The lust for rust!

It seems like everything I've listed on Etsy lately that has even the smallest amount of rust was snatched up right away!

These keys sold in about 15 minutes!!

I must say they were pretty cute!

These chippy, crusty hinges sold pretty fast too!

Notice a common theme here?
Worn...

scratched and beat up...

grungy...

crusty and rusty...

and aged to a perfect patina!


Every item pictured, but the scale are items I've sold recently on Etsy. The common element is that worn look us junk lovers, hunters and sellers are drawn to.

The lust for rust is the tie that binds us junkers together!

Am linking this post to the Vintage Inspiration Friday linky party over at Common Ground.

Join in the fun at Debra's blog and see what all the others are sharing this week!

I've got a fever!

Spring fever that is! It has been snowing alot around here lately! Just after we had a nice thawing and got rid of most of the snow we had, in comes another storm and dumps some more on us!

So my mind wanders toward thoughts of spring, and flowers, and birds and all the wonderful things that we look forward to when the weather warms up a bit! I like to play with my vintage garden stuff and put together new vignettes with it!

... and check out garden websites. Can't remember where I found this one, but I've had this picture of this awesome arbor made with doors in my inspiration file for a while now.

Isn't it cool?

Also been thinking about our cottage...ALOT!

We have it all closed up for the winter and haven't been there since the fall.

But that doesn't mean I can't dream about going there!!

This is our shoreline looking towards our neighbors off of our pier.

I can't wait to sit under our shade trees and read a good book!

Hurry up spring!!

Anyone else got the fever too?

Vintage Inspiration--My pincushion collection

I've mentioned several times in the past that I have a fairly large collection of pincushions, so I thought I'd share them with you for my Vintage Inspiration Friday offering this week over at Debra's blog ~ Common Ground. So here's the tour...

Some are sweet and a little shabby,

some old and tattered...

Some of the animal variety...

some of the native american souvenier variety...

these beaded ones are my most valueable...

but this little one in the urn is my most sentimental. Back in the early 90's when people actually wrote letters, I had a pen pal from Texas that I corresponded with for 3 years. I flew down to meet her in 1993 and this little pincushion was one of my finds when she and I went junking! So it bears alot of meaning and memories for me of my sweet southern friend and the fun we had those 4 days we were together!

I love the tattered and beat up look of these two!!

Aquired these pink sweeties recently!

Another one of my favorites with the kitty chasing the little mouse out his "hole"!!


I don't recall what got me started with this collection, but it is my oldest and largest and one that I still add to whenever I can!


So, if you're looking to be inspired, head on over to Common Ground and soak it all in!!

The new girl in town!

I mentioned in my last post that I have been cleaning, re-arranging and purging around here lately. Well the main reason behind all the sprucing up in my sewing/craft room at least, was to make room for my latest purchase... this vintage beauty!!
She's made of gorgeous, amber-colored velvet and is worn to perfection!! I bought her from another dealer in the antique mall I'm in. And I think I love her!!!!!!

Perfect for displaying my junk jewelry
and for photo shoots for my etsy listings.

These necklaces are my latest creations and I will be listing some of them soon, and maybe taking one or two to the mall or The Red Rooster.

I also added another pincushion to my collection. I bought this beauty from another dealer too! I love these "half doll" types...and am always looking for more!

I also wanted to share my latest etsy purchase too! This yummy, gorgeous seam binding was hand-dyed, aged and is now sheer perfection! I can't wait to start creating with it!
I bought it from French market's shop just in case you want some of your own!

And of course, I love their Paris tags too!

Yummy!!!


I want to give my new dress form a name, so if anyone has a good suggestion, let me know!
I'm planning on giving her a good home for a long, long time!!

I decided last minute to join in a new linky party for the first time over at Savvy Southern Style for Wow us Wednesdays! Kim has quite a list of blogs that are ready to WOW you, so head on over and check it out!!!

Vintage Inspiration: Antique books with a family name!

I thought I'd come out of hibernation long enough to join Debra @ Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday! I have a small but hopefully growing collection of antique books that are authored by John Theodore Mueller, a german writer who shares the name of my husband's late grandfather! Sometime in the 30's or 40's my hubs grandpa changed the spelling of Mueller to Miller. So the first time I spotted one these old books I was quite excited and hence the start of a new collection!

Some versions are in English and often the covers are very romantic and feminine!

This version is in German...

and has beautiful illustrations...

and lovely script.

I've been cleaning, re-arranging and just plain purging around here lately! It's also been extremely cold, perfect weather to stay inside, tweek the nest and enjoy all the wonderful vintage inspiration around me ~ both in my own home and in all the lovely blogs I enjoy visiting whenever I get the chance!


So head on over to Debra's blog and soak in all that great inspiration!!

Recovering!

During the ugliest storm of the year, I managed to catch a just-as-ugly case of the flu! I felt so bad leaving my farm chores to my husband and son-in-law, which meant tending to my calves for me, all of which are outside!! This can be a daunting task during a storm, since the little huts they live in are VERY exposed to the elements and blowing snow needs to be shoveled so they can move around and get outside. Folks who don't live on a farm usually don't understand why we keep our calves outside, but they do so much better than in a closed-in barn because of the ventilation and bacteria-inhibiting environment. They do much better than their feeder, I'm afraid!! But, looking back, I think God did me a favor, since being sick and in bed was much easier than all that shoveling!
Well, after a couple days, I am glad to say that I am feeling much better. Still a little stiff and achey, but able to go about my normal activities. I also managed to get a few more things in my Etsy shop and work on more jewelry. I received my keyholes in the mail and have been playing with them. I have the necklace pictured above listed now, and will be adding items as I get them done.

I decided to part with some of my favorite buttons and have added a few to my shop. I even sold one set already!
It's a little slow going, but have made several sales and am very pleased and excited!!

I'm glad to be back and hope that everyone else who was affected by storms this week is doing alright and have been shoveled out! Thanks for stopping by!!