Re-do, Re-create, Re-purpose

Maybe it was the Depression Era Grandparents........maybe a Mom who could a  take  little bit of this and that and make a wonderfully decorated home on a budget.......or maybe it was the because in our family things were passed on from Mother to Daughter, Father to Son.....but, I have always figured things could be redone, recreated, or repurposed. I suppose that's why I love the vintage hunt. finding something that most would throw away and finding it's new lease on life.

I don't have a before pic of this wooden ladderback chair, but it was in horrid condition. With some nails, wood putty, a coat of Vanilla paint, some hand-painted rose garlands, and a victorian inspired lace, satin ribbon with satin rosettes accented pillow, this old chair has new life.

Discarded dinner plates become hand-painted wall art, or, place a clear plate over it and it can become a serving dish for cookies.

A vintage 1940's hat and coordinating hankie, hand-embroidered, await to become  a music box base and a dress for an Angelic Music Box creation

With the help of a vintage apron pattern,  a....................................................

vintage 1940's  hydrangea doily and new coordinating calico............................

will become a stylish apron.

A chipped souvenir plate becomes a floral wall hanging.

A 1940-50's rose motif tablecloth that was stained and threadbare. With some quick stitching and paper doll cutting expertise, I created pocket appliques for this vintage apron.

A discarded, rusty, and albeit holey water pump becomes a garden water feature.....

okay , I couldn't figure a way to incorporate a vintage textile in this one, but I do find uses for anything discarded into the garden. I have a 1950's Tappen stove sitting out back covered over.....LOL..to my husband's disbelieving looks....it will be a potting/serving buffet  table on our kitchen deck when we get it finished...hey it was free... and I'm on the lookout for a vintage ringer washer to fill with geraniums by two trees that'll make the perfect holders for a good old fashioned clothesline.

And, newly found vintage transfers..................................................

.......or vintage ephemera used as transfers........................................................

can become new Brown Gingham Creations like this....................

A vintage Southern Belle embroidery transfer will be added to............

this vintage hand-tatted edged hankie

to be the beginning of my newest Brown Gingham Creation pillow, Summertime..

I thought I'd do some different posts this time showing progress of one of my creations using vintage finds.

Summertime will be the first of a four pillow series of the season's.

Don't forget Saturday is Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound

Southern Lady's Vintage Love Market

Wednesday is Rednesday at It's a Very Cherry World

Vintage Thingy Thursday at Coloradolady

Scattered pictures.................

All my life I have been drawn to art and have been surrounded by Artworks...not the fancyshmansy big name Artists of  museum fame. but the down to earth bucolic landscapes, the renditions of everyday life, the portraiture of unknown people,but that touch a cord...usually with an undiscernable signature.  My first contact with artwork came at the Grocery Store...don't laugh....I was all of maybe  5, but I remember Mom would do the shopping, pay, and then choose a wonderful 'painting'...ok..ok..it was a lithograph..not oil, but to me they were a priceless treasure... and this happened every week! Well of course it ended, to my disappointment, but it was replaced by yet another..shop, pay, choose a treasure event...but that is for another post. Today I thought I'd take you down my memory lane..so to speak.

                                        These are just a couple of the landscapes to choose from


June Day by Brightwell

I can't make out  the signature on this one, nor is there a title

There were also cityscapes of far away places and ships sailing to distant shores.

  There were animal paintings, clowns, still lifes, and portraits........some of unknown origin as seen below......others  more renowned such as Washington Crossing the Delaware and the Signing of the Constitution..

Pink Girl, who went with Blue Boy, but he didn't figure into my room.



This picture came wuth the ornate plastic frame.........Mother and Daughter
  

Now the next pictures are older than the ones above. The next 2 pictures are favorite Cottages.......I always wished I could visit in these places.....................


This picture is much earlier than the 60's, maybe from the 40's.

I really wished I was the girl feeding the duck....hehe.

This Guardian Angel print was purchased by my Mom when  she first married from Woolworth. It is in it's original metal frame and still hangs in their bedroom. As a child it hung in my room to ward off closet monsters and the Boogeyman....hey....it worked wonders!



This picture was the basis of my whole bedroom in the early to mid 60's.....Swan Lake and ballet. Sears  had the whole Swan Lake bed set....canopy,,,,,bedspread.....pillow shams.....I had lavender walls and pale pink accents......heaven.



Here is my latest art acquisition from a local Antique Mall just a few weeks ago. It's another vintage 12x24 lithograph in it's original goldtone metal frame. As soon as I saw it....it made me smile. For a whole $2 I happily carried it home. I immediately took it my parents house to show them my great find. It made my Mom smile too......you see this picture hung over the living room sofa in thier apartment in California where I was born. At 3 months old Mom would lay me down and i'd look up at that picture and just smile. Well, this  will hang over my dresser mirror so when I open my eyes each morning it'll be the first thing I see.
Isn't it funny how art plays an integural part in our life and we don't even realize it?

Today I'm linking to Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for her Pink Saturday get-together
Don't forget to stop by and visit all the other pink pretties.
And on Wednesday I'm heading over to Sue at It's a Very Cherry World for Rednesday Wednesday for all the Summer hot reds!

Think I'll Put................................

....................................a little 'light' on the subject, that I love to talk about.........................................
Reusing, Redoing, Recreating vintage textiles and finds into special keepsakes for my Brown Gingham Creations. I have a whole line I've created called Angelic Lights. I find vintage dolls from the 1930's to the 50's, usually, that need some tlc and recreate them into charming nightlights.

 This is Rosa She was a 1960's spun acrylic dresser lamp. Her skirt was created from a 1940's hand-tatted doily, as well as the hat and parasol embellishments, and a 1940's hankie I hand-embroidered. She found a home right away. Her two sisters................................................................................

Sunny and

Daisy, both created in vintage embellished textiles, Sunny's wings are created with vintage lace ribbon, while Daisy's a vintage quilted coaster. Both are ready to go to their new home. They are available at $49.99

This next Angelic Light is a votive...............................

Lovey is originally from the 1940's and she sports her original hand-crocheted slip that I used as pinafore over top of a 1930's hankie I hand-embroidered and embellished with brown Sworovski Crystals. The crystals also created her choker and she holds a copper charm that reads 'LOVE'.  Her wings were created by repurposing a vintage net and velvet flower hat. She sits atop a vintage Amber glass lamp shade which covers a battery powered candlelite votive. She too has found a loving home.

My favorite  Angelic Light is ..................................

'Lacey Rose' as I've named her. I found her and her Sisters (1952 little ladies) in a cold glass display care without a stitch on and bald! I knew immediately I had to bring them home and help them. Now Lacey  was given flowing long black tresses. Her dress (the lampshade) was created using tulle, black lace edging, hand-painted pink rose and tulle rick-rack, a 1940's hankie I hand-embroidered, and a hand-tatted vintage doily.

The wings are a Battenberg lace heart. Her crown and garland she holds is the same rick-rack. I placed a candle lamp into a vase as the 'votive' holder, which is surrounded by an Ivy wreath I accented with matching paper and porelain roses.Sh is actually 3 peices. Lacey Rose is also available for $69.99

I so enjoy creating these 'flights of fancy',  each has her own personality when finished. And I do love the fun of finding all the vintage components that create my Angelic Lights.

Don't forget to join me on a visit to Beverly's Pink Saturday

Souther. Lady's Vintage  Vintage Love Saturday

                                And Etsy Cottage Style Blogspot on Monday for Market Monday