Inspired Home: Bright Boheme

I am head over heels with this lovely bohemian home featured in Light locations (visit for more images). The home belongs to the wonderful photographer, Debi Treloar.

The Love Bobble ~ A gift for someone special

love bobble ~ create your own

It seems like it is a really rough time for a lot of people in my life. There are a lot of health, emotional and financial hardships. Sometimes, talking on the phone or sending an email doesn't cut it. Sometimes, expensive 'thinking of you' gifts doesn't cut it.

But a small, 'thinking of you' little package with a short handwritten note in the mail, that can do. So, I took some supplies already on hand, and created a little 'love bobble'. Things I know she loves. Something small that can be tucked in a drawer, or displayed, or anything really, just something to let someone know you care. All tied up in a pretty little box.

Make your own, or order a custom love bobble from me. I have tons of charms and colors to choose from.

Inspired Craft: Vintage Stackable Flower Tutorial

 Zivile from No Snow Supplies, and I collaborated on a little project. She sent me some of my favorite vintage stackable flower findings in exchange for a little advice on how to use them.

If you frequent antique malls or estate sales, you will see these very flowers in lots of vintage designs. I see them mostly used in large, clip-on earrings, usually with some pearls or rhinestones in the centers, and glued to the edges of the petals, see here for examples.

 First, you need some finding backings, which you can get pretty much anywhere. For the centers, you can use beads, pearls, cabs, rhinestones, basically anything semi circular that will fit in there. These flowers are a very flexible plastic, so they can work with each other really well, Just stack, glue, hold together, stack, glue.... Hot glue works great, but it peels pretty easily, so an adhesive made for jewelry is best. I like E600, though something that dries quicker is probably better.

Here, I have ring bases, earring posts, bobby pin with pad, and a pendant. You can also use wire, brooch backs, a piece of felt with a safety pin attached... pretty much anything. I would love to see a series of these flowers stacked up and held together to make a statement necklace. I've even used them to make flower fabric brooches a while back. They would even make a festive little garland or cute decor for wreaths or other little home projects. Use them to jazz up some napkin rings or refrigerator magnets something.

You can order these soft, plastic stackable flowers from No Snow Supplies to create your own projects!
She also has beads, cabs and findings in her shop, mostly vintage and colorful combinations. She is in Lithuania, and it takes about 8-12 days to arrive, a lot faster than I was expecting. If you use them, I'd love to see your projects. If you don't, what kinds of things can you see these in?

Inspired Rooms : Sadie Olive Master Bedroom Retreat

Sadie Olive, amazing photographer (prints and vintage items sold here) and an eye for the truly remarkable, has the most beautiful, and cozy bedroom. I love how natural, primitive and comforting the space feels. These are before and after shots of a mini make-over (complete with details), but both are beautiful.

Instant Collections {of the Vintage Variety}

Collections are nice. But so many take so long to find. You have to go to thrift markets, antique malls, estate sales, garage sales, ebay, etsy... and it can take a while to do it. But lo and behold, what I have discovered.

Instant Collections!

milk bottles ~ vintage dujour

tin saucers ~ sushi pot parts

 Isn't that great!? You can go here on Etsy, and find out tons of instant collections. There are all sorts of bottles, teapots, tins, spoons, frames, glass insulators, letterpress blocks, vintage cameras, salt and pepper shakers, milk glass, keys, plates... and you can buy everything in one listing, from one seller, for one shipping price. I love that idea! A box of goodies all at once, and it looks like you have been painstakingly amassing them for years! Plus, these sellers have awesome shops and shows you how to display your new collections.

teapots ~ bella chic boutique

early 1900 antique license plates ~ ugly santa

bunsen burner (only one) ~ vase ethan ollie

letters ~ sweet love vintage

trophies set ~ open door studio

In any case, I'm signing off for a week or so as we move yet again, so please ignore the Chinese spam comments I get, and let me know what instant collection you would love to try your hand at.

watering cans fine art print by yann pendaries

Homefront: Accessorizing with Vignettes

I'm sure most everyone has seen a version of the "Home Rules". I loved this little vintage plaque of them I found thrifting and had to bring it home.

To me, I see things for more than what they are; the search of finding that little treasure and bringing pieces together to tell a story. The antique mattress spring I found at my favorite antique mall, the vintage leather gloves with the pearl buttons, and my favorite little brass owl family I found at a garage sale for $1. I see these owl families for sale on Etsy very often.

It looks so nice in my little vignette here. This is the reason I love shutters. They can be used anywhere (even propped on wall to hide outlets and plugs). But for vignettes, it creates that height it needs to create balance, otherwise it's just a bunch of stuff on a flat surface. Well, many people probably still think it is that too.

 Also, with larger accessries, like the ones on top of my hutch, it creates a little background for depth.

Basically, when creating a vignette, things to consider are angles, varying heights and groups of at least 3. Staggering the items, creating layers and playing with different textures are also essential. And for good measure, throwing in a touch of nature helps bring beauty and life. That can be accomplished with pinecones, acorns, seeds, dried leaves, flowers, branches, feathers, driftwood, wheat, potted grasses or sprouts, birds eggs, nests...

Try and avoid having an "Accessories on Parade" as penned by designer, JoAnne Lenart-Weary.
 It means to avoid the urge of stacking up all your favorite pieces and crated a 'parade' or straight line of them. Read how to break up the parade on The Nester. You will notice I break the rule of having 3 items, but one's got to live a little. I like to work in a triangle, a larger item in the back that acts as a spring board to branch out accessories in front and to the side.
 

My mom's little ice cream dish, makes a great notions holder. Old wooden spools, laundry clips and skeleton keys are the perfect size to hold small lengths of pretties. You never know when you will need a touch of lace, baker's twine, vintage seam binding or a dash of sequins to, tie on a necklace, wrap around silverware for a dessert party, wrap around your wrist, add to an accessory add to a giftwrap. You can read all about the use of goodies in my packaging series.

Part 1: Artful Giving
Part 2: Artful Tagging
Part 3: Artful Embellishing.