Hmm..."Antique Road Show Producers do Casting search"

     Antique Week is a weekly publication that is a must for any antique dealer.You have  the Central , Eastern or National editions available for subscriptions. It lists shows and  auctions( for those that want them listed there) and has quite a few  informative articles related to various antique subjects. http://www.antiqueweek.com/
     All this info leads up to the email I received from Antique Week this week ...with the title '

Casting Alert From The Producers Of Antiques Roadshow". Of course this peeked my fertile imagination...WHOOOHOOOO..where do I sign up?? Them reality hit & I thought, I've got to get more info than just the title. Further reading showed me THIS info " Think You Know Everything About Antiques....PROVE IT". Must have extensive knowledge of antiques &/ collectibles.You are then to submit your info : knowledge of antiques, bio, and of course a PHOTO ( OH NO!!!!) All of this is to be submitted to the city listed that's closest to you . Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Boston, New York, Austin, Dallas, & New Orleans..Wonder why Texas got two?????

  I'm very curious about the format of this new show...is it going to be a "Reality -based" show ?...where they compete & someone gets thrown off the show if they don't know the difference between Tang Dynasty vase and a Chinese reproduction. Will this be a " junking extravaganza that we'll all drool over - free trips to Roundtop/ Marburger Antiques, Brimfield, Pasadena?? Super Bowl of Antiquing??

  NOW....this is not meant to throw aspersions on anyone that applies to the show....but who knows EVERYTHING about antiques!!!! Even the experts on History Detectives have to do research on those items, the Keno's also have experts to assess items on Buried Treasures . I am constantly learning and finding out how little I actually know .

  Guess we'll all have to stay tuned to the first episode to see how this whole casting call turned out  and how many of us will be arm chair quarterbacks !!! Only time will tell what we'll get to see.

Old Dogs can learn new tricks

     I meant to write about my jewelry classes in Shelbyville, Ky when I got back from my road trip....unfortunately a paint job kept me busy for the past week. More to follow on that subject!!!
    If you haven't been to Shelbyville, it's located outside Louisville on the way to Lexington. It's home to the American Saddlebred Horse Farm and birthplace of Colonel Sanders ( KFC) . Along with those sites, the downtown provides great antique shopping; The Ruby Rooster, Shelbyville Antique  Market, Gardner house
Antiques and Wakefield-Scearce Galleries.
  The  classes were offered through the fabric store, Making Ends Meet, which also has a mixed media studio across the street. Our instructor was a mixed media, metalsmith, jewelry artist from North Carolina, Deb Guess. Her studio is Soul Whispers Art and displays her fantastic creations.
  Playing with Fire was the first class I attended and it was WONDERFUL!!! All of my work had been created using cold connections, so learning to use a butane torch to solder gives me more options . Along with the info she imparted, we also got to create our own jewelry using the new techniques  .
   I will admit, I'm a newbie in  mixed media jewelry...I now feel like worlds have opened up to
hopefully take my jewelry on to  another level.
 The second class was learning different wire designs . This is something you could pick up on your own from magazines / books...BUT having a hands-on class & instructor takes all the guesswork & trial and error attempts out of the picture.
  The one setback to the classes is the realization that there are a whole new set of tools necessary . Luckily, we were offered most of the tools we would possibly need, with a discount for enrolling in the classes. Now all I need is time to work on the new ideas I've developed ( before I forget them...LOL )
  Deb is returning in October with more classes  and I can't wait to see what she's going to offer.
  Not only did I get to enjoy the classes, I got to enjoy several days of  visiting with my wonderful friends in Lexington. While they slaved away at work, I took to the road to visit some of my favorite junking haunts. At least now that I'm searching for items to  use in assemblage art and jewelry, everything usually fits in small bags!!!
   Feather Your Nest is a small antique & collectible mall on Leestown Road. I found some great items for jewelry , assemblage shrines, and a great felting project. A couple of the booths had great sales, so that was a definite plus!!
  My next stop was Sage , where I found  more treasures . Below are what I thought were framed prints.....imagine my surprise when I found them to be reverse painted glass. I also thought they were new until I took them apart and found 1920's newspaper ads from NYC. The French look is so "in" right now...they are free for use in whatever project you might envision.

       

   Scout is another favorite to hit in Lexington. There are individual dealers in the shop besides the owners and you will find the most eclectic selection of antiques and collectibles. The small skull Thomas's been eyeing for his shrine came from there. I always manage to find way too much there...so I even returned before leaving town.

 As soon as I can get the goodies unloaded, I'll show you some of the finds!!

Pay It Back....Free antique postcard images

    I have poached on enough sites that contained free antique / vintage graphics that I felt I should give back to others.
   These graphics are from a collection of antique postcards & photos I purchased ( on a whim) at an auction several years ago. There are a variety of images ranging from children, holidays, women and animals .I am just posting a few today more to appear at a later date .Sign up to follow and check out the others posted later
 You are welcome to adopt any of these to use as you wish. My only request would be that let others to where you found them.
                    This one shows an adorable little girl waking up with her doll and titled Morning
                    

The matching postcard is titled Night and shows a little girl with her dollies saying her prayers before bed

One small shaky step..........

   Creating a blog was something I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd be doing.....and LOOK..here I am.
   Nevermind that I had to learn about Photoshop ( still an ongoing ..VERY slow process) since I wanted my own "special" blog ..LOL. Then the whole lengthy blog thingy. Did I mention that I have NOT kept up with computer technology????? ALl of this while dealing with a horrendous connection that kicks me off at the most inopportune times..like right before I have something saved..ARRRGHHHHHH
  BUT it IS Monday and that's always my special day to start a new project. Yeah right, like my starting back up at the gym. That has yet to happen...but I do have the best of intentions..that ought to count for something..Right???
  The impetus into the" World of Blog" was the creation of my first public shrine/altar ( which should probably be left to my second post...just in case I can't think of anything to say) Although I have no children , this project felt like I'd given birth ...it didn't take 9 months, but felt like it!!!
  Let me back up a minute...I should probably introduce myself..Hi, I'm Grace...an addicted antique dealer,thrift store shopper,  mixed media jewelry artist, and now a shrine maker. Isn't that how 12 step programs work????? To stay I believe in reduce, recycle and reuse is an understatement.
 Now that I've embarked on this new...well, adventure's the nicest word I can think of or say on here. I will let you take a look at my 10 lb baby ...never let it be said that I start things in a small way!!!