Mitzi's Miscellany

Some Happy Easter Decor from Cindy Koth

Happy Easter, everyone!  Today I'd like to share some of my loyal blog reader Cindy Koth's cheerful Easter decor.  You might remember some of Cindy's Valentine decor that I shared a while back.  I'd say Cindy celebrates the holidays in great vintage style, wouldn't you?

Here we have a lovely grouping of plush bunnies in baskets:

 

Bunnies do have a tendency to multiply....and some of these are mechanical:

 

Charming children's tea sets with rabbit motifs:

A very special tin litho set in its own cupboard:

Cotton bunnies and other delights from the past:

Mohair and plush bunnies and a Kandies for the Kiddies tin:

Cindy can't stop the rabbits from reproducing!

Little bunnies pulling their carts to load up with Easter treats:

You can tell the grass inside these carts is the old cellophane type from the 1960's:

Cindy said the bunny on the left is pulling over the others for speeding!

Another shelf of bunnies and their carts:

A charming cover of The Farmer's Wife magazine:

Cindy's Easter decor puts mine to shame!  I want to thank her for sharing her treasures with us today. 

To end my Easter post, I'd like to show you a picture of me back in the 1960's, wearing my new Easter bonnet.  We were getting ready for church, and I was very uncomfortable because the bonnet had prickly flowers that were scratching my head.  I didn't look very happy, did I?

I hope you have a happy Easter with your family and/or friends, and pets if you have them.  My dogs are looking forward to some ham.  They've been good helpers lately, so I'll give them a few bits.

Mitzi

More Scenes From the Mall

Yesterday I shared some images from the annual March Madness Sale at the Antiques Market of Williamston here in Mid-Michigan.  The sale was a huge success and now that the numbers are in, I'm very pleased with what I sold from my two booths and the items I display in the ladies' powder room.  I didn't sell any furniture, but the "smalls" added up!

Today I'd like to show you more treasures from dealer booths.  I wish I could included something from every single booth, but not all of my images were blog-worthy.

First up, I wanted to show the line of patient customers waiting to pay for their items.  After providing them with delicious free food and discounts throughout the mall, there was hardly a complaint:

For mid-century fans, Rich and Denny Frietag offer sparkling Blenko glass:

I loved this cat in the Frietag's booth, and it sold quickly to a good home:

George Goscheff always has cool old store merchandise.  I liked the packaging on this electric bottle warmer:

Can't you picture this box of "jellies" being brought home from Florida to Northerners many years ago?

Oh my!  It's one of my showcases!  I always pack them full.  This is just one shelf...

A nice couple came in looking for a mantel.  I guess they didn't like mine, but someone will:

My country/primitive booth:

Richard and Kristy's booth had this cool sign for snuff.  I love the beehive:

 

Norv and Shari Schock always display their items so nicely.  I like this vignette:

Granite ware in Norv and Shari's booth:

 I love children's dishes:

A Rockingham bowl in Mark and Sue Tallarico's booth:

Bruce and Becky Brandenburg are offering this great spool cabinet for sale:

More from Bruce and Becky, a sunny yellow clock for the kitchen:

 

I love the golden frame around this Victorian-era print:

My neighbor, a newer dealer that specializing in signs and petroliana, is offering this wonderful gas station pump with just the right amount of wear and tear:

 

And last but not least, from dealers Kathy Branch and Fred Muse, a milk glass chick hatching from an egg in a basket just in time for Easter:

 

For hours and other details about the Antiques Market of Williamston, visit their Facebook page.

Mitzi

Scenes from the Mall

On Saturday, March 23, the Antiques Market of Williamston had their annual March Madness sale.  It was well attended as usual, and I was there to capture scenes around the mall with my trusty camera.

The guys on American Pickers go nuts for old signs.  They should come to our mall:

Lloyd and Juanita Moore have a lot to choose from:

The new dealer next to me has some nice signs, too:

A doll version of "Dopey", one of the Seven Dwarfs, in the booth of Kathy Branch and Fred Muse:

A needle display from a general store in Hugh and Suzy Clark's booth.  I had one of these once myself:

Very cool graphics:

We just talked about chintz ware, which is often an allover flower pattern.  The plate below is chintz, but features a beautiful peacock and pagoda scene:

A lovely girl in a cardboard Art Deco photographer's frame, in the booth "The Jazz Age":

From the same booth, two books.  The one on the left is about Louise Brooks, my favorite flapper girl:

 A shelf full of Meritt powder in Bob Roger's booth:

Also in Bob's booth, old butter cartons.  I love "Bossie's Best", below left:

Bruce and Becky Brandenburg have a great booth with a wide selection of wares:

An enticing selection of vintage fabrics from Chris Rogers' booth:

A colorful corner of Rich and Denny Frietag's booth:

Yes, I love colorful things!

For more information about the Antiques Market of Williamston, visit their Facebook page.

More goodies from the mall coming tomorrow!

Mitzi

Fun Recent Finds

The dead of winter is usually a slow time for antique buying.  I usually try to concentrate on selling, and this year has been no exception.  I have found a few goodies, though, and I wanted to share them with you today.

I found this No Parking sign at April's Antiques and Home Furnishings in Lansing, Michigan.  Signs like these are perfect for a teenager's bedroom:

This chromolithograph is a promotion for Walkover Shoes, an old shoe company:

With the popularity of the movie "Lincoln" and President's Day, I thought these bookends might sell in my Etsy shop:

I love surprising small treasures like this violet covered book:

When you open the cover, look what's inside:

I was excited to find this pile of old crochet and craft booklets:

Gay and Gifty ideas!

I've never seen anything quite like the yarn pony tail hat, below:

I guess this isn't a new find, it's more of a re-find.  I took it out of my antique mall booth and wanted to show you.  It's an old powder box with great Art Deco style:

I found this lovely hooked wool rug at the Antiques Market of Williamston:

And the best find of all:  I went to the Antiques Market of Williamston and found this gift waiting for me.  Loyal blog reader and friend Cindy Koth had made this tote bag for me out of vintage linens and a few feedsack yoyos, and embroidered my name on it.  Isn't that incredible?  I think Cheswick loves it too:

I hope you have a chance to get out and about this weekend and find some treasures too!

Mitzi

An Amazing Scrapbook Find Part II: Free Printables

Welcome to the second day of my Amazing Scrapbook Find!  If you are thinking you don't need to see more of the same, might I suggest these pages could be used as inspiration for your own scrapbook layouts, collage work, or other art work?

I really admired how the creator of this book mixed fruits and veggies, landscapes, and images from World War I so effortlessly.

It made me wonder if they tried really hard, or if it just happened?

I found this image very heart-warming, because I'm such a dog-lover:

 The flower images are especially colorful:

Well, so are the fruit:

 

Maybe you can click on these images, save them to your computer, and print them out for your own use....

 Wouldn't it be great to have a bunch of ready-made collage sheets?

You could make tags with them, too.

Are you recognizing the Norman Rockwell illustrations here and there?

 

I hope you are getting some ideas!

 

If you make something special with these collage sheets, I'd love to see it!

You can send me a picture of your finished project at mitzismiscellany@comcast.net

Have fun creating!

Mitzi

An Amazing Scrapbook Find, Part I

Recently I took a little shopping trip to one of my favorite local shops, Lambs' Gate Antiques in Lansing's Old Town.  Owned by my friend Carol Lamb, there is also a second Lambs' Gate in Grand Ledge, Michigan.  If you are in the area, put both places on your list of places to visit!

Once inside the shop, I was immediately attracted to an open scrapbook lying atop a table.  Made from an old taylor's catalog, it was the most well-composed, colorful, and fascinating scrapbook I'd ever seen!

It doesn't look like much from the outside....

I knew pretty quickly I was going to buy it.  It was my lucky day, because the consignee of the scrapbook, my friend Stan Baxter, came into the shop right on cue and offered me a friendly discount that sealed the deal!

Here is a sample page from the scrapbook:

I want to mention something about Stan.  He sells many items on consignment at Lambs' Gate and gives the profits to the local Hospice organization in memory of his late mother.  I can't think of a nicer gentleman than Stan.  I always feel good about buying something from him, wouldn't you?

Once home, Mr. Cheswick had to approve of my purchase:

I love leafing through the pages, imagining how much fun the scrapbooker had with all of these colorful images....

Included are familiar advertising images, like Rastus, the Cream of Wheat chef:

A scared little boy gets chased by a turkey, below left:

I'll have more to show you tomorrow!

Mitzi

Shop (From Home) Till You Drop!

If you are like me, sometimes you just don't want to go out of the house this time of year.  Here in Michigan, our crazy weather has ranged from two above zero Fahrenheit to 57 degrees a couple days later.  Today it's snowing again!  When the weather is warm, that's fine, but when the cold winds blow, I like to stay inside and do a little shopping online.

Etsy is the finest indoor shopping venue around, in my opinion.  Just looking at their front page is always a treat!  I'm going to share just a couple special things I've found on Etsy just for you...

Although not vintage, I've been attracted to paper origami lanterns lately.  Of course, Etsy always has plenty of these beauties to choose from, like this yellow orb from Fiber Lab:

I love the pale green color and unusual shape of this shade:

I'm not into expensive diamonds and other Zales or Kay Jewelers type jewelry.  It leaves me completely cold!  When I spotted this handmade crown ring in the Etsy shop Phyrmetal, I put it on my birthday wish list:

My friend and blogger Dawn Coleman Edmondson from The Feathered Nest has a wonderful Etsy shop you must visit called sewmanyroses.  What really attracted me recently were her gorgeous sachets with vintage script.  Aren't these fabulous?  And Dawn recently filled her Etsy shop with them, although they fly off the shelves when she re-stocks:

Have you ever ordered an online tutorial to learn to make something yourself?  I have, and I recommend them!  Dawn offers a gorgeous Angel Wing Tutorial in her Etsy shop. Wouldn't you love to make some of these on a cold winter day?

My BFF Carrie Clifford inherited her grandmother's massive brooch and pin collection years ago.  She's taken some of them that don't have sentimental value and started an Etsy shop called The Pin Collection (what else?)  These brooches were lovingly hand-picked and stored from the 1950's through 80's, although many are older than that.  Stop by The Pin Collection to see what the offerings are today!

I've picked a couple of Carrie's pins that I like, including this monkey climbing a tree from the 1920's:

And this brooch with multicolor rhinestones:

....and a beautiful filigree and enamel butterfly.  But I need more jewelry like I need another hole in my head, so please don't feel guilty if you buy these out from under my nose!

Being the dog lover that I am, I was tickled pink when I saw this pea coat on Etsy in The Rover Boutique:

 

Laurie Campbell Romanaggi from Magpie Ethel maintains two Etsy shops, one for things she makes and one for things she finds.  Here is an example of one of Laurie's delightful creations from Magpie Ethel on Etsy:

 

Laurie's second Etsy shop, E is for Ethel, is definitely worth a visit.  She combs estate sales and offers things she finds for you to treasure or use in your own creative endeavors, like these cheerful apple appliques:

That's where I'm going to end this post.  Once you begin exploring Etsy, you can shop there for hours, especially if you are at work and your boss isn't around!

Mitzi

Beautiful Vintage Valentines Free Printables

Are you ready for some weekend crafting?  I know I am!  It's time for me to come up with some Valentine craft projects, and I'm going to dig into my stash of beautiful old vintage Valentines from the 1920's and 30's for inspiration. 

Yesterday, took a pile of my very favorite vintage Valentines to Staples so I could copy them on their high quality laser color copier.  This way, the images won't blur if I use Mod Podge on top of them.  After copying them, I took them home and scanned them so you can use them in your projects too!

I love the elaborate details in these Valentines, including the embossed floral borders, the butterflies, and the abundant hearts and lace:

They may be a little crooked, but you are going to be cutting them out anyway.  Just double click on the image, then right click to save the image to your computer.  You can then print it out whenever you want!  If you have an ink-jet printer, I recommend that you take your printed sheet to a copy shop and re-copy it on a laser printer so your image won't smear when you apply decoupage medium to it.  If you are going to use it for another type of craft that doesn't involve glue, then don't worry.

Are these images sweet, or what?

Some of the Valentines came through the scanner better than others, as you can see below.  Still, there are some lovely examples for your Valentine craft projects here:

I'm also throwing in some images from a gorgeous set of vintage playing cards.  We'll be interested in just the "hearts" suit, of course!

Have fun crafting!

Mitzi

Chromolithograph Treasures to Share

Several years ago, I visited one of my favorite antique malls, the Lake O Antique Mall in Lake Odessa, Michigan.  I spotted a set of seven framed chromolithograph prints that were simply stunning.  They depicted various interior scenes from retail shops and were all dated 1927.  The seller told me they came from a catalog sent to optometrist's offices.  Perhaps the catalog was meant to be left in the waiting room to be viewed, or the prints were meant for the optometrist to frame.

Let me show you one of them to get us going:

A slightly closer look of the butcher shop.  Notice the light fixtures, the clothing worn by the customers, and the unusual glass booths in which the clerks sit:

This one might be my favorite, because of the bold colors and abundant details:

The little boy is helping his mother by loading his wagon with their groceries.  Isn't that sweet?

This is my other favorite:  the soda fountain!

I'm sure we appreciate it for the same reason....the mural behind the bar is magnificent, isn't it?  And so many other things are wonderful, too:

I like this bakery print a lot.  The little boy is holding a pretzel:

The woman is sporting a "Marcel" hairdo, which was all the rage in the 1920's:

Another stop at the butcher shop:

The little girl resembles Shirley Temple, doesn't she?

I love the ceiling detail, the light fixtures, candlestick phone, and the little girl eying the baked goods:

These prints are so precious because they depict everyday life during the "roaring twenties", including the clothing, decor, food, and store displays.

When I bought these, they had been framed with acid free backing and UV-protective glass.  I'd love to see them with vintage frames, but they didn't come with frames originally and it will be difficult to find the proper size vintage frames for them.  For now, I'm selling them with the newer frames.

Mitzi

Show and Tell Wednesday Post #38

I'd like to show you two little toy tool chests I have here at home that I'm just getting ready to sell.  These were made for little boys in the 1920's and 1930's to get them interested in building things just like dad!

This tool chest is made by the Mason and Parker Manufacturing Company.  Inside is a beautiful, nicely colored chromolithograph scene of three boys building an airplane.  I can imagine how this sparked the imagination of young boys back in the days of "Lucky Lindy" and his historic flight across the Atlantic:

The tool chest includes some child-size tools.  Over the years, other tools might have gotten mixed in with the original toy tools that came in the kit.  I'm not completely sure what tools are original to my kit, and to make things more confusing, I have two kits....

 

Here's my second tool chest.  The American Manufacturing Concern made this version in Jamestown, New York:

 

Some examples will show the boys working on an airplane on the interior graphic, like my first example, or a chicken coop, like my second example.  You might also find one where a boy and his dad are building a boat.  There might be more versions, too.

You might think  charming play-sets such as these would be very valuable.  Actually, these are quite common and sell at retail for about $75 to$100.  Of course, condition of the interior graphic, the number of tools, and condition of the wood chest will affect the value of the set.

Mitzi