Sunday, August 26, 2012

Just because I like to say 'Doodads'

 
I don’t recall when it began but at some point I started setting aside little vintage doodads that turn up in the boxes and bags of things I bring home from yard sales and thrift stores.*
 
A fleet of little sleighs came mixed in with vintage Christmas ornaments.
 
Itty, bitty deer appeared.
 
Tiny, tiny white mice were found in the bottom of a bag. (These are a tremendous improvement over my last experience…)
 
Little candy baskets started stacking up along with the occasional googley-eyed glitter bird. (Blogger’s spell check rejects all of my versions of ‘googley.’ )
 
Bells of all shapes and sizes.
 
And one spun head.
All of these doodads end up in a bag marked ‘Ethel’ because The Vintage Crafter will know exactly what to do with them.
 
 
 *Despite bringing home boxes and bags of things from yard sales and thrift stores, I swear on my stack of newspapers from 1987 that I am not a hoarder. 
 


Sunday, August 19, 2012

Write here, right now.




Making chalkboards isn’t exactly a new-fangled idea but I am a simple gal who has a soft spot for easy projects that have already been perfected, in this case, by countless chalkboard-makers before me.
For me, chalkboards are all about the frames they’re in.


(Frames that were made by somebody else, of course, although I have been known to paint some of them. See previous sentences for references to simple gal and easy projects).


And maybe there’s a clever phrase or two, written in ... well, chalk.

The only word I could come up with: Scarves.

Simple. Gal.
It’s right about here where ‘simple gal’ takes on a whole new meaning because for some reason I’m at a loss for words when it comes to writing on the chalkboards I’ve made.
Other than something subtle like “THIS IS A CHALKBOARD” or “I AM FOR SALE” or “I CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING TO WRITE HERE,” words escape me.
So now I just take the vintage hieroglyphics route.


THIS IS A CHALKBOARD.  *sigh*

For lots of chalkboard inspiration, check out this post from Donna of Funny Junk Interiors.


Monday, August 6, 2012

Where vintage gathers



I’ve now officially completed one full revolution in my adventures as a vintage vendor.
You may recall it all started last July when I drove a giant cargo van out to the country, packed Beverly Hillbillies-style with vintage anything-&-everything, and set up shop at my very first vintage event, A Vintage Gathering.


Green garden cart has moved on to a new forever home.
This July I hooked up a u-haul trailer to my freshly installed trailer hitch (look at me grow!), stuffed it full of things from the Garage Where Cars Can’t Park and rambled off to the country & A Vintage Gathering. Again.
And it was awesome.
Again.

If you're looking for milk glass, I think I have all of it now.
And I learned a few more things this time around.

Little pink dresser didn't sell but everything around it did.
I took my time unloading and was beyond careful in order to avoid breaking any (more) bones.
That plan seemed to work better than the last one.

Miracles can happen! I remembered to hang the sheet banner!
Having a u-haul attached to my car makes me want to buy crazy-big vintage things because I have a way to get them home. (But I didn’t. I don't have enough crazy-big space. Still…)


The Square credit card reader is a wonderful thing to have as a vintage vendor, especially when selling at a venue that may not have an ATM machine. I didn’t use it until the last hour of the day which seems to be when buyers have spent all their cash. Then I used it a bunch. Love it!  
It’s also handy to have if you’re holding a garage sale; those handwritten, neon poster board YARD SALE signs around town can now include the Visa/MC logo!


I can never predict what will sell.  Some of the things I think will sell right away sit there and gawk at me. Some gawk all the way back home again. Some are still gawking from the “What was I thinking?” pile.

Me and my friend Annette. Why didn't I tuck in that shirt?
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who worked so hard to make this amazing event happen!
*******************

PS I’ve created a board on pinterest with the rest of the photos in case you want to see the other vendor’s spaces. Just click here.