Great Show at the Cooperage!

The Pepperell Girls--Kris Vogelsang (Cricket Acres), Tera O'Hora, and myself--had our first Fall show in collaboration with the Spaulding Cooperage and it was a HUGE success! Thank you to all our faithful customers for standing by us as we branch out and explore new opportunities! It was fun to see everyone and have a day of "retail therapy" from the other side of the counter! Here are a few preview photos from my booth:






Here are pics of some of my favorite fall projects:

Thankful Tree: I left extras of my "I'm thankful for..." cards for guests to fill out and add to the tree. I'll take an after photo tomorrow when I'm at the Cooperage to bring in new inventory. I love this idea and was thrilled how many guests planned to incorporate it into their own Thanksgiving traditions!





Vintage paper-covered napkin rings: I love the contrast of the shiny silver and the aged sheet music. I only adhered paper-to-paper so these could be changed out for any event.



I call these "re-corks" as they are wine stoppers made from vintage knobs and hardware. I'll post instructions at a later date!



Here is a candelabra I constructed from the top of an old wooden box, a bit of chain, an inexpensive set of glassware, some votives, and a roll of vintage player-piano paper--happy!



Finally, my burlap wreath. I adapted this wreath from one I found on the DIY Showoff (http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/2010/09/diy-burlap-starfish-wreath.html). Got some tips from the I. Design blog (http://theidesignbox.com/2010/10/25/diy-burlap-fall-wreath/) and came up with this version. I kind of wish it didn't sell...looks like I'll be making more! Not a difficult project, just very messy. I recommend using ecoglue rather than Gorilla Glue and a medium nail-set rather than a screwdriver. Let me know if you try it!

Catching up

I haven't posted a fun treasure-hunt photo in a while. These are from two weekends ago. Happy, happy!

Infusion NH

Infusion NH is one of my absolute favorite spaces in the antiques world. Housed in the downstairs of From Out of the Woods Antiques, this space is filled with inspiration and some of the most fantastic pieces you could ever design a room around! I was in to pick up an old shoe rack I purchased and shop owner Donna gave me carte blanche to take photos of the space before they took it apart to get ready for a mercantile-themed reopening in 2 weeks. Enjoy!

Calmore Fall Antiques Show

Kris and I had a great time at the Art and Antiques Show this past weekend at Seasons at Calmore. I do so few shows, I always forget how much fun they are! We made a lot of new friends under a gorgeous sunny sky while listening to great live music. What's happier than that? Here are a few photos of our booth:-)

Vintage Craft Kits

I just listed FIVE new vintage craft kits on my etsy site, www.brooklinestreet.etsy.com. Here's a peek:





Happy!!!!

Studio Reunion

I spent today creating in my new studio! I haven't spent time in my creative space since I started moving--over three months ago. I still have a lot of work to do to make my new (and much smaller) studio really workable, but I had a fun day digging through boxes and drawers and finding new inspiration in each one!

As I prepare for my business-image redesign (by Sadie Olive--so excited!), I'm trying to define my authentic style. I confess that I am guilty of dabbling--Victorian, rustic, French, Italian, industrial, even modern. To this end, I've been keeping a journal of the finds, experiences, places, people, vignettes...that touch my spirit. I hope to share this fun journey with all of you! For now, here are a few photos of today's creations:


I came across this lot of beautifully illustrated sheet music in a storage box. I remember finding it at the flea market, but had never actually looked through page-by-page. I am always amazed by the detail in such works--I so wish beauty were as valued today as it was in 1864!

I framed a selection of the pages:



I scanned many and used one selection in the decoration of this "inside-out" journal:



The covers of this journal are recycled from an old book with lovely endpapers. I simply reversed the covers so that the endpapers were on the outside and filled the book with 70 pages of ivory, text-weight, recycled paper. I bound the journal with ivory linen ribbon. Can't wait to list it on etsy!



I'm working on a design for "nests" made from strips of old papers. Here is a prototype...not quite ready for sale, but a good representation of my idea:



Lastly, I stamped some organic cotton twill ribbon with French text and wound it in 1-yard segments on old wooden spools. I've found that VersaMark ink pads work best on ribbon--heat-set with an iron on medium heat if you want to launder the ribbon.



Happy creating! Please create responsibly!

Bye, Bye, Brookline Street

Today, my celebration is bittersweet. The process of selling my home has been less-than-pleasant. As anyone out there selling a house in this market knows, selling a home (especially an antique) is a less-than-fruitful venture. Yet, I'm incredibly relieved to be able to turn the page on this stage of life and open up a new chapter. In other words, I've never been so happy to lose so much money! C'est la vie! Life will go on and I pray God will bless my family in the midst of (and through) this mess!

Today, my semi-happy is the sale of my house. Off to new ventures, new opportunities, a new life. Scarey? Yes. Exciting? Yes. Blessed? I sure pray so.