Why is it when I have the most to blog about, I have the least amount of time to do it? This past show was so far beyond anything we've eve...
I found a whole book of vintage, Beethoven, sheet music at my local thrift shop for $1! I pulled it out just in time for Christmas decorating and created a couple sheet music, paper wreaths. I love the natural, aged patina of this old sheet music. Sheet music wreaths are such an inexpensive way to dress up your holiday decor and you can add your own decorative touch to each one. I used some pretty, cream ribbon to attacha bow to the top of this one. The tiny star in the center is from a pack of wooden stars I bought at the craft store. I stamped it with a fancy script stamp and then put glitter on the edges. I started out by using white glue, but found that it was much easier and faster to just use a hot melt glue gun for the whole thing. Here is another version of the sheet music wreath. I attached a wide, burlap ribbon as a wreath hanger for this one. I attached two wooden stars to the center using the hotmelt glue gun. I covered the larger star with silver glitter and stamped the smaller star with the fancy script stamp. These sheet music wreaths were fast, simple and fun to make! They have the added bonus of lasting year after year. I already sold both of these wreaths at Loot, so I need to find time to make a few more. This post is linked to the parties in my sidebar.
Free jewelry tutorials, plus a friendly community sharing creative ideas for making and selling jewelry.
Across the country, shop at the best antique stores for vintage and collectible finds.
These magnificent miniatures sold on eBay last week. They are estimated to be from the 1950's - 60's period. The Antiques Shop went to the highest bidder for $850, and the Patisserie for $425.
Cleaning Zinc Lids for Mason Jar Displays: There are many uses for using old Mason Jars for Display. On there own or even with Marbles or objects in them. There are also many colors and style to choice from but unfortunately over the years the Zinc lids get kind of yucky and not very presen…
Seven secrets to merchandising styling and display for a show or market or retail store to help visually grow your retail business with merchandising,styling and display for your shop, show or market, and small retail business.
This is how I built my Ultimate Workbench
I've been on the losing end of a battle of trying to keep a clean and organized craft room for some time now. Issues include a tiny room, lack of storage, and maybe, just maybe, too much stuff. So, I worked for two days moving in furniture, moving out furniture, throwing stuff away, donating things, organizing and finding a place for everything. I must say, I love the end result!! And just so you too can witness the huge improvement, here are some before pictures of what I was dealing with. *Warning! Lots of pictures!* See! It's bad! REALLY bad!! And here, my friends, is the after!!!!!! Sigh! So much better!! I can finally see my paint splattered floor again! (Note to self - invest in a drop cloth) This is my favorite little area in the room! Could anything be better than white linens in an ironstone bowl? I think a jar filled with vintage lace gives that bowl filled with linens a run for it's money! Let's see how long I can actually keep it this way! ;) P.S. If you'd like to see sneak peeks throughout the week and other inspiration, be sure to follow me on Facebook!! I'm linking to the parties listed HERE and to: Savvy Southern Style Serenity Now Boogieboard Cottage The DIY Showoff Coastal Charm I Gotta Create Home Stories A to Z Southern Hospitality My Repurposed Life Setting for Four Timewashed Knick of Time Tuesday
~ Thank Heaven For Little Girls. ~ This adorable original color illustration from 1927 was harvested from a fine collection of antique images of childhood from a time long gone by. It's in wonderful condition with sharp edges and corners and just a hint of light tanning. It measures 7" x 9" overall and it's printed in gorgeous pastel colors that are just as fresh and remarkable as the day this adorable lithograph was issued nearly 100 years ago. 'Picking Wildflowers' would be simply delightful framed for display in your very own little girl's nursery. Matted, framed and displayed as a gallery grouping, these sweet old children's book prints are simply spectacular. (Please note that the framed examples in the last photo are just to show how this might look when it's framed. Your print will come to you unmatted and unframed.) Surrender Dorothy offers a non-stop jaw-dropping cornucopia of frame-worthy antique and vintage prints, drawings, sketches, plans, lithos, engravings, posters, maps, charts and illustrations of all kinds to adorn every room in your happy home. Terrific finds to gussy up your workplace too. Our entire inventory moves in and out of here very quickly and fresh selections are added each day, Please be sure to bookmark our shop and check back to visit us often so you don't miss our latest discoveries. I'll send this cutie to you First Class Mail by way of those nice folks at the USPS packed flat and protected in a rigid mailer. =============================================== View our entire Children's Art Department here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/surrenderdorothy/search?search_query=storybook ================================================ Our entire collection of 1920s era listings may be viewed here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/surrenderdorothy/search?search_query=1920s ********************************************************* Please View Our Shop Policies Here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SurrenderDorothy/policy?ref=shopinfo_policies_leftnav
When you first get a booth at a mall, your booth location isn't usually up to you. You have to take whatever spot is open. Once you are in the door, as vendors leave, you may have an opportunity to move to a better spot. Some mall owners will let all the vendors know when a space is coming open in case anyone wants to move. Some mall owners will rent the open spot to the next potential vendor on her list. Vendors already in the store are shocked and some may wish they'd had a chance at moving. Either way, you should pick out the booths you would love to have and tell the owner if any of them ever come available to please consider you. And then, to make sure you are a good candidate, you need to prove yourself worthy of a better spot by making the absolute most of your current location. If you have a lousy looking booth and/or poor sales, why would the owner want to put you in a prime location? And stay on the owner's good side, for Heaven's sake! All malls vary, but here are some general thoughts to help you figure out which are the best booths in your mall - The right side of the aisle is usually better than the left. Most people tend to look to the right a little more often. Source A wide booth is better than a narrow booth. Wide booths give you more options for arranging and a better opportunity for creating eye catching displays. If you sell lots of things than hang, then look for booths with plenty of wall space. Lighting is important. Some malls don't want you to turn on lamps and lights in your booth during the hot summer months. If you have good lighting that's no big deal. If you are in a dark spot, it's bad, especially if you are selling dark furntiure. Source One more caution about lighting. Some malls have ceiling fans. A ceiling fan situated just so - in the path of a ceiling light - can produce a very annoying strobe effect. Standing in a booth with the strobe effect is very irritating and customers generally don't linger in booths with that issue. Source A corner booth can be good, but not all corner booths are equal. It depends of the traffic flow. Corners that face oncoming traffic are the best. If the corner is usually to the customer's back, then it's not a prime corner. In fact, it causes you to lose your money wall. See more about traffic flow and the money wall in this post. Source Booths that can be seen from different spots in the store are good. Booths that can be seen from several booths away, like a booth at the end of an aisle, can be really good. Being in the main path of traffic is important. You don't want a booth in an off-the-main-path area that some customers forget to walk to. You also don't want a booth in a spot that is too congested or too crowded. A customer standing in the aisle looking into the booth might feel hurried along as other people walk past. You want a spot where folks can happily loiter. I could argue either way for being near the entrance or near the exit. Some customers spend more time in the first few booths. But will they make purchases. They might be reluctant to pick something up, thinking they have so much more to see. They tell themselves they'll come back after they've gone through the store. But they don't always go back. Towards the end, some impulse shoppers really want to go home with some little something. If they haven't seen anything they want and they find themselves with only a few booths to go, they might look closer at those last booths. For that matter, they might also take another quick look at any booths near the register. Other customers might be on overload by the time they get to the end. They might rush through the last booths. Lots of vendors love those first and last booths. I never cared one way or the other. Personal Photo taken at Queen of Hearts in Marietta, GA If you know you aren't happy with your current booth, avoid putting in semi-permanent structures. Make your decor very mobile. With luck, you may get to move to a better location quickly. In fact you may "move up" several times before you get a booth you love. I moved 4 times within 2 years before I found the perfect booth for me. One last booth location thought - know your potential booth neighbors. There may be some neighbors that, for whatever reason, you'd rather not be beside. Moving next to them could make your vendor life a lot more complicated and who needs that? Just sayin'! If your location and your booth shape isn't the best, don't worry too much. I have seen awesome vendors in bad locations with poorly shaped booths and bad lighting who did GREAT. If you have great stuff to sell, customers will flock to your booth!!! Still, it's nice to be where you feel happy.
Upcycle some vintage garden tools into a DIY garden trellis that acts as both garden decor AND a functional trellis for your climbing plants!
I have planned on adding picture frame molding and chair rail to the sewing room and master bedroom for a long time. Well over a year!
Seven secrets to merchandising styling and display for a show or market or retail store to help visually grow your retail business with merchandising,styling and display for your shop, show or market, and small retail business.
Find some inspiration for organizing your tools with this round-up of storage ideas.
I love to decorate for Christmas. This year I wanted to used the decorations I already had out and just add a little holiday spirit to them. Maybe it is out of laziness but either way I like the way it turned out! The pine needles are actually branches that fell off of my real tree and the pinecones are the cinnamon scented ones, so between the 2 my front room smells just like Christmas! Here is a little peek at my real tree in my front room! It is almost done, as soon as it is complete I will take pictures of it and post them. For this tree this year my daughter and I made most of the ornaments and decorations. I am so please, so far, with how it is turning out. Happy Decorating everyone!! TTFN Brooke
every year, i always look forward to attending Renegade Craft Fair, which is held right by the bay at Fort Mason's Festival Pavilion. Since ...
Anyone who works with wood always has scraps leftover. Leftover wood is an ongoing byproduct of woodworking, and we have our fair share of scraps and offcuts. P…
