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

While the Cat's away...ooops SHE'S away

WHOOHOOO!!! She's busy working on her "stuff" so I can get my two cents in on this thingy she's done.
I noticed that she hadn't mentioned my illustrious self.....can't imagine why, since I am King of the House.
I do share it with two other lesser creatures, but they know who's boss!!! She named me Thomas....which took a bit to accept, you know "Tom" Cat...she wasn't too original!!! My secret cat name is  Duke, I have purrrfected the John Wayne walk to a T-- got the swagger down pat.

She's in for the day so she's  got my favorite spot covered with all these boxes full of small things so I can't get a nap or watch birdies out the window today..and it's a really good day to nap!! Those small things end up on the floor are too tiny to even bat around . Personally I don't see the need for all those doodads on the wrist or neck. I don't even want a collar on me ( hope she doesn't try to make me one of those..MEEEEEEOOOWWWW)

I've been waiting for her to make a cat shrine...dedicated to me.......maybe with a tiny mouse skull or parts of a bird, a little catnip ball,  a few feathers..haven't seen anything that might work for me in her stash, although it does keep growing. A few encouraging meows might get her going in that direction.......well, it's worth a try.

Oops. looks like she's coming this way!! Guess I'd better make myself scarce and find a different place to nap for awhile. Maybe I will able to continue my tail...sorry, tale, at a later date.

Baaaa Baaaaa Black Sheep

This is the shop owned by one of my best friends, Donna Wink-Mitchell....more like "partner in crimes" LOL...
As she is closed on Mondays, we are usually on the road "junking" to replenish  her shop and me to hopefully add items to my antique booth. There's just no telling where we will end up on these road trips....but we ALWAYS have fun!!!
I've included some photos of her shop...It was originally a country general store/gas station. She and her husband totally remodelled the interior . Everyone who comes in remarks that they could live there.It's just that cosy & wonderfully decorated with a wide variety of antique styles, although Donna has a special love for primitives...and a great eye for them!!
All of the items shown  are for sale..if you see something you like,  leave a comment about the  the item & I will get back to you with info to contact her.

Everything but the kitchen sink...but it looks good !!!!!

Until lately, my antiquing/"junking" or auctioning revolved around large pieces of primitive furniture..not that I'd always buy it, but OHHHH it would make me drool!! Now I'm looking at the glass cases I steered away from or am in the back yard for that part of the auction. I will say my back is thankful for the change!!!
The sudden change in my "hunt" stems from my re-found love of making jewelry. I "got into" beading way before beaded jewelry was all the rage....
NO, I will not go into how long ago it was, suffice it to say I'm always too early or way behind in the new fads in artistic endeavors.
Luckily I had kept all the beads I bought in the Dark Ages( did I mention I hate to get rid of things...this time it paid off !!!) Found object jewelry became my new fascination...a natural progression with my love for antiques . Of course, the rest of the known world has been into this for years( again, I'm behind!!! ) My tombstone will say she was ahead of her time or behind..now it won't matter LOL

In case you aren't familiar with this type of jewelry, it can be created in varying degrees of unusual objects - many being commonplace items with a bit of aging. Rivets, brass or steel washers, old coins, dominos, dice, medals, small plastic toys, tokens....the list goes on and on. Add old watch parts & you've then thrown Steampunk into the mix.

My jewlery combines found object with antique / vintage beads for the majority of the items used. Most necklaces are fastened with remnants of silk cuttings from saris ( usually from Nepal or Tibet)
OK...enough about this obsessive/compulsive addiction. On to the goodies!!
Etsy's my next step to conquer where I will have my jewelry for sale. As soon as I get that completed, there will be a link to it on here]

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!!!