I haven't forgotten....

I wanted to let everyone know that I'm not able to use my computer right now and am using the one at the library. As soon as I'm back up I'll get back to anyone who has emailed me. I don't want you to think that I forgot you.

FROM BED TO STREET CRED

Poor Neil was outside mowing the yard today and look what fun I was having stealing the sheets off the bed. Just kidding. I found this sheet and some others a few weeks ago and finally got a chance to make a top. I went out looking for pretty sheets that would be summery and cool after seeing all the cute ones that everybody else was creating. What a great upcycle project that's easy. Talk about stretching the budget. This sheet was probably a queen so there's a ton of fabric left. And it was very easy too. If you plan it right you don't even have to hem it. I cut it out so that the hem at the top of the sheet was the hem of the blouse. I used the seam reaper to undo the hem at the side seams, sewed up the sides and then re hemmed those little sections on the machine.


After it was finished I noticed 2 little stain marks on the yoke. Where did those come from? I looked that sheet over really good. But a bad thing turned out okay. I just used some buttons I found around the house to hide them. I added a few extra just for balance. At first I thought ol' flip! Of all places to have 2 little stains they had to be on the front most noticeable place. But that's where the cup half empty or half full comes in. If the stains had been any place else I would have had a hard if not impossible time hiding them. Can you picture buttons just a little lower - Ha-Ha!!! I would look like a stripper (one that doesn't make a very good living at that, ha).

This top is perfect for me 8 months out of the year here in Florida. It is so hot and so humid, you feel like your chocking with anything more on. I had been looking everywhere for some tops with this thin cotton feel and I didn't have any luck. Now I know... just check the bedding dept.

LOOKIE AT MY GOODIES

It's been awhile since my last post but look at the goodies I've been holding on to and waiting to show you. It seems that teapots are popping up everywhere I go even though I'm not looking for them. You'll have to excuse my photos. I definately need a new camera. I love this little sparkly ornament. I buy these things with the intentions of selling them and then have a hard time letting them go.

I just love this bombay photo frame. The second one is missing the glass but that's an easy and cheap fix. When I first saw it I immediately thought of painting it a shabby white or pink but now I'm not so sure that I shouldn't leave it as is. What do you guys think? I can't decide if I want to keep it or list it in my ebay store click here http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/north-florida or maybe the esty store that I hope to open this week. I've got tons of items in my ebay store - lots of vintage and Christmas among other things.

I really like this old set of New Orleans playing cards? I don't even know if the decks are complete, I just thought they would be great to use in some altered art creations.

And this set I just adore. I don't know what they are called for sure but as you can see it's the cutest couple in young love and years later in old love. They're from Norman Rockwell prints. Aren't they sweet. I have lots of ideas for these.

Here's the other teapot. Wouldn't this make a great planter or maybe put a small glass inside and have real flowers coming out the top? The lid can be removed so it just hangs at the side. From the lid it looks like it was used as a candle holder. I also thought maybe I could fill it with a stash of ribbons or buttons or just little collectibles. So many ideas and just one little tea pot. I love the heart on the side.

Neil had a whole roll of these vintage watermelon labels and I had to have some! These are so old probably from the 1940's. They'll be great on something/things!!! I'll probably sell some of these too.

Stayed tuned ya'll and lets see what I come up with. Please leave comments, ideas, suggestions, etc... - I Love Them!!!!

Time to Get Creative

I found so many wonderful things this past week. I can't wait to get started. I've got a million ideas floating through my head. It's already past time to start creating for Halloween and Christmas sales but it's never too late. Take a look at this hugh incredible vintage photo button I found in an antique store. It measures 6" across! I love it! Neil thought I was crazy but it reminds me of the Wicked Witch of West in The Wizard of Oz when Dorthy saw her in the fortune telling ball. The round button and the way it's faded out really makes me think of that scene. I just love the way the hat looks just like a witches hat and I adore the aging on it. I think this is going to make a wonderful Halloween Banner or hanging with some orange and black crepe paper and some fixing up.

I made some new Christmas ornaments from a beautiful vintage sequin and beaded top I found awhile back at a boutique. I've just been waiting for it to tell me what to make. Hee-hee! These remind me of snowflakes. I absolutely love these aqua blue/green color and the glitz of the sequins. They smell so good I scented them with Japanese Cherry Blossoms fragrance. They would make great closet or draw sachets. I plan on opening my etsy store this week and these will be my first listing.

A few weeks ago I was apart of my very first swap when Sarah over at (click the link) http://gypsymermaidlife.blogspot.com/ Majestic Sea Swap, she just so happened to be my swap partner and I sent her a pillow that I made from the same top. OMG Sarah sent me some sweet items, a fabulous glitter sea banner, and this great "T" covered in seashells. She also sent a lovely aqua & seashell frame as well as a cute mermaid figurine. And can you belive it we both sent pillows. She even included a beachy metal tray for a sidetable with shells on it and a hugh sand dollar. You can see the beautiful things she sent me & I sent her here at her blog (click the link) http://gypsymermaidlife.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html.

Sarah's also hosting a VINTAGE SPOOKY TAG SWAP, see her blog http://gypsymermaidlife.blogspot.com/ for more details. I'll soon be posting more photos of some of the super finds from the past few weeks.

Well it's been a really busy week here. Neil and I were lucky enough to have my only sister (only sibling for that matter) Joni and her family come in from Atlanta for a few days. It was so great to see everyone. We haven't seen them since last July 4th. They missed the 4th this year but still made it.

Unfortunately we got a lot of rain while they were visiting. We did head to the beach one day but it was cloudy and overcast. The kids all went swimming but not Joni and me. By the time we left at 7pm it was really cold. I had to actually dig through the trunk and find a sweater. Can you image that - in July!!!! Just last week we had a heat index of 105 degrees. The cool air was wonderful. The rest of the time was spent enjoying the cool weather on our porch. We have a wonderful wrap around porch that Neil built that looks out over the river. I'm so lucky that he is willing to take on so many projects. The inspector said it was so well built that we couldn't have found anyone else that would have done such a good job.

Our property is lined with age old oak trees draped in Spanish moss. I don't know what we'd do without these lovely old trees to take the edge off our sweltering hot summers with the gosh awful humidity. They truly are a God send.

I don't have any pictures of anything I've made recently but hope to post some soon. Instead I'm leaving you with a few pictures of Jacksonville, Florida, the city of seven bridges (I know there's more). I've also thrown in a photo of the fireworks over downtown Jacksonville.

This picture is a beautiful purple sunrise over Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island where we grew up spending all of our summers.

The downtown fireworks celebrating the 4th of July. You can see the Main Street bridge to the right.

The beautiful Hart bridge over the St. Johns river with downtown Jacksonville in the background. This was taken not far from our home.

This is a photo of the Dames Point Bridge. When first completed in 1989 it became the longest cable-stayed span in the United States, the longest concrete span of its type in the Western Hemisphere, and the third longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. It crosses the Intercoastal Waterway, you can see the marsh in the background.



This is a view of the Downtown skyline from the old Ortega Bridge. It's gorgeous at night. I always thought it was one of the most romantic spot in Jax. Very romantic.

New & Confused

Hi ya'll.

Drum roll please......This is my very first blog. I do however have a problem. I get so excited seeing what everyone else is up to, that I can't stop looking at all the other blogs out there to start blogging myself. Ya'll know how it goes one blog leads to another then another. My heads swimming by the time I look at the clock which is usually around 12:30 am. Of course I go to bed swearing this won't happen again tomorrow but who am I kidding, I feel like someone with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder).


I have so much to learn and am completely new to this whole blog world and all I can say is "What the _". To be honest until recently I had no idea what blogs were all about. For the longest time I kept thinking, I just don't get blogging. I don't know what the big deal is. Shoot, this is another reminder that I'm getting older and more out of the loop. Then all of a sudden like a bolt of lighting it hit me! I don't even know where it started but I found blogs on crafting. I first found these blogs: http://anniescupboard.blogspot.com and Eye Candy Creations, Two totally different craft styles and I love both. I've always loved prim (primative) crafts and ornament. Sherry has a great way of repurposing items and her rag dolls or infamous. Eye Candy Creations are sugary sweet and if you love retro pink & blue this is the spot for you. I was immediately hooked when I found these sites. It still took a few days for the lighting bolt shock to wear off and to realize the wonder of blog world. There are millions of people out there that like the things I like and think the way I think. Amazing just because they haven't been it my neighborhood or city for that matter doesn't mean I'm the only one like this on the Planet. What an awaking! This is great - the flow of creativity I'm feeling - WOW (even if it is in my head more than anywhere else at this point)!!!


Imagine finding all these subjects that have real people attached. Other's who have a love of vintage and art and a belief in a higher more important entity than one's self. For myself there is Christ, The Lord, God, Our Savior. I just have a little bit of Polly Anne syndrome. Can't help it - it must have been from those five few months of the 50's that I was still in my Mothers womb. I've always thought I belonged more to the Leave It To Beaver generation, me being June Cleaver. But Cary Grant always got me too. Ever notice that most of the films from those days were all very fairy tale, clean cut and idealistic. I don't care - love 'em, love 'em, love 'em!!!


So who am I, you ask. Good way to start off this relationship with this new world. Very good question, I ask myself that same question, actually I have been asking it for quite some time. Apparently it took awhile for me to buck up and face the prospect of finding out. I think this is going to be an ongoing project/learning lesson. I know who I was and who I always wanted to be but really who am I now?

Well I probably need to stop here because this blog is supposed to be more about my love of vintage, altered art, mixed media and plain old craftiness. I have a feeling you're going to have to wade thorough more of these little digressions in the future, as I seem to get off track.

Just remember this is my first post and it will continue to improve. I have so much to learn, linking, posting, layouts and so much more... Please be patient and come back again. I'm going to try to get some photos up and post a little more about me and my life this week. Just for a peek look at some of the varied items I have in my store called north-florida on ebay.

8twcxq3adh