...S'MORE fuel.

I am smitten by 'creating' with 'Found' objects!

With the weather Finally warming a 'bit', my latest obsession is...

DRIFTWOOD.

There are So many beauties of Driftwood (besides it's naturally wondrous beauty and characteristics)....

Starting with the scenic locale's that you MUST go 'in search of'.

...and the Fun Cafe's you find (in search of Java & RestRooms!!)

~there is always the added Bonus of alternative finds (BEACH GLASS!!)

Some alternative finds, however do not come home! 

NOTE TO SELF: look more closely at that COOL piece of 'driftwood' before reaching for it - teeth and 'eye balls' are a NO! 

Nautical inspired vase

Sandpail - Driftwood PENDANT display
w/ pottery bowl for holding packaged units!

 While out combing the serene water shores that are 'Pre Season', there is much time for meditation and inspiration can strike at ANY TIME!


Driftwood stores Beautifully, and when you tire of working with it, the disposal of excess supplies is FUN and THRIFTY too...

Campfire!

ie: S'more Fuel!!

Do not fear - I have not forsaken my love of ...

PLARN!

(ie: recycled plastic bags)

~OR~

BUTTONS!

~OR~ 

BAKING!
(Easter Pie!!)

~OR~

STUFF.  

But lately our main source of 'stuff' is our Attic inventory!!

???  Does Anybody know anything about these old Woolworth tags or WilliamSonoma mini copper molds:????

 Hope you all enjoy your day, however you choose to spend it!!

...BUTTON results are IN!

REMEMBER my 'BUTTON SELECTION DILEMA' for the 'Infinity Scarf' I was in the process of creating??!

Well, just 6 days later, the body of the scarf was delivered to me! AND this morning I made my selection, and attached the buttons !!  The vintage, oval, blacks from the AUBURN BUTTON WORKS were the winners - 
I'm kinda proud of OUR (Thanks T.!!) joint design-build and (BEST PART) Completion of this little Winter project!!!

..."every day is a Winding Road"

During our ~BRIEF~ 'heat wave' (above 20°), J & I had Cabin Fever, and decided to go check out the Sea Glass Beach.  The beach was still covered in snow, but apparently we weren't the only ones with cabin fever!!  BRRRR.....

The Thrift Shops haven't provided me with anything new to show you either, except some NASTY leftover Christmas 'gift-pack' flavored oils (ewe!!) and melted candles ~  **NO THESE DID NOT COME HOME WITH ME!**

 On the Creative side of things, I DID have The.Most.Enjoyable Saturday!!

Fri. night I was chatting w/ a friend (T.) who saw our 'Pedestals' at 'The Craft Show that Shouldn't Have Been...', said she had been thinking about them and might want to buy one.  I knew T. crochet.  I told her I had a proposition for her...  

   You see, I have loooonggggg been admiring these Winter knit & crochet Infinity scarves that are so popular now. (*Did you know this is just a come back for them?  They were originally popular back in the 1950's - 60's, but were called SMOKE RINGS; which is now Politically incorrect! VERA did quite a few in silk!!*).  I would trade her a PEDESTAL for her time in making an INFINITY. She loved the idea.  We set a date for Sat. am - B-fast, and then off to hit some yarn shops in search of a pattern and yarn.  OH, my!  Now I was getting a bit nervous and a rash was starting to set in... B-fast - YES!  Patterns & 'Old Lady' sewing shops - not.so.much,  hmmmm......

   

We went to TWO yarn shops, talked to the sweetest lady at the first shop, I FELL IN LOVE with all of the Delicious yarns (and I don't do fibre arts!!), she taught me all about weights and the type of results that could be achieved with Bulky vs Extra Bulky.  They had all kinds of scarves, collars and shawls made up that I could try on... I made sketches, took photos (with their permision & HELP!!), got measurements (T. was impressed that I ALWAYS carry a tape measure in my purse!).  So in the end... I don't want 'just a basic Infinity Scarf' - we didn't need to buy a pattern, we created our own!  'My Designer T.' is making me a custom 'svelteSTUFF' creation -
I can't wait to see it!!

T. is doing the 'bodywork' and then I will be adding the 'details'.  I came home Sat. night and went in search of BUTTONS!!!
 I just.happened.to.have a Basket marked BUTTONS in the Attic Studio (you are surprised aren't you?!!)
What Fun going through those vintage treasures!
I only need THREE (3!) though...
So the tough part is going to be the 'final' decision
(but I'll make that when I can see the whole thing together!!)

"Jump in, let's go
Lay back, enjoy the show
Everybody gets high, everybody gets low
These are the days when anything goes

Everyday is a winding road
I get a little bit closer
Everyday is a faded sign
I get a little bit closer to feeling fine"

Sheryl Crow - Every Day Is A Winding Road

...it's SPRING!

Here is a glimpse at what I 'hope' to be the ending of some of my recent 'WINTER' projects... Maybe someday soon I will be back out to the gardens (?!)

'SUNFLOWER' ~ Petite Pedestal ~ Wouldn't it be FANTASTIC at a brunch, Full of BIG, LUSCIOUS, RED STRAWBERRIES - each in their own mini cupcake paper??  (sorry, my mind really is in the garden today...)

Another 'UPSIDES' Petite - this one has a special twist.  It is part of what I am calling the 'NORTH SHORE' series.  Encased between the pieces of glass are bits of sea glass from one of the local FingerLakes! (yes, more dreaming of warmer days and my toes in the sand...)

This past Thursday I had Part II of The MakeShift Series of classes that I am taking from the creative Betsy of EAST STREET PINS, and I just realized that I have yet to post ANY of my finished 'creations'.  Keep in mind, it is just a 2hr session, and we ARE learning new techniques with unfamiliar materials - so it is hard to truly get creative - so cut me some slack... okay??  

CLASS I / Part I - (ice epoxy filled Bottle Caps) Pendant grape cluster; Magnet spider; Pin seaglass w/ fishy background

CLASS I / Part II -  Using a 'DAP' we pounded out bottle caps to form earrings

CLASS II- Oh, this is a SAD, SAD, PATHETIC version of a bead necklace!  We cut tin, we pounded with the DAP, we exchanged stories - learned a lot - Thank goodness, because my final project is mighty lame!  You must go to EAST STREET TIN BEAD NECKLACE to see what these beads truly look like in their true Glory!! 8-). 

I 'HAD' to go to one of 'those crafty-type stores' to pick up some jump rings to work on my Button Bracelets, and since I had a 50% off coupon I decided to check out their 'DAP Blocks'... just for the heck of it.  So in case any of you were wondering what I've been talking about  with all of this 'DAPPING' stuff ~ now you know! 

 So, now that I have the jump rings...

 I have ONE (1!) completed bracelet for SPRING STYLIN' in coral-red-white!!

 

(HEY- Those 'Petite-Pedestals' are kinda nice for photo shoots too!)

 

 

Now, onto some other UNFINISHED business - the REALLY.FUN.STUFF!!

Saturday's SEASON OPENERS!!

(yes, you read that right - that IS PLURAL - there was not just one Rummage sale in MY WORLD, but TWO - OH.HAPPY.DAY!!)

WITH LOTS OF JEWELRY @.25¢ each!

TONS of PEDESTALS for UPSIDES DOWN - even a few Large Cakeplates!!



misc. goodies for resale - Liz Claiborne wallet, Los Angeles Pottery, OOPS Again Pyramid, New York bag, Dish drying rack, STARBUCKS mug, Retro case

 

Lot of ornies for future wreaths - All for $1. (despite old price stickers!!)

Just FUN to be Out on The hunt again!!!

 

HOPE WE ALL HAVE A 'SHINY & BRITE' SPRING 

 FULL OF GOOD STUFF !!!

...bitten by buttons.

BUTTONS.  BUTTONS. BUTTONS.

I don't think that there is a person out there that can HONESTLY say that they haven't gone through an old button tin at some point in time in their lives without the slightest bit of enjoyment - or at least amazement.

There is 'just something' about them.   I've always enjoyed digging through my Mom and Grandmother's button tins since I was a little girl, but I had done miraculously well to escape their powers.  I can sew, but I DON'T ENJOY IT, and in my minds eye,

BUTTONS = SEWING PROJECTS = NO THANK YOU!  Soooo... the 'collecting' allure had alluded me... 

If you know me, you know my weaknesses - you can truly appreciate this!

All good things must come to an end.

 

 

Over the past couple of weeks I have had the job of sorting SEVERAL LARGE tins of VERY early buttons (for work - honest!).  Yes, I was enjoying it.  I was appreciating the beauty of the rhinestones, the unusual designs in the metals, marveling over the swirls in the glass... BUT that was it.  That was as far as it went.

 No passion.

No flame.





SWEATER CLIP 2013 #2 .80¢

Then IT happened!  I was minding my own business, sifting through the jewelry at one of my usuals stops one afternoon in search of sweater clips and such when I spotted this KRAMER 3-strand, silver charm-like bracelet...

 

...and it made me think about THIS little beauty that I had seen Somebody PIN (thanks alot Miss Heidi!!),where they simply used buttons as 'charms' on a bracelet ~ simple. ingenious. 'no-sew'. GREAT way to show them off!

and a Final kiss of fate...

While I was doing some 'Button Research' on those several tins of buttons that I was sorting, I learned that the town we currently live in used to have a Large Button Works! The building which housed this factory was right across the street from where J works (and I used to work) !! 

AUBURN BUTTON WORKS
There is a VERY GOOD CHANCE these buttons were made right.here.in.this.very town!  Maybe even by some of the people who used to live in our house?!  It almost seems like I MUST make a bracelet out of some of these OLD buttons!





Now, to decide on a style for the bracelet! ...Rhinestones and glittery?!  ...Metals and Fine Details?!  ...Just Plain Fun?! 

I'm thinking that I will be looking for a few more chain bracelets!

 

It's still Cold & Snowy in the NE, so not much to 'Show-n-Tell'

 

I did drop a couple of bags off at the thrift the other day, did a a quik scan... NOTHING... then on the way out I did a quik dig in the quarter box of 'junk' - where they toss the 'true junk' that they don't think is worth pricing, but 'somebody' may take...

 

Can you ever have too much HOT GLUE?
~and~

I'm sure all of YOU know what this little gem is, but the Thrift ladies thought it was a disgusting, beat-up , rusty paperweight they should have tossed!

After a little elbow grease, I found the name I knew should be there, I just wish I still had some of the tall Skinny tapers to show it off for the photos 8-) !

I'm glad they didn't toss it.