February already ! Vintage and artsy writings.

Goodness time has flown yet again. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas-holiday ? It was nice and quiet here.

So I've been busier with my Etsy vintage shop , finally getting a move on and making a serious effort to list at least twice a week. It's very enjoyable going through my parents treasures ( the non-sentimental ones of course ) and then searching online for extra information such as years made, how they were made, value, etc...
Lately I've been listing their Booths Real Old Willow pieces. This is a pattern that, although it is lovely, it has never been a 'wow' pattern to me. I lean more towards Clarice Cliff- art decoish patterns and/or rich chintz with bright flowers and gold, or Japanese lustreware or designs like Blossom Time from Royal Albert. So I have no problem listing the Old Willow pieces and they're usually priced lower than what other sites ask --- just because, I'm like that :)

Here are some upcoming items:

First photo is a large figurine marked 'Unter Weiss Bach' Made in the German Democratic Republic.
My father gave this to mom one Christmas, she fell in love with it ( and I remember making a face when it came out of the box, thankfully my parents didn't see me lol ! ). This is not an item I would ever display, it's too gaudy and dust-collectory for my taste but I know there are many others who would LOVE to have it. So I've been researching and found a few similar pieces. My piece does have lace breakage though, in the front. See those two large flowers on her dress ? They were once earrings. My mom decided to remove the backings and glue them onto the broken lace. They kinda work don't you think ? Alas, a bit more lace broke off, to the left of the earrings. It's still a lovely piece and once I've found the right box, figured the correct shipping, took the right photos & picked a good price, it too will be in the vintage shop.
The second photo is of two vintage candle holders. I've not yet searched online, there are no maker's marks either. Right now I'm not sure about them. It depends on their value & demand and shipping cost too. If it's going to cost $10 to ship but they're only worth about $5, then I rethink the item and sometimes put it in the thrift shop pile. Maybe that's not the 'professional' way to think ? Oh well.
My mom discovered the thrill of thrift shopping when she retired and became a volunteer at one of our popular thrift stores back in the mid-80's, often bringing home 'stuff'...dust collecting trinkets, etc...I developed the thrill when I realised how many things could be transformed into art creations. I also enjoyed watching people when they found something for next to nothing, the joy in their eyes. That is another reason why I've donated some possible Etsy items to the thrift shop instead. I realise too the people who work there might take them home and resell them, if they can then good on them. It's all meant to be fun. Making money is a very nice bonus too and, yes, I do realise that if I was competitive then there'd be more in the bank but that's just the way I am. When I do make a sale, there's always a quiet word of thanks to my parents --I'm sure their spirits pop in every now and again to lend me a helping hand, especially with decision making.

Okay, now to my art shop . Ahhh my art, a permanent desire, a need to always create, a quiet insanity to find my niche ! Urgh !
So after looking around Etsy, again, I realise that what I need to do is find cohesion with my shop. My art is everywhere and I'm not feeling the love. What I am feeling is the strong desire to settle on the things I most enjoy making and to stick with.
I am doing a much better job of listening to the 'ol gut feeling and this gut tells me to stick with making art pendants. They are small enough to not cost a lot in shipping and I can still pretty much do whatever I want with them without having to upheave my entire art room just to find the right pieces for them, unlike the large altered art creations.
Did I just jinx myself ? Oh I bloody well hope not. It seems every time I find something to stick with....a few weeks later I'm dreaming about creating something totally different and, again, get into an art kerfuffle.
My aim is to create art pendants in a small variety of styles so I don't get bored. So far I've been using wood game tiles and Rummy tiles. Recently I purchased a few flat back glass cabochons and some lace edge bezel settings on which I plan to install paper collages. I want to keep the pendants simple without having to resort to buying bails or making fancy necklaces to go with them --as much as I do like those altered art necklaces and could make my own, they would, for me, create anxiety because I would be spending my time on every small detail, making sure it was perfect, etc...and I just don't need that anymore. That didn't sound right. What I mean is, I'm already creating a pendant which I'll be picky with. The thought of adding some fancy necklace to it will mean even more time being picky and that is mentally tiring. When you get mentally tired you usually end up wanting to move away from the thing that is tiring you. I've done that too many times and I'm tired of it ! No artsy fartsy necklaces but maybe some shiny ballchains, 24" long so they can be thrown over the head.
So, although I have great 'urges' to paint, to make aceo cards, to turn makeup compacts into miniature worlds ( and just as I wrote this I felt the urge again ), etc... I will have to push them aside, at least for awhile and concentrate on my pendants. When I fill my shop with necklaces, keep the backgrounds simple, make it look tidy, then maybe people will actually want to buy them instead of just liking them. Now that would be fantastic :) --but it won't happen while I'm here, so off I go.
Here's a pic. of the glass cabs I just got today from Delish Beads. Free shipping worldwide too, woohoo !!

Have a great day/week/month everyone. I'll do my best to keep you posted -- though, as some of you know, it may be awhile.

Oh, how could I forget: here's another reason why I haven't blogged much....Pinterest ! Oh my is that an addictive site indeed. Really, go check it out and pop on over to my boards too -- Tracy B.
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