A View Of The Shop!

I love going into a store that has wonderful displays and inspiration for decorating, especially the mixing of old with new.  It is a real treat to visit such stores and to take in the artistry used to make displays unique and interesting.  Not every store is like that – and that is ok – but I love going to those that are.  I could spend hours just studying vignettes and merchandising techniques.

The other day I toted my handy camera along and took some photos of the antique mall that I sell at.  So let me start with my friend Cheryl’s space.  Cheryl has been in this business for many years and has such a keen eye for decorating and finding beautiful items to sell.  She plans for months in advance how her space is going to look and collects items to use for her “themed” décor.  The next eight photos are just a few corners of her space.  She is my “neighbor” at the store and it is so nice to have a neighbor with a beautiful space!

Above, Cheryl added an architectural salvage piece to the top of her cabinet and nesting on a ledge is a faux owl.  Below is an old glass incubator that she added a doll head to.  Kind of creepy, but hey, it IS Halloween time.

If creepy isn’t your thing, then perhaps this sparkling chandelier suits your fancy….

…or this pretty French chair.

Isn’t she intense?  If looks could petrify….She looks like the Ice Queen of Narnia.

These antique pharmacy bottles are super cool…and I bought a few for moi. 

My other “neighbor” at the store is my friend Barbara.  Not only does Barbara have a terrific eye for finding cool old stuff, she is also an artist and makes beautiful hand stamped/hand colored cards.  These are just a sampling of her Fall and Halloween cards.  They are really magnificent!  See the wreath below?  She cut each leaf out, painted it and then glued them one by one on the wreath.  The pumpkin below is also painted with water colors.

In between Cheryl and Barbara is my corner.  Here is the Farmer’s Market sign that I made.  It looks at home with the flea market basket, jelly jar cabinet and old trug.

Majolica looking corn plates in fall colors rest in old bread bowls.

This little guy is trying to make a break from his basket!  I don’t blame him, the weather is perfect outside here in California.

Have a great weekend everyone!

...and cheering for our SF Giants!!!

Putting The Pieces Together

 

Last Friday my dear friend, Cheryl, and I visited a small farm town antique sale.  We weren’t sure what to expect and she had heard it was to be a good farm style sale featuring goodies from several vendors.  We were hoping that there would be some fun vintage items – perhaps to even buy to resell.  Cheryl is my next door neighbor in the antique mall that we both sell at.  She is one of my “mentors” in this business, whether she realizes it or not she has helped me train my eye when picking things to add to my space.

When we arrived at the sale, we were pleasantly surprised.  Hay bales, pumpkins, ghosts and a wood cow flanked the entrance to the sale.  Tables were stylishly appointed with fall items – some spooky things, too.  I wish I had taken my camera to share the wonderful displays.  Next year…

One of the first items I found was a glass cloche with a skull on top.  I thought that it would be a good resale piece for Halloween.

And then….

…we visited our favorite vintage store in town and I found this little doll piece.  Homely, broken and a bit on the pasty side.  No legs, no hair – poor thing.

I began to think that this little broken doll would be cute under the dome. 

The next shop we visited I found this witch hat.  The pieces of my plan are starting to come together – rather quickly.

A little large for pasty doll girl, but she needs a good hat to avoid a sunburn.

So what to put pasty doll on/in…???   I bought three tiny pine needle baskets awhile back – to sell – but decided pasty doll would fit perfectly inside.  The aged white cloth came in the box with her so I used it as her blanket.

A little hot glue and

d.o.n.e.

A fun little project that I think I will keep.  My husband doesn’t “dig” all of my junk, but he really liked this little concoction.  So that pretty much sealed the deal on whether or not I should sell pasty doll or keep her.

As you see, she looks right at home on the shelf in the laundry room.

Now I have someone to visit whilst folding clothes.  At least this time of year.  

An Awesome Find!

A favorite antiquing place to visit is the town of Sutter Creek, California.  There are several wonderful stores there to look for a special treasure.  I am not really buying a lot of things for the house these days, but when there is that certain item that is extra special, then it is a no brainer.

My dear friend, Wave, and I were in a wonderful store that specializes in primitives and old signs.  Instantly I spotted a cow sign (that is now in my laundry room) and then…way up high on the wall.. was this:

Macdougal St.!!!

Now those of you that read my blog know that my male Scottie is named Duhgall.  Duhgall is Gaelic for the name Doug.  Duhgall also translates to “dark stranger”.  And Duhgall is black..so he is a dark stranger. 

The sign is double sided and porcelain over steel and dates from around the 1930’s.  The gentleman that I bought it from said he bought it at a flea market in New York City over 30 years ago.  He was a bit reluctant to sell it at first, even though he had a price tag on it.  Needless to say, he caved….

When I got home I looked up information about MacDougal Street and it is quite interesting to know that this street has quite a history.  To read about this illustrious section of Greenwich Village, just click HERE.

The sign is a great fit with my Scottie dog prints.  So happy I found it!  It pays homage to my little guy, Mr.Mac-Duhgall.

Farmer’s Market Sign

 

Several moons back I bought some old doors from a friend with intentions on making up some signs.  I finally got around to finishing this one! 

I used a green paint for the base (although my pictures make the green look more gray), applied Annie Sloan white to the top.  Next I sanded like the dickens to get the green to show through.  Instead of stenciling the words, I traced the letters and hand painted them with black acrylic paint.  I allowed the black paint to dry overnight and then sanded more to make the sign look aged. 

A little black paint was added to the grooves for a pop of detail.

I used an oak stained wax to add a little antiquing.  The next day I buffed it out to give it have a little luster.

A fun project!  Looking forward to using my other door for another sign.

They are kind of addicting to make!