Some New Directions

Sometimes I feel like my Etsy shop is getting "stale", so I've been thinking of doing some new things.  I just just love vintage jewelry--and probably always will--and looking for it is such a pleasant quest.  My shop has some really pretty pieces in it, but since many have not "moved", I'm going through it....taking pieces out...and repurposing them more.  Here are some examples of what I've come up with lately:
A brooch made of vintage bits:

A sunny yellow bracelet:

You'll see jewelry disappear from my shop and see them again repurposed into other pretties as I go along.
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I tried my hand at some paper work and have enjoyed doing that.  I made these little Valentine boxes out of match boxes with mini Valentines in them.

They were great fun to make--though time consuming, I'll confess--and I would love to have received one of them myself.  I plan on making other things, though making more of these Valentine's Day ones will have to wait until next year.  I'll try to remember to start making them earlier.
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I'll still be doing felt things simply because my bag of felt and thread and needles can go with me to so many different places--to town, to violin lessons, to piano lessons, to home school group mornings, etc., etc.  I can't stand just sitting around doing nothing, so felt projects keep my hands busy and my sanity intact.  There are so many people out there who are much more talented than I when it comes to designing and making felt things, and it's easy to get discouraged.  However, I really enjoy stitching and will keep on making things.  I'm trying my hand at some magnets lately.

So, that is what I've been up to lately.  There is never a dull moment.  I have other ideas I'd like to try too...just finding the time to do them is always a challenge.

Miniature Altered Quilting / Stitching / Sewing Matchboxes

These have taken me just forever to develop...make...and list in my shop.  However, it is done!  I thought these would be a sweet gift for someone who is a stitcher, quilter, crafter, etc...something that they probably wouldn't take the time to make or want to make for themselves. These are little mixed media/altered matchbox sewing boxes/kits.  They are not true to scale but are little and fun with a definite vintage look...and well they should be.

I used paint and pretty material on these and have embellished the tops with a little pair of scissors, a button card with vintage tiny buttons, and strip of measuring tape.

All of the paper pieces were once vintage items that I have scanned, remade, colored, and definitely shrunk.  I put a couple of coats of Mod Podge on the papers for extra strength.

All of the buttons are tiny, real, and vintage.  In the box itself are two skeins of thread, another button card, a little packet of "pins", and a lace/tatting card with real vintage tatting/lace.

I admit to getting some of my inspiration on Pinterest...though the inspiration there was from large/real life items.  I wanted to make everything tiny, of course!  I have some other ideas for boxes because, well, I just love little things and vintage things as you know.  So, keep your eyes peeled.  I will be working on them soon and have them up hopefully next month.  Meanwhile, I hope you like these.  Oh, these can be made into magnets too.  I like things that are functional rather than just "sitting there", so I've left it open to add a magnet on the bottom if someone wishes.  Check out all four boxes in my Etsy shop if you'd like.

Matchbox Swap--From my Partner

It was a delight to receive my decorated matchbox from my partner, Oliva (check out her blog), in the Vintage Dragonfly "Partner's Choice" swap on Flicker.  Talk about sugar sweetness!  What a beautiful box filled with such pretty things! 

She did a wonderful job decorating it in colors I love and filling it with beautiful creative bits including some gorgeous beads, a vintage earring, a pretty shimmery doily, and a little crystal drawer pull (I think my favorite thing!)--just to name a few. 

She also included some lovely earrings.  Every thing was wrapped so nicely. 

Don't you just like all the pink?  Thank you SO much, Oliva! 

Matchbox Swap--to My Partner

Well, this promises to be a hot weekend here in Wisconsin.  It has been very dry lately, so hopefully the storms the weatherman says will come will indeed come.  However....hopefully only during the evening/night.  Tomorrow is the start of a city-wide garage sale hop at one of my favorite local towns, and Saturday morning Mom and I are planning on going to the Princeton flea market.  Yes, the flea market is every Saturday...BUT the holiday weekends are supposed to be the best.  Hopefully neither will get rained out despite needing the rain!

Thought I show the matchbox I created for Karla in the Vintage Dragonfly's "Partner's Choice" altered matchbox swap.  Mine hasn't arrived yet (it isn't coming from Karla but from someone different), but I'm sure it will in time. ; )  Each person was to list what they liked--themes, colors, styles, etc., then we were to alter a matchbox and fill it with things that they especially would want.  I made Karla a box with an aqua, beachy theme complete with glitter "sand", sea glass, jewelry shells, and a shell button drawer pull.  I didn't take a picture of the contents...but it had plenty of bits and pieces and blings.  Karla is just the nicest person...she told me she was married at a lighthouse.  Now, how romantic is that?  Hop over to her blog when you get a moment and get to know her. 

What I sent to Deb

 
This is what I sent off to Deb (Garage Sale Gal) in the Bloggerette Sorority Summertime Matchbox Swap.  Deb likes yellow and pink, so I made her a box with those colors (and some sparkles, of course!).

Inside I put lots of vintage bits and tried to keep in mind her favorite colors of yellow and pink-- including a pretty doily with small yellow and pink flowers, golden vintage thread, some metal stars, a string of pearls, and a house-shaped tea strainer.

I added some vintage paper bits, a round container of glass beads including little fish beads, and a mini salt shaker with sea glass in it from Maine.

I also put in a little box filled with pretty buttons (including an ice cream cone button) and baubles with summer colors and themes.

Deb was a great partner, and this was certainly a fun swap.

Speckled Egg Petite Inspiration Swap Boxes from Me

Heather at the Speckled Egg hosted a fabulous swap recently. We were to decorate matchboxes (the larger size) and fill it with little inspirational wonders--all with a spring theme. My two partners are Becky of Me & Mine and Kathy of Country Chintz. They have received theirs now. I have not received theirs yet (though one is on its way) but will post with what they send when they arrive. This was such a fun project. I had a great time roaming antique malls scouting for little springtime wonders. I have never decorated a match box before, so this was new to me.
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I first painted the boxes white inside and out then put the pink paper on the top, opening side, and inside. A birds' next with turquoise birds, bee stickers with turquoise glitter trails, and plenty of apple blossom flowers decorated the top.

I had exactly two of these pretty glass buttons with rhinestone centers--they made the perfect knobs for each box.
I wanted to find pink toile paper but couldn't. So this was the next best thing.
Everything fit snugly into the boxes. There was glitter and ribbon and lace included.

Here is all that was in the boxes. They both had pretty much the same things except for a few slight differences.
This is a close up of a lot of the little inspirational things included in the box--a bird cake topper, canary feathers, Victorian cut outs, a crystal chandelier drop, vintage jewelry, little birds, spring flowers postage stamps, and a box of spring time flower beads and jewelry.

Some more detail of what was inside--a Victorian calling card and some foreign language vocabulary cards.

This is a close up of the little vintage tally cards. I thought the girls were adorable and each was in her garden or outside--perfect for spring. This was a fun swap. Many thanks to Heather for having such a great idea and for hosting this.