B-day goofing off

It never ceases to amaze me that there seems to be a dog hair in almost every good picture I get! This basket brooch was among the goodies I got at the flea market this past weekend. So many bargains! I can't get over the detail, every mark on this pin was struck by hand. The basket is hollow soldered 3-d construction, so cool. The way it's put together is incredibly detailed and the pearls have subtle pretty color, each unique. Each is half drilled and set individually. I took a silver-smithing class a long time ago. Maybe that's why I appreciate this kind of work so much. I found working with sterling stressful!! So easy to make a mistake while soldering and ruin the whole thing. such unique construction.
Today is my birthday. A number of great things happened to me today. Even though I had to renew my driver's license today I only waited 5 minutes for my number to be called. The picture is terrible but aren't they all? My dad brought me a hilarious card that plays accordion music that made the dogs go insane; which was also hilarious. Dave took me to lunch and I won 10 dollars of our bill by picking a number out of a hat. At the little thrift shop near the registry I found this incredible 1950's pink and brown vintage Brother sewing machine. It works really well, they made great sewing machines in the 50's...So much better than the plastic crap they are putting out today. This baby weighs about 40 pounds! Dave also bought me a super fancy pink and brown chocolate cake for after lunch.
I also heard from many of my favorite folks with happy birthday wishes and messages.

I did manage to get something done this morning. This is part of a Crazy cakes order going to Magpie in Boston A really hip place which supports all sorts of indie designers and DIY crafters.

More soon...Emily

I need to see some sunhine

Bad news on the TV and bad weather here on the east coast have got me down. Makes me want to stay in bed and eat real cakes!

I've been going through my massive button stash and pulled out some really cute buttons for spring and put them in my ebay store

Cute handmade Czech glass novelty buttons

Emily

Treasure Hunting... And more sewing...

Hello all,

Here are some lavender sachets I make for craft shows and a few shops. They are really fun to make. I have hundreds of images and love that iron on printer paper! Been making tons of them and filling vintage suitcases I display in. It's tough to come home with any suitcases because shoppers usually talk me in to selling them!

The images are from french postcards and come out so dreamy with the heat transfer process. I back them with vintage rose fabric, then fill them with extra fragrant lavender.

I went out treasure hunting (as my friend Susan calls it) today. I bought these 2 vintage plastic bead necklaces for the dogs. They were only a dollar each. Sasha immediately snapped the purple pearl necklace and we have been stepping on stray pearls all afternoon. I will vacuum tomorrow, I swear!

Look at those faces! That's Sasha on your left and Beefy Bella on your right. They spend most of their day distracting me from my sewing and eating sticks and dirt out back in their dog yard. Sasha also has a unusual fondness for rope.

Just bought this rolling laundry bin and filled it with vintage fabric in the creepiest mustiest estate sale house I have been in lately. The fabric is actually really nice vintage 50's stuff. It just needs to be aired out I used to work for the estate company that was holding the sale. it can be fun but it doesn't pay well enough for me anymore. I really miss it though. Going through the entire contents of a home in just a few days before the sale is held. You never know what you will find stashed away by nutty old people!

More treasure hunting tomorrow. Wellfleet Flea market here I come!

Emily

Greener Pastures

A few recent cheery cakes

I was saddened today to hear of the passing of Kurt Vonnegut one of my all time favorite authors. I think everyone should read his book Player Piano in their lifetime.

So long Kilgore Trout

R.I.P

Emily

Listed this cake in my etsy shop www.crazycakes.etsy.com yesterday. I bought some incredible fancy trims from a new source. Couldn't wait to try them so I whipped up a few more cakes. The trim on this one is my favorite trim used on a Crazy Cake so far.

More soon... Emily

Cool covered buttons for DIY folks

Eye candy! I just listed a few sets of covered buttons on ebay. I made ponytail holders with a lot of them and saved the prettiest sets to sell online. Most of them are made from vintage hankies, I just cant stop buying them! I also had some old damaged linens that still had pretty embroidery so chop, chop. I went to my favorite dingy indoor flea market today and bought from my favorite smelly old junker. Found an amazing antique treasure, a real antique! I will post some pictures of it soon...Need to take some photos of it. I love wooden antiques wait till you see it. Now all I need is to know more about it! I just keep staring at it. Anyway back to the covered buttons. I did get a nice embroidered table cloth to cover buttons with and I am going to go do some now. Emily

Enough about Brimfield already....Well almost

I have Brimfield on the brain! The May show is right around the corner & I have been think about my load of junk for this show and my set-up a lot lately. Here are some of my favorite pictures from Brimfield shows over the past few years. I promise to take lots of pictures at the next show too.

A friend took the photo below of me putting my hair up in a booth that was filled with beautiful repurposed architectural elements like ceiling tin. I think this is from the July 2005 show. I like to take a day and come town to shop since the field I set up in is only open Friday and Saturday.
Here is something you don't see every day. A middle aged biker looking fellow wearing knee high logging boots and a manskirt shopping for antiques. It's tough to find time to take photos because this is a really busy show. I am glad he didn't catch me sneaking a picture. He looked pretty tough. I wonder what he collects. Big antique shows like Brimfield are the best place on earth to people watch. Where else can you see a one legged man (on crutches) running by your booth at 6 in the morning looking for rare cast iron pans. I kid you not, his name is Jerry and I see him at every show.

Below is not an uncommon sight, during show week, but one that always astounds me. I took this photo while we were waiting to get in to the J & J field to set up last September. It always cracks me up to see this kind of packing job. Is that how his chairs get that nice patina??

At last May's show we sold for 2 days in torrential downpours. I am still amazed my tent did not fall down! We still had lots of happy shoppers including these gals who bought cake they are holding.

This lady pictured below had on the most incredible outfit. She did the embroidery which covered her jeans and jacket. This one was taken 2 or 3 years ago.

This lady was a total hoot, don't Know how my neighbors got her hula hoopin' but what a great picture. Her friend went in to town and got some wine & came back to have a few cocktails with us.

Only in Brimfield!!

Emily

Rainy days

Well, rainy days are no fun for the dog walking and pet sitting business. Hopefully tomorrow will be better but you never know on Cape Cod, things can blow in so quickly!

I have been packing some display cases getting ready for the May Brimfield show. These look so nice all set out in the case for display. Brimfield is a dusty place so it really helps keep things nice to have them in a case of some sort.

Magnets galore... made these button magnet sets this winter and just found these really cool little tins with clear covers. So great for display and it makes such a nice finished product. Almost makes it look like I know what I am doing! These came out so pretty. I hope they sell well because they were really easy and fun to work on.

These bracelets were made, by me, from old Bakelite drawer pulls or handles, cinnabar beads and of course I had to throw in some antique glass buttons. I have sold quite a few of these over the years. The hard part is finding good old Bakelite!

These were not so fun to make, they took way too much time but people like them and they match some rings I make . I don't think I will be making any more once they sell out. They will be taken out of rotation or as I like to say off the "Emily's Greatest Hits" list...LOL
That's my 2 foot long ball of hair above!

Just love these button rings & recycled junk jewelry rings. I did them over the winter before the DIY chanel showed the world how to make them I might add! I could make these every day! One of a kind things are so fun to make, endless possibilities excite me! I sold some on etsy in my shop www.crazycakes.etsy.com They are called GLASS KNUCKLES. I sold them last fall at The Wellfleet Oysterfest and in Brimfield at the September show and they were a big hit at $24!
Just thought I would add this Crazy Cake...
It's the nicest and biggest cake I have made in some time. I didn't want to mail it out! It was totally fun working with the buyer and having her help choose the chenille colors and textures. She has bought a number of pieces from me and is a very sweet lady.

I am well worn from a long day of dog walking... Only about another week to go. Not sure I could do this all the time. Projects are piling up around the house calling my name when I go by. Did I mention I have an obsessive compulsive sewing disorder??? If much time passes without me producing a pile of stuff to sell I get a little loony.

Emily

Finally!!

HOORAY!!!

I have been waiting for this box of buttons for a few months now. In addition to sewing like a crazy-woman I sell beautiful art glass buttons on eBay. They make the buttons for me in a little factory in the hills of Northern Bohemia. I get to design the color combos and pick the glass colors, the combinations are almost endless. I have been dealing in these buttons for the past 6 years and have rarely ordered the same button twice. They are hand pressed and then cooled in an oven. When they come out they are decorated by hand or fired again to achieve some truly stunning fancy modern finishes.
These are my favorite out of this batch by far. The detail is just amazing. This dragonfly is a brand new size! they are 3/4 inch.

Always a best seller! Probably because of the vintage look.

If you want to check out my buttons on ebay below is a link.

http://stores.ebay.com/Emily-s-Vintage-Cottage

Happy Spring, Emily

Sew Yummy

Hmmmmmmmmmm, lets see..blogging... well here goes... This is such a busy time of year for me! Getting ready for spring craft and antique shows takes up a of my time. It has been a struggle to get anything else done! The dust bunnies are about to gang up on me so I will be getting rid of them today. If you know me, you know I would rather sew than do anything especially CLEAN!

I made these cupcakes last week.

This week I am working on an army of small tea party cakes and a bunch of button bracelets on sterling with vintage glass buttons. I will show those in my next post.

Here is one of the cakes I finished decorating earlier today before I made this blog.

Fresh baked show stock... A little preview of Crazy Cakes you will find in my booth at the Brimfield Antique show and the other antique & craft shows I've booked. Come find me in the J&J field Booth #A61. The Brimfield shows are HUGE with over 5ooo dealers and 100,000 shoppers over the week there are shows. Did i mention it's the most fun I have working all year???? I have had the same spot and many of she same great neighbors for the past 7 years.