Tag Team

I have to have color in my life....without it, I'd be a very unhappy person!!  Here's my fix: colorful tag pendants cut from vintage tins and embellished on a small brass ball chain with little charms and bead dangles.   These are perfect for Mother's Day (here sooner than you think!!) or to simply savor for yourself!!  Which is your favorite?  I have two!!

Back to Central City

I grew up in almost heaven....West Virginia....as the song says.  When I go back home to visit, I always hit my favorite antique mall there in an area called Central City.  I've been going to this mall since I was a young girl and I've never gone out empty handed....there's just so much to look at!!  This shot was taken from the wonderful balcony area.

The best thing about this mall is all of the interesting things they always seem to have there....lots of nooks and crannies!

Think of what you could do with that cool trim!!!

Gotta look high and low for the goodies...

Random....I know...but I sorta wanted it!!

Who could go in this mall and NOT go up those steps??!!  You know there just HAS to be so many treasures up there!!

The best thing is that mostly everything up there is nicely priced, too!

So, down the road from this mall is another little mall....and when I saw this, it took my breath away! I was a majorette in high school and wore this exact outfit...complete with those boots and tassels!!!  Although this wasn't my crew, it still brought back the best of memories!!  Long live the Pony Express!!!

Frayed...and Dazed!

This little guy just makes me laugh....he's for sure quite frayed and dazed!  I've been on such a kick lately to work with some of the fabrics I have around my house.  I love the idea of creating something huggable...maybe because I work with young children!  He was constructed with an old pair of jeans and other fabrics from shirts, dresses, and anything else I could cut up.  He was treated to a good washing to make him "hairy".  He sorta reminds me of a little old man with bushy eyebrows!  His smile is contagious....I tried him out with a few of my kiddos today!!  Those knotted up knees and elf feet had them giggling in no time!

I love to add pockets to my monsters on the back because most kids like to store little treasures inside of them.  This pocket was cut from the most fantastic pair of floral jeans....I almost didn't want to cut them up, but after all of the Easter jellybeans I ate,  I had my doubts about the size!  Anyways, this little monster needs a name--but I'm stumped!!

Meet the Pixie Chicks!

Happy Easter everyone!!  I've been itching to try something new for a while....something fanciful and just, well....SILLY!!  As in my jewelry, I love to mix it up using unexpected combinations.  These two gals are up and ready for ADVENTURE!  They are crafted from reclaimed fabrics that have seen better days....sweaters, jeans, and shirts.  Their faces say it all---it's time to party!!!

The Pixie Chicks have jean pockets on their backs loaded with some type of confection that they need for the road....in this case, it's sour Skittles----and they AREN'T sharing!!  The pockets can hold any little treasure found along the path or perhaps a tooth for the tooth fairy??!!  These would make perfect gifts for children.  Stay tuned...they will soon have their own Etsy Shop!!

Old Hollywood

When I came across this powder tin I fell in LOVE....the colors, the pattern, those gold and black stripes!  It reminded me of something that may have been on Rita Hayworth's dressing table back in the day with a cute puff inside.  It sat for quite a while in my studio...I didn't want to rush it.  Yesterday I finally got a vision--and I was determined to milk as many pieces as I absolutely could from it!!

The words written in french....ahhhh......

I was set on using those stripes in one of the pieces, so these were the first pieces I created...graphic yet soft at the same time!

Had to create a necklace, of course, and I wanted to capture all of the little details in the patterns!

I so wanted to use the pretty arch on the lid where the turquoise met the stripes and combine it with the flowers.  I'm so sad that this tin is long gone now (at least the flower portion), but I'm happy with how much I was able to get out of it!!

Back To Haight-Ashbury

I've had a trio of tea tins that I've been dying to cut into....and I knew just what I wanted to make!  This bracelet reminds me of something one of the flower children may have worn while hanging around the Haight-Ashbury district back in the 60's....full of color and what else--FLOWERS!!

And these, my friends, are what has kept me going until the wee hours creating in the studio!  Behold "Rolo Sandwiches"....a dirty little secret of mine!  Here's what you do:  Put Ritz crackers face down on a cookie sheet (I used whole wheat to make myself feel SOMEWHAT better!).  Top them with a Rolo and put them in a 350 degree oven.  Bake until just beginning to melt (usually 3-5 min.).  When they come out, top them with another cracker...let 'em cool until just warm and then prepare to be addicted!!!

Let's Be Blunt

I recently won a grouping of tins on Ebay which I bid on for one MAIN reason....THIS TIN!!  I thought I would fall over when I saw the gorgeous colors and scenery...I'm such a sucker for that stuff!!

Isn't she GORGEOUS??!!  Look at that hour glass figure and cool, come hither look!!

I've decided I need to have a room painted either the color of this peacock or the mountains in the background...maybe both!! It amazes me that someone went to the trouble to design a cigarette tin with this type of detail and color. 

I'm obsessed with making these hearts...combining bits and pieces from other tins I have laying around...then stitching them together with wire

The crusty little heart along side of our Mexican bombshell is the edge of an old laxative tin.  I sealed this heart because I didn't want it chipping off anymore.  I love the way it all looks so nicely aged

Here's our peacock on the back...he was aged and got a patina bath!  Like it?  It's going in my Etsy shop tonight....themadcutter.etsy.com!!