Patina White

the TURQUOISE story

greetings everyone! i found me a book the other day that i didn't even have to look beyond the cover & knew i wanted it. now i can't even tell you the name of the last book i sat down & read. not that i don't like reading {unless we're talking directions...might as well forget that one!}. i just much prefer the visual side of things. which is why decorating magazines have always captivated my attention. they are full of eye candy!

anywho...this book was @ the thrift. which is where i pick up my "novels" exclusively. because i buy based on color. i know. seems odd. welcome to my world! but if a color is good i grab. and i consider it a bonus when it happens to have a title of something interesting. 

all right already. on with the show! so the book simply was called "the turquoise". well tickle me pink. or turquoise. just color me happy. i had plans for it before i got to the checkout! that would be to use as a prop for a blog post. so here you are. THAT book...combined w/ a recent arrival {below} to my patinaWHITE bauble line up made quite the power couple!

 

 

so why the excitement of one silly book with a simply stated title?? well. because turquoise has to rank up there on my favorite things list. maybe even in front of cheesecake!

i collect beads & objects in that color family to add some pop to my usual earthy influenced jewelry designs. {see some elements below}

 

 

the hue plays heavily into my jewelry selections both personally + professionally. personally my collection ranges from necklaces both collected & created *rings *belt buckles *and bracelets to name a few! i dug into my treasure chest to pull out all the big guns showing them off in a picture collage {below}.

 

 

it wouldn't be nice to throw all that loveliness out there and not share now would it?? which is why i'm excited to show off a most fabulous find i made this spring. a gal so wildly talented that the likes of free people have purchased her wares for their accessory line up! and i am tickled to have one of her trademark creations...a vegetable dyed leather cuff...hand tooled...hand embellished...and outfitted with the most treasured of stones {if you want my opinion}. yep. a turquoise. i've got a couple variations that only mother nature would provide! here's a peek @ them {below}

 

 

if you'd care to see 'em up close & in person...come see me this weekend @ my cottage on the grounds of shady hollow flea market. i'm geared up & ready for a pre-holiday celebration of good "junk"! there will be many goodies waiting! now i hope the forecasted uber warm weather doesn't melt me. my little cottage becomes quite the hot house on those type of days! you'll know if you see a pile of jewels on the ground behind the counter that that's all which remains of beth. now THAT would be a turquoise story!

have yourself a "colorful" day!

my way on the hallway...

hey there friends! confession time. i had a neglected space @ the top of our stairs. it was home to a wall that i stopped painting half way thru. a light that was left by the electrician to be "temporary". a linen closet that lacked a door. not to mention the "easy" curtain treatment i had envisioned for it. so for those of you with those seemingly endless to do lists...don't lose hope. it only took me {7} years to replace that temporary light! 

as the title indicates...this space was our hallway. a passage between the bedroom, bath and office. i wore blinders in this area. though it became increasingly harder to pass off the unfinished projects to guests as "work in progress" as each year passed. so rather than make one more excuse in regards to my lack of progress....i took charge and got to work! 

out came the paint. barely enough left from the first round to squeak by. but i made do. then i brought together elements already in my possession to create an eclectic vignette @ the top of our stairs. here's a peek @ that...

 

some of you may recall the chick brooder / now mirror {above}. it graced my cottage @ shady hollow one summer. then i tempted everyone by hanging it up @ my event a couple years ago. it always sported my "EYE CANDY...NOT FOR SALE" tag. because i just couldn't part with it. and then i realized i had the perfect spot the whole time! my empty "passage"!

and it looks right @ home surrounding by a random mix of "stuff"...such as...

the heavy ol' bugger that would be a cabinet of safety deposit drawers {up close below}. i didn't open the boxes until i got it home but was tickled to find that many of them housed the old name labels that formerly pronounced each owners box. and those that didn't have the name tag got a paper treatment w/ scraps also found within their confines. 

 

 

then we have a locker basket {below} propped on it's side with a what not book stack. and topped with my fun wood "skittles". 

 

 

and a treasured nebraska find...a salvaged plaster column cap {below} that presently is the base to a glass cloche. now what well dressed cloche would be without it's accessories such as a branchy specimen + vintage silver cross necklace?! no naked necks in my home!

 

 

back to the mirror again...it's refection would happen to be that of a couple all time favorite finds. 1st would be the giant creamy italian tole chandi i happened on years ago. early in the building process...i knew we would have a big open staircase that required a statement piece. and there she was at a large flea market outing just waiting to become part of our landscape!

well she makes quite a statement now w/ the mammoth sized framed map as her backdrop. and that favorite find was actual a hubby find! yep. the guys got an eye. though he wouldn't admit it...he has helped "fluff" the decor @ my cottage on more than one occasion! oh yeah...better show the pic of what i am rambling on about! here ya go...{below}.

 

 

and a little closer {below} so you can appreciate the colors that are much showier than my overall comes across...

 

 

then there was the matter of that "temporary" light. well i actually had an old rummage sale find to remedy that. a cool school light that needed a little rewire detail {did i mention i moonlight as an electrician??} and a good scrub. now it's happily @ home hanging above that closet which also got the "door" it needed. a created curtain to house it's contents! {below}

 

 

that created closet cover was again a combination of scrap i had around the house. cutoff pieces of canvas drop cloth from chair redo project...twill ribbon that my rug arrived bound with...then some neat old wood electric wire insulators became the "rings" that i hung it all from! take a gander @ the collage {below} for some close up peeks @ what i did!

 

 

so my neglected space got the much needed attention it deserved! i no longer require them there blinders to walk in this passage. actually i find myself stopping often to enjoy the view!

and what was the fate of that "temporary" light fixture you ask?? well i did show it a few posts back but now armed w/ today's knowledge it may {or may not!} make sense to you how it came about! me and my bright ideas! 

 

 

so there you have my way on the hallway! so if you show up on my doorstep i will happily take you on a tour! no excuses needed as to why that wall isn't finished in paint. sorry but...the chicken brooder is still only eye candy. and how incredibly sweet it is! 

i hope your day is equally as so!

friday's favorite!

hello hello! once upon a time i used to do a segment called "friday's favorite" where i'd feature an item that was either collected or created and struck my fancy. well...it's been awhile since i've done that. quite awhile actually so i thought no time like the present to rehash a former format. and since this week was full of favorites why no showcase more than one, right?  well...here goes...

 

{favorite newbie}

i welcomed this new kid on the block {below} with open arms. been waiting a long time for her to make her appearance! so i hope you will love this curly wire photo stand as much as i! and YES! i am happy to report that after much urging...i will be selling the FAMILY flashcards @ my cottage as well! just incase inquiring minds want to know!

{favorite moment/s}

how do you pick just one from seven packed days!? so i will narrow down to a couple that brought a smile to my face +  were good for my soul.

2 weeks ago today MJ, my "stray" duck {as my niece, jessi, says} came into my crazy world. he is growing fast & has provided much laughter + stories. (don't even ask about the night i dove into the woods...poison ivy & all....when he got spooked off by one jealous dalmatian). anywho...this was a tender moment {below} when he was nestled in by my big 'ol boots relaxing on the lawn. 

 

recently my last couple posts have gone on about "grey" days. well the rain has subsided and the sun was out in full force this morning while i was out on an early run. it seems the shades of grey have relented to the wonderful shades of blue {below}! 

 

 

{favorite W.I.P....that'd be WORK IN PROGRESS}

i don't think you can throw a stick @ pinterest these days and not see some sort of pallet or wood slatted inspired project. so i took me some of my stash of lath and got to experimenting. well...this is as far as i got {below} but maybe i should follow the quote in front of me...maybe all is need is love! i'll keep ya posted.

 

{favorite bauble}

some weeks i work more on wood related projects...others you'd catch me knee deep in metal working. well these last few days have been spent bringing some jewelry elements together. and tough as it is to pick a fav...i'd say these lovely butterfly wings {below} of another talented artisan's hand that i paired with my chains are right up there! you can "catch" them this sunday @ shady hollow where i'll be open for business.

 

so there you have some of my favorites from the past {7} days. which reminds me i best get about mine! and sure hope you enjoy your's!  

not to play "favorites"...but i do appreciate all of you taking the time to pop by & see what's going on in my little corner of the world!

not quite {50} shades of grey

hey there all! my last post mentioned a certain wildly popular book...and a necklace inspired by it. well...continuing on with the theme...i started snapping pictures the other day @ random & noticed that the first few had a common thread. the shade of grey! 

so i ran with it. and put together a handful of collages {starting below} to form a visually inspired "grey" day to share with you! and of course a little commentary after each because it wouldn't be right if i didn't do just a bit of rambling!

 

{above}top left corner...when i spy a length of old beadboard...wainscoting...weathered wood...kindling...whatever you might call it...my heart nearly stops. because it's not only getting increasingly harder to find...but it's been a key element in my designs since the early beginnings of patinaWHITE. so you can imagine the near need for a defibrillator when i came across a pile of planks in the perfect shades of greyish greenish perfection. 

moving clockwise...life is GOOD. as a printed canvas pillow exclaims. 

rocks. yep. just rocks. because they were right under my nose...or should i say feet. and were comprised of many shades of grey!

my 1st born. i made this necklace ages ago. my first attempt @ a sculpted metal design in which i incorporated a vintage rose pin. to this day i haven't been able to duplicate this look. guess that's what makes it a true one of a kind. and a permanent resident in my bauble collection. 

i've got ya covered. i love the silvery grey hue of this sprawling ground cover in our garden. 

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the grey day continues {above}. there's a whole lotta metal drawers in this stripped down...steely medical cabinet. an all time favorite find that i hauled back from a nebraska visit. 

i love you...i found this poem in a scrap book i picked up @ the local thrift shop for a mere couple quarters. it hangs under my shell encrusted stag horns in our bedroom.  the thoughtful penmanship is artful & sweet. 

a pair of my beloved boots features a random mix of metal studs. and the intentionally destroyed grey leather is the perfect backdrop to this texture sensation. i must say these boots were NOT made for walkin' though...they are quite heavy and more like a piece of work out equipment!

lastly in the quad of photos {above} is a close peek @ the weaving of my recycled newspaper basket that houses back-stock baubles. just don't ask for a translation. 

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i love oddities that are unique in nature + have the look. i think these reclaimed zinc corner trim pieces happen to work quite well as a frame. and when i came up dry for my vision of a white heart centerpiece... i ran up to the work shoppe & made one! even though it was a spur of the moment photo opp....i may have to make this a permanent creation! gee...i always say i'm here to inspire. even if it means inspiring myself!

the faded 1895 is found on the front of my trusty fatigued canvas tote. it hasn't existed quite that long but i plan on carrying it for a good number of years. 

these perforated chunks of mangled scrap were saved from the metal crusher. not exactly sure where i'm going w/ them besides the safe haven of my own personal stash. time will tell...

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lastly but certainly not leastly is my final gathering of grey goodness {above}. i'll start with the glass vials that rest happily on a scallop edged galvanized tray. and they are in good company w/ the tiny zinc pot that is home to a succulent specimen. 

oh sugar! old vessels of spices rest on my stove for easy reach. 

b is for beth! this was the necklace i was sporting as i scooted around on this photo "shoot". they are actually a collection of charms i have created for my wild wimen gathering @ our home during the holidays. they are made with the intent to mark everyone's wine glass. i keep adding them to a chain for a less than serious conglomeration.  

having a ball. the powdery aged finish on the lids of my large collection of ball jars will end the journey thru my "not quite {50} shades of grey".  

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i hope that despite being a "grey" day...i have brought a dose of visual inspiration your way! thank you for popping by and...

be sure to have yourself a fabulous day...no matter what the shade!

 

duck....duck...skunk!

hey there everyone! remember the childhood game of duck duck goose? well we've got our own version going on here and now. but i wouldn't blame ya a bit for not wanting to join in on this one! read on...

when you live up north in the great state of minnesota you're bound to have an encounter with some of the local residents. i didn't mind last year when a gopher decided to make our lawn his home. i looked past the mounds of dirt that appeared randomly around his holes. because he was quite an artist and made for one of my favorite photo ops {below}

 

 

nor did i flinch when i spied the very hungry "birds" that had been cleaning out my bird feeders. here' s a peek @ the rare minnesota "black" bird in action with his partner in crime...mr. grey next to him in the copper pot {below}

 

 

my only message to mr black and mr "grey" is...

 

 

if you're reading a certain "of the moment" novel...the necklace i created {above} for my book worm friend will make sense to you...and if not...well...we'll just move back to the fur + feathered wild life!

now...a week ago driving home i spied a little speck of fluff running toward my car. i realized i was being chased by a baby duck. i waited thinking i'd get to admire the rest of the duck family. to which there wasn't one. i was a bit surprised to see him so far from water...we live in the country more in a wooded area. and i wasn't about to let the plethora of neighboring cats, dogs and birds of prey make a meal of this cute ball of fuzz. so i scooped him up and brought him home. i've grown quite fond of m.j. {short for michael jordan...this baby likes to jump}. so now i'm a proud mama to this little guy {below}. 

 

 

and like my ma mentioned...if m.j. turns out to be a girl...i guess i will call him...i mean her...mary jane!

since i brought up birds of prey...thought i would share this one with ya. i was out @ a favorite spot...dunton locks...an area rich in wildlife just a skip or two away from town. i was clicking away on my camera when i discovered that i "captured" a pic of a bald eagle that was investigating the vicinity. can you find him {below}?

 

 

acutally the feather focus i was after initially was a mallard couple. i did manage to catch them briefly sitting still. you'll have to look hard {below} to see them! 

 

 

now you've seen the duck...the duck...now i bet you're wondering when you get to see the "skunk" as my post title indicated. well let's hope that i continue to be unable to fill that request. because yesterday a brave man we enlisted did a thorough search of my cottage for past mentioned "pepe" from a previous post.

and a very not so brave beth and her hubby were nothing more of vapor trail when the great skunk hunter thought he discovered something in a den under my patio. this was what i snapped {below}  just before running the other direction.

 

 

so we were skunked. to which i wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed to not find the source of the lingering odor. but i will pay heed to a couple of patinaWHITE's jewelry offerings as seen {below}. 

 

so i will "have faith" that my uninvited black & white "guest" has finally moved to a new neighborhood on the other side of town...and it's on a "wing and prayer" that the faint reminder of his past visit will vanish as well. 

so if you're out in my neighborhood this sunday...i hope that you will come & visit my cottage @ the hollow. now minus the local wildlife of course! i may have to make up some more LATERS BABY necklaces in the spirit of another sort of "wild life". that creation is about as wild as i'd like things to be around here!

be sure to make it a GREAT day...

 

like peas & carrots

hello and happy day to you! sometimes i pair up some objects that look as though they were meant to be together all along. kind of like what forrest gump thought about him and jenny...just like "peas & carrots"

 

 

these chance couplings are what i'm highlighting today. such was the case when function doesn't always equal beauty. a necessary object @ shady hollow is my plastic cart of drawers. i needed this workhorse right by me which meant it was in plain sight. and not terribly easy on the eyes we will say. i was stumped on how to cover the exposed side until the idea of ceiling tin came to mind. and when i dug out a piece that didn't require one snip...the perfect size...i now had the peas for the carrots {below}

 

 

now i am constantly drawn to industrial objects. so when i saw a mechanical marvel in a junker friend's garage...i made it mine.  thing was i didn't have a clue how to make it "fit" into my surroundings. then the light bulb "aha" moment...

 

enter in an industrial relic i had been sitting on for years...a gas colt light globe...was just waiting for it's chance @ glory which i think it now has sitting on the barn pulley seen {below}

 

 

playing into the "necessary item - not so attractive" theme like the plastic cart mentioned above....who doesn't have a box of kleenex or two sitting around their home? and until kleenex makes a box that looks like beadboard or rusty metal {hey! that's a thought...another bright idea??} i needed a way to cover up this sniffle saver. 

when a cool wooden box with scripty wording came into my possession...i eyed it wondering what it's next shot @ life might be. it then hit me...just the right size for a long box of facial tissue. how can you top that? well...hows 'bout with an old license plate from my longtime home of minnesota? now i have a tissue dispenser {below} that i can proudly display in the most visible of spots!

 

 

lastly...another rehash of mentioned topic...my fondness for heavy duty industrial what-nots. when i spotted some crusty rusty pipe fittings...i didn't hesitate a nano second before scooping up all the gal had. in my eyes they were so cool sitting there on their own i knew they could only get better with a little "fluffing". 

and fluff i did when i found a glass vase for one that was snug as a bug in it's confines. i'm pretty excited about using it for seasonal stems like the peonies from my garden cuttings. and the other version just got a simple addition of giant roll of twine. just like one big happy family now {below}

 

 

so there you have it! and now with all this mention of peas and carrots and the fact that it's now past high noon as i type...i'm heading off to have me a little bite to eat. i'll see if i can put something tasty together that forrest gump would even be proud off! i hope i've inspired you to do some pairings of your own!

go forth and create...be it junk...food...or in my case...BOTH!

 

GARDEN*girl

hey there everyone! i'm not really a green thumb per say. but i sure do love me the beauty of a flower garden. and when time allows...i casually "play in the dirt" around our home. so i thought i would share a little bit of what my summer playground looks like this year!

my plants share space with a random mix of critters...you'll see a couple of the local residents here {below}

 

 

and a cock a doodle doo to you {below}...

 

 

here's a little collage of some pretties...

 

 

and a glance @ what will greet you near our front door {below}

 

 

our window box is just starting to flourish...i will show it off down the road when it's @ it's glory. for now the spattering of peonies takes front & center...

 

 

since the my "shady hollow" sunday is just 'round the corner...i was inspired by all the digging in the dirt and put together some wares for my visiting garden*girls! the 1st {below} is an adorable custom flower cluster necklace...

 

 

these super sweet chick wire baskets {below} hold a quad of tiny glass bottle just ready for your garden clippings...

 

 

finally...a light hearted number i created. a couple variations {below}...one "dished" out w/ a flower layered ontop for the discreet garden girl...and a domed version for the in your face...laugh out loud gals.

 

so if you're liking what you see above, put down the trowel and head on over to my cottage this sunday...or one of the many sundays left this summer. you never know what you might "dig" up! i always appreciate you popping by...both here & there!

 play...love...grow!

the {7} year itch

hey there show & tell friends! oh i could go so many directions with that title! especially considering my recent run in with one angry vine. but really i'm itching to share that its be {7} years since we adopted our girl...lucy.

my chalkboard {below} will shed a little more light on the subject. i'm a proud....

 

and since i mentioned "shed"...seems like a perfect opportunity to show you our girl...who is an expert on the topic! 

 

 

like i mentioned...{7} years ago i found lucy via petfinder.com. based soley on her picture {frightened} i knew she was our girl. so we made the nearly 5 hour one way trip to the shelter where she was staying. and here we are today...with a still camera shy girl {incase you didn't catch it above!}...and...like the name of a favorite TV show...I LOVE LUCY! 

shelter animals have alot of love to give & because they can't adopt themselves out...i like to support our local humane society in hopes of placing these furry friends w/ new familes. i recently made up this fun bauble cluster {below} for them that caused a bidding war @ the silent auction. the gal contacted me who got it and & she wasn't stopping til it hurt! made me laugh + feel good!

 

 

it dawned on me while getting this post together...that i hadn't made my girl any fun trinkets of her own! i've created plenty of charms for myself in her honor but nothing specifically for her to wear. so i did stamp up a fun little disc w/ the RESCUED bone overlay. which...happens to reveal our contact info upon lifting...just so everyone knows who her "peeps" are! i added a snazzy little clip that will allow for more charm additions down the way! now she is outfitted in her very own patinaWHITE creation {below}!

 

with the inspiration flowing & my rescue baubles out...i decided to put together a handful of necklaces as a mommy and me concept for four-legged children. the RESCUE charm + pearl remains on the chain for the "mommy"...and the round RESCUED charm is on a ring that can be added to our "little ones" collar! they will either be sold or donated to once again help out the humane society of the lakes. 

 

 

so be kind to animals. they offer love + companionship unconditionally. it only took me {7} years to create lucy a token of my love. but i'm pretty sure if you ask her she'd rather have the snacks tucked in the cupboard! she's like her mom...always up for a good treat! 

peace...love....rescue!

making their way...

happy day! well...i had mentioned in my last "quickie" post a lil peek @ some of the fun wares that i have been working on that will be making their way to shady hollow. i hope you enjoy the taste of some eye candy here & now!

LIVE * LAUGH * LOVE often shows up in my creations just because it's a tried & true saying. so it's here to stay in my recent collaboration of reclaimed ceiling tin...wood stars and of course the words themselves in metal cutouts. {a partial view below} 

 

and since we can't not have the rest of the saying...i chalked up some fun metal shapes then added a little "laughter"! {below}

 

ps. i didn't forget the last leg of the quote! some of you may recall a likeness of the {below} creation from my very own home.  i LOVE my set so much that i recreated a grouping to share! very excited how it turned out and can't wait to show it off to my shady hollow visitors!

 

another thing you will see time and time again in my corner of the world is my fondness for play on words. so when i found this colorful set of dominoes i popped it in a vessel that i enhanced w/ a chalk label. you can either play the game in it's usual form or if you're like me...have fun setting up then triggering the domino effect!

 

lastly...not leastly...my one and only "quickie" photo showed the start of a customer favorite...my very own collaged ornamental moon. and here it is all pulled together {below}. LOVE YOU 2 the MOON & BACK...forever and always!

 

 

so there you have it! some of the truck full of goodies that will be making their way to the hollow! and with the mention of truck i just recalled that i probably ought to load said truck for said occasion! see you @ the flea!

make it a great day!

a quickie to start your day...

greetings!  the sun is shining and my to do list {like my lawn} has grown considerably! i have a # of fabulous projects coming together to showcase @ the flea this weekend but nothing quite finished to show...yet...so here's a little peek @ one of my patinaWHITE original designs in the early stages...

 

 

and if the check marks on my list start taking over...i hope to give you a little more eye candy later today to get your weekend going! so i'm off to the races....right after i find me my cappuccino to get me rolling!

wishing you a good morning...