vintage Archives - Linda Nelson

CUPID WAS HERE.

January 23, 2018

In my last post, I shared with you some sweet, handmade musings inspired by Cupid. Well, he continues to hang around aiming his crafty bow right at my heart. I don’t mind at all. Draw it in my direction all you want, little guy!

©Linda Nelson 2018

The fabric, trim and wire fixation kept me amused for one afternoon, but another afternoon followed……. with more fixations. I’ve been busy.

©Linda Nelson 2018

Full disclosure – this vignette was set up in my guest room, as it’s the only room in my house that gets bathed in the “flat” natural light that I prefer for photographing things. The common rooms (where I would actually intend to display these adornments)really stink with regard to suitable lighting.

I had made a bunch of wire ornaments to sell at my local garden center during the Christmas holiday. I updated the few I kept for myself by simply swapping out the original jute twine and green ribbon for pink ribbon. And, the cache of scrap ribbon leftover from the hearts I made is proof that you can pretty much turn anything into decor!

Oh, those popularly available reproduction game tiles are so overrated. Hand stamping real tiles is so much more fun ;D

Yes, I put on this siren hued, goopy lipstick and kissed the mirror just for you.

Printing vintage graphics…simple, fun and super thrifty.

The piece pictured below was a fun little project, and didn’t take much time at all to make. I bet you could come up with your own version of it. Go ahead, give it a try.

And, this little mushroom I made last year fits right in with all the other sweet companions.

Well, this post wraps up my collection of Cupid inspired creations. And, full disclosure – this is what my dining table has looked like for the past few weeks. Really.

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WHAT’S YOUR SIGNATURE STATEMENT PIECE?

February 12, 2016

I don’t really “decorate” my home for Valentine’s Day. I generally don’t decorate myself with jewelry either, though I own quite a collection, many of which are lovely costume pieces. I just prefer to hoard and possess them rather than wear them. When I do adorn myself with baubles, however, I’m usually inclined to choose one piece as a signature statement, and the showiness of that piece is dictated by my mood at that time.
When I’m feeling fabulously bold, I might choose this chunky attention getter…….. I’m totally serious. My sister used it as a Halloween costume prop years ago, then passed it on to me with the suggestion that I may want to disassemble it for crafting purposes. Little did she know that I thought it was fantastic just the way it was and that I’d enjoy it crafted around my neck.

©Linda Nelson 2016

When I want to feel like a princess, I might fetch this piece.

©Linda Nelson 2016

My signature winter holiday statement piece is almost always a snowflake brooch.

©Linda Nelson 2016

My absolute favorite go-to ring is this one, a Christmas gift I received from my aunt and uncle about FORTY years ago. I wear it when I am feeling “moody”.

linda nelson at the createaerie

©Linda Nelson 2016

And, when I simply want to step into a bygone era, I might pair a classic vintage pin atop one of my vintage hats, along with one of my vintage handbags.

©Linda Nelson 2016

So, I thought it befitting that I would make one (or two) signature statements in my home for Valentine’s Day.

This 1969(unsigned) screen print on mylar by Jim Dine, titled ‘Four Hearts’, is one of two thousand produced. I wonder what the other one thousand-nine hundred-ninety-nine are doing for Valentine’s Day?

©Linda Nelson 2016

My other statement piece is this 2016 original, one-of a-kind, signed collage on acetate by yours truly, titled ‘Sweet Tender Heart’. Priceless.

©Linda Nelson 2016

Thanks for stopping by, my blog reading sweethearts!

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LITTLE SPLASHES CHRISTMAS

December 18, 2015

Because my dining room and living room have served as crafting lab and production station for the past two months, and is currently a weekend open-to-the-public handmade holiday shop, I’ve held off on decorating those rooms. It’s a bit unnerving, as they are usually draped with my beloved baubles by now. However, I’ve managed to adorn my kitchen with curious little splashes of Christmas. The flavor for this season is homey, vintage, general store-esque…… with a pinch of kitsch. It’s subtle, but I’m finding it quite delightful.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Aren’t these Twelve Days of Christmas cloth napkins just darling? A client of mine passed them on to me. They’re just too pretty to smear a holiday feast upon; I think they’d make for a fabulous banner, though!

©Linda Nelson 2015

I had just enough vintage glass baubles to fill this scale tray with, and especially love the look paired with the colorful candy canes.

©Linda Nelson 2015

Not a creature was stirring………. This sweet little felted mouse, a gift from a friend, quietly perches on my kitchen window. Washing dishes won’t have to be a lonely task.

I love decorating for Christmas, don’t you?

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RIP-DIP-N-ROLL

January 9, 2015

Yesterday I defrocked an old linen tablecloth, then repurposed it into shabby, vintagesque fabric gift wrap ribbon. Paired with a color coordinating box, this simple ensemble is presentation worthy.

If you have an old(white) linen tablecloth that’s seen its day perhaps you’d like to make some ribbon yourself.

Here’s what you’ll need (besides the tablecloth) –

2 small bowls
small paint brush
measuring tablespoon
1/2 cup water
white school glue
various colors of acrylic paint with a viscosity thicker than cheap craft paint
mesh sieve or coffee filter (not pictured)

Begin by snipping one end of the cloth with scissors, then rip/tear cut the rest of the length. Continue snipping and ripping various widths of “ribbon” until you have the amount of pieces you’d like to color.

Next, remove the warp/weft threads created by the ripping step. Remove only as many necessary to create a tiny, shabby fringe.

Combine one tablespoon of paint, one tablespoon of glue and one tablespoon of vinegar with 1/2 cup water in a small bowl; stir/blend thoroughly with the paintbrush. Pour paint mixture through sieve and into another small bowl. This procedure captures any globs of paint or glue that didn’t dissolve completely.

Dip your fabric strip into the paint mixture, then squeeze out the excess. Wait a minute or two, then rinse under COLD water. Squeeze out excess water, hang to damp-dry, then toss them in the dryer on high heat for a few minutes until completely dry. Remove additional warp/weft strands made during the drying process.

A half cup of paint solution will color about ten feet of fabric.

Roll up your ribbon and secure with a safety pin to prevent unraveling.

The rolled repurposements are so pretty; they can be stored in plain sight.

There you have it.

Now start ripping, dipping and rolling, and get creative!

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