Adventures in Thrifting in the Pacific Northwest

Ephemera and tins full of secrets.

The tins stayed at my parents as I ran out of room

and technically the flower tin is my mother's find.

Last Saturday we flew home from nearly three weeks holidaying in Northern Idaho visiting my parents. We all had a grand time despite some rather wild weather. True the weather is always wild and unpredictable in the mountains, or between the mountain ranges. The trip started off Sunday morning with a three hour drive to Heathrow then a ten hour flight to Seattle, a few hours sleep in the holiday in before waking at some inhumane hour to repack and stumble across to the Denny's down the street for bacon, terrible diner coffee (You should all know we are coffee snobs), and pancakes drowning in syrupy goodness.

Vintage Washington State tray $1.49

Last year I saw and Idaho one and wished I had bought it.

Um, cake. Not at all thrifty but it was damn nice.

From Chaps Cake in Spokane.

It was still dark when we hit the Cascades Mountains. Dark, freezing cold, and soon the car was pelted with snow, sleet, hail, and we travelled trough patches of thick fog all across Washington state. A couple of stops were made on the 5 hour drive to refuel on coffee, snacks and stretch our legs. The Cle Elum Safeway is freaking terrifying at 5 am when you step through the back doors to find the toilets. I half expected zombies to come shuffling through and I didn't have a baseball bat or any decent zombie killing weapon. We found a little coffee shop and fed H various things to keep him happy while he played on his DS, ipod, our phones and the ipad.

Starry fabric, book, buttons, and a child's silver bracelet.

I can't wait to turn this lot into dolls.

The foul weather chased us into Idaho where it settled into snow and we collapsed at my parents home amid a pile of overly excited pugs. The weather for the rest of the holiday was just as wild but the last week there was mostly sunshine and we were so happy to see it. Last year when we visited it snowed everyday, not proper snow mind you it was something they call grapple which looks exactly like little styrofoam balls. It was so good to be home...be in my other home, because no matter how long I live in England and have made a home here, America is still my home too. Not just because my dad is a wonderful cook and makes all my favourite foods but because culturally I will always be an outsider here no matter how blurred my accent becomes. The states always feel like home and after a year away I missed being in my parents home curled up with a little dog or two listing to H chatter on about whatever interests eight year old boys.

Pearl buttons and a rusty apple shaped cookie cutter.

A few vintage keys.

My mother found for me at an Estate Sale before we arrived.

We went out every day that we were there, going for coffee, breakfast, coffee, shopping, thrifting, and coffee. Did I mention coffee? You really can't go anywhere in the Pacific Northwest without being inundated with coffee everywhere, coffee shops, coffee sheds, Starbucks in most of the grocery stores. Coffee is everywhere. And coffee shops all have free wifi so I could happily instagram all the pictures I took and tinkered with.

Vintage wooden handled cookie cutter

(this has been on my list forever)

Vintage Montana license plate.

Bought on a day trip to Montana for authenticity.

Thrifting was the theme of this trip, along with coffee and candy. But mostly it was thrifting. On the weekends we went to Estate Sales and Garage Sales and in the week we went to thrift stores and junk stores. I didn't buy a ton of things though I did want to buy more than we did. It's a good thing I'm fussy about the things I buy, fussy and cheap that's me. I bought a lot of vintage buttons, which probably isn't a lot to some button addicts I know but is enough to keep me crafting for a long while.

k*nex

Matt only grumbled a few times at all the thrift shops I made him take us. And H? Well H occasionally grumbled at the thrift shops but he was more than happy to rummage around Estate Sales and find a absolutely bargain box of lego, a bag of k*nex and a few other bits and bobs to occupy him for the rest of our trip.

Brass belt buckle and tiny glass vial from an antique/thrift shop in Wallace, Idaho.

Both items were .50 cents, and will be perfect for doll making.

Pearl buttons.

Most were from a junk shop in a mixed bag of buttons for two bucks.

Even Matt had fun finding some CDs in a huge Goodwill store in Spokane, and H found a skater jacket and a green shirt to his liking. Most of what I bought and brought back is craft related, buttons, vintage junk, a 1979 copy of the Sears & Roebuck catalogue, old keys, tins and books. Most of the toys H found we left at my parents home so he can build lego cities and k*nex contraptions next trip.

Sissy the pug is not amused.

LaffyTaffy, magic and little houses

Autumn is a difficult time of year for me but the magic of crafty friends on the internet means that when I go about in a grump for weeks on and and get homesick my friends are there to help. I lamented on Facebook that I was missing of all improbable things banana flavoured LaffyTaffy. Odd I know but it is something that reminds me of being a kid, trick or treating or just going to the store with my best friend for that magical elixir of sugar and chemicals to send us into the stratosphere..or at least spend three days staying up watching movies without sleep. My friend Lisa replied to my misery and said she would happily swap with me.
If you don't know Lisa's work, and you really really should, then visit her blog lil fish studios and be prepared to be inspired. I don't know Lisa all that well but I have chatted with her on twitter and Facebook a bit and I really must say I'm in awe of her phenomenal talent. We share a love of the Little House books and I knew I had to make a badge for her with a Laura Ingalls Wilder quote on it, if I had had a broken copy of one of the books to tear apart for paper craft I probably would have made badges from that too. The doll I made and sent her was simple and made with vintage mother of pearl buttons that I think little Laura Ingalls would have loved.

Lisa's package arrived last week and I think I am still stunned by the beautiful toadstools she sent me, the picture above does it no justice as there seems to have been no decent light for days here but having the art on my desk has kept me smiling all week... well that and the pieces of LaffyTaffy I have *NOT* been sharing with anyone. Mine Mine Mine!!!

Lisa also sent me a vintage matchbox filled with vintage mother of pearl buttons that have gone to live on my desk and will one day be added to the new dolls I have in the works.

forest child doll I sent Lisa

I think Matthew must think I'm crazy for the gleeful squeeing I did when I opened the parcel, though I'm pretty sure he thought I was crazy from the moment we met, ( he still kept me though). I hope that Lisa was half as happy with what I sent her. I didn't take many photos of the parcel I sent as I forgot to (I know I'm useless) and though I wrote a story for the little Forest Child doll I sent I can't seem to find it at the moment. (no real surprise there either) Happiness in small magical things.

Home is the nicest word there is. - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Mystery Parcel

So a few days ago the floppy haired werewolf postie (he totally is a werewolf and is friends with the Carpet Flogging Vampire, its a lovely town I live in) posted this mystery parcel through the door. I opened up the first layer of of parcel paper to find the green ribbon wrapped present with 'blog me' , 'pass on the random act of kindness' and the lovely note in the above photo ' Meridian Ariel, keep on following your instincts and your passion. Loving your work, The Cupid Concept'.

Inside the parcel (which I carefully unwrapped and in no way whatsoever tore into like a wild thing, totally did not at all do that. Honest. *shifty look*) were dark chocolate covered coffee beans, mini sparklers, and a little match box absolutely stuffed with vintage buttons and beads.


I don't know who sent the parcel, where it was from, nobody who I have asked will admit that it is them but then again admitting you are the mystery gift giver takes away some of the fun. The concept seems to be ”follow your passions and share them”. A ‘random act of kindness’ sent to me because I'm following my passions. Is that what I am doing? with my blogging my crafting and baking? Stepping back from the everyday to follow my passion for the things I make and do?

My friend Claire of Things We Make was sent a mystery gift too. Though she swears she didn't send me mine. I think it's a very sweet concept and will be contacting the blog to see if I can share the random act of kindness and keep things going. We all need a bit of mystery and happiness in our lives.

button jewellery a mini tutorial

the Red Queen Pendant

ingredients:

vintage buttons
craft glue
glue on bails (or small pin backs)
needle and thread thread
chain or necklace

Instructions:

step 1: gather materials together and stack two or three buttons together until you find a combination that you love.

step 2: thread the needle and sew your stack of buttons together (alternatively you can glue them on top of each other, but I like the look of the thread keeping the buttons together)

step 3: decide where the bail/pin back will go on the back of the stack and place a few drops of glue on the back of the button and on the flat part of the pendant bail. Leave for a few seconds then stick the bail/pin back to the button stack.

step 4: let the glue dry then string the button pendant on a chain or pin the button pin to anything!

crafter's notes: I know it is only a super simple tutorial but it is fun and funky, and I will happily be wearing the red, black, and mother of pearl button pendant when I go out today. The pin below was my first attempt with a large renegade chartreuse button that had hidden in one of my button jam jars. If anyone wants it I will gladly give it away as chartreuse and I are no friends (the colour makes me look ill or possibly just a very lively zombie).

Chartreuse it is

off the cuff

fabric wrist cuff...although it would look stellar on a coffee cuff
mmmm coffee... where was I?

In my further adventures of not doing the things I should be doing, I made this little fabric wrist cuff. What exactly I should be doing I have no idea, perhaps you can tell me, because I haven't got a clue. I have seen wrists cuffs on etsy (some pretty and some very expensive) , and looked at a tutorial that was sort of triangle shaped and that seemed not quite right. Then I thought I would just have a play around with whatever scraps of fabric were currently breeding dust bunnies on my desk.

it is slightly more even than it appears..
the book kept folding up on me...honest

The fantastic alphabet fabric was sent to me by the brilliant, talented and funny (funny ha ha not funny peculiar...although come to think of it...nevermind...) Jodie (of Ric-Rac infamy), yeah that one, and if you don't know her blog, get your bum over and have a look are her creations, with or without the mad scientist laughter. Anyhoo I think I may have lost the plot...I think I best go find a new one or at least a slightly used plot to upcycle into something else.

is it just me or does the big button look like a record?

needlebook for Vintage Violet

needle book for Vintage Violet

I made this little needle book yesterday while H watched X-Men Evolution. I was really inspired to get this done as Megan was mooning over the fabric on her blog the other day. I left a comment on her blog saying I make her something with the fabric in exchange for some of her hoard of vintage buttons. She agreed to the swap even after my dire warnings of my wonky sewing abilities.

The button is a vintage red button from a previous order from Megan's haberdashery shop (go on you know you want to visit), so knew the button would be perfect for the needle book. I love the wonky lines of the black thread on the needle book, I think it looks fab, and I really like creating needle books, its been fun and is a small item to craft that leaves me inspired and not frustrated. I have a few ideas for a few more when I receive the fabulous Alice Wonderful fabric tape I ordered from Lilla lotta, and the cute fabric I ordered from Matatabi.


I wish I had ordered more from each shop but I promised M I would be careful with my ordering and not spend more than what I sell in my etsy shop. So in that case I will be adding a few more items to my etsy shop very soon!

The Button Thief

button thief illustration on vintage book paper

The Button Thief
by Apryl Lowe

Once there was a pair of blackbirds, with shiny black wings and a beautiful song in the hearts. They had a little nest swaying high in a willow tree. Inside the nest, a pale blue egg the colour of the summer sky.

The egg soon hatched a tiny little bird, as blue as the sky. Mother Blackbird kept her warm in the nest, and Father Blackbird found a button to give his lovely daughter.

A fledgling bird Skye learned to fly, but fell to the ground. A woman dressed in Sunday best, with red buttons on her coat, rescued poor the poor little bird. The little chirped and hopped on the woman’s hand, she pulled a shiny red button from the woman’s coat and flew off into the willow tree.

One little bird feathers bright as the midday sky, she found a wee mask and became a thief.


The button thief she stole a button shining silver in the sun.

Then she stole more, and more, from the men, women and children that walked in the park, from the shops in the town, a treasure trove in the haberdashery.

Round buttons, square buttons, wooden buttons, shell buttons, plastic buttons, metal buttons, cloth buttons, none were safe from the Button Thief.
.
Red ones and blue ones, yellow ones and orange ones, shining pearl and carved oak, bright silver, tarnished brass, each shining, button a new treasure to steal.

She sat and preened up high in the willow tree, and admired the beautiful buttons in her nest. Her eyes were keen on the ground, and on the people all around, for the beautiful buttons they might wear.

The end


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the button thief illustration is on a vintage book page from a battered copy of Alice through the Looking-glass, black tea, acrylic paint, and ink were used in the illustration, along with one vintage red button. The light was a bit off when I took the photo but paint shop helped to some degree, I will attempt to photograph the illustration again when it has finished drying and flattening.

things to do with doilies when you're dead

linen scarf with vintage doilie

well obviously not really dead because one would assume it would be very hard to sew what with the rigamortis and all....ahem..anyway...

I have had this idea bumbling around in my head for ages, since I found a vintage doily at the little junk shop at Cromford Mill, that I would make something with it. I wasn't entirely sure what it would be I thought about maybe a little tote bag, but then the idea for a scarf started forming in my wee little brain. I wasn't sure exactly how to start and dithered around before deciding today would be the day.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out, though I don't know what to do with it, keep it or give it away as a present or sell it, though I'm worried it wouldn't really sell as I'm not remotely the best seamstress. The buttons are vintage mother of pearl from Vintage Violet's Buttons, a fantastic Folksy shop run by the lovely Megan. The scarf needs photographing around someones neck (not mine) and possibly a better ironing job than I did in my hurry to get it photographed in the fading light.

sewn leaves and conversations with my brain

conversation with myself

me: right today I have to hoover the house, take books back to the library, drink coffee, sew lavender sachets, dust, clean up the paint mess, sort laundry, do that combined challenge, do a bit of writing.....

my brain: You don't want to do that.. lets make leaves!

me: No I have to sew those lavender sachets, clean the house...

my brain: you don't have any lavender.

me: I can still sew the sachets.

my brain: Nah lets play with that branch in the corner that I made you drag home.

me: I have work to do.

my brain: Lets make leaves or I will play "I kissed a girl" all day on your internal radio..off key with only half the words!

me: you wouldn't

my brain: "I kissed a girl and I liked it...mumble mumble.. cherry chap stick"

me: *facepalm* .... fine.. lets make leaves

my brain: yay!
So I made two leave from some scraps of pale green fabric, and some random red buttons, and sewed them onto a piece of the branch I brought home with me on Saturday. I don't know what I'm going to do with it or if I will sew more leaves, but the idea popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone until I made leaves.

Vintage Violet's Buttons

vintage red buttons

Aren't these vintage red buttons beautiful? and the presentation too? I ordered them a few weeks ago from Megan of Vintage Violet's Buttons and Vintage Haberdashery, they arrived a few days later beautifully packaged and gorgeous. You can also visit her blog!

black and red vintage buttons

I have no idea what I will be doing with this amount of buttons, my attempts at sewing are still laughable but my embroidery has improved a little bit so I may embroider a few more button thieves and poison apple trees on some linen tea towels. Once I have sourced some natural linen tea towels that is, or find someone willing to make me some linen tea towels to embroider and add some lovely buttons too.

mother of pearl buttons and a pretty little note.