Show and Tell!!

"Studio" Storage

Okay, well, let me start off by saying, I don't have much of a studio...I dream, covet and plan for one someday, but...What I have is really more of a space. A small space, but a space, nonetheless. Don't get me wrong, I am ever so grateful that I have my space. I NEED a space. I carved it out of my tiny living room. Really. Our house is only 1010 sq feet. We have had up to 6 people living here (Me, Mr. littlejunkshop, and our 4 girlies). It is LITTLE, even now, with our oldest grown and gone. We have only one bathroom, too, but, that's a whole other post...

I know you have lots of other blogs to visit, so I'll get to it. Here is my space. Cluttered and crammed into a little awkward L shaped wall right smack in the middle of our living room/kitchen/dining room area (what would otherwise be called a great room if said L shaped wall wasn't there.)

This next pic is of a little jewelery box I got at Goodwill. I painted and distressed the heck out of it. I store postcards, chalks and rusty bottle caps in it. I know, wierd assortment, right? Sorry for the bad pic. I didn't mention that my space is a cave, with very little natural light.

These two are a cute little train case I got at a yard sale for $2. I spray painted it pink, then white, and wiped a little of the white of before it dried. Then, I sanded the edges to revel the original aqua underneath. I lined it with pink vintage inspired fabric that used to be a dress of my oldest daughter. I store ribbon and fabric peices in it, and I can take it along with me when I go create at a friends' house. On-the-go cuteness!!

This is another ribbon box. It was a cardboard index drawer box of some sort. I got it at a salvage store. I think it was .10. I just decoupaged it with blank ledger paper and copies of vintage postcards and did some stamping on it.

This is a very old tin with my favorite buttons in it.

JARS!!! I love jars! These store flowers, obviously.

And below, we have one of my favorite things-- It's an old compote, or something. It's got gorgeous porcelain flowers on all sides. It sits on the top shelf over my space, and holds chandelier crystals and glass doorknobs. And it just looks pretty.

Thanks for touring my space with me! Have a happy Sunday! I hope the sun is shining where you are!

Wallpaper

OHMYGOSH!!! Just take a look at this wallpaper. Isn't it pretty??? It has a cream background, with rosey colored roses, green leaves and beautiful silver (yes, silver! A lovely, subtle silver!)scrolley things.

I will SOON be offering peices of this gorgeous wallpaper in my Etsy Store (soon, really!). But, I have a question...what size would YOU be interested in? What sizes do you use most? Do you like to buy a big peice, or do you prefer smaller? Or, would you like a choice? Just curious, because I'm a newbie. I would looove any feedback...

By the way, THANK YOU so very, very much for visiting my little blog and for leaving such sweet comments! I adore you!! Having a blog is so fun!!!

Bad Gardener!! Bad, Bad Gardener!!!

I am a BAD gardener. Really Bad. I am also a lazy gardener. I love to plant. Hate to weed. And so, when the weather turns nasty, ( and by that I mean when it starts to rain...which is pretty much from Oct-May here in the Pacific NW...) II head indoors. I don't weed. Not at all. Oh, okay, I may pull up a dandelion or two when they get to be 3 or 4 feet tall, and threaten to block the view out my kitchen window.

When spring comes, I have sooooo much weeding to do. And I resent it. I vow every year to keep up with the weeding all winter. But I don"t. I'm a bad, bad gardener!!!

So, when the good weather comes along, (or, as is usually the case, the so-so weather) I trudge out to weed. I like to punish myself by forbidding the buying of plants untill the weeding is done. But, I tend to be rebellious with myself. I will break down on a gorgeous day, head to the nursery, and buy some beautiful flowers. And then, they will sit in their cardboard flat untill I get the weeding done. Or at least some of it. Or, maybe just the bed those flowers will be going into...Anyways, I planted these last summer. I found them on clearance at Wal Mart for $3. I love them!! They make me happy, and even though their name is snowball, they DON'T remind me of snow (I'm not a big snow fan...).

Also, I inheirited this old wheelbarrow when we moved in 8 years ago, and finally planted some flowers in it! Ignore the ugliness around it, though. It sits on our septic tank access, which I can see from my kitchen window. Ick!

I resolve anew to do better this year...I will weed, I will, I will!!!!

Show and Tell Sunday!

Whew! Here it is 8:30 p.m. and I'm JUST now getting to show and tell...but, I didn't want to miss it! I took the pictures days ago, but had a busy day today. So, here they are, nothing fancy. I like to do broken china mosaics, so I won't pay much for china that may end up being smashed anyway! This first one is just a pitcher I picked up at the Goodwill for $3.99...I love it!
Next, I have a sweet little set. Isn't the pattern pretty? I'd love to find a teacup someday.

My favorite to use in mosaics is transferware, because you can use the whole plate. Red is lovely. I have a few brown, and quite a few blue, but no purple or green.

These are my favorite to use for cakes and cookies, and for display in the house. I adore the gold filligree around the edge, and the sweet flowers in the middle.

I could definitely go on and on...I have baskets FULL of china in my garage, but I'll spare you...

Happy memorial Day, girls!

Toodles!

love, Tammy

Beautiful Laundry

Just LOOK at this little darling! This is the newest addition to my little household. You could say I have a weakness for hampers. This is the 3rd one that I've found in the last couple of months.

The good news is that my laundry has never looked better! But, even better than that? One hamper was free (yes, you heard me!!) and the other two were $2 each!!! I covered the tops of two with vintage sheet material, and left the third bare. It's for my husband, and for some reason he didn't want roses on his...I know...whaaaat????

One was for Miss Mags, whose laundry was like tornado debris, strewn all over her room. I got the hamper in the hopes of avoiding the National Guard being called to her room, to bring order. So far, believe it or not...it's actually worked! So far....she is after all almost 13...

The last one, the prettiest one? That's for me. After all, it is ME that is striving to better the station of the lowly dirty sock, right? I mean, really, what dirty laundry wouldn't be happier in this be-glittered, pom-pommed, rose -festooned hamper? Right?

Do you all know Jenny?

Jenny of Everyday is a Holiday? If you don't, you really MUST meet her! She is sooooo talented. And sweet, She has such a big heart and always has nice, encouraging things to say. I love that about a person! Did I mention she's talented? Super-dooper talented. She has had her artwork in countless magazines, and has even appeared on the Today show with Matt Lauer (with her partner and boyfriend, the cutie-pie Aaron). Well, so, Jenny sent me flickr mail one day and this is what she said:

Hi Tammy!Just want to tell you how much I ADORE your newest creations! Those collage pages are to die for! So so wonderful! The colors just make me melt! So up my alley! Do you have a blog? And etsy shop? Ever swap?Keep the eye candy coming!!Happy Creating! Happy Spring!xoxo Jenny

Jenny. Wants to swap. With. ME. Somebody better pinch me quick! She's amazing! So, of course, I sent her a note back....gushing just a tad, I'm afraid...and we agreed to do a one-on-one swap.
Jenny has been really, really, crazy busy, so, I haven't recieved my collage, but I am waiting patiently...
I sent hers off last week and she wrote me last night that she got it!!! So, now I can share it with you...

She loves it! I'm so happy, because, I fell in love with it, and really wanted to keep it...Do you do that? But, I parted with it knowing it will have a great home with Jenny. Thanks, Jenny, I'm so glad you love it!!!!

Cute Little $1 Yard Sale Cabinet

Yard Sale Cabinet
Originally uploaded by scraps4girls

I got this cabinet at a yard sale on Saturday. The lady wanted $5 for it, but it had a big gash in the back that went thru to the front. I talked her down to $1. Then, I took it home and taped up the gash with duct tape and covered the inside back with wallpaper. Cute, no? Not bad for a BUCK!!! I adore little cabinets, especia;;y when they have doors to keep the dust out. I'm not one for housework! In fact, if I was to ever do wife swap (and someone please slug me if I ever try!) my house would be the dirty one that the other wife would just hate to live in. Dust balls in the corners? yep. Crumbs on the kitchen floor? you betcha. Unmade beds? Heaven forbid...but, yeah. You get the idea. Cute little cabinets that keep the dust out? OH YEAH! That means I only have to dust in there once every year or so....
just kidding. sort of.

In the midst of Illness and pestilence...

I told myself if I had a blog I would post often. And have exciting things to say. But, dang, life has a way of getting in the way, doesn't it?...My kids have been sick. One had pneumonia, and two had lice (uck...I'm still not sure they're gone! I've been laundering, cleaning, combing...), so it was a PRETTY BUSY WEEK!!! But, right before that all happened, I got to craft at our scrapbook store. I work there periodically, and the owner just wanted to hang out, so the shop was closed and we had a fun crafty time. I got my panels for the Birds and Bonnets swap done:

I also went to a few yard sales this weekend (Oh, probably 15 or 20! A huge community's annual sale.) I got a few fun things. 2 flower frogs and 4 milk glass cold cream jars all for .50 each!

Then I went to my favorite antique store and TOTALLY splurged! I bought myself a Mother's Day present. A couple weeks ago, I was there with Tiffany (shabbyscraps) and I found a roll of wallpaper. Gorgeous wallpaper. Old. Muted. Cream background, small pink roses, silver scrolley things. Gorgeous! It haunted me. It was one of those things where I really wanted it, but had no more money. So, I waited, and thought about it, craved it. I went back and, Hallelujah!, it was still there. I love it! When I get my Etsy site up (soon, I hope, barring more illness and pestilence) I'll put some up for sale. Just as soon as I got home, however, I made a Mother's Day card and a Thank You card with it...it's lovely. Really.

The "She is a Mother " card is for Cassie, My oldest daughter. I can't believe I'm the mother of a mother! The thank you card is for my sweet friend Cassandra, who gave me a red dogwood tree today! She has a tiny backyard and realized after she bought it it was going to be way too big. She stuck it in a pot last year to enjoy it a little and, this year she gave it to me. WAHOO! I adore dogwoods. And, as a bonus, this one has a purple clematis that climbs up it! I love clematis, too!! I'll post pics of those beauties soon.

I hope you all had a wonderful mother's day!

First Post!! Yay!

Well, I didn't really know I was gonna make a blog today...I just sorta did it! Followed a few links and voila! I have a blog! Now, what to write about...hmmm....

Okay, well, let me just introduce myself. My name is Tammy, and I live in Auburn, Wa, about 45 minutes south of Seattle. I've been married15 years and have 4 beautiful girls, a son-in-law-ish, and the CUTEST grandson in the whole wide world. He is such a happy little guy! I am sooooooo in love with him!!!

I love paper arts. I scrapbook some, but lately I've been obsessed with vintage inspired mixed-media collage. Like this

I have quite a few irons in the fire. I babysit my grandson 4 days a week, make wedding cakes, do a little photography and I am working on getting an etsy site going, so look for that soon under the same name of my blog (LittleJunkShop).

I'm looking forward to meeting lots of fun people through this blog, so leave a comment, and if you have a blog, I'll put ya on my sidebar thingie.

Have a great day!

Tammy