Pink Roses

DIY: vintage purse journal...

 

Vintage beaded and sequin purses seem to call my name at every flea market and antique store I visit. I have a few that I use for special occasions, and the rest...apparently I'm just hoarding :). Making a journal out of one of these vintage purses helps to justify my collection.

Here's how:  Start with one adorable vintage clutch purse.  It's OK if it's damaged, you won't feel too bad about altering it!  Mine is quite small-the finished pages are 3"x5"!

Use a seam ripper to open the side seams. The bottom of the purse will now be the spine of your journal.

Cut watercolor paper to fit the measurements of your purse.  I used 4- 6"x5" pieces of watercolor paper which I folded in half to make 3"x5" finished pages.  4 sheets of paper= a journal with 16 pages (front and back), and that was all my little purse could hold, and still be able to close.  Play around with the size and number of pages, and find what fits your purse best. I like watercolor paper because it is nice and thick, and you can sew and paint on it with ease. I embellished the right side of the pages, and kept the left side of the pages blank for journaling, sketching and collage. Here are the "right" side pages...

I punched two holes in the fold of the pages, that I will later use for binding.

You can see that the "left side" pages are blank {for now!}.

When I stacked all 4 sets of embellished pages inside each other to make one signature, my journal was too thick to close.  So, I made 2 signatures and tied them into the "spine" of the purse/journal with seam binding.

I threaded the seam binding through the holes in the fold of my pages...

and punched corresponding holes into the "spine" of my purse/journal with a crop-o-dile.  I also used scraps of fabric to cover some of the inside of the purse, because it was stained.  I was still "in progress" when I took this photo. I just stitched this piece of fabric on 3 sides, so that it formed a secret pocket:)

Here is a side view of the signatures tied into the journal with seam binding.

The edge of the pages...

I tied the ribbons into a bow on the spine, and added a bit of lace and a rhinestone button to the cover.

I think this idea could make a great wedding keepsake or guest book.  I am making another one as a scrapbook for my daughter and filling it with the photos I took of them on their anniversary in September.  But don't tell.  It's a Christmas present!

little black truck...

Last weekend, at my favorite flea market in Pittsburgh, I found this little black truck.

  

It's a 1962 Tonka, or so I was told.  I plan on planting flowers in the truck bed, I replied.  He didn't understand.  Neither did the guy at airport security when he spotted it in my carry on bag.

  

The things we do for junk...

vintage wallpaper trunk...

I saw this vintage trunk at the Nashville Flea Market and loved all the vintage wallpaper on the outside.  When I opened it, I saw dozens of peeling layers of different wallpapers on the inside!  It was a bit rough for my taste (a little too shabby, not enough chic), so I didn't buy it.  I snapped these pictures to share with those of you who love vintage wallpaper like I do!  Oh, and the trunk was $40.00!

   

 

Nashville flea market...

                         {ironstone platter $6.00, glass necklace $1.00, postcard 50cents}

Dear Nashville Flea Market,

I love you!

xo suzanne

 

                                                              {80 glass buttons $20.00}

Yes, it's true, i love the Nashville Flea Market!  I spent the day there on Friday and gathered the usual treasures, at the usual great prices.  I've listed prices here, just to give you an example.  Never once did I ask someone to take less...I mean when it's $1.00, I feel like I'm stealing!

              {postcards 50 cents-$1.00}                                     {cabinet cards $1.00-$2.00}  

 

                                                            {assorted dishes $1.00}  

{shiny brites $1.00 a box, sequin trim & pink ruffle cap $1.00 each, rhinestone buttons $5.00}

 

            {3 vintage hats $3.00-$15.00}                                {tiny squirrel planter $2.00}    

                    {hankies $1.00 each}                               {embroidered linens 50 cents each}

                                             {assorted odds and ends $1.00-$2.00}

                      {having my friend Kana meet me there for the day...priceless! }

purses and pearls...

My "catch of the day" at the flea on Saturday included...3 sequined purses, a tiny velvet coin purse, a child sized strand of pearls ($1.00!), and 2 yards of a terrific rick rack crochet trim...

Looks like I never outgrew playing dress-up! :)

DIY Friday: doily table runner...

I finally made something that I have had pinned to my Pinterest "DIY" board for almost 9 months...this table runner made from doilies!  I saw the original here:

.

and thought I would make it for my kitchen table.  Well even though I have quite a few doilies, it wasn't enough, so I scaled it down and made a smaller runner for my coffee table in the living room.  I just arranged (and re-arranged) the doilies until they were in a pleasing pattern, and then pinned and hand stitched them together where they overlapped.  Some day I could always add to it and make it larger for my kitchen table.  I also did a "makeover" on this cute Easter bunny I found at TJMaxx this week...

He started out with a blue crepe paper ruffle around his neck, and I just changed it to a silk ribbon and added a soft pink flower from an old hat.  Now maybe HE is a SHE!  Either way, the bunny is now more my style!

DIY Friday: vintage journal...

After my flea market adventure last Friday, I was inspired to use some of my vintage finds to make a journal. 

I used the covers from some old books as the pages, and embellished them with a little bit of everything!

The books I used were not the same height or width, but were close in size.  I cut the covers off the books with an exacto knife, and used the front and back cover of the tallest book (the tan one) as the front and back cover of the journal.  Because my pages were very 3 dimensional, I only used one cover of each of the other books, 7 covers total...5 pages plus the front and back cover.

I punched holes in the covers with a crop-o-dile, and held it all together with 2" binder rings from the office supply store.  The outside edges of the journal are the smooth edges, and the "spine" is the cut edges of the book covers. Here is the cover : lace, millinery, satin ribbon, and a rhinestone pin...

 

The back side of each cover was covered in assorted papers, and a piece of watercolor paper was added as a blank spot for journaling on some. Here is the inside cover and page 2: a vintage dress pattern,  lace trim, velvet ribbon, a millinery rose, and a vintage calling card...

I hadn't added the journaling spots when I took these photos...sheet music, bridal lace, a vintage embroidered hankie, and a milagro tied on with ribbon...

The next page has a piece of vintage barkcloth with a bit of padding behind, so it can be used to "pin" on items, including a vintage enamel flower pin from my collection.

The next page has more vintage barkcloth and lace, and I laced seam binding to make a place to hold journaling tags, business cards, etc.

The back of this cover has vintage wallpaper and more lacing (like a corset), to hold more journaling.  I may not actually use these tags for my journaling...I just put them here to show you a possibility.

The last page has a round doily cut in half, then sewn to form a corner pocket to hold notes, cards, etc...

The back side also has a pocket...

This journal is sturdy and thick and just filled with all the vintage things I love and collect...and it was SO much fun to make!

  It would make a great guest book at a wedding!

Lakewood Antiques Market...

It's been months since I've gone to the Lakewood Antiques Market...last summer before the wedding to be exact, so today I treated myself and went.  It was a beautiful day, perfect for browsing and rummaging through booth after booth of vintage treasures!  I found a few bargains, although I seem to always buy the same things...vintage ribbon, glass buttons, postcards with roses, rick rack, embroidered linens ($1.00 table)...

a baby shoe, a doll dress, a glass jar with rusted lid, a spool of pink thread, and 2 gold lipstick cases.  I can't resist the cheerful crochet potholders...

vintage silk, velvet, and satin ribbon from my friend JoAnne...

and a perfect basket for Easter...my deals of the day.

Here are some other things I saw along the way...loved the blue in Peg Davis's booth, Vintage Memories...

Oh yes, and I bought this mirror from Martha Thompson's booth Favorite Things...

These ladies are in Hall G, along with loads of other great sellers, and they will be there all weekend if you need a vintage fix...

texas inspiration: neutrals...

As a die hard fan of Shabby Chic, I am drawn to neutrals. Enjoy...

 

      

 

Don't you love the silverware, knitting needles, and paintbrushes all stuck in urns?  I do!!

texas inspiration: Christmas

I need to do a whole post on Christmas ornaments. I didn't buy a SINGLE one because we were flying, and I didn't have the room to pack them properly.  I knew they would break during travel, so I just took pictures to remember. I wanted them all, especially the tree toppers!! Next time I might drive...