What do you do with a bunch of doilies?

I have been collecting doilies...

a lot of doilies...

a whole big bunch doilies...I enlisted friends and family in this search...

An older lady at one of the thrift stores I stop in a couple times a month while on my  search  calls me her "doily lady". She would ask me how many I had found...I have no clue, I had never counted. I just knew I was going to need a lot for all the project ideas I had. 

I finally got the time to work on a banner/garland for my Darling Daughter...

I hung the doily banner on the front window at my house to take these photos. The window in her house is much larger than mine, so I draped the ends on either side of my window, then pulled up on parts of it to create some swags.

I created scrunchy bows out of crinkled seem binding ribbon and placed one between each doily on the banner...

DD hung her  banner up on her window, looks pretty good. Now I need t come up with some other creative ideas for all those doilies...yes, I'm still collecting.

The Olde Curiosity Shop

I love  exploring  antique, thrift, "junque" stores...how every you describe them, nothing is better than  finding cool junk!  Those one time  discards become your wonderful treasure.

 The Graphic 45  "Olde Curiosity Shoppe" patterned paper reminds me of the wandering through the perfect antique store. How to use such a imaginative paper line, chip board die-cuts and of course  "Wild Honey" Distress Ink...?  

Create a antique store mini album!

The cover of the album is the "front window" of the Olde Curiosity Shop...with a glimpse of the fascinating bits and pieces waiting to be discovered.

Layered on the "window" is a pewter Bee...

Opening  the cover to  the first pages  shows some of the  fantastic oddities. Best of all...a flying pig!

 Stepping further into the shop we find butterflies and bees...and a mysterious lady with a copper key.

Turning the page we notice  a rare butterfly collection...

What clever oddities will we spy next? A peacock feather and a "flying" shoe!

We have poked in ever nook and cranny of the shop and now have come to the end...

There is always something fascinating to happen upon in the Olde Curiosity Shoppe

New Baby, Thrift Stores and Eegees

Tucson sister became a Granny on Friday morning. Her #2 daughter had a beautiful baby girl. My daughter decided we needed to drive down to Tucson Saturday morning and see the new baby. We loaded up the grand kids and headed south. Years ago...many years ago I could have navigated us right to the hospital...we ended up taking the scenic route through down town Tucson and past U of A. We all got to hold "sweet baby girl"...and had a nice visit with the new mom and dad...and the rest of the family that had taken over the hospital room.
We kidnapped Tucson Sister and went off to find lunch and to make a couple of fast stops at the local thrift stores.
TS and I spotted this bride and groom about the same time at one of the stores. She said "weren't you looking for wedding cake toppers a while back...what were you going to do with them?" Yes...I was looking for bride and grooms...and I did have a great plan for them...I just couldn't remember what it was at the moment...but for a $1.98 I'll buy it...and hopefully I will remember what the great plan was later. So many ideas...so little time!
At the next stop I found this 1930's children's, book back in a corner of the shop.
The book was not in great shape, but the graphics were wonderful...
I'm not sure what I will do with it yet. But, again...the price was low...plus 10% off!
We dropped Tucson Sister off back at the hospital, and headed back home...
Making a pit stop at a old Tucson favorite...EEGEES!

Flowers, Thrift Store and Mother's Day

I have spent the last three day's designing flowers at a local florist for Mother's Day...
11 hours Thursday...
12 hours Friday...
and today...only 9 1/2 hours.
I know you are asking..."didn't she tell us way back in January that she was getting out of the floral business?" You're right... I did...I'm now what is officially called "holiday help". So I pull out the tool bag...sharpen my knife...and design.

I did finally come up with a glimmer of an idea for a Mother's Day card.
Scrapbook Barn got the new line of "October Afternoon" double sided patterned paper. It's called "Thrift Shop". The designs look like something you would find on a visit to a secondhand store. I used "Needs Paint" and "Complete Set" The vintage look went well with the old advertisement for aprons that I found on Flickr. I used the new Tim Holtz "Bundled Sage" distress ink...
some Ric-Rac and ruffled ribbon and some Prima flowers.

Have a wonder for Mother's Day!

Birthdays, Tucson and Easter Cards

For my birthday, Tucson Sister gave me this children's book with wonderful graphics. She found it in one of her favorite out of the way thrift stores.
There isn't a front cover...so I have no clue when or who published it...or what the title of the book is...

The paper is kind of a thick newsprint...and measures 13x9 1/2 . Yellowed from age...

but the colors of the images are still vibrant.

At the bottom of each page is a "mini" story, describing what is going on in the image...the book might have been meant for a child in grade school.

The clothes the kids and the teacher are wearing look like it might be "fashion" from the 1920's 0r 1930's...so I'm guessing that the book was published about that time.

I thought it was a pretty cool birthday gift...I may have to take a road trip to Tucson and have TS take me shopping at all the "neat junque" stores.

Oh by the way....

Have you started your Easter cards yet? That's okay...I haven't either!