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Friday, December 19, 2014

Estate Sale in Pine with Friends

Last week I found an estate sale in Pine, CO.  The amount of vintage Christmas was staggering.  Naturally, I called my friend Amy Kozdron, owner of the Pink Attic Cat.  The Pink Attic Cat is known to specialize in Vintage Christmas during the months of November and December.  Check the Pink Attic Cat's Facebook page here and you will see many pictures from the shop.

We had to go on a field-trip to  Pine.  Last Thursday morning, I was ready at 6:15 a.m. when Amy and Traci came to my house to pick me up.  We wanted to be in line soon after 7:00a.m.  The estate sale started at 9:00a.m..  Why were we there so early?  The items at this estate sale were so unique and special, we wanted to be first in the door.  We were 4, 5, 6th in line!  Many people came to this estate sale.

The drive up to the house was beautiful.  We saw the sunrise! The driveway leading to the house has a steep grade.  So steep, Amy had to put her vehicle in 4 wheel drive.  I am not a fan of mountain driving but visiting with Amy and Traci helped relax me and we were there in no time.



We all had our wish list.  Unfortunately, some of the items were more expensive that we anticipated. The three items on my Christmas Wish list at this estate sale were  Putz Houses, Strands of Mercury beads and a few mercury glass bird clips.  Since Amy and I had those 3 items in common, we shared these purchases.  After Traci and I helped Amy gather the Vintage Christmas I began shopping for my usual, vintage linens.  We spent hours at this estate sale.  I have to say, it was so much fun!  I loved spending most of the day with Amy and Traci.

There was one item, perhaps #1 on my wish list that I had to walk away from .  A collection of beautiful Victorians button in a shadow box.  The price was much more than I was willing to pay.  As the morning went on, I even asked to look at the shadow box up close.  I wanted it but I told myself,  "No."

After a morning of shopping, we were hungry and stopped for lunch in Pine.  Amy knew I really wanted the buttons, so did Traci.  During lunch, I said it was just as well, after I paid for all of my stuff I did not have enough cash to buy the buttons anyway, so it was not meant to be.  This estate sale was very strict, only cash accepted!  Amy then handed me a cash loan and tells me, "you need to buy them, we are going back."   After lunch, we went back up the hill to the estate sale.  The ladies at the estate sale were happy I purchased the shadow box.  All morning long, they knew I really wanted it that button shadow box.

So Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday (next year)  to ME from me!
The photo does not give this collection justice.  There is a purple button (grape) that is just beautiful.  I will be finding a place on the wall in my basement studio for this shadow box.


I did not take photos of the linens, I washed them the same day and are now in my craft closet. However, here are a few pictures of the Christmas Treasures I purchased.

Strands of Mercury beads:


The tier of Putz houses on the left, with the beige glitter Church and all the houses below that tier all came from the estate Sale in Pine.  The other houses are estate sale finds  from the past 2 years.   The sequin Felt ornaments on the tree were purchased at the Pink Attic Cat - love them!

My Vintage Christmas in the Living Room

These long neck mercury glass birds are so special.  One has a crown. 


This past Monday I received an email from the estate sale company handling the Pine estate sale.  They were having 50% discount on everything on Tuesday.  Amy was planning on going to Pine on Tuesday to pick up a very special medial cabinet she purchased last Thursday.   This time, Amy and her husband Greg came to pick me up, at 8:30a.m.  We did not need to go so early since the sale opened at 9:00 and we did not have to be there when it opened.

I was not planning on more purchases; however, I found items I had not seen or missed before.  Some items I had liked but at the discounted price, I purchased them.  Again, we spent hours finding more vintage treasure. Amy purchased more Vintage Christmas and I found more vintage linens, among other things.   Again, we had lunch at the same place in Pine and even stopped in a few thrift stores in Pine.

 I spent another fun day with friends.









Sunday, December 14, 2014

THANK YOU! A Great End to my 2014 Season at Rue de Noel, A Paris Street Christmas Market

Before Sugar Plum Bazaar, at the end of November, I had hoped for an increase in sales from the previous year's Sugar Plum Bazaar.  Not only did my customers help me reach for that, but so much more than I had hoped.  THANK YOU!  So Grateful!

As the date approached for Rue De Noel, A Paris Street Christmas Market (December 5th & 6th), I thought it would be wonderful if my sales matched Sugar Plum Bazaar...but if they did not, it would be okay.

Not only did my Rue de Noel sales match Sugar Plum Bazaar, they reached a goal I had not even dare set for myself.  I am so grateful!  I have been over the moon!

I was truly touched when so many customers came into my booth at Rue de Noel, saying they were looking for me or hoping I would be one of the vendors.  I appreciate all their support.  I handcraft everything in my booth.  I love to re-purpose. I work hard at something I love and my customers tell me it shows.  I can't express how much my customers feedback means to me.  So again, THANK YOU to everyone!

It has been a busy week which is why I am just posting pictures from my booth at Rue de Noel.   I am back to working at the school as a Substitute Teacher. I finally got my basement studio cleaned up: that took a very long time since I manage to really make a mess of it getting ready for the shows.   I had an awesome day with friends this past Thursday as we went to a fantastic estate sale in Pine, CO.  I will post about that later this week. 

Thanks to their popularity, I created 80+ more new paper houses, lace trees and dyed many more bottle brush trees (added German glass glitter and Mica) in time for Rue de Noel.    Paper Houses were again my best seller,  I sold over 60 paper houses at Rue de Noel!

You can now find a sampling of my Christmas items (including the paper houses) at the
in downtown historic Littleton, 
5784 S. Rapp St.
Open Tuesday-Saturday
10-5

Here are the pictures of my booth at Rue de Noel, A Paris Street Christmas Market.














 
















Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Vintage Putz Houses at Rue de Noel, A Paris Street Christmas Market

If you have visited my blog before, you will know how much I love houses! 

Whether it's mix media, fabric, paper....pretty much anything!  

One of my popular Christmas items is the Putz inspired paper houses.  I love making them.  I love mixing different scrapbook papers to create many one of a kind, unique paper houses.

And, speaking of Putz houses.  I have to stay, there is something about those original vintage Putz houses that I love.  

The first time I saw one of them was many years ago at my husbands family Christmas.  The Putz houses were part of the Christmas Tree display at the base of the tree.  HO model trains, houses and these wonderful little treasured Putz houses.  We now own part of that collection and we cherish it.  It's a part of my husbands childhood and for me, it reminds me of my in-laws, especially my father in law (who sadly we lost a few years ago). 

This past year, I found many treasures at various local estate sales.  At one of those sales during the summer, I found a collection of vintage Putz houses.  Although I usually keep these houses for my own personal collection, I will have a few for sale this year at Rue de Noel's, A Paris Street Christmas Market this Friday and Saturday in Aspen Grove, Littleton.  See below for the poster for more details on the event or follow this link.

I created a 2 different scenes with these vintage Putz houses, they will be available at Rue de Noel's, A Paris Street Christmas Market..

I placed 3 putz houses (one a church) inside this cake dome.  I purchased the wooden cake dome at an estate sale.  I painted with Annie Sloan Chalk paint, added some silver highlights and applied wax.  


 The second scene is not covered.  It's on a rectangle tart pan. 


Using smaller round tart pans, I created a little scene with a bottle brush tree and toys at the base. 

I bleached, dyed...sprinkled with a mix of German Silver & White Glitter and Mica.  The toys are monopoly game pieces.  These will also be available this Friday and Saturday at Rue De Noel's, A Paris Street Christmas Market.







And, finally.

I will have lots of bleached and hand-dyed Pink and Teal bottle brush trees available  this Friday and Saturday at Rue de Noel's A Paris Street Christmas Market.



Here is the details on

http://www.aparisstreetmarket.com/rue-de-noel.php

Monday, December 1, 2014

Rue de Noel, A Paris Street Christmas Market this week...

I have been working on creating more Paper Houses and Jello-0 mold Ornaments for Rue de Noel, A Paris Street Christmas Market this Friday and Saturday.  Details below:


http://www.aparisstreetmarket.com/


I have re-replenished my inventory of paper houses, including creating new ones with papers I have never used before.  A sampling of some of my newest handcrafted items,


 This one reminds me of a cabin in the woods:


And more of my most popular paper houses with the Vintage Santa and Snowmen Paper Houses.


Jell-O Mold ornaments with vintage treasure inside.  The inside of the molds are covered in a layer of German Silver Glass Glitter!

Love working with Vintage Gold Dresden Paper Santa Claus.

 Love this Jell-O mold "nest" ornaments with a glass bird along with a bottle brush tree.  Trees have all been bleached, (some have been dyed a color), sprinkled with a mix of Silver German Glass Glitter, White German Glass Glitter and Vintage Mica! 

Jell-O Molds covered in Red German Glass Glitter or White German Glass Glitter

 I also bleached more bottle brush trees this past.  Later today, I am planning on dyeing them pink and teal (sold out at Sugar Plum Bazaar) and sprinkling them with a mix of German Glass Glitters and Mica.  I hope to have those ready in time for Rue de Noel!    This will be another week of working hard to complete other items in progress.