Etsy and the chunky face canvas is an original by Catherine Olvier Pluchino. Love it, too! Then we have my Blythe, Daisy, in a pink sweater by nani-store on Etsy, a vintage pink throw pillow with brooch, and a beautifully wrapper bar of soap. Yes. I photographed soap. I find all this eye candy so inspiring, and heaven knows, I need some inspiration. I haven't made much art lately, but Santa delivered a Singer Pixie Plus sewing machine, and I hope to make some sock monkeys and critters, some fabric altered art, and to cover my art journal. All pretty lofty, considering I have never used a sewing machine. My little robot collection and my antique carrom board are more inspiration, along with pretty fabrics, to motivate me to learn how to operate this intimidating little machine. I'll keep you posted...or I'll just keep photographing soap.

Meant for each other

The big ol' chippy doll head I got today at Attic Treasures in Ellicott City was one I had spied several months ago. I can't believe it was still there, as was a tiny one-inch one I also got. But the big one fit perfectly on this shabby chic pink dress form I got from Kelli at The Vintage Shoppes. The skeleton key on a ribbon is also from The Vintage Shoppes, as are some more treasures saved for another post.

Next stop was The Pink Cabbage, a co-op of 12 artisans, including Stephanie George of Doojies, who runs in the same circle of art girls I know IRL and virtually. I loved her altered art at the shop. I got some groovy flashcards, some art books, a shabby chic bed jacket (that will NOT be worn to bed) and a "mink": a fab racoon collar, that looks very chic but not shabby. Saw some great jewelry and lots of cool stuff. Will definitely be back!

Putting Things in Place

I've been so busy getting situated for my wonderful new job that I've barely had time to think about art, and that makes me grouchy! So I thought I could at least photograph a few vignettes to share and do a little blogging...since I am WAY behind.
I love my touches of pink and my doll heads, and looking at them everyday makes me happy.
In the top photo you will find a poppet box by Mica of Garboodles.

You can read a little bit about where I am in this article I wrote for Vintage Indie. It's a beautiful and historic area, with rolling hills, wineries, rivers, lakes, the Chesapeake Bay, ski slopes, you name it. And Ellicott City, which I profiled, has tons of cool shops. It's where I met an "in real life- IRL" art/vintage friend, Miss Kelli. Check out her new blog, The Vintage Shoppes. She's a partner in pink, and her house, studio and shop are to-die for! Her husband is in a pretty cool band, too, The Kelly Bell Band. Check them out on Project Playlist. They were voted Best Blues Band by Music Monthly for six years in a row and Best Band in Baltimore for two years running by City Paper.

The little art gallery above is in my closet, as you can tell from the shoes. It's a great place to assault my senses every morning. Some of the art is by moi and the cute Frida prints are by Tascha on Etsy. The big white frame in the doll head photo is vintage as is the pink Humpty Dumpty stuffy on the slipper chair.

More blogging later; I'm headed to Ellicott City, the Artists Gallery in Columbia for a "pastels and pottery" show and to the American Visionary Art Museum, which I joined. Gotta get un-grouchy!