Thrift Store Find: Vintage Wooden Frog Toy

My youngest son is drawn to vintage toys and really enjoys playing with this cute wooden frog that we found at the thrift store. Most of the vintage toys we have are little cars and trucks that are family treasures. Some of them are from my father-in-law and some are from when my husband was a child. However, my little guy is totally fascinated by this little wooden frog and he wants to take it wherever he goes. He fell in-love with it the moment he saw it at the store and did not want to leave it behind. It was even his idea for me to take a picture of it (smile). It just goes to show that even an old toy can brighten a child's life.

Do you have an old toy that you or your children treasure?

Thrift Store Find: Milk Glass Collection

It has been several weeks since I have shared my thrift store finds with you guys. So today I just had to do a post to share my latest finds. I have been working on my collection of milk glass pieces and I have had some beautiful finds in the past few weeks.

Overall, I have been trying to focus my thrift store purchases on items that add to an existing collection. I have been building a collection of vintage picture frames, linens and table coverings; but my current goal is to put together a wonderful collection of milk glass pieces that I can use for Crafted Spaces Weddings.

I have several pieces that I have collected over the years, and my husband's grandmother gave me some lovely pieces when we got married. I will like to keep some of these pieces for personal use, so I have decided to invest in building a collection that I can use with clients. I have been doing research, and I have identified some must-have-pieces that will look stunning for a wedding.

Over the past few weeks I have found several bud vases and some larger vases that I think are very beautiful. There are several other pieces that I have my eyes on, including a couple cake stands. I will be sure to share with you how my collection is coming along. I currently have about forty pieces, and I hope to have some of my coveted pieces in the coming weeks.

What do you like collecting? Do you have a collection that you are building on?

Antique Shopping

This summer my family and I have had a few road trips. I enjoy the long drives and discovering small towns along the way. This past weekend my husband and I took the kids camping and on the way back we decided to take a different route, and discovered a great antique market on highway 48 called "Antiques on Hwy48." We stopped by and ended up visiting for over an hour.

It is no secret that I enjoy good thrift store finds, but it pales in comparison to how much fun I have at an antique market. I love shopping for vintage items and it is a threat to discover a beautiful antique piece. There are a handful of places that I enjoy shopping, and I am never disappointed with what I find. However, it is also fun to discover new antique shops and fairs. So needless to say I took great joy in every inch of the two floors of antiques, along with the items displayed at their entrance.

I enjoyed looking through the rooms and checking out the wonderful collection of glassware and milk vases. There were lots of little treasures waiting to be discovered. There was a lot of inventory, with mostly small collectables. It was well organized, but as my husband said to our three year old son, "there are lots of no no's" for little ones to break.

There was a great selection of vinyl records, among which my husband was happy to discover two records he wanted. My eldest son was also happy to find a comic book he wanted. I did find a few items that caught my eye, but self-control was needed. The two pieces that I strongly considered getting was a stunning milk vase, and a beautiful wooden bench with a needle point upholstered seating.

So now I have one more antique market on my list and lots more to discover. Do you enjoy shopping at an antique market?

Antique Finds

Antique shopping can be lots of fun. Crafted Spaces visited the Roadshow's 400 Antiques Mall, just outside of Barrie, Ontario. This 32,000 sq. ft. showroom is a great venue and has over 200 dealer shops and showcases with an amazing selection of antique finds, from delicate linen handkerchiefs to ornate furniture pieces.

Antique malls are a great source for finding items that can enhance any creative space. You can find great storage solutions or small decorative items that are cost effective and can add unique touches to your creative space. Here are a few of my milk glass dish, which has come in very handy for keeping business cards and hangtags within reach.

Creative Pin Cushions

The following Tea Cup Silk Pin Cushion, was inspired by this gorgeous Queen Anne antique bone china tea cup that I found at a thrift shop. It was love at first sight when I saw this little tea cup and I just had to find a creative way of incorporating it into my studio. I love finding creative ways of reusing or refurbishing used items, and after a few days of holding small odds and ends I decided to turn it into the base of this decadent pin cushion.

I also wanted to share these two wrist pin cushions, created by students at Verona Collections August 2010 - Summer Sewing Camp - Toronto. These pin cushions were created from eco-fi 100% Polyester Felt, produced from recycled plastic bottles. They were further stuffed with EcoFill a "Luxury Fibre Fill" produced from recycled polyester fibres.

Kempenfest 2010

Over the weekend we just had to make a stop at Kempenfest. Celebrating its' 40th year, this highly anticipated event showcased The Huronia Festival of Arts and Crafts with over 350 artisans along the shore of Kempenfelt Bay, Barrie, Ontario.

The four day festival started on Friday, July 30th and ended on Monday, August 2nd. The artisans were on site from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday to Monday. Creative designs were available in a range of artistic mediums; including, photography, painting, pottery, jewellery, handbags, clothing and so much more.

In addition to the amazing selection of crafts and wearable art, one of my favourite components of the event is The Optimist Antique Show, which features 40 vendors with a huge array of antiques.

This fun event, was well worth braving the occasional showers, and is ideal for the entire family. I personally will be marking my calendar to attend again next year. If you are interested in participating as a vendor in this event, I suggest you visit their website at www.kempenfest.com and contact the organizers early.