Upcycled clothespin wreath with book page and sheet music flowers

Hi guys! Another wreath! I am glad to get this done as now maybe I can sleep at night. I have spent the last week with visions of these clothespins wreaths running through my brain as I am trying to go to sleep! It was like I had to make them to exorcise myself!
Funny how this looks totally different depending on which way you hang it..
The base on this is clothespins again with paper faces in shades of aqua with cream and coral red touches.
I made the flowers from vintage and antique paper.. Jane Austen book pages, dictionary text, French Lit book, Mozart sheet music,antique German pages from a bible story book (damaged) and tea stained paper for the sort of poppy rosettes.
The centers are vintage mother of pearl buttons capped with crystal glitter (all those "eyes" staring at me was bugging me on this one..it usually doesn't!) and vintage pearly beads from broken necklaces..I hope they are faux pearl!
On this wreath I also added white net for an airy touch.
You would never guess it is shower pouf netting!
Great tip.. new shower pouf for $1 = yards of netting! I am always looking at things in the grocery and hardware store and thinking..Hmmmmm..what could I use that for?
My other surprise for this wreath was how pretty crystal glittered kraft paper leaves are. This was just paper bag! I wanted neutral leaves and thought kraft paper..the glitter was a last minute addition and I looooove the look!
I noticed this word "gild" on this flower after it was all put together..very fitting as my husband is always accusing me of "gilding the lily" as in I may go a tinge overboard on details. That's OK with me though! Hope you all are having a beautiful day. 'Til next time! Julia

Clothespin Flower Wreath Upcycled Map Wreath

Hi guys! This is my newest wreath. I made it with wooden clothespins and vintage maps and text from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, vintage red toile wallpaper and scrapbook paper bits. I love scrapbook paper but I am not a scrapbooker and never use it for its intended purpose. I can spend a lot of time and money in the scrapbook paper aisle though!
I was inspired by folk art flowers and the colors of theorem paintings... aged brights against creams. I love looking at folk art of all kinds and I like giving it a new twist.
The flower centers are vintage mother of pearl buttons and vintage aqua mercury glass garland beads. I love using vintage papers. It gives things a one of a kind quality and a special look.
I basically made these flowers willy-nilly and arranged them in a pleasing arrangement..no patterns.
Oops..this was supposed to be the last picture but I don't know how to move them around after I upload them so here it is poking its nose in where it doesn't belong! This is another upcycled vintage map paper wreath I made for a customer this weekend. She pulled the listing from my sold items on Etsy and asked if I could make another. With vintage papers, sometimes I can and sometimes I can't! This is one of my pinwheel shaped wallflower wreaths.
Last pic! I love the text on this. I was reading as I was glue-ing and imagining Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen...I love the book and the movie! Hope you have a romantic week be it of the novel and movie variety or like most of us, merely everyday romance (I like that kind the best!) Til next time! Julia

Antique Christening gowns

Hi guys! I love these romantic antique baby Christening gowns. I found 3 recently that I just listed in my vintage Etsy shop. This one is sheer eyelet lace..so delicate!
They were so long I had a hard time taking a pic of the whole of them. I had to resort to my bedroom wall that has less than ideal light.
This one has bands of mini pleats and an ornate eyelet hem.
This is a heavier "winter weight " one. It has a front panel of mini pleated bands and eyelet lace bands. This one has a few spots..I wish it was summer so I could do a sun bleach treatment.
These are from the first quarter of the 1900s. They are homemade and mostly machine sewn..so much love went into these!
I made one for my kids that they all wore..boys and girls and even grandson Hunter! It has rows of entredeux insertion laces and mini pleats. It took me a long time to make but every wearer was so special to me!
These may need a button added or spot removed to wear but they are all ready to display..fab for a pale or white decor. I also have another 8-9 1940's 50's shorter baby dresses on my ironing board now waiting for me to press! I am thinking if there are any I can't get a pale spot out of I may be dipping them in dye..pale pink, blue or tea-stained and making a garland out of a couple attached to vintage ribbon with some vintage baby cards or handmade ones..hmmmm..Always more ideas than time! Hoping you are having a lovely day! Until next time! Julia

Vintage Pretty

Hi guys! Just a quick post tonight. I am totally procrastinating doing actual productive work. I thought I would share this pic of mine tonight..she is a vintage composition doll head that I listed (and sold) yesterday. She is already on her way to her new home but I just so liked how well she photographed. She has such a serene "santos" look about her. Now I am having seller's regret! LOL Oh well..I still have her photo! My poor shops need more items and I have some painting projects for my booth so I hope to get some new posts on here soon of what I have been up to. I have discovered Pinterest recently and have lost some time there. Just so many pretties! I usually get stuck in the home style category. Hope your New Year is off to a great start! Til next time. Julia

Upcycled Junk Chic Steampunk Cake stand Pedestal

Hi guys! A new creation! I got these big gears at an estate sale this fall and they have been lurking in my kitchen waiting for inspiration to strike me. At first I was thinking of making them (I had 2) into clocks but I was just not feeling it. Then it just clicked for me the other day..cake stand! (or pedestal)
This one was fab blue and rusty and the other is red and rusty. I scrubbed them up and sprayed them with a couple coats of sealer.
I painted these pedestal bases a couple years ago. I had them in my shop and when I closed that, I brought them home and used them as pillar candle stands and even just topped them with plates for parties. They have a crackled, distressed finish. The gear top had all these fab little holes around the edges, just begging for some bling. Since this was a marriage of the soft, shabby base and the hard industrial gear, I decided to add both traditional "soft" antique chandelier prisms and "hard" industrial prisms that I made with vintage keys and a chandelier prism button.
This would be great to top with a plate or I discovered the larger holes were just right to add a votive candleholder to make this a big candlabra (I'd add a pillar candle to the middle or a vase of flowers) or add small bottles or vases to the holes for a large floral arrangement.
My antique cruet bottles fit right in! I have to finish the red one and then these are going to my Etsy handmade shop. Yay for upcycling! What have you been up to? I'd love to see your projects too. Just comment and I will stalk you down! LOL Have a great weekend! Julia

Burlap and sheet music book page wreath

Hi guys! This is a custom wreath I have been working on. I have made paper wreaths before but this is the first one I did with burlap. I used the selvedge edge of the fabric to avoid having to hem the ruffle.
It has a burlap rose center. The lady I made it for asked if I could do a burlap rose. I never had but figured I COULD. I like how it turned out. It is basically one of those spiral cut rolled roses, I just folded the burlap spiral in half before I glued it...no stitching required..just lots of hot glue!
The paper is antique sheet music , vintage or antique dictionary pages for the smaller cones and French text for the pleated bit. I run strips of vintage text through an antique ribbon crimper I have and then run a basting stitch at one edge and (carefully) gather. My daughter said, "My that looks tedious." I said yes..yes it is! LOL (Actually it doesn't take that long to gather) Sometimes it takes a little push to get you going in a new direction, but I have found it is usually worth it! Thanks for stopping by! Julia

Decoupaged mannequin dress form

Hi guys! This is what I was working on last night. I had this half done for a couple weeks. Now she is completed and off to my Etsy shop hopeandjoystudios! My husband got this form for me from 2 of his (and my) estate sale buddies. He said he thought I could do something with it. (Yay!) I covered it in pages from an antique French to English dictionary. I like how the foxed edges added some color.
The Paris text I made with my antique store signage stamps..I love those things! The large crown images came from the Graphics Fairy.
The postcard is a copy of an antique one from my stash. If you look closely there are horses and buggies in the foreground!
Of course I HAD to finish the back..even though it might not be seen if hanging. I wanted to give the option to people of hanging this or standing it. It is thinner than a fully 3D one and I thought it would be great on a dresser or cabinet top where there was not enough room for a full sized one. (I had to give her a pretty green butterfly tat on her shoulder too!)
This lady is a copy of a stylish lady from an antique magazine I have.
The French advertising bits are also from the Graphics Fairy..she has butterflies in her stomach!
I like how the text shows through the butterfly on this one. I left the necklace area plain so it wouldn't "fight" with any jewelry that was displayed on it.
My daughter's boyfriend asked,"Is that the New Orleans Saints logo?" LOL..well..yes and no! (Boys!)
Since this was French to English, I had to add this sassy lady. I found her on an antique postcard on a trip to SD 2 summers ago. I knew I would find a way to use her!
Here she is hanging on my dining room wall.... The change of color is due to the change of lighting. Yes my dining room has striped walls..for now. They have been that way for awhile and I am pondering a change. When we first moved here I went a bit crazy painting things however I wanted after years of renting! Hope you have a great day! Til next time! Julia

I am linking this to Carol at www.thepolkadotcloset.blogspot.com for her Mannequin Dress form party..I am a techo idiot so I hope I grabbed all her link button..if not just pop over for the fun!

YAY! It worked!