Mixed Media ephemera trophy My latest project

 Hi guys! I wanted to share what I have been working on lately. This is a mixed media trophy piece. I love the shape of an urn. It reminds me of vintage folk art and theorems that had a lot of urn shaped motifs.

 I covered this with all vintage and antique papers.

 I finished it with a heart of vintage wallpaper. Behind that is an antique prescription slip from Morristown, TN.

I really like how this turned out.

 If you wanted to display it all "white", just turn it around! I think it would look great filled with feathers.

 I used vintage French text prose and poetry..palest grey green floral vintage wallpaper snippets because I love the subtle color..

 Also antique dictionary pages, vintage sheet music..opera I think...I had to finish the inside too.

 Also strips of antique ledger paper from a SD road tax ledger..You can see the town of Clear Lake on the front of the cup. I liked this yellow-y bit that says Edmunds (county) for its pop of color. I adore old ink script!

A yummy layering of papers..I like to give a glimpse of the origins of the papers. Someplace on here it even has the ledger printer's name from Aberdeen, SD.

 I need to make some scrapbook paper this way..

I like the touches of pink from the ledger pages too.

 Of course I had to finish the bottom.. (need to sign this yet!) Off to my Etsy shop it goes! I hope you all are having a blessed, productive week too... it has been rainy here which makes weed pulling in the garden easier. We have been eating fresh raspberries and garden lettuce..yum! Until next time! Julia

Decoupaged stars, vintage goodies, new patio furniture and empty nesting

 Hi guys! Again..a large gap in posts. I have been busy!As usual I will be posting photos of my latest work and vintage goodies and carrying on a totally different conversation! These are my latest "thing" This is a large metal wall star to which I have added vintage wallpaper from my stash. It is reeeally hard for me to cut this wallpaper both for hoarding reasons (ha) and literally it is a pain to work with. It tears easily, can be crumbly if folded and it is hard to cut because it keeps rolling back up! I LOVE this one.

 I used 5 different patterns in pinks, creams, greens and golds.

 This one I used vintage map paper. These are the world view through the ages type..former empires. I liked the bright colors.

 Vintage ocean-y maps..

 Antique sheet music of operas..

 Vintage French prose...I like how the different papers add pattern and texture to the pieces!

 One of my latest finds. I like vintage religious objects. I have a small wall in my house that I have a "gallery" of vintage and antique religious framed prints..also right across the hall from my son's over the door basketball hoop..I am amazed nothing has gotten knocked off during one of their rowdy games..by the grace of God?

 I like the sweet little angels on this crucifix...old and very ornate!

 This Infant of Prague statue is already off to a new home..it was large-ish shabby and cool!My mom had quite a few different ones of these plaster religious statues  when we were kids (still does!)

 I have been listing vintage feedsacks on EBay. I never know which ones are going to get a high price so I start them there and then list them on Etsy if they don't achieve my usual Etsy start price on EBay..they usually sell right away on Etsy! These are harder to find and I LOVE finding a new batch.

This sweet baby dress is off to a new home too. It was so sweet and shabby. It has heart shaped pockets and pale blue rick rack trim..so cute for display!

I have a soft spot for vintage doll clothes..

This is a adorable vintage doll purse. These would be such a cool thing to collect..many different styles which makes it fun..and small so they don't take up a lot of space!

I spent a couple hours ironing the vintage pillowcases I bought last month (not that you can tell on this one..lol).I was going to put them on Etsy but if I see as much as a speck on them I hate to sell them online. I always feel like I have to over explain the speck and make it seem awful when it is not! I ended up just putting several pairs of these in my local booth for the time being. I sort of don't like that either as people unfold them and toss them on the floor and they get dirty! Akk! Our last show had a disappointing turnout so we are not doing the next couple months and are concentrating on doing the weekly local flea market in Oak Ridge to turn older merchandise. I also got an extra space in the antique mall (Main Street Antiques Sweetwater, TN) to put furniture pieces in. I have a shed full and a trailer full..have to get it out there to sell! I liked the show and felt he did good promotion, but customer turnout was sooo thin. I feel guilty skipping as I know less vendors make for less return customers, but you have to do what you have to do!

New deck furniture! I looove Target. We looked several places but they were the winner. I didn't want a big table as it would take over the deck and when we eat out there we just put up one of our folding show tables as they seat 6-8 people. This is my grandbaby Hunter. We have been having a busy month.2 birthdays for our daughters, Father's day, wedding dress shopping for my daughter..she picked one but I am forbidden to post pix. She doesn't want her fiance to see it! I enjoyed having our daughter Hope home from Indiana (IU Optometry school) for her and Alexa's "birthday week". The grand-dog Sarge (pit mix) came too and our pup Daisy (terrier mix) was a total nutso hot mess. It was like Sarge was Phil from "The Hangover" and she was Alan! She wanted to do everything he did and ended up romping through the woods on a breakaway and scratched her cornea! 2 trips to the vet, $118 and drops and she was good to go.

Sarge took me on an unexpected trip. I was sitting on the cement step at the end of the deck stairs talking to my mom on the phone. I had him on his extend-o leash so he and Daisy wouldn't run off on another romp. I had the leash wrapped around my hand.He saw a cat in the woods and clean jerked me off the step, through the pea gravel and stepping stones onto the yard..I had actual hang time! A few scrapes but all is well!

I am dreading next month as Alexa and Hunter are moving out. I have known since he was born that the day would come when they moved out, but it is so painful! He has been my baby (when Mom was at school, college and work) I KNOW they have to go and am happy for Alexa. She got into grad school and they are paying her to go! I feel bad about feeling bad. I don't want her to see me upset. My husband doesn't deal well with emotional me so I just bottle it in which I know is bad. I see a cloud of anxiety and depression looming and I don't want to go there!I feel silly feeling bad about a good thing..nobody is sick or hurt or in a bad situation...I am just going to miss my "Skinny McGee"! I also had the horror dawn that when SHE goes I will be the only "girl" in he house and I won't have anyone to talk to about things that interest me! ESPN& SciFi channel here I come. Ah well..life changes and moves on. Maybe it won't be as bad as I think! Hope you all are having a great week! stop back and see me again! Julia

Flowers, Projects and Flea Markets

 Hi guys! I'm still alive! I have been busy busy busy! Spring has sprung in East TN and we are already into hay mowing and honeysuckle season...it smells fantastic outside. Probably not too fun for the allergic though! These flowers we picked today to show off a McCoy vase I will be listing online shortly. There is Queen Anne's Lace and 2 kinds of roses. I have TRIED to grow hybrid roses, but it is very humid here and blackspot is rampant SO I grow these hardier pink shrub roses. The deeper red rose is what is left of a hybrid rose. The hybrid graft croaked and this came back from the rootstock..oh well..at least it is growing!

The lilacs are long gone. They had an even briefer then usual season this year as it froze again after they started to bloom. I love the scent, but they are harder to grow in the South..I think they like cold winters!

 The irises have come and gone.These are some that I transplanted from my husband's Grandma Minnie's flower garden. They have really spread and need to be divided. I got a "fun" case of poison ivy this spring pulling poison ivy and blackberry brambles out of these beds.I am usually pretty tolerant of poison ivy, but everywhere the blackberry brambles stuck me, the poison ivy got in and spread. Yikes!

 For Mother's day the kid's set up a table on the deck complete with flowers (and I think the little daisy flowers are actually weeds..still pretty!) These were a few of the peonies.

 Projects! This vintage shabby mannequin has been lurking in the
workshop for months..Before..........          
                                                           

and after! I was going to stamp this with my antique signage stamps but I may leave it this way.

 This makeover probably cost $1-$2. I covered her with approx. 4x6 inch squares I tore from brown paper lunchbags. I crumpled and wet them and then Mod Podged them on. Where there were dents I added wads of paper w/ more Mod-Podge to fill in and then covered that with the paper. I love the textured finish..I did nothing to the previous cover which looked to be spray painted fabric, just went right over the top!

 This one is adjustable..if she is "short" the pole can stick out the top. I may make a cardboard "cap" for the neck hole..covered with antique text of course..maybe with scalloped or lace edges that you can remove if need be...hmmm...

 For now I just stacked 2 light fixture bits on it. I may just attach these and call it a day!

 I went on a pillow making spree. I made 2 of these out of some old barkcloth with grey and cream ticking on the reverse. These have already sold. I loved this fabric!

 This is a rooster I painted on muslin and turned into a pillow....

 and a burlap Union Jack with vintage damask fabric and vintage cloth measuring tape accents. I dyed the cross bars pale grey. I left the edges raw for more texture.

 This table was a make over. The black shabby top was on some mid century hairpin legs. I removed those legs and added them to an antique barn door for a coffee table. I painted a clock face on this...

 and then added it to an old typewriter table base. The top to this was losing veneer so I took it off..it will probably end up being 3 painted signs! Waste not, want not!

 I liked the shabby look of this tabletop, so I just worked with it instead of against it!

 This was a very grungy topless old trunk. It looked to have held feed at one time..note the grubby enamel table top in the background.

I scrubbed it down and painted another Union Jack on the front and added the scrubbed up enamel tabletop. The red paint is original, I just used tape and white paint to add the flag graphics.

 The show I did last month..setting up. My grandson Hunter and I painted 7 old drawers that were in the shed that Ed had been threatening to burn. We just "shabbily" painted them white..and also ourselves..and OK..the dog too! I bought them for $2 each because they had old glass knobs which I removed and sold. The drawers were sturdy pine and I got the idea to use them for both hauling and displaying items in my show booth. I filled them up and stacked them up in the van.These tablecovers are vintage curtains with burlap yardage runners.

 These stacked well and you can use them in different configurations. I guess if you were nervous about tippage, you could clamp or anchor them somehow, but these are so heavy unless someone shoved them, they were not going anywhere! The peonies are paper ones I made from coffee filters..I was going for a garden-y booth here.

 I also made these scrapbook paper flowers (terrible lighting on this one!)

 I use a lot of ladders in my booth..easy to set up and pack. I shove boards through the rungs for shelves.

 I also have a few old screen doors I added chicken wire to and wired together to hang things off of.The base here is an old washing machine base. I made the nests and eggs too..woman possessed.

 This was this month..burlap yardage, then striped yardage..then Martha Stewart sheet..I use what I have on hand!

 This display piece is an old 2 shelf wooden bookcase I got for a couple bucks. OK..Ed got it and I said "What is this trash!?" I painted it white and added chicken wire to the back..perfect for tabletop displays. Booths always need height!

 I love this shabby thing...totally destroyed elegance...just the most important parts left untouched.It is a Victorian era piece. It may end up on my wall! Certainly not another one just like it out there! I may back the totally gone parts with antique text.

 This mirror didn't sell (I only had $35 on it!) but that is OK because I gave it to my daughter and we are painting it chartruese for her new apartment. The medallion area will hold a silhouette of her son or maybe a monogram..the final decision has not been reached yet!

 More Martha Stewart sheets and a red tablecloth..a very old mirror on the left..Mason's Vista china and blue Jamestown Fostoria Stemware..red white and blue!

 A cool folk art cabinet and a table full of dolls and dollclothes. A lot of those sold first thing.

 These flags sold right away too..they were 48 star.These dolls may end up online.

 I just love these charming old graphics. I actually was running 2 shows this same day. I set up Thursday night and Friday morning at our hometown annual HWY 11 yard sale. When Ed got off work I left him in charge and reloaded the van and set up in Knoxville..that show was Saturday then tore down and repacked and drove home..I was beat!

This is the best thing that happened this month..our daughter Alexa graduated Suma Cume Laude  with a chemistry major and biology minor. She starts grad school in August to get her doctorate! Yay Alexa!