Grandma's Attic - Vintage tin

In the days of 'make do and mend' grandmas could re-create anything into something totally diffent - it was a case of necessity for the working class.

And so it was with rusty old tins.

You could turn them into anything you liked!

Uncle Jack was often at sea, and brought back things from his travels, so a ticket found outside a theatre.

A scrap torn from an addressed envelope

Little paint brushes in a pot sketched onto a scrap of paper one night to ease the boredom at sea

And a prized possession - an artist's postcard from Paris from Uncle Jack

All put together to make this..........for this granny's pencils

Or paint brushes, (now that it has had a coat of matt acryllic to protect it.)

Who would have thought that a tomato tin.

Wrapped in re-cycled brown paper and dabbed with Expresso ink. An artist's painting from a magazine, a scrap of cotton lace, stamped images onto dressmaking pattern paper (used for packaging from a purchase from Very Mary), all of which were distressed, and a very vivid imagination of  'pretend' relatives - could turn out like that!

Another find in Grandma's attic

Not 'politically correct' in these days - but it has a certain charm I thought.

It's from the bygone age of Gentlemen's Clubs, where men of a certain class in society could sit around in comfortable leather chairs dressed up to the 'nines'  to have a companionable chat and to smoke their cigars.

The cigars boxes in the Victorian era were very fine wooden boxes indeed, some were covered with fine leather, with the manufacturers often prestigious label taking pride of place.

This one says "Smoke Buzzer Cigars" -  I love the way the body of the butterfly is a cigar!  Very clever
I wonder if this was Grandfather's?

This scrap of leather is a remnant of a bygone era which I thought might look nice a on hanger.........




Or, is it just a torn piece of recycled  brown envelope, aged with Espresso ink, with an image stamped on a sheet of tissue which was host to yesterday's 'gold' leaf on Grandma's box?

Here are some examples of cigar labels from my CD collection, I thought you might like

Birds

Some lovely labels.

Look at these

What an outcry there would be today - children and pets playing with cigars!

I love the rooster but.................!

What an outrage this would cause - as if smoking a cigar would make you feel so happy at being a orphan!

I don't think so

There were lots of pretty flower labels - I think they all became collectors items

Last one for today

Look what I found in grandma's attic!

A tatty old box!

As usual click on photo to enlarge

It looks a bit battered

And I think over the years the rain or damp might have got at it.

I rather like the violet posy painting on the back

It's a shame it's so dusty, I can't quite make out the signature can you?

I don't suppose it is in too bad a shape for something so old.

I think it looks Victorian

The gold leaf is peeling a bit here and there showing the dark wood.

Want to see what is inside - I know I did!

Looks like grandma's little treasures.

I wonder if that's a portrait of my granny - she is rather gorgeous so she could be!

Ah, bless her cotton socks - some of the contents of her button box

Captured in beeswax, rust and all!  A time capsule of a century ago.

A bit of junk to anyone else - but a treasure to me!

I expect you have guessed.  A bit of hyperbole going on here.  I didn't have a grandma - well biologically I must have had two!  So when I got the bits and bobs from Freecycle, which I posted about here I decided to 'borrow' someone else's grandma, and create a Shadow Box - which I bought from Happy Daze here   It's made from card, cheap, and easy to make into anything you like - in my case a 'dream' just for me.

 

It's amazing what you can do with white cardboard, some paints, vintage lace, seed beads, leaf sequines (thanks Pat),  broken bracelet junk,  bits and bobs, beeswax (first time I have used it),  metallic 'gold' leaf foil, Espresso ink pad, scratchy something to make wood grain in wax, a scanner and printer, and a crafty individuals little girl collaged image - ripped! - and lots of time and patience of course!

My book has arrived - yippee!

Here is something I treated myself to  - an early Christmas present.

Since discovering Pat's blog, I just had to have this book and teach myself crazy quilting.

It's not in the least bit crazy - neither is it like the traditional quilting - as in big bed quilts.  It is dainty and intricate, and perfect for small projects, in face most of the 'paper' craft I do can be done in crazy quilting instead of collaged or stamped - so too bags, purses, lots lots more!   So it's going to be my winter nights hobby when it is too cold and dark to come to the end of the garden and play in here -my studio shed.

I read the book from cover to cover and followed her wonderful journey.  It wasn't a bit as I had expected -which was a tutorial step by step book.  It was so much more - but I don't want to give too much away.  There are projects, supply lists and links - all the usual things  you would expect but also...................well you will need to get the book.

Inside I spotted to a book mark - which fluttered onto my lap as I turned the page.  But it wasn't a book mark but one of the above glorious butterflies, with a sample of Pat's hand dyed silk ribbon. which you can buy from her Art fire shop together with ready to go kits with colour co-ordinated vintage prints on cotton, and sequins etc - and you can pay in pounds!

Which is great for a beginner like me.

Check out the kits and lots of other goodies on here and there are more on her Etsy shop here

Having spent hours just organising my ribbons, I am well aware how long it takes Pat to punch out a colour co-ordinated butterfly, thread the ribbon, and prepare everything else in the kits.

My goodness they sell out fast!  Pat dyes the ribbons/trims, transfers the images, and sources the other little treasures in the kit to make it unique.

Thank you so much Pat - the book etc is worth every penny - dollar!   It will keep me very busy in the depths of winter.

Something completely different from me!

After digging up potatoes for over two hours today, I was determined to get in here and play.  I don't know if it was the effect of all the brown earth and potatoes - but something completely different happened.

I got very messy with Adirondak Espresso - something new to me.
Paper Artsy squiggles - again a new experience for me.
And Simple Expressions backgrounds - the swirls and dots.
Images from Crafty Individuals book.

Getting organized

I am working on a proper 'project' a 'grown up' one, which is taking me a few days - totally not like me as I get so impatient and want to get something done in a day, so that I can show and tell!

I am being toally self indulgent - and doing this just for me - to treasure!

In between painting and drying I have been getting organized - and bagging up my buttons into colour co-ordinations.

I am learning a great deal from blog hopping 'material girls' blogs.

I have been colour co-ordinating my ribbons

Alas these are not silk ribbons, but I can use these to practice with before I start silk embroidery

I have also received my wonderful book and goodies from Pat Winter Gatherings.   I have actually had them for a couple of weeks now and just can't put them down long enough to photograph - but I will soon.

Hmmm - first coat of paint should be dry - off to paint again.

Song Time........

For some reason I keep getting the old song.

"Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile."

going around in my brain today as.............

"Pack up those inches and get them on their way, and smile, smile, smile.

Into the postbox on a rainy day, but smile girl that's your style.

What's the use of worrying - if they are not their style,

Out into the rain I go

Hip hip hoorah - I may be quite a while!"