Announcing the winners! Plus, vintage needlework finds

The winners of my giveaway are:
Blue Giveaway: Doni.
Pink Giveaway: Kim.

Congrats! and I will be shipping these right out to you. I do so love to host giveaways - but the only downside is I have to draw a name when I want to give a prize to all!!

I wanted to show you some recent tag sale finds- crewel and embroidery samplers. It amazes me that ladies took the time to actually sit down and do these. I have a difficult time finding a minute to sit down to sew on a button! But what a remedy for stress it must be, to sit quietly and stitch..... Enjoy, my friends.

Time for a Giveaway! A Blue Prize and a Pink Prize.

It has been much too long since I have had a blog giveaway. I like to keep it simple -just comment to enter! Tell me if you prefer the blue prize or pink prize.

The last pic is my recent upcycle project. I took an old silverplate tray and bonded it to an ANCIENT wooden lamp base that I picked up long ago at a junk sale, painted the entire thing with French Lilac paint. Doesn't it make a lovely birdbath or birdfeeder for the garden?

Comment by noon on Friday, Sept. 10th, and I will announce the 2 winners on Saturday. For now, I'm off to visit you and see what you are up to!

Published!

Well, here it is - the GreenCraft magazine hit the shelves yesterday, and here is the page featuring my spools, page 130. This is a great magazine, lovely photography, with lots of gorgeous creations on every page. They publish twice a year.

FIRST KISS spool

I'll be listing some of my spools today or tomorrow. Stampington's GreenCraft August issue hits the shelves on 8/01. My spools are featured for sure, and I get a complimentary copy! Yay, can't wait. This little spool is painted black and has a vintage image of kids popping a little kiss. Text word "kiss" is cut from a vintage book. A large black faceted button adorns the top. This one was so fun to do.

Collector or hoarder?

Here's just a few of my recent finds. I love the silverplate creamers - I'm still deciding whether to keep them or sell them. I'm wondering.....at what point does one cross the line between collector and hoarder...??

A Friendship Collage

Oh, the comfort --
The inexpressible comfort
of feeling safe with a person,
Having neither to weigh thoughts,
Nor measure words -- but pouring them
All right out -- just as they are --
Chaff and grain together --
Certain that a faithful hand will
Take and sift them --
Keep what is worth keeping --
and with the breath of kindness
Blow the rest away.

Although the above quote is widely attributed to George Eliot, it comes from English novelist and poet, Dinah Mulock Craik, in her novel, A Life for a Life, published in 1859. It inspired me to do this collage on a silvertone tray using this great vintage image, pretty background paper, lace, MOP buttons and a buckle, tatting snippets, pearls, and a pink mulberry paper rose.

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend, sharing it with family and friends!

Farm Chic AND French Chic

I know I've been long between posts lately, but I do hereby vow to do better! Lots of summer happenings, flea markets and selling and shipping have kept me from updating regularly. I have a truckload of stuff to get cleaned up, photographed and listed, but here are just a couple of small things I've found recently.

Are you fond of the "farmstyle" or "farm chic" look? It's really catching on. When I saw this cute little chickenwire basket, I knew it would fit right in.
And I found these french candy or mint tins yesterday. They are newer, but the candies are imported from France. The village of Flavigny is a village in France is the sole producer of the anise based candies and were originally manufactured by monks. Flavigny is also the location of the filming of the movie Chocolat.

Farmstyle OR French, they are both a bit romantic, don't you think?