Fantastic 14: Day 1: At The Picket Fence

Meet two of my favorite bloggers: Heather and Vanessa from At The Picket Fence!

I had the distinct honor of meeting Heather at the Country Living Fair in Atlanta, GA in October 2012. I immediately felt a fast connection with her, and since then she has been one of my favorite blog friends. Heather is the kind of girl that immediately makes you feel comfortable and happy...like you are long lost sisters.

While I have not had the opportunity to meet Vanessa in person, she is definitely at the top of my list of most beloved"online/blog" friends. I am hoping that we can meet up at the Fair this year 

(hint hint...)!

Heather and Vanessa describe At The Picket Fence as "A lifestyle blog where two sisters share their DIY projects, crafts, recipes, tips, tricks and our faith as we strive to turn our houses into homes!"

The sisters offer a sneak peek into their amazing homes...

I think my favorites are Vanessa's buttery warm living room

...and Heather's gorgeous country kitchen 

(which you may have seen in Better Homes and Gardens' October 2012 issue!)

When you visit At The Picket Fence, you will immediately see why 

these two lovely ladies are so popular.  

Aside from having dream-worthy homes, you will find a slew of recipes,

DIY projects,

party ideas,

 

 and just overall fantastically clever ideas that will make you feel

 like you and your craft supplies can take on the world.

I could go on and on about how much I love everything these two talented women do, but the best way for you to get a true impression is to visit their blog, subscribe as a follower, and be glad that you are now in the company of two of the most wonderful women in the "blogosphere". 

Happy reading!

Back to the Flea!

The first Sunday in October, and I am thrilled to say that I spent my morning happily perusing the local flea market. The fall flea has an amazingly fresh appeal: the leaves are turning, the air is crisp, and folks are cleaning out their stashes in preparations for the holiday season. Unlike the summer flea market, which is packed full of vendors selling their finest, the fall vendors are the true die-hards. These folks haul out their vintage goodies, dirty, rusty, and otherwise unloved, and set them out on folding tables for hunters like me to sort through and discover.

Look at this haul!

Vintage Madalin tins and assorted bakeware

For me, there are few things that thrill me as much as finding a gorgeous old suitcase, a perfectly enameled pink bin, or a vintage jewelry box jam-packed with old earrings and brooches.

$2 was enough to score this pristine vintage round suitcase with impeccable kelly green taffeta lining

The perfect shade of pink enamel makes this vintage meat drawer too much for me to resist, and at $3 how could anyone pass it by?!

Boxes full of jewelry fuel my creative fire, and the boxes themselves will be great displays after just a little bit of love and elbow grease

As an urban hunter (a term I've coined...like it?), I am not only looking for things that are, but for what they could be. There are lots of fancy new words to describe it: "upcycling", "repurposing", "refurbishing", but to me, it's simply giving uncovering the possibilities that already lie within. That old jewelry box? A little spray paint and some pink velvet and I've got an amazingly adorable display. Rusty trays? Add some scrapbooking paper and Mod Podge and I've got myself an adorable tray for my dresser. The possibilities are truly endless.

A vintage silver hand mirror will give bel monili customers a perfect look at that necklace they're trying on, and with a price tag of $0 (it was "thrown in" with the green lined suitcase), the taste is that much sweeter

I have so many ideas for these little trays...

$1 for this gorgeous book, complete with adorably perfect vintage holiday graphics

So friends, here's to the weekend flea. Shop on!

Flea Marketing!

Here we are, another week gone by, another Sunday to cherish. Again, I find myself preparing for a day of creating, beginning with my weekly trip to the local flea market.

Most Sundays I happily peruse the aisles of the flea market, peeking through piles of junk and pulling out what I would call treasure.

It's something I have come to crave: The Thrill of The Hunt. Many of us feel it; it's a primal lure that calls to us like a siren, begging that we come with our dollar bills and sift through the seas of castoffs and rescuing the beautiful and the brave.

I have a special love for these kinds of things; the old, the unwanted, the items destined for landfill. It is these things I seek out so that I can bring them home, clean them, re-work them, and turn them into new works of art that will once again be loved. These bits of broken history are, by my hand, given a new lease on life.

Those earrings, the ones that hardly anyone wears, are rescued.

Broken necklaces and brooches, once cast aside, are again brought into the limelight.

So friends, there it is. Another week gone by, another haul of treasures, another group of misfits to be cared for and loved again!

I'd love to hear your stories and see your treasured finds!

January 15: Burgheoisie

Recipient of the Pittsburgh Pop-up Project, the Steel Town Craft Co-Lab came together to bring local artists & craftsman a boutique to showcase their wares in the Cultural District. Burgheoisie became the store name to describe a vision of downtown residents redefining what type of consumers buy hand-made & simultaneously invests in their community. All inclusive, Burgheoisie is a boutique with creative culture for everyone!

Items available at Burgheoisie, perfect for Valentine's Day!

Burgheoisie offers a variety of artisan, hand-made wares like jewelry, fashion apparel & accessories for men, women, and children, bath & body products, original art works, and custom home-goods. Our member makers run the store so that you have direct access to the creator for personalization of the product. bel monili is one of 12 local artists selling wares here, so you can be happy knowing that shopping at Burgheoisie is supporting your local economy.

206 6th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

 

Additionally, there are Workshop Wednesdays, where we stay open until 9pm so that residents & visitors alike can enjoy an educational, crafty experience. See our website for future scheduled events and keep up to date on our events by liking our Facebook page.

You are sure to find something you love!

Send your requests for your specific workshop interest & make the most of the talented individuals who make our store happen! We also cater private shopping parties. Email us for more details or come by the store to speak with us in person. Many of us view our mission to spread joy through our work and welcome the opportunity to have a place where you are able to find it.

Stop in today and say hi!

Burgheoisie will be having an event during The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Gallery Crawl on Friday, January 27, 2011. Stop by after 5pm to find fantastic items hand-crafted by local artists, pick something up for your special someone, or treat yourself to a locally-made goodie! Make sure to "like" Burgheoisie on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to keep up with all of the exciting new items, events, and workshops.

January 10: Chrissie Barcelona of Party Paper Scissors

I first had the pleasure of meeting Chrissie Barcelona at WYEP's Summer Music Festival in July 2011. She is one of those people who cannot be accurately described without using the word "sweet". We got to chat for awhile and, like several other artist friends, we became Facebook buddies. Over the next few months, I got to know Chrissie and she came with her gorgeous daughters to visit me at several shows. Finally, we made some time to meet "face to face" and talk about our businesses, shows, ideas, and pretty much everything else. I am thrilled to have Chrissie as a friend, and I loved seeing her and her beautiful products at I Made It! For the Holidays this past December.

Chrissie and her two adorable angels!

Chrissie started party paper scissors back in April 2009. She made party decorations for family and friends. Chrissie had loads of fun planning her daughter Kaelen's 2nd bday party, which she designed using an Elmo theme. She realized then that she had found one of her (many) crafting niches. Chrissie loves making parties beautiful with orginal and shared ideas that pay attention to the small details.

Party Paper Scissors Heart Banner, $10

 What's great about enjoying making decorations is that Chrissie has a paper obsession. She loves paper...patterned, plain, textured, glittered, etc...(interesting fact: she even had to have handmade paper wedding invitations!) Chrissie can custom-make pretty much anything your heart desires. I have some beautiful thank-you notes that I purchased from her during the holiday show, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Party Paper Scissors "I Do" banner, $8

The thought of opening an Etsy shop was very intimidating. Chrissie finally decided to take the plunge in January 2011 and opened a shop, then listed her first item in March 2011. Since then, things with Party Paper Scissors have been progressing nicely. Chrissie enjoys making custom decorations to meet the needs of her customers. She has made items for baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, graduations, charitable events, birthdays, and holidays.

Party Paper Scissors at I Made It! For the Holidays December 2011

Remember Party Paper Scissors for your next event, and make sure to check out Chrissie's Etsy shop and like her Facebook page to keep up on her happenings and where you can go next to find her fantastic things in person!

January 9: Jenelle O'Malley, Sleepy Hollow Craft Company

This past December, I had the distinct honor of participating in Bazaar Bizarre in Cleveland, OH. I was blown away by everything; the space was incredible, the crowd was huge, and the artists were fantastic. I am a natural-born shopper (hey, that's kind of how bel monili was born!), so it's no surprise that, as soon as I had a free minute, I ran out to check out the other artists. Each booth I saw was more interesting and beautiful than the last, and then I rounded the corner and found myself face-to-face with Sleepy Hollow Craft Company. It was as though someone had taken all of my very favorites (colors, objects, shapes...everything) and put it all together into one stunning, gorgeous, fun, funky display. I am quite sure I stood speechless for at least a minute, trying to take it all in. On my first time around, I snagged an adorable green felt baby deer pin. Thank goodness I went back, because on my second lap I scored a stunning collage-style handmade brooch.

Sleepy Hollow Craft Company at Bazaar Bizarre in Cleveland, OH 2011

Jenelle found her way upstairs and visited me as well, then her fantastic husband came along and purchased a necklace for her (unbelievably syrupy-sweet!). I don't know what it was, but I felt an instant connection to Jenelle. Her style, her color combinations, her choices of material...I have never seen anything like it. Since that time, we have become "facebook friends" and have shared business opportunities with each other. Now all I need to do is convince her to do more shows in Pittsburgh!

another fantastic Sleepy Hollow Craft Company setup

Jenelle is a self-taught artist/crafter living in Canton, Ohio with her husband, Matthew and their cat, Stanley. Jenelle creates in her spare time~ but makes a point to do something creative at least once a day~ whether it is actually making something or posting on her blog, Sleepy Hollow Craft Company. Jenelle has always been interested in the arts and was encouraged by her mom to be "crafty" from a young age. She has a studio in her home and spends lots and lots of time in there, listening to her favorite music and making the biggest-most fun- messes ever! Jenelle also has a passion for everything old, as most vintage-inspired crafters do. She and her husband frequent garage sales, flea markets, antique malls and trash bins...any place good "junk" can be found. She uses a lot of these "found" elements in her artwork~ she loves making something old new again. Jenelle also has a passion for everything vintage holiday, her favorites being Halloween and Christmas. On her blog, Jenelle discusses crafting, decorating in flea market style, and vintage seasonal collectibles.

Adorable! Baby deer headband by Sleepy Hollow Craft Company

Make sure to visit Jenelle's Etsy page, follow her blog, like her page on Facebook, and follow her on Flickr so that you can have the chance to snag one of her gorgeous goodies for yourself!