Mitzi's Collectibles Blog

Bad Art, Made Good

Recently I found two framed paintings at an estate sale that needed some love.  It was obvious someone had spent put a lot of effort into the paintings, and was proud enough of them to frame them.

The problem was, I just didn't care for them.   They looked a little too amateur-ish, and the colors were a bit garish.  The frames were very nice, though, and that's why I bought them.

Once home, I tried to decide what to do with my new acquisitions.  The frames had no glass, so I wanted to use them as they were, without adding the additional expense of having glass cut. So I flipped the canvas boards over and created a collage of torn paper with beautiful handwriting and yellowed book pages for a nice background.  Mod Podge in the matte version was essential for this step, using basic decoupage technique.

After I created a background, I cut two pieces of upholstery webbing at an angle to resemble flower pots.  This is very easy, because the webbing has stripes on it that you can use as a guide.

I glued the little flowerpots on the collaged background, then gathered bits of lace, buttons, some paper bits and millinery leaves and flowers.  Using my hot glue gun, I made a floral arrangement by gluing the bits in a pleasing arrangement.

 

I decided to add a little pink paint to one of the frames to give it a little more color.

If you want to try something similar, I don't think a tutorial is necessary.  Just take a close look at the layers of paper, felt, and embellishments:

That's pretty much it.  Now whoever owns this in the future has two options:  they can enjoy my mixed-media collage or flip it over and have themselves a brightly colored acrylic painting!  After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and it's nice to have options, don't you think?

Mitzi

I'm participating in the favecrafts Blog Hop for August, 2011:

An Easy Project with Reproduced Vintage Coffee Labels

I'd like to start off the week with an easy craft project using reproduced vintage coffee sack labels.  I'm giving you three examples, which you can click on, save, and print out for your own use.  I have an extensive stash of great vintage advertising and other ephemera, and it's nice to share once in a while!

Here is the first coffee sack label for you to use:

 
I highly recommend using a laser printer.  If you have an ink jet printer like I do, just take the printed image to Staples or FedEx/Kinkos and copy it on their high quality color copier.

Now find some containers that look worthy of up-cycling.  I look around at flea markets and garage sales for tin boxes, my favorite base for this type of project.  Glass jars can also be used, or wood boxes or canisters.  Of course, if you can't find something vintage, a trip to the craft store might be in order.

Prepare the surface by washing the metal or glass and painting the wood if you wish.  With new wood, you will want to sand it first, remove the dust with a tack cloth, coat it with craft paint and let dry.  You'll notice the grain will have raised up in some areas after the first coat of paint.  Now you need to sand it a second time, then apply a second coat of paint. Let dry.  If you need a third coat (red pigment often needs a third coat), go ahead and do that.

Cut out the label and coat the back with Mod Podge (I use the matte version) using a sponge brush. Position the label where you would like it, and smooth it out with a brayer to get out any lumps or air bubbles. Coat the top of the label with Mod Podge.  If your project is on a glass container, clean the edges with a slightly damp paper towel.

After an hour or so, when dry, give it a second coat of Mod Podge.

If your container is glass, you can clean it further when dry with a razor blade.  Carefully scrape around the edges of the label so it looks neat.

 

Besides using your container for coffee storage, consider using it as a planter, craft materials storage, or gift "basket".  You could fill it with coffee related accoutrement and present it to a most grateful recipient! 

My tin example is filled with greenery from my garden.  I just put a plastic drinking glass full of water inside to function as a vase and prevent the metal from getting wet.

Here's the last label you can use for your own wonderful project!

 

If you complete your own version, I'd love to see a picture of it, so consider sending the image to me at mitziscollectibles@comcast.net

Have fun!

Mitzi

Rainy Day Craft Project: Saucer Frames

I'm going to mention right away that I didn't "invent" this idea, but I can't remember exactly where it came from originally.  It was definitely from a magazine, not a blog, and it was at least a couple years ago, nothing recent.  How's that for an attribution? Anyway, I had so much fun making these, and you will too if you give it a try!

 

 

First you need some orphaned saucers.  These are so easy to find if you don't already have some.  Ask any flea market seller, or look at a garage sale.  Cups always seem to get broken first, leaving their saucers behind.  It seems I have quite a few of them......

 

 

Next, you need some laser copies of cute photos.  I like vintage photos, of course, but you could use your own family members or pets.  Laser prints of your pictures are best.  If you copy on an ink-jet printer, you will have to seal the copy with a spray sealant/fixative that can be purchased at a craft or art supply store.  But I recommend going to Staples or FedEx/Kinkos and using their laser printer if you don't have one at home.

Here's everything you need:

 

Cut out your little pictures to fit the wells of the saucers.  Your compass from tenth grade geometry class might come in handy here, or maybe a paper punch.  I usually find something around the house of approximately the same size, like the cap from a jelly jar, and trace around it to get a nice circle, then cut it out.  I thought I might layer a few pictures on top of vintage wallpaper for a different effect (below):

 

 

Next, apply some Mod Podge (I use the matte version) to the back of the picture, and place the picture on the saucer.  Smooth out the paper with your fingers.  Coat the top with Mod Podge.

I had fun matching the picture with the "frame".  For some reason I liked this gal paired with this saucer:

 

 

It might be a good idea to give your picture a second topcoat after a couple hours.  For a final step, I have taken a gold metallic pen and made little dots around some of the pictures and glued some tiny buttons around one of the pictures with E-6000 glue for some extra embellishment.

 

 

These little "frames" can be hung on a wall with a small wire picture hanger, or propped up with a plate stand. 

 

Wouldn't this make a cute little gift for a new mother, with her new-born's picture?  And for anyone that has to host a small baby shower, it might be fun to make one for each of the guests, with their own baby pictures inside.  You could request that their pictures be sent to you ahead of time, and make a game out of guessing which baby pic/frame belongs to which guest.

You might think of another way to add your own flair to this easy project.  I hope you can give it a try!

Mitzi

 

Flour Sifter Up-Cycling: A Super Easy Project

This project is so easy, it's a no-brainer!  It's a great example of how to take a garage-sale staple, the lowly tin flour sifter, and "up-cycle" it by simply adding some cool reproduced vintage food labels for color and interest, then using your imagination. Hostess gift? Planter? "Basket" for homemade cookies? There are lots of possibilities besides just the obvious display piece to grace the space above the cupboards in your kitchen.

 

I've been collecting vintage flour sacks for several years because I love the old graphics.  I also have a stash of coffee labels, perfume labels, and all sorts of other great colorful vintage graphics that I've been organizing into packages for downloadable digital art to sell on Etsy. I'm going to prove to my husband that there was a method to my pack-rat madness all along!  Take this Blue Ribbon flour sack, for example:

Recently, I returned from an auction with several box lots full of kitchen stuff I bought for a song.  I had a lot of fun putting all the eggbeaters in one pile, all the flour sifters in another, and then I realized:  I had seven tin flour sifters!  They needed something to jazz them up a bit.  Then my brain made the connection:  those flour sack labels.....Mod Podge.....a few color copies......it was the Perfect Storm of craft projects!

I'm going to walk you through this easy project, one two three.  Get yourself a tin flour sifter.  Download and print a flour sack or food label on a laser printer, adjusting the size to fit your sifter.  I'm giving you two to choose from here. If you have an inkjet printer, you must treat the print with a spray fixative, which can be purchased from an art supply store.  One or two coats, then let it dry thoroughly.

Cut out your label, then age it to your satisfaction with ink.  I like Tim Holtz "Antique Linen" and "Vintage Photo" and for dark spots, some "Walnut Ink".  The important thing is not to have raw, white edges on your paper.  You could even try burning or tearing parts of your labels just for fun. 

Apply an even coat of Mod Podge to the back of your image using a foam brush or paintbrush and place it lightly on the sifter.  Position it until you are happy with it, then smooth out the label with your fingers or a brayer.  If there are raised words on the tin underneath (there probably will be), you'll have to work around them with your fingers.  Once smooth, coat the top with Mod Podge.

For the final step, you must decide how to use your wonderful flour sifter.  I decided to fill one with a vintage napkin and what I consider the world's best molasses cookies, made by Bake-n-Cakes Bakery located at 3003 E. Kalamazoo street in Lansing, Michigan.  Just like grandma used to make!  Stop by there if you are ever in the neighborhood.  You'll forget Panera ever existed.  And the girls that work there are sweeter than vanilla icing!

 

 As you can see, I tried adding some flair to a small cake pan too:

 

 

 

I hope you will try this easy, satisfying, and inexpensive project.  Will you promise me something?  Let's stop rushing to Target, Home Goods or the other mega-super-stores when we need to buy a gift or just want a little something new for our homes.  We're basically sending our money to China, where factories are belching out consumer goods and pollution at an alarming rate. And who knows how old the workers are in some of the factories there?   Let's consider making something with our own hands, up-cycling an object that's been on this planet for many years, and giving it a second life.  You'll feel good about yourself, I guarantee it!

And now for those eggbeaters I mentioned earlier.....

Three Ways to Up-Cycle Vintage Books

In my travels to auctions, estate sales, and the occasional garage sale, I come across old books of many varieties.  The types of books I'm actively looking for are examples from the 1940's or earlier, with appealing covers.  Embossed faux leather, real leather, or "pretty lady" graphics on the cover are my personal favorites.  I also love the marbleized paper sometimes used on the covers, and sets of books, like "The Bobbsey Twins" or something similar. 

To display a group of books, like the "Tom Swift" set below, I just pile them casually around a floral arrangement or other focal point.

 

Maybe this picture from Country Living magazine better illustrates how a stack of books can add color and vintage appeal to a space:

 

Touches of gold are always a nice addition to a colorful book cover.  These German books are keepers:

 

Books that are plentiful and inexpensive include dictionaries, bibles, and sets of encyclopedias.  They are often begging for a new home, and sometimes I decide to give them one.  A bookshelf full of vintage books looks so much more attractive than a shelf full of newer books.  I love the mellow colors all mixed together.

   

Here is another picture from Country Living, showing a nice looking set of books on a shelf in the reading nook.  Maybe they aren't the focal point, but consider what the space would look like without the books.  I kind of equate books in an interior to nice background music.  You might not always be aware of it, but it definitely adds ambiance:

 

Have you ever wondered what happens to old books that haven't sold at the book store, at the library book sale or some other wholesale book outlet?  Sadly, even newer books that don't sell on the retail market are often ground up and added to a landfill.  Vintage books get shuffled around, sometimes for years, until they get wet in someone's basement and get tossed in the dumpster or meet some other undignified death.

 
 
To help save forlorn books that lack display-ability on their own and might otherwise meet an unpleasant demise, I think it is our duty as crafting "up-cyclers" to find new ways to appreciate old books.  My favorite way to dress up a disressed book is to cover it with a jacket of sheet music.  We all know how to do this, it's just a book jacket like the ones we had to make for our school textbooks years ago out of grocery bags.

 

I painted the top and bottom edges of the books off white, so they blended nicely with the sheet music.  To embellish them, I tied a dupioni silk ribbon around the middle and added a vintage millinery blossom.  Now these books are ready to dress up a shelf or become part of a table vignette. Obviously, you wouldn't want to stack them one atop the other, but you could stack several un-embellished sheet music covered books, then put the embellished book on the top of the stack.

 

When I find really decrepit books that have loose or missing covers, I like to stack three or so and tie some jute string around them.  Just for fun, I spray some glimmer mist on them to add a touch of gold or silver.

 

Sometimes I tie a tag on top with an old-timey picture  for some extra interest, or slip a cabinet card or postcard under the string. This stack got a granny cabinet card on top:

 

 

I love color, so the stack below really appeals to me.  I didn't alter these books, because they were in good condition, but I like the look of them bundled into a little trio with Granny on the top:

 

 

 

How do you display books in your home?  Do you use the traditional bookshelf method, or do you have a creative up-cycling strategy for them?  I'd love to know!

Mitzi

Creative Cones with Vintage Bits and Bobs

Hello everyone!  Today I'm participating in a frugal craft challenge at Most Wanted, a British lifestyle magazine, so I need to introduce myself to new visitors:  I'm Mitzi Curi from Mitzi's Collectibles, an antique dealer who uses vintage finds to craft new treasures so old things can be appreciated a second time. Today I'm using inexpensive vintage wallpaper, buttons, and trims to make some frugally creative Valentine cones for a few of my girlfriends that appreciate vintage style. 

I started with four paper mache cones purchased at a craft store.  You could make your own cones with heavy cardstock or file folder paper, but I wanted something sturdy, and these pre-made cones fit the bill.

 

If you don't have vintage wallpaper in your stash, consider scrapbook paper or wrapping paper.  Even hand stamped brown craft paper would look lovely!

After tracing around your cone and cutting out your paper, coat the back of the paper with Mod Podge or craft glue, and apply to your cone.  You will need to do some smoothing with your fingers to get out the bubbles and lumps, or you could make it easy on yourself by using a brayer.

Trim the rim of the cones with scissors if needed.  Now you have a good backdrop for your embellishments:

 

I chose vintage buttons, fabric yoyos, and some trims to embellish my cones.  I hot-glued them on, and in the tip of the cone I glued a bead or fabric covered button.

 

The trim around the top is important.  I selected some lacy pink ribbon and some cotton eyelet trim from my extensive stash, along with some cute green pompom fringe from a craft store.  Some trim looks better glued to the inside of the cone, such as the eyelet, and some looks better on the outside, such as the green pompom fringe.

 

Once the trim has been glued into place, you need to fashion a hanger.  I just made a loop of string and hot-glued it to the back of the cone.  If you want to hang the cone on a door knob, fashion one large enough for that purpose.

Now it's time to fill each cone.  I happened to have three vintage celluloid dolls that inspired me to fill the cones with mostly vintage finds.  You may substitute newer things to fill your cones, or use the default cone filler which would be candy.  Everyone likes candy, and it looks great in the cones!

 

In one of my cones I placed a vintage bottle of perfume, "Evening in Paris", but you could include something newer as a little gift:

 

 

This little dolly has her own umbrella, a vintage cocktail umbrella, which is just the right size for her:

 

This celluloid sweetie pie is bearing a bouquet of paper roses:

 

If you don't have little dollies like mine that you wish to part with, consider a new bird from a craft store.  I glued a little bow on this fellow to give him some flair:

 

So that's my little contribution to the frugal craft challenge.  Perhaps these cones might inspire you to try something similar.

I need to send a special Thank You to Emily O'Brien, who provided this opportunity for me to participate in the craft challenge.  I hope I'll gain some new blog followers from Great Britain and beyond!  What a thrill it is for me to meet people from across the pond!  I hope you feel welcome in my world.

Mitzi

New Flowers from Old Fabric

Although I enjoy crafting before Christmas, I'm busy with so many other things it gets a little hectic.  It's January when I can really hunker down and get some serious crafting done.  I decided to start 2011 off with some flowers.  Lots of them.  I've made these yoyo flowers before, after seeing the idea in Flea Market Style magazine.  I put my own twist on them by adding buttons for the centers and ribbon or fabric "leaves". 

 

I'm constantly on the lookout for partially finished yoyo quilts, and now I've got so many yoyos now that I can share them with others.  See my Etsy shop for packages of yoyos.  Besides flowers, they can be used in many other craft and sewing projects.  Applique some yoyos to a sweater or canvas tote and embroider a few stems and leaves to create lovely floral embellishments.  Yoyos can even be used in scrapbooking projects.  You won't find these vintage fabric yoyos at Michael's or Hobby Lobby!

I don't think a tutorial is necessary for these flowers.  All you do is spear a couple of yoyos in graduated sizes, smallest first, with a knitting needle.  I used a little hot glue on the last yoyo to keep them in place.  The buttons were attached with E-6000.

   

These are so much fun to make, I just kept going until I made a huge bouquet.  By the way, this is as close to a completely "green craft" as you can get.  All items used are vintage, the only thing new is the glue!  And this project is so easy, it's perfect for little girls to try.  Instead of button centers, a touch of glue and glitter might be a fun option for younger crafters.

 

Quite some time ago I purchased some little stars that were part of an unfinished quilt.  These were very old, judging by the fabric.  Some of them had begun to deteriorate a bit, and I didn't really know what I would do with them.  Until now....

Fabric Flower Tutorial

Materials needed:  Fabrics of choice, fabric stiffener, paper wrapped wire stems, assorted buttons

Tools used:  Glue gun, awl, sponge brush, muffin pan, star template

Begin with star shapes cut from your fabric of choice.  My stars were wonderful vintage quilt pieces, but using an 8-point star template on your favorite fabric should work just fine (just Google "eight point star template").  

You will need to cut two stars for each flower.  I used contrasting colors for interest.  You might want to use the same fabric for both stars, or have fun pairing various patterns and colors.

After pairing them up, I put the pairs on a paper plate and coated each side with Stiffy fabric stiffener using a sponge brush. (Yes, there is a product called Stiffy.  I can hear you giggling....)

 

 

Once the fabric is coated with the fabric stiffener, I placed the stars up with wrong sides facing each other, that way the finished sides would be seen on both the inside and outside of the flowers.

Put the pieces in a muffin tin to dry and give them a cupped shape. I checked periodically to make sure the fabric wasn't sticking to the pan as it dried.  I could have used some Pam spray to help, so keep that in mind, especially if you are going to leave it to dry overnight.

 

After these were dry, I punctured them in the center with an awl.  Then I simply inserted a paper wrapped wire stem (purchased at JoAnn Fabrics in the floral department), with the tip bent at an angle to secure it inside the blossom.  A dab of hot glue will keep the stem in place.

 

The tips of the stars/petals curled in a flower-like manner.  I think they are so cute!

 

The last step is hot gluing a vintage button in the center.

 

 

My last flower creation was Queen Anne's lace.  I had the fortuitous find of a baggie containing "32 tatted snowflakes" at an estate sale.  This is the exact kind of thing that I look for, just like the quilt piece stars:  someone else's hard work that I can use for my own crafty intentions!  Believe me, you won't see me sitting around this winter tatting 32 snowflakes!  I just don't have the time.  Little crocheted rounds will work for this project too.

The directions for the Queen Anne's lace are ridiculously easy.  Just coat tatted or crocheted rounds with Stiffy, making sure it soaks all the way into the threads.  Then, rest it over a muffin tin to give it a cupped shape, just like the fabric flowers.  Once dry, I didn't need an awl this time to puncture holes, because I was able to thread a smaller green floral stem through two of the holes near the center of the blossom.

 

That pretty much sums up the flower making binge that I've been on this January.  I hope that one of my examples will inspire you to try some yourself!

I have linked this project to the FaveCrafts Blog Hop and want to welcome visitors from FaveCrafts!  If you have time, check out some of my other craft projects here at Mitzi's Collectibles.  I love using vintage materials to create something special and "new".

 

Copycat Crafts: Framing Vintage Typography

Have you ever visited a site called Copycat Crafts?  They are pretty darn clever over there, let me tell you!  The whole premise of "copycatting" is finding a cool projects from Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, or Ballard Designs catalog and making your own version of them.  Copying the original craft project of other bloggers is a touchy subject, but I think most of us agree that copying items from an expensive catalog or shop is OK.

I was all excited to copy Pottery Barn Catalog's framed typography and submit my project to Copycat Crafts until I popped over there and found someone else had already been there, done that.  So now I ask you:  Is it OK to copy a copycatter?  And if so, shall we agree that if you copy the double copycatter (me) we wouldn't even call it copying anymore, but rather "reproducing", which sounds a heck of a lot better.

When I came upon a book full of various examples of the alphabet I became giddy with excitement.  My initial thought was to scan each page into my computer for future use, such as framing several examples and getting them up on a wall, but I didn't get around to it until I saw the Pottery Barn catalog and it jogged my memory. 

 

I took a couple of the examples of the "Ornamental Alphabets" and printed them on cream card stock, then framed them in simple document frames.  Let me stop here and do a mini product review.  Because I didn't have the proper size vintage document frames, I purchased some at Hobby Lobby for half off.  Originally $7.99, these frames were flimsy and just plain cheap.  Called "floating frames", I thought they would consist of two pieces of glass, but actually they were one piece of glass and one plastic..  I wouldn't recommend them, especially at full price.  Michael's didn't offer anything much better.  I purchased a three-pack of simple document frames and when I got home, the center frame in the package had broken glass.  The glass was very thin, and the "frame" was plastic. 

Isn't this 17th Century alphabet beautiful? 

 

I hope you are inspired to frame a couple of these beautiful examples, like this "Rustic" text, which might look good in someones man cave:

 

Or how about "Letters Varously Shaded":

 

One more example is this XVIth Century alphabet:

 

I'm not sure where my framed typography will be hung permanently, but for now I've made a little vignette in a corner of the master bedroom:

 

 My last shot is the victim of over-cropping, but you get the idea:

 

 I hope you are inspired to print out the vintage typography examples and frame them up yourself!

Last Minute Christmas Crafts

When it comes to Christmas crafts, I haven't yet run out of steam.  There are so many great ideas and inspiration floating around via blogs and magazines that it's hard to stop thinking of my own variations on the projects.  Because I'm already a fan of "upcycling", applying the upcycling mentality to holiday crafting makes so much sense.  After all, Christmas can be a time of great waste as well as good cheer.  The boxes, the paper, the styrofoam packaging.  All these things can end up in a dumpster or can be used again if you are clever (and I know you are!)

Instead of running to the mega-craft supply store to gather materials, I try to consider what I already have in my home.  If you frequent estate sales, tag sales, or even garage sales, you might have a stash of vintage wrappping paper and ribbons, like I do.  Those vintage Shiny Brite ornaments come in cardboard boxes that have cool retro-Christmas graphics.  In the garage or basement most of us have a couple terra cotta flower pots.  These materials, along with a vintage bottle brush tree or two, a picture frame, and basic crafting supplies like glue and glitter are all you need to get started on some last minute projects.

Last year, I posted My Eco-Friendly Christmas Crafts.   I had the extra boxes left over after making vintage ornament wreaths, and I felt guilty about throwing them away.  The tags made from the Shiny-Brite and other ornament boxes were so easy, and I think they turned out looking great:

I used a white Sharpie pen to write on the cardboard:

Take some of your vintage wrapping paper, or new wrapping paper scraps, and decoupage them onto wood cutouts of ornament shapes. 

I added some metallic trim found in a bag of miscellaneous Christmas ribbons, and it made a perfect "cap" to the ornaments:

This year I got out my same bag of Christmas wrapping paper and used it to cover some flower pots and a picture frame.  I thought the flower pots would be good containers for bottle brush trees, which look much more impressive "potted" than standing on their own.

 

To make these easy wrapping paper covered flower pots, I painted terra cotta pots off-white around the edges that I knew would be difficult to cover with paper, or all over for the pots that I would be using thin paper on, that way the terra cotta color wouldn't show through.  Then, I just applied decoupage glue to the flower pot.  I tried Martha Stewart's bottled glue for the first time, and it was easy to work with.  After applying the paper, I rolled over it with a brayer, then topcoated it with the glue.

Below I have the three steps lined up:

 

I love the old golden ribbon I discovered in my stash:

 

One of the pots was covered with vintage sheet music, and I added some old wrapping paper seals for some color:

 

 

I covered a little picture frame with wrapping paper, then made a little collage from a Santa cutout and more wrapping paper.  To finish it off, I touched the poinsettias with red glitter glue.

 

The snow in my pictures is real, for those of you that are wondering! 

I hope you have some time this week for some last minute Christmas projects, my friends.  Finding time to be creative is so important, isn't it?

Mitzi

Holiday Postcard Images for Your Crafting Pleasure

Today I have several beautiful postcard images to share with you, all with my blessing to save and print for use in your own Christmas or New Year craft projects.  I own these postcards, but reproducing the images is totally legal, so don't feel guilty.  Any postcard first published in the U. S. before 1978 without an explicit copyright notice is considered "public domain" art (aka "up for grabs").

I introduced some cool postcard images and history in my post The Beauty of Antique Postcards before, and touched on the collectability of postcards, especially those with art work by coveted artists such as Ellen H. Clapsaddle, who specialized in adorable children like these:

 

Part of what makes antique collecting so fascinating to me is the discovery of the story behind the object or art work, giving you a greater appreciation of the item.  The story of Ellen H. Clapsaddle is one example.  She was sort of the Mary Engelbreit of her day.  I guarantee if you read this short bio of her, you will be astonished at her life story and how cruel life was to her. 

Can you make out Ms.Clapsaddle's name, in light script at the bottom of the twig in the postcard below?

 

If you've been focusing on Christmas crafts, consider folks that might appreciate a New Year greeting or banner for their mantle as a nice gift, because after all, not everyone celebrates Christmas.  New Year's Day is a perfectly neutral holiday that we can all celebrate, is it not?

I love the gathering of winter birds depicted in the postcard below, with clever layers of texture and color just crying out for someone to imitate in their own paper craft project:

 

Wow, I'm sorry I missed this bold and beatiful heavily embossed postcard back in January 2010, when it would have been more appreciated!  So this is what a New Year's card looked like about 100 years ago.  And what were people writing about back then?  Well, if you flip these cards over they say stuff like "Cold here, hope you have a Happy New Year, Love Florence and Bertrand".

 

Now this next beautifully embossed postcard is a little more subdued.  I love the touches of gold metallic ink:

 

Another lovely image, with a clock face, red roses and white doves.  The words "A Happy New Year" are a little hard to notice at the bottom.  I'm thinking this image could be used any time of the year, perhaps with someone's birthday in place of "January 1", and the message erased:

 

Artwork from this Golden Age of Postcards (1898 to 1918) was clever and colorful.  This petal-covered clock is a good example:

 

The image of a stork delivering this baby in 1910 is so convincing, it's made me a convert from the cabbage patch theory.  Here the new delivery and stork are giving Father Time the boot.  I love the dark night sky with golden stars, moon, and the planet Jupiter.  The gold ink is difficult to see, but at the bottom is the missive "New Year Greetings":

 

Next we have two lovely winter bird images and very peaceful, subtle New Year wishes:

 

When I look at images like these, I wonder if we appreciate the same things people appreciated 100 years ago?  The world is so different now, but don't we still see the beauty of a peaceful town covered in snow, or a colorful bird perched in a pine tree?

 

Last up we have the always-popular angel image.  This could be used in many ways, for Christmas or year round, all-purpose angel representation.  Once again, the missive at the bottom is hard to read, as it was printed with silver ink.  It says "A Joyous New Year":

 

So there you go, some interesting art, a fascinating artist, a little history, and thought provoking images brought to you from a handful of antique postcards.  If you took the time to read about Ms. Clapsaddle, as I know many of you did, I'd love to hear your reaction to her story if you care to comment.

Mitzi

For Your Consideration: More Christmas Wreaths

Every year I make some Christmas wreaths using my damaged and tarnished ornaments.  This year I had three tinsel wreath forms in storage, and that's what I used as a starting point.  You could try this easy wreath project with a faux evergreen base, or a heavily flocked greenery base.  But if you really want extra sparkle, a tinsel wreath base is recommended.  I can't for the life of me remember where I bought these sparkly wreath forms, though!  I've checked JoAnn Fabrics and Michael's, and they don't have them.  Does anyone know where I can get more of these beauties?  They are simple wired tinsel on a circular wire form:

 

I don't think a real tutorial is necessary for this project for you to give it a try.  Basically, I start with the largest ornaments, hot glue them in a satisfying arrangement on the wreath, then add some medium size ornaments, and finally some small ones.  I have also added some glittered snowflakes and poinsettias as filler.

First up is my monochromatic silver version: 

 

 I like to include some different shapes here and there, like bells or the little lantern shape below:

 

I had one red tinsel wreath form that I used for this multi-color version.  After I took these pictures I actually hauled the wreaths back to my workshop and added even more ornaments.  The more "ornies" the better!  They are now for sale in my antique mall booths:

 

A closeup of one of the glittered snowflakes that I tucked in here and there:

 

One more example using silver base with multicolor ornaments:

 

As you can see in the picture below, I like to arrange my Christmas ornaments so that the tops show.  That's my personal preference, but I've seen many of these wreaths where the tops of the ornaments are hidden.  Which way do you prefer?

 

I purchased this florist's decoration from my friend Sharon.  It was made in Japan, probably in the 1950's, and was intended to be attached to a greenery wreath.  I love the delicate papier-mache bells and the lush metallic ribbon:

 

The bells each have pearls inside!  Even with some cracking here and there, these bells are gorgeous:

 

So after I finished my three tinsel-based wreaths and admired my papier-mache bells,  I still had more tarnished ornaments I wanted to use up.  I found a fluted baking pan and decided to make a "wreath" of sorts with it.  I've seen this idea in a magazine somewhere, maybe a couple years ago.  I saved the image of a baking pan full of ornies in my head, always wanting to give it a try.  Well, today was the day!  I'll even try to walk you through the steps....

Step one is using an awl to pierce two holes in the pan so a ribbon, wire, or string can be strung through for a hanger.  I used simple twine (not shown):

  

Step two, select a few larger ornaments as the anchors. To make sure the ornaments made a solid attachment to the fluted pan, I added some E-6000 glue to the bulbs I used in the bottom of the pan.  I've heard hot glue isn't always permanent, and I didn't want to take any chances:

 

Next I glued some medium ornaments here and there, closing in the larger gaps:

 

I kept working along with my smaller ornaments and lots of hot glue, filling in the gaps.  Finally, when I was satisfied, I ended up with this:

 

If you look closely, you can see where I added some gold glitter glue to cover up the evidence of the hot glue between the ornaments. 

 

I'm calling this wreath the "Metallic Fruit Cake"!   What do you think of it?

 

Now if you liked the Metallic Fruit Cake, you might like my last little creation.  I happened upon the most charming pair of old wool mittens at the antique mall.  They reminded me of Santa's mittens.  With some imagination, I thought they would make a cool door decoration. All I did to make it was to arrange the mittens the way I wanted them, then sewed them together.  I added some vintage ribbon and a button, and a loop to hang it with. 

 

As I was taking pictures of my mitten door decoration, I noticed the cool vintage ribbon that says "Merry Christmas" was attached upside down.  Rats!  Since I was suffering from wreath fatigue, I decided not to replace the ribbon.  So now, the Santa's Mittens Door Decoration is hanging on our front door.  If I ever get around to changing the ribbon, I'll put it in the antique mall for sale.

 

It was fun using some unexpected finds for door decor.  I've seen pairs of ice skates that look really great for a winter themed decoration.  What unexpected items do you have around your home that could be made into something fabulous?  I'd love to see what you come up with!

Mitzi

Welcome to My World & Vintage Paper Wreath Tutorial

This morning, my Michigan friend, artist and Etsy shop keeper Felicia Kramer has posted an interview with "moi" as part of her blog series on Michigan artists & Etsy sellers.  There is also a giveaway involved, so check out the interview and get yourself qualified for a chance to win one of my rosette corsages.   Because of the interview, I know I will be having many new visitors here, so I want to welcome you all to my little corner of the blogosphere.

Although I consider myself more of a crafter than an artist, that's just semantics, and I'm not really sure where the line is drawn between the two anyway, are you?  I'm also an antiques dealer, coffee fiend, full time school psychologist, amateur gardener and interior designer, spray paint aficionado, and dog lover. I am always running around with a price tag stuck to my foot, and I spend about two hours a week searching for lost scissors. 

I'm a fan of the "maximum eye candy" look, as you can see in this picture of my retail space at the Antiques Market of Williamston, Michigan:

Many of my acquisitions come from auctions, and when I can't attend in person, my own "American Picker", my brother Mike, covers them for me.  I've sold everything from a pink bathroom sink to jewelry, baby shoes to circus posters, and right now I'm hawking a tin bathtub that supposedly came from a bordello. Oh, the stories these old things could tell....

So now I want to show you my version of the Vintage Paper Wreath, something that will eventually be mass produced in China, but for now it's mostly being made by crafty folks with all sorts of variations popping up on the web. It's a very satisfying and relatively simple project.  My first version, shown below, has one cone that is askew, so I'm keeping it for our house.  Subsequent wreaths were placed in the antique mall for sale.

To make this wreath, you need some sheet music, preferably torn from an old songbook that is moldering away in some thrift store (this is a "green" craft, by the way), or pages from a book that you want to sacrifice.  Once you have your paper, you're ready to roll.....

There's more than one way to roll a cone, and my favorite way was discovered through trial and error.  Whatever you decide on, try to be consistent and roll somewhere between 15 and 20 cones in your preferred cone-rolling method.  I began by securing mine with a glue stick, but later discovered that using a bit of masking tape was easier.

Next you need a cardboard circle that will serve as the base of your wreath.  Mine were about 9" in diameter. Draw a belly button in the middle of your circle, and cut a slit for the ribbon hanger.  In the picture below, I highlighted the slit so you can see it.  Select some ribbon and thread it through the slit and tie in a knot or bow.  You can make a big deal out of the hanger ribbon and bow, or make it small enough so that it can't be seen once the wreath is completed.  It's totally up to you.

Here's the underside of a finished wreath, to show you the ribbon hanger:

 
 
Now you can start hot gluing the cones to the cardboard circle, using the belly button as your center point of reference.

Because I was using hot glue, I found it helpful to use a dowel to press the cone to the cardboard and guide it into the right position:

Once you have your cones glued to the base, you need to create a center medallion or decoration.  I selected an image of Santa from the Graphics Fairy.  I printed it out on cardstock, then glued it to a circle of manila folder to make it a little stiffer.  I used glitter glue around the edges to add some sparkle.  I also glued a ruffle that was sewn out of crepe paper on the underside. The lovely red ruffle was found in a box of crepe paper, and I just love it.  Of course, you could make your own ruffle, or substitute gathered fabric or lace:

 

My other wreath was made with smaller size book pages rather than sheet music.  The center medallion was created by sewing crepe paper into two rosettes, then adding a vintage tinsel ornament in the center.  Last, I added a piece of vintage costume jewelry to the center of the tinsel star.

 

I'm really liking the combination of aqua and gold for Christmas decor this year:

I have a couple more wreaths awaiting their center medallions.  That's the fun part for me, trying to find something colorful and pretty for the embellishment.  I'm thinking that my other wreaths will have less holiday-oriented centers, just so they can be displayed throughout the year.

 

I hope you can try this easy project, and do please attempt your own variation.  Who knows what kind of masterpiece you will come up with?

Mitzi

Dolled Up Vintage Suitcases

My last craft project, the wallpaper mirrors, resulted in scattered bits of vintage wallpaper all over my craft room.  Because I'm not overly fond of cleaning up, I decided to go with it and work on another project requiring old wallpaper.  This is such an easy project, I know you can give it a try!

First, you need a vintage suitcase or two.  There are plenty of these in the world, and if you can't find one this weekend at a garage sale then you just ain't lookin'!  Many are made by the king of luggage, Samsonite, in a faux leather trimmed out in real leather.  The plastic handles often have a strange stickiness to them, and we are going to remedy that by spray painting the trim and hardware.

I decided to doll up an old hat case too.  This case looks beyond redemption from the outside, but the inside is really lovely.  I'm going to use it in my antique mall booth to display old cabinet cards and photos:

I decided to paint the edges, handle, and hardware on the hat case metallic gold:

I painted the Samsonite case a neutral cream color.  A couple coats of spray paint and the problem of the sticky plastic handle was solved.  I just painted around the edges and right over the hardware.  The other case in the picture below is a new cardboard case with nice looking metal hardware that I purchased on sale at JoAnn Fabrics (which I haven't finished yet):

Next comes the fun part.  I spread Mod Podge directly on the suitcase with a foam brush, then applied my wallpaper and sheet music bits.  I worked in about 8" x 8" sections, and used a brayer to roll over the applied papers to make them nice and smooth, then added a top coat of Mod Podge.

I decided to use sheet music and other neutral papers on my hat case, tearing the papers and applying them in a very haphazard manner, no measuring:

The Samsonite case was finished with all my little bits of wallpaper along with some sheet music in an overlapping patchwork pattern.  I started with the lighter colored papers and sheet music, then added the more colorful papers last:

The flip side was finished with some of my blue wallpaper bits, for a slightly different look:

I think they turned out great, and will add a lot of vintage charm to my antique mall space:

Back in May, I posted a similar project using a green suitcase that didn't need any paint.  I covered it with and pieces from my flocked wallpaper collection.  The directions for using flocked paper are the same, but you would not use a topcoat of Mod Podge.  I liked the way the flocked suitcase turned out too.  For this suitcase, I used a cardboard template to cut each piece of paper the same size:

To freshen up the insides of these cases, throw in a dryer softener sheet.  Now you can use your decorated suitcase to store special fabrics, lace and trims, knitting projects, or what ever you want to keep close at hand.

Of course, this project has many variations.  Consider using scrapbook papers if you don't have vintage wallpaper.  A map makes a great covering for a suitcase too, as well as wrapping paper.  If you are using vintage wrapping paper, you can color copy it with a laser copier to make it last.  Take a collection of cabinet cards and color copy a slew of them to use.  Wouldn't that look cute in a child's room, on a shelf with some vintage toys?  Oh, the possibilities......

Have Fun,

Mitzi

Ghostly Mirror Tutorial and Instant Relatives

About one year ago, I created a post about "wallpaper mirrors"  decorative mirrors similar to examples I've seen before in Anthropologie stores (other bloggers have posted their nicely done interpretations too).  The project basically involved disassembling a mirror, removing the silvering in selected spots, and either decoupaging patterned paper directly on the glass or, for a less permanent maneuver, affixing the paper to the cardboard backing that protects the glass, then reassembling the mirror.

Here are four of my finished mirrors, with vintage wallpaper peeking through the carefully removed silver:

Here's a close-up of one example:

Recently I decided to resurrect this fun project in time for Halloween, this time with a macabre twist:  A ghostly mirror with a face looking back at you through the silver:

 

The mirror I selected already had some silver missing, making it somewhat undesireable and hard to sell.  Might as well try to "upcycle" it into something a little different, right?

To make an altered mirror, flip it over and remove the backing, which is usually affixed with little nails.

After pulling out the little nails that hold the cardboard backing, gather your supplies which include oven cleaner and a glove. 

 

Next spray the oven cleaner onto the center area of the mirror back where you wanted the face to show through. I waited about five minutes then put on my yellow glove and grabbed some wet paper towels to remove the oven cleaner:

Mirrors basically have two layers, one that is a matte pigment and the other a silvering that provides the reflective surface.  On my example, the brown layer came off quite easily, right along with the foamy oven cleaner.  The silvering on this mirror needed a little more persuasion.  I've used various methods to get the silver off.  A razor blade might work, or another coat of oven cleaner, or rubbing with something gritty, like Comet. 

Make sure you remove all traces of the oven cleaner.

Now you can take your image and cut it to fit behind your mirror:

Next you slap the picture behind the glass, back it up with the cardboard, and secure with those pesky little nails that you pulled out or use a "brad nailer", which is one of my favorite gadgets of all time.  It shoots the little brads into the mirror frame just like a staple gun.

My mirror may not be frightful enough because my "ghost" has such a serene expression, but since I didn't permanently affix the portrait to the glass, I can switch it out with something else, like a skull.  Sorry about this awful picture, but I took it at night with a flash.

 
It would have been cool to take this vintage Ouija board (what family didn't have one of these stashed somewhere?) color copy parts of the board or even the spooky cover art, and put this behind the mirror. 

If you're thinking "Hey, you ruined a perfectly good mirror for some crazy craft project!", I have something you might like a little better.  It's so easy to make, it's like falling off a log.  Just find a good old mirror, like my example below.  This mirror is a real treasure.  Notice the old wavy glass:

Next, add snapshots of your kin folk or some "instant relatives" from a thrift store photo album around the edges.  I just secured mine with a bit of tape:

That's it.  That's the project.  No harm done to the mirror, and it can be changed at any time.  I think I saw a mirror like this in a magazine or in a Pottery Barn catalog.  The addition of the snapshots just adds a fun twist, don't you think?

I think these look good because the mirror frame is painted white, and I chose only black and white photos.  Sort of a monochromatic look.

Have a creative week,

Mitzi

Vintage Wallpaper Meets Old Doors and Windows

Here I go again with vintage wallpaper, something I just can't get enough of!  This time I'm using it to transform several estate sale finds that were so forlorn that they were kept outside, leaning against a barn, and were so cheap that I think I paid about $2.00 to $5.00 for each piece.  The door below on the left has a sticker that says $10, but I purchased it on the second day of the sale for half off:

The old cupboard doors below had exquisite crackled paint, the kind of crackling that occurred naturally over time:

 

I had these things in my garage for over a year, waiting for the right project to come along.

 

I'm calling these "wall art", just a way to get some color and vintage charm up on a blank wall:

 

The door has vintage wallpaper under the glass.  It's a really fun project to try......

I'll admit, I did a terrible job measuring and cutting the paper.  I had to add slivers of additional paper here and there to fill in gaps, but the patch jobs weren't really noticeable once the piece was finished.

To hang some of the pieces, I purchased white chain at Home Depot, and painted some screw eyes with white spray paint to match.  I thought the white chain looked nice (it's sort of hard to see in my photos).

Now I'm trying to figure out if I need to add anything to the smaller pieces.  I have a whole box full of vintage hooks, knobs, and drawer hardware.  I could add some hooks to make the pieces more functional, like a key organizer or jewelry organizer.  But the larger pieces are just "art", for lack of a better term.

 

I think the three pieces below turned out best:

One more closer shot showing the natural cracks in the door.  I love the little hinges on these doors:

I think the door could be leaned against a wall, then moved around if you feel the need to change things up:

 

If you are inspired to try this project yourself, I'll bet you can find a window or door panel at a garage sale this weekend.  Then, gather some great looking paper like vintage wallpaper, wrapping paper, or scrapbook paper.

To make the window project, cut the paper to fit your glass panels, then apply Mod Podge directly to the top of the paper with a foam brush.  Press the paper onto the underside of the glass and roll with a brayer.  Make sure there are no air bubbles.  I waited for the paper to dry before I applied a second coat of Mod Podge to the back of the paper to seal it. (If your paper is very translucent, like wrapping paper, you might want to apply opaque paper such as card stock behind the wrapping paper).  That's it!

If you are applying the paper to the door panels, it's even easier.  Just use basic decoupage technique using Mod Podge, a foam brush, and a brayer.

Project Variations:  Consider making a window like the 8-pane example in the picture above with Christmas wrapping paper.  You could hang it temporarily above your mantel each Christmas.  I can also envision using a window with diamond-shaped panes.  In fact, I'm going to look for one of those this weekend.

So, that's it for another vintage wallpaper/decoupage project.  I'm going to sell these pieces in the antique malls because they are just too big to ship.  Some things can't be listed on Etsy because of their size or weight.  Shipping prices for oversize items can be exorbitant!

Have a crafty weekend,

Mitzi