My Salvaged Treasures: October 2010

Friday, October 29, 2010

My Reworked Jewelry

This week I've been reworking some of the vintage bits and pieces from a few of my recent treasure hunts. I'm gearing up for some jewelry only, indoor shows over the next several weeks. I'm REALLY looking forward to setting up without a flashlight, setting my alarm for a decent hour, and not checking the weather forecast every hour.......

The bases on these two bracelets are vintage inspired filigrees that I layered and bent into shape. The jewels are old clip on earrings.

Antique brass buttons.

This picture really doesn't pick up all the pink in the pearls and pendant.

This silver and blue rhinestone flower used to be a brooch.

My mom found this 2" locket at a yard sale. We carry around a "wish list" for each other.

These little earrings started life as cuff links.

Little jewels from two different bracelets.

Bits and pieces from my trusty ol' watch parts box.

These are some of the sewing inspired pieces I made for an upcoming two day show sponsored by the Sun City Needle Arts Club. My mom has been doing this show for years and I've been tagging along to help her. She's so sweet to let me put some jewelry out, but I had to promise not to be a table hog! Wait until she sees what I'm bringing to keep under the table.

I have Gertrude to thank for most of the little sewing pieces I used. They came from the wonderful old box of drawers that I found at Tracy's City Wide Garage Sale in September. After sorting through all her goodies, I decided her box was just too perfect to part with. I filled each drawer and little compartment with rhinestones, buttons, beads, and little trinkets.

Join me and all the other talented and creative folks at:

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Yard Sale and Antique Store Finds

I always try to take pictures of my goodies BEFORE I put them away. It's not always possible if it's pouring down rain, or if I just have too many other things going on. Better late than never. It's getting to be that time of year again. The sales around here are going into a dormant stage, people are getting busy with the holidays approaching, and the weather is getting unpredictable. Still, they're out there and I'm going to hunt them down!

These goodies were from this past weekend and the weekend before. OK, I have some splainin' to do with this dresser. I came up with several ~~excuses~~ reasons to buy it....

#1 - It was a great bargain. I know, it doesn't always justify buying something I don't need. I set out to buy just the little stuff, but couldn't pass this up. The veneer is peeling off in several places, but the garage doesn't care about that. #2 - Great storage. I need something with lots of deep drawers because I'm running out of storage space; my cabinets around the perimeter of the garage are completely full. #3 - It came with a bevelled mirror and the claw feet sitting on top. I need to do something with those feet. I forgot to get a picture of the mirror, but will get one when I get around to fixing it up. The globe came from the same sale. #4 - These gorgeous knobs. 10 of them in perfect condition.........

I'll find something else to use on the dresser. These are just too nice to be

in the garage. I also found these 2 quilts. The one on top is really old and a bit tattered, but I still love it. The one on the bottom isn't real old, but it's soft and I love the colors. My hand was just a little quicker than the woman standing next to me when we both reached for this coral. No, no, I didn't fight her for it :-)

I'll never be able to pass up a typewriter at a good price. The book was from another sale and came complete with a receipt for a library fine....Shirley Smith had to pay .30 in 1953.

Personal and Community Health 1948.....humorous reading.

History of England 1880,

and

This will be a good one to curl up with when I can't sleep.

This personal "hands off" note from Geo. F. Roesch is falling out of this paper weight. I think I'll put something else inside but keep this original note behind it.

I got all 22 cards from the 30's and 40's for just $2. They all have writing inside, but I love them for the graphics.

Reverse painted silhouettes. The one on the left has a convex frame.

Both of these have convex frames.

A few vintage ornaments, lace, and trim.

I'll have lots of fun with these jewels from a local antique shop. They were all marked way down because of a few missing stones and broken clasps.

I'm linking up with:

A La Carte for Junkin Finds,

The Colorado Lady for Vintage Thingie Thursday, and

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Transformations at the Pleasanton Antique Faire

I didn't get a chance at home to take pictures of some of my recent transformations, so I tried to get in a few shots before the shoppers showed up at the Pleasanton Antique Faire. They recently changed the rules and no longer let the vendors sit on the sidewalks, so I had to figure out how to make room for my bod, a chair, and a place to keep all my supplies. It worked, but was a bit crowded. I really missed the shade of the big tree I used to sit under:(

I carried around this frame with the mystery lady inside for the longest time. It was time for a makeover. I fixed the frame up a little, painted it white, and then turned it into a chalkboard.

I had to do something with Ms. Mystery, so I ~~stole~~ borrowed this idea from October's Country Living. I didn't want to destroy her, so I folded over the sticky part of a post-it note to attach the construction paper mask and bat. She's all ready for her Halloween costume party.

A small chunk of the design on this frame was missing, so I built it back up, painted it, and added the chalkboard.

This old razor, complete with box and directions, makes an unusual picture holder. I added this photo to the outside of where the razor would go, and then locked it in. The shaving lotion brush also holds a picture.

I salvaged 4 of the drawers from a dresser I bought at the city wide sale last month. The top of the dresser was coming off, so I pieced it all out. I used Mod Podge to attach the vintage sheet music in each drawer and then put a hook on the back so it can be used as a shelf. The bottle is a recent find. I tied it up with some vintage lace, sewed on a rhinestone button, and added a few shells.

These little pumpkins say TRICK OR TREAT on the other side. I sprayed them with a clear matte sealer after stamping them.

Since I was by myself, I didn't get a chance to get out for some visiting and shopping. I always like to get out to see what goodies other vendors brought to sell. Pleasanton also has some really fun shops, but I can check those out another time.

You can visit all the other talented and creative bloggers at:

The T-Shirt Diaries for Upcycled Awesome,
Brambleberry Cottage for Time Travel Thursday,

The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursdays

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Hardwear Jewelry and Old Keys

These are some of the "hardwear" necklaces I put together last week. I pulled out some of the old key escutcheons from my Salvage Yard Field Trip back in July. It was so much fun pairing these worn out old pieces of hardware with some shiny vintage earrings. I sprayed the hardware with 2 coats of clear matte sealer first. Can't have that chippy paint flaking off.

Since skeleton keys are getting harder to find and more expensive these days, I started collecting this other style. The wider surface makes them ideal for attaching all kinds of goodies.

I used bits and pieces of broken necklaces and earrings on these.

Those are old shoe buttons attached to the little keys and a button attached to the necklace. It's hard to make out the detail in this picture, but those are lions on the face of the little keys.

This week I'm linking up with:

Monday, October 11, 2010

Repurposed Necklaces

These are a few of the necklaces I recently repurposed from old wrist watches, rosary beads, buttons, and other broken bits of jewelry.

I'm really trying to train myself to take pictures BEFORE I pack up for a show. Once I get out there it's sometimes too dark, too busy, or too late for picture taking. I sold the 4 watch necklaces at the antique show in Lodi last weekend, so I'm glad I got pictures...maybe I'm learning.

The backs of the watches pop out so that you can put your own picture inside. I've been filling them with sheet music or pictures from a really fun book I picked up at a local thrift shop for $1.00. The book is called A Pictorial History of the American Theater, 1860-1980.

I added a little rhinestone to the silver necklace on the left because the glass was missing and it needed a little something extra.

The chain and flowers were salvaged from a broken necklace. The pendant is made from filigrees and 2 old buttons.

I used some vintage rosary parts, old chain, filigree, and 3 vintage buttons

for this necklace.

Now I need to get the pictures from last week's jewelry making marathon out of my camera. I hope I can share those later this week.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Friday's Yard Sale Finds

I wasn't planning on going out hunting this past weekend because I still had so much work to do before my antique show in Lodi on Sunday. I started looking through the yard sale ads Friday morning just to see what I was missing, and there was one that caught my eye. Block Sale, older neighborhood. I couldn't resist. I grabbed my money and out the door I went. It wasn't much of a block sale with only 2 homes, but it sure made me happy. The sweet lady having the sale said that most of the items belonged to her mother. Her prices were really cheap, so I started my pile and kept a close watch on it. Here's what I came home with...........

I like using pages from vintage sheet music for displaying lamps when I don't have a shade; I think it looks better than a light bulb or nothing at all.

I love this old rolling pin. I filled it with black and white buttons and sold it already at the antique show on Sunday.

The sweet lady having the yard sale didn't recognize this woman, so I got four of them for $1.00. I think I'd like to be repurposing those earrings. Love that smirk on her face.

This metal basket is 28" tall including the handle that doesn't show up in this picture.

I like the chippy red paint on this old gas can. I thought the croquet balls would look good displayed on a table in this silver bowl that I already had. I tore off the fabric from the lamp shades and then added them to my "to do" list for the antique show in Lodi on Sunday.

I bought three of these old burlap Diamond Walnut bags. I'll probably end up covering something with them, or maybe making purses if I get to feeling real ambitious. Or, I could always use them for walnuts again.

I'm linking up with:

The Coloradolady for Vintage Thingie Thursday and