Luck of the Irish

A Happy St. Pat's to all ~ sending good luck for the year via this wonderful collection of 4 leaf clovers gathered over a period of 10 years or so! This scrapbook of 1355 four leaf clovers was amassed and artfully arranged by Alda Carlson starting in 1910. It was sold on ebay for $532.52 ~ just the sort of thing I'd be interested in ~ but in this case would need a pot of gold to afford it!

Spotted this several months ago over at anonymous works ~ a great blog to explore! Have a safe & fun St. Patrick's Day!

Read More

Orlando ~ A Visual Feast

This weekend I watched for perhaps the 3rd or 4th time, Orlando, a film by Sally Potter. The film was released in 1992 and stars Tilda Swinton as Orlando ~ a person who lives for 400 years ~ the first half as a man, the next 200 years as a woman. The film is based on a novel by Virginia Woolf and won Oscars for both art direction and costume design. While I still wonder (even after watching several times) as to whether I understand all of what is going on, I love the film for the beautiful set designs and costumes ~ it is quite memorable. If you haven't seen it, give it a try ~ it is wonderful! Check out the clip above. Below are a few of my favorite stills from the movie.

{Just gorgeous!}

Read More

In Flagrante Collecto ~ Magnifico!

Speaking of collections, have you seen this book? In Flagrante Collecto ~ caught in the act of collecting by Marilynn Gelfman Karp is a wonderful collection of collections. Some of the examples are those you would expect, but there are many unusual collections showcased. Shown are a few of my favorites ~ all images are from the book.

{ruler collection endpapers}

{vintage rubber stamp paraphernalia}

{printed corks and cork dolls}

{sample card of upholstery nails ~ a collection all by itself}

{thread sample card}

{variety of lettuce seed packets}

{tobacco tags}

{leg shaped calipers}


{collection of soap chips}

Read More

Self Portrait with Objects

Last week at work we were given a frame and asked to do a self portrait which would then be hung in the office. We had two requirements as well ~ the portrait had to have a recognizable image and your name. As usual, I was short on time, so I had to come up with something I could get done quickly. I started out working digitally, but soon gave that up as it was taking too long. Instead, I gathered up some of my favorite things and arranged them on a piece of felt ~ I had to add the photo in via photoshop, along with some additional felt background.

I tried to use items that either had some sort of meaning to me or what I like to do, so I chose some various tools I use like knitting needles, crochet hooks, scissors and tape measure. I also included a few items I made ~ a crocheted & felted brooch, a folded paper ornament. The buttons and other bits and pieces are objects that I am drawn to for one reason or another. The biggest challenge was finding things that looked well together and fit in the space.

Overall, I was happy with the results ~ especially as I ended up photographing it on my kitchen table without decent lighting. I'm hoping to do some more of these ~ it'll be a great excuse to buy more bits and pieces!

Read More

Marvelous Machinery & Manliness

{Wonderful collection of vintage price tags and holders beautifully displayed}

This weekend D & I decided to take Saturday and hit the Bottoms Up Antique Show, Good JuJu and then a few antique malls ~ afterall, we haven't been out treasure hunting for weeks!!! It didn't take us too long to spot some great items, so I took a bunch of photos of many of the things I admired, but couldn't take home with me. Turns out that the great majority of items I was attracted to seem to have a more masculine, officey feel ~ now I wish I had purchased most of it as it all looks so good together! Never fear, I did end up with a group of objects that satisfied my weekend addiction AND we scored a Bradley Stencil Machine!

{Streamlined Noiseless typewriter ~ manufactured in Middletown, CT ~ my birthplace!}

{Loved this retro phone}

{time cards and holder}

{stripped cash boxes}

{McCaskey Register files}

{Expandable metal table base ~ I think these are used with gurneys, but not sure}

{Who would think a sewer lid would make a good table?}

Our Find of the Day ~ a Bradley Stencil Machine! Thanks to Beth for giving us a demonstration ~ if not for her, we probably would have walked right by. Instead, now D has a nice bday present AND a new project to work on!

The top photos are some I found here when I did a search to find out more information about the stencil machine. The bottom photo is a closeup of the machine we got ~ as you can see, it will require alot of elbow grease to clean it up. We are also planning on repurposing an old iron sewing machine base to replace the base that is missing. The machine is in good working condition though, so no matter what, it will be fun to see what we can utilize it for! Any ideas??

Read More

Treat yourself to a great weekend!

Hoping your weekend makes you feel as good as these guys!

Read More

Prize Antiques ~ Bottoms Up ~ Show this weekend

Time for some antique shopping! Several weekends ago I heard about a new monthly show happening here in Kansas City ~ Bottoms Up. I stopped by on a cold and snowy Saturday and was pleased to find a lovely gathering of treasures several flights up in an old warehouse ~ here are a few shots from that visit. This month's show starts tomorrow ~ go here for the details.

{sea life still life ~ puts me in the mood for some warmer weather!}

{beautiful gathering of scallop-edged mirrors}

{loved the juxtaposition of the industrial with the religious}

{one of my favorites ~ a marvelous wall of suitcases!}

Read More