...TMS BURNOUT! Any takers??

massive sale.
if you have EVER seen ANYTHING in our svelteSTUFFj ETSY store (or on this blog) that you just 'need' to have in your posession - make an offer, pay shipping and it will most likely arrive within a few days on your doorstep!

Too Much Stuff Burnout is the verdict on my recent lack of enthusiasm for saling.  Time to clear-out!  If ANYTHING at all has caught your eye just leave me a comment (or convo us) ~ IT'S GOTTA GO!! ~

...deeeep breath...

People have started to mow their lawns!

Now, if it would just warm up enough so that I could open some windows and let some of that fresh air indoors and rid the house (and my soul) of these Winter cob-webs!!

 Saling has still been slow, or maybe 'stuff karma' is just off-kilter ~ whatever!  What it all amounts to is that

 I.just.haven't.been.into.it!

 

I have started exploring a new outlet for some of my energies...

Something that has been sitting on my Bucket List for quite awhile...

JEWELRY: WIRE WRAPPING

in particular - 'Sea Glass Wire Wrapping'.

 

I found a good on-line tutorial, and FINALLY sat down with it the other night.  Very few supplies were needed - all things that I already had in my 'stash', that have been picked up from sales.  It took a few starts, but after a short time (the very first evening!) I had this:

 

I am hooked!!  I need lots of practice, but it is so much fun. I want to try different patterns! different types of wire - brass! copper!  Oh, the possibilities are endless with the overflowing supply I have of my beloved seaglass!

  

(Confession: I then went to Michael's, with 55% off coupon in hand, and bought wire. THAT store goes against almost every grain of my being... but I did it.)

Next night: Copper wire on rootbeer seaglass w/ swirl practice.

 

VERA 2012 #12

 I did make it to a few sales this morning, but all that I could muster the excitement for was one VERA tea towel. That is still a good morning in my book!

Now, I'm going to go dream up some more wire wraps...
SWEET DREAMS!

...first signs of Spring ~ FINALLY!

This is what I have been waiting for, and dreaming of...

a 60deg + day!,

a 'REAL' garage sale!

(okay, so it was a privately run ESTATE SALE, but we won't split hairs)

Arrived rather late, because it was a couple of towns over, so we combined it with a couple of other errands.  All the better because they were still unearthing things and there wasn't any competition!!  Grabbed a LARGE box FULL of wood thread spools (170+) for a song (and had a bid on ebay within 2hrs of listing ~ YIPPEE!). 
Went to the basement to poke around - none of the owners had even been down there - and found a few spools of solder (to hopefully inspire me!!).

 In the kitchen I dug out a set of MY vintage 'go to' measuring spoons, which I ALWAYS pick up whenever I see them cheap (to upgrade my current 'dishwasher battered' sets).  However, I made the mistake of checking to see what they are currently selling for...  I guess I'll just keep using my tarnished ones for a bit if I can get THOSE $$ !

 

A lovingly hand-beaded pincushion that they practically paid me to take when they saw me appreciating the beadwork!

 

 I was !THRILLED! with this bag of Fake foodies. I am always finding the veggies and fruit, but this one had CHEESE and a croissant! *I have been looking for sites to buy fake cakes / pastries from to display on my 'PEDESTALS', but haven't found anything to my liking in my price range.  So the search has continued...  I thought the cheese/croissant would be good fill-ins for a bit.  J informed me 'They are The.Most.Disgusting.Things.EVER.'  ...I guess the search continues. 

My FAVORITE purchase...  this itty-bitty (she's about the size of your thumb), forlorn, MERMAID! Complete with broken&repaired tail fin & chipped nose - she just stole my heart! 
 Why I have such a passion for vintage Mermaids lately? I.DON'T KNOW. 
Thank Goodness they are hard to find!
The lady holding the sale picked it up... laughed, and gave it to me for FREE - I guess that was nice of her, but rather rude to the mermaid!!

THEN home for a FULL AFTERNOON of Yardwork!  Oh when, but Spring does yardwork ever seem so good?! 8-)

...gonna be a brite, sunshiny day?

SO many heavy hearts.

May we all keep searching our souls, and find a bit of strength...

VERA 2013 #9 (...another 'bag tossed my way' - YEH!)



...a few more rays of SUNSHINE,
 to KEEP-ON, KEEPIN'-ON!

VERA 2013 #10

VERA 2013 #11

Sending positive thoughts out to everyone in BlogLand as we each try to endure, the best way we know how!

...People are talking...

I was raised in a TINY town, so I'm used to everyBODY knowing everyTHING about everyONE.   This used to Really bother me, and I couldn't wait to escape!   Now that I live in a mid-size city, 100 miles away from where I grew up, it is rather comforting to have a circle of friends surrounding me...
 

VERA 2013 #5




 ...and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly word spreads when I'm working on a new 'S~ Project', and supplies come pouring in from far and wide!!



VERA 2013 #6

 First it was my 'Plarn crochet', then the 'Cork Display Board', and most recently the 'Bottle Cap' jewelry.




VERA 2013 #7

I never know what I will find a bag of on my back porch ~ that somebody has dropped off while I was away  ...a bag of plastic grocery bags, ...a bag of corks, ...a bag of metal bottle caps...  You JUST.NEVER.KNOW what may be tied to our back door knob or tuck strategically under the edge of the door mat, just waiting to be found, upon our return!!



 

VERA 2013 #8

 I have kind of become the 'home for the wayward stuff that people hate to toss..'

VERA 2013 #9

The other day a sweet soul did hand me an unassuming bag filled with these...

 

VERA!!
B-) ! 

Sweater Clip 2013 #7

Another day I was gifted with this...

HAPPY DAY!!

...cup of 'treasures'

The only interesting looking sale advertised for Friday was a 'Rummage Sale' at a closed Catholic School, in which the building needed to be emptied. Hmmm... the possibilities, to say the least!!

 Arrived just before the doors opened.  No idea what to expect, but with the snow coming down outside, I was happy with 'any port of thrift in a storm'!

A bit disappointed that only the first two room on the first floor and the Library on the second floor were open for the sale.  Was hoping to get to see more of the old 1940's style building.  After all, isn't that half of fun of going to 'estate-type' sales? - checking out the building/house?  Or is that just the designer in Me coming out?

 The first room I went into was mostly office-type, clerical supplies: teacher's desktop tape dispensers, metal/wood file boxes, rulers, yardsticks, staplers, paper clips, envelopes, wheeled carts, cardboard storage boxes, etc., etc...  

I did grab quite a few things in Room #1 for packing & shipping. I mean how can you pass up LARGE padded envelopes at a dime a piece? A box of 100 ct 6"x9" envelopes for .50¢?!

 The hallways were loaded with the old wooden desks and chairs.  I REALLY tried to behave, but there was (1) sweet little oak desk/table ~ about 36" x 18" w/ a pullout writing tablet and small drawer that I just couldn't leave without.  Perfect size for a Sofa Table, or maybe just a nice thin studio table (sorry no photo right now...)

Then. The other Room. Was all of the art supplies. Pottery clay. Tools. Glitter. Knives. Dyes. You name it. It was in here. I was on SERIOUS OVERLOAD!

I was STRONG.

I have WAY-TOO-MUCH-ALREADY!!

I walked out with...

 

ONE Coffee MUG Full of enameled copper bits and pieces.

You know the stuff I'm talking about, right? A lot of mid-century jewelry was made out of it... pendants for necklaces, cuff-linked bracelets...   THIS was a whole cup of what I assume was 'test' pieces or 'unclaimed' artwork - but I have had SO. MUCH. FUN. going through this Cup!!!  Many pieces are ready to be made into pendants, earrings, pins, etc.

COST: .25¢

 

 

 

And now, my fellow 'peeps', I am off to go lunch with some of my Gal Pals, and for dessert...

Sunflower Brownie ala Pinterest... (have I ever said before what a 'bad, bad thing PINTEREST is?!?)

...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 !!!