Jeanette Janson-Mixed Media Artist

WinnerG

The winner of the Spring Giveaway is Laura S. from Vancouver, Washington.

Congrats Laura and thank you everyone for entering!

Springtime Giveaway

Spring is here!!  I think that's cause for a celebration.  We will give this treasure trove of vintage finds to one lucky winner.  

To Enter:

1.  Leave a message here.
2.  Like our facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/Vintage-Supply-Co-113446552007194/
3. Leave a message on our facebook page.
4. Share our facebook page.
5. Follow us on instagram.  https://www.instagram.com/vintagesupplycompany/
6. Leave a comment on Instagram

Wow!  That means you can enter up to 6 times!  We will pick a winner on March 24th.  Good Luck!!

Happy 2017 everyone!  

This past year has been a journey for sure, and I thought we could take a quick look back.

I did tons of flea marketing and picking during the warmer months.  That is definitely the time to buy and stock up inventory for the cold winter months ahead.  I have a blast pulling items from boxes that I've put away for later.  I forget about everything I've bought and it's like Christmas morning going back through it all.  

I count my blessings that I am able to do what I love.  My job mostly consists of picking and finding treasures that fit in with the theme of my shop, cleaning and sprucing up those items when needed, researching and educating myself on their value and history  and then photographing, listing and packing.  Yup, lots and lots of packing and shipping....

My husband has thankfully taken over the sometimes daily trip to the post office.  It's the rural Cedar Mountain post office we use most of the time.  They all know him by name now and ask about what's new our etsy shop.  

Sometimes, I think I couldn't afford to pay myself for the hours I put in. Many days it's 10 hours a day, but the norm is about 5. I'm free to take as many breaks and days off as I want, though.  I know some etsy sellers follow a rigid work schedule, such as Monday through Thursday 9-5.  Honestly, I would work less hours if I did that.  I've been on the other end of the spectrum though, and I never want to go back to a job where I am forced to be somewhere at a certain time while I clock watch all day long.

I also fit in jewelry making this past year.  I've picked up some wholesale accounts and have stepped back from doing so many shows.  I may do more of those in the future, but what I'm doing now is working for me; so we will see.

On a personal note, this is where I spend a lot of my downtime.  In the mountains of NC there is hardly a need for air conditioning during the summer and a screened in porch is the place to be.  We eat almost all of our meals out here and it's a great place to just chill at the end of the day with a glass of wine.

I started doing Bikram yoga in March and I'm still at it about 4 days a week.  It's an amazing practice that works the mind and body and now I can't imagine not doing it.  We are so lucky to have a studio in town with wonderful instructors.  These people have become like family to me.

We were able to get back to Hawaii in 2016, most likely for the last time.  My husband's son is stationed at joint base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and they will be leaving in a few months.  What a perk to have family living in Honolulu!  It was fun while it lasted, but we probably won't go back if they are not there.

So, it's been a great year with no regrets.  Happy 2017 and thank you for checking in on me here at my little blog.  

Find me here as well:

Vintage Supply Co.

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It's Cyber Monday!

 Shop HERE and use the coupon code TAKE10 for 10% off your entire purchase.

Plain and simple, it's time to stop procrastinating and update this blog!  People give you all the reasons and excuses why they have put it off, but I'm not going to do that.  Let me just say,

"Hello" I'm glad you are here!

I've made a shift this year away from all the shows I was doing and focusing more on online sales.  In our new home, I have an independent building to run my business in with ample storage, good light for photographing, and access to 24/7.  I have my own computer and packing stations, small tv in the corner for company and mini kitchen.  The only drawback is that it also serves as a guest cottage when we have company, but who gets any work done when they have company anyway?

I did a lot of flea marketing and picking this past summer and I'm really excited about the things I've found.

Listed HERE

I've had a love for vintage printing blocks ever since I saw this framed collection years ago at a friend's home.

They make such an eclectic grouping and the more you have, the better they look!

 

I try to always have a good selection of vintage bottles in my etsy shop.  I have a farmer on the Georgia border who dug them years ago on his property and keeps me supplied. He usually brings along a bag of okra or sweet potatoes when we meet up.  Nice perk!

Listed HERE

Listed HERE

I remember as a girl in New Hampshire when we found an old bottle dump in the field behind our house.  I would go there with my brother and sister and dig for hours.  Oh, the thrill of bringing them home to show my mother what we had found!  Those dirty bottles were treasures to me!  I also remember going to the dump with my mom and bringing home furniture that she would refinish.... but I digress.

Keys are something I am always on the hunt for.  Great for so many different projects and nice to have on hand.

Listed HERE

Cameras are also a staple I have in the shop.  

Listed HERE

These are fun to collect because they are fairly reasonable in price.  If you pick one up here or there; or tell family that you are starting a collection, before long you will have a whole shelf full.  People really love giving something personalized and unique as a gift and you know, Christmas is right around the corner!

Speaking of unique gifts, how about these for the special guy in your life?

Listed HERE

Ski Trooper goggles from WWII 

Listed HERE

 Sometimes I get odd looks when I tell people that my idea of fun is poking through the junk at a salvage yard.  I'll either get eye rolls or blank stares.  But some people get it and that's when I know I've found a kindred junkin'spirit!  I saw rusty gold when I discovered these 4 antique buggy wheels.  Hang them on a wall and create a cool industrial sculpture.

Listed HERE

I keep thinking the globe craze is coming to an end, but I can't seem to pass them up when I find them; especially the old ones.  They are a nightmare to pack and ship, but I guess I will continue buying them as long as there's a demand.

Have you seen the old video about globe making?  It's been everywhere, but still fascinating to watch!  Google "vintage globe video" to find it.

 I have tons of books in stock and I'm slowly picking out some of my best to list.  I just adore these antique spellers!

  

Listed HERE

And last, but not least.  I've set up a sale section in my shop where everything is 50% off.  I'm selling most items at cost, just to move them out.  I have some great deals and I'm adding new things all the time.

A quick word about shipping: Etsy calculates shipping automatically based on size, weight and location.  Sometimes it gets crazy high and it may scare you off if you have several items in your cart.  Please, get in touch with me if you think it's too much. I will be happy to double check it for you.  It's generally very accurate, but every once in awhile it goes wrong.  I don't mind questions about that or anything else and usually will get back to you quickly.

Have a wonderful day and I think

 

 

 

I have a new passion in my life that I want to share with you.  For about a month now (roughly, because I went on vacation a few weeks ago) I've been doing Bikram yoga. During the 90 minute workout, you stretch every muscle in your body and some you didn't know you had.  The class is done in a 102-105 degree room, so you are so warmed up that you seldom feel sore afterwards.  You sweat like crazy, but it's set up that way to purge the toxins from your body.

After I signed up for it, it took me a week to work up the nerve to go to a class.  I read all the scary stuff about it online; about trying to just stay inside the room for the session, about feeling dizzy and nauseous from the heat, etc. etc.  I went to the first class, got a place by the door (for a quick exit if needed) and made it through.  I couldn't believe how much everyone was sweating; literally buckets!  But I went back the next day and did it again.

I found this photo online and I loved the fact that it shows all levels of expertise.  It can take years of practice to perfect the 26 poses we do.  Personally, just when I think I am beginning to get it kind of right, the instructor comes by and quietly makes adjustments to my form.  I am not very limber or flexible, but I can already feel my body changing.

Yeah, a big part of the series works on balancing, which takes practice....so much practice.  The part that I love about the class is that there's no pressure.  It is the opposite of competitive and everyone does the best that they can.  They emphasize that, "this is your class and it's never too late to begin."  We have some super yogis in class that must have been doing this all their lives.  They are amazing and it's mind boggling to see how the human body can be contorted.

So, this is something good that's happening to me right now and I feel it spilling over into other areas of my life.  I'm a little more patient, more focused and less stressed.  I thought I would drop a ton of weight when I first began, but surprisingly that's not happening.  Maybe it's the whole thing about "muscle weighs more than fat," or it could be because I am usually starving after class, so I'm eating more than usual.   Anyway, I am hoping it all comes together, healthy body, healthy mind is the goal.  Have a blessed day- Namaste

Wool dying

As some of you know, I've taken up a new hobby...rug hooking.  I've always LOVED the look of hooked rugs and wall hangings.  When classes were offered with a nearby fiber group, I knew that now was the time to begin.  I soon learned that this is not a cheap hobby.  The price of wool averages about $26 a yard.  Wow, there's gotta be a better way, I thought.  Goodwill to the rescue!  After carefully looking through the racks and reading labels, I found I could buy 100% wool skirts and coats for $3-$5 a piece.  Of course, it takes a bit of time and effort to take them apart, but it's worth it!

The colors and patterns are bright, but a bit boring as is. It's easy to dye wool with water, vinegar and heat.  You don't even need acid dyes.  The color leeches out of the fabric and can create some beautiful tie-dye effects.

First, I layered the fabric and then rolled, twisted and tied it.

Those bundles went into a pot to cook, cook and cook some more.  I added vinegar at the end to set the colors...and voila:

Gorgeous multi-colored wool fabric which will really give my hooked pieces dimension.  I am having so much fun dying, I am not even sure what kinds of patterns I will be hooking.  Right now, I'm going to work on building my fabric stash....I've got time to figure the rest out later!

 

Winners!

The winners of the giveaway are:

Jessica B.- Lg. Vintage Lot

Debbie P.-  Key & Brass Tag Lot

Lucille R.- Frozen Charlotte Lot

**Giveaway**

Who would have thought?  I started my vintage supply shop on etsy 7+ years ago as a way to sell off some of my excess flea marketing loot.  I was going strong as a mixed media artist at that time and making regular trips to the flea markets,  junk stores and auctions for supplies to use in my work.  Being an antique and vintage lover at heart, I had a hard time passing by so many lovelies and filled the car up every time.  I soon realized that I was running out of room to store everything, not to mention my concern for all the $$ I was spending on stuff that was basically just sitting around.  So, I decided to open my 2nd etsy store and sell some of the treasures that I knew I wasn't going to use.  I started listing items and found out "yes!" people really do need and want this stuff.  So, I've just kept it up and the years have rolled by.  I love doing this 90% of the time.  How many people can say that about their job?  There's some days when my eyes are tired and my back is aching because I've been sitting in front of the computer all day listing items.  There's an occasional customer that seems to have it in for me (for whatever reason), but for the most part, this is like play, not work.

So, to celebrate my 10,000th sale on etsy, I am having a giveaway.  I will pick 3 winners who will receive the lots shown on Monday, February 8th.

You can enter in any or all of these ways: 

1. Leave a message here.

2. Like and leave a message on my facebook page. HERE

3. Share on your facebook page.

 

GOOD LUCK!!

Hello 2016

2016 is here and it couldn't be more welcomed.  I don't ever want to go through a year like 2015 again.  I can't blame anyone but myself, though....I am completely responsible for my situation.  Here's what happened....in November 2014 after one of my many trips to the mountains of NC, I decided that I really, really loved the area and it was time to downsize and move.  Life is too short not to take chances and make changes.  I hate nothing more than being stuck in a rut.  After the initial excitement, it was time to face reality.  My husband was all on board and my mom (who lived next door) was ready to go, too.  To put it in a tidy little package, this is what I was faced with as the months rolled by:  clearing and cleaning out clutter in 2 households (plus a work space I was renting), listing and selling 2 houses, searching and finally finding a new area and home, (for ourselves as well as my mom), saying goodbye to good friends and neighbors, physically making the move and finally getting settled.  Whew, there were many ups and downs and sleepless nights along the way, but we made it.  I have to say, it was all worth it!  I wouldn't wish a year like that on anyone, but I love my new home and and I can't believe how blessed I am to live in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.

We went from a 3,000 square foot historic home on a busy street in the city limits to a much smaller, rustic home in a very wooded community.  You climb steep roads when you live on the side of a mountain and that took some getting used to.  I see deer everyday and feel in my heart that this is where I belong at this stage of my life.  Of course, one of the drawbacks is inclement weather.  We are completely snowbound at the moment, but most of the east coast is in the same boat.  I can't wait to see how the seasons unfold.  It's isolated, but that's something I don't mind.  I have a studio right here at home to work out of and I am pretty well settled now.  

The view over my worktable can be distracting, but I keep myself focused...most of the time.  I have been listing new items in my etsy shop for the past few weeks.  Many things are from my personal collections.  I was delusional when I thought I was really going to have room for everything I packed and brought with me.  I am being forced to let go of things I have cherished for years.  Oh well....they're only THINGS, right?  So, check out my etsy store, as I will continue to list items.

And one more thing...I have a big landmark coming up.  I am getting close to having 10,000 sales in my etsy shop. (10,000!  Who would have ever thought that was possible??)  I am so thankful and humbled and it still blows my mind.  I am going to have one big time giveaway when I reach that goal.  I am not sure how it will be structured yet (I am thinking multiple winners) but I will keep you posted when it happens.

Be well, Happy 2016 and thanks for hanging in there with me!