Wallpaper?

So, when I purchased my home some years ago, I inherited a huge roll of wallpaper- left over from the dining room. I remember wondering what on earth I'd ever DO with it...

It has since become one of my favorite craft mediums.

It has a burlap like texture, kind of like if burlap were dipped in plastic. I have made various things for my Etsy shop with it, and also decor items in my home. I bought some Die-namics metal dies this last week, and decided to die cut some of that wallpaper. And here is what I came up with. A little quirky, yes, but I like them :) 'LOVE' was embroidered with my handy sewing machine. Every woman should have one.

Old Keys, Made so Pretty

Do you have some of those "OLD, but not yet old enough to be cool vintage keys" laying around? Try adding some spray paint, and pretty glitter. And....viola',  you now have something very unique to add to your handmade valentine crafts.

Don't want to go to all the trouble? Then buy some from my new Etsy shop.

Spread a Little Love

With the Holiday season behind us, I find myself planning Valentine crafts, and dreaming of sweet childhood valentine cards, and how I wish I'd kept just SOME of them.

I remember being in elementary school when it came time to exchange valentine cards with classmates. Making paper mailboxes to receive the little love notes was the BEST. Red and pink construction paper, pretty paper doilies, and crate paper. Carefully selecting the appropriate valentine card for each individual classmate, then neatly signing your name. And the candy.... Valentine candy is awesome. I recall dumping out the mailbox and just looking at the little cards, before tearing into the candy. Red gummy hearts, boxes of red hots, and conversation hearts. MMmmmm.

Well, in the spirit of Valentines Day, I would like to introduce you to my second ETSY shop, 30oneThings. This shop will be just for handmade items, and a few supplies; still keeping my original ETSY shop 30one for vintage finds. I have only listed a few items there as of now, but plan on adding many more items next week.  Here are the Valentine creations thus far:

I have many more Valentine ideas on the way, and have ordered the PRETTIEST bakers twine in RED and PINK that will surely be a favorite of mine. Speaking of bakers twine, are you looking for the best price? Try this shop. I have ordered many full spools from Lisa, and am always impressed by both product, and customer service.

The Circus is Coming to 30one

Throwing a birthday party for your little ones in the Spring? How about a CIRCUS themed party? I can't think of anything more FUN. Etsy has a wealth of new supplies, made in vintage fashion, that would be just what you need for such an event. How about renting an old-fashioned popcorn machine, and purchasing some fun vintage style popcorn bags to fill? You'll need some yummy cupcakes with kitschy circus toppers, and some bowls full of roasted peanuts. And, of course, the party decorations will need to be fabulous.

Beginning mid January, my shop will be decked out with an array of vintage items that would be a GREAT addition. Circus themed vintage playing cards can be strung as a banner; hung inside the house, or from limbs of the front yard tree. Or, punch a hole at top, and use them as treat bag tags. I will also offer some must-have plastic clown heads to top your home baked cupcakes, or on the actual birthday cake itself. My vintage alphabet cards can be used to spell out a lovely HAPPY BIRTHDAY banner, or as an initial tag for treat bags. I am also working on the design of some handmade fabric banner tags using the beloved Cirque font.

Christmas, finally

Finally, it looks a bit like Christmas at my house. And me, I'm dreaming of SUNSHINE and an upcoming vacation. Here are a few pics of my vintage Christmas decor, I hope you enjoy them.

The shop will be closing on December 30th, and reopening on Monday, January 9th. If you need a little something before the end of the year, you'd better place your order soon. When I come back after the new year, I'll be posting some fun Valentine ideas. AND, the circus will come to 30one.

Sweets for the Shop

When I stumbled across this deck of vintage playing cards, I just knew I had to buy them for the shop. They are from a deck called DANDY CANDY, made by Built-Rite in the 1950's. I've seen the deck only one time before. I posted the first of the 4 sets last night, and the other 3 this morning. The images are some of the best I've seen. The colors are very retro sweet. These cards would be amazing in frames, or a fun scrapbooking layout. How about using them for treat bag tags at a vintage themed birthday party?



Seven Sweet Santas

I had originally purchased these vintage Santas to be sold in the shop, but once they arrived, I was certain I'd be keeping all of them. I scored the lot for a great price, and plan on displaying them in my glass cabinet. I'll pick up some old fashioned blue and white candy sticks to tuck inside.

When my 4 year-old son saw them, he wanted to fill them with hot chocolate. The mugs are so old and chippy, so I told him these are just for display. But, I found THESE lovelies at PotteryBarn.com. A close match to some made in the 1950's, these are reasonably priced, and quite cute.

I have not yet purchased them, but they are certainly on my list.

Now, if I could just get the motivation to put up the tree....