Vintage Thingies!

 
 
Here are two platters that I bought at a flea market last Saturday. Even tho they were $3 each, I couldn't resist because I already have an identical pink one from my mom. What is it about dishes! They are like pre-pyrex. Sitting in the middle of each are some things I found in our cellar. I was cleaning stuff out in preparation for having additional blown in insulation this week. Dh did it years ago but a recent thermal imaging showed gaps so we fixed it. Because we have aluminium siding it had to be done from the inside = many little holes in walls and baseboards, furniture pulled away from walls and stuff removed from closets. I'm sitting in the middle of a total mess!

Any way, the shell and plaster of paris thingy is a souvenir of a trip to Florida when I was around 7 or 8 years old. I want to paint the plaster of paris part, or cover it with sand or something. The shell box, I 'm not sure where it came from. I probably bought it at a yard sale 30 yrs ago. the box is made out of box board, a bit heavier than cereal box, and it is hinged with red tape. I love it. Inside is a shell pin that I believe was given to me as a child by a crafty neighbor and some shells.
Here is a close up of the box:


Be sure to check out the other Vintage thingys at Coloradolady! That's what I'll be doing as a reward for cleaning and picking up this mess. Tomorrow I'm going to the Boston Flower Show with a friend as a reward!
Kathy

New link party for crafts at Tea Rose Home!

Check out this new link party at Tea Rose Home featuring crafting creations. Don't look at my link (Kathy's totebag makeover) if you've already seen it (er unless you want to...)
Kathy

New Orleans Garden Art

 
Here is a photo of one piece in a garden art display at the New Orleans Botanical garden a couple years ago when dh and I were there. I love these little houses and I want some in my garden! There were dozens, raised up in the air on poles or hanging. Can't quite figure out how to make them New Hampshire-proof though.

Here's another couple:





Yeah I added one more. I keep looking and thinking "gotta use this one its my fave!"


I'm linking to Mary T's Yard Art Thursday at Work of the Poet. Check it out to see other posts about yard decor!
Kathy

Tote bag make over & Happy St. Patricks Day!

 
A couple of posts ago I showed some flowers I made from fabric strips. I put one on my purse and looked around for other things to do with them. I found this nice tote bag at a thrift store for 75 cents. Its burlap, backed with a flexible water proofing. Very sturdy, built to carry pottery apparently. I don't like the big knots on the inside handles, and I want a pocket that its safe to carry money in.

Here is a pic of the handles with knots:

My first task was to hide the words so I applied some flowers that I had already made, next, how to close up the pocket? Memere's zipper box came to mind and I found this big old metal zipper and hand sewed it to the flap. It wasn't long enough but left just enough room for a custom cellphone pocket. And see the bright green on the right? That is some giant ricrack that I really wanted to use for handles, but you can see it is the wrong color (when returned to Joann's I brought a piece of fabric).



There was no giant rickrack in a suitable color, but my dh actually found what I used. I wanted something flat so I could sew the ends together on the inside rather than having knots. A bonus is that I can gather 2 loops from inside to shorten the handle length (instead of shoulder length)and carry in my hand without dragging on the ground. The only thing left to do was disguise a small stain near the top. I did this by stenciling my initials. I cut a vinyl stencil on my cutting machine at work and then stenciled it during my Art Club last nite (9 of us this week!) I was going for a typewriter key look. Here is the finished product. Ready to go shopping on foot carrying everything I need and purchases too.


I'm linking up to Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts. Be sure to check out the other projects here!

I'm also linking to Tea Rose Home's new link party featuring crafty creations! Check them out!

Kathy

Yard Art meme My garden bug

I decided to post at Mary T's YARD ART MEME. I just want to see some summer garden pictures!
Here is the rusty bug that my dh gave me for my birthday a couple of years ago.



Check out the other yard art photos.

He's flying amongst the crown imperials which haven't bloomed yet.

I am working on some projects, but nothing to show yet.

Kathy

Finished for Friday Youve seen these...

 
I couldn't find my printable fabric last night, so I didn't make my plan... So I tried to do something different by making a star for the middle. Nah...
I never made these before - strips of fabric (the smaller ones are about 2.5 x 20inches) folded in half then hand sewed along the long edge and gathered. I gathered as I did it so I could use shorter thread, or embroidery floss in my case. They look like yoyos in the pictures, but they have more depth and texture in person.
I had already put the button box away when I discovered another flower so I grabbed a handy eyeball and put it in the middle for this photo:

I really wanted to put the green one on my purse to be springy and St Patricks dayee, but it just didn't look right, so I did this.
The lining is ripping out of this purse and I just can't find another one that I like enough to buy, so my plan is to make a new lining with a men's shirt. I'm hoping to post that Next Friday!
Check out Lit and Laundry's Finished for Friday to see some great projects!
Kathy

Vintage inspiration for modern crafters

Happy Vintage Thingys Thursday! Check out the other VTTs at Coloradolady!

Today I'm talking about and showing some of what inspires me.
First is a print from "La Natura e Coltura de Fiori", by Filippo Arena in the '60s. No not THOSE 60s, the Seventeen Sixties (1760s)!!!
Arena was a Jesuit professor of philosophy and mathematics in Palermo who published his beautiful drawings in the book named above.
Mine is a copy from one of the original prints, tho the color was probably added years later. Arena wanted his drawings to be of use to craftspeople. I love love them. Originals cost $700 to $1000, so I'm not getting one anytime soon. Check out my as yet ungrouted mosaic on garden web's mosaic forum to see how this print inspired me.



Next are a couple of pages from an old book. Bought the pages at a flea market. I have used the images in decoupage. Next to each are the circle thingys I made at Art Club last night while helping my friends to decoupage. My next post will be what I do with them on Finished for Friday.





Years ago I made a secret santa gift (decoupaged vase) for a co-worker who had a "thing for hyenas".

Last is a picture of some old flower drawings that I hand-colored. The b&w prints are from some of my copyright free Dover books. I hand colored with fancy smancy colored pencils dh got me for Christmas one year, then color copied then cut out to use for decoupage. That way I get something beautiful and unique and avoid copyright issues.



Thanks for looking! What inspires your art and crafting?

Kathy