Displaying Buttons

 Can I just say, I love this graphic.  I found the original, to the right, on Graphics Fairy, then did some trimming, spent some time in Paint erasing the word 'Album' and adding blue trim.  And voila, I have a simple but charming button card for the blue buttons in my collection!

 Isn't it fun how all the birds appear to be entranced looking at the button/s sewn in the middle of the card?

 

Then I spent a little time today sewing my Frenchy Blue buttons on the cards ... They make the best frames ...

Thank you, Thank you Karen from Graphics Fairy ... now I need to find more great back grounds for other  colors of buttons.

I know hard work, but someone's got to do it!

Colored Glass Mosaics

 Today was a serendipitous day in many ways ... but one of my favorites was that I got a call at the Antique Mall where I work from a lady who wanted to sell some old windows.  She lives in my little town so I made arrangements to meet her after work. 

I found out that this is what she does with old windows.  She glues colored glass fragments to them to make colored glass mosaics.

 What a talented woman Tiffany is.  The designs are all her own, though she does do some custom work that included collaborative consultation.

 Most of the glass she uses is dug and collected at old dumps.  The one to the right is her favorite.

She sells her work on etsy, definitely worth taking a peek!

 

This cat and balloon composition is a collaboration, and is probably my favorite.

 She is shown above with another work of art ... the mural to the right was done with her mother in her daughter's room.   Whoa!!

 Happy mosaic stepping stones dot her garden path ... oh and she has some serious gardening skills as well.

And just before I drove away, I had to snap one more picture.

Displaying Funky Junk for Altered Art

 

If you are a long time follower you may recall that when I drove to Southern California last year for a flea market with some friends, we accidentally discovered a cool and unusual craft supply store for Altered Artists called Zinnia.  Ever since I have toyed with the idea of having a section of my space at the antique mall that had junk and goodies for crafters.

 This is the sign that I made today to hang in my new artistic junk booth.  Of course its really just a reinvented sign, having lived a former life with the slogan 'let it snow'.

I have had some such stuff for years, like old clothes pins, cookie cutters, antique toy blocks, sheet music, old photos, zippers with metal teeth, buttons, silver plate flat ware, and glass doorknobs, etc, but they have always been scattered over the 5 booth spaces I rent at the mall.  Now they are coming together.  Its been super fun, as I always love a project.

 I was lucky enough to find four gallon jars at an estate sale last weekend, but they looked drab and utilitarian.  So even though I am just using them to display junk for sale, I thought it would be fun to keep in the spirit of reinvention and altered art.

 These cute old photos of girls in vintage costumes came from Graphics Fairy, and I have used some of them over and over.  Karen always has such great stuff!

Here they are all filled and ready for their trip to Treasure's Antique Mall in Springville!