The Indelible Artie Shaw

It all started out innocently enough. I just wanted to add some background music for my blog that would help set the stage for the vintage theme of my blog and Etsy store.  In searching for terrific music for my blog I found some TERRIFIC music.  I am now hopelessly hooked on rediscovering the music of the 1930's and 1940's.  

One of my favorite discoveries is the music of Artie Shaw.

Is this man a ROCK STAR or what!!

Artie Shaw was a band leader in the swing era.  His first big break was "Interlude in B-flat" for the clarinet.  Now I know what you are thinking, when I was growing up in the 1970's, the clarinet was NOT cool.  No self respecting rock and roll band had a clarinet player. The clarinet was an instrument for band nerds (I can say that, I was a band nerd) and it made a horrendous skwawking noise when played badly (which was often in the High School band).   Drums were cool.  Saxaphones were cool. Trombones were cool.  Clarinets were not cool. 

Had I been born 50 years earlier and seen and heard Artie Shaw play the clarinet I would have had a different opinion.  Artie made the clarinet cooler than when cool went to Cool Town! 

Did I mention Artie was cool?  See for yourself.

To hear the video without the blog music interfering, just click the pause button (the one that looks like two bars) on the music player to the left.  It's pink, you can't miss it!

My First Give Away!

A sample of what the winner will receive!

I'm so excited to host my first ever give away. The prize I've decided to give away is a collection of vintage ephemera.  I absolutely LOVE old magazines, books, post cards, photos, greeting cards, came pieces etc.... and I've collected quite a few wonderful bits and pieces of paper over the past year or so.  So I've decided to part with a few so others can find inspiration from my collection.

I will select TWO winners from the entries. 

Here's a little of what you can expect to receive.

• Vintage Bingo Cards
• Vintage Spelling Cards
• Victorian Calling Cards
• Victorian Trading Cards
• Vintage Post Cards
• Children's Book Pages
• Foreign Book Pages
• Vintage Photos
• Vintage Playing Cards

Big Dump, Little Dump

I guess I started rescuing trash at an early age. When I was six years old my parents lived in a mobile home park. This was in the days when mobile home parks were still OK places to be.  It was safe. It was full of kids. It was heaven!  

There were a couple of places nearby where people used to dump their trash.  There was one place that was very big with a lot of trash so we called it "The Big Dump"  and another dump that was smaller, but closer by and we called it "The Little Dump"   (we were not very clever children)  These weren't the kinds of dumps with people watching because these were dumps that weren't supposed to be dumps in the first place.  They were secret dumps! Which made them even more exciting places for children to scavenge around in. 

Of course we weren't supposed to go there, it was dangerous and all.... but that didn't stop us.  It was one of my favorite places to go because I would always come home with treasures.  One day a group of use went all the way out to The Big Dump. I think some big kids went with us and it was very exciting.   We scouted around and looked for cool stuff to bring home and I really scored big! I found a beautiful statue.  It was a woman seated on a chair. It was made of porcelain (of course I didn't know that at the time) and it had flowers on it and it was painted and I just couldn't believe that someone would throw away this beautiful, perfectly good statue.  

I carried my treasure home beaming all the way. I was so excited to show my Mom what I got. I knew she would be so pleased to have this wonderful statue.  I skipped and walked and ran all the way home and when I got there I excitedly barged in the door "Mamma!  Look what I got!"  I beamed up at her proudly.  "I found this beautiful statue.  I can't believe someone threw it away." I held it up for her to see. "The only thing wrong with it, is the head is broken off!"  

Chicken Dance!

Last week at work the discussion turned to the Chicken Dance. I don't know why. It was one of those spontaneous things that, at the moment, amused us immensely. One of my co-workers decided to actually DO the chicken dance.  The highlight was watching him shake his tail feathers.  I should have known he would have mastered the chicken dance because at last years company Holiday party he entertained us all with the "Lawn Mower". He's a real mover. 

A couple of my younger co-workers didn't know what The Chicken Dance was so I looked it up on YouTube to show them what the young generation is missing. Now  I know why this CRAZY fad died out.  Although I have to admit, it might be one dance I could actually master.  Shake your beak, right????

Oh Sew Seventies!

I know the seventies had some really awful stuff.  (I know, I was there) but, they had some really great stuff too. I bought a new lot of patterns and this time a lot of them were from the seventies.  While my favorite eras are the 30's and 40's I thought these deserved a little recognition. 

What's most interesting to me about the seventies is how much diversity there was.  In the seventies the breadth and variety of fashion really exploded and I've got some great examples in these patterns.  

This is one of my favorites in the group. I really wish I could pull this off. I would feel so hip and chic wearing a dress like this. I love the mod look with the wide collar and the cute little pockets. 

I LOVE these pants. I really like the detail of the waistband and pockets. No reason at all these could not be worn today!

Now this is something I would have worn. Aren't these adorable. I love the whole look. 

Isn't this a terrific coat? I love the tailored cut and wide lapel. It's just so cool. 

Remember ponchos?  They made a comeback a few years ago, but this is from the first time they were cool.

I actually picked these up at two different sales, but the style is so similar.  My Mom called these cullotes. I'm not sure if that was the official name. What I called them was PITA.  Going to the bathroom required completely disrobing in one of these outfits.  Just make sure you go before you leave the house and DON'T drink anything.

Being Happy Takes Some Work

I was thinking about this today because my sales haven't been what I'd hoped for February and there were some setbacks.  I am struggling with promoting my shop and my blog and over all, it's been pretty frustrating.  It's easy to be unhappy, to be angry and grumpy and dissatisfied.  There are so many challenges every day and we are constantly bombarded by bad news, disappointment, stress, worries and on and on.   So it really can take some work to be happy. 

I used to think that being happy would just happen all by itself.  That it was more like an event or something I could have as soon as my life was just perfect.  So I would get really upset when it wasn't perfect because that was messing up all of my plans for being happy one day.  I finally realized it wasn't ever going to be perfect and anyway that would be terribly boring and then I'd have to complain about that. So it dawned on me that being happy wasn't about having a perfect life, but instead was about finding perfection in the life I had.

The funny thing is that it took one of the absolute worst times in my life for me to understand where happiness really comes from.  Maybe it took having a really, truly serious problem to realize that all of the things I thought were problems weren't that bad at all.  So in a strange way, the most terrible time in my life is the one I credit with making me the happiest I've ever been. Isn't that strange how that happens?

Even so, being happy still takes some work. It takes thinking of setbacks and problems as challenges, and remembering that challenges make us stronger and more resilient, more resourceful, more creative, more independent and confident. It takes forgiving and letting go of grievances and grudges and allowing others to be perfectly imperfect.  It takes removing your ego from the equation. It takes smiling even when you are sad, stressed, worried, fearful or just plain bummed out because when you do, you make the people around you happier.  It takes finding the silver lining in everything bad that happens and of course, that's the biggest challenge of all. 

Happiness is not a state of mind. It's a program for living.  It doesn't just happen. It takes work. So I was reminding myself of these things as I was thinking of my problems and frustrations.  I forgot to mention that it takes reminding.  Lots and lots of reminding. So while I was reminding myself, I thought I'd remind you too.  Just in case you need it.

Rhinestones-The Sparkle Factor-Finding and Repairing Vintage Jewelry

We are drawn to rhinestones in jewelry.  They add sparkle, luster and quality -- if they are “Good”.  But that is the trick!  How do you know what to look for?

Some examples of Sara's handpicked rhinestone treasures

• First, and most obviously, see that they are all there. Sometimes, with tiny stones, or many, you have to look closely! 

• Are the edges of the stones crisp as if they have sharp edges?  These are table cut (TT) or even Swarovski.  If they are rounded, they are made in a mold and then fire polished.  They will not reflect the light well. Compare them to the TT and the flash is just not there.

This is an example of a cut stone and a fire polish stone.  The blue stone is cut, you can see that the edges are sharper and cleaner.  The gold stone has smooth rounded edges.

• AB, or Aurora Borealis, was developed in the 1950s.  It is an added layer of opalescent material to the surface of the rhinestone which will flash many and complimentary colors on the stone.  Sometimes the AB is poorly applied.  It can look thick, or be chipped. 

This is a beautiful example of Aurora Borealis stones. See the variation of the coloring in the stones and the slight mirror finish?

• Are the rhinestones prong-set (better) or glued?  If glued, are they crooked, and is the glue slopped all over and is it yellowed?  Yuk. 

• Finally, and most importantly -- look for Bad Stones. Those yellow or black rhinestones which mean the metal on the back of them have tarnished.  Sometimes you can see through the stone and part of it is OK but part is pitted or black. Still... “Bad”.  If most (or in my case, any) of the stones are Bad, you may want to move on. Not only do they look bad, make the piece look inconsistent, but they don’t reflect the light well which is the purpose of a rhinestone. 

For those of you who want to fix the piece

First determine if it is worth repairing. 

• If it is a pierced earring with a couple dangles of rhinestone or a simple chain the item is really a dime a dozen. You can pass on something like this.

• However, you may want to buy the piece even if it's in poor condition if it's and interesting brooch with a spray of stones, or a signed piece or a unique or hard to find one. If there are just a few Bad stones and the piece is solid and most importantly, if you like it, go ahead and buy it. 

Use your knowledge to bargain. If stones need to be replaced, point that out and if you can get a good price, go ahead and buy it.  I’ve re-stoned entire fur/dress clips and belt buckles because they are relatively hard to find.

It is easy to replace rhinestones. Just be patient.  Get a caliper to measure the stone and consult a size chart.

This is a caliper and a size chart. Necessary if you are going to replace rhinestones.

Larger stone are measured in millimeters, but smaller ones use a different scale.  Then check the type of setting. Most of the time  you will have a recessed area, but sometimes it will just be flat. If it's flat you need a "flat back" stone, if it's recessed, pointed or open, you need a pointed or faceted back stone.

These are examples of flat backed vs. pointed stones from Vintage Rhinestones on Etsy.

New old stock is vastly superior and will make your piece look like a million bucks. If you don’t have a store in town that sells rhinestones, you can find some wonderful old stock at Vintage Rhinstones on Etsy or similar places on the internet to buy a replacement(s).  I have learned to not use stones out of old settings. They are not worth the trouble to retrieve them and if possible, always choose cut stones over fire polished stones.

• In the settings, if the stone is prong set, pry open the prongs, dump out the bad stone and put in the new one.  Its not fun to get it seated right, but the result is fabulous. Some people lick their finger and then hold the top of the stone in place like that.  Or you can find tacky sticks online or in a craft store. Another trick for really small stones is to use a piece of broken spagetti. Just lick the end and it should provide enough tack to pick up the stone but allow it to be released in the setting.

• If it is glued, remove the old one by soaking it in acetone or fingernail polish. You may want to do this with a Q-tip set directly onto the stone so as not to damage any other part of the setting.  When I want all the stones out I put them in my handy dandy stone-detatcher jar: it is a former spice glass jar with a wide opening and tight lid.  I put about about an inch of fingernail polish in it and don’t change it until it is just too disgusting and gluey feeling.  Leave it in for at least 6 hours.  The and stones should just drop out. Clean up any sticky residue with acetone and dig out any remaining glue embedded in the settings.

• The last step is to add all new rhinestones.  E-6000 or G-S Hypo cement both work well and are readily available in most hobby stores.  Use a very small amount,  you don't want it squishing out the sides. When you are all done, let the piece set for at least 24 hours. The glue may seem sturdy but it needs a full 24 hours to fully harden.  After 24 hours, make a final inspection. Give each stone a little nudge to make sure they are all well secured and then enjoy your beautiful new OLD piece of jewelry!!

100 Uses for Jello-or Something Like That

No need to wrinkle your forehead over that perpetual question, "What shall we have for desert tonight?" For-here's Jell-O!.

Believe it or not, this little Jello cook booklet is dated 1928!  I had no idea Jello had been around so long. I remember as a kid it was pretty much everywhere. Every cafeteria had little jello cubes in a bowl and every pot luck had at least a couple of jello salads.  These days it's mostly just for kids, but it looks like in 1928 it was pretty exotic. Or at least the makers of Jello wanted people to believe. 

I can almost imagine this being acted out in a silent film.  

The illustrations are cute. I can't imagine trying to draw Jello.

And the illustrations are all signed "Giro".  (rhymes with Hero)

And we're done. Doesn't this make you want to go buy some Jell-O?

Care and Cleaning of your Treasures

There are many among you who love the patina and “old” look.  That is wonderful and I honor you! However I am not in your group.  My reasoning is that these pieces were made to shine and I love to bring back their luster.  And as long as metal has been used in jewelry, there have been ways to clean it.

This gorgeous bracelet in Sara's shop is a perfect example of bringing out the shine!

 

First, a thorough soak with mild dish soap is a good start.  I’d be careful if the piece is strung with silk or thread as it may disintegrate. Also, be careful with rhinestones.  Never submerge rhinestones in water because the foil backings can tarnish.  However, cufflinks, earrings, brooches, rings, etc..., can safely handle a soak.  Use a baby’s toothbrush to gently brush away debris and rinse in warm water.  Buff with a soft cloth. I use pieces of old flannel sheets (your own or buy them used, cheaply, anywhere).

I had this badly tarnished silver earring so I decided to try Sara's method to see if it would work.

With flat pieces of sterling you can do the aluminum-foil-in-glass-dish-with-a-little-baking-soda-and-boiling-water-poured-over-it treatment.  Place a sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of a pan and add 1 teaspoon baking soda.  Pour in 2-3 inches of boiling water and place the silver pieces in the water.  Let it sit for about 15 minutes. 

I dropped the earring into the bowl and poured the boiling water over it and instantly the tarnish began to clear. Amazing!

You may want to do the other side with a new piece of foil and baking soda and boiling water. Wash and rinse well.  This works well for chains, charms, pendants etc. Messy, fun, and easier than scrubbing!

15 minutes later my earring looked like this.

Also, beware of rubber when handling or storing silver.  Never wear rubber gloves and don’t store silver in anything containing rubber.  Rubber is a deadly enemy of silver and can damage your silver treasures beyond repair!

I’ve used Sunshine cloths on metal jewelry for years.  You can buy them in bulk on eBay or find it in other places such as your local jewelry store.  They really are colored like sunshine and work well on all jewelry metals.  I always wear a pair of old cotton gloves because it’s hard to get the oily residue off my fingers.  Rub gently over the item until you get the glow you want. Buff it well with your piece of flannel sheet.  When the Sunshine cloth is black, throw it out.

Finally, don’t forget to dust!  Use a clean eye-makeup application brush to get into those tiny places.  Blow off the dust.  Wipe with your flannel when you can.  It is astonishing what you’ll find when you do!

My New Painting

I discovered auctions a couple of months ago. I was instantly hooked. I love the rush of bidding and being able to get a close look at all the wonderous treasures and trinkets. It's just such a fun, exciting environment, I can't get enough even if I don't get to buy a lot of items, it's still a thrill.  

Last night I attended my fourth auction. As usual I was there for the box lots, hoping I could score a good box I could sell for a nice profit.  Those always come last so I mostly just sit and watch as the furniture and rugs and silver and glass gets sold for far more than I can afford.  

Last night I was playing a rousing game of Angry Birds on my phone as lot after lot of Morgan Silver Dollars and Judith Lieber mirrors, Federal style chairs and Stickley Dining sets were paraded by.  But while I was sort of half way paying attention I noticed some very astonishing sales taking place.  The above mentioned Stickley Dining set sold for $200!! A Stickley!! Full set!! It was unbelievable.  More and more and more items were being presented and were selling for a pittance! A huge mahogany wardrobe for $150, a handmade area rug for $30, a full set of French decorated servingware for $45.  hmmmmmmm 

I began to think I might have a chance at some of the pieces I'd admired so I started to keep a better eye on things.  Angry Birds can wait!  

I had spotted a couple of pieces of art that I really liked, one of them an oil painting that appeared to have some age to it. I wasn't sure, and didn't really look closely (because I assumed I had no chance of taking it home) but I guessed it to be at least 70-80 years old. I really liked it.  The colors were perfect for my decor and it had an impressionist style to it that I liked.  

The piece came up.  Do I hear $100?? No... DO I hear $90, $80, $75, $60, $50..... OMG! What was happening here, could I possibly get this painting for $50??  I waited a little longer for someone to jump in... and waited.... $40, $30,  $20   YUUUUP! A bid!!    $20 I have $20 do I hear $30, do I hear $30, anyone for $30eeeeee and just before the gavel fell at $20...

Up flew my card. YUUUUP! $30, I have $30, do I hear $40, anyone at $40, do we have $40, anyone for $40 (which seemed to be repeated endlessley) I kept looking around the room waiting for the $40. This couldn't be happening.  This beautiful oil painting could not possibly be selling for $30, there has to be a mistake!  SOLD for $30!  to....   I looked around to make sure it was me. My head was spinning, maybe I'd gotten it wrong and it wasn't me.... 

Here it is. I know that's a long story just to show off a painting but I guess I had to explain why I wanted to show it off.

But it was!!   Sheepishly I held up my card and my number.  That beautiful painting was mine. I couldn't believe it. I almost cried. (but I didn't) But I did proudly carry it home and even make a second trip out to the truck to get it at 1:00 AM.  Even though I was pooped I couldn't wait to get a better look at it.  It's even better than I remembered and now it's hanging proudly in my living room.    

Alphabet Soup Etsy Style-D is for Derelict

D is for Derelict!

• 
  These Vintage Baby Shoes h...

  rubyfloy
  $8.00 USD
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  Tin Lard Bucket Farm Style...

  deNovoVintag...
  $35.00 USD
• 
  Pre-1950's Little Chil...

  nestboxvinta...
  $85.00 USD
• 
  antique Grammar School Ari...

  MandiesMomen...
  $5.00 USD
• 
  Vintage Metal Document Box

  whippoorwhee...
  $15.00 USD
• 
  Abandoned Rusted Locomotiv...

  Artephemere
  $375.00 USD
• 
  Beauty in the Peeling Pain...

  BHaraPhotogr...
  $45.00 USD
• 
  PRIMITIVE GRUNGY SUGAR CON...

  TheChandlers...
  $11.00 USD
• 
  White Paint Chipped ESCUTC...

  vintagesuppl...
  $14.00 USD
• 
  shoreditch 2 '04

  DavidBamattr...
  $8.00 USD
• 
  Oh No poor dolly

  departmint
  $5.00 USD
• 
  Luck is not chance - -

  glowstoes
  $42.00 USD
• 
  Adorable Vintage Chippy Al...

  Therickrack
  $12.98 USD
• 
  Vintage brown classic boot...

  decomp
  $35.00 USD
• 
  SALE antique wooden farmho...

  CometWreckag...
  $38.00 USD

How to Find Jewlery Treasures-Part 1-What Metal is That?

This is Part 1 of Sara's article.  If you enjoyed the article and found it helpful, please comment so I can let her know. 

Whenever I go to a garage sale or thrift store it seems I gather an audience.  I think it’s my glee at finding the treasures.   Here are a few of my tricks:

We all know to look for the metal content.  It can hide!  Get your loupe and look everywhere.   Look on the back, inside the bale, inside curves or settings.  Don’t give up!

This is a loupe.  It is a magnifying glass that fits right in your eye.  The professional kind can be very expensive but I bought a whole set for only $5 at Harbor Freight.

 If you see .925, that means it is sterling.  Be careful of those clasps on necklaces or bracelets don’t assume that because the clasp is marked, the chain is sterling too. The chains may not be sterling -- only what is marked.  If you find “Italy” or “Mexico”, so what? Only .925, sterling, ster., a lion for England, a French “Poicon” (a head of a man) is sure to be sterling silver.  A trick: sterling is NOT attracted to magnets.  If your metal moves towards the magnet, it is NOT sterling silver.

This is the lion mark for British Sterling Silver

You may also find something that is gold in color but says .925 or sterling.  If you do, you are very lucky because you have vermeil (vair-may), which is sterling silver coated with gold.  Often old brooches will be gold on the front and silver (the gold worn off) on the back.

This is a stunning example of vintage Gold Vermiel

Gold as you know comes in different purities.  It can be 10K, 14K, 18K or close to pure which is 24K.  If it has a G.F. after it watch out!  It is gold filled, which is a gold sandwich.  H.G.E. is gold electroplate - a zap of gold onto another kind of metal.  You can often tell if something is gold plated because the gold will wear off on the edges and other places.  That is not bad, just be aware so you don’t pay gold prices for something that is not all gold.

Lots of pieces made in the early to mid part of the 20th century were made with “pot metal” -- whatever they threw into the pot.  The metal looks kind of dull and is soft. Dress or fur clips, dress buckles, earrings all come to mind.  These can be quite wonderful and a bargain too.  You don’t have to have a pure metal.  Look at the piece as a whole.

A lovely example of a pot metal piece.  Nothing shabby about this gem.

One of my favorites metals is Rhodium.  It is rarely marked, but with practice you’ll spot it in a flash.  Rhodium is in the same family as platinum, is extremely hard and durable, and has a silver luster and brightness that rarely comes off.  It came into use in the 1950s mostly on those great linked choker necklaces and bracelets with inset thermoset and/or rhinestones.  Many earrings were made with it as well.  Most of the better costume jewelry houses used it.

No wonder Rhodium is one of  Sara's favorite metals. This is an example of a vintage Rhodium piece from Bajan Lizard.

Lastly, don’t turn up your nose at Brass.  It was used often in the earlier parts of the 20th century and even the 19th century.  It often has a darkened patina.  I have a large early 20th Century onyx drop that is set in rose gold onto a patterned brass setting.  The result is gorgeous

This is a beautiful example of a vintage brass piece with a light patina to it.  This is from Boyler PF Jewelry on Etsy.

Be sure to stop in at Sara's Etsy Shop, As You Like It Vintage  to more beautiful examples of vintage jewelry treasures you can find using her techniques!