newest creations...

Happy Monday!

I've had the soldering iron going a lot lately,

and thought I would show how I finished the large (knocker) crazy quilt scrap pendants.

this is the same one, I left the stitching on the backside, the side that the 

quilter usually keeps hidden as the flipside because I think her work 

deserves the spotlight on both sides!

I then hung the pendants with a stack of the sweetest vintage 

cream and milkglass buttons.

The MIlove charms that I showed in the last post I have now added to rings as well.  

This was my instagram and FB page post letting

our customers know we were on the way to Detroit.  :)

When I find a stamp that I think will add a little fun to the sachets

I get a little giddy.... this one definitely did the trick!

So not only do they smell beautiful, but they are just as pretty

when you pull them out of your dryer.

Here's a group photo of the knockers and a few other pieces before I added the buttons and chains. 

See how much bigger they are than the quarter?  

I LOVE THAT!  

They have a great weight to them, and make a gorgeous necklace for layering.

I wore mind with a winter scarf at the market and I loved how it peaked out 

from the bottom of my infinity scarf.

I don't create my soldered pendants with vintage photos like I used to these days,

(unless I have a commissioned order)

but this boy has a hold on me and when I found the print on fabric that 

I made of him a couple of years ago he immediately was preserved under glass. 

 I will most likely be sporting him around my neck.

I just love his look of determination.

It's Monday and that usually puts me in a funk with less focus than usual, 

but today the iron will once again be hot with a few orders to get done.

So there you have it, a little update on what's on the worktable.

I cleared off the dining room table so that we could once again have meals together,

and have set up shop in the workroom where I belong.  

let's see how long this will last ;)

I want to add that if you ever see anything on my instagram page

the old white house

or my facebook page

the old white house

and have any questions or would like to purchase a special bauble please msg. me

and I will put up a reserve listing for you.

My etsy and website have all of our natural lavender laundry and cleaning products,

 but I haven't listed any of my jewelry in some time because by the time 

I get everything made I am packing up to go to a show or market.  

I of course would love to have my friends that do not live close by be able 

to wear a little somethin somethin that I've made also.

So please don't hesitate to contact me!

I hope you have a week full of grand adventures, love, and laughter! 

love, t.xoxo

we went on vacation...

where myself and these two...

drove to see these two!

we had a great visit, but as usual it was much too short.

We did manage to pack quite a bit into a week!

This pic was taken at the Charleston Farmers Market.  

There were booths and booths of specialty foods

and many talented artists as well as the local farmers, I loved it!

It was 110* this day, so what's a kid to do, but take advantage of the local fountain?

We ate at some fabulous places!

Danielle and Justin took us to a few of their favorite spots,

and I can attest to the fact that the Charleston area has some delicious food!

We went into the Art Museum, where it was cool, for a stroll through some

unusual art displays.  They were in between exhibits so there really

wasn't much to see, but as you can tell Hannah and Max

found it pretty fascinating! ;)

Justin drove us to a great spot on Folly Beach to see some

truly amazing art... 

The artist 

Douglas Panzone

has been commissioned by the city to paint

murals in different places.  I kept looking for more,

but never found them.  I hope we see more next time!

seriously, his work is so incredible!

(Do yourself a favor and click on his name to see more)

I can't even imagine how he does all of this detail with spray paint!

The vacation was wonderful, and much needed!

We have had a crazy, busy, and fabulous summer

here at the Detroit Eastern Market,

and here, at the Capitol Lawn Farmers Market

(last one of the season is coming up on 9/25)

and here, at the Grand Rapids Fulton St. Artisans Market

(last Sunday of the season is 9/28)

a vast array of artists every week, with something for everyone!

and here, at the Everlasting Blooms Vintage Flea Market

(next one is on 10/10 & 10/11)

it's show full of treasures galore, grab your girls and come shopping!

and here, at the South Haven All Crafts Fair for our third year!

There have been more shows in between, 

and with all of those shows comes the wonderful

people who visit us and shop our booth!

THANK YOU ONE AND ALL!!!

As you can see, we have been incredibly busy this summer,

so that vacation was the perfect way to close out the summer before school started!

In between going to all of our markets and shows, are long days making lots and lots of 

our lavender goodness to take to said shows...

...and in between making lavender goodness,

I make as many new pieces of jewelry as I can!

I grabbed most of these photos from my facebook and instagram pages,

where it is much quicker and easier for me to share all of the fabulous

places we set up our booth and for some of the stories of the

wonderful people that we meet.

Also, that's where I post photos of the new jewelry pieces that I'm working on,

so if you hop over to either of those sites you won't miss a thing!

On a side note about my jewelry...

I don't list them on etsy these days.  As I tell my customers at the markets,

by the time I get them finished I am packing them up to go in the booth.

If you ever see anything that you would like, please contact me and if I still

have it I will make a listing of it just for you!

I have sold many pieces straight from the instagram or FB page.

Well, that wraps up my summer, I hope you didn't feel bombarded by photos,

but I've missed sharing with you all!  

I hope I see you on FB or instagram very soon :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!

t.xoxo

pretty pics to take my mind off of the tax task at hand....

It's that time of year and I am sitting here

going through receipts and boring tax stuff.

ugh.

So to take my mind away from it for a bit,

I thought I would post some pretty pictures for you and me!

yes, I am procrastinating generous like that.

This was from one of our first shows of last year's season.

Along with gathering tax stuff I have also been

thinking about booth design and upcoming shows.

Plus making some new baubles for said shows.

yes, I realize I'm really really avoiding dreaded boring business stuff,

but look at this shiny object!

I've been playing with Ice Resin again, it's another way to create with mixed media.

This mother of pearl bead pendant has since been given a beautiful strand of 

semiprecious stone and vintage beads,

and as soon as the sun is just right I will take pics of it.

I have even managed to solder a few more shadowboxes!

I have a table full of projects right now.

Many pieces of jewelry on the way to the shop

and then I made these...

Hearts made from a vintage French linen toile tablecloth,

one that has seen many, many years of love.

It was beyond covering the table any longer, but makes 

the most beautiful hearts filled with organic lavender flowers.

given a little love note stamped onto cotton and 

freestitched onto the heart.

I added winter white seam binding attached with

a large vintage button.

These have been listed in the shop...

The Old White House

Well, I should really quit procrastinating and 

commit my full attention to the task at hand.

If I don't put this computer away, chances are that

Pinterest, or facebook, or instagram might call my name, 

and if I hear the call, well then all hope is lost!

Thank you for stopping by,and have a fabulous day!

love,

t.xoxo

weekend update...

A sale...

my little way of thanking everyone for all of the support we have been

shown all summer and beyond!

I have been planning a little 'weekend update' for all of you

to give you a glimpse of some of the places that we 

pitched our tent and sold our wares.

at our very first show, there were ferry boat rides and the crowd

was led onto the island by a bag pipe band,

what a great way to start off our adventures!!

our booth set ups went from this...

to this...

Part of the fun of the shows for me was the redecorating for every show!

"What can I convince Duane to put on the back of the truck 

to make our booth prettier?"

just kidding...

He agreed with every choice and was more than

happy to add anything that would make it more appealing!

Part of my update was also to say

thank you for all of your support,

for the emails from some asking about Duane and his job hunt,

to the requests for updates about our adventures.

I am happy to let you all know that he is the areas newest

Farm Bureau Insurance Agent!

I miss having him along for the ride for the last of the seasons shows,

and I know that he misses it too,

he had a ball doing the shows and meeting all of the 

fun people that visited our booth,

but YAY for him!

He has a passion for telling people of the benefits

of having life insurance to protect their families.

We have unfortunately seen first hand the lives affected

by not having it in place for those left behind,

so he takes his job very seriously.

And now here we are, at the end of the craft show season,

right at the brink of what is referred to as Black Friday,

Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday and while I can

embrace a couple of those days, mine will combine

the feelings that Thanksgiving and Christmas conjure up for me.

A thankful heart for blessings.

We are seeing the results of the fruits of our labor

with emails and messages from some of the folks that purchased our

laundry and cleaning provisions this summer.

The kind of message that says that they will never use anything else and where will

we be next so that they can get some more...

The ones that say that since they have started spraying

their pillow with our linen spray, they have been sleeping so much better.

The new nickname given to me at the farmers market...

The Lavender Lady...

and

The 2 shops that approached me to have

our products in their stores!

how exciting is that?

pretty stinking exciting!!!

this is our biggest seller at the shows...

The Laundry Bundle

I am thrilled to now be offering it in the shop!

I have made some special ones for Christmas,

the sachets are made with vintage table cloths covered in poinsettias.

I also made some for the locals...

(one of the wonderful benefits of doing the shows and markets are the other

vendors that I met, this Michigan stamp was made by local artist

Rachel McKay of Grand Rapids)

Her etsy shop is

Fawn and Fable

I love Rachel's creations and know that you will too!

So between being thankful and counting my blessings,

I think the only reasonable thing to do

is to have a big holiday weekend sale!!

I have added a new line of Christmas items to the shop too!

love notes...

sweet messages of love, a sprinkling of silver mica,

soldered into a 6" vintage test tube and adorned with

a little bling,

beautiful for the Christmas tree!

Plus there's so much more!

I hope you will stop by 

The Old White House

and the facebook page for updates on where you can find me next,

along with the newest items being added to the shop!

Thanks again for all the love and support!

love,

Theresa

xoxoxooxoxo

p.s. we still have a couple more shows on the calender,

I'll keep you posted as to where we will be next!