Vintage Studio Love...

Greetings Sweet Friends,

Want to come on a tour with me & see what's in the studio?

Well here it is, my tiny bedroom studio high in the mountains

of Southern California, in our little mountain home.

Some of my favorite things are in this room,

little treasures I've gotten from here & there.

An old end table hubby found on the side of the road looking just

like this, a perfect place to keep my favorite Stampington Magazines.

One of my KC Willis collages I made for myself,

using an image of her much beloved Annie Oakley,

& a vintage baby book from 1910 that still has baby hair in it.

My desk & chair...the chair I got at a thrift store in Santa Monica

& the desk came from my shop, I love all the big drawers.

Who doesn't love a rusty, old garden chair in the house?

An issue of Belle Armoire Jewelry magazine that I was

featured in has a place of honor on my desk...

along with everything old, tarnished & SILVER.

Soldered pieces I've been working on...

an old light fixture I attached a vintage door knob to...

some rusty old scissors...

chandelier drops of all kinds...

my crystal pen & pencil holder &

a tray with a baby's vintage silver mirror & brush set, so yummmy.

A little piece of green ceiling tin & my favorite Brighton clock...

along with flower frogs, old tintypes & vintage baby shoes.

My brother Johnny peeks over my shoulder as I work & the TV rests on

an empty sewing machine cabinet covered with ceiling tin.

I LOVE this antique armoire, not only for what it can hold,

but also for the richness in color it gives to this mostly white room.

The tulip carving is beautiful.

On either side of the armoire are a couple of my favoritest ceiling tiles

I got in Round Top, Texas, they'll need to bury me with those. lol

I used this cabinet in my shop, 'Lambs & Ivy'. It made many 'cute as pie'

displays & now holds some of my containers of buttons & beads &

miscellaneous, important goodies.

Every shelf, box & tin filled with something I adore...

like this vintage, tinted photograph of a little girl feeding a lamb

a bottle, while standing next to an ivy covered tree.

Thumpty, thump, thump.

 Old jewelry boxes filled with bobbles...

a french grain sack...

my fabulous Texas tin...

& a vintage, mirrored, silver tray filled with business cards & such.

I LOVE JUNK....

especially these cherished doilies I went crazy for on my  last trip to Round Top.

My Gal Pals & I must have dug through stinky, old doilies for hours...

I was in HEAVEN!!!

Flying home on the airplane, I carried them with me in this vintage suitcase,

they'll have to bury me with these too I think. ;)

Doesn't having a little space to call your own make all the
difference in the world! Just a spot to gather your favorite
things & be able to glance at them as you walk by.
It makes me smile! 

XOXO

vintagesusie

200 Years Of Jane Austen

 {Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice}

Greetings Sweeties, on this beautiful, sunny spring morning!

The birdies are chirping outside as I type this post & think

of Jane sitting in her room writing with the windows

thrown open, also listening to the sound of birds.

{and my beloved Mr. Darcy}

This year is the 200th Anniversary of the first book Jane Austen

had published, 'Pride & Prejudice' in 1813. How wonderful that

this story remains one of the greatest ever written & still holds

such relevance in a world so changed from the one Jane

knew. But the heart stays the same & the love story

of Miss Bennet & Mr. Darcy forever touches us.

{Miss Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibilty} 

In honor of Miss Austen, I have added a new collection to

my paper doll series...Favorite Authors & Characters.

Who doesn't adore Jane's story, 'Sense & Sensibility'?

 {Miss Marianne Dashwood, Elinor's sister}

The tale of two sister's, one proper & wise, the other

headstrong & impetuous & their trials & tribulations

to find love & security, I know I DO!

And who doesn't love Emma?

Her idea of being the perfect matchmaker, in the peaceful
village she lives in with her Father, proves it's self to be
so far from the truth, she must resign herself to
never trying to 'make a match' again. lol

And what a surprise it is for her, to find her true love

has been right in front of her the whole time.

Classic stories, written by a woman in a time when
women didn't work & the only hope a woman had
of a happy life was to find a husband. Jane went
against both of these stereotypes & even with
a heart & soul so filled with passion & love,
she remained unmarried her entire life.

My next paper doll will be of Jane herself & I will
share with you the fun fabric book I made to hold
them all in. If you are interested in seeing more of
these paper dolls or any of my others, check out
my etsy store HERE!!!

I'm off to go check out some more of the jewelry
designs created for Miss Lori Anderson's,
7th Bead Soup EXTRAVAGANZA!!!
They are Amazing!
I'm in the 3rd reveal which is open on April 20th,
so check back to see my design if you get a chance.

Happy Spring Friends...
it's time to feel the renewal of life,
to smell the sweet fragrance of flowers,
& enjoy the warmth of the sun on our faces!

XOXO
vintagesusie

I've Been Doin Some SPOONIN

Greetings Sweeties...

I had soooooo much fun yesterday,

sitting down at my crafting desk & playin with some SPOONS!

As with all things in life, even my 'SPOONIN'

business comes & goes in cycles. I've been so

focused in on my paper doll line, I've all but

forgotten about 'SPOONIN'.

And then an order comes in & I pull out my vintage spoons

& hammers & anvil & start poundin away &

it feels SO GOOD!

After I'm finished with one & I look at an old spoon

that was tarnished & dirty, now sparkling with new life,

I can't help but SMILE!

Hope you're smiling today too...

XOXO

vintagesusie

Here's the Soup I Sent!

Hi Soupers!!

Tina of Winged Imp got her beads yesterday,

so I can now show y'all what I sent her.

First, I threw in a few pieces from my 'SPOONIN' jewelry

line, cuz it's always so much easier to eat soup

when you've got a SPOON!  :)

Then I added some of my favorite colored beads

in luscious coppers & browns...

aquas & turquoise made from stone & glass,

the subtle, beautiful colors of nature.

And just for fun, I added some bird nests, vintage coins,

silver Milagros, wood beads, sari silk & vintage lace.

What fun...I can't wait to see what amazing design's

Tina comes up with & to sit down with all my

goodies & start makin my necklace.

Check back for more Bead Soup soon,

our reveal date is in April, now

to start designing!!

XOXO

vintagesusie

Soup's On & Look What I GOT!

Greetings to my Sweetest of Hearts!

It's that time again, time for Lori Anderson's

7th Bead Soup Party & Blog Hop!!

This is my 3rd time makin soup with Lori & it's always such

a fun event... pickin the beads you're going to send your

partner & then waiting excitedly for your beads to arrive!

My partner this time is the talented...

Tina Noonan

of

Winged Imp Designs & Blog.

 She sent me some wonderful ingredients,

 full of color & texture...

with silvers...

& coppers...

& gold.

I can't wait to get all of my supplies out,

spread this soup out on my bead table

& start cooking.

Thanks Tina, for all the Beautiful Goodies,

Let the Creating Begin!!!

Oh & speaking of Sweetest of Hearts...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

to all of you, from my neck of the woods to yours!

XOXO

vintagesusie

Queen of Queens

Queen Alexandra of Denmark,

Queen Consort of King Edward VII,

Mother of King George V,

Sister to Princess Dagmar of Denmark, {Maria Feodorovna}

Aunt to Tsar Nicholas II,

the Last Tsar of Russia.

Queen Mary of Teck,

Queen Consort of George V,

Mother of King Edward, who abdicated the throne for Wallis Simpson

& to Albert who took his place & became King George VI,

Grandmother to our current Queen Elizabeth.

Queen Marie Antoinette of France,

Born Archduchess of Austria,

She ruled France with her husband,

King Louis the XVI,

who she was married to from 1770 until 1793

when they were both executed during the

French Revolution.

Soooooo, from all of the paper doll designs I've made lately,

I have decided I, vintagesusie, am the Queen of Queens!

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it!!! :)))

{if you'd like to see any of my dolls for sale,
they can be found in my etsy shop right
HERE}

XOXO

vintagesusie