Spring & Easter Cloche Display

One of my many collections consists of vintage textile spools. I was determined to make something out of the extra large spool – that alone stands 15 1/2"! I have used shorter spools to make a stand for a glass cloche and vintage pie pan, and thought the larger spool wood be perfect for the large chicken wire cloche.

The pie pan is lovingly warn with little bits of rust and patina. The wire cloche is light green with wood knob on top. A vintage skeleton key and a Victorian advertising card hang from the knob. Three light blue turquoise colored speckled eggs are nestled in the bird nest lined with moss. A square piece of vintage burlap rests under the nest.

A unique Spring centerpiece!

Available in my Etsy shop ~ cattales.

Crafting With Putka Pods

I am hooked on putka pods – miniature dried pumpkin shaped seed pods grown on trees in India.

These are great for decorating – add around a pillar candle, use in potpourri or create decorative wreaths and topiaries.

Though it is time consuming hot gluing each individual pod to the floral foam, it is well worth it once completed!

For the miniature wreath, moss was glued on top of a small grapevine wreath, then finished with the pods. A piece of jute was added so it can easily hang from a peg or knob.

For the large natural color wreath, a round green floral foam was used. Once I had two rows along the outer edge and two rows on the inside edge complete, it was easier to fill in the center.

The topiary was a little easier to make. I started on the bottom of the floral foam cone and worked my way up to the tip. Having various sizes of pods helped in filling in the gaps. Adding an old patina clay pot and moss makes this a wonderful holiday centerpiece.

If you would like to purchase putka pods for your own projects, please visit my Etsy shop, Cat Tales.

Hydrangeas

Two years ago we planted a few hydrangeas bushes, and this fall, the color on the flowers are fantastic with tones of pink and green.

I may make a wreath as there are a lot of stems, but in the meantime, I am displaying them in a vintage owl vase and an old wood crate.

Happy Easter!

Do you remember when your mom would buy special outfits for Easter? We all looked like little grownups! My mother would love to dress us up in a new coat, bonnet, purse, white gloves and patten leather shoes.

I came across this photo recently and had to share. The little man is my brother, and my sister is in the light blue and I am in the yellow coat – yes the one with the big head and large gloves!

Wishing you a wonderful Easter and hope it brings you many fond memories throughout the years.

Vintage Cluster Earring Magnets

Over the years my collection of vintage earrings has grown – the cluster type design are fabulous. I show them off by transforming them into pretty magnets. Currently they are displayed on a vintage iron trivet.

Schoharie Antique Show

I went to my first Springs Antiques in Schoharie show yesterday. Turned out to be a gorgeous day for a drive. There were so many vendors and so much to look through.

I did score some wonderful finds, including linens at $1 each and about 3 lbs of buttons for $15. The pint jar was a must have for only $5, and the egg basket will be filled with moss and faux eggs – a perfect decoration for Easter.

The vintage wood spools have already been transformed into organizers. Vintage tart mold were attached to the tops – perfect size to hold small supplies. They will be listed in my Etsy shop very soon.

Flowers

As I was outside picking a few weeds, I noticed how gorgeous the flowers and perennials were and decided to photograph their beauty.

 

Trip to Beekman 1802

My sister-in-law and I took a trip to Beekman 1802 in Sharon Springs, New York yesterday. Though it was cold and rainy, not the typical weather for Memorial weekend, it was still a nice drive out.




















I was looking forward to trying the Cajeta Goat Milk Caramel as seen on their tv show, the Fabulous Beekman Boys. I was saddened to hear they were out of stock, however they got a shipment of their new ice cream the evening before and of course I had to try the caramel flavor. It is made with goats milk and was really delicious!

I also purchased their Blaak Drizzle – Balsamic, Fig & Elderberry Sauce, along with their Chipotle Creamed Honey (I like spicy food). For dinner last night, I drizzled a bit of the honey on top of fried chicken – and let me tell you, that was yummy!

My sister-in-law picked up some items as well, including Goat Milk Soaps and their new Mortgage Lifter Heirloom Pasta Sauce – 25% of the pasta sauce profits goes back to farmers. How cool is that? View the pasta story here.

One more thing, we met Josh and Brent – didn't expect that! They were wonderful as well as their sales staff. We will definitely be baak (play on words).

 

We also took a trek to Schoharie to check out a store that opened a few weeks earlier, called Hive. The proprietor is a friend of my sister-in-law's. The shop is located on Main Street in an old house that was hit by Hurricane Irene in 2011. The main floor has been renovated and Theresa and her husband are in the process of renovating the upstairs.

As soon as I walked in I fell in love with all of the vintage wear and jewelry. I didn't walk out empty handed, I bought a few antique blue mason jars, vintage mill spools and jewelry (can never have enough mason jars and jewelry!). Plus, I nibbled on a few of their organic cookie samples from Holiday Farm Biscuit Company.

Below are two necklaces I purchased – can't wait to wear them. I also purchased earrings to match, they are shaped similar to a whisk on a Kitchen Aid mixer. Maybe that's why I liked them – reminded me of baking!

Springing to Easter

With the temperature in the mid 50s today and the melting of the snow, I cannot wait for Spring! And with Easter just around the corner, I wanted something colorful for our front door.

I gathered different Easter and Spring related craft items this morning, not knowing what I was going to make. After exploring a few different ideas, I finally came up with eggs in the basket.

By replacing the ribbon hangers on the glittered Easter eggs with bamboo skewers, and adding paper grass to the inside of the basket, it was easy to arrange the eggs. The hanger is made from vintage ribbon I had for some time, never knowing what to use it for – I think it is perfect for this Easter arrangement!

Displaying Vintage Glass Christmas Ornaments

Whenever I see old glass ornaments, I have to snatch them up. My collection has expanded over the past few years and I am always trying to come up with fun and unique ways to display them.

Using apothecary jars, wire baskets, colanders, wood bowls, tiered serving stands, cloches and old worn tool boxes create unique holiday displays.

Vintage Buttons

I just acquired these wonderful vintage buttons from a friend at work. He came across them and thought of me. That was so nice of him!

The variety is spectacular and I used some of the buttons to make button key rings (will be listing on Etsy very soon). The remaining buttons are currently in a vintage mason jar – waiting to be used for my next craft project.

How to Make Vintage Spool Jewel Ornaments

Step-by-step tutorial of the original spool jewel ornament as featured in the 2011 Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Crafts magazine.

If you are kind enough to share the tutorial on your blog or ezine, please feel free to do so. I only ask you include a link back to this post, and provide credit to “Cat Tales of Saratoga” (please do not use any nondescript anchor text, ie: “click here”, “source” or “via”). Please contact me for all other enquiries. 

All images are property and courtesy of Cat Tales of Saratoga.

Vintage Spool Jewel Ornaments

Materials:

• Vintage thread spools – approx 1 1/4-inch in height

• Mother of pearl self-shank buttons – approx 7/16–11/16-inch diameter (shank cannot be larger than whole in spool)

• Vintage sheet music

• 20-gauge crafts wire, 18-inch length

• Pearl beads – 1/4-inch diameter

• Pearl beads – 7/16-inch diameter

• Crafts glue

• German glass glitter

• Hot-glue gun and glue sticks

• Paper trimmer

• Needle-nose pliers

• Toothpicks

Preparation:

Remove all thread from spools and buttons, and wipe clean.

Wrap Sheet Music Around Spool:

Using a paper trimmer, cut sheet music into 4-inch strips. Height will vary depending on size of spool. Wrap the strip around spool clockwise, leaving the music clefs visible. Place a thin strip of crafts glue on backside, 1/8-inch from short end and spread to outer edge with toothpick. Press firmly, smooth paper and blot any excess glue.

Add Wire Hanger:

Cut a 6-inch length of wire. Run wire through shank of button, leaving 1/2 inch on one side of shank. Bend both ends upwards, leaving the short side slightly angled allowing it to fit tightly when placed through spool.

Feed long end of wire through the bottom of spool. Before pushing short wire end into spool, add a bit of hot glue to button shank and snap in place.

Add Pearl Beads:

Thread large pearl bead, then small pearl bead onto long stem of wire. Holding beads firmly against the top of spool, bend wire at a 90-degree angle. Firmly press wire around a round form, approx. 1/8-inch diameter (a neck of a bottle works perfectly) to create circular hanger. To finish, bend tip inwards using needle-nose pliers.

Glitter:
Run a bead of crafts glue along bottom edge of spool and sprinkle with glitter. Let dry and repeat for top. Place ornament, button side down, on a flat surface while drying. This will allow the glitter to dry evenly. 

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Different variation with swirly hangers and rusty jingle bells :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::