Things I Love - Jeanne Oliver Designs

Awhile ago, whilst bumbling around Etsy, I came across this print and had that immediate, emotional response of finding something really meaningful.  We've been on a little quest as a family for some time now, finding art that looks like us. We created a gallery wall of our Dopplegangers. 

It started with a book Dr. Carter gave me years ago that included free prints from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The red-haired bushy-goateed man made us laugh because it looked like Robb. I stayed late at a hot, Michigan auction waiting for the antique print of the boy with with the broken brim, who looked like Vin to me already years ago.  The story was that the family who's things were being auctioned had lost a little boy years ago. His classmates had pooled their money to buy the print for the family because they said it looked like the boy.   Then Mattie did a self-portrait in second grade that ended up on display at the Art Center of the Ozarks. And when I met a fellow Etsy artist at a show a couple of years ago, her diminutive print of "Spice" was my Charleigh.  In Jeanne Oliver, I found mine.

And a word to the fellas.  If you struggle to identify meaningful gifts, look only to your significant other's Etsy favorites.  It's a little gallery where you cannot go wrong. You stroll in when you have time, pick anything, and become an instant hero.  Trust me on this.

Captions Welcome

Found her at the flea market (where I swear, I buy more than I sell, but I digress...) She will be in the Etsy store soon, but I am looking for just the right description of her facial expression. Your witty captions are welcome.

Proof

Once again, I have the picture to prove that thrift store shopping is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you'll get. 

(I did not buy either the baby grand piano or the industrial sewing machine as neither one would fit into my car.)

What the Heck is Bakelite?

Without fail, every time I scan the jewelry racks at my local thrift stores, I am searching for something in particular....shades of cranberry red, pumpkin orange, a mottled green, a toasted yellow. The average buyer thinks it's just old plastic that they are seeing on handles of silverware, bracelets, handles of toasters and tea-kettles, cases of radios, cameras, game pieces and dice, pool balls, furniture pulls, and knobs on chrome casseroles and coffee pots.  But it is not just plastic, exactly.  It is Bakelite....

or polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, is an early plastic. It is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from an elimination reaction of phenol with formaldehyde, usually with a wood flour filler. It was developed in 1907 by Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland. (thank you Wikipedia)

Bakelite does not conduct heat and has been designated as a National Historical Landmark Chemical for being the worlds first synthetic plastic. It can be carved, but has no mold marks like you normally see on a modern piece of plastic.  It yellows with age in a distinct way that collectors recognize quickly.

My first encounter with Bakelite came in a pumpkin orange bracelet I bought at a garage sale in Michigan for about a dollar.  That was when eBay was hot and I was quickly able to research it, learn the tests for bakelite and immediately sell it for around 45 dollars as I recall.  After that, I was hooked on Bakelite and have looked for it ever since.  I've had many bracelets over the years, flatware, earrings, chromeware and furniture pulls.  There is just something about it that collectors love...and I am with them.

You can test Bakelite in several ways:  my favorite it to dip it in hot water and see if it brings out a smell of formaldahyde.   Other ways include using Formula 409 cleaner on q-tip or simichrome polish swabbed across a piece to see yellowing on the cotton swab.  The hot-pin test is naughty and should not be applied because it ruins the piece when the tester heats up a straight pin with a match and then pokes the item to see how it is affected by heat.  I find non-Bakelite bracelets with burn marks in them all the time from people testing them this way.  When you become more familiar with Bakelite, you can do the a simple visual and tactile test, looking for light scratches that new plastic doesn't have because it isn't old enough. Bakelite is also heavier than new plastic.  It is dense and makes a gorgeous sound when two true Bakelite bracelets clink together.

While a modern plastic bangle has little value, a Bakelite collector expects to pay as much as 5000 dollars for a rare, carved, inlaid or extra large bangle.   Of course, with those kind of possibilities there are fakes and reproductions, so you have to be cautious.

Bakelite is still used today in everyday things like brake pads and cooking pan handles, but not for decorative items because it is labor intensive to make. Searching for old Bakelite is one my favorite treasure hunts.  You never know when or where you will find it, but I assure you, I am always looking. 



(All of the pictures included are items I have sold in my etsy store.  I have one bracelet available currently found here.)

I Found it in the Thrift Store

It doesn't get much spookier than this.

(And of course I bought the pheasant. Duh.)

A Good Haul

With the arrival of cooler (more human compatible) weather around here, there were several good estate and garage sales this past weekend, which led to the first good "haul" since the town wide garage sales in Neosho way back in April. 

This, PLUS four sales down the Heartwood Gallery, is what a good day looks like in the junking business: 

You will see these as mosaics in a month or two.

So stoked to find this electric Craftsman drill for 5 dollars.  No more tired battery power drillin'. 

I spy with my little eye and Art Deco umbrella handle that will fetch a pretty penny

!

Tick Tock, clocks are hot.

I know you are jealous of my blue He Man Doll.

I love to find proven items that have sold before.

Hipster Eyeglass frames, anyone?

This is not an old tackle box, exactly. It's more like a tetanus shot looking for a place to happen. 

American Pickers Got Nothin' on Me

Of course I love watching American Pickers.  They do what I do.  Except I don't travel all over the country, just the tri-state area.  And I don't climb in barns because NWA doesn't really have a lot of barns.  And I don't have a Danielle. I am Frank, Mike AND Danielle in my operation.  But do I find cool stuff?  Yes, Ma'am, I do.

The other day, I was going through old files and found a stash of photos I had saved of some of my favorite scores of all time.

1.  The 1950s dress.  I confess I don't remember much about where I found this dress.  But I do remember that it was patterned after Jackie Kennedy Onassis'  wedding dress and that it sold for well over $200.  I paid...$2.

2. This is a designer dress, created in 1980s...see the shoulder pads?  I found it on the floor at an estate sale and thought it looked interesting.  It sold for over $80.   I paid.....25 cents.

3.  At the beginning of the vintage camera craze, this Polaroid something model B was prized for it's special lens.  I found it at a grungy mechanic garage with two sad little tables out beside it full of even more grungy junk.  This looked like it had been fished out of a dumpster. It sold for over $75.  I paid....50 cents.

4.  It was one of those piping hot Arkansas summer days when a neighbor in our old neighborhood had a garage sale a block and a half away from me.  This copper pitcher spoke to me out of the pile of stuff on a trailer the guy had brought out from his dad's place.  It was purchased by a museum in Delaware for 40 some dollars.  I paid...50 cents.

5.  This is an Atomic Lamp from the early 1960s.  I found it at the Salvation Army in Fayetteville early one Saturday morning.  Can't even imagine why I was there early on a Saturday morning, but I was.  I spotted the exact same lamp in the movie "The Devil Wears Prada" (which was a horrible movie, btw.)   I paid a whopping 10 dollars for this lamp...much more than I normally spend.  I sold it for $300.

6. This is a signed piece of Higgins glass, a mid-century maker from Michigan.  I found it at a garage sale where they didn't even have tables...just a bunch of trinkets set on top of plastic storage bins...which usually keeps me from stopping.  I was in between sales, however, and hadn't seen one for a while, so I stopped.  In a sea of novelty salt and pepper shakers, this stood out to me.  One recently sold on Ebay for $75. I recall that I got about that much.  I paid...75 cents.

7. Oh the mid-century lounge chair. I've had many of you in the past 10 years. But this one was just one of four with a matching settee that my friend alerted me about on the curb in Michigan.  The settee remains the single largest item I have shipped...from Lansing to Cincinnati via Greyhound bus.   Wasn't until about the 3rd one that I sold that I realized this fine model could be disassembled by removing just four screws, resulting in a lovely, flat package that met USPS limits.  You can see the Danish symbol in the front right corner...a mark that still makes my heart flutter a little.  You already know they were free...I sold them for $200 - $375. 

8. This is a piece of Edwardian net lace with copper embroidery.  I found it at an Arkansas estate sale run by a certain dealer who doesn't often let goods slip through his fingers.  He sold me this with a pile of silk scarves for less than a dollar.   I sold it for $119. 

9. This is a dogwood plate made of Majolica, c. 1890s.  I was on my way home from  dropping Sara Christenson (then Williams) off at the airport when we still lived in Bentonville when I saw a sign for this garage sale, being held in a storage unit.  I had taken a quarter off the kitchen counter on my way out the door and it was all I had on me. (It was probably all we had in the world at that time!)  The man was asking 50 cents but it was after noon on a Saturday and he was clearly tired of trying to sell this old lady's stuff and he took my quarter. Imagine my delight when it sold for over $400.   

10.  And finally, the mac-daddy of them all.  This was when we still had just one car and Robb was working at Family Christian Store.  I could go out for an hour or two if I got up early to hit a few sales before he had to go to work.  I found this at an estate sale in Johnson in a neighborhood I'm not even sure is safe in the dark.  I paid two dollars for this pictorial map of Nantucket by Ruth Haviland Sutton.  It sold for over $700.


And huh....I just realized I forgot to tell you about the diamond I found for a dime....

No, Seriously.... WHAT did she bring home this time?

It's been a while since I found something that made me giddy.  Like two or three weeks at least!  So, inspired by a new episode of American Pickers, I headed to my favorite thrift store this morning with a little time to kill between appointments.   I'm not trying to be annoying when I tell you I prayed a little bit that God would have something there for me.  Which was asking a bit, since I was just there yesterday. It's true.  I was just there.  But until I top my previous record of stopping at that thrift store twice in one day, I figured I'm still good.  Sure enough, I found two great old plates for my mosaics, followed by a silver-plated cream and sugar. A couple of lamps caught my eye, but lamps are a pain in the tookus to ship. So I only buy a lamp to resell if I think it is freakin' awesome.  And then I turned around and found this: 

It's a big vase. 
A floor vase, 30 inches tall, to be exact.

It is marked Mexico.
I think it's what is known as "Tourist Pottery" for reasons you can probably put together. 

It's in perfect condition.

I would guess, based on some old postcards I had once, that this dates to the 1960s or even 1950s and that it is hand-painted.

And I think it's kind of awesome.

 So does Charleigh.

Peggy clearly prefers socks to pottery.

What Did She Bring Home This Time?

I was pretty excited to go to my favorite thrift store yesterday morning soon after they opened.  It didn't take me long to fill up the cart for a grand-total of 25 dollars.  Here's my favorite find of the day. 

And just how did this bike make it into my possession?  Well, my friends at the thrift store tell me that this bike hit the display floor early this week. A man attempted to switch the 10 dollar price tag to a 25 cent tag at the checkout.  He was caught and the bike was put in the back for a couple of days lest he come back and attempt the same trick.  It went back on the floor just in time for me to buy it instead!

I haven't spent any time cleaning it up, but this little 18 inch gem was made in the 1960s.  I think it was the spoke covers that really sold me!

I'm Trying...

The van before we got started

The van, after!

....to blog, but there is just so much.

It gets away from you if you don't try to capture it while it happens.

There was the Heartwood

renovation. Which led to finding and installing three new artists, which led to moving everything around again to get them in.  Then there is the Grand Re-Opening to plan an execute this Saturday...press releases, driving my friends crazy on Facebook and Twitter, putting my husband and kids to work passing out invitations and grilling hotdogs on Saturday....

Hey Keri....remember this ugly pic at the thrift store?

YUP!  The freaky things you find, huh?

I should have had a garage sale.  Instead, my college roommate, Keri Burch Pierce (ie Burchie) surprised me....(I'm waiting for those pictures, Girl!)  I wish I could tell you more about our visit...the first time we had seen each other in ten years...how she plotted with my husband to surprise me and totally amazed me...how wonderful it was to have our kids play together like old friends...her littlest one charming us all...I wish I could express it, but I don't know if there are words for the gift she brought me by just being here and being HER.

And then I worked a day with my friend Holly who runs a business called Simply Organized.  One of her gigs is helping people unpack from moving.  Since her regular business partner couldn't be there, I got to help out.   That was a job I enjoyed more than I would have guessed.  And it didn't hurt that it was working with a friend I like so very much.

There are three doilies and a three finger tip towels missing!

The first sale of the day...

The flea market has taken up a bit of my time lately because someone appears to be thieving it.  I am missing several nice linens. I keep hoping they will turn up, but I am not holding my breath.  Anybody got any bright ideas how to prevent such stuff?

Best sale of the day!

Neosho's annual garage sale did not disappoint.



And the next day, Robb performed a wedding for the folks that own my Flea Market.  Edd and Nancy had a beautiful day at Blue Springs Heritage Center for their special day.  And Robb made me cry like he always does at weddings.

Today is Charliegh's birthday.  I've got a bunny cake to make this afternoon, but her favorite meal shouldn't take long....macaroni and cheese...."From a box, please, Mom?!"

A lovely wedding

And the clock is ticking much too fast....because War Eagle Spring craft show is mere weeks away.  And the house in Michigan is still on our plates. And....and....and....and....

Robb and Vanessa get bored (and sunburned) waiting for the wedding to start.

but today. I practice the liturgy of laundry and toilets.  And it feels like very sacred activity indeed.

Maybe it's a little cliche'

but this pastor's wife has always wanted some church pews in my house.  When I found these at the same place as my new armoire, I knew ....

they were predestined for me.

Or maybe I chose them from my own free will.

You Can't Always Get What You Want...

....but sometimes you TOTALLY can.  For a wicked-good price.

Treasure Hunting

I am always looking for treasure.  I enjoy selling things, but I really love finding them in the first place.  I have found some amazing things over the years, and this weekend, I found something pretty intriguing that I thought you might like to hear about.

I've just discovered the wonder of Craigslist.  I was able to sell some furniture there last week, and I find myself checking to see what other goodies were available there last weekend, when I came across a listing for a jewelry box full of odds and ends.  They said they just didn't have time to disperse it and so they were selling it for a flat fee.  I quickly offered to buy it.

It was pretty weird, I admit, sitting in a parking lot on Sunday afternoon waiting to meet the seller.  I had no idea what to expect.  Robb commented more than once that this was one of my most bizarre quests.  Finally, the seller arrived with the box and we drove away with the huge 1970s faux bois box on my lap.  I began checking the pieces inside as we drove home and hoped that I would be able to make my money back.

It wasn't until a day or so later that I really carefully inspected the pieces.  This rough looking ring, obviously a man's ring, was curious.  I could see words, in French, around the inside of the band, but they were not inscribed.  So I googled away and discovered that what I had in my hand is called Trench art.  Soldiers in World War 1 would turn silver and other metal coins into rings while  sitting in their trenches, waiting for something to happen.  My newly acquired ring is from a silver coin dated 1909 which was reissued in the 1920s.

The jewelry box went on to tell other stories, but the one behind this handmade silver ring was my favorite.

Collecting

I recently started on a little kick trying to re-collect all of Lucy Maud Montgomery's books.  When my sisters and I were growing up and Anne of Green Gables was made into a movie shown on PBS, I escaped earth and met up with my true self in her novels.  I think back now on how my ideas about adopting orphans and understanding human nature were formed in her stories, and I realize anew how much Montgomery's work meant to me.   We girls slowly collected all of the paperbacks that were printed at that time, I think nearly all of her work.  When we left home, we agreed to separate the books among us; me taking the Anne series of 8 books and the three Emily books, my sisters taking all the ancillary stories and collected works.  Now, I've been hankering to read the other stories since Mattie is old enough to enjoy them with me. 

Imagine my extreme excitement to find out that a printing of her books were done through the Ryerson Press.  Ryerson is the Canadian branch of my husband's family who settled there after the Revolutionary War since they were Tories.  Having both Montgomery and Ryerson on the spine of these books couldn't make me happier.

Green Day

Not the band, though I do kinda like them.

No, I'm talking about the weird tendency I have to find the same colors at all the thrift stores on a given day.  Last week it was yellow and red.  Today it was lots of green....green giant brandy snifter, green metal file box, green pottery casserole, green cobra purse, green suitcase, green Salvatore Ferragamo shoes...new in the box...even green book covers. 

Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with green....finding it or making a little of it.

Junkgasm

Can I say that?