My New Not So Old French Vitrine

So I've been looking for an antique French vitrine or curio for some time now.  I never have found one that I liked that was for sale prior to the end of last year or at least not at a price point I felt I could afford. Then a couple of months ago, my husband and I visited an estate sale on the 3rd and last day.  Just went for giggles, no big expectations because all of the "good stuff" was probably already gone, right?  Then, what to my wandering eyes did appear but this little cutie.  It was not terribly old, maybe only 20 or 30 years, but it had all of the right lines, beautiful curved glass, and since it wasn't really old, it was in great shape (read NOT a project and a half).  The only reason I could figure it was still there was because it was not a great finish.  Not horrible, just not inspiring.  I asked the lady running the estate sale what she could do on it and it was less than $200.  I snatched it up posthaste and knew it was going to be painted creamy white when I was done with it.  It took a few weeks before I got "a round toit" for the redo, but I finally did it.    This first collage is of the "before". Pardon the messy studio, but it is a work space after all! :-)

First, I painted her inside and out with Annie Sloan's French Linen.  Already I was starting to like her better.  This color is so yummy and rich, but I wanted it to be white at the end of the day, so I pressed on to get the look I saw in my head.

After it was completely dry, I painted on a layer of plain white Elmer's All Purpose Glue, working in sections.  Just before it was completely dry, I painted Annie Sloan's Old White over top.  After letting it get good and dry, the paint exhibited beautiful crackling, showing off the French Linen underneath.  I lightly sanded a few spots where a piece would show some wear with time.  I kept it pretty subtle since I wanted an authentic look, not overdone. I gave the whole piece a light sanding with 220 grit sandpaper and then wiped it down with a damp paper towel.

I then sealed the piece with A.S. clear wax. I resisted purchasing Annie Sloan's wax for years due to the cost, but my local stockist had a small can that allowed me to try it out without shelling out QUITE so much money and I have to say, it is well worth the money.  It goes a long way and is SO soft and creamy. When hardened, it yields a very nice and durable finish.  I also hit a few of the crevices and lightly on the body with some dark wax.  I actually had Miss Mustard Seed's Antiquing Wax on hand, so I used that rather than buying yet another thing to store.Next came the addition of French gilding wax purchased from the A.S. stockist, although the brand is not Annie Sloan, it is actually a product by the French company Pebeo. I used the classic gold.  I wanted to highlight all of the beautiful carving but also saw that is would be prettier if it had some gold around the top.  I just applied it with my finger and got in the tight spots with a small artist paint brush.  This stuff goes on like "buttah" and makes such a nice accent-it also takes VERY LITTLE to get a great look, so although the price for a tiny jar is somewhat off putting, it is more than enough for many projects . Make sure you apply it AFTER any final clear wax coat you want to add since clear waxing over the gilding wax will remove the gilding.

I'm so pleased with how it turned out.  Here it is, in all it's glory, holding many of my beautiful ribbon work treasures.

So many pretties.  And now I get to gaze at them all of the time.

Speaking of ribbon work, if you'd like to see the article I wrote for the Journal of Antiques and Collectibles but hadn't had a chance to get it, here is a link to the online article. Enjoy...



Until next time,

New Year, New Stuff in the Etsy Shops

I hope you all had a lovely New Year's Eve.  I can hardly believe it is 2016!  Like many of you, I have high hopes for all of the things I hope to accomplish this year and it is always fun to feel like you have a blank page to start with.  One of my things I hope to accomplish is to keep up with my shop keeping on my Etsy stores.  First accomplishment is to load new treasures today over at The French Laundry.  Put a big ol' CHECK on that one.  Head over and see my new goodies, fresh this morning.  I'll be loading a few more throughout the day and perhaps will even get some new "merch" added to my other shop, Elegant Farmhouse this weekend.

Don't you just love these vintage images?  Karen over at The Graphics Fairy always has something fun for all of those projects you know you have on your list...check her site out if somehow you've been under a rock for the last several years and have missed her vintage awesomeness. (wink)


Until next time,

Pink, Gold, and Silver Tablescape

Happy First Day of Winter my bloggie friends!  Today I am sharing my dining room Christmas tablescape which is lots different than in years past. When I started pulling out my Christmas goodies this year, I remembered some pale pink vintage ornaments I had and decided to set up a pale pink, gold, and silver theme rather than my usual burgandy and gold.  I found some gold chargers at a yard sale this summer which made a nice underlayer to my mix and match Limoges dinner plates that have pink flowers on a white background with gold accents.

My little French cherub candleholders are regulars at my table and are perfect for this tablescape since they aren't terribly tall, avoiding having to peek around them to see your table mates.

The pretty vintage balls that were my inspiration ended up in a round Limoges casserole dish and then were set on a vintage Italian florentine tray.

I used pretty pink roses and mixed them with some Christmas greenery in what are usually mercury glass votive holders I got from Pottery Barn a few years ago.

I typically always do this embellishment to my chandelier.  I drape vintage mercury glass garlands and then hang vintage ornaments from them.  Sometimes I have ribbon bows to attach them, but this year, I went simple and just used ornament hangers.

My mom and dad had a few pieces of gold Pickard china which I inherited and incorporated...a cream and sugar, salt and pepper, and a little dish.  I also used my mom and dad's silverware, King Edward by Gorham in addition to some antique silver plate napkin rings. 

Moody lighting compliments of Mr. Cloud. LOL!



I love to tie tulle on the back of my chairs.  This time I used a pale pink tulle and alternated between sparkly silver tulle and sparkly gold tulle.  Lastly, I added a little ornament on each one that I got at Hobby Lobby when they were half price.

A fun little vignette on my dining room sideboard featuring a couple of my great aunt's hand painted plates flanking a pretty maiden plate that I got at an antique show a number of years ago. My little snow angel makes appearances here and there during the Christmas season.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas.  I'll be working right up until Christmas Eve, but then I have a 3 day weekend with my family and friends.  Enjoy your time with your dear ones as well.  My 16 year old got his driver's license yesterday.  YIKES!  Time goes by so fast, so enjoy them while you can.

Sharing with Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday and Bev's Pink Saturday

Until next time,

Simple Christmas Mantle 2015

Hello Bloggie Friends and Warmest of Holiday Wishes!  I'll bet you thought I fell off the face of the Earth, didn't you?  It has been WAY too long since we visited.  Let's jump right in, shall we? Christmas is always one of my favorite times around this old house.  I love pulling out all of the stops and making my Victorian sparkle.  One of my favorite areas to decorate, like many of you, is my mantle. Some years it gets a fancier treatment than others.  This year, I decided I didn't want to move everything off and make such a production of it, so I just changed up the books that I use as lifts and added some greenery and a sweet little snow angel and I have to say, I'm quit pleased with the look.

The books are old red and green ones that I gathered up from various bookshelves around my house.  I like to use old books for color and as risers for a variety of things, from vases to lamps to underneath cloches.  If you keep your eyes peeled, you can often pick up some pretty ones for a few dollars at estate sales, antique shops, and even garage sales, especially if you aren't too picky about condition.

I live in Colorado where it is decidedly non-humid, so real greenery is not a great option in the house unless you are into crispy greens, which they usually become in a day or two.  My trick to get the feel is to use some nice faux greenery and plop it into my pottery vases.  I add a small glass of water in there too and cut some evergreens from the yard or sometimes pick up a greenery bundle from Trader Joe's and put them in in the water.  This keeps the greens fresh enough to last for a while and since there aren't too many of them, they can be easily changed out if they need to be without totally having to disrupt the decor.

I hope you are having fun this week with your own decorating and I look forward to getting around and visiting some of you as time allows.

Until next time,



Sharing with Come As You Are Christmas Open House

Lightening Up...Weight Loss and French Laundry's Virtual Tag Sale

Hello Bloggie Friends,

I have certainly missed you all. We've been busy as usual and now that the weather is finally nice, I've been trying to spend more time outside getting fresh air and exercise to hopefully get in better shape and also to naturally lower my pre-hypertensive blood pressure and high cholesterol.  I'm enjoying it, but like everything else, it takes time.  I downloaded a cool free app on my phone called "My Fitness Pal" which helps me to count calories and also to enter my exercise.  There may be other similar or even better apps out there, but this one had very high reviews, was free, and my coworker had it too so we could commiserate.  I just downloaded it Wednesday, so we'll see how it goes but it really is a good wake up call when you have to be accountable (even if only to an app on your phone) for every single thing you put in your mouth. It has a bar code scanner that you can use to enter your foods and drinks which makes it super simple. Also, it keeps track of your carbs, protein, and fats as well as your vitamins and minerals. Anyway, I'll let you know how I make out in a few weeks when I either loose a few pounds or don't and my cholesterol and blood pressure either go down or they don't.  :-)

Besides trying to get my body in shape, I'm trying to get my house in shape.  Part of that entails getting a handle on my stuff.  It seems to have gotten out of control or maybe is just STILL out of control, but the point is, I need to lighten my load.  I've got a couple of Etsy shops which will get the majority of the things, but I thought I'd try something else which sounded fun...a virtual tag sale on my blog.  It gives me an excuse to visit with my cyberfriends (that's you) as well as thin the herd.  I'm going to list a couple of things tonight that I have available and then add to the lot as time allows.  I can't offer you a lemonade stand, but I can give you the opportunity to purchase some cool stuff at what I hope you will think are some cool prices without having to go out in the heat and pound the pavement.  Shipping is available outside the U.S., but there will be more postage, so just contact me and I can let you know what the extra shipping will be if you are interested. Payments are by Paypal.

First up are some dichroic glass pendants made by Kathy King, owner of Etsy shop Kathy's Glass Galore. She really has a talent for making these beautiful pendants.  We worked together for years before she retired and moved to another state so I had lots of opportunities to purchase the fruits of her labors and I did.  Over and over...time to thin out the collection since I only have the one neck! These are  pendants only...you can add them to your favorite chain or put them on a simple ribbon,etc.  They make wonderful gifts although these are so pretty, you may not be able to part with them. Bails are gold or silver in color. Small pendants are $7, large are $10.

Sizes as follows:
1. 1 5/8 inches to top of silver bail by almost 1/2 inch.
2. SOLD
3. 1 7/8 inches to top of silver bail by 1 inch.
4. 1 3/4 inches to top of gold bail by 1 1/8 inch.
5. 1 1/4 inch to top of gold bail by 3/4 inch.

CHOOSE PENDANT (DROP DOWN MENU)

#1 $7.00 USD #2 $10.00 USD #3 $10.00 USD #4 $10.00 USD #5 $7.00 USD

Next is a darling little hanging what not from the talented Debrina Pratt and her Land of Enchantment. Debrina sells her artwork exclusively (I think) on the Earth Angels Studios website.  This piece measures 7 1/4 inches by 7 1/4 inches and is signed and dated by the artist. In excellent condition.

DEBRINA PRATT HOME SWEET HOME
PRICE $12

This pretty little box is, I think, meant to be a pill box, but I just used it for display on my dresser.  It has a pretty little photo in the center and sparkly stones on either side.  It is in excellent shape.  Measures a touch over 2 1/4 inches by 1 1/4 inches and stands 1/2 inch high.

PRETTY SILVER PILL BOX
SOLD

I will try to add more items tomorrow evening.  If this beauties don't speak your name, maybe something else will.

Until next time,

The Scoop on Antique Ribbon Work Powder Boxes

Hello Friends in Blogland,

When I first started my blog back in 2008 I believe it was, I had the intention of doing more "show and tell" of the collections I have and of things that I like.  I've done a  FEW of those types of posts, but not many.  I decided that this week,  it was time that I dedicated a post to a subset of one of my favorite THINGS in the world, antique ribbon work.  Today, I want to share my collection of powder and rouge boxes.  No fabulous ribbon work pieces are easy to find, but these little treasures do seem to be around a bit more often than others, presumably because they were small and easy to display on a vanity table for a little dose of pretty and they were also useful as they held cosmetics.  For these reasons, I presume, we do occasionally come across some of these lovelies.  Never enough, but some. (SMILE)  The piece at the top of the post is actually a glass powder box that has been covered in fabric and metallic lace as well as a beautiful seated porcelain figure.  These glass bases are a bit more rare and this is the only one like it that I have.  She is a bit tatty, but considering her age, she is still pretty darn fine. 

More commonly, these boxes are cardboard that has been covered in fabric and metallic net and then the beautiful silk ribbon flowers which in all but the tiny one at the bottom in the picture above were little lengths of rosettes that were purchased by the yard just like you would have purchased lace or other embellishments. I have know people who have managed to find cards of this rosette trim which was never used.  I have turned appropriately green with envy and then purchased a yard or two from them for much money.  This no doubt made us both happy. This little quintet of boxes are all small with the large one in the middle being just about 1 3/4 inches in diameter.  The marquis shaped one is a very unusual size and I am not sure what it was used for but the others are rouge boxes (we call it "blush" or "blusher" these days) with the exception of the largest one-it is a small powder box.  I know this because when open, it has a mirror in the lid and a cake of face powder is still in it.  The one on the left has a cake of red rouge and a well used puff. 

I have a couple of powder boxes done in this fashion.  Still cardboard underneath, but a short box, sometimes only tall enough for a puff.  In the case of the one above and the one below, the puff is attached to the lid. Neither one has the metallic trim, but they make generous use of silk or rayon ribbon to create the ruffles. I love the heavily eyelashed face on the bottom one!

Below are three which I would consider large pieces.  The one at the top stands a good 3 inches tall.  Each has a powder puff inside made of swansdown.  These pieces are difficult to find and when you do, you will pay a handsome sum for them but if these are your THING, you will find a way to make them yours, just as I did because there is something about them that just makes your heart sing.

Below is piece that is rare as hen's teeth.  It is a triple powder box which sort of reminds me of a wedding cake.  The top section holds a powder cake and a puff, the center a rouge cake, and in the bottom, and large powder puff.  It is an exceptional piece and will, as they say, have to be pried from my cold dead hands.  Hopefully not anytime soon!

These are a few more of the powder boxes in the middle size range.  They are really pretty, especially the one closest to the camera as it has a bouquet of little silk flowers on the top rather than just the rosette trim.

In the more unusual category are these double powder boxes below.  The one on the left has a little strap.  Could have been carried by milady or perhaps just hung on the wall by the vanity.  Again, these are far more rare and the ribbon work on the tops is particularly lovely.

These each have a mirror in the top and their little powder puffs-one for rouge, one for face powder.

This larger beauty may have been for talcum powder.  It is still super full of loose powder which I keep saying I'm going to toss every time I open it and get a nose full of 90 year old powder, but the fact that it has survived this long has kept me from doing so thus far.  This one is special because its condition is excellent and due to the fact that it is topped with a very lovely piece of French Normandy lace which is not the norm. 

Finally, I wanted to share with you my own take on fancy powder boxes.  These 3 have been lovingly created by me from vintage powder boxes and all antique materials.  I sold one very similar to the one on the left in my Etsy shop The French Laundry this last year and just recently made one for myself.  The blue one was originally for sale, but when she got taken for a test drive in my bedroom with the other girls...well, let's just say she begged to stay, at least for a little while.  As I have stated before, it is an occupational hazard when you deal in and create things that you love.  Sometimes, they just don't make it to the shop. The last one did though.  She's a beautiful oval shape (very unusual for a powder box).

If you love antique ribbon work, I highly recommend the book "The Artful Ribbon" by Candace Kling. She not only shares techniques on how to create your own flowers from ribbon, but it has lots of great historical information as well as pictures from private collections that are utterly breathtaking. In the meantime, I hope you have enjoyed your little visit to my part of Blogland and I hope to see you again sometime.

P.S.  I have some price reductions in my shop, so you might want to take a peek when you have a chance.

Sharing with :
Shabbilicious Friday 
Feathered Nest Friday

Until next time,