Something Old is Something New and Just so Christmas Right for You

Vintage items are beginning to find new life in some amazing art forms by not only altered artist but also jewelry artist, using vintage findings to create masterpieces.
There is a small statue at the State Fair of Texas and it is made from nothing but old pieces of jewelry. I stand and stare at it for hours.
Over the past few months, I've met a talented young jewelry artist specializing in beadwork. Her shop on etsy is LemonGrove. Just the sound of the shop name brings about an image of something fresh and full of life.
Here is a brief introduction to Alison from her shop profile.

I am 25 years old and I have been making jewelry for about five years but I have always been pretty artistic. I have worked with many different mediums of creating jewelry including lampworking, metalsmithing and precious metal clay. I try to incorporate all of my skills into my work but I stuck mainly with beading because of the variety of materials readily available and the wide range of techniques for jewelry I can use. I also like the instant gratification of beads so I can decide immediately if I like what I am making. I love to create styles of jewelry that I havn't seen before so keep your eyes peeled for my new creations.


I wanted you to meet her but I also want to show off her intricate designs. Of course, I'm going to show you two pieces she has made that incorporate vintage letters she purchased from Salvagenation.
Without knowing, she made brooches which use the initials of my daughters, Emily and Amelia. Please look at all the pictures of the pieces when you visit the shop. I love how these look on the blazers and shirts. They are for evening or day wear and just the perfect size.
Here is E is for Elephant, a beautiful study in purple and A is for Apple, a fun golden brooch .

Needless to say, I feel like the proud mom when I see vintage items from the shop in such fantastic pieces of art.  I can imagine the face of the lucky girl  getting to open this on Christmas Day.  Now, I know for a fact that Alison has the ability to make you a custom brooch from the letter of your choice !

These letters were originally purchased in England, so they have a little history.  They are initials used to make cuff links in the 60's.  Their patina really adds to the creative look of the beaded brooches.

   Now LEMONGROVE isn't all about brooches, she has amazing necklaces and bracelets she has designed. Each one is unique and one of a kind.  Here is one of my personal favorites.

It's called Chain Letter Necklace. How in the world she made the design is just beyond my wildest  imagination.  It speaks volumes for her talent.

It's starting to get busy in all the Etsy shops, so start making your list now.  Of course, I will want to see you and help out with your vintage selections, but make sure you stop by and get some wonderful work from the artists on etsy and their one of a kind work.

Inventory Reduction and Enhancement Sale

It’s no secret that I’m a box lot junkie ! Everyone knows I can’t resist buying the entire box full when I go to auctions and estate sales. It’s how I got my name. My husband thinks at some point in life, I’ll bring home the North American continent in my car in the form of antiques and collectibles.

The only problem with this, my office becomes one big storage closet and I can’t get all my goodies organized and listed because the boxes just get in the way.

In order to become better organized, I’m having a Sale. Now, not just a 10% off everything sale, but a good, old fashion, inventory reduction sale. Prices in the sale section of the shop are being marked down 30 to 50% ! Some of the items you may not have even seen in the regular list of shop pieces.

I am very serious about cleaning and organizing. I’ve been matching, stacking, packing until I’m just about to be at the bottom of the boxes.

Please stop by SALVAGENATION and look at all the items in the sales section.

Always let me know if I can find something vintage for you. You might be surprised at all the things I don’t have listed but have in inventory. Living on a farm, there is a barn, a shed and an attic to keep all my goodies stored.

In addition to the discounts on the sale items or for any item in the shop, just let me know in advance through the conversation system what you would like and I’ll take off another 10%. Just make sure you mention you found me on the blog.

For those new to the shop, I don’t do this type of sale very often. The last one was over a year ago and things when quite quickly.

Thanks again : Salvagenation
I'm Number 25 in the top 100 Vintage Sellers on Etsy : Thanks everyone !

It All Started With a Pair of Sandals and A Smiling Face

Sometimes meeting people at an antique show can turn into a series of events that go beyond explanation but somehow it proves how small of a world we live in, really !

Kork Ease sandals, were my favorites in the 70's and now the Sundance Catalouge has them featured, with sentiments about the era of my youth. I would show you a picture but the online cataloge has the photo blocked, can't download it. Oh, here, follow this link but don't get lost in the cataloge, be sure and return. Just click :
Nostalgic Moment with Salvagenation

Yes, they are pure comfort. So anyway, I'm sitting in my booth at an antique fair and in walks a lovely red headed woman, just about my age and she is wearing a pair of Kork Ease. At that time I didn't know the company was still around. I said, "did you save those from college?" She said , "no I ordered them from Sundance." We laughed and she explained how she found them and that they were still being made.

She also told me there was a real vintage resurgence in catalouges and that my booth was like taking a trip through Sundance and Anthropologie. I was flattered. I also realized I had some homework to do and catch up on what was being featured.

I came home and started doing some online searches for products. I typed in Sundance and got all the regular web pages. I typed in the words Sundance and vintage and up popped this website for an artist : New Dominion Blues . I started reading her first article and there was a mention of my etsy shop and she featured some items from Salvagenation.

Imagine my surprise, complete and total. I left a note of thanks and didn't think anymore about it. Then I got a sweet note from the owner of New Dominion Blues, so I just had to go and see her shop.

Well, talk about great taste : Look at her shop (remember to come back, always more)

New Dominion Blues

I've already marked a few things I want for Christmas. Her work in tile and pottery are just amazing. Her look goes well with everything but really compliments my farm house and my vintage items.





The moral of the story is, always speak to those you meet, strike up a conversation and before you know it, you will realize how small a world we do live in at times.

Victorian Memory Albums Being Placed on Etsy

Through a wonderful series of events, I have been able to acquire the memory and autograph albums of a young Victorian woman. I will have these listed on etsy very soon ! If you love Victorian, you will be fascinated by this collection. See you at Salvagenation.