foofooelm

2010-04-12T11:31:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's been almost a year since I've posted. Please forgive me, dear readers, for it has been a crazy year.

That being said, I'd love to share some lyrics that very much spoke to me today. Trying to get back into the swing of all things creative, I needed to hear them. And so I'd like to share them with you. They are from one of my favorite movies (and books, too), "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"

Come with me
And you'll be
In a world of
Pure imagination
Take a look
And you'll see
Into your imagination

We'll begin
With a spin
Traveling in
The world of my creation
What we'll see
Will defy
Explanation

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Wanta change the world?
There's nothing
To it

There is no
Life I know
To compare with
Pure imagination
Living there
You'll be free
If you truly wish to be

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Wanta change the world?
There's nothing
To it

There is no
Life I know
To compare with
Pure imagination
Living there
You'll be free
If you truly
Wish to be

Blog Party Time!

2009-06-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Marcela at Etsy Cottage Style is throwing a Blog Party. http://www.etsycottagestyle.blogspot.com/

You are never to old to play with...

Christmas Decorations!

I am a proud member of Etsy's wonderful Cottage Style Street Team, and we are preparing for Christmas in July!

I have been busy making all kinds of things for Christmas.

Using Christmas ornaments to make wreathes. (I haven't finished any, so I can't share a picture)

But I would love to show you some of my stash that I have been working with!

Vintage ornament boxes just make me happy.

And I've been working on stockings made with vintage fabrics and trims for my Etsy store.
These three are finished...

And these all need to have the cuffs sewn on them.

Be sure and check out Marcela's blog http://www.etsycottagestyle.blogspot.com/ to see all the wonderful blog party participants!
I can't wait to read everyone's newest posts!
Happy Friday,
Debi

Coming Soon...

2009-06-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

I hate that I've been neglecting my blogging lately. I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've posted. It has been soooo hot here, and I think it's taken the starch out of my bloomers!

But Marcela at http://www.etsycottagestyle.blogspot.com/ has just announced that It's Blog Party Time!!! Woooo Hoooo!

She says

"Have you tried a new recipe recently? Have you learned a new technique? Did you find a new product you can't stop using? Are you experimenting with a new form of art? What are you playing with lately? Would you like to share it with us?...We certainly like to know about it!"

And I will be posting along with lots of talented bloggers on Friday, June 26th.

Come and join us, won't you?

Yart Sale!

2009-06-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Etsy Yart Sale, everyone!

In honor of this year's Yart Sale, I am offering

10% off every item in all my shops!

http://vintageonelm.etsy.com

http://cottageonelm.etsy.com

and

http://foofooelm.etsy.com

Just put "yart sale" in the message to the seller when you check out

and I will refund the amount to you back through paypal!

Thanks

Debi

Show Me Your Crown Event - June 10th, 2009

2009-06-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

Oh, to be Queen for a Day!
Andrea at Vintage Bella

http://vintagebellastudio.blogspot.com/

is hosting today's "Show Me Your Crown Event"

Please go visit her lovely blog and see her beautiful crown.
She also has a list of all the participants, so you can see their crowns, too!

And here is my crown. I started making it as soon as I heard about the event.
The base of the crown is scrapbooking paper. Then I layered on more paper, vintage french book pages, german glass glitter, hand ruffled crepe paper, more glitter, vintage velvet leaves, velvet ribbon and a seam binding bow in the back. The interior is lined with vintage sheet music and yet more glitter! All finished off with a vintage rhinestone buckle in the center front.

This picture is of the detail of the german glass glitter and the ruffled crepe paper.

And the last two photos are the back finished with more velvet leaves and the seam binding bow.

I've been so excited about today for 2 weeks! I can't wait to see everyone's crowns!

Happy Show Me Your Crown Day and Enjoy!

Debi

Garage Sale Madness!

2009-06-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

Now, I'm almost always complaining that there are never any good garage sales, flea markets and antique malls in Memphis. (Just ask my husband and my mom!)

And I hate to say this.

But I was wrong.

I went yesterday and today and boy, did I find a haul!

Wooooooo Hooooooo!

Let's see, I got 7 yards of vintage fabric, a tablecloth with cherries, light reflectors for old Christmas bulbs, 2 vintage perfume bottles, old tin wind-up ducks, a darling little blue dish and floral lid made in japan, two lampshades with awesome floral and tulle trim, a ceramic little girl planter, a hammered aluminum lid (which I think will make an adorable candle holder), a vintage metal globe, a stamp holder, and a chippy old cream colored basket (which I suspect is a bassinet, but would make great storage, especially for fabric!). The little brown and white doggie is for my mom.

And last but not least is my favorite find, Aunt Betty. She's a little spooky, but I really love her. I can imagine her in a huge grouping of other funky, old paintings.

Thanks for letting me share my finds with you!

Debi

Drumroll, Please...

2009-05-31T10:16:00.000-07:00

We Have a Winner!
Through a very scientific method,

(asking my husband to chooses a number between 1 and 65)
we have determined a winner of my 2009 Cottage Charm Giveaway Earrings!

Congratulations,

Vintage Nina!

http://vintagenina.blogspot.com/

(Please send me your snail mail addy and I will get them to you!)

Thank you soooo much to all who entered and left me such lovely comments.

And Congratulations to all of the wonderful Cottage Charm Giveaway winners, participants and hosts.

Another Sneek Peek - Happy Accident

2009-05-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

I went to the art store yesterday and had some mat board cut. Not wanting to waste any, there was enough to cut several 4 x 6 pieces.So I got them home and thought, well, now what am I going to do with them?
I have all these old books. I love them but the bindings are just falling apart, so I decided to cut some silhouettes. Nothing fancy, mind you.

I admire those that can do amazing intricate work with scissors. But knowing me, I needed to keep it simple. I love birds, so that was my subject choice. So, I hope to have my new Etsy store open by Monday, listing these and illustrations (see below). 3 stores, good grief. I don't know what I'm thinking! I am hopelessly addicted to Etsy!

So, here we go again. Woooooot!

Wordless Wednesday - New Garden

2009-05-20T01:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday!

Debi

Sneek Peek!

2009-05-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

Hello! I wanted to give everyone a little peek at my line of illustrations I'm developing for a new Etsy Shop. They are hand drawn on antique book pages (these two happen to be out of an old french book).

Little Girl below is not quite finished. The bubble below her is going to say "be mine".

Wish these pictures were better! I need to learn to take better ones, or perhaps this is best left to hubby.

This line will hopefully include lots of bunnies, cats and children for different seasons and themes. I have lots planned right now for Halloween.

I would love to know everyone's thoughts and ideas! I am open to constructive criticism - I'm always happy to know anything that would improve my work!

Thank you so much!

Vintage On Elm Grand Opening Special

2009-05-14T00:51:00.000-07:00

My Newest Etsy Shop - Vintage!
I opened my vintage shop yesterday, so I am offering 15% off to my blog readers for a Grand Opening Sale! (Just mention my blog in the comments to the seller, and I will refund through paypal). This offer ends this Sunday, May 17th.

I will be offering lots of cottage style vintage and unusual finds. I have lots to list and hope to have most of it listed by the end of the weekend, so please stop by.

Also, please check out the Cottage Charm Giveaway Post on this blog to enter for a chance to win a pair of my handmade earrings. Only a couple of weeks left to enter!

Hugs,

Debi

2009-05-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

It's a Blog Party!

Marcela at Etsy Cottage Style is hosting a Blog Party today.

She asks "What makes you get out of bed early Saturday mornings?What makes you giggle when you find it, specially at a good price?!What makes your heart skip a beat???
and Why?"

Well, let me tell you. This was a hard decision to choose just one thing! So I thought I'd make a list of a few of my favorite, and then show you a couple of my favorite finds.

What makes me get out of bed early Saturday mornings? Like most people, it's the hunt. I'm generally not looking for anything in particular when I go to garage sales, flea markets or antique malls. It's more fun for me to just be surprised by what finds me. My mom has always said "Oh, I wonder what little treasures we are going to find today?" And that is the best feeling ever, the feeling of anticipation.

And here is what makes me giggle when I find it. These are a few things that make my heart skip a beat...

chippy and rusty urns

platters and pitchers, especially ironstone

dollhouse furniture

paper ephemera

wooden and metal printing type

and SUITCASES!

And, here are pictures of a couple of my favorite finds.

These little darling mary janes.

I had no idea what to do with them - I certainly didn't need them.

But they came home with me anyway!

And now they live on my fireplace mantle.

And my best and favorite find of aaaaalllll time,

My restaurant sign.

This came from a garage sale here in Memphis, and when I saw it I started shaking (true story!)

It's HUGE (8 feet long) and I actually had the perfect place to put it in my kitchen. It's made of old glass and the letters are hand painted.

And the best part?

It was $2.

I almost fell over!

So those are my finds, and I can't wait to read about everyone else's!

Be sure to check out
http://etsycottagestyle.blogspot.com/
for a complete list of everyone participating today.

And please be sure to see the previous post in my blog for a chance to win a pair of my handmade earrings!

Hugs,

Debi

Cottage Charm Giveaway Day!

2009-05-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone!

In honor of the 3rd Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway Day (May 30th, 2009) I am also doing a giveaway!

I am offering a pair of my handmade earrings. These charming earrings feature a vintage pair of holy medals and are dangling from black crystals. The french wires are sterling silver, and are also handcrafted by me.

Please leave a comment (along with email, etc. so I can notify the lucky winner) on this post and I will draw a random winner at midnight on May 30th, 2009. They are open to anyone - I will ship anywhere, so Good Luck!

Be sure to click on the banner above for other wonderful Cottage Giveaways! And you can see the photos of all the contests here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/37958166@N07/

Many Thanks to our hostess, Kim. She has a wonderful blog, One Woman's Cottage Life. Please go and check it out - you will be very glad you did!

http://owcl.blogspot.com/

Sweet Baby James

2009-04-03T13:55:00.001-07:00

We have a Mockingbird who came to live in our neighborhood a few years ago. He sits on our chimney and sings in the mornings, filling our whole house with his song. I love him. So this year I decided he needed a name, and James seemed to fit. Sweet Baby James. Now, if we could just find him a wife and name her Carly...

As soon as James decides to sit still, I am going to take his picture.

When I was in Missouri a few weeks ago, I was at one of my favorite antique stores and came across this adorable little vintage bird. He was so sweet and I knew he would fit right in at out house. He is currently perched on my Dad's Brownie camera.

And last year at that same antique store, I found these wonderful vintage flashcards. Tweet, indeed.

You would never guess that I love birds. I don't know how James knew, but he did. And he found us.

Happy Spring, Y'all!

Spring Bracelets.

2009-03-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

So in a flurry of inspiration, I got 8 bracelets made today! Hope to get them some of them listed on Etsy this week and I am also opening a Lollishop. I will put a link here when I get it open. Oh, sweet, happy spring!

Award!

2009-03-23T07:50:00.000-07:00

I just received an award!

Marcela at Etsy Cottage Style honored me with The Kreativ Blogger Award! Yay!

She asked me to list 7 things I love, so here goes...

- Flea marketing. I love knowing that what I buy has a wonderful history.

- Creating something new from something old. To me, there is no better feeling than starting a new project, looking at your supply stash, and knowing that you are giving something a new life.

- Charming old houses. I can't imagine wanting to live anywhere else.

- My family, friends and kitties.

- Old suitcases. Since we live in a tiny house, they make great storage for my supplies. I have 11 and am always on the lookout for more. I seem to have developed a slight obsession!

- My teeny, tiny little garden. It never fails to make me smile.

- Halloween decorations. I started collecting a few years ago, and now I look for them year round.

And now I need to list 7 blogs that I love. They are...

- http://tiedupmemories.blogspot.com/ She is a fellow member of the Etsy's Cottage Style Street Team and I always look forward to seeing her latest.

- http://jennylovesbenny.blogspot.com/ Her stuffed animals are just darling.

- http://blog.thefrenchbear.ca/ A fellow member of Etsy Cottage Style. I marvel at her amazing bears, bunnies and chicks.

- http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/ I love reading her whole blog, but the banner alone is worth checking out.

- http://pamgarrison.typepad.com/pamgarrison/ Amazing pictures and a creative spirit.

- http://fleamarketstudio.typepad.com/my_weblog/ A great mix of family and artistic persuits.

- http://marilynhealey.blogspot.com/ She uses vintage, but always manages to make things look fresh.

Thanks again, Marcela!

Stella, Sally and Suzie

2009-03-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here are three new necklaces from my latest collection, inspired by spring.

This is Stella...

This is Sally...

And this is Suzie.

Frannie the Monorail Cat

2009-03-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

I'm surprised this isn't blurry - I was laughing so hard.

The Doves are Back!

2009-03-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

We have a beautiful pair of doves that nest on one of our porch posts every year. I looked this morning, and they are back!

Weekend Etsy Shop Sale

2009-03-06T20:07:00.000-08:00

This weekend only I am oftering a 25% discount and free shipping to the person who is my very first sale! Just convo me at the shop, mentioning the "blog discount" and I will adjust the pricing. (This is not above and beyond the 10% discount that I already am offering. )
Thanks!

2009-03-05T06:21:00.001-08:00

I'm in a treasury! Yippee!
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=45578

2009-03-01T23:44:00.000-08:00

So after all of the fun finds this weekend, I sat down to get some work done.

Here are three of my latest.

A spring colored vintage earring inspired this necklace.

I found this awesome cameo pin and it was just calling out to be made into a pendant.

I have several compasses, but this is the first one to be turned into a necklace.

I have 4 more necklaces and several more bracelets in the works, so I will post as I finish. I hope that lot of vintage buckles arrives this week!

Flea Market Fabulousness

2009-03-01T08:27:00.000-08:00

We moved to Memphis in 2003, and for 6 long years I have been quite crabby because we have no good flea markets or antique stores. Or so I thought until this weekend. Let me share my treats with you!

If you can't already tell, my newest facination is anything with rhinestones and pearls.

And I think these small rhinestone buckles below are my favorite find. They look like those old "paste jewels" and hardly have any facets at all. They are soooo cool.

And this is a shoe clip.

And then I found some vintage flowers to start a couple of necklaces. I am hoping to find some more with black, yellow and red to add to the ones in the middle. The white ones will find a home on another piece of jewelry.

Close up of the middle flower. It is HUGE!

I have been busy making new pieces, so tomorrow I will post pictures of them. See you then!

Give Away on Teresa McFayden's ezine!

2009-02-26T14:00:00.001-08:00

Ok, I almost had to squeal a little as I typed that title. I am going to be offering one of my bracelets on Teresa McFayden's newest ezine! Yippeeeeee! It comes out in two weeks and I am soooo excited. She is one of my favorite artists and I love that she uses vintage stuff to make her art. Here is a link to her blog...
http://teresamcfayden.typepad.com/minutia/
I will post pictures of the bracelet as soon as I get it made. Good thing I ordered that HUGE lot of vintage buckles yesterday...

Spring Has Arrived (Almost)

2009-02-26T12:31:00.000-08:00

Mardi Gras is over and Lent has begun. We arrived home from New Orleans day before yesterday, missing the city and it's wonderful early spring weather. But, luckily we had an early messenger of spring waiting for us...

Ooooh, How I Love Ebay.

2009-02-13T09:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday there was a treat of a package in my mailbox. I had won an auction of vintage holy medals and catholic ephemera last week and now it's here! The lot was HUGE. I thought I would share some of the highlights with you.

Holy Medals

and Ephemera

I don't know what it is about pieces like this, but they are so beautiful. They have a soft look about them and there is such a sense of history. They just make me happy. Oh, and not to mention the flurry of creativity that they have inspired! I made a pair of earrings last night and three necklaces are now in the works.

And then there are all of the collages to be made with the ephemera. This should keep me busy for at least a couple of days...

It's Finally Open - My Etsy Store!

2009-02-10T03:14:00.000-08:00

After weeks of hard work, I can finally say that the Etsy store is up and running. I only have five pieces listed, but about 12 more in the works, so I should have a good selection in about a week. I'm so excited! I keep checking the counter that lets me know how many people have looked at each piece and it makes me so happy. This has been too much fun. Thank goodness for my Mom's help. She has been wonderful at proof reading and giving her opinion on items and wording. And poor Mike having to listen to me go on and on about this! Thanks, honey for all your support.

The Sophie Bracelet (above)

This bracelet is made of a vintage buckle that I already owned. The charms hanging from the clasp are an old black button with a rhinestone, a vintage holy medal, and crystals.

The Lena Necklace (above)

This necklace is very different from anything I've made so far. The bright orange beads and the wonderful vintage key were the inspiration. It's very long, and has a wide variety of beads in olive, light aquamarine and orange. I have recently found lots of antique brass chain, and this is the first piece I made using it.

The Gracie Necklace (above)

I love the look of freshwater pearls and leather together. Put those together with a faceted aquamarine gemstone and crystals and I am just a happy girl.

The Ella Necklace (above)

Before I started making this, I knew I wanted to use this holy medal and these watch fob pieces together. I got the watch fob several years ago at an estate sale and have always thought it was beautiful. Normally I hate taking vintage pieces apart. But since it was broken, I had a little easier time. This is another necklace that features pearls and crystals mixed with leather cord.

The Emma Necklace (above)

This necklace is named for my first cat, "The divine Miss Em". She was a Lynx Pointe Siamese and so pretty. So it was the perfect choice for the name of this necklace. And it was the first piece I made to sell in the store. It features a charming old crucifix from a rosary I took apart and another vintage holy medal. The light olive, aqua and chocolate brown colors remind me of spring.