Shout out of Thanks!

(NOTE:  You can click on the photos to go directly to the shop or listings)

 

Recently, I was in the market for a new purse.  I spent weeks looking at any store I could think of but I just do not like what is out there these days.  They are either too big, too small, not enough pockets, too punkie or just plain ugly.

 

I was in an Etsy thread one night and came across this seller:  

 

and the first thing to catch my eye was this purse:

 

OMG, so me, jeans and T-shirts all the way!  Great size, perfect amount of pockets etc.  So, I contacted Mary to see if she would do a custom order for me.  She was willing, but little did she know what she was in for!  I really wanted something to match my new glasses (black and aqua):

Many convos later (poor Mary!) she got to work and ten days later, look what arrived at my door!

 

Made from a pair of black jeans!  Click on photo to see the listing of it and see the insides, it's amazing!  She took the pockets off the jeans and used them for pockets on the purse.  Her work is wonderful, please stop by her shop and look around.  She has Mary Engelbreit wristlets and great shoulder bags.

 

I love this one: 

 

And I want to buy this one for my Mom for Christmas, but don't tell her! 

Then, I want to put gift cards in the pockets for her to find, I think that will be fun!

 

Thanks Mary, for all your hard work, I love my new purse!

Have you ever looked everywhere for something and just can't find the one for you?

 

RWS

ort

Ort

What is it?

(yes I meant Ort, with an O…)

If you go by the dictionary it states that an ort 

is leftover morsels of food. I always heard it used 

in sewing circles as leftover threads, scraps or the 

container to put them in.

I like this definition best;

Ort \¨òrt\: noun; a snippet or leftover bit of 

thread, usually resulting from a voracious 

addiction to handcrafted needlework

http://www.needleorts.com/

I started collaging a small wooden box and as 

I was working on it, it came to me that I would 

turn it into an Ort box.

So here it is;

justjanesthings

I found a few other handmade orts for sale 
and will share them with you…

BarbSWoodworks

These are made from glass, wood and paper. 

So there is quite a variety in materials for

the few I found.

sherriberkman

TemariKai

All of these are beautiful and would serve 

the purpose they are intended for very well

or they would look nice just displayed.

JRCrafter

One could also start an Ort collection…

(Just a thought)

have a wonderful day

(jj)

Vintage Wire Dress Forms and Mannequins

https://amybarickman.com/blog

I just learned that this particular old wire dress form is the one that inspired the structure of the Statue of Liberty. I just had to begin the post with this information because I found it so fascinating.
I don't think I'm the only one with a fascination for the vintage dress forms. In searching websites I found a variety of shapes, as well as a variety of ideas utilizing these wonderful pieces of history.

I've managed over the years to acquire quite a few items I knew I would treasure, but so far I haven't found a dress form that I can afford. (That is such a stumbling block for satifying all my wants. LOL)

Here are a few that I thought were worth showing you:


http://www.etsy.com/listing/68859205/vintage-jr-bauman-dress-form-1945


http://www.etsy.com/listing/68863420/1800s-wire-skirt-or-dress-form-original


http://www.etsy.com/listing/69131366/vintage-style-dress-form-mannequin


http://www.etsy.com/listing/60436233/vintage-paris-mannequin-dress-form


http://www.etsy.com/listing/60388737/one-of-a-kind-antique-1800s-tabletop


http://www.etsy.com/listing/69263018/vintage-wire-dress-formhttp://www.etsy.com/listing/69263018/vintage-wire-dress-form


http://www.etsy.com/listing/68342320/vintage-mannequin-cottage-life


http://www.etsy.com/listing/67163611/vintage-mannequin-cottage-life

There are so many fun and beautiful ways to use vintage items in your home.  I like to create a grouping of items of various sizes and textures that enhance each other.  At one time I did the window displays for a store that had crafted and vintage items.  These groupings were a main focal point in each display.  Try creating one on a table, dresser, shelf, or mantel in your home, I know you'll love it.

pepper/Helmet Head

The XYZ of Industrial Decor

                             VintageEmbellishment

 One of the newest decorating trends is "Industrial Decor"...but what is it?????

Industrial Decor uses items from factories and schools, medical facilities, churches, farms and shops to create a decorating theme using functional vintage items.  The well worn stools, tables, office furniture, wastebaskets, lighting, storage units and miscellaneous items from industry fit the criteria perfectly.

Their chief characteristic is that they were designed to do a job -- sturdiness, function and durability were the hallmarks of these items, and  therein lies their charm. A little bit of rust??? Just makes the item better!

I went looking on the internet for items that would be perfect  for adding a touch of  Industrial flavor to the decor of a home....I found so many wonderful items on Etsy that I created a treasury about them :) Click on the name below the treasury to visit the treasury..

        INDUSTRIAL DECOR FOR YOUR HOME

I also looked around Zibbet and was pleased to find some interesting things there too...Including Industrial prints for your walls.

                                curiouskitty

                                   PetitPoulailler

                                   SurrenderDorothy

Whether you would like a home which is completely Industrial Decor, or just want a few unique items to set your home apart from others, I hope these suggestions give you some ideas!

Have fun with this :)

VE

New Advertising

To our followers:

Please take a few minutes to check out the shops listed along side our blog posts!  By clicking on the square avatars, you will be taken directly to our shops, wherever they might be!

Thank you,

ACJ crew

What's It?

If I asked you what this is, would you know?

What about this one?

Okay, this one is a dead giveaway!

These are my latest obsession, vintage eyeglass holders. 

You don't see them too often, it's difficult to find any research material on them, so I had to wing it.  In all my travels, I've only found two more that weren't vintage but handmade in a ceramic class or something.  Don't get me wrong, they were cute, but just not quite me, the vintage ones are!

BOLO for poodles!  I want a gray and a pink poodle for my collection!  Must be vintage!  Most likely from Chadwick and marked Japan (NOT Made in Japan which dates them before the late sixties).

HAND!

RWS

A Day In The Life With BeachGemming

Today, let’s take a trip along the coast.  Doesn’t really matter which coast (I don’t think) but I believe you will find today’s trip very interesting, relaxing, and you may just find yourself with a new past time.  

Let me introduce you to BeachGemming. 

Enter BeachGemming's Shop

 Duuude:  How long have you been into collecting and selling beach glass? (I guess the correct term is “beach gemming”) 

Beach:  Our family has been collecting sea glass for about four years now. It came about when we visited a beach in Monterey, California. As we sat on the shore, we noticed people looking through the sand, picking through the rocks and seaweed. Curious, I sauntered over and found not just shells and the usual beachcomber fare, but glowing pieces of colored glass. My daughter and I started collecting the glass baubles and put those beach gems in a box. We’d add to our stash whenever we would visit various beaches along the bay. Thinking nothing more than a collection of “someone else’s trash” in the guise of lovely glowing colors, the box was put away in a closet.

Selling the beach glass came about as a fluke. While browsing through eBay I accidentally came across someone’s username with the term “seaglass.” It was then that we realized people were interested in these sea treasures. We decided to take the box out of the closet and sell a few beach gems to try out the waters. The venture proved to be a success on eBay and when someone introduced us to etsy we decided to concentrate our efforts there. Etsy’s artistic ambience was a better fit for our goals. Keeping jewelry artisans in mind, our eyes were focused on sea glass pieces that were smooth, with surf-tumbled edges; taking photographs became more creative for use in our card collections and prints.

Beach*gemming, and also our etsy shop name, is a term we have coined to describe the relaxing activity of collecting surf-tumbled sea glass from along our local beaches. Wave after wave continually uncover, weather and condition, multitudes of sea glass shards from decades past resulting in beautiful, multi-color, and collectible beach gems.

Duuude:  What inspired you get into beach glass and stones and gems? 
Beach:  The beauty of the beach glass and the history of Monterey Peninsula was an inspiration. Each time we discover a rare color such as red, orange, or yellow, we ask ourselves if the particular piece might have come from a lamp, dinner plate, or tea cup from pirate pillages of the 1800s or the canning industry in the 1900s. Finding frosty surf-tumbled marbles makes one ask if it possibly came from a child’s toy collection decades ago. Of course, I’m also a John Steinbeck fan, so it makes beachgemming even more special. He nicknamed Monterey Bay the “circle of enchantment.”

Looking at the lovely pieces of jewelry and mosaic art by talented artisans also inspires us to choose the best sea glass for our collection. There are pieces for those who prefer the more smooth texture for their refined jewelry projects or the rougher-edged gems for a more natural look.

Duuude:  Do you ever make anything with your wonderful finds? Can you supply us with a 
photo or two of your work area, and maybe a sample or two of your favorite 
items?
Beach:  Unfortunately, we don’t make a lot from what we find. We leave that to the multi-talented artisans on etsy. Our teen daughter might make a few pendants or bookmarks when she’s not busy studying, or when she needs a few extra dollars in her wallet. I make blank cards and prints from photos of our favorite beach gem collections. 

Duuude:  Do you do any additional “tumbling” with your gems and stones? Or do you just keep them as you find them? If you do tumble, can you share a bit about the process? I’m very intrigued and I live here on the west coast too.
Beach:  All of our sea glass is naturally surf-tumbled. Most of our customers prefer genuine, surf-tumbled beach gems. 
Duuude:  Where do you sell your items?

Beach:  etsy; sometimes on eBay.

Duuude:  Anything else you'd like us to know?  
Beach:  Besides collecting sea glass for business purposes, I would recommend beachgemming as a time to relax, alone or with family or friends. Searching the shores of our local beaches for these treasured gems can be fun and the financial rewards, on some occasions, can be plentiful, but taking the time to enjoy the warmth of the sun, the picturesque views of the sunrise, the sounds of the surf, and seeing a mother sea lion teaching her pup how to swim, is even more gratifying. I always remind myself, “Don’t forget to look UP!” And, please do not turn your back towards the water when you’re collecting sea glass…you’ll remain mostly dry that way! And, if you want to get your calves toned, wear high-heeled boots…not leather ones, though. I’ve had to throw away a perfectly good pair because they got soaked through and through. Sometimes, there are sacrifices that must be made for a perfectly good piece of sea glass! Enjoy!

This is her work area ~ I think I want one of these too!  

You can follow BeachGemming on Facebook and Twitter.   

facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/home.php#!/BeachGemming2

twitter twitter.com/beachgemming

Thanks for sharing with us a little bit about beachgemming.  And now, I think I want to find a nice quiet place along our So California coast and relax.  

Until next week …

Duuude!

For the Love of Feet

They endure our abuse every day. Standing, sitting on them, enclosed in socks and shoes suffocating, carrying our weight, stuffed in heels and used for shoving items that are too heavy to move with our arms.

What do we do to take care of them?

A shower or bath in which they only get washed because the water runs down that way.

Here's some items I found to help us take care of those hard working things that keep us standing, running, dancing, jumping and moving.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/EllieFrances?ref=seller_info

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Varm?ref=seller_info

http://www.etsy.com/shop/thepickers?ref=seller_info

http://www.etsy.com/shop/greengoddessesntls?ref=seller_info 

So take some time to take care of those hooves. They'll thank you for it.

Sending all that is good

Peggy ~ Goodgosh ~ GG ~ MySeriousSide

Scrabble

Who hasn’t played Scrabble at some time in their life…..even if you haven’t played it, most likely you know what it is. I think it is one of the simplest board games, just a board and a bunch of lettered tiles.

What a great game for kids to learn words, how to spell, or to get your mind working.

This site gives a bit of history about this game;

http://www.msoworld.com/mindzine/news/proprietary/scrabble/features/history.html

People have come up with other uses for the Scrabble tiles. As you can see from some of the following items.

kissmependant

backbonestudio2

   

  All of these artists have made some fun pieces with the little tiles.

2B4everYoung 

ASnailsPace

                  

There is such an assortment of different styles that one could be sure to find something to their liking.

londongirl99

TerraNovaJewelry

                                                                 

They are a perfect size for jewelry and small magnets.

SquishySushi

IMCreations

                

                                     

birdsongringco

BeyondWords1

          

Then again, you may want a Scrabble tile a little bit bigger,

15tangerines

 

 

 

 

(jj)