Salvaged Treasures

It was another rainy Saturday here in sunny California.... which meant zero yard sales. I did however attend an outdoor antique show & sale in the next town over. I like to see what antiques are being sold for now-a-days-- especially the jewelry. Yikes, things are pricey! I came across tables and tables of shiny bling only to be devastated to hear that they ranged in price from $20 and up. What? geeze..... That being said. I did manage to get this huge lot of jewelry for $10.... I know right?... I'm lucky like that. These two watches are my favorites out of all of it.... love 'em! I then came across a huge wooden box of keys... the asking price was $15, I paid $8 for the lot. While looking at them, my husband asked me, "What do you need all those keys for?".... "Ooooooooh shut up," I said...... he carried my bags of keys to the car. Of course I had to weigh them when I got home.... they came in at six pounds. Six pounds of keys! While placing them on this tray, I found a vintage Ford key. This one I am going to make into something special to hang from my '66 Mustang's mirror. I love-love-love that car! Not to shabby for a rainy, overcast weekend. I've linked up to "Thrift Share Monday" Also, "Her Library Adventures"

Felt Pirate Hats

I just finished making some felt pirate hats, they were so simply to make.... that I made a total of twenty....Are they not so adorable? Here is Chloe playing in one of the hats--- Jonathan wouldn't even stop playing long enough for a picture wearing HIS pirate hat! Here is Chloe, obviously annoyed that I wanted her to stop playing and look at me so I could take a picture of her wearing said hat.... lol... Nana's toys are always a big hit with the kids. One square of black felt makes one hat. You simply chalk the cutting line onto the felt, and cut out. I'm keeping the scraps, I'll show you what I'll make with all of those very soon! I've made these pirate hats to fit a group of four year olds--- using my grandsons head for measurement I cut pieces of 1/4 inch black elastic into 8 inch pieces. Obviously, you could lengthen or shorten the elastic if needed. You simply stitch the elastic onto each end of one of the hat pieces making what will look like a completed hat. On the second hat piece, you add the white trim around the top of the hat... and a skull and cross bone in the center. I used paper backed iron on fusible webbing on the back of the white felt. This made it easy to draw all of the skull and cross bones and the white trim pieces onto the felt to cut out. Once all of the white embellishments were cut out, I used my iron to fuse the pieces onto the black hats. Any piece that was not cooperating got the wrath of my glue gun! Once all the white pieces were added to each hat, the hats were ready for assembly. I pinned the decorated front of the pirate hat (with the white embellishments) to the back piece of the hat (with the elastic stitched to it) making sure it lined up nicely all around. I unpinned and glued one side of the hat, keeping the other side pinned, and ran some hot glue around the edges to adhere the two pieces together. Keeping it pinned together helps keep it aligned nicely while gluing. Thats it. Now you've got yourself a lovely felt pirate hat that any little pirate would be pleased to own. I also used this same method to make Chloe's birthday hat~Easy-peasy~

Watch Charms

I made these charms using watch cases that I salvaged from some old watches that I bought at a yard sale....This past weekend wasn't as full of yard sale treasures as it normally would have been... it was a rainy weekend, therefore there wasn't a lot of yard sales to be found. *bummer* I did manage to find some jewelry though, all of this pictured below for $4. I'm only keeping the items in the container at the top right.... the watches in the photo are the very same ones I repurposed into charms. The aluminum tray with the ornate handles was only 25¢ After sorting the jewelry that I purchased, I immediately took the watches apart... anything to get out of painting my new to me- vintage bedroom set, and set about playing! Here are two more charms made out of the watch cases. This little oval shaped watch charm is my favorite.... The fairy images are itsy-bitsy! I used a high powered magnifying glass to be able to see where to cut. You would think I use tiny scissors when I cut things this small, but actually I use large scissors :-) I also picked up seven of these containers full of rhinestones, silver & gold embellishments, charms, jewelry parts and pearls. I got all seven containers for only $5. The containers alone are around $3 each at the craft stores. Well, after looking at these photos, I would have to say I did better than I thought thrifting this past weekend. I am wanting/NEEDING to have a yard sale myself... I've got an ever growing pile that I am adding to daily. Its either --have a yard sale or sign up to do an episode of Hoarders.... *sigh*
big hugs,

Lá Fhéile Pádraig

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! I whipped up these little leprechaun finger puppet/sucker covers for my grandsons preschool class. After I crocheted the basic circle shape, I joined the two rounds with a slip stitch and a few chain stitches for ears.... added a green felt hat and facial features... and taaaaaaaaaa daaaaaaaaa instant Leprechaun!

Thrifted Treasures

As the weather starts to get nicer, yard sales are springing up all over town. A sure sign that spring is here. In the next few months there are going to be mile long block sales held every Saturday. One right after another, I love traditions! Here is what I managed to find this past weekend. I picked up two old milk glass lamps-- $1 each. Score~ Look at the bases on these, so darn cute! I am going to have the hub-ster rewire them for me. This fabulous sterling silver necklace with real blue topaz stones (new with tag) was only .50¢ Two vintage muffin tins full of jewelry, yards of old crocheted trim, rhinestone bracelets and 2 tiaras and a silver baby rattle-- all of this for only $5. Odds & ends of things-- $2. This glass pedestal bowl was $1.50, and the painted jewelry box was $1.50 as well.
I found this wooden box filled with 4 different games for only $1. Nice cubbies!
Besides hitting some yard sales and thrift stores, I've started painting on my vintage bedroom set I picked up last weekend. I haven't gotten to far with painting it just yet.... there is never enough time to do the fun things! Along with painting I've got a few "works in progress" going on: Easter ornaments for an ornament exchange..... Twenty-one Saint Patricks day hats for some crocheted leprechauns...I've also signed up for an Easter big-box swap--- ummm I think its an Easter swap. I guess I had better check on that :-) Busy, busy.... busy... and I've lost an hour! *gasp* I've linked up to Apron Thrift Girls "Thrift Share Monday" linky party.

New bedroom furniture....

I have been searching for some time now for a nice curvy dresser that had some character for my bedroom.... No easy feat I'll tell ya! I came across this solid oak distressed beaut on sale for $95 bucks at a thrift store.... I talked to the manager and got it for $75. I know right? who talks down prices at a thrift store? ME! So, that was last Saturday-- I'm digging it. Loving the curves, looking into what kinda white paint to buy to repaint it...... Fast forward to this Saturday when I came across an antique 4 piece bedroom set that made my heart go pitter-patter. The asking price was $250-- I purchased it for $200. *gasp* Look at the embellishments on the front of this piece of furniture. I'm talking solid wood, dove tailed drawers...heavy, well built furniture. This large dresser has a mirror that bolts to the top of the dresser. (not pictured)I love-love the color-- although its all soon to be painted white, of course. Here is #2 in the 4 piece set....this tall boy.... And lastly #3 &#4 in the set, two side tables: for the left side of the bed.... and for the right side of the bed...Along with all of that I also have a narrow shabby chic armoire that was once a pie safe. (blogged about here) All this furniture, along with the bed-- the room is pretty darn full!Here is a view into my room from the hall... Everything is going to be painted .....soon! I've linked up to Apron Thrift Girls "Thrift Share Monday" linky party along with Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday linky party~

Using the good stuff...

Lately, I've been working on making some altered jewelry. It all started with a few old silver spoons (blogged about here and here) and has continued to keep my interest -so far. I have a lot of good stuff that I have at my finger tips to use at any given moment, if I could only stop long enough to actually use them! Today I'm going to share some of my jewelry that I've made....
More spoon charms.... This little cherub is one of my favorites~ This spoon charm below I used a brass photo charm of my mother when she was a toddler. I am wanting to find her birthstone, an amethyst, to dangle from the hole I drilled in the bottom of the spoon. This spoon was one of my favorites... when I went to bend it, the whole spoon stem snapped clean off the bowlie... nuts. Luckily, I found a super cute silver thingie, that I glued onto the back and now its ready to hang on a chain. Here are some more spoons in the early stages of being worked on. I do these in stages to let the glue have plenty of time to set up. The larger spoon has fresh water pearls and gold and amethyst beads along the edge. I altered some rusty keys... and even more keys.... The next step is to add some altered chains to everything. But for now... here they sit~Here are some drool worthy photos of some loveliness that I get to pick from when ever the need for some bling arises. I've got the vintage pins....I've got the goldtone & jewels....
Vintage pin backed brooches and the like....
A drawer full of charms, and other stuff~Watch parts....Some loose faceted rhinestones... and bags & bags of faceted rhinestones from microscopic to pretty darn big! All of that along with oodles and oodles of flat backed rhinestones~and even more rhinestones....Don't even get me started on vintage linens and the stacks and stacks of dresden embellishments I recently acquired.... *sheesh* I'm seriously thinking I should open an etsy store and sell some of this stuff before I die and have it all end up at a "fill a bag for a buck" yard sale... *sigh* So much stuff-- so little time!! I've linked up to Karla's blog for her "Using the good Stuff" linky party. *woot-woot*