Fabulous Find: Vintage BREVETTATO Gold Embossed Italian Lipstick Case

When I go to an estate sale I never know what I am going to find. The last sale I went to I was hoping for towels and found fabric. You just never know. Well, I went to an estate sale (totally unexpected, just followed a sign, could have taken me anywhere) and while wandering around the house I found these cool little lipstick holders in a basket. I didn’t know much about them except they looked cool. I paid for them with the rest of my booty and left.

Later on, I had a chance to check out my purchases. The lipstick holders are Italian made with gold fleur de lis embossing on top and stamped Brevettato inside. They are well made in a soft leather.

 Vintage Brevettato Gold Embossed Italian Lipstick Holder

The snap is the old kind (70’s), not the magnetic kind you find today. I found them in this beige color and orange.

Aren’t they wonderful?

They now grace the pages of my MissEileen’s shop on Etsy.

Trail Blazing in Yarn: An Interview with Blazing Needles

The winner of the June 10, Philadelphia Edition blog interview was Blazing Needles and her amazing Burgundy Ruffled Crochet Scarf. Here is her story:

 

Burgundy Purple Ruffled Crochet Scarf

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I am officially Barbara Perelman and I live in York PA. My studio is in the basement of my house and I loving call it "The Cave". I am a retired engineer and have been in business full time for 6 (OMG!) years.

What are your favorite materials?

I usually work in acrylic because of the ease of care and the availability of bright colors. I have recently started working in bamboo by request of my customers. It is eco-friendly and so soft.

                 Cactus Yarnius Crochetius

What is your favorite color combination?

Anything using bright colors.

What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it?

Hmmmm - perhaps a knit doll blanket when I was very little.

Personalized Knit Baby Blanket Hello Name Tag

What inspires you?

My customers are my greatest inspiration. My best sellers have come from their ideas! The latest request was a baby blanket that looks like a "Hello" sticker. Turned out great and I added it to the line.

Where do your ideas come from?

I have a white board in my studio. I put down any ideas that pop into my head. When I feel bored I work on one of the ideas. Periodically I weed the ideas out.

                             Set of 4 Knit Sailing Mug Rugs                  

Who is, or was, your greatest inspiration?

My mom was my greatest inspiration. She was an expert knitter and crocheter and took the time and had the patience to teach me a lifelong skill.

                         Rosh Hashanah Challah Cover

What is your favorite thing to do with your creativity?

My favorite thing is to design new products. I am a machine knitter and it takes a LOT of time to go from concept to product. All my designs are original. I use no patterns.

  Personalized Knit Scarf and Beenie

Why should people buy handmade? Any tips of wisdom on selling handmade items?

Hand made is unique. Most of my work is personalized. You can't find this in mass produced. I can work with the customer to get the exact thing that they had in mind. There is a little bit of both of us in the final product. Selling? Diversify!!! I sell online at Etsy, have my own website, wholesale to online shops and B&M stores. I also sell bulk to schools - hats and scarves with the school name and colors.

What have been the most valuable lessons learned from other artists?I have learned that we all really care about what we sell. It is a little piece of us going out to the customer.

      Personalized Golf Club Covers Set of 4

Apart from creating things, what do you do?

This is my full time job, but I like to walk, bike, garden, read and spend time with friends.

What are the Web addresses for your work?

www.YORKnits.com www.Blazingneedles.etsy.com www.flickr.com/photos/blazingneedles/

Are you offering my readers any specials?

Sure! I will offer 10% discount to anyone using the code "goofingoff" until September 1, 2011.

Tuesday Treats: Homemade Granola

I didn’t buy the ice cream for me. Really, I didn’t. I’m not the ice cream-eating kind. I’m not a saint, either, I just don’t care much for ice cream. Yogurt, on the other hand, is my thing. Oh, and granola. Especially the chunky with nuts kind so when I found this recipe I knew I just had to try it. I carefully copied it out of a magazine in the doctor’s office (really, I copied it not stole the magazine) but I’ll be darned if I can remember the name of the magazine to give them credit. Sorry. Here’s the recipe though. I doctored it up a bit so I will give you both the original recipe and the GoofingOff version. It is so yummy and full of nuts and honey so it is a healthy treat. Sort of. Told you I wasn’t a saint.

Homemade Granola

4 cups of old fashioned oats

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Prepare baking sheets by spraying with cooking spray (like PAM) or use parchment paper. Set oven @ 375 degrees. Mix oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon, and salt.

In saucepan, mix sugar, honey, and oil; bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Pour hot liquid over oats and stir until mixed. Spread granola on baking sheets and bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

Goofing Off Granola (I doubled the recipe. Told you I like this stuff)

8 cups old fashioned oats

3 cups almonds (I used dry roasted and cinnamon roasted)

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup peanuts

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup cane syrup

1/2 cup oil

2 teaspoon vanilla

Follow the steps from the original recipe. The best part about granola is if you don’t like nuts, leave them out. You like them add more. Like raisins? Add them….you get the idea.

This recipe yielded two big jars (not quart jars, big jars), a quart bag, and another couple more jars (one to give to the guy with the syrup). Easy and totally yummy.

Tips: Make your own brown sugar. It is molasses and sugar. A bottle of molasses lasts forever or damned close to it. Just mix a few spoonfuls with sugar until the brown sugar is as dark as you need it.

What’s cane syrup? I didn’t know either until I moved south. Cane syrup is the syrup that comes from sugar cane when it is ground. Cane grinding is big around here in the fall. I have a friend who makes it. If you don’t have any just use more honey. I found it gives the granola a little different flavor, another layer of flavor.

Hope you like it.

Have you voted yet? The polls are still open for this week’s Miss Eileen’s Favorites.

Post by Eileen Patterson, maven of MissEileen.etsy.com, GoofingOff.etsy and artfire and MetalWoodsnWater.

Divine Mercy Thrift Store: A New Thrift Store in Cross City

Be still my heart! We have another thrift store in the county. Yippee! There’s not much that gets me more excited than scouting around thrift stores looking for that special something to offer to my customers, that is unless I love it too much to let go. This little thrift store is behind the Holy Cross Catholic Church in Cross City (don’t get confused, there is only one Catholic Church in Cross City). Today was the first day and I think they might just be around a while. The profit made from the store goes to charity and the ladies work as volunteers. Read that as “They give from the heart.” Nice ladies. The store is clean, well-organized and chockfull of goodies both vintage and modern. Lots of beautiful clothing and house wares. Here’s a few things from the shop:

 

(I’d of posted more pics but my SD card was full). In addition to these goodies I found some vintage cookware, handmade pot holders, clothing, small appliances, and exercise equipment. I also snagged a pair of totally cool star-with-Uncle Sam-hat earrings for the 4th of July. There are also vintage handbags! They accept donations of small appliances, tableware, linens, and clothing. Check them out if you are in the area on a Saturday.

 

 

 

Cerena Leigh:

The winner of Miss Eileen’s Etsy Picks for 6.3.11, Leaving on a Jet Plane was Cerena Leigh, the creator of the Silver Camera, Heart, Eiffel Tower, Airplane Charm Bracelet. Here is her inspiring interview.

Silver Camera, Heart, Eiffel Tower, Airplane Charm Bracelet

Tell us a bit about yourself (name, location, affiliations, personal stuff)

My name is Cerena Leigh and I’m a 21 yr old New Yorker. I live in a small suburb right outside of New York City. I’m a journalism major who collects antique cameras. A night spent in with my boyfriend of five years and Chihuahuas is just as exciting for me as going out to the city to party. I’m a total book worm. I admit it! One of my hidden talents is being able to recite the entire first 5 pages of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.
Last year, I ended up in the hospital for two months. I’m still recovering from that and can’t work. To help make money, I started my Etsy shop. It started small and now and I’m one sale away from my 100th sale! I still can’t believe that! It went from being a small way to make money to something I truly love doing.
    Tree of Life Silver and Turquoise Canteen Pendant

What are your favorite materials?
I love working with stones. Putting items like rose quartz on a heart bracelet to help attract love or onyx to repel negative energy give a really amazing meaning to the pieces of jewelry I make.

What is your favorite color combination?
Black and hot pink even though my favorite color has and will always be purple.

What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? How and why did you make it?
I always loved making those little popsicle stick houses in arts and crafts. I would make the tallest and coolest looking pieces with them when I was little. My mom kept every single one! There are tons!

          

Romantic Cameo Pendant Necklace and Filigree Silver Heart Charm

What inspires you?
Music. There’s nothing like the feeling when your favorite song is playing and you can feel the beat going through you. When I have a creative block, I’ll put on my IPod and have no trouble being inspired.

Where do your ideas come from?
I have no idea!

                                       Antique Silver Angel Wing Earrings

Who is, or was, your greatest inspiration?
My best friend, Grace. She passed away from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2007. I spent every weekend with her in the ICU and when she was out of the hospitals. We would be together having sleepovers all the time. We were both only children in our families, so we became like each other’s sister. Her life ended at the age of 17, just when life really begins. I live every day to the fullest not just for me, but for her. She will always be my greatest inspiration.

What is your favorite thing to do with your creativity?
Writing. Ever since I was little, I’ve been writing stories. I seriously have enough journals and books to fill any library! Writing poems, short stories, journal entries, etc.. has always come naturally to me. It’s by far my favorite outlet of creativity (other than making jewelry!).

Black and Golden Rose Dangle Earrings

Why should people buy handmade? Any tips of wisdom on selling handmade items?
It’s like having spaghetti with your Italian grandmother’s secret family sauce versus sauce from a can. Overly processed and manufactured items are all over the world. Handmade items are just that- hand made. Someone took the time to carefully craft every single one. It’s an amazing labor of love!

   

   Antique Cameo and Pearl Filigree Brass Bracelet 

What have been the most valuable lessons learned from other artists?
A little personal touch really keeps customers coming back. I write a thank you note and include a special handmade gift in all my orders and I always smile when customers tell me how much they appreciated that little extra touch.

   Good Fortune Oriental Fan Bracelet

Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I bake cupcakes like it’s my job. When I’m not doing that, I’m usually bottle feeding my four week old kitten, Luna. She takes up a ton of my time! I also have another cat and two rescued Chihuahuas that require a ton of love. Other than that, my Nikon is by my side at all times and I’m a student majoring in journalism. I also spend any free time reading and playing video games (how nerdy do I sound? ).

Silver Heart Cell Phone and/or Zipper Pull

What are the Web addresses for your work?
www.etsy.com/shop/cerenaleigh
cerenaleigh.tumblr.com/
cerenaleigh.deviantart.com/

Thank you, Cerena, for your inspiring interview. May you have much success.

Miss Eileen’s Etsy Picks 6.24.11 Summertime Fun

It is now officially summer! Woo Hoo! The garden is growing, the weather is hot, the Gators are in the College Baseball World Series, and scallop season opens tomorrow. Scallops, like the Shell Oil Company sign, come in towards shore this time of year. How do you get them? Snorkel and grab. So much fun. Lots to celebrate, lots to do, lots of fun.


Small Swim Suit Yellow Flowers by Celtic Pup Sweet little swim suit for the little one with pretty sun flowers.

Summer Dreaming Original Watercolor by Sketchbook Studio Art
Makes me think of summers by the lake. Gorgeous!


Greek Handmade Leather Sandals by Katgal12 Love these sandals!

Pull Over Baby/Toddler Bib and Burp Cloth Set by Maricole Designs Little boys and baseball! How cute!

Hawaiian Print Wide Brim Sun Hat by Freckles California Fun hat just right for the beach.

Hummingbird Feeder Stained Glass Copper by Gloria’s Glass Garden Incredibly beautiful.

Gardening Charm Bracelet by Stems of Stone Fun colors to wear.

Crochet Cuff with Glass Bead Buttons by Snappy New Day Light and lacy. Beautiful!
So, what do you think of my picks? Light and summery? Those are my favorites, which ones are yours? Vote for your favorite. Winning interview will be in a later post.
Post by Eileen Patterson of Goofingoff, Miss Eileen, and MetalWoodsnWater. You can find us on Etsy and Artfire.

WooHoo! Congrats to Walton Sawmill and Curly Girl Crochet!

The votes are in and we had a tie. The winners are Walton Sawmill and Curly Girl Crochet. Watch for their interviews.

Etsy Blogger Carnival – My Favorite Summer Recipe

I found this recipe long ago in a newspaper. It has become a family favorite.
Sweet and vinegary tart, a perfect way to use the cucumbers coming in from the garden…..with no cooking!

Ice Box Pickles

7 cups unpared, sliced cucumbers    
                                                                                                        
 1 cup sliced onion         
                                                                                                                        
 1 rounded tablespoon of salt   

2 cups sugar

 1 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon celery seed


                                                                                                                                                      
Sprinkle salt over the cucumbers and onions. Let set for an hour or more, stirring occasionally. Do not drain.

Mix the sugar, vinegar, and celery seed and pour over the pickles. Let stand a while, stirring from time to time. Put in jars, bowls, or plastic containers. Store in the refrigerator.

Pickles will be ready to eat in a day or two.
Enjoy!

Post by Eileen Patterson of Goofingoff etsy, Goofingoff Artfire, MissEileen, and MetalWoodsnWater.etsy/ metalwoodsnwater.artfire.com.

Miss Eileen’s Etsy Pick 6.17.11 Michigan on My Mind

Hi, y’all. I had so much fun last week doing the Philadelphia edition of Miss Eileen’s Etsy Picks that I started thinking maybe I should check out other areas for phenomenal artists. You know, a “go local” thing. Why Michigan? Well, because I’ve never been there. I’ve been to most of the states in the US (the result of being a Navy Brat….that’s Brat with a capital B…..and a traveling nurse). The only thing I know about Michigan is there is a lake up there and that’s where cars and soul music are were born…or something like that.

Lots of water in and around Michigan.

1959 (or somewhere there about) Chevy Impala. Is this not gorgeous? No, an Etsian did not make this. It is a work of art, though.

Sorry all you MJ fans, but Marvin Gaye’s my man. I love “What’s Going On.”

Well, with that said, I found quite a few very talented Etsians in the Michigan area. Check them out!

 

Hand Carved Caricature Golf Ball by GT Carvings 

I couldn’t believe this is a gold ball. Incredible!

Trellis Scarf by CurlyGirlCrochet I love the colors.

Girl Friends Tile 4x4 inch by Marcia Hovland Where would we be without our friends?

Hardwood Coffee Table and Side Tables by Walton Sawmill I like the clean lines and simplicity of design. 

Sock Yarn Superwash Merino / Nylon Hand dyed – Sangria by Cakewalk Yarns The color of this yarn is so yummy, makes me think of rainbow sherbet.

Dots Padded I-Pad Holder by SarahsStitchesMI The colors make this I-Pad holder POP.

Small Dog Harness adjustable reversible in red and black by Warm Weenies This little guy looks outright classy in this harness.

Mr. Frog Stained Glass Night Light by DortDesigns Imagine this in a kid’s room or bathroom. What fun!

OK, so that’s my picks from Michigan Etsians. What do you think? Good picks? Which one is your favorite? Poll is in the upper left corner.

Post by Eileen Patterson, also known as GoofingOff and MissEileen, and the other half of MetalWoodsnWater. And don’t forget to check out our Artfire shops, too!

What do you do with 2000 Coffee Filters?

A friend of mine discovered Sam’s Club. She came to work so excited and proceeded to tell me about the great deals she found. Then she said, “the coffee filters were so cheap. We bought a case of them for $12.”  Stopped me dead in my tracks. I was left with a few questions running through my head like “How many filters were in the box?” and the all important “What do you do with 2000 coffee filters?”

Well, she found a few uses for them and since I was curious, I found a few, too. She uses them for cleaning windows (I like to see outside but that wasn’t what I had in mind) and I use them to cover food in the nuker but I thought there just had to more, crafty uses for the other 1998 of the filters she had in the box.

Aunt Peaches made these incredible flowers out of coffee filters! …..I just knew someone did these things. I could feel it (that 6th sense of mine). Click Here for the tutorial. I think they are awesome. Might have to try some.

Here’s a coffee filter wreath from the Nesting Place. I think it looks gorgeous! Click HERE for the link.

Check out this light fixture from Parlour. That one hanging from the ceiling. Awesome. Go here to read how she did it.

Here’s another coffee filter flower from FamilyCorner.com. Click Here for the tutorial.

More flowers but this time roses from TheLittleBrownHouse.US Click Here for the tutorial. Aren’t they gorgeous?

How about a coffee filter lampshade?

This tutorial is from NorthwestHospitality.org Fabulous! Click here to find out how it’s done.

Well, that’s a few ideas to keep her busy. They look pretty good, too.

Gotta go. Don’t forget to vote. I won’t tell who’s winning but make sure you vote for your favorite.

Post by Eileen of GoofingOff Sewing Supplies etsy & artfire, MissEileen, and MetalWoodsnWater.

Estate Sale Finds from Cross Creek, FL

Cross Creek, FL? Sounds familiar? Cross Creek was the home to Marjorie Rawlings, the woman who wrote The Yearling. 







A movie of the same name was made in the 50s and starred Gregory Peck. Later, in 1983, Mary Steenburgen played Rawlings in the movie “Cross Creek.”

Historic place, very famous amongst Floridians…..especially Floridians from the Gainesville area.
Well, I have a friend who lives in Cross Creek whose neighbor was having an estate sale. I just had to go. I tried to talk myself out of going but I couldn’t do it. I just had to. So, here’s a few of the goodies I found.
This is a beer mug that was made in Germany. Stout little guy, looks like he had one beer too many. He’d look anatomically correct if his nose and cheeks were red.

A beautiful tray with rimmed in silver with pheasants on the actual tray. The pheasants look lovely.

Hand crocheted pinwheel design bedspread. Beautiful. Full size but looks good on the queen size bed.
Gorgeous yellow chenille bedspread. Check out the flowers! Stunning! Another full size (quite common from years ago). The spread is in excellent condition.

White chenille bedspread. No stains but not in as good condition. Tufts are worn. Could be useful for other things. Also in full size.
Found some other things but I felt like I won the lottery with the bedspread. Now comes the hard part, letting go and listing them in my MissEileen Etsy shop. I will have the consolation of knowing they went to good homes…..when I am ready to let them go.
post by Eileen of GoofingOff.etsy.com, GoofingOff.artfire.com, MissEileen.etsy.com and MetalWoodsnWater.