Vintage Garlands

A beautiful way to display your favorites in your ephemera collections! Fluttering on vintage seam binding, these garlands crafted from postcards, text pages, French wine labels, calendar pages, photographs, and dress pattern covers, are all available at VintageScraps.etsy.com

Thoughts on Birds

On Birds by Francis Duggan
The more I learn of birds the more my wonder of them grow
And I come to realize how little about them I do know
And though I recognize many by their chirp or their song
On bird recognition I've often been wrong
You could live for five hundred years and study birds every day
But if you are honest with yourself I am sure you would say
That I know a lot about birds but not everything
Though I've studied their breeding habits for many a Spring,
Migratory birds travel the World from north to southern shore
And I know if I lived for five centuries or more
And when to the scythe of the reaper I eventually would fall
Of birds I may know a lot but I would not know it all
And the more I learn about birds the more I come to realize
So little I know of them and is that a surprise?

As we have made it to spring, and in honor of Erikas love of birds, we have accumulated quite the collection of birds both inside and out the shop over time. I thought it would be fun sharing some with you.

These ducks came over from the creek behind the shop last spring and spent some time with us. We gave them water to drink (some instinct on our part to give an animal water, isnt it?)

We also have a new artist in the shop, Jennifer Normann. Jennifer, who found us through her friend at The Vintage Rabbit, creates wonderful pieces of art using fabrics, glitter, and found pieces. This spring, her mermaids will be featured in Somerset magazine. You can see her well known mermaids at the shop but these are a few of her birds sitting in our chandelier and under the glass cloche on the pedestal. Check her out at http://guineveresfolly.blogspot.com/ And finally, back by popular demand are the little glitter birds with gold crowns!!! We had them at Christmas and they blew out the doors. We feel they are perfect any time of the year. Aren't they cute for only $5.99?!!!!

I know with Brett, aka The Vintage Husband about town around here (Erika's husband) , I feel constantly challenged in what I know about birds. I challenge all of us to take some time this spring and learn just a something more about these wonderful and amazing creatures. They truly are an inspiration.

A new life for a pretty tea cup

Its always fun to find something that has a couple of flaws and turn it into something really pretty and useful. When I found this bluebird teacup on etsy, I fell in love with the tiny pink roses and the sweet bluebirds. It had a little bit of paint missing from the rim and no matching saucer, but I knew it would fashion into a lovely pin cushion.

I gathered up a bunch of vintage chenille, new and vintage ribbons, buttons, lace and rick rack. I really never know how it one of these will turn out, but that is part of the fun!

Viola! A sweet bluebird pin cushion! I added more embellishments including a hand rolled ribbon rose and more buttons. I forgot to add the 3 ribbon rose straight pins when I took pics, but they are shown in the first picture

I will be offering this not too shabby, and very sweet pincushion on my website Marionberry Cottage. This also makes a perfect gift for one who quilts, does embroidery or sews!