So So Seventies

At first glance this fabulous polyester fabric just looks like it has a neat citrus-y, basket weave-y sort of vibe.

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Then you get closer, and BANG! POP! Metallic silver bling seriously cranks up her personality. Mm. I think I'll go pop on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and turn on the disco ball.

Makeover Monday: 8/30

I've begun to gravitate toward brightly colored fabrics for a more contemporary vibe. I knew this sheet would work up to be bold and fun.

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Yep! Bold, fun .... and shapely. Since there are a few others selling basic upcycled pencil pots on Etsy now, I figured I'd go ahead and make mine a little different. This beaker-ish shape is juuuuust what I was hoping for.

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Happy Monday to you! What's on your agenda for this week? Me, I have a doctor's appointment on Monday, a house cleaning scheduled for Tuesday, a playdate on Friday and a wedding to get ready for this coming weekend. And in between? There's tae kwon do to attend and fun to be had with my Sophie, a custom order for business card carriers to work on, and still loads of things to photograph and list in both shops. Whew!

Phat Lip

After making that curvy little aqua number the other week, I was anxious to experiment with my increases and decreases on a larger sized container.

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This is a double strand mix of a beautiful twilight blue and an ecofriendly/recycled deep ecru cotton. The bowl is 8" across the bottom, 6" across the top, and stands 4" high. Being able to create sturdy, shapely curves with yarn alone is just pure crochet magic!

A Little Something Sweet

It's a star...

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It's a garland...

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It's a {star}land!

Too corny? Or just the right amount of corn?

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This is the shorter of these that I have made so far. It's made of pink baker's twine and tea dyed cotton string. The other one is at least twice as long, featuring white, red, and jute. I had a difficult time getting decent photos of this one today... maybe some photo fairies will come in tonight and work on arranging the longer one for me! Stay tuned :)

Thursday's Treasure

Years ago I found one of these sewing cases in a thrift store. It was broken and dirty and $8, yet I still heavily considered buying it. I left it behind and never forgot how sweet it was, even in its state of disrepair.

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I found this brand new one- with its original paperwork!- in an antique store last week. Can you believe it??? I mean, this is from the 50s! It was marked $20, but was on sale for 40% off. No way was I letting it get away.

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Look at that swoon-inducing aqua color, and those sweet little kitties. This case was meant to be mine!

What The...? Wednesday

When I saw this in an antique mall last week, I was immediately drawn to the pretty blue metal and the green wooden handle. It has a super shabby industrial feel to it. I had no idea what it was until I read the tag, though. Thank goodness for sellers who know what they are selling, right? So, I ask you...do you know what this is? Leave your best guess in the comments- I'll be back with the correct answer tomorrow :)

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

Christmas bells are almost ringing... in the retail world, anyway. I've been gathering up all sorts of yuletide goodies to list in sosovintage, beginning the first of September. Stop by often ~ I have loads of really sweet things ready to fly off to someone else's home for the holidays!

Makeover Monday: 8/23

I started with some plain old white cotton,

~*~and added a smidge of this beautiful shimmery aqua thread that I found at Hobby Lobby in PA. We don't have Hobby Lobby here :(

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Viola~ A new shape! It reminds me of antique inkwells, and was inspired by ancient Native American basket weaving and pottery. It is the perfect size for a special pen or a couple of crochet hooks. Perhaps even a small bouquet of dried wildflowers. Look for it in sosorosey soon!

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Happy Monday! Boy did I have a fun vacation last week. Sophie and I were spoiled absolutely rotten by my folks. In addition to the neighborhood swimming pool and practically every restaurant in and around Gettysburg, we went to a miniature horse farm, a historic round barn, a Pennsylvania Dutch market, the South Mountain Fair, and an Amish flower drying shed. We did a horse and buggy trip around historic downtown, and climbed a gargantuan observation tower at one of the battlefields. I also had two whole days to go thrifting and antiquing all by myself- it was pure heaven and I have TONS of new goodies to list in both shops. That's it for me... what's new with YOU? I've missed you!

So So Sleuthy

At about noon today, I began to have lots of new hearts in sosovintage. Being glued to the computer getting orders ready to go out tomorrow, I noticed this happening right away. I immediately went to Etsy's front page to see if I had something there. Nope. Went to Craftcult to see if I was featured somewhere. Nope. Googled to check for a blog mention. Nope.

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Finally a few minutes ago, I noted a change on Craftcult. My enamel platters are the very first picture in the etsy finds, home decor post! Apparently I need to sign up for the etsy finds email messages to see these things straight away. But yippee- the platters are heading off to a new home, and sosovintage is feeling the love. Thanks, Etsy!!

Teeny Teaser 3

Inspiration for my 2010 ornaments ... found at a site called http://www.scrappybitznbobz.com.au/ which seems to be malfunctioning.

Boo hoo, because it was a really cute place!

Thursday's Treasure

OMG- Industrial woodland! How gosh darned cool is this metal squirrel with walnut mold? I'm guessing it was for chocolate, but who knows? Maybe a candle? Or a toy? If you have any expertise in this area, I'd love to know more.

Muse Loot

I'm heading on over to The Muse this Friday to replenish my bowls and introduce my stars. Here's all of the loot, tagged and ready to roll. Gee, I guess this is where all my time has gone this month! I have a couple of rug projects in the works, but I think I will take a few days to play around with some new ideas floating around in my head. Cooler weather is coming (please, God), and I need to get my autumn on!

Makeover Monday: 8/16

Not to be immodest, but after crocheting with fabric as long as I have, it is rare for me to find a general pattern that I haven't tried. You've seen most of it right here- the plaid, the dots, the stripes, the floral, the flannel. This graffiti sheet is a first, though!

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It's a party in a bowl! In person you can see the bits of letters and flecks of colors, creating an overall fun effect. Maybe I'll name her "ransom note".
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Happy, happy new week to you! Enjoy summer's last fling :)

My Dream Car...

... is actually a truck. It would definitely be this color, and would look basically just like this- but I'd add the old, high wooden slats around the back. The better to contain all of my large and unwieldy thrift finds (*rubs hands together*). I guess I'd stop rolling around town incognito, but it would be so worth it! Now to win the lottery...

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What's your dream ride? Leave a comment and share!

It Never Hurts to Ask

Remember the heart wedding favors I made? Well, here is a beautiful shot of them "in action"! It's a photo that I wouldn't have achieved even if I had been at the wedding myself!

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I was a little nervous to ask a stranger if I could use his work, but my etsy friends convinced me that I had nothing to lose. So, I sent out an email, and heard back from Tom Bialoglow (the talent behind www.AestheteStudios.com and www.JerseyWeddingPhotography.com) in short order.

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Not only was Tom very generous in allowing me to use his photo, he also immediately cropped it to the size I needed. Even better, I discovered that he is a really kind, professional, and all-around good guy. After several not-so-nice photographer relations of late, I am thrilled to know who I'll turn to the next time I need professional product photos. Thank you so much, Tom- you and your work are very appreciated!

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If you'd like to peek at the rest of the gorgeous shots he took at this amazing wedding, just go HERE and click on weddings, then Paula and Josh. Prepare yourself for stunningness!!

Teeny Teaser 2

These are the 3 colors I've chosen for my 2010 ornaments: dusty rose, subdued lime and elegant aqua. Now, do these say "retro" to you? I sure hope so!

Thursday's Treasure

The hunt began several weeks ago for the perfect hanging location for the new sosorosey goodies. My pink tinsel tree is hiding in a mass of boxes, and nothing else has *done it* for me. When this branch popped out at me today at Michael's, a little glow appeared around it, and I heard a strange humming in the background "aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh". OK, that's a bit dramatic, but I have very high hopes for this glittery twig!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

It's your special day! I hope your morning is filled with sunshine, your afternoon with rainbows, and your evening with cool breezes and fireflies. You are the very best mother in the entire world, and I am so blessed to have such a loving soul to guide and care for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done and always do for me. I love you!

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Beautiful peony fine art photograph courtesy of JudyStalus... visit her stunning shop to see more of her phenomenal work.

Meet The Designer: Georges Briard

I went to my thrift store last night. I go to many, as you know... but this is the one I call "my" thrift store. Monday is sale day, and I usually go in the evening when it isn't as crazy busy as the morning.

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So, last night I found this wicked cool midcentury apple and pear signed platter. I couldn't tell if it was glass or plastic- I'm still not 100% sure, but I'm leaning toward white glass. Anyhoo, I remembered reading a little something about this designer, but I needed to refresh my memory. I called up my pal google and found this :

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"Georges Briard is the commercial name for Jascha Brojdo, the Russian-born glassware designer who created notable pieces throughout the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Briard attended the Art Institute of Chicago, then went on to have a highly successful career in the world of glassware, ceramics and enamelware, eventually receiving the Frank S. Child Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators. He passed away in 2005 at the age of 88."

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Read more at Suite101: Georges Briard Collectibles http://collecting-ceramics-glass.suite101.com/article.cfm/georges-briard-collectibles#ixzz0wFKNqdxO

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Gotta love that internet! I can't remember what I did without it.

Makeover Monday: 8/9

My sweet friend Karen over at VintageStation recently *came into* some baker's twine. When I told her how much I loved it, she just up and sent me some to play with! How's that for a fine specimen of humanity?

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Here are the stars I made from the twine! The smallest one here is crocheted from the baker's twine alone, and the larger ones are mixed with cotton string. They remind me of penny candy bouncing around a paper bag, and baked treats nestled inside a wrapped kraft box.

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How is your week looking? I can't believe summer is winding down so quickly. While July felt like it would never end, August is the opposite so far. We get to celebrate my mom's birthday this week, but other than that there's nothing looming for the next several days. I like that!

Teeny Teaser

Here's a peek at the tag for my 2010 ornaments! I'm so excited about these, and I can't wait to share them with you. They will be unveiled later this month...

stay tuned!

Stymied

This GORGEOUS quilt is my Thursday's treasure for this week. It is quite possibly the most amazing bundle of beauty that I have ever owned. Stunning vintage fabrics in all of my favorite colors; varied textures and florals combine to exude an authentic and true shabby chic vibe. No stains, bright colors, very little wear. All mine! Salvation Army: $4.99. Seriously.

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Why am I sharing Thursday's treasure with you on Saturday, you ask? Would you believe I have spent the last four days trying to get a photo or two that I felt would come close to showcasing this item's specialness? These two shots are the closest I could get, and they still don't do it any justice at all. Grrrr.

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On a more positive note, I get to give the boot the boot in one more week! I hope you are having a super duper weekend... what are your plans? Do tell!

Raggy!

Raggy is one of my daughter's favorite words. Of course, to her it means Scooby is yelling for Shaggy. It's one of my favorite words, too... but to me, it is the way to describe items I crochet from primitive rag balls.

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This is my latest basket, created last night from a new set of balls that arrived this week. I adore the colors of this one, and all of the textures, too. Stripes and ginghams and florals and calicos- oh my! Look for this sweet gal in sosorosey later today; she is a one-of-a-kind, American folk art treasure.

The Big Reveal

Well, it isn't Victoria's Secret. Or Fruit of the Loom. It's Hanes! My 110 stars are supposed to be on a Christmas tree in their Holiday 2010 catalog. Clicking the photo will take you to their website where you can sign up for a free catalog if you'd like one. Rumor has it that there *may* be a holiday video on the site starting in the fall. Only you and I will know that these are my stars, but it will be our fabulous little secret - thanks for being in on it with me :)

Makeover Monday: 8/2

I started with one of THE funkiest vintage bedsheets I have ever come across...


... and hooked up a super colorful large star!

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I'll be bringing this star and several others- along with lots of large baskets- to The Muse in Frederick, Maryland in a couple of weeks. My goodies have been selling pretty well there, and the owner wants more...yay!

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I plan to offer the large size version of my upcycled stars on Etsy this year, too. These are 6.5" from point to point, yet they weigh just over 2 ounces! This means great things for holiday decorating...they stand out on the tree without dragging the branches down. At just $10 per individually wrapped and sweetly tagged star, they are the perfect gift for anyone on the list who appreciates eco-friendly, unique and handmade.

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Want to pre-order your stars now? Send me a message and I'll be happy to whip up some stars for you in any color your heart desires!

Somebody's Been Sewing

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And it certainly hasn't been me! These gorgeous zippered pouches were made by my good friend Charlotte over at BizzieLizzie. She purchased a brights charm pack from sosovintage and went to town... I had no idea such fabulousness could be made from 6x6 inch pieces of fabric. As an owner of several of Charlotte's pouches, I can attest to the quality workmanship and superior customer service this talented woman cranks out. Check out more yummies from her shop by clicking right HERE!