Patina White

stamp of approval

why hello show & tell friends! i have been all over the board lately! trying to get my "ducks in a row" for the opening of my shady hollow shoppe (a little more than a few weeks away!) anywho...lately if it's metal & in my arm's reach - consider it fair game! i have been a stamp'n machine! in my possession is a number of little boxed sets of letter stamps {a few shown below}. 

as if having diminutive works of art in the form of alphabet stamps wasn't enough in itself...just have a little looksee at what they can produce!

this was a custom order {below} for a gal giving a most thoughtful gift to her mom-in-law. i really enjoy the "off season" when my time allows for creating custom works of whimsy!

thrift stores usually have a wide array of silver-plated trays that i love to snap up for display and catch-alls. this one {below} just cried out to be snazzed up a bit so i was happy to oblige! mary poppins anyone?? man i loved that song growing up! do you see it now?

awhile back i did a post showing some beautiful flowers & a new project {HERE}...i mentioned in my comments that i would be doing some more "spooning" - these are a few more fruits of my labor! {below}

 

another little dish i happened upon {below}. it already had the cuter than cute little dog impression - i added some dots and pup appropriate WOOF to it. bow-wow!

 

a final little tidbit for the day. a recent request called for something fitting for a boy's communion. i knew immediately what i wanted to do! i saw rugged yet meaningful...so i hand forged a dog tag + stamped it with all the good stuff! i sure hope he loves it as much as i do! or at least likes it (a whole lot!) i wouldn't hesitate to wear it...but that may not be a good selling point to an eight year old!

now you will have to excuse me while i search out my next victim to put my stamp of approval on! not only is it fun to create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, but i have to tell ya that hammering away on something is a wonderful form of venting any frustrations! just make sure it's metal....and not your finger!

have a wonderful day!

a little ooh la la...

hey everyone! a happy monday to you all! i have long been a fan of all things french. the early roots of my business were largely inspired by the reigning queen of shabby & chic decorating...miss rachel ashwell. i have a library of her books that i still enjoying pouring over. 

many pieces original to my collection still reside in our home, such as this paris flea market mirror. (paris, minnesota that is...i nabbed it @ dayton's annual event). the ornate details & chipping paint {below}...sigh....still swoon me!

 

it's not everyday you will find a french award sign in a marvelous shade such as the one i covet {below}. i have learned they were livestock awards...this one an example of the ewe category. and to think i was tickled with the satin variety given to us at horse shows!

 

you will find frenchy jewels at my cottage of shady hollow this summer. the always popular fleur-de-lis is a staple - both collected & created alike! {below}

 

here's a french wire gathering basket {below} currently commissioned to house white starfish. i've also used it to display lavender bundles. their intoxicating aroma is as attractive as their coloring. and i don't mean the starfish!

this is a small part of a french tole sconce {below} that i need to rewire. it's delicate metal + porcelain flowers are just plain BEAUTYfull! never mind that it has sat patiently waiting to be tended to for a few years now! still looking for more hours in my day! 

 

i had to save what i consider the best for last. and that is my recent acquisition of an honest-to-goodness 1930's french bottle drying rack. direct from the barn of a collector in paris. these are harder to find than a pot o' gold. i have fancied them for years - {8} of them to be exact. 

i had pretty well come to accept the fact that i would have more luck capturing an unicorn in the enchanted forest around our home when POW! there it was - staring at me on-line. after {3} days of self-debate...i sprung for it! i am thrilled to finally own my very own. (and before the capture of the unicorn no less!) 

and before i forget to show you...or get lost in my ramblings...here it is {below}

 

now that i have whisked you all to a far away land...i will end with some of my favorite "french" comforts that are close to home! like...french toast for example! or how's about those french fries? ok...maybe i am pushing it! but you have to admit...that cheeseburger wouldn't be the same without 'em! thanks for stopping & joining me on my journey...

au revoir!

love our planet earth!

happy earth day everyone! i'd like to think us "junkers" have long been helping our planet! creatively recycling items that may otherwise end up in our landfills! this globe {below} is a perfect example! it was picked up @ a thrift store & enhanced with old letter snippets...it's a great way to share the LOVE.

 

today also seemed appropriate to share with you some new jewelry designs i have been working on. the little cluster {below} combines a tiny bird, glass leaf + tree of life charm to make a very sweet necklace!

 

& in this colorful version {below} i took a beaded tree of life & accented it with a tiny hand-stamped leaf. it dangles from a smokey chain. simply stated! 

 

this card is from a line i will be introducing @ my shady hollow shoppe. the clean typography caught my eye & i think you will enjoy the words of wisdom!

 

we can all take small steps that make a BIG difference! 

REDUCE, REUSE & RECREATE! and love our planet earth!

a whole mess of metal

hello & happy monday! i have spent the past number of days cruising around the superb state of minn. in search of trinkets + treasures to present @ the grand reopening of my shady hollow shoppe the end of may! as i unloaded my truck & trailer i began to sense a theme...there was a whole lotta metal going on! 

between my finds + many recent arrivals...i found myself amongst a wonderful mess of metal...some of the items were...

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.:COLORFUL:.

 

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.:CRUSTY:.

 

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.:CHEERFUL:.

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.:RUSTY:.

 

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can't forget...

 

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just plain .:DANDY:.

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and a bit more .:EYE CANDY:.

 

 

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no more rhymes...just plain ol' good times. (ok, really, i'll stop)...hope you enjoyed this little stroll around my mess. i had quite a bit of fun...i'll confess! 

be sure to have a great day! aren't you looking forward to may? (now i'm done)...

i'd like you to meet my friend "bob"

hey all! with the beautiful early spring we have been granted...i have been able to spend a little time with my new friend "bob". my custom harley "street bob" that is! (thanks to my talented hubby for that one!) just one more of the many hats i like to wear. or should i say helmet? this was bob and i yesterday before we took a little cruise around the lakes area. 

one of the great things about riding motorcycle for me is the uncluttered thinking time it provides. the fresh air...the scenery...the open road...it all inspires me! i was daydreaming of industrial objects coming together to make a fun cluster necklace - appropriate for "biker chicks". when we returned to the shop...i went to my hubby's odds-n-ends pile of hardware & found a couple washers. 

a bit of hammering gave them a rustic feel...then i stamped both fronts + backs of all the charms. of course a nugget of turquoise had to make it into the equation (a bit of texture)! and this is what was born {below}. a true piece of HARDWEAR for the ladies!

 

a creation that is both tough + pretty all at the same time! now i must hit the road...getting back to projects & fun treasure hunting/creating at hand! flea season is near {and not those from our four legged friends}! 

thank you for stopping by...may you enjoy your own happy places & inspiring spaces! 

B * I * N * G * O

hey everyone! and a happy monday to you all! i don't know about you but i can't help but burst into singy-songy lyrics with that title!

...and bingo was his namo! 

remember the other day when i made mention of a junker buddy who said i must see something? well the "something" was a number of things but i have to tell you that i have had the most fun with the pile of these {below}

 

this "find" sent me on another treasure hunt. this time in my own home! i knew tucked away in the depths there were stashes of BINGO cards. a few short visits to a couple cupboards and i rounded up this collection {here}

so many great colors! and don't even get me going on about my fascination with all things numerical. (checkbook balancing not included). 

did you notice a funny card on the bottom? what the heck is BEANO you ask? well, many of you may know it by the present version to help relieve "abdominal discomfort". (hey, this is a G rated blog...but you get the picture!) but back in the day i discovered that BINGO actual began as BEANO. yep! true story! i have to imagine that these days if you mix a group of senior folks in a room playing a game & yelling out "BEANO" and there could be some confusion! 

what of the game pieces you ask? well...there's the obvious choice - like MAGNETS

and since i like to think beyond ordinary i thought a little whimsy was in order for a necklace creation. so create i did! i figure this would be a great piece for a gal celebrating being nifty + fifty! the back called for an appropriate shout out of WOO HOO! 

FLIP

FLOP  

 

and just what did i do with "find" of over 25 worn & wonderful bingo cards? short of starting my own bingo hall i decided to marry {1} with a picture frame + a braided jute hanger which resulted in a sweet picture frame {below}. 

 

so if BINGO alone isn't exciting enough...throw in a little singing, crafting + creative re-purposing to make it REALLY crazy! so glad you stopped by to today! now get out there and enjoy your own form of play!

make it a great day!

birthday girls...

hello everyone! i'd like to wish a couple special gals in my life a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! my beautiful niece, marina, turned {18} yesterday! i was right there with my sis when we welcomed her into the world! she is so grown up now as you can see in her senior picture {below}. lovely.

 

not only was i lucky enough to be born into such a wonderful family...but i happened to marry into one as well! my sweeter than sweet mom-in-law celebrates her big day today! mary is one of the nicest people i know. she makes every family function fun...often being our entertainment with her WOO HOOS! which is exactly why i thought it appropriate that verse was on a collage i created in honor of her a few years back! {seen below}

 

bright and lots of color! just like mary! again...thinking of you wonderful girls today! so glad to have you both be a part of my life! and thank you mary for always being the life of the party! love ya!

BIRTHDAY BLESSINGS...

a cameo appearance

greetings! i have to tell you that one of the best parts of my job is the variety it provides! one day i am knee deep in a pile o' junk & the next moment i am creating a girlie trinket. if you follow my blog you have probably picked up on my tendency to "gather" objects - bordering on being the next subject on the show hoarders! case in point. a pair of cameo earrings. well....since i have {2}...i may as well channel the creative juices into {1}, & save the other! correct?

the inspiration came from a dainty lamp with it's fancy glass beaded details + soft grayish-aqua coloring. out came the magic wand (well, tote of tools) & the end result is seen {below} dangling from the very the source of my inspiration.

i also tend to be influenced by my "threads" (just a spiffy way of saying garments). on the day of the cameo spotting i was wearing the flouncy, ribbon bedecked tee shown {below}. seems like the two were made for each other!

 

it's a good thing i have {2} earrings & the option of creating another necklace. because if i am to offer this jewel for sale it would be a crying shame to split up this pretty ensemble! 

now i am off. there's a pile of letters waiting to have some magic worked on them. it's sign making time. i told you...i am girl who likes to mix it up. variety is the spice of life afterall! so go ahead & sprinkle it on...

wishing you a very happy day!

my kind of "egg" hunt

hello everyone! i hope this finds you all enjoying a wonderful holiday weekend! the recent nice weather in northern minnesota has inspired me to do some "junk'n"...and the only relief to that is to hit the trail! 

the pictures {below} @ my first and only stop pretty well sum it up!

LIKE A...

 

IN A...

oh my goodness. gnarled metal + cool stuff as far as the eye could see! i could barely contain my excitement! a quick glance around & i spotted these right off the bat...iron bed ends + a folding deer stand. like a cat upon it's prey - i pounced! 

i was in high gear when i found these {below}. 

 

moving along the edge...i cased my surroundings. then...over yonder...a glint of something interesting! hello? a letter S? (me = schaleben). i had to ride the junk tidal wave to this one. i could feel the mounds of metal shifting under me. undaunted i crept along. much to the amusement of a few onlookers - i heaved scraps in the air to unearth this...

...a fragment that was likely the back to a relic of a stove. visions of it mounted to a desk twirled in my mind. and don't forget the S. i jumped back on the wave of junk...shimmying my way back to "shore". hang 10 baby...this find was worth the ride!

now...four letters...AQUA. i am pretty sure on this given day i was the only person who looked twice at this cute thing. i nearly skipped with it back to my pile. the fellow next to me...not so impressed. but come on...it's my favorite hue!

 

again...i didn't even have to arm-wrestle for the old siding with traces of pink paint. what is WRONG with these guys? oh, see that "pole" {below}. yep. it's a mop. old, shaggy, faded, red string mop. by now i am sure the fellas around the yard are calling the paddy wagon. 

 

who can resist PILES O' PICKETS? certainly not me! they will be great to have around for when the right project (or need for a fence) comes about!

with my truck now brimming with "candy" i head home to unpack my treasures. certainly some time well spent on this egg hunt! thanks easter bunny...

i'd like to wish you all a very HAPPY EASTER...a little birdy told me - "get out there & LIVE!" + be sure to find the "junk" that makes you smile!