fleaChic: flea market savvy

August 10, 2012

While they're not everyone's 'cup of tea', portraits have been a part of mankind's
efforts to document the people who surround him since our ancestors drew on
cave walls. Incorporating one into any decorating scheme is visually arresting
and extremely cool.

A Lovely Being

Rue

If you have a chance to flea market or thrift shop this weekend,

keep an eye out for portraits. Whether you find antique, vintage or

contemporary portraits in oils or pastels, consider making the investment.

And remember - for decorating purposes, it's okay to buy ancestors!

August 9, 2012

Do you feel like viewing a few repurposing projects today? Me, too.

What a clever back-splash idea - your favorite fabric mounted

behind a thin piece of heat tempered glass.

AnneChovie

Thrift shops offer a wide selection of used games and game pieces.

Hostess tip: use the Scrabble tiles and wood holders to make

personalized place cards at your next dinner party.

Link

Another darling use for a flea market or thrift

store piece of luggage - a traveling bar!

things organized neatly

Need a unique gift idea for that hard-to-shop-for quirky, special friend?

Create a work of art of their initials with everyday items like nuts and bolts.

recyclart

Not only is this a useful lamp, it's an interesting work of art made from

an old film reel, some kind of metal bar-thingy and a vintage light fixture.

The Little Corner

It's impossible to browse through a flea market without coming

across boxes of vintage utensils. Isn't this a charming use

for those discarded forks and spoons?

Weekend Retreats

Feeling crafty? How precious are these headband

flowers made from recycled sheet music?

The Whimsical World of Laura Bird

Without a doubt, the craftiest people in the world are brides on a budget.

This charming bouquet was created out of pages of poetry!

Another resourceful bride created these

darling centerpieces out of mason jars:

A Cottage Muse

Cafe Cartolina

Hands down, this is THE best wedding gift EVER - a vintage globe

painted with the bride's and groom's names and their wedding date!

Today's repurposing shows us that we don't have to spend a lot of money to create

unique and charming gifts and decor. I'm definitely using that globe idea, aren't you?!

August 7, 2012

BellaLuLu

Baseball cards, Fiestaware, Hummels, and Depression
glass wax and wane in popularity but antique and vintage

toys remain a staple among collectors. To illustrate how children's toys have been defined by modern designers,
the Museum of Modern Art in New York City is hosting

Century of the Child, 1900 - 2000.

Over 500 items were loaned to the MOMA from collectors worldwide. The show
runs until November 5, 2012.

Thirty wooden pieces were included in a set of Build the Town Building Blocks in 1940.

Creator Ladislav Sutnar was born in the Czech Republic in 1897 but emigrated to

America and continued to design toys until his death in 1976.

Dutch designer Gerrit Rietveld created this simple child's wheelbarrow in 1923.

Renate Muller, of Germany, created this play set in 1985 using

jute, leather, and wood.

Joaquin Torres-Garcia, Uruguay, designed these three figures

with twelve interchangeable wooden pieces in 1925.

The Omnibot 2000, a remote-controlled robot, was manufactured

by Tomy (formerly Tomiyama), Tokyo, in 1985.

Still with its original box, this Holdraketa rocket was

manufactured by Lemezaru Gyar, Budapest, in 1960.

The Ford convertible toy car was produced in 1956 by Marusan Shoten, Ltd., Tokyo;

the Subaru 360 toy car was manufactured by Bandai, Tokyo, in 1963.

Minka Podhajska, born in Czechoslovakia in 1881,

created a series of childhood characters in 1930.

This World War II children's game was created in Italy in 1944.

John Rideout and Harold vanDoren designed the Skippy-Racer scooter in 1933.

The Graf Zeppelin, a toy dirigible, was distributed by J.C. Penney Co. in 1930.

German designer Hans Brockhage created the schaukelwagon (rocking car) in 1950.

Source

In just about any economy, the market for vintage and antique toys continues to
thrive. If you're considering investing in this unique niche of nostalgia, begin by thoroughly researching the specific toys that interest you. Happy Hunting!