Mercury glass, enamelware, felt roses and new vintage finds

Hi guys! I am procrastinating this morning so I thought I'd share what I have been up to this week. I decorated some enamelware candlestick holders for my shop. I made cream felt rolled roses.I added cream leaves to which I sewed antique French book pages..Victor Hugo here. (He wrote Les Miserables and The hunchback of Notre Dame among other things) I went to the movie Les Miserables this spring (winter?) and FYI..getting a large drink at the beginning was a bad idea! Good movie though waaaay too much fuss over stealing a loaf  of bread!

I attached the rose to vintage ribbon and tied it on. I added an LED candle that I jazzed up with some of the vintage mica flakes from my stash.

I also did mercury glass candleholders and LED votives.

I added elastic backed "candle scrunchies" I made with some of my vintage and antique lace and mother of pearl buttons.

I always squeak a bit when I snip into old lace..but better used than lying in a bag in a closet!

I also made decorated mercury glass decanters. I made the stoppers and added all the vintage bits.The small ones have acrylic chandelier prisms but the larger bottles have vintage glass and leaded crystal prisms.The stopper bit is polymer clay.

I used antique and vintage lace and vintage grey taffeta ribbon. I made number tags with tinted watercolor paper and stamped them with my antique signage stamps. Of COURSE I couldn't find my paper punch that I KNOW I have, so I just traced around a big button and cut them out by hand.

The large bottles have glorious ping pong ball sized leaded crystal chandelier spheres..so sparkly!

I also made dangles of vintage chandelier prism "buttons" and a vintage pearly bead from an old necklace.

I listed a antique or vintage doll slip. So sweet! I have a soft spot for old doll clothes! Both my Grammas and my mom made home sewn doll clothes for us girls. I learned to sew making doll clothes when I was 6.

I listed 2 enamelware pitchers that I decorated with waterslide decals that I made with old French graphics.

I found this shabby Art Deco era Whiting and Davis metal mesh bag this weekend. It has corrosion on the back, but is still pretty to hang on the wall. I can't quite decide if those are bows or butterflies..I think butterflies. That reminds me..the Grand-dog has been chasing butterflies in the yard these week..such a ferocious pitbull! LOL (He never gets them) There is one that flies in front of the patio doors when he is inside.... just to taunt him I swear.

I found this set of vintage bakelite handled flatware too. It was all dusty in a jar in a basement and I got a good price on it. It cleaned up great..one fork short of a 6 piece set. This was probably a picnic set  originally. It is on Ebay. One way to tell if old plastic is Bakelite is to rub it briskly with your fingers until the friction warms it up. Bakelite releases an odor of camphor which it is made with.Once you smell it, you will recognize it! There are also bakelite buttons and jewelry. It was used for handles, game pieces and also some smaller household items like radios.

I found this wonderful little hand carved bear and also a little hillbilly man by the same carver (they were marked EC) The hillbilly is more rustically whittled but this bear is very finely finished and nicely proportioned. I'm not sure if the owner of the estate made him or if he bought him. Knoxville is in  East Tennessee and very close to the Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. There were/are many local carvers there. This estate has quite a bit of Pigeon Forge Pottery too, so I am guessing that is where this may have come from too. There are also plenty of real black bears there. This summer there was a black bear that actually climbed the fence and broke INTO the Knoxville zoo. He wandered a couple days while they decided he wasn't one of their's and then climbed back out!

I found this lovely vintage rhinestone brooch and earrings set. It isn't marked but sometimes that is a way to get some pretty pieces at a lower price

These vintage welding goggles went  to Ebay. They have green and clear lenses. People use the clear lenses and use these to ride motorcycles or as costume for steampunk or live action role playing  (LARP) games. I actually took welding class in high school ...because that is where the boys were. I learned how to arc weld and torch weld..and actually liked it! I also used a torch when I was formerly in dental lab school and working in dental labs. You melted metal to make dental castings in a centrifuge. I liked that too. My parents always say no knowledge is wasted!

I found one of these mid century Danish Modern candlestick holders...wish there would have been a pair but oh well!

This was a cool 1960's Vogue dress pattern. It was uncut. I sort of shy away from buying old patterns to resell unless they are really cool. I despise unfolding them to check if all the parts are there, but feel like that is something that needs to be done. (I refold patterns like a monkey ..or worse) This was a cool one though. size TEN with a 31" bust and 33" hips!! WTH? my mom who is a size 1-3 always complains about how BIG everything is now "I'm a size TEN!" No mom..you were a size 10 in 1965..now you are a size one...I tell her,"Geez Mom..I am a size 12 NOW" to which she "tactfully" replies "Ooof!" Thanks Mom! LOL

 I got some vintage Scrabble sets. I sell the tiles to people who make jewelry and mixed media, assemblage projects. You can also make cute signs with them or use them for scrapbooking. I used to attach magnets to the backs and sell them in my old antique store..never enough J's! Well that is all for now..I am painting on my mannequin heads today. They are in that lovely white eyed zombie stage right now so maybe I can get some irises painted in! Hope you have a fruitful week! 'Til next time! Julia