Vintage Jewelry Embellished Button Card Ornaments

I really love vintage button cards and enjoy looking at them on Pinterest.  Some are just exquisite.  I remember an estate sale that I went to that had many...wish I had purchased more of them.  Anyway, while these button cards aren't over the top exquisite, they ARE pretty.  Of course, you know I like to embellish things with vintage jewelry...so these were a natural combination. 

I bought some pretty paper and worked these up.  I tried to make them look pretty on the front and back. 

They are in my Etsy shop and can be hung around the home as home décor all year round. 

Hope you like them too. 

Happy, Happy Fall

It has been a beautiful past several days here in Wisconsin.  The trees are really turning, and they seem especially bright and pretty this year compared with those in the past several years.  We went on a long walk through a local state park on Saturday and another walk yesterday afternoon.  The sky was a brilliant blue, and the trees....gorgeous!  This picture is of across the street this morning.  Have a wonderful day and week!

Time to Blog

To be honest with you...I'm finding it difficult to find time to blog!  I'm sure many others are having the same problem.  There is my Etsy shop to constantly work on including networking there, Pinterest to peek at, emails to catch up with...then of course, housework, kids, homeschooling, and creating for my shop.  Ugh!  It seems like I set there at the end of a day all the time and wonder just where exactly time went. 

I have been putting on the screws as far as creating goes.  I have been working on some new ideas...some things are done and others are still in the works.  Mom and I had a "craft day" last Saturday while Hubby worked.  It was fun, and we got a lot done.  We are actually going to be in a craft show this year.  She has been in them for years...and years.  This will be my first, so I'm glad we will be in this one together.  I'm going to put some of my bigger and hard to ship things to see if they go.  It is the Saturday before Thanksgiving, so at least I have a little bit of time to work some more things up. 

One thing I've started doing is embellishing beautiful keys.  The key first of all has to have design and be pretty.  They have been fun to do.  Of course, you know me and embellishing--can't help myself.  A few have sold (the one above is one of my favorites but hasn't sold yet). 

Also, Mom found at a thrift shop out West a box full of these tiny pink plastic figures--figures from cereal promos in the 1950's.  There are some that I won't use, but the pretty ladies/dancers inspired me to make little shadowbox ornaments.  I tried to make little embellished--true to size, the hard part--scenes.  I made them in colors of ornaments that can be used year round as home décor.  Of course they have lots of glitter.  They are pretty small since they are made out of small cardboard jewelry boxes. 

I had some other little vintage bits that I made into shadowboxes/dioramas...this little winter scene dog is probably my favorite. 
I'll blog about the other "new things" I'm working on, but those probably won't be done until the end of the week or so. 

Fall Sale in My Etsy Shop

Fall is my favorite time of year! To celebrate I'm offering a 10% discount on all purchases in my Etsy shop from Thursday, September 12 through Sunday, September 15. Just use the coupon code "FALLSALE" at checkout.

Vintage Crown Buttons

Mom and I were at the local antique mall last week, and I purchased a bag of vintage buttons for $2.  I got the bag because of these three crown buttons....

...aren't they darling?  I hope to put them into a wearable craft. 

However inside there were plenty of other beautiful buttons---many are glass.  While there aren't very many others where there is more than one of a kind (though those red glass triangle ones are a lovely find!), I'm delighted with the purchase.  Buttons are so fun.

A Door County Sunset

We went up to Door County...the county in Wisconsin's peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan...last week for a little bit of R&R and camping.  We froze at night in our little tent, believe it or not, but had a great time.  We hiked and fished and shopped.  We went to Wilson's under their famous red and white striped awnings for ice cream.  We had a yummy cinnamon roll at Grandma's Swedish Bakery at the Wagon Wheel Resort.  We walked among the boats at different marinas in the little towns up the coast.  We saw the goats on the grassy roof of Al Johnson's restaurant. It was a perfect few days, and we left relaxed and refreshed (as we always leave Door County).  Did you see the feature in Victoria magazine about Door County?  I haven't read it yet but was glad that Door County was getting some much deserved attention.

A "big deal" is to watch the sun set in the evening--hoping to see a "green flash" after the sun goes down.  One evening we watched from Sunset Park in Fish Creek, and the second evening we climbed the 75 foot tower at Peninsula State Park and watched from there.  When we got to the top...and well out of breath...I saw this pretty sailboat heading into the harbor.  I love the color of the sails.

Then we watched the sun set from our wonderful vantage point.

Going....

Going...

Going...

Gone! 

Ahhh...while we never did see that green flash, it was definitely another end to another perfect day in Door County. 

The Culprit

For a few years now I've attempted to grow Morning Glories by our mailbox.  You have the mental picture:  twirling vines twisting up the length of our mailbox with loads of blue and purple and pink trumpet flowers hanging off.  Beautiful!  Well, this has just never happened.  Last year by September I had a one wimpy vine with two little blossoms on it.  I blamed the hot summer.  THEN...this year...cute as he is...we discovered why I never had beautiful Morning Glories and why I won't this year.....

Perhaps our mail carrier has paid this little guy off.  I suppose mail carriers get tired of buzzing bees and vines creeping around mailbox flags.  Whatever the case, at least I know it isn't my seeds or my lack of watering...it is this bunny and his whole family who have nibbled my Morning Glories down to stubs.  Oh, well, I guess this bunny had a truly lovely snack and our mail carrier can have an unobstructed mailbox to deliver into this year! 

Independence Day Sale

10% OFF

INDEPENDENCE DAY SALE

Well, I'm thankful for America, and I'm thankful for the freedoms we still do have.  One of those freedoms is to have my little shop.  Despite having to pay taxes (and hopefully not MORE taxes), I love having my Etsy shop.  So, I decided to have a little sale (and I don't have sales very often) now through July 4th to celebrate--simply enter the coupon code "GLASS10" to receive 10% off your order.  You may visit my shop HERE to see if there is anything that strikes your fancy.  Thank you for looking. Also, thank you, GraphicsFairy, for the pretty picture above.

Catching Up

It HAS been awhile since I blogged last.  Life has gotten busy.  There is only so much time in a day to get things done.  My little blog has suffered.  I can't possibly go back to when I blogged last and catch up on everything.  But I shall try....

In a nutshell:  We finished school at the end of May.  The kids did well this past year, and I'm very pleased with their work.  They are taking a break from violin for the summer but are still working on their piano lessons.  Our daughter is taking swimming lessons to get a little more confident in the water than she is.  We are still doing those lessons, and I certainly see improvement in just this short time.  They are also taking art lessons this summer. 

We went camping for two nights already.  It was fun to get away, and we hope to do some more in a few weeks.  No big vacation is planned this year--just short camping trips around the state.  We really would like to get up to Door County this summer.  I see the newest issue of Victoria magazine has a nice article on Door County.  They are well deserving of the publicity.  It really is pretty and relaxing up there in the "thumb" of Wisconsin.

There have been plenty of parties we've been going to:  graduation, birthday, etc.  My mother-in-law's 70th is on July 4th, and we are helping with a big celebration for her. 

I've been working on many projects.  Unfortunately sales have been a little low, but that is to be expected this time of year when there is so much going on and people are putting their money toward vacations and family get-togethers.  I've been working on some felt projects (I really do enjoy making felt things) and, of course, my vintage jewelry embellishment projects. 

 

Mom and I are thinking of trying a craft show this fall.  She has been in many; I haven't been in any.  We're waiting approval.  I'm not very good at "production", but if we are approved to be in it, I will need to work on that until November. 

Well, I'll try to be more faithful at writing in the days ahead.  Happy summer day to you.

Thankful for Memorial Day

Just a little pause to be thankful for those in the past who served in our military so that we can have the freedoms we have today.  Many thanks too for those who are serving still...and for the sacrifices they and their families make to defend the freedoms we still have. 

Having a Memorial Day Sale...

...in my Etsy shop.  Just enter the coupon code "GLASS10" to receive 10% off your order from now through Memorial Day.  You may access my shop HERE. 

Blue and White Jewelry Embellished Clock

I finished embellishing a clock with vintage jewelry bits--in white and many complimentary shades of blue.  It actually seems like it has a coastal look to it, but I'm sure it would look nice with many different decors.  I've listed it in my Etsy shop.  Hope you like it!