Georgia autumn evenings

Delicious autumn.  In the evening, Georgia's humidity goes to sleep and yields to crisp air and luminous sky filled with sparrows and bats.  It is fun to watch them as the landscape becomes peaceful.

I found the most beautiful hand-dyed silk at a vintage market.  Its shades of lavender and grey reminds me of the late evening sky here.

The strand of pale lilac beads was a fun find from this past summer's trip visiting my bestie in Florida.

They have a neat bead store there with the most beautiful pearls.  Of course, we had to hit some vintage, thrift and flea places too.

My friend Kelli is a talented painter and very crafty. She is opening a booth at the new Consignment Antique flea market on Racetrac Rd. in Shalimar.  Stop by and see her if you get the chance!

Some of my northern friends have mentioned they have already had snow.  I am not quite ready for that yet. Not that we get much snow here, haha.

Whether you have had snow or not, I wish you the best autumn evenings.

Hopefully, by bonfire with a mug of cider and under a cozy blanket watching sparrows and bats with a few stars sparkling the sky.

Thank you for visiting ~ xo Heidi

A soft spot for hardware

Patina.

When I am looking for hardware bits, patina is one of the characteristics that captivates me the most.

Even though there are many products on the market which can alter or enhance patina, finding a piece of hardware with decades of authentic patina developed onto it holds its own special magic.

These are some of the interesting bits of hardware I found on a recent antiquing trip here.  The shop had bins, boxes and trays full of hardware treasure.

I went looking with the intent on finding fresh vintage components for jewelry making.  However, some might eventually be used in other repurposing projects.

Check out the oxidation and style of this keyhole plate.

Isn't it grand?  I don't think I will change the patina a bit.

The one to right definitely needs some cleaning so it might be a fun piece to experiment with painting and altering.

I love the bits of paint on some of the pieces.  

For the pieces which have peeling paint, I like to give them a gentle cleaning and use Krylon matte sealer to protect as much of the original patina as I can.

A quick share of the simple vignette I made using the cabinet card found in the above referenced post.

I am still tinkering with it so I am not sure this is how it will stay for now.

That is the fun of it, isn't it? :-)

Thank you for visiting!

xo ~ Heidi

Glam goods, a new repurposed life

 

Always hunting for pieces to be used in new projects, I was strolling through a local antique store and spotted some interesting finds.

 

A simple band medal with the iconic state of Georgia shape caught my eye.

I would love to know the history/people behind this piece. What instrument did they play? What school did they go to? What memories did this medal hold for them?

What would they think if it was repurposed on a charm bracelet or on a necklace, a life outside a box or drawer?

 

 

The gold compact still has a mirror and makeup cake pan attached.

Once used for everyday glam, it now holds potential for a new life.

I have special plans for this one - with the makeup cake pan removed. ;)

 

 

One of the most interesting items was this small case. (approx 2" in length)

 

 

A little push of a spring revealed a teeny lipstick case.

On the reverse of the case is a beveled mirror.

Lipstick is no longer manufactured to fit such tiny cases.

However, with the help of a Dremel, I have created a hole in the top to begin it's new life as a jewelry component.

I love that the woman who wears it will have something both charming and functional.

 

Of course, I could not pass up a wonderfully priced jewelry box.

More economical than some of the plastic art bins, it will live a repurposed life as bit and bauble storage in my studio.

 

 

What fun finds have you come across lately?

Thank you for visiting! xo ~ Heidi

Best in show

Many awards are given to people and animals who achieve the best in competitions.

There are some people who should be given an award for giving the best of themselves every day.

 

I was inspired to create a trophy for a dear friend of mine to remind her of the beautiful person she is for all that she does for many people. 

 

 

I used a small spool covered in paper and velvet ribbon as a stand.

 

 

 

 

It was a blast to pick out the perfect millinery blooms for this project.

Would any of you love to receive a bouquet of vintage millinery?

I would - I am weird like that, lol.

 

 

Cheers to you and all of the little things you do everyday that reflect the best of your heart. 

 

 

Thank you for visiting!

xo ~ Heidi

Sparrows and ice cream

Many humid and hazy Georgia evenings, you can witness the dance of sparrows swooping and diving to catch a quick meal before night time falls.  With stunning accuracy and acrobatic moves, they pluck mosquitos in a graceful dance.

While working on a necklace, I was inspired by the sparrows swooping in to get a quick treat.

Dangling from a layer of cafe colored pearls, a little sparrow has a white bloom with a polished czech bead.

Below the sparrow is draped another strand of AB polished glass, creamy czech crystals, freshwater pearls and a repurposed rhinestone pin. 

I love the creamy iridescent czech beads!

Digging through more pins, I found a sweet rhinestone wreath pin adorned with a simple bow.

This one reminds me of neopolitan ice cream!

Vanilla czech glass, strawberry colored glass beads, roze quartz, milk chocolate pearls, freshwater pearls and vintage beads mix for a sweet confection.

I added a smaller pin for some extra sparkle - you can never go wrong with extra sparkle, haha.

Dangling from the clasp is a vintage drop pearl.

For the cherry on top, I added a dangle to the wreath made of crystal AB bead, white glass flower and a shimmering faceted czech bead.

Hope you are having a wonderful summer!

xo ~ Heidi

A Chenille-arella story

Finding yummy vintage textiles can be alot like a Cinderella story.

If the piece has holes or stains, it might get cast aside without a second glance.

Some pieces still have so much good left in them.  The holes and stains can be snipped off with plenty of great fabric left to use.

Take a second glance and look for the good.

This is a flea market bag I recently made, mixed with a hodgepodge of vitage fabrics.

Sorry for this terrible phone pic!

This is the girl in progress - flap and straps not yet attached.

I used a super soft vintage chenille blanket, pompom trim and a cotton damask tablecloth for the ruffle.

Inside, she is lined with a vintage sheet and the tablecloth for pockets.  Again, sorry for the poor phone pic, ha.

A little bibbity, bobbity, boo

I pinned a linen rosette and doily to the front.

I am not settled yet on which combination I want to use to adorn her but this is what I am going with for now.  What can I say, I am a bit fickle about some things.

This girl has plenty of room to tote whatever may be needed on flea market days ~ and then some!

Out of a crazy mix of fabrics, she is my favorite flea market bag.

Do you have any favorite fabric rescues?

Thank you for stopping by!

xo ~ Heidi

Fine dreams

With the slow pace of summer, I have been finishing the pile of projects I have going on at any given time.  Craft ADD? . . . maybe.  Ideas and dreams start swirling in my head.  Sometimes a quick sketch is all I have time for until the idea has a chance to blossom.

This shabby french style hanger was inspired by a cache of ornaments I found while on a junk hunt.

A stack of gilded fleur de lis ornaments called my name.

They were about 11 inches tall, pretty just as is, but I had other plans for upcycling them.

First, I gessoed them so they would be "toothy" and, possibly, adhere better to paper and glue.

I started layering paint, scrapbook papers, french book pages and vintage wallpaper.

La Fin Du Reve

I believe this translates to "fine dreams".

If any of my french-speaking friends know for certain, please share! 

And, some of my favorite Tim Holtz paper tape.

Then, I started gathering ribbons, trims and vintage millinery.

I adore this sweet cameo cabochon by Jolee's French General scrapbooking line.

A sweet bouquet of flowers and trim.

For some dreamy sparkle, a little sprinkling of mica flakes.

A quick knot of ribbon on the top and the french inspired hanger was complete!

I hope your day is filled with some dreamy moments.

Thank you for stopping by!

xo ~ Heidi

Dig, sometimes archaeological, sometimes not

Organizing my craft space always produces old finds which can seem new, depending on how long it has been since I opened that box or drawer, ha.

While fluffing my crafty nest, I rediscovered some baubles and beads.

After some wire bending, thinking, bead mixing and thinking some more, I repurposed some old charms and treasured beads into a new sparkly.

I love the green peacock czech beads and freshwater pearls.

Digging more, I came across a strand of icy pale green jade I had been saving for a special project.

Yes, just like swatches of paper or fabric, I have beads that I like to pet and put back in the drawer.

Not today.

Today, I was bent (pun intended) to actually use what I love.

A repurposed cross, mother of pearl, czech glass, swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls later ~

Voila!  A new treasure to enjoy.

I have these pretties listed in my etsy shoppette.



Are you up for a challenge?

Today, tomorrow, this week - YOU decide

Take one favorite thing out of your stash - USE it, LOVE it, CELEBRATE it!

 

Leave a comment to let me know what you are pulling out of your bag of tricks and treasures.

I love to see what other people are making/doing/treasuring.

There is so much beauty out there - everyone has something special to share.

Thanks for stopping by sugahs!

xo ~ Heidi

The head or HEART of junkin'?

When you go junkin', do you buy with your heart, head or both?

Definitely both for me.  Sometimes I have a specific need in mind.  Then something really charming comes along and just sweeps me off of my feet, lol.

On a recent junkin' outing, I found a creamy pottery vase, a tattered book of poems, well loved crochet napkins, a darling pearl pin and a vintage jewelry box.

The tattered book of poems ~ that was the heart charmer.

The colors, the title - I love its aged beauty.

The crochet napkins were somewhere in between the functional and heart strings purchase.  I like to use cloth napkins (less paper we have to buy).  It makes me giggle when friends and my kids' friends come over and ask "Can we really use these? You don't mind?"

Why not enjoy the good things in life, eh?  They are only napkins after all.

Isn't this pearl pin sweet?!

I thought this would make a lovely component to a repurposed jewelry piece.

It is going straight into the vintage Miele jewelry box.

Old jewelry boxes can be fun, decorative storage.  And for what some plastic or cardboard storage costs these days - the vintage type is both cute and functional.

Functional or heartfelt - such happy finds lately!

What are your favorite finds?

Thanks for stopping by!

xo ~ Heidi