Ann Arbor Antiques Market this Sat & Sun, May 14 & 15

We are so excited to have been accepted into the Ann Arbor Antiques Market. Our first show with them will be this Saturday and Sunday, May 14 &15. Saturday form 8-4 and Sunday from 10-4. Look for us outside under the big tent. This is their Garden Show - how fun is that!!!

I also wanted to share a few photos of the product that we off loaded in the SUN SHINE on Sunday in Petoskey for Then & Now.

I will join Dan for Sundays market in Ann Arbor, in the mean time I will be teaching a seminar at Kendall College of Art & Design , ETSY 101, on Saturday 11:00-5:00. There are sill openings in that class, it is a one day workshop for you to learn tips and tricks for selling your handmades, vintage and supplies on the popular e-commerce website of ETSY.

Country Living Fair!

Dan & I couldn't be more excited! We just found out today that we have been accepted into the Country Living Fair in Columbus Ohio, September 16-18!!!!!!

Go to countryliving.com click on community & freebies for more info. As we find out more about it too we will share it ALL with you.

Dan has continued to work on his new specialty finish and now he has combined it with reverse painting on glass. Oh my stars! Blue even, my new favorite color.

Also thank you to everyone who attended the first Allegan Antiques Market this past weekend. The weather was perfect and we had our best Allegan show ever. However we missed our friends Joe and Sandy of rhubarb-reign.blogspot.com  & Diane Passi. Several of you asked about them and they will be back in May.

We have much to be thankful for and have been doing a happy dance!

Allegan Antiques Market Sat/Sun

Dan & I are excited, this weekend is the first Allegan Antiques Market of the season and the "Season Opener" is going to be realy special this year. It will be a 2 day show opening on Saturday (April 30) @ 10:00 am  and closing @ 4:00 and open again on Sunday(May 1st)  @ 8:00 am. Set up is Friday staring @ 1:00 so early buy starts then as well. Early buy is a worthwhile adventure if you are a serious antique buyer or junker. Early buy admission is $25.00 for on person or 2 for $35.00. See there are all kinds of deals to be had!

We had a wonderful opportunity to salvage in an old school that is being torn down. The school building was built in the 1890's. We will be bringing lots of treasures from there including a stack of vintage dictionaries, like the one pictured above. We will also have lots of garden. Oh ya, spring  - summer, we are into it!

So consider shopping on Friday, or we will see you Saturday or Sunday!

Spring Re Purposed - Up Cycled Handmades On Their Way to Bluedoor

Wow Spring is definitely in the air! We have been hanging out on the porch again, I planted seeds in the garden and have been creating with vintage finds. Shredded vintage paper nests filled with lavender, hand painted and glittered found wood eggs and vintage prints printed onto vintage sheet music - I think I hear the birds! All of these items on their way to bluedoorgr.com this morning.

Check out my ETSY site for more!

PETOSKEY!

We just wanted to share with you some new photos of our space @ Then and Now in Petoskey. We were just there and added lots of product. Their season has started! and according to a recent report it is warm and very spring like and sales are strong. Dan's creations continue to amaze me. Here in Grand Rapids we are finishing up taxes planning our summer shows, with several new ones on the horizon (watch the side bar for upcoming shows), getting ready for the first Allegan Antiques Market, April 30th and May 1, readying the porch and digging in the garden.

Happy Spring to all!

You Give A Girl A Vintage Curtain and...........

Dan brought home these fabulous vintage curtains last week that had lots of wear and I couldn't have been more excited! Working around the holes and wear spots is easy when you turn them into "other" projects. So far I have used some of it for the darling stool that Dan built using reclaimed feet and old door or window casing. So chic don't you think!

I also have made several of these charming gardening aprons using all kinds of different vintage and reclaimed fabrics. You may see both of us wearing these this summer at the shows. (I don't' think Dan's will have flowers!) Good also for any kind of creative project - garage sales etc. 3 pockets, one size fits all :-)

Next, is another fabric that I have been hording for quite some time. Vintage linen gray toile - be still my heart! I used some here to cover yet another stool and I stitched this great French style market bag using a pattern from Kaari Mengs French General Home Sew Book.

I also used bits of it and other great fabrics to cover these journals.

Instructions for the journals and the garden apron came from another French General book "The French Inspired Home" also by Kaari Meng.

RePurposed Up cycled Lamps @ Bluedoor

Dan & I have had this notion to try lamp making, he having a background as an electrician and me well.........

Any way here is a look at our latest creation on it's way into Bluedoor here in Grand Rapids.

Dan also refurbished these wonderful old vintage goose neck desk lamps this week. The base of each one is different and unique. I personally love the pale dove gray one that has it's original old paint.

We also added lots of product to our space @ Bluedoor, including signs, oil paintings, stained glass windows, 3 beautiful Gothic windows, industrial, drawer and cubby cabinets. Lots of repurposed, up cycled and vintage charm.

You can also see lots of our product on ETSY - see the side bar here for a quick link.