Spring has sprung

I have had such a good time the last week or so making things for the booth. And if I love them so much then why am I not keeping a single thing for myself? BECAUSE I HAVE TOO MUCH!!!
Too much junk, but not too many cameras. Alas, photos are from my cell phone (correction: my teenagers old cell phone) because the nine year old hit my hand while I was trying to take a photo, knocking the camera out of my hand, causing it to fall to the floor and bend the lens holder thingy. I've had that camera all the way since Christmas. This past Christmas, as in less than 3 months ago. It was a replacement for the camera I had before that which was lost by our children.
I am giving up on the camera thing. I have had about a camera a year since the boys were born. Broken, lost, dropped, thrown. But never working well and in my hands for longer than a year.
OK, so with photos from my hand me down cell phone, looky here. I happened upon an estate sale on Friday. The sale at the home of a preacher someone said. Must have been a pretty well to do preacher as the house was chock full of great stuff. Priced higher than the original prices for sure. I did find some lady's gloves. Got 6 pair that made their way to the booth and accidentally got two unmatched gloves that will show up in projects along the way. I also got some lace collars, but that photo ends up being a video that won't download to blogspot. And who needs a video of a lace collar anyway?



I also watched a Sewing With Nancy episode recently where her guest was making all sorts of goodies with hankies. Now there is a sewing project I can really relate to, so I made my own version of hankie flower brooches. Pin them on your lapel, on a handbag, on a gift bag. Some are hankies and doilies, some have some bling sewn in the center.

And my final photo is my baby that I am so proud of. A tiny spring village. The houses and trees are cut from old cereal and granola bar boxes, then painted and decorated. If you look really close you might be able to see the squirrel in the tree on the far left and the teensy tiny bird in the tree on the far right. There are birds, squirrels and bunny rabbits on some of the trees and houses. Right now I have this whole thing priced as a set. Four houses and seven trees all cut, painted, assembled, and decorated my moi.

more new goodies at the booth

I promised more aqua and I provide. I repainted this once brown wicker frame with the springy aqua paint that I have fallen in love with. Added a corner bow made from vintage lace and aqua trims. Mirror mirror in the booth, who will buy you, tell me true?
In front of the mirror, which you can't see very well is a handmade chick in yellow. I have these in white, yellow and blue. Cute to add to your spring/Easter decor.





I like the way this wreath turned out. If your hubby has been complaining that your home is becoming too girly with shabby chic pink and lace and ruffles, then hang this manly spring wreath and see what he says. It is made from the wide ends of men's ties. The bow is another tie that I found where one end was made of a check and the other end from a polka dot. CUTE!






This is NOT NOT NOT a new idea in the craft/shabby world. But it is new to the booth. A silver platter (that was losing its silver) painted with chalkboard paint, hung on lace with a prism dangling off one handle.

booth remodel

Thanks to all the sales that I have had I needed to fill the holes in the booth space. Having a ton of housework to avoid, I decided that I would redo the entire thing. I didn't change the display furniture, but moved it all around to give the booth a new feel. Hope you all like it!



The new design gives me more display space on the back of the booth so I hung things on the back of the shutters. Now the booth is a vision in (nearly) the round. Actually it is in 270 degrees rather than 360 because another booth is right next to mine.

The view from the top of the stairs has changed as well. Unfortunately the pole is still there--guess it has to stay since it holds up the ceiling/roof. But I work around it and cut it out of this photo for you.

This corner shelf is new to the booth. I like this new color of paint that I am using and if it sells well, you will see more of it. Not really mint green, not really aqua. Just pretty.



These fabric cones or nosegays are some that I made out of new fabrics that look vintage-y and are trimmed with stuff I had in my collection of goodies. Some trims are new, some vintage and some have been in my collection long enough that they are now vintage. :-). I stuffed each one with a sheet of pattern pieces but you can use them for flowers, greenery, potpourri, candies or any other goody.

I love love love these little duck tea lights. So spring, so Easter. Exceptionally cute with a vintage flashcard. I also have chicks in eggs tea lights that are just as cute!









Spring is coming. Isn't it? Because some days it feels like spring and some days it still feels like winter. This display of vintage watering can with plates in a mosaic planter makes me want to get out in the garden and plant. Plant roses, plant daffodils, or plant plates. YES! I plant plates in my gardens. Along the edge to form a border or randomly scattered among the flowers. Great thing about planting plates is that even when I forget to water, or the Texas sun burns up my flowers, the plates still add color to the garden.




NO CALORIES but all the yummy chocolate brown of the real ones!
My kids won't be happy to get these in their baskets on Easter morning, but at least I won't be tempted to sneak a bite (and finish it off!)




All the aqua and brown that I am loving hasn't pushed pink out of my booth altogether. This little wire and paper mache tea cup is a cut way to use a tea light or even use as a vase for flowers.











My favorite glass pitcher has been moved and dressed up for spring as well. I made a bunch (no pun intended) of these carrots a few years ago and all sold but this one. If I can find more orange fabric in the right shade I will make more.











I decided to try something new with something old. I made paper roses from pages of old books. I love the tans and browns of these and mixed them with doily leaves and some sequin strands.







I am already working on more goodies for the booth. Flower brooches made from vintage hankies and Putz style houses 3-4" tall in springy pastel shades.

Vintage valentines

I love these vintage valentines that I found and added to the booth last week. But since my camera was MIA last week the pics of them are going up this week. I think I have about 15 of them for sale in the booth....each priced individually. I can verify that they are all from 1964-1967 because they came out of MY baby book. I am thrilled that my mom saved them all these years, but really why do I want a card signed with someone's name and I don't even know who the person is? So they go up for sale.


One of the latest additions to the booth is this rocking chair that I rescued at a yard sale. Looking pretty trashy with the ugly upholstery half torn off. A redo job that was abandoned? I don't know. I made this slip cover for the top and stapled on the seat cover in this neutral toile. Added two of my fan pillows and it is a vision of vintage goodness. The gift baskets in the picture are from the booth next to mine. GREAT valentine gifts.




I rearranged and filled in a hole ...only one hole this time. :-(
and set up this vignette. Two of my favorite things at the booth right now are these pitchers, the red aluminum and the glass one. The glass one is chipped and better suited to be a vase or to display tin noisemakers as in this photo. But yummy all the same.















I got two button bouquets made and into the booth finally. They sell out at Hosanna House regularly and I never seem to get enough done for them and my booth. This time the booth won!
I usually put them in old salt and pepper shakers. This particular bouquet has no color theme, a bunch of metallic, whites and browns.
Won't you valentine LOVE a button bouquet. No calories. No wilting.





This hanging hooks is an oldie of mine and I don't' remember if I have ever shown it here. The center is a shoe stretcher and the metal part that is meant to go into the heel of the shoe becomes a hook. I added two more hooks, a wire hanger and there you have a place to hang a collection of old linens, vintage aprons, potholders, keys, necklaces, or whatever your heart desires.



Anyone need a lid? I got the whole booth set up, went downstairs to say good bye and head out the door to pickup kids at school when we heard a CRASH. I knew, I just knew, that it was this shelf in my booth and that the only broken thing would be this lovely set. Violets that look hand painted (but no markings on the bottom) and the only thing that survived the fall was the lid. SO anyone need a sweet violet covered lid? I know where you can get one---cheap.
I am working on Easter and spring goodies and had a sunny, dry day to be painting outside this week. So now I have lots of items that need embellishing and then they will be off to the booth. Net week or the week after....

Seeing red....and loving it!

Ohh it's so sweet I think I'm getting a cavity! Hearts everywhere. Fabric pillow hearts on ribbons to give your sweetie that you can hang on the wall, hang on a doorknob, hang on a drawer pull.
The white heart on the left is the other metal cake pan that I painted and hung with beads. I made a little vignette of a rosey hankie and pin made from tie ends to pin on your lapel or tote bag. You could even use this as an ornament if you use a ribbon to hang it.


I LOVE this little ivory metal shelf to hang in the bathroom or over a desk to hold little trinkets. The beaded purse on the bottom shelf is an adorable offering from vintagesue. Add it to your collection by hanging it on the wall and then surrounding it with an empty, ornate picture frame. Or mount it on velvet.
The little silver basket, on the top shelf, filled with chocolates makes one forget the calories!


My favorite is this silver plate vase. I love love love the ruffly edge that reminds me of a doily. Fill with your fav. blooms and dream of spring! Imagine red tulips spilling over in February and then the palest yellow daffodils standing tall in March and April. This is so fabulous that even dandelions will take on an air of importance!

baby it's cold outside

OK OK, I know that in some parts of the US it is way below freezing and there is ice on the roads and snow all over. But that isn't what central Texas is all about. But COLD is what we have. Wind chills in the single digits. And if I have to endure central Texas with the biggest drought in recorded history, the crazy Longhorn/Aggie/Tech fanatics, the fire ants and all then I shouldn't have to also endure this blasted cold!
I am posting a couple more pics of cuties that I took to the booth this past week. Thankfully I got in and out of there before the temps dropped so low. Otherwise I would have put it off for another week. This first pic is a marriage of all sorts of goodies.... a brass easel that lost its rail for the frame to sit on, so I just glued the frame right on! The frame was cute enough as I found it that I did nothing more than insert the key and keyhole. How about this gift for your valentine with a card that says "you hold the key to my heart". Is that too corny? It is sitting on a really great quilt top, all squares about 3 or 4".

This second picture is what I create after too many hours looking at blogs with pictures of crazy, beautiful creations and then think I am inspired to make something just as gorgeous. It starts with a ceramic "thing" that must have had a clock workings in that center hole. But alas when I received this beauty into my life it was an empty hole. I added a piece of gorgeous vintage German wall paper, some fake blue pearls, a rhinestone blingy pin and some scrabble letters.
No need to add a card, this 3D collage already suggests the obvious "be mine".
Tucked in behind this thing of questionable goofiness is a much more predictable fan shape pillow. After I posted both pics, I realized that the red frame is also in front of another fan pillow and that is all coincidence. But wouldn't your valentine love a fan pillow with a card that says "you fan the flames of love in me".
Happy Valentine shopping and STAY WARM!

love is in the air

I haven't posted to my blog in about 3 weeks because there wasn't anything to talk about!
First off I want to thank all my December customers. YOU ROCK! I was so excited to get my check for December and see how many goodies you all bought. THANKS!
Second I need to toot my own horn here. I have
A) hooked up the new keyboard to the desk top computer and it works!
B) hooked up the DVD player in the van that grandma gave the kids for Christmas and that works!
C) Opened my new camera... a Christmas gift to replace the camera that the kids lots this fall and took all these picture and that worked
AND D) downloaded my first SVG file onto my Cricut and cut it out and that worked too.
I am not a technological minded person and reply on hubby and oldest son and my baby brother to help me all the time so I am PROUD that I did all that alone.

Now on to booth news. It has been revamped for St. Valentine's Day with new merchandise added and more to come. The picture above is a frame that I got dirt cheap. There were 3, this one that is approx. 5X7, another that is approx 8X10 and they both hang on the wall. The third
one is a double 5X7 on a stand and the frames both swivel 360 degrees. I couldn't believe when I got home and saw the obnoxious prices on the backs of these frames. Who pays $50 and $60 for these things? And would they please stop by Chipped to Perfection and pay me (a lot less)!
I framed vintage paper dolls and dresses in each frame. Each one is a little different and will stand alone but they also work together to make a fantastic collection. This one is a beautiful Victorian blue gown that is on yellow rose petals, as if the wearer pressed the roses from a lover's bouquet and used those to back her picture.

This lovely vintage red dress sets the stage for the whole booth. Alas it is not my find at all, but comes to you from vintagesue. Not only is there this lovely dress but also a pair of white ear bobs that go with it for a whole sum of $10! I have a few other vintagesue goodies that I added to the booth too. A black lace vintage dress from the 1960's I think and a really old dress from the 1920's possibly. That one is moth eaten and not wearable any more, but the loveliest of the lot anyway. And her prices are way low, as always.









Some of the other goodies I added are stuffed hearts to hang on doorknobs and drawer pulls to decorate for the season of love that is upon us. Valentine flashcards, blocks, and scrabble letters, Two metal hearts that I painted and hung on beaded wire: you can see the larger of the two, the pink one, in this picture. Catholic statues, German felt St. Valentine ornaments, and some other goodies.