HYDRANGEA ROW' S HOLIDAY GIVE-AWAY!!!

In celebration of the holidays and the one-year anniversary of my Etsy shop, I am having a holiday give-away! All you have to do is leave a comment below and you will be entered in a random drawing.  Winners will be notified Sunday night.  Be sure to leave the correct contact info for me.

The prizes, you ask???  Your choice of:

A BEAUTIFUL VINTAGE BRASS SAILBOAT ( $34.00 value)--A LOVELY ADDITION TO ANY DECOR

 OR, THIS RETRO, COOL COASTER SET ($32.00 value)--PERFECT YOUR NEXT POKER NIGHT!!!

***Winner must have address in the lower 48 states.***

A New History for a Vintage Find

Several months ago, I sold a vintage brooch to a bride-to-be, named Michele.  She wrote to tell me that he was using it in her hair on her wedding day as her "something old".  I was very honored that an item in my shop would become a part of her special day.  My favorite part of collecting antiques is uncovering the stories behind my finds.   My favorite part of selling them is hearing about the new stories being created.

Michele wrote: "To some, the brooch would have been just a pin or hair accessory; To me, it was one of the many little details that made our life begin together and our wedding day complete. Again, thank you so very much!"

Just yesterday, she wrote me to thank me for the brooch and sent me a few pictures of her wedding day.  This is the best of all compliments for me.  It's also what keeps me inspired to continue searching out vintage finds.

She wrote:
I just wanted to send you a little note to thank you so much for selling the vintage brooch I purchased many months ago. I'm not sure if you remember, but I was going to be including it as my "something old" on my wedding day as a hair accessory. I just had to tell you how many compliments I received on the brooch. I absolutely loved the way it looked and it was perfect for my wedding gown. I wanted to send you some pictures, so that you are able to see how one of your items became a part of my special day. I can't wait to see how it came out in the professional pictures! Thank you so incredibly much!

Thank you Michele!!!

I must say that the brooch looks stunning, but not quite as stunning as the bride herself! Thanks Michele for sharing your story!

The ABCs of Vintage: E is for Ephemera

Wikipedia defines ephemera as "transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved."  Luckily, there have always been those sentimental fools among us that hold onto those pieces that were never meant to be preserved.   With the popularity of scrapbooking, upcycling, decoupage, crafting and creating, ephemera "art" has found it's way into homes across the globe.  
What draws me to ephemera is not only the history, but the fact that it is so tangible.  In this ever-increasing digital world, it's comforting to have pieces of the past in your hands. I have collections of old photos, Victorian trading cards, vintage Valentines, old paper labels, antique maps, vintage bingo cards, and old dictionary pages (just to name few).


It seems like everyone from young children to adults have had their hand at "creating" using vintage and antique ephemera.  John Derian has made a very successful career using ephemera to decoupage pieces such as trays and paperweights. He has his own stores in NYC as well as a line for Target.


Here is a gorgeous handmade tray from his website, JohnDerian.com.




Check out how these etsy sellers have used ephemera in their art.


I love this bangle made from vintage sheet music from YanniCreations:









Here are ephemera labels from Bluebirdlane:
  

Here is a great shadow box from sweetruin:

Who knows, that old concert ticket that you just can't throw away may someday be transformed into art!   Ephemera can be found at flea markets, garage sales, on etsy and ebay, or right in your own home.   Happy Hunting!

The ABCs of Vintage: D is for Depression Glass

Everyone loves an underdog.  In the world of collectibles, I'd say Depression Glass is one of the greatest underdog stories.  Manufactured during the Great Depression, these inexpensive pieces of glass were given away by businesses to encourage patronage.  They were beautiful but humble and never intended to be anything more than an incentive.  Lucky for us, the generation that survived the Great Depression was the original "green" generation.  They recycled out of necessity and kept everything.  As a result, many pieces survived and they have become highly collectible today.
Depression glass has a very distinctive look.  There are patterns to suit the tastes of any collector from geometric and masculine to lacy and feminine.   In all, 20 manufacturers created over 100 patterns in 16 different colors .  For more information visit the National Depression Glass Association website at http://www.ndga.net/.

The gorgeous plate made in the Miss America pattern is available at my shop.  For more info click HERE.

This piece can be found at AtlantaAntiqueGallery.com.  It is in the Royal Lace pattern.

This piece is from http://www.suziemax.com/.