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.

Readers Digest Books Revisited :: A Weekend Challenge.

Happy Friday Everyone! We are getting ready for my parents to arrive this evening to spend the weekend with us...which means that this week went by at a little slower pace than usual. It seems like whenever we finally get company it makes each day seem like an entire week on it's own. But we're here now (and by HERE, I mean it's 5am and I'm way too excited to sleep!:D) and I thought it would be fun to do a little challenge for this weekend since we haven't had one for awhile.

First of all, let me just start by asking that you please pardon the quality of the images I'm sharing today. My Photoshop needs a little tune-up so I used my iPhone to capture and edit the images.  I think you can get the idea, though.

Ok, so onto the challenge...Do you remember when they used to have readers digest hardback books to buy? Yes? No? Yeah, me neither. :D Actually, I can't even guarantee that they don't still have them coming out to this day. All I know is that when I was moving into my house in Ohio 3 years ago, My mom and I were cleaning out some of the storage in the garage and came upon probably 50 or more of them. And I kept every single one. Let me tell you why: because whenever I find a good black & white/cream scrapbook paper I tend to buy like 10 sheets. Because nothing is more inspiring to me than a great color popping against a black and white accent print. I just love that almost any photo or embellishment can work with the right sheet. So tonight when I wanted to do a few quick cards to send out, I immediately thought of sharing different ways to use pages torn from the RD books. Best part? You can find an old book for no more than 25cents at any thrift store and you'll probably never run out in your lifetime since alot of them have hundreds of pages. I'm trying, though. I actually have three completed projects using them at the moment that I need to photograph and share very soon. But I digress...let's get on with what we came here to do today, shall we?

The challenge, essentially, is to use a page torn from a book on at least 2 different projects in 2 ways.

First up, I made this little owl card in less than 10 minutes using the RD page as the tree. I basically kind of let the first embellishments that caught my eye (the owl sticker {Hambly} and word bubble post-it {Kikkerland} guide me as far as where I took the design. The tree branch that the owl is perched on made a tree trunk the obvious direction to go, and the hot pink letters {Joann's} added a pop of color.

This next card is my favorite by far and took the longest (about 30 minutes total) but it is for my sister-in-law who is due with her forth child but found out for the first time the sex of the baby before her delivery. For this one I just cut the RD page into a square and let it be the backdrop for the nursery rhyme. I love that the typed words give the illusion of a much more complex project without taking away from the main embellishments.

(Caterpillar & Snail: Sassafrass; Blue Letter Stickers: Making Memories; & sticker: K&Co; Mushroom Rubons: Heidi Grace.)

For this next one I decided to try out the cream printed page against white cardstock for a subtle effect. Less subtly, I wanted to represent something really happy in an effort to show just how sorry I was...and the happiest thing I could think of was butterflies and flowers mixed together to make a new species that I invented called butterflowers. Not to be mistaken for a higher calorie version of cauliflower. ;)

(Butterflies: Hambly; Patterned Paper: Scenic Route) 

This last one is just a collage style card using the book paper for the balloon and random bits and pieces from my scrap container.

(Butterfly Stickers: Hambly; Blue/Green Contact paper: Vintage; Lined Blue Sticker: Studio Calico; Red Letter Sticker: Joanns)

That's all I've got for you today, my friends! All this card making has me in the mood for some serious scrapping...but alas I'll have to wait till next week because we've got company coming. Anyways, I really hope that you join me in the challenge this week. If you do, please make sure you share it in the Cartwheels Flickr Gallery so I can share it here on the site. I hope you all have as great of a weekend as I know mine is going to be! :)

xoxo, Cheryl

RANDOM CHERYL FACT: I am right now obsessed with the circus. I have never been to one in my life, but I just finished watching the 6-hour mini-series CIRCUS from PBS (on Netflix) and am in awe of the talent, work ethic and the gypsy lifestyle. Not to mention the costumes and bright colors. I am dying to do some circus inspired art!

Anatomy Of A Room :: A Vintage Nursery 02, Feedsack Pillow.

Happy Monday, my friends! I want to start off this post by apologizing...while sick last week I added some posts to the site from bed and apparently either forgot how to save them correctly or forgot the date. Either way, they didn't get posted...so I'm bringing them to you now! Better late than never, right? :)

Not too long ago, my friend Amy (Covey) sent me this old feed-sack in the mail, and as soon as I saw it I was super inspired and had lots of ideas for it.

(Here's a photo of an identical one that I found for sale on Etsy by seller tracytreasures13.)

I originally thought I'd use it in my kitchen since the side that's shown above has red and navy in it, but recently when I was cleaning out my art studio, it fell on the side that has only the black letters...and immediately I thought of adding lots of fun colorful flowers to it and making it into a pillow for Gracie's room. I just feel like the sack has that vintage feel that I'm going for, and the cream and black background with colorful accents are my favorite color combination.

The first thing that i did to design the pillow was to cut off a few little yo-yos from the huge quilt that is the main focal point of the room (you can see a bit of it here in the photo above)...that way it matched exactly. But then I added a few of my own fabric flowers with coordinating fabrics to add a little dimension since the yo-yos are so flat. To attach them, I just hand-stitched them directly onto the feedsack with a little bit of thin felt lining the inside of the sack to keep it from tearing. 

Then, to make the sack into a pillow, I took the original flat feedsack and filled it with quilt batting...packing it in tight enough that it has a pillow-like texture. I didn't worry too much about it being the most comfortable pillow in our home since it will be used for decorative purposes only, but I did want it to function correctly. 

Even though it's not perfect, it's perfect for the feel of that room. And that's the most important thing, right? And I sort of love that it's the only one of it's kind. 

What are YOU working on this week?

 

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!

 

Organization Inspiration - Vintage Locker Bins

 

I have a confession....I have a serious crush on containers.  I love baskets, bags, plastic bins, boxes, metal buckets, glass jars, bowls....if it can hold something then I love it!  I probably own way to many containers right now, but that doesn't stop me from looking (and sometimes buying) new ones.  I am drawn to the aisles with storage containers and baskets when I'm shopping.  If I'm in an antique or thrift store, I'm drawn to all the vintage buckets, boxes, and jars.  Sometimes I buy containers without a specific purpose in mind...I just know they look awesome and that I can surely find something to store in them.  That's the way it was with the vintage locker bins I found while shopping at an antique store.  I had lusted over them when seeing pictures of them on the internet and was so excited when I found not one but FIVE vintage locker bins at a reasonable price.  So of course I snatched up all five, even though I had no idea what I would do with them.

For about a year, they served as storage in my scrapbook area (which was really a corner in the unfinished portion of our basement).  I used them to store punches, sticker letters, stamps, and ribbons.  But when my husband refinished our basement and built me a brand new scrapbook room, the locker bins didn't quite fit the decor style in the new room anymore.  So for the past year they have been sitting in a corner in my basement just waiting on me to find some fabulous use for them.  I recently decided what to do with them (you'll have to wait and see...it's a project for later this spring), but in the meantime found lots of fun ideas for using locker bins on the internet.

 

Happy Organizing!!

 

Christmas List Check-off Help:: the vintage lover::

Time is ticking... Only a few days left until Christmas {cue the CRAZY, fast pace music!!!} Are you ready? I'M NOT READY EITHER!!!! AAAAAAH! I always imagine that my gifts are wrapped super cute and everyone asks how do I manage to wrap such pretty things... But, reality is at this point I haven't purchased half of the things I need too. And wrapping? Hmm, I  usually find the closest thing to wrapping paper {newspaper pehaps?} and throw some tape on it and call it a day. Just kidding. Kinda.

Today is for those who are like me and have a love for all things modern-but-love-that-vintagey-feel-and-like-telling-people-it's-vintage  Haha, you know what I mean? Or is that just me??? Okay, so for all of you out there who are last minute shoppers and need some help with all of your friends who have a LOVE for things VINTAGE this post may help you. Let's have a gander shall we...

{1}.  Tick tock. I would love to have this beauty perched up on my wall  looking back at me. Check out this forest clock from etsy's Decoylab

 

{2}. How many of you vintage people out there love pretty rings?  What about feather rings? Yeah? Good. If there's one thing I'm obsessed with, it's rings. Sometimes a ring is the only piece of jewelry that you need. These pretties were found on etsy's Brilliance Found.

{3}. Now I know you just came across some of these polaroid necklaces in Cheryl's post a few days ago but i ABSOLUTELY love a good polaroid necklace don't you? These are going to be the next "vintage" thing. Trust me. See more at  Vivi Dot.

 

{4}. Let me see that TOOTSIE ROLL! :) Great song, right? Talk about flash back to my Jock Jams 1995 cd! In other news, this coin/whatever you want it to be bag is the cutest thing ever. Coins are too boring to put in this. I would put only cute things in it.... like candies and little treasures. Check them out at Quixotic

{5}.I'm about to play the "old granny" card but I really enjoy a good shower cap. Haha, I have absolutely no shame and saying that I LOVE SHOWER CAPS! I give you full permission to laugh in my face. I've already embraced my "grannyhood" {literally... hood! get it?} For those of you that don't wash your hair everyday {like me} and want to look stylish in the shower and want to get a good jump start on your day you should check out this handmade shower cap atVango Beauty


 
{6}. Jet setter anyone? Who doesn't love a classic-looking suitcase?!? Especially if it looks like you've just stepped off the set of MadMen {have you seen those women's outfits?!? LOVE.} I think I would have made a lovely 1950's gal... especially if I was flying out to a fabulous destination. You can check out this vintage lovely and others on Etsy's The Vintage Cabin.

{7}. How many of you have little treasures laying around that you wish were safely nestled away in a beautiful tin? This kind of a gift is great for anyone because everyone has little treasures! If your like me then love notes are your treasures. Cards, letters, sticky notes and everything else that has words of encouragement is meant to be saved and re-read on a rainy day. This box from Barking Birds would make such a pretty gift. 

{8}. A vintage calendar!! {and when I say vintage I mean old images on an up-to-date calendar. Just in case you were wondering} :) After the year was over you could cut out the pretty pictures and then frame them. PERFECT GIFT IDEA! This pretty came from etsy's F2 Images

{9}. Vintage quart bottles. Who doesn't love a good glass bottle? I'm a little obsessed. I have a collection and it grows daily. So, if you're like me then this would be the perfect gift to receive.

{10}. Thermos o' coffee {or tea}. When people say the word "thermos" I immediately revert back to my childhood days and envision my dad with a sweater tied around his neck {preppy, right?!?}, thermos in hand while whistling some tune he's made up {so that's where I get my random whistling from...}. That is why I think thermoses shouldn't be modern... it disrupts with my awesome childhood memories.  So, lets keep it vintage, shall we? Modcloth has it right with this thermos. 

I hope these potential gift options have given you some ideas for your vintage friends out there. Happy {last minute} Christmas shopping!