Cartwheels In My Mind

Nashville Antiques via iphone.

Hidey-ho neighbors&neighborh'ettes. Today's post is tuning in from the great land of free refills,pulled-pork sandwiches, and country music. That's right folks, NASHVILLE {or Nash'vegas as I like to call it}.  I was out exploring the downtown area of Franklin the other day and came across some real beauties found deep within the city walls. The antique city walls to be exact. What was a girl to do when short on cash... CHARGE YOUR PURCHASES ON A CREDIT CARD?  Yeah, right. Hmmm.... How about take a picture of all those beauties via iphone if you don't have the funds to purchase anything {Yes, I did just get an iphone and do realize I'm behind the technological times... they don't call me a late bloomer for nothin'}!

I was so stoked to hit up three antique shops while I was there along with some other pretty boutiques and I couldn't keep it all to myself. Is that alright if I share my nash-iphone-antique-adventures with yall? 

Three things I would love to have that weren't seen in the antique shops: symbol pillows, soap figurines and a birdie mobile for my future children I will one day have.

Those weren't antiques but they sure are pretty to look at... now, moving along to what was is really important... the oldies but goodies.  

   

 

If you're in the market vintage technology this is the place to go... they've got it all from typewriters, phones, fans... and golf balls in egg cartons? Haha. Hmmm..

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall... Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and got rusty.

If that birdcage would have fit into my budget {and my suitcase} I would have purchased that thing so fast! Check out that old school baby stroller too? 

 

Make sure to check out Scarlett Scales Antiques for ornate clocks and luggage. Beautimous. 

Now wasn't that fun exploring a city through the iphone?!? HOORA! HOORAY! Out of all three places Arbor Antique Mall was my favorite... jewelry/old dolls/crazy lamps/awesome birdcages/civil war relics are just a few things you'll see popping up around that place.

Ps- when I say Nashville antiques I mean downtown Franklin. If anything is within a 20 minute driving distance I count it as the same place.

RANDOM FACT ABOUT ME: I almost had a wreck on the way up to Nashville because my sis& I were dancing to music a bit too loud in the car.

New Life For Vintage Jewelry.

 

Whenever I go to antique stores with my friend, we are always looking at the vintage jewelry.  It's so fun to imagine who wore it and to what special occasion they may have worn it.   This winter I bought some fun vintage costume jewelry and decided that since it really wasn't my style of jewelry that I would repurpose it and make it into something new and fun.

The first thing that came to mind was to make some into magnets. 

 

I simply clipped off the pin or earring back on each of them and attached a heavy magnet using E-6000 glue. 

 

I also used some of the jewelry to make clips.  I used the same process, but glued the jewelry onto spring clips used to hold papers together.

 

I have more jewelry in my stash and I plan on making more magnets and clips as well as some decorative thumb tacks for my bulletin board.  I also thought it would be fun to add some to hair clips or headbands.

 

I searched the internet for more ideas using vintage costume jewelry.  I LOVE all of these ideas and may have to copy some of them in the very near future!

Wedding bouquet | source :  www.daisypinkcupcake.blogspot.com

 

Another wedding bouquet | www.christinehallphotography.com 
 

Colorul heart (how pretty would this be framed??) | source:  etsy seller -dotstitch
 

Of course making new, more modern jewelry from vintage jewelry is always an option too.   

source :  etsy seller- dotstitch

 
 
 

So, what are you waiting for?  Go hit those thrift stores, antique stores, flea markets, or maybe Grandma's old jewelry box and see what old jewelry you can find to turn into new treasures!

 

25 Days Of Christmas...A Vintage Banner For The Tree.

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you are all having a fabulous week! We, in typical Ametewee disaster-prone fashion, have been dealing with an exploded garbage disposal and all the stuff that comes with it. But looking on the bright side, I didn't have to do dishes for a week so when I wasn't calling the people to come fix it I was able to get a little extra Christmas shopping and fit in a tiny bit of art. :D 

SO...today I wanted to share a fun Christmas project that I did to add a little vintage/handmade appeal to our sad little empty Christmas tree...a vintage fabric banner.

When I started the project, I fully intended to use some of the new funky fabric I have picked up over the past few months, but when I was going through my fabric cases I came across this little hand-stitched quilt that I bought a couple years ago when Amy and I were on one of our many antique shop runs. I had intended from the first second that I saw it to use it for a project where I could keep it intact, but when I saw it the day I was working on the banner, I just knew it would be perfect for what I was trying to do with this tree project. And after the first few chops I didn't mind cutting it apart. :)

To make the little banner pieces, I cut little diamonds from the fabric quilt by folding the fabric in half to make them each exactly match up when I folded them and attached them to the piece of twine I used. 

Next, I just folded them over the twine and then stapled them into place. I know that it would probably have looked cool if I stitched them, but A. i don't know how to use a machine, B. I was feeling too lazy to stitch them all by hand and C. I'm not a perfectionist and think the staples make it look a little more effortless. 

Once I had them all stapled, I took a few shots to share with everyone while letting Londerpants play with them for a bit...

And then I wrapped it around the tree to get the decorating process underway (there are now a few more things added to it to make it a little fuller).

And the best part? This will go perfectly with Gracie's new nursery theme (I'll start back up with sharing the process of decorating her room after Christmas) so I'm thinking that I'll be able to use it as art on one of her walls! 

And THAT, is why I like to make sure my Christmas projects aren't all about the red and green...because 1 month a year just seems like a waste to me when you are creating a project that you love. :)

P.S. I wanted to apologize for not sharing the give-aways this week like I said I would. I promise that I will still post them all...even if I have to do it after Christmas. Everyone still loves fun free stuff no matter what month it is, right?! :)

diy ruffle scarf

 
You know we all do it.  We wait until the last minute and end up having to go out and buy a gift because we waited too long to make the handmade gift we really wanted to give to that special friend or family member. 

Yep. Been there. Done that. 

But I'm here to tell ya, this is a simple and oh-so-fabulous gift that you can make in just a short time that is as good - oh wait, even BETTER - than any store bought purchase.  It's lovely, comfy and HANDMADE!!!!  Oh and did I mention inexpensive?!  You could seriously make a ton of these for just a few dollars. 

All it takes is a t-shirt - used or new, thrifted or straight from your closet - scissors, and some thread. 

"Whoohooo!!  Bring it on, " you say?!

I hear ya!

Let me tell ya though.  I rarely make anything - projects, recipes, etc. - and follow certain directions.  I just kind of jump in and go with it.  So that's how my instructions will be posted.  They may not be total perfection but they'll get the job done.

First things first.  Grab a t-shirt.  One that's too small, too big, in your giveaway pile or one you've picked up at the thrift store.  But choose one in a great color you'd love to wear around your neck.

Now you'll cut a few strips off the bottom of the t-shirt.  I cut two 6" strips out of the bottom of this shirt so I ended up with two loops of t-shirt.  Then I cut one side of each loop to make two long strips of t-shirt fabric.  Now you'll sew the two strips together at the ends to make one super long strip of fabric.

Once I had my strip ready to go, I folded the strip into thirds to get an idea of where I wanted to sew the stitching.  Then I placed a piece of masking tape on the sewing machine as my guide to help me keep my stitching straight.  Because see...this was the first time I've sewn since my 7th grade Home Ec. Class. Wow!!  I needed every little bit of help I could get.  I sewed two seams down the fabric, using a basting stitch.  I'm sure there are a million and one different ways to do this easier but this is what worked for me.  I set the stitch length long and the tension low.  I think maybe if I'd had it on a higher tension, it would've gathered and ruffled more on its own.  But this is my story and I'm sticking to it.
 

Once I had my basting stitch finished on each 1/3 section, I pulled the thread gently to gather and create the ruffles.  This was probably the most time consuming part of the project but easy, nonetheless.
 

When I had it gathered just the way I liked it, I went back over the seams with a straight stitch to hold the ruffles in place. And TA-DA... 
 

Seriously, if I can do this, YOU TOTALLY CAN!!!!!

Now I'm going to dig through every giveaway bag of shirts and dig around in my closet for some more fun fabrics to repurpose!  Can you image doing this with an old sweater?!  Whoohoo!!  Next project, HERE I COME!

Happy gifting!

 
Frames from Kitschy Digitals.

Thrift Shop Fabulous; Vintage Brooch Ring.

Happy weekend, everyone! Who's in the mood for a simple (but fabulous!) vintage ring project?

I have been collecting vintage brooches ever since my friend Amy and I discovered our mutual love for all things antique, thrift and vintage a couple years ago when I moved back home to Ohio. And up until recently I had them saved in a little box that I would peek into every now and then and think to myself about all the lovely projects I would do with them ONE DAY. But if there is one thing I've learned over the course of this whole Cartwheels adventure (besides the fact that it IS possible to still function after going 48 hours without sleep), it's to seize each opportunity and to create when the inspiration hits. Which is why this morning I turned one of my favorite gold brooches into a one-of-a-kind vintage treasure that I can wear on my finger anytime I feel like it.

To create the project, I simply fastened the brooch pin around the ring blank and then squeezed a little dab of Amazing Goop Craft Glue in between the blank and the back of the brooch to ensure that it stays in place.

 
And just like that I was all dressed up with absolutely nowhere to go. :D

So excited to dive into my little collection and start making them all into something different...because to me that's the best part of this whole handmade art thing.

 

P.S. Want to buy this ring? E-mail me at: [email protected].