These Are a Few of My Favorite Things Part ?

Regular readers of this blog will know that I like to explore Etsy to find cool stuff and share what I've found.  And also point you to cool stuff that you can give to yourself or others.  After all, Christmas is coming, there's always birthdays, weddings, and other occasions, and sometimes it's hard to find just the right, unique, gift for that special person in your life.  Thus, I invite you to check out these four shops, all selling intriguing vintage goods.

One of my favorite vintage and craft shops is BetsStuff, owned by Betsy Durham, which you can find here.  Betsy has a wicked sense of humor and one of the reasons I like her, of course, is because she likes my sense of humor.  One item from her shop that I particularly like is this vintage 45 single.  I've never heard of Peter Pan Records and this was just really interesting to me.  You can find it by clicking on the shop name below the image.

Betsstuff

Our next stop is Goshenpickers, run by Warren and Bev, found by clicking here.  Their shop is a treasure trove of finds that you can't find easily elsewhere.  They also have a great sense of humor.  One of my favorites is this terrific vintage check-writing machine that would be perfect for a collector of vintage office machines (and yes, they're out there).  You'll find other collectibles in this shop that are intriguing and different.  Check out the machine by clicking on the shop name below the image.

Goshenpickers

if you are in the market for fabulous vintage bling, you've got to check out Roxie's SoBejeweled, which you can visit by clicking on this link.  She's got 21 pages of wonderful, sparkly items that will surely please someone on your gift list.  Check out this pin by clicking on the shop name below the photo.  I love how the color is splattered across the leaf.

SoBejeweled

Last, but certainly not least, we're off to GirlPickers, (click on the shop name) run by Tina and Angie.  Home of shabby, industrial, and architectural home decor items, they've recently added a number of vintage Christmas ornaments that can grace your tree.  One trend that's hot right now is using vintage suitcases in home decor, and this is a great example from GirlPickers.  Click on the shop name below the picture to check it out.

GirlPickers

That's it for this week's shopping expedition.  Tune in soon for another installment, and do check out Etsy's vintage shops for unique items that not only will make great gifts but can be added to your home decor and be fun talking points.

later,
lin

Getting the Itch While Making Gifts

I still have a month before my self imposed sabbatical ends - a sabbatical from doing art that will be sold in the shop, but I must confess that the itch is getting a bit more obvious.

Part of the reason is that periodically I have occasions in which to make gifts and to start thinking about gifts for Christmas.  And birthdays.  Or get well or unbirthdays.  And so when I do that sort of thing, I start thinking about making stuff for the shop.

One of those gifts happened to be for the daughter of my therapist who is moving on to college at the end of August.  Since I give a handmade calendar to her mother each Christmas (I think she's got 4 of them at this point), Katie is getting jealous, I think, and sad that she won't be witnessing the ritual of turning the calendar page to see what's next.  The calendars look like these unfinished ones (they don't have the usual funny sayings)

Of course, I do plan to make Katie a calendar of her own, but don't tell her - or her mother - that.

So I decided to make Katie a mini collage that could be set on a little easel and displayed in a small niche.  I know space is at a premium in a dorm room so small is good.  She loves red and cats, and this is what I came up with

 This is before I added a saying to it.  Of course I forget now exactly what I put but it was either "She and her cat had the same birthday" or "She secretly thought she was a cat."

The woman's image is from a bunch of Edwardian images that I found on a website offering free images.  I found the background paper in a Cambridge (Massachusetts) stationery shop a number of years ago (and it's probably out of business now).  I added a gold foil crown to the woman's head and a little flower at the top with a bead glued to the middle.  I thought it came out pretty nice, and I may duplicate it for the shop.  Not exactly, of course.

I wrote a little message to her on the back of the canvas.  I hope she loves it - her mother assures me she will.

I also decided to make a card for Katie with one of the two sentiments I mentioned earlier.

I see in this photo that there's a ragged edge of the gold paper in the lower right corner - I did indeed trim that.  The top half is Italian paper that I picked up at the RISD shop, and the bottom half is actually textured scrapbook paper I bought somewhere.  I added some gold paper to the bottom, and two vintage style buttons at the top.  The trim in the middle was purchased at Lorraine Fabrics in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, across from the gallery where I volunteer.  (the store's staff conspire to liberate me from my money every time I'm in the area)

I really like making gifts for people, and I hope they like what I give them.  I think it's a great act of thoughtfulness to make a quality gift for a friend or relative who you know will love your gift.  

later,
lin

A Shameless Bid for Attention

I'm sure you guys know that I rarely talk up my own wares, but I just thought I'd mention that I'm sort of taking part in Etsy's "Christmas in July" event.  After all, Christmas is approaching and what better time to think about a winter holiday than mid-July?

Anyway, I'm offering 25% off everything at Rhodyart (www.etsy.com/shop/rhodyart), and here are a few of the cool things you can find

First, here's a card I particularly love that salutes the late great Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, who died an untimely death from AIDS in 1991.  The woman in the card has a major crush on him as I'm sure many people did in his time (and may still do)

Find it here

Next we have a collage on canvas I'm very fond of and will hate to see go, whenever someone chooses it.  It pictures a seamstress enrapt in creating some lovely piece of needlework.  This is actually the second version of the piece.  The first was purchased two years ago when I had a solo show at a local government building. 

You can buy it here

One thing I love to make are mini collages that can be displayed on a small easel that I include when someone buys them.  Many of my favorites have been sold, but there are still some I just love, like this one.  In the building where I live there is a twice weekly bingo game that is taken very seriously by its players.  I happen to dislike bingo intensely, but it was easy for me to consider the possibility of pro bingo players.  Since ESPN already broadcasts poker tournaments (and why are they considered sports anyway), I can see a time when bingo games are broadcast on tv.

Get your bingo fix here

As you know, I love making magnets and it's fun for me to see people enjoy them.  One of my current favorite magnets is this one - a riff on the song "I love Paris" written by the great Cole Porter and sung by legions of great crooners.  I think I've mentioned before that music provides inspiration for many of my works, and this is no exception.

Avoid Paris and find this magnet here

I should note, of course, that there's plenty more in them thar hills, and all of the items in my shop make great gifts for your favorite people - including yourself.  And, again, everything's 25% off til July 20.

There you have it - my occasional shameless self-promotion blog post.  Hope you enjoyed it!

later,
lin

Can Anyone Say TREASURE!!!!!!!!!!!

I've done two posts thus far highlighting favorite items from Etsy shops (here and here), and this is the 3rd edition.  I must say, though, that it's very hard to restrict myself to one item from each shop.

First in line is one of my favorite professional photographers on Etsy, Ivy Ho, who owns the Etsy shop Angsana Seeds Photo.  Her photos are gorgeous - flowers, street scenes, landmarks - that will definitely look fabulous in your home.  This black and white photo of a Prague street is one of my favorites (but as I said, it was hard to restrict myself to just one.

AngsanaSeedsPhoto

Another shop that I particularly like is Anthem and Object, operated by Sarah Pagliaro Hammond.  It's a vintage wares shop, and I am in love with vintage - not surprising, given what I do - and Sarah has lots of cool things including this vintage jewelry box.  For years I collected little boxes and I'm still fond of them.

AnthemandObject

A third shop I want to showcase is Kathy Chausse Huntington's Threads and Pins.  Kathy sells vintage clothes, jewelry, and sewing supplies, and there are some really cool things in her shop, such as these vintage opera glasses, dating from around 1909.  I can just imagine a fine lady viewing the action on stage while watching La Boheme.  

ThreadsandPins

My final favorite item is this wonderful ornament by North and South Shabby, located in Attleboro, Massachusetts. about 2 miles from me .  It's run by a mother-daughter team, one located in Massachusetts, the other in Florida, and Patricia, the mom, has become a friend.  But that doesn't influence my love for the shop at all - lots of cool things can be found there.

NorthandSouthShabby

There you have it - four more of my favorite things.  I hope you'll visit them and see what else they have to offer.  And join me soon for another trek around Etsy.

later,
lin

Happy Art

Something I love to do is give away my art as gifts.  Sometimes it's a very simple, kitschy thing.  Other times it may be more serious.  In any case, it's a joy for me to do it and it seems to be enjoyed by the recipients.

For example, I volunteered several months ago to take part in a fundraiser for our local food pantry.  The task was to take a basket and put stuff in it in a particular theme, such as bath items, kids' items, or stationery items.  The baskets will be raffled off through a penny social. I chose stationery items as the theme of my basket.

The time came recently when I had to actually put the basket together, and I assembled a bunch of cards, note pads, and pens from Dollar Tree.  I bought a wire basket, fake flowers, and lots of ribbon and set to work.  

I probably spent more time on it than I should have, but I enjoyed making something that had nothing to do with collages for a good cause.  I wove ribbon through the spaces of the basket, used a florist's block to stick flowers in for the middle, and added flowers to the sides.  And this is the result.  I should warn you - it's very gaudy and VERY pink

I gave the basket to those organizing the fundraiser, and they like it - I think.  My intent, when creating the basket, was to make something that could also serve as a decorative piece.

Some of the other items that I've made recently for birthday and other gifts are these - 

Just another way to make people smile.  If you're an artist, do you make things for family members?

later,
lin