Even More Vintage Christmas!

I really AM decorating with all of this stuff I buy, and not just storing it away. But boy it's so difficult when your greatest passion (as far as collecting go's) is vintage Christmas, and the shops are full of it right now!

I can't stay away!

One of my new x-mas collections is boxes with great old graphics. This card box and the two tie boxes were each a dollar at Annie's! I'll use them to store glass garland in, and then display too.

 I gave a few of these to Tammy for her wreath! It's so fun to find them for .50 or $1.00 each!

This was at the thrift store for $1.  So cute to melt butter or chocolate on the stove! You know, because melting butter needs to be cute! ???

Vintage seals from Annie's. I love the "Guard Duty" one!

I think most of these went to Tammy. I found a lot that day!

 I've been able to hang out with my sister a lot over the past couple of weeks because her BF is out of town. One night we went to a great antique store and I found one dealer that had really fare prices!

The handmade tree skirt fits my new aluminum tree just great, and it was $3.50!

 I've looked at this card box on EBay for years, but it's always more than I want to spend. I was so excited to find it for $4.50! My sister was laughing at how ridiculous I was acting!

Three Rudolf's at $2.00 each!

These ornaments each came from a different store, but my favorite is the aqua bell. It was .25 at the thrift, and the only thing I bought that day. I love days like that! I find a little "gem", and don't have to feel any guilt. Haaa!

Corsage supplies! My favorite!

Wellie wanted to show you another ornament. Though not vintage, we quite like it!

OK, The next few posts will show my decorating and I've been making things, so I'm going to have a SHOP UPDATE COMING SOON!

Happy Holiday's Friends!

A Thrifting We Will Go...Antiquing Too!

It's 4:15AM and I'm wide awake. Ugh. I'm a bit out of sorts I guess. My R.A had been just terrible for a couple of weeks, so I finally broke down and took prednisone. Yuck! But I was desperate for some relief, and I so wanted to enjoy the month of December and everything that it brings.

Well, I instantly felt better after taking it, so I shouldn't complain. But the side effects aren't so fun. Like major insomnia for one! So here I am, catching up on posting at 4AM!

The other day I got out of the house for a bit and went to the thrift store and to one of the antique stores in town. My grand total for the shopping trip was $14.00, and here's what I got! I don't have a record player (yet) but this cover was too cute to pass up for a quarter!

 Very rarely do I buy anything Christmas/Holiday related that isn't vintage. But I loved the velvet and foil leaves on this card holder...and I really do need somewhere so store my vintage cards.

 Five vintage molds for .75 that I can use to make ornaments, and paper-mache boxes that will soon be decorated and for sale in my Etsy shop!

 I'll just "hoard" this away I think! LOL

These were .50 for the pair. For the most part I have stopped collecting Pyrex, so these are for my shop.

I was really excited to find these deer still in their package. They're already on my tree! And I'll "hoard" these vintage napkins away too...for someday down the road when I have an actual place of my own and can set a Christmas table!

These little things were at the antique store. I didn't have a ceramic tree (heaven forbid), and I like this little version. I've already glued glass mercury beads to the branches, so I'll have to show you how it turned out. I've also added a spun cotton Santa head to this corsage. I love those green glass pine cones!

I HAVE started decorating, it's just slow going. And it's a little (OK I'll be honest) A LOT frustrating that I don't have my own place to decorate. I didn't plan on being at my parent's house for this long, but three years and two surgeries later...here I am.

I'm sure hoping that 2013 is amazing! :)

OK, Good Night my friends...or should I say Good Morning?

Oh, wait...

Noel wants to show you her favorite ornament. :)

Meri's Giveaway!

Hi Friends! I wanted to let you know about a very generous Giveaway that the wonderful Meri of " ImaginMeri's Creation's"  is having!

 

Meri's offering this super cute wreath to one lucky follower...

 

And this beauty to another!

 

If you aren't familiar with Meri, you simply must get to know her!

She's a sweetheart, and her site will become your one stop shop for darling vintage graphics!

 

 like this sweetie...

 

 and this familiar friend...

 

and these little darlings...

 

 

So hurry on over to Meri's, and toss your hat in the ring for one of her beautiful wreaths!  Good Luck!

Erica :)

Handmade Holidays!

I was fortunate to be able to drive about an hour south to visit my friend Tammy (Tammy's In Love) the other day! Well, many of you know Tammy and her talent with a scissors and some paper. She can create magic! And I wanted a lesson! The plan was for her to help me create a paper garland, and then I would help her make a glass ornament wreath. We accomplished both! I pulled into her driveway at noon, and back into my driveway at 12:15AM!

I think it took us so long because we're so similar! We over thought EVERYTHING! For example, this is scene 3 of my banner. Santa has arrived to a child's home, which is why this is the only one that's shaped like a house. Tammy suggested that the cute paper in the background run vertically instead of horizontally because it would represent wallpaper! LOL It totally worked! Is she a genius or what?

This is scene 5, and I think it's our favorite! Santa is done with his work and heading back home to her! She has made him cookies of course. Notice the little elf that we added? He's waiting with his plate because he wants a cookie too!

OH! All of my images came out of the Little Golden Book "Santa's Toy Shop". I found a vintage copy for $1 and just had to use pages that weren't colored on!

Tammy showed me how to use a cereal box for the banner pieces. She also keeps templates (made from more cereal boxes) handy to make things way easier.  Pinking shears turns vintage sheet music into the perfect border. My favorite part of Tammy's lesson was that your main image can stick way off of the banner, like Santa's leg in this photo.

Sorry for the terrible pic! The banner is sooo much cuter in person!

Thrilled with my banner, we moved on to Tammy's wreath. We used the exact same method as the one I made a few weeks earlier, only Tammy's is one size smaller.

We LOVE how it turned out!

My favorite part is the mini bead garland, and the little elves that look like they are playing in the wreath!

You'll have to click to inspect this further, but can you believe that Tammy's husband creates this little scene in their kitchen each year? How many husbands do that?????

He uses things from their baking cupboard like the food dye and paper cups to build height and interest.

Rice becomes snow, and peppermints become a cobblestone walk!

And Tammy's husband is a postal worker. Look at this darling USPS themed wreath that she made!

The Little Golden Book makes a perfect focal point. Did you know that Tammy has a massive collection of LGB's? I'm talking many hundreds!

Thank you Tammy, for your hospitality and friendship! Our Craft-a-palooza Day (ha-ha) was a blast!

I put up a few little decorations! Here are some of my vintage snowman Christmas cards. But do you see who else has made an appearance?

Yes, I finally have one of Elizabeth's Snowmen! Doesn't he look right at home?

And look at what else E sent...

The cutest winter pom-pom birds ever! I have them sitting with the green mushrooms that E sent last summer. Elizabeth you are too generous and oh so talented! Thank you!

I hope you are all having a fabulous week,

Erica (and Wellie too)

Like I was just saying...

A week ago I finally got a chance to go to an aantiques store called "Auntie M's". It's located in Hopkins, which is just west of Minneapolis. The shop is known for it's great vintage Christmas displays, and last Friday they were having a 20% off sale!

I'm having an issue with the pics.  You'll probably want to click on them to see better. :)

Every inch of the store looks something like this! Our dear friend Deb (Garage Sale Gal) has a booth there! I forgot to snap a pic of her booth, but be sure to click above and you can see it. I spy a couple things that I bought from her!

 Can you even stand this case??? It's Magical!!!

  Kitchy, glittery, velvet, beaded...

glass, wax, bottle brush, and spun cotton...it was all there!

This was in a little closet that you could step into!

One of the booths downstairs. Yes, there are 3 levels!

OK, here is what I came home with...

 I was getting low on glass picks (for x-mas art) so I was happy to find these little ones. And that Snowman said "Erica, please don't leave me here". So I had to listen to him.

More cards for my collection! LOVE the Santa in the red car! And I thought that the Happy New Year one was fun! I think the cute girl with the braids is from Deb's booth.

And I had to get my spun cotton fix! The little match books are darling!

Two more stocking for my collection. Deb, I'm wondering if the Snowman one came from your booth.

It's so big and soft! I have looked at that same one of EBay for years, so I'm thrilled to have it.

I can never pass up vintage Christmas seals. I also found two cards of old jingle bells and cute green letters for an upcoming day of crafting with Tammy! Oh, and the tiniest Annalee Snowman ever!

This was the first thing I put into my basket, about 10 seconds after we walked in the door. I love that he's jointed and so cheerful looking!

You know how I always try to buy something to sell, in efforts to offset that days spending? Well this is the perfect piece! These Swedish linen wall hangings were done by Jerry Roupe. Earlier this year I found one at the Goodwill for $1.00, and sold it on EBay for about $50. This one was only $2.50 after the 20% off.  So we'll see what it goes for! I'll have to let you guys know how I do!

Isn't it cute? If I was Swedish, I'd totally be keeping it! LOL

OK dear friends, I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving! Have fun getting out those Christmas decorations!   Erica : )