Car-lection...

Yeah, I'm adding to one of my collections.

Little vintage metal cars...and trucks...and tractors...and trailers...

These are smaller versions than the Matchbox or Hot Wheels sized vehicles, but not as small as the tiny Micro-Machines. Can you tell I raised three boys? And we are a family of vintage rides?

I think the collection began with a little Jeep, like my Wrangler. Then, I found a 60's series Corvette, in honor of Phillip's vette. Next, was a Red Volkswagen...and now a matching blue one. Bugs are SO cute!!!

My first ride project was a Tequila Sunrise painted Baja Bug...I was still in high school and Phillip was working at a custom auto body shop. He surprised me with a new paint job...bright yellow front, fading to orange, then to burnt orange and finally bright cherry red across the back...It was gorgeous...and a LONG process putting it all back together with all new parts...we had boxes and boxes of shiny new VW parts at the ready...Sadly, we sold it before we got to have any fun with it...I found out I was preggers with Ty about a year after high school and as does happen in many baby-on-the-way scenarios, we let it go.

Three boys later, they've all driven a bug or two...maybe someday, we'll build another Baja for fun. But, honestly, we have a little red VW Manx, street-legal dune buggy and that's just as much, if not more, fun...I think!

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The purple Jeep was just recently acquired. I thought it was a Jeep Comanche truck, but Phillip assured me it's really a Jeep Commando...like his, but without the hard-shell top. O.k., now I see it!!!

Going a bit more vintage, is this little buggy. Reminds me of an antique milk delivery truck. The previous owner had a little fun with some finger-nail polish. Maybe they saw it more as an ambulance?

I love the little details...see the tiny man in the driver's seat?

He's taking it out for a stroll over a prop peanut butter cup...yeah, we all have fake candy just lying around, right? lol

Hope you are having fun with whatever collection strikes your fancy...I SO love collecting....

Cheers!

Mother's Brush....

Today, one of my projects is being featured over at ICE Resin Creative Team Wednesday.

As many of you know, I love to collect all things vintage ... papers, furniture, mixed-metals, game boards and game pieces, fabric, keys, bottles and even the occasional, unusual find....like my newly acquired wheel chair...

Yep. You read that right. A wooden and steel wheel chair.. It's my new favorite!

For my Nightmare Before Christmas office, you ask?

Absolutely!

For those office visitors daring enough to sit in the creepy thing...for the less willing, they can pull up one of the basic, boring office chairs.

I have plans for this "wheeler"...but I'll save that for another post...

Back to the Creative Team Feature.... Mother's Brush

"As an avid collector of cast-offs and orphaned trinkets, I have amassed quite the collection of vintage brushes and hand mirrors. When I become the keeper of such objects, I cannot help but wonder where they are from? Who owned them previously? In the case of the mirrors, what reflections have they seen? Unlike the nearly disposable, common plastic and wooden hair brushes we use today, this brush of a by-gone era is beautifully, yet simply, crafted with an open filigree handle, an engraved back, and tiny nails holding the trim onto the wooden substrate.

In keeping with the Victorian-style, I attempted to elegantly elevate the beauty of this find with a flood of ICE Resin, scalloped-punched resin paper, Swarovski crystals, SLK sari silk with wire-wrapped glass beads, and the addition of embellished words, My Mother.

I have many memories of having my hair brushed by my mother, and my grandmother, when I was a little girl, and I like to imagine this vintage brush spent many moments listening to the stories shared between mother and daughter. My hope is, someday, I too, will share many special moments with my future grandchildren...of course, no pressure or hurry to my three sons!  :-) Until then, I will let my imagination run wild and keep adding to the collection..."

I am enjoying the creative process of using ICE Resin in ways other than for jewelry-making. I love the way the shiny, elegance add a touch of beauty when juxtaposed with the rusty, tattered, patina of my finds.

One of my recent projects that was displayed at in the ICE Resin booth at CHA, was this wonderfully aged metal leaf rake...

GRACE in the WIND

(the leaf in the photo is turned around, see the detail below)

Inspired by the falling of the leaves, one of my favorite applications of the resin is creating leaves.

An assortment of leaves make for great art creations...rustic and elegant, alike.

Happy Creating...

Cheers!

Sharing over at:

Brick 'a Brac....

I have bricks on my mind..

Sounds like a very boring country song... lol

This little group of bricks are part of my used-brick fireplace in my home. It's a HUGE monolith of Terra Cotta Orange clay meets Black spattered with White... Yeah, I think it's U.G.L.Y.


When we bought the house, over EIGHT years ago, it was an eye-sore...in my eyes...and continues to be. I like to decorate the mantle, but am always challenged with the way everything looks with a back-drop of ORANGE!!!


I've investigated painting it. Staining it. Re-surfacing it. SLEDGE HAMMERING it!

Well, I've finally come up with a solution...

Stay tuned...I have something BIG. HUGE. up my sleeve....and even a tutorial.... You're gonna LOVE this!!!

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But until I can share....

here's a brick project that was displayed at CHA in the ICE Resin booth.

What started out as a mistake, quickly turned to an asset.

You see, in true ICE Resin, open-back bezel casting process, I adhered clear packing tape to the back of the bezel and poured in a thin layer. The idea was to create a clear back to enable the addition of loose items.

Well, when it was fully cured, I discovered an air bubble had formed and created a recessed pocket on the face, formerly the BACK. This little area was the PERFECT free-form oval for a little flash card word to show through..

Just a bit of sanding to "frost" the surface..and voila...instant fix...and FUN!
When I found the mini-flash card words to light, I knew exactly what I was going to create.

A visit to my local stone-yard secured me a 3-hole, cored brick...no, I did NOT drill holes through a solid brick...to the dismay of some of my friends...but thanks for thinking I am SUPER WOMAN!!! That's why I love YOU guys... :-)

Then I experimented with some wire, some candles, glass beads, melted wax, etc.

This was the first round...mentioned on the ICE Resin blog...

... and the re-vamped version that made it to CHA ... same brick ... same bezel ... a little more "grungy" with a little less "bling"...

Removed the old spice-lid feet I had originally added; removed the glass jars with real candles topped with glass beads; whittled down a couple waxxed led-powered candles to fit the holes; added some melted whittled wax bits and I have myself a candle holder that can "burn" safely for hours.

Cheers!

Sharing over at:

A NEW Collection is Forming....

Rewind to November 2011...yeah, it's not that long ago, but that's where it kind of all began...

I was at the Medford Armory, just perusing the 'for sales' there. In both the far back corners are staircases to access the upstairs. On the right side, I couldn't help but notice THIS...

The stairs had been taken over by a gaggle of girls....and a couple boys.

The nicest group of grandmas was in charge of this corner.

I kindly asked one of the grandmas if I could take a photo of the group on the stairs. I could tell she was a bit quizzled at why I would want to take a photo, but, well, that's just how I roll. I am always taking snapshots of strange things...

So, I proceeded to set down my purse, my shopping bag and raise my phone. She seemed a bit quizzled at why I didn't have a camera...well, I guess my iPhone takes primary position to my Nikon too!

Any who, as I was clicking away with my phone and making conversation, she tells me each dolly is only a BUCK!

Well, I'm notorious for buying little things for CHEAP too! I like a great deal. As my multiple  STORAGE areas would attest..."I'm not a HOARDER...I'm NOT a HOARDER!"

My mind just sees the GOOD in the CAST OFFS...

Just look at some of those little faces...How could I only walk away with a few photos and not a few dollies?

Well, I carefully selected a couple, or three, or four...

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One of them had ratty hair...Rattier than the others. Another VERY kind grandma says to me, "Oh, give her to me. She needs a day at the salon."

I handed her over. She sprays some de-tangler in her hair and proceeds to gently comb through it.

"There. Now she's beautiful!", as she hands her over with sweet smelling, wet, dolly hair.

Oh, those Grandmas are JUST TOO SWEET!!! Even to a 40+ year old woman! I can just imagine how they are with the little girls...

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The little plastic boy with the cute face and darling hair.

Ok. Maybe it's a boy wearing a pink dress...Or maybe it's really a girl. But, when I'm done, it will be a boy...Bwaaaaa Haaaa Haaaaa...

Then, there was this little girl. Kind of reminded me of I Love Lucy. Maybe it's just the red hair and bright red lips?

....Yeah, she's nekked. But not for long.... I think a creepy Halloween costume is in her future. That forehead crown just screams "stitches" to me....  Poor Lucy...

Boy? Girl? I LOVE the rosey-red cheeks and the little knee dimples...

I think this little lady is my favorite of the bunch. Her face is already a bit "green" and one of her eyes is cloudy...LOVE it! Another Halloween contestant? Yeah. I think so....

Here they are at the Rusty Monkey, resting and waiting for their day at the tailor....

Four dollies. Four bucks. Four ME!!!