Enjoying the Craft Fair and beautiful Spring weather!

What a beautiful day for our first craft show! We had a lovely location under a large shade tree and luckily remained in the shade from 8am until well after five o'clock! A ton of people came out to buy the locally made crafts, enjoy homemade food and relax by the shade trees and pond.  I was absolutely exhausted by the time we got everything loaded into two vehicles and headed home. While I was rubbing my back after loading up our  heavy tables (which I love and were not for sale) I was wishing I had taken the offers I had for what seemed to be the crowds two favorite tables. Even though one was my real desk and the other was a regularly used craft table, wrestling them back into the truck was not much fun! What was I thinking?!?!

 

My mom is very crafty and creative so we put our efforts together to prepare for the craft fair. We stitched, painted and created for over eight months getting things ready. The painted jars were a favorite of customers as well as a lot of the kitchen stuff and horse themed items.

 I set this section up and quickly took a picture. It took about an hour and a half to unload, unpack and set up all of the tables. The door had a very pretty curtain topper, I wish I had noticed I did not get that fully in the picture. The wind was blowing it though so it may not have really photographed nicely.(Unfortunately I was so busy I didn't take nearly enough pictures, only 10 total)

The dishcloth pants sold well. (Part of the bottom can be seen in the duck tub) Only two are pictured here and have yellow yarn bows on white and yellow dish cloths. My great great grandmother used to make these for gifts. They were traditionally given with bridal shower gifts, since they were actually useful once untied. A cute and useful handmade gift that is so easy to make! I'm sure you could find a similar directions on the internet, so I won't post them here.

I set this up at home beforehand and took a picture. I really find the painted cans and jars very handy. I use the cans at home for colored pencils, paint brushes and craft supplies.  They are perfect if you need to store items on open shelves and want them to look nice while doing so.

My mom made some fun Mexico themed items. One of my favorites is the yellow jar with cute donkey. (on the left.) I like it and am kind-of glad it didn't sell so I can keep it around a little longer! ha. My mom also painted the horse jars, which I thought really turned out quite nice. We sold three of the palomino ones, I guess that was the favorite horse jar of the day!

I will list the horse themed trinket boxes for sale on etsy. (Lower right hand corner) The one with the saddle is $12.00 or $15.00 (can't remember right now.)  The brown and blue ones are about $7.00.
etsy link here:  www.CardsAndAntiques.etsy.com

I have to wood burn some more spoons, You can see them in the background, however, I don't have any close up pictures at the moment. I'll probably paint more jars and list some of the ones I have left since they are very handy to store stuff in, people seemed to like them and they sold well.


               Although I felt like this when I got home,


after a good rest I would probably do another craft fair in the future.
Not tomorrow or next weekend but sometime in the future!

Imari Pattern Items I found for the store!

Imari is a style of porcelain named after the Japanese port from which it was shipped to the West, beginning in the late 17th century. Originally made in the town now known as Arita, which became a center for porcelain thanks to its proximity to kaolin-rich Izumiyama, Imari ware (also called Japan or Japan ware), took its design cues from colorful Japanese textiles of the day. Exotic landscapes, gnarled trees, long-winged birds such as cranes, and depictions of courtesans in exquisitely detailed kimonos are just a few examples of the most common Imari imagery.

While Arita ware was often associated with blue-and-white pottery, the Korean-influenced Imari pieces were typically underglazed in blue to define areas filled in later with colored glazes fired at lower temperatures. Thus, blue was primarily used to create borders and backgrounds, although it was also painted on vases, tureens, plates, and lidded jars to depict leaves and other floral elements.

The most frequent Imari palette revolved around three main colors—the blue underglaze, plus a rusty reddish-orange and a brilliant gold. The popularity of this trio led to countless imitations in the West, produced by potteries as respected as Meissen in Germany and Spode in England, both of whom copied Imari freely.

This Imari teapot has a deep cobalt blue background with a bit of orange which acts as an accent to this piece. 14 KT Gold Highlights are still intact, which enhances the value. Places like the handle on the lid are always worn because it is touched the most with regular use. Although all teapots have worn places, look for pieces that still have some of the original gold intact.  This one measures 4" tall and is 9" between the end of spout and handle. Signed number on the bottom. An exquisite piece!

This is a beautiful Royal Crown derby octagon biscuit jar in the Imari pattern. It's porcelain lid is decorated with rich blue, rust and gold designs.The handle is made of bent wood and is covered with leather lacing.it is marked Crown derby on the bottom. There is also some other words stamped, however can not make them out. This jar is numbered on the bottom. 

www.CardsAndAntiques.etsy.com

These items have been added to my store, to check out in more detail just click the link above!

These salt and pepper shakers are stunning with their rich colors and go nicely with the Imari pattern! Very simple designs and flowers decorate the top part of the shakers which also have 14 Karat gold accents. If you are looking to add some life to your table try the Imari pattern and colors!

Lucky Day!

Found more MacBeth Evans at a local resale store! I know this is a difficult pattern to find. Will update with info on next post.

Vintage Finds

Depression glass is an inexpensive glass that was manufactured in large quantities during the 1920s and early 1930s.  Dozens of factories in the United States made it in many colors and patterns. Glass labeled elegant by collectors refers to American hand-pressed items made from about 1925 to 1955. Most patterns were also made in clear glass, which the factories called crystal. The name Depression glass is a modern one and also refers to machine-made glass of the 1940s through 1970s.

The Macbeth-Evans Glass Company was an American glass company that created very fine glassware with beautiful designs, famous for making depression glass.
It was located in  Pennsylvania and started in 1899. Before 1929, Macbeth-Evans made hand blown glass before the use of machines became popular.

I just love this pattern and got lucky finding these at an estate sale.

 

I also found these for the shop, they are similar with the blue edge. They would go with the plates above  nicely!

These pieces are in pristine condition, when looking for your own vintage finds make sure to look for any chips, cracks or glaze imperfections.

 For more depression glass check:    CardsAndAntiques.etsy.com

The Peaceful Home

Everyone has stress in their lives and your home environment can either add to your stress or help you relax.  I want to share a few ideas using light, shade and color to make your home a peaceful place.

Use mirrors to maximize the flow of energizing natural light through your home. Light promotes physical vitality and mental alertness

Candles offer a wonderful source of mood lighting-- as well as a suitable focus for a simple meditation. Look for interesting candle holders, such as pierced tin cylinders, which cast a soothing light show onto nearby walls.

You can also float candles in decorative bowls filled with water to establish ambience of gentle mysticism.

Use sheer fabrics as curtains or shades to diffuse and soften the light where appropriate creating an ethereal mood that combines seclusion and mystery. In other rooms (such as bedrooms) you might choose instead to block the daylight out completely, helping you generate an intimate, relaxing mood.


Use color strategically , bearing in mind their impact on mood. Cooler hues tend to be calming, warmer hues tend to be stimulating. Bear in mind the psychological and spiritual meanings associated with colors.

Red is associated with fire, so that a patch of red in a room can be a subtle substitute for a blazing hearth.

Orange is linked with spirituality and transcendence, and is a good colour for meditators.

Yellow is associated with sunlight, promotes optimism.
Green connects us with nature and instills a sense of harmony.

Blue, the color of the untroubled sky, suggests openness, freedom and tranquility.

Indigo, reminiscent of ocean depths, adds mystery to an interior.

Violet, symbolic of the "inner eye" the centre of spiritual vision, can guide us on the inner quest.

Wild and colorful sheer curtains!