Jeanette Janson-Mixed Media Artist

Christmas in July

 Anyone who knows me can tell you how much I love Christmas time.  And Vintage Christmas "anything" is simply the best in my book.  I'm still looking for one of those silver trees with the limbs that stick in the trunk, but haven't found the right one yet.

 I'm on the lookout all year long for Christmas things to add to my collection.  I bring them home, shove them up in the attic with the rest of the decorations and then ooh and ahh when I dig everything out at Christmas time.

 
I found these new items when I was in Maine.  Old felt stockings, cards, and this matted snowman.  He's kind of grungy, but I think he was probably lovingly displayed in someones home for many, many years. 

 
This wooden santa looks like he was handmade...maybe in wood shop by a student.  The paint is slowly wearing off and he has a real primitive feel about him.

I can see him hanging on my front door. 

 
I found these black child's skates in a charity resale store and couldn't pass them up for $3.  I decorated a pair last winter and thought these had altering potential.  Of course, it's crazy to try to transport something like this when you are flying home, but I just wrapped them up in a bag and tucked them into my suitcase and they made it here fine.   I think I'll leave these black and maybe add some things to give them an old Victorian feel.  I'll have to give it some thought.

Anyway, hope you are having a good weekend!

On the farm

One of my favorite finds while perusing the flea markets in Maine was this painting.

 

I stumbled across this artist and immediately loved her work.
This painting looks primitive and childlike to me, yet there's something very real about it.  It's so hard to put into words what you like about artwork, but I know I had a strong reaction to this piece. It is by artist Elaine Niemi and I wish I could find some info about her online, but I think she is one of those artists that doesn't spend half of their day sitting in front of the computer, but spends her time creating.....God Bless her. 
Anyway, it's now hanging in my studio where I can enjoy it every day.

 
I've begun to list some of the new inventory I brought back with me.  The graphics on these tobacco tags are really cool.  I've used ones like these in my artwork before and I think they have a lot of potential.

 
Vintage curtain rod hardware.  The ones with finials would look great mounted on top of an assemblage!

 
Have you seen those old Victorian photo albums with the ornate hardware on the covers?  Well, now you can buy just the hardware without splurging on the whole album!

 
Looking for some unusual old jewelry odds and ends?  These are pretty enough to be displayed or re-used in art projects.

 
I love these old military epaulettes.  Jazz up a jacket with them or give a mannequin some attitude!

 
You could make a sweet necklace with one of these antique skeleton keys.

Hope you can stop in to check out what else is new.

Have a good day!

Home from vacation

Today has been a whirlwind of unpacking, catching up on laundry and giving our pets the attention they have been craving for the past week.

 
We got home yesterday from a relaxing week on the coast of Maine.

 
We were determined not to spend the whole time running around getting caught up in the usual things that can make a vacation exhausting.  

 
We had a little cabin on the water and spent a lot of the time there;  reading, resting and venturing out for seafood in the evenings.

 
I saw this heart on the walkway to our cabin and I knew we had found the right place to stay.

 
 
Such a picturesque area; most times I didn't know which way to point my camera.  I found beauty in the worn and weathered buildings oozing with character.

 
A girl has to get out for a little shopping, though, so I went to check out the local flea market one morning.

 
 
 
It was so worth it!  I found loads of interesting treasures to bring home.  Finding room to pack it all is another issue, so I ended up mailing a few boxes home.  I love those flat rate priority boxes!

Tonight, I'll finish up a few more things and then I'll be pretty well caught up.  I hate jumping right back into the fray so quickly, but that's life, I guess.

'Til next time!

Collections

I love the way things look in collections.  A lonely little oil can doesn't have much oomph on it's own, but gather a few together and all of a sudden you have interesting form and design.

 
I see these tiny oil cans all the time for $10 and up and usually pass them by.  I found all of these for under $5 a piece.  The bargains are out there if you are willing to look for them.

I started collecting cameras a few years ago; now I have over a dozen lined up like soldiers on a shelf in the den. 

 
I don't buy them for their collectible value, I just like the way they look.  I'm not interested in researching them and finding rare or valuable ones.  Most of these were reasonably priced flea market finds.

 
Some were gifts from family and friends.  People love to see what you  collect...then they know what to buy you for birthdays and Christmas.

 
I really don't need anymore old books, but they seem to keep following me home.

 
 
Ditto with the pearls and rhinestones.  A girl can't have too much jewelry..even if it's just to display!

 
I'm slowly working on my newest collection: stickpins.  I've picked these up here and there and recently acquired this pretty glass holder to put them in.   Stickpins can be amazingly pricey.  I'll admit that I've had sticker shock once or twice when I naively asked about them at collectible shows. 

I never know what's going to be next on the collectible list, but that's the fun part.  In the meantime. I guess I will just keep adding to these current collections!

 

Blueberry Waffles

Well that was fun doing a post a day!  Some days it was a little daunting trying to come up with something to write about and other days it was easy.  I've noticed in the past, when a whole week or more goes by and I haven't posted, it's hard to summarize everything that's been going on.  Where do you start?  The crisis that was important 3 days ago no longer seems newsworthy.  So, I guess I will just post when I can now, as often as possible.

I started my day with the most heavenly breakfast.  I got up early and picked a whole bunch of fresh blueberries from the back yard. 

 
mixed them up with a little pancake batter

 
poured it all into the waffle maker

 
and had fresh blueberry waffles with yogurt and whipped cream.

 
It was delicious : )

I love the fresh fruits and veggies that we get in the summer.  Carolina peaches are in season here and I am getting loads of tomatoes off my plants now.  I'm going to have to start freezing some of this harvest for the months ahead!

Hope you have a good day!

 

I thought you could use a good laugh on this Monday morning!  I love this video...it reminds me so much of the rivalry going on in our household between our cat and dog! 

 

One more room down

"Throw your hat into the ring"

meaning:

Make or take up a challenge, or demonstrate one's willingness to join an enterprise

Sometimes an opportunity presents itself and you just have to take it and run.  A little while back, the house next door to us was slated for the auction block.  Sadly, the owners were declaring bankruptcy and turning it over to the bank.  We went to the auction, just to see what would happen and ended up walking away with a house.  A good deal?  I would say so, but it hasn't been for the faint of heart.  We have been dealing with major renovation for the past 4 months.  We've had our ups and downs, some sleepless nights and a lot of togetherness as we make our way through, room by room. 

This past week found us tackling the boudoir off the master bedroom.

 
It has wonderful built in units for closet space.  The room was painted a crazy shade of red and the doors were missing.....and needless to say, everything was dirty and grungy.

 
We cleaned and then covered it all with Kilz.

 
The walls are now a creamy tan and the woodwork is painted white.  We found the original doors to the closets in the back shed and refinished those.  The hardware got pieced back together and now the room is almost finished.

 
I need to find some handles for the drawers, but that will be easy.

The master bedroom connected to this room, so we continued with the same color scheme.

 
It was originally a vivid teal green...they loved their bold colors, didn't they?  I'm more of a neutral gal myself.

 
The floors still need to be refinished, but it's looking so much better.

 
An old coal burning fireplace sits in the corner.  This is unusable, but it has so much character; it's a great focal point in the room.

 
Whoever invented kilz was a genius!

 
and the finished product.

I seem to always have paint on me somewhere these days.  I'll scrub real hard in the shower to get it all off, but then happen to look down and see a spot I missed. 

I'm happy to say, I think we are past the half way mark at this point.  We've had plumbers fix all the water problems and a builder rough in the major work that needed to be done.  It seems to all be working itself out.  And the real blessing is that my mom will be moving into the house sometime in the Fall.  She is currently by herself and almost 4 hours away, so I believe this is all happened for a reason.

I will continue to update our progress here, so do check back if you are interested in seeing how it all turns out. 

Have a great Sunday! 

 

 

Buying frenzy

How did this thing called "Vintage Supply Co." start?  Well, one of my favorite things in this world is to shop.  I don't mean going to the mall or shoe shopping, my passion is going to flea markets, auctions and collectible shows.  Although I must admit, I do like a new pair of shoes, it's the old stuff that really turns me on. 

 
I began by collecting just enough to personally use in my artwork.  But a new phrase slowly crept into my flea marketing vocabulary...

"What would the price be if I took it all?"

    
You have to be cautious, though, because the next phrase creeping up around the corner could be "do you have a problem with hoarding?"

I'm not worrying about myself quite yet, although I do have a lot of stuff around.  When it starts piling up, I cut back on the shopping trips and try to get myself organized.

 
  I have a big closet with nothing but shelves and bins lined up.  This area holds all of my inventory and overflow.

 
Everything is supposed to be neatly organized....

 
but there are areas that need work.  My studio floor is marked for clean up today.  I am tired of walking around the debris.

 
Notice how my "treasures" have now turned into "debris."  A sign that the excitement of the hunt has worn off these items. 

To get back to Vintage Supply, I really can't keep ALL of what I buy, so much of it ends up for sale.  It's fun to supply other artists because I can really see the vision in some of the items I buy.  But it takes time to take pictures and do the listings, so it goes online a little at a time.  Added yesterday:

 
Photo grouping

 
chippy white painted escutcheons

 
a horse show ribbon

 
and a vintage wooden finial.

I hope you will check in whenever you have a chance.  I promise you, there's always new things right around the corner!  

Have a good weekend!

Jeanette

 

 

Summer at the Beach

Louise Gluck

Before we started camp, we went to the beach.

Long days, before the sun was dangerous. 

My sister lay on her stomach, reading mysteries.

I sat in the sand, watching the water.

 

You could use the sand to cover

parts of your body that you didn't like.

I covered my feet, to make my legs longer;

the sand climbed over my ankles.

 

I looked down at my body, away from the water.

I was what the magazines told me to be:

coltish.  I was a frozen colt.

 

My sister didn't bother with these adjustments.

When I told her to cover her feet, she tried a few times,

but she got bored; she didn't have enough willpower

to sustain a deception.

 

I watched the sea; I listened to the other families.

Babies everywhere: what went on in their heads?

I couldn't imagine myself as a baby;

I couldn't picture myself not thinking.

 

I couldn't imagine myself as an adult either.

They all had terrible bodies: lax, oily, completely

committed to being male and female.

 

The days were all the same.

When it rained, we stayed home.

When the sun shone, we went to the beach with my mother.

My sister lay on her stomach, reading her mysteries.

I sat with my legs arranged to resemble

what I saw in my head, what I believed was my true self.

 

Because it was true: when I didn't move I was perfect.

 

 

Horsing Around

When a friend of mine spotted a stash of vintage show horse ribbons, she called to see if I wanted to go in with her on the purchase; we'd split the price and divide up the ribbons.  Oh, yeah, that one was a no brainer. 

 
When they came in, it was like Christmas morning!  Oh so many colors and styles...they looked like candy to me; most of them from the 1960's and still in such good condition.  All they needed was a touch up from an iron on the tails and they're ready to be hung.

 
For now, I've hung a few on the side of a cabinet in the den.  I am still brainstorming about what I'm going to do with them all.

I found these photos on this blog

I love this cottage look!  I wish there had been more pastel colored ribbons.  I was thinking about grouping all of the pink and white ones together for a girly look. 

 

An equestrian theme is interesting, too.  I've seen these riding hats at flea markets.
 
A wreath could be interesting....I'd love to hear any ideas you have!  Leave a comment here or email me.