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 DewOnAPetal

DewOnAPetal creates handmade soy candles for weddings, showers and parties.  Soy candles burn cleaner and longer than traditional candles and have a beautiful creamy texture.  Unscented pillars, votives, and tea lights are popular choices, but each order is personalized with
your choice of color and fragrance.  We also have a variety of other
home fragrance products suitable for gifts or favors such as sachets,
reed diffusers, travel tins and linen sprays. Volume discounts
available .

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The Daily Swank - Vintage Green Traveling

Let's talk about traveling. As I mentioned my family and I will be heading to North Carolina for some much needed R & R. Thanks again to all of you who have sent me must see places and hole in the wall eateries. I can hardly wait. With all this travel talk there is also a need for luggage. Which brings me to todays Daily Swank vintage "green" traveling. Vintage is one of the best ways to go green. Recycling and reusing, vintage luggage is not only being nice to the environment, but it's fun. Check out today's finds for for some swanky luggage. One tip though, make sure to ask the seller if there are any smells to the luggage. You won't want to arrive to your destination with all of your clothes smelling like moth balls and dusty attics.

Vintage Lipstick Red Starline Suitcase from Shabbylull. approx  26" long on 16" tall -7" deep.

Vintage Luggage Blue Skyway Small Suitcase from RetroCycle
Measures 15" x 12" x 6

Vintage Kids Suitcase from SuzisCornerBoutique
Measurements:
13.5 " long
10 " tall
6 " deep

It's MONDAY! YIPEE

I know what you are saying... "would she just shut up already about MONDAY". I know I'm sorry but I said it last week and I'll say it this week I LOVE Monday's. Listen, it's all about the fresh start. Last week is over, sayonara, gone, kaput, O.V.E.R. Whether or not it was a good or bad week, it's gone. I like to think of the new week as something to look forward to. I always have it planned in my head how the week will play out.... news flash it almost never pans out that way.... that is why I don't create a list. I just keep it stored in my brain and I don't feel bad about something I didn't get to cross off. I'm feeling better already about this week. Keep in mind, that's a personal "mind" list. Business is different, I have notebooks full. By the way, I searched for an I love Monday item to include with this post, but sadly nothing came up.. maybe I'll add that to my list {chuckles}

    So, it's still summer break, and I'm soaking in every day that my boys have all day to spend together. I get a lot of work done faster so we get to spend more time together. Did I tell you I'm not a crafter. I take the tutorials posted here very seriously and read and re-read them over and over. I have big plans, really I do. I'm learning something new right along with you. Actually, I've started a decoupage project... well I started it about 2 months ago, and finally got to it this weekend. It's still not finished, but when it is, it's going in my Vintage Morning store, I'll have my first handmade crafty type of item ever to be sold on Etsy. Nail biting isn't it.

Well, I'm glad that we've had this little chat. I know some of you would like a little "more personal" types of posts every once in awhile (thanks for filling out the reader survey) so hopefully this is better. By the way, if you haven't filled out the short reader survey I would appreciate it if you could. It means a lot to me.

Have a great MONDAY and I'll be back soon with new features!
Sayonara! (oh,I did look up the spelling for this word)

A Gift for the Bride

I recently featured Starry Deborah's Flower Pot Favors and have since followed her to the Cottage Style Street Team's Bride Gift Baskets, where she is a member.

If you are looking for gift for the bride, then you've come to the right place. One of these gift baskets would be perfect for the bridal shower. Each one is filled to the brim with various items from member's shops. You'll be giving a gorgeous gift, and the best part  handmade items from independently owned businesses. Visit the Cottage Style Street Team shop at Etsy.Com.

Vintage Indie Reader Survey

Hello lovely readers! I'd like to ask a small favor of you, if you would. I'd really like to hear your thoughts on Vintage Indie. I take this survey very seriously and respect your privacy. This survey is anonymous.

My goal is to make each and every trip you make to Vintage Indie as enjoyable as the last, while we build a lasting relationship.

Thanks so much for your time in advance!

Click Here to take survey

EDITED TO NOTE: The last question asks if you would like to be a guest on Vintage Indie. If you answered yes, please contact me here, that way you won't have to reveal yourself with your answers.

My Vintage Pad - Home Tour - by Happy Harris of Happy Loves Rosie

Hello there - My name is Happy Harris   and I am going to take you on a little tour around my home showing you my   favorite things in my home and what inspires my creativity...but first   you will have to know a little background information, I was born in 1965 in   Barking, East London, yes right in the middle of the swinging 60's and on my   dad's birthday.  I was an only child and hated going to school.  I   would always fake an illness just to get home to Mum, where she would make me   very comfortable indeed, moving the setee nearer the fire place and providing   me with a cup of cocoa and my latest library books, which where often craft   books as I loved the bright pictures of things to make and do, and whilst   watching Ken Dodd and the Diddy Men, I would sneak down under the covers   and dream of what I was going to make next...

...My Mum is a very big   Inspiration to me, she has showed and encouraged me through life, that   you can be whoever you want to be - you just have want it enough, my mum has   suffered from a disability all her life and the determination that she has had   through life has taught me alot, so i have many photographs of her and my   family...my Mums Mum was a hoarder and such a jolly lady...I   have very fond memories of her and its with her that my character Happy   arrived from....she gave me much inspiration through laughter and fun, she   hated housework and instead we would go out walking around Hampstead Heath,   laughing and joking, eating Jellied Eels and watching the band play....often   we would be walking home and she would have to disappear behind a tree or in a   phone box to retreive her pantaloons as they would fall down and we would roar   with laughter all the way home!...armed with a little more knowledge, I hope   you will understand why I endeavor to acquire the things that i do,   everything i buy has a little history behind it - there is always a   reason...buying snippets of my memory of days gone past. (Photograph, his is a picture of my mum and a necklace that I have made...the color red always makes me happy and i have always had a love of round things and this includes buttons i am an avid collector...my Nan used to wear fantastic clothes with the most gorgeous buttons in them and I always remember thinking that the buttons looked so much nicer that the actual clothes they were on!) 





I also have a love of vintage enamel and whilst looking for a home in France, we collected so many pieces, to many in fact, that we couldn't afford to move there in the end!! LOL! This young lass is also another inspiration to me...This is Rosie my daughter and I teach her at home, when she was at school, they used to tell me that she wasn't very good at her work and since leaving school and being at home, she has just taken 3 GCSE's at 14 and will hopefully be starting an NVQ in hairdressing next year...she is a lovely girl and I am very proud of her...she inspires me everyday... the things we learn together...its SO fun!

 

I love this picture...vintage floral material and   spotty bits and pieces with black and white vintage   photographs are amongst my favorite things and this Blythe style doll   made from a wooden spoon by Rosie.

My   most favorite things in this room is the hooks above and this dresser   and my favorite things are the floral enamel and vintage postcards and   photographs of family.

I love this picture...whenever I look at this pic it makes me feel full   of the joys of spring...its just a happy cheery kind of picture...and I love   my Cath kidston shopper - now theres another lass that inspires me...we have   sold to her in the past, mainly vintage material and small household bits, you   will see a lot of her things in my house, if you want a happy house with good   karma - stick to bright colors, lots of floral, red, pinks and blues, in fact  I always say paint your walls white...they can be the   canvas....and then add shelves and coat hooks and hang your favorite   things....our house is rented, so we decorate like this so that when we move   to the next house, we can take it all with us...this house has a blue carpet   in every room...it always goes with the color scheme, but really I do   love wooden floors with rugs to set the color scheme...I never choose, purple   or orange and i never used to like yellow either until just recently   in fact....i now like it faintly in floral material, as a lot of the vintage   pieces have it in there.

Vintage material and books are one of my favorite   things. I love the patterns and textures and just by looking at the   material, you can see its age,I love that.

I love Old books and annuals - the   stories in them are so unique and of a time gone by....the days before   television....the days when, if you said your were bored it meant you   really were BORED!.....these are all my favorite things in my   house.

Basically, I love color. I feel its brain food that inspires the   mind and collecting ephemera of a time gone by.In the future our children   will not be able to collect things like this so I feel it is important to keep a hold of it all. I feel this is the legacy from my Nan, she was a   hoarder and now in my collections I want to be too. Computers are here to   stay, so the collections will never be the same but thankfully there will   still be us bloggers here to type about it and keep all these memories   alive!

(Photography, My Nan's Postcards...I love these as they are so cheeky just like she used to be...)

A special thank you to Happy Harris & Rosie for a look into their Vintage Pad and all the wonderful stories and things that inspire them. I have to mention their on line store Happy Loves Rosie. The store is just as cheerful as their home is. You will fall in love with the home wares, jewelry, vintage finds and more. 

Summer Weddings - How to pick a summer wine by Anu Karwa of Swirl Events

Special Guest Anu of Swirl Events is back with another helpful feature for choosing a summer wine, perfect for your wedding day. Be sure to visit her previous series in the Indie Wedding Guide What Types of Wines are good for Weddings and Wine Talk Continued.

How to pick a summer wine:

Summer’s soaring temps beg you to step away from heavy Cabernets and check out the gentler, lighter side of wine.  When choosing the perfect summer wine for your outdoor engagement party or wedding, think light, crisp, refreshing - and because people tend to drink more in the heat –lower in alcohol.  Nothing more prettily suggests summer than a dry (i.e. not sweet) rose.  Avoid the simple, syrupy versions and go for a
bit of spice with Spanish roses from the Monastrell (aka Mourvèdre) grape such as the Casa Castillo Monastrell aspx or more complex roses from a blend of Grenache and Syrah from the classic rose region of Cotes de Provence such as the Domaine HouchartRosé  Pick wines from countries where you imagine the locals sipping leisurely at sidewalk cafés while basking in the sun, like Spain. A Spanish fave is Albarino
from the Rias Baixas region. The Pazzo San Mauro Albarinomis a great example. Made to drink young, Albarino is a crisp, white wine with intense fruit, lively acidity and generally a lower level of alcohol. It pairs perfectly with summer foods from seafood to grilled vegetables. But you don’t need to swear off red wine for summer. Look for light bodied wines like Pinot Noir from Oregon like the Montinore Parsons'Ridge Pinot Noir or a Valpolicella from Italy , both capable of standing up to barbecued foods.  And don’t be afraid to put a slight chill on your red wine.  It is summer after all!

Visit Swirl Events to plan your next private event. They are kicking off a new series D-E-C-O-D-I-N-G the Restaurant Wine List that you won't want to miss.  

What You Make of It - Gel Transfers by Lara Berch

Gel Transfers by Lara Berch

In this tutorial we will learn how to transfer images into fabric using gel mediums.

Things you will need:
1. Golden medium heavy gel
2. Some type of fabric
3. An image to be transferred
4. Roller

For this particular tutorial I am using heavy gel matte, but you can use regular gel and soft gel as well. Similarly, you don't have to use matte. Gloss will work the same way, but it will give you a glossy finish. As far as images go, I found it best to use an inkjet printout. Do experiment with other images such as magazine cut outs, brochures, postcards etc. I tried all of them, and to me inkjet printouts work the best.
Now for the fabric, I am using old cotton sheets. Begin by applying the gel onto the image. The easiest way to do this is to use your finger. Make sure you cover the whole surface. Don't let it sit too long or it will dry and won't transfer.

When you done, turn the image over and place it with the side that has the gel on it down onto the fabric. Take your hard roller and start rolling. Make sure to roll long enough for the whole surface to adhere to the fabric.

Let it sit for while. How long? Well, I let it sit long enough for me to make myself a cup of tea with honey and lemon. :-) Now, peel off a corner and if most of the colors transferred, peel off the whole thing. There is always going to be some ink still left on the paper. Don't worry about it.

As you can see, there is still some white paper left on the transferred image. What you want to do is get a wet paper towel and slightly dab the white spots.

Rub the wet spots with your finger. Do not apply too much pressure or you will rub off the actual image. Do it until there is no more white left. The second picture below show half of the image rubbed off and half with paper still left on it.

Finish the cleaning up the whole image and then apply the same gel that you used in the begining. This time, don't put too much. Just enough to seal the image. Let it dry.

You're done. You can use this techniques on various surfaces such as fabric, wood, cardboard and more. If you're going for a worn out look, just rub off more of the image. Don't get upset if you don't achieve the desired results on your first try. You have to get used to the gels and get the feel of it. After that it's a snap. I've ruined a quite a few images before I got the hang of. Different surfaces yield different results. Also, before printing out the image, make sure you bring up the contrast in your editing program. (I will do a tutorial on that as well)

Copyright © LaraBerch.

A special thanks to Lara Berch for this wonderful tutorial. Lara offers great tutorials on her website Lara Berch Tutorials, please visit her and tell her Vintage Indie sent you.

The Daily Swank - Charming Children's Vintage Illustrations

A little 4th of July mixed with the warm days of summer, today's Daily Swank spoke charming to me. I love vintage paperie anything paper that's old and has a feeling of warm nostalgia. Today's feature includes cards from Stories Divinations.

American Summer in July, is the title to these hand made cards from StoriesDivinations. 

From the store owner, "Before the stories of mystery and love and corruption and loss and angst, we all learn to read with much more gentle stories with lovely illustrations that make us want to learn and to continue reading long after the illustrations have gone the way of naps and recess..."

Who knew that while shopping, you could also dive into the minds of shoppers (posted anonymously in some of the shops listings). Want to participate?  StoriesDivinations  is having a " TELL ME A STORY SALE ♥ 20% OFF ONE ITEM  ♥" See shop for full details. 

This set of three cards is dubbed Summer at the Beach.

You won't want to miss the profile of this shop as well, for even more delightful short stories.

Enjoy!

 

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The Daily Swank - My Walls are Bare

It's true, my walls are bare. We've been in this house for three years and I have to admit that my walls are bare. It's not that I don't have any ideas, it's the pure fact that I have too many ideas, tastes and a mix of design and style I don't know which direction to go. In a recent issue of Domino I spotted this wall with vintage photographs and artwork and I feel like I have some sort of direction for my master bedroom. As far as everything else, well let's just say I'm working on that part. Today's Daily Swank is a new (to me) artist Teresa Sheeley. As soon as I seen her Chandelier paintings I knew I had to share them with you.

A mix of watercolor, acrylics and inks as well as the hand of Teresa Sheeley give this painting a magical feel. This one's title rightfully so is "The Chandelier".

You can purchase this as a print from Teresa's original in 8x10.

Dress forms seem to be all the "rage" in collecting and displaying in the world of vintage. I love this fine art piece "Dressmaker Make Me a Match". This would make a great addition to your studio.

I couldn't help but to leave you with another fabulous chandelier art piece. This one is titled "Faded Chandelier", but it speaks to the vintage treasure hunter in me. I'll take one please and the real chandelier to match.

See more of Teresa's work at her Etsy shop  TeresaSheeley. 

Flower Pot Favors

If you are looking for a unique wedding favor or something special for your bridal shower guests then look no further. Starry Deborah creates these adorable Petite Flower Pot Favors. You can purchase them with or without the embellished "flowers". Deborah will also custom create petite flower pots to fit the theme and decor of your wedding or shower.

The Daily Swank - DIY 4th of July Supplies

Is that title a mouthful or what! Today's Daily Swank is a mish-mash of vintage and vintage style supplies for all of your 4th of July crafting needs. Now all they need is your imagination.

1st up is this 4th of July Inspiration kit from WhimsyFun. Includes vintage lace, red white & blue forget-me-knots, buttons, vintage papers, new scrapbook paper with a "vintage feel" & lots of other goodies!

Next, a Vintage Red White and Blue Patriotic Flag Collage Pack from LisaCook. This bundle includes over 40 vintage items.

Lastly from JulieCollings a 4th of art Treats. A bit of new and a bit of vintage all in a vintage jello mold!

If you are crafting something special for this 4th of July, I'd love to see what you make! Share them with us via my email.

Off the Shelf Book Review - Tinsel Trading Company Beautiful Bedrooms with Ribbons and Trims,Sterling Publishing

   Criticizing a book by the owner of Martha Stewart’s favorite store would earn me virtual tomatoes thrown at my email at the speed of light. Having anything negative to say about the most wonderful store in the US of A would make me seem, well, negative.

So, I’ll just say this once: if you’re hoping the first book by Tinsel Trading Company’s Marcia Ceppos will give you an inside look at that fabulous store, you’ll be very disappointed.

If, on the other hand, you clamor for anything written by  Ceppos and her partner, buyer and stylist Rosemary Warren, then you will be quite satisfied with Beautiful Bedrooms with Ribbons and Trims, (Sterling Publishing, 2006, $24.95).

Me? I kept having to remind myself the title was about bedrooms, not about the fantastic store that I dream of visiting, the store where my friend Lisa teaches her fantastic classes, the store with so much! ribbon it necessitates its own space, The Store Across the Street.

So, if you want to see inside Tinsel Trading, you’ll have to be content to crane your head and imagination into the few tiny pictures in the Table of Contents and Introduction. The Foreword is written by none other than Ms. Martha. I found myself reading and re-reading the history of Tinsel Trading, as started by Ceppos’ grandfather in 1933. Besides ‘the store’ and The Store Across the Street, there is also The Store Next Door, all geographically conjoined in Manhattan.

But back to the book. There are 72 projects organized by season, from vignettes and window treatments to pillows, slippers, lampshades and more. Instructions and supply lists are included. The projects are not all by Ceppos and Warren but by a slew of designers, including Kaari Meng (The French-Inspired Home and French-Inspired Jewelry, both previously reviewed here), Anna Corba and Melissa Neufeld, all familiar names to paper-crafters.

    Most all of the projects have a primarily shabby chic feel, to me anyway. ‘Vintage’ would be another good word to describe the feel of the projects. Many rely heavily on passementerie, or the French art of using elaborate trims. Again, I’d like to see all those trims in big, luscious store interior photos, but, oh oops, I promised I wouldn’t complain any further.

I didn’t find any of the projects very difficult, nay perhaps not even challenging. As an example, one project included embellishing your white wicker hamper with silk flowers. Ditto comforters, pillow shams, straw garden hats and just about anything else.

In that sense, the book might serve as a validation that your decorating flair is on par with Martha’s favorite store. For that, buy the book? Up to you. I’ll say no more.

- Guest Author, Gina Smith

{All contributed content Gina Smith © Lilly*s of London*ish}

You can find these books for purchase in our Amazon Store under "Reviewed at Vintage Indie"

 

Vacation Dreaming - South Carolina

If you haven't noticed, I've been on a beach kick, all while vacation dreaming for our trip to Isle of Palms in July. Do you live in Charlotte North Carolina? What I really meant was Charleston South Carolina. If so, I'm your lady! Please share with us good eats, antique stores and vintage shops.  I want to know where you eat, where you go. I'm not much on touristy places. I love hole in the wall family owned hidden spots. So if your so inclined to share with me, my email door is open!

While browsing Etsy today I headed to their Shop Local Feature. It's so darned cool. You can find others in your area or possibly where you'll be traveling and "shop local" I did a search for North Carolina and landed some great shops like this jaw dropping one, Leaves of Clay. Sometimes, I get this little giddy feeling when I land a shop like this. You really can tell when someone is passionate about what they do. It radiates from each piece they create.

I love green and I love nature, this is a perfect combination, Green Bowl with Plantain. Handmade and glazed to be used as a functional piece. Bring your side dish to a get together in this beauty, that will also serve as a conversation piece.

Transfer your luscious organic olive oil into this Slender Leaf Bottle by Leaves of Clay. It's been imprinted with leaves that grow in the Appalachian Mountains. This one bears a semi-gloss glaze of mottled green-blue.

These are just a couple of my favorites from this shop. You'll want to head over to check out their beautiful candle stick holders, cups and more.

Please visit the Leaves of Clay profile. There are some interesting and sad facts about the diminishing of the trees and mountains of North Carolina in the Appalachian Mountain Range. 

(All photos copyright Leaves of Clay)

Displaying Summer Flowers with a Vintage Flair by Jerusalem Greer

One of my favorite things about summer is all the flowers. Flowers in my yard, flowers in my neighborhood, flowers at the farmers market, flowers on the side of the highway… Flowers, flowers, flowers!

I have 2 prolific summer bushes in my yard – both of them very old fashioned and vintage themselves – one is a gardenia bush and the other is a hydrangea bush. Both are bursting with beautiful flowers and I can’t stand to just leave them for the birds and rabbits to enjoy – I want to enjoy them too! So out to my yard I go scissors and basket in hand to collect a portion to use indoors.

Because I do not have a large butler’s pantry full of perfect vases for all occasions I have taken to using some of my vintage kitchen items for my flower displays.

Here are 3 of my current favorites: 

• Vintage Aluminum   Cake Pans and Aspic (or Jell-O mold)   Pans:  These are great for floating flowers (gardenias, magnolias,   water lilies, lotus’s etc.) or traditional stemmed flowers like daisies   or open roses that have been broken off at the stem. This low profile   arrangement works great down a long table if you use one large cake   pan/mold in the direct center with lots of little molds running the   length of the table.

Vintage aluminum pans & Jell-O molds are pretty easy to find at thrift stores and on Ebay, and not too pricey…plus in the winter you can float candles instead of flowers!
 

• Canning or Jelly Jars:   I am a big fan of canning jars for all sorts of things – especially   the wide mouth variety – they are great for organizing silverware,   holding napkins at a party, cotton balls in the bathroom and doggy treats   by the back door.  They are also great for holding flowers. I use   these jars for flowers that have a larger head or bloom (like hydrangeas)   because they seem to balance the actual and visual weight of the flower.   Another great feature of the canning jar is its translucency. Buy adding   items such as river rocks, seashells, or beach glass to the bottom of   the jar you add dimension, and originality to your arrangement, not   to mention you help to anchor your flower stem in the process!

• Vintage Aluminum Cups:   I have always loved and collected these cups but could never figure   out exactly how I wanted to use them, until I decided they were perfect   for flower holding. My favorite way to use them is to line them up down   the length of the table, or on the mantle all in a row with one or 2   flowers in them a piece. They would also look cute this way lining a   porch railing or front stoop steps for a party.

Even though I have shown just a few examples from my own home there are many more ways to display your favorite flower (be it tulip, sunflower, rose or lilly just to name a few…) Just open up your kitchen cupboards and see what vintage treasures you can find, just waiting to be adorned!   

Jerusalem Greer is a mom, a wife and a modern vintage gal just trying to live the artsy life. Full of love, laughter with a grateful heart, she enjoys creating beautiful spaces and goodies, which bring joy to all who encounter them.When she's not filling the role of "style and design editor" for Vintage Indie Mag, she is busy working in her studio at Storia Divita. 

New Column - My Vintage Pad - Heather K. of Pretty Petals

Today I'm launching a new column on Vintage Indie called, "My Vintage Pad" We want to see your favorite room or your home if your decorating style features vintage or antique components. Our first Vintage Pad is a real treat.

I'd like you to meet Heather K of  Pretty Petals.

What are your favorite decorating details in your home?

In my home, I love to create a vintage style that is pretty but practical. I enjoy white painted furniture because you can just paint any old piece white and it seems to look as if it were all meant to be together. I love chippy paint and roses. I use a lot of cupboards in my decorating and love to use the tops as display space and the insides for storage. My favorite things in my rooms are probably my wallpaper boxes and white painted vintage frames.

Where do you find inspiration for decorating your home? 

I find inspiration from magazines, books and even blogs. I adore the color blue and love to mix it with soft browns, lots of green and touches of pink. I also love to collect things such as dolls and wallpaper boxes. My collections inspire me to use them in creative ways.

 

 

How do vintage things play a role in your room? 

I think I am quite a “vintage” snob and don’t buy many new things for my home besides pillows or bedding. I love the time worn appeal of vintage furniture and mixing and matching old pieces just gives such a charm to a room.

(office area pictured)

Any advice on creating your look? 

I would say the best way to create my look would be to choose a soothing tone for your walls, and then start painting some mix-matched furniture white. Accessorize by using pretty floral patterns and fabrics, and just a few dolls or treasures you love here and there.

A special thanks to Heather for sharing her gorgeous home and decorating style with us. Heather writes for her blog Pretty Petals a must see!

Alright, time to wipe up the drool! Do you have a favorite room you want to share? We'd love to see it. Email submissions to us Subject: My Vintage Pad. We can't wait to see your vintage goodness!

The Daily Swank - Road Trip

Take a trip with me for today's Daily Swank. My friend and owner of RoadTripJournal is having a big ole' moving sale. She'll be packing up her Airstream travel trailer to explore a new destiny... "lucky dog" She's has some must see fabulous vintage clothing.

Did I mention I love green? Well, I do and I love this summery maxi dress from RoadTripJournal. It's a Malia dress from Hawaii.

 

Bright colors are also perfect for the summer. Give your wardrobe some vintage cheer with this vintage skirt and rick rack embellishments!

Lastly, you can't have summer without the 4th of July and wouldn't this dress be perfect, the best part.. it's on sale!

Head over to RoadTripJournal today. There are a ton of other beautiful vintage clothing items.

Enjoy!

Summer Fun at Vintage Pulse - 1st Annual Vintage Pulse Swap Meet!

Alright, fess up. Who has vintage items that they've been holding on to? You know who you are. You've got that one cabinet full of things you kinda like, kinda don't and can't decide whether to hold on to it or let it go. Well I'm here to tell you it's time to part with it. It won't be so bad, because in return you'll get something super fabulous. I'm talking about the 1st Annual Vintage Pulse Swap Meet!

Visit Vintage Pulse here for all the juicy swap meet details!

What's Vintage Pulse? Here is a recent post explaining!

Vintage + Modern Mingle - Ocean Blue

An inspiration board for the Ocean's Blue.

Top Artwork  -

Vintage Lakovas Oil Painting found at neurorocker

Left Photography  -

Of the blue, blue sea - 8x8 Fine Art Print by irenesuchocki

Pottery  -

Ocean Bowl  -Flare / Handmade Wheel Thrown Pottery by Studio Elan

Left Necklace -

ACAPULCO - Sea Glass Necklace by ArtisticDetour

Right Necklace -

Ocean Blue Vintage Beaded Necklace by OddlyIn

"What You Make of It" "The World's Second-Easiest Skirt

The easiest, of course, is the sarong - just wrap, tie and you're done.  But this one is pretty easy.

 

Start with two square vintage scarves that look good together (they don't have to match).  Make sure they're big enough to overlap and cover you adequately.  The ones I used were 34" square and 30" square.  You'll also need four sets of snaps.

 

Start by sewing one half of each set of snaps to the two top corners of each scarf.  Then, hold the scarves up against you to decide where to put the other half of each snap (an extra set of hands is quite helpful here, but I did it by myself using pins and elbows).

 

Sew on the second half of all four snaps, put the skirt together and you're done!

 

Not only is this skirt cool and easy to make, it also takes up next to no space in a suitcase!

Barb McMahon writes the blog May December Home - home decor with a focus on environmentally friendly/handmade/re-used design.