Friday, June 1, 2012

Tag Sale or Estate Sale?






Out west we call them estate sales. Back east they call them tag sales. Lately some people out here in Oregon have chosen to use the term "tag sale". All fun, no matter what you call it.

Here is a little article about the difference between the two: READ THIS IF YOU LIKE But just below is taken from the article to essentially sum up very easily the difference:

A tag sale involves, basically, a person hired by the fiduciary who will “price” each item with a tag, indicating that the item is available for sale at that price. Too, most tag sale attendees assume that there is room to negotiate, so a fair share of items marked with a price sell for less.

At an estate sale you do not wheel and deal. I have never been to a tag sale, and since I never dicker, it is for the better. Also, I trust that a dealer at a mall or a show puts an honest price on his/her wares, and therefore, just as in a department store like Macy's, I do not ask to get something for less. I know that flea markets have traditionally been set up with dickering in mind. I suppose were I trained at attending tag sales, I'd get pretty used to asking for discounts.

I do look forward to the last day of many estate sales, because usually everything under a certain amount, say $100.00 or $50.00 is all half priced, and at some estate sales in my area everything is half priced.

I love old things. I love the treasure hunt, trite though it sounds, and so, I will attend tag sales when they are set up that way wherever, or I will continue to love my weekend jaunts to the estate sales.

Garage and yard sales are another story.




Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Last Week for Oregon Antique Mall + GOOD NEWS!


Thursday will be the beginning of the very end for Oregon Antique Mall. Sunday will be the very last day for it. Hours are 10-6 each day. Tremendous deals abound.

But here's the good news! A wealthy gentleman approached owners Trish and Scott, and has offered to buy them a building. Why? Because his wife so loved their mall and was sad that it was closing. The man has checked out to be true and good. The search for the new building is getting closer to a perfect result. The greatest collateral is Trish's remarkable ability in building with sustainability in mind. He will sell the building from the get-go to her, finance the entire re-do, and only charge a payment of half of what she ever paid to the "lease-option" purchase via the owner of the existing building. They are going to call the new antiques mall, Greenhouse Antiques, because going green is what Trish is all about and so is the very concept of buying and using antiques, old stuff, repurposing, etc.

The new mall will still be right here in historic and beautiful Oregon City.

We are HAPPY!!!

Monday, May 7, 2012

My Spare Room After The Oregon Antique Mall Closing

Okay, the mall will be completely closed to business on May 27th. But in the meantime, I have pulled a number of items that I just felt like keeping. When push comes to shove, one's heart beckons certain things, and for me, it is almost invariably, dolls.  And, yes I prefer very early dolls that are sprinkled about throughout the house, but still, the ones from the twentieth century also touch me with love, and so, my spare room has many new occupants. Hey, judging by the wear and tear, one can see that these little beings were once very much loved, and so that residue of love calls to my heart

I am so not a purist anyway.




This little baby in the buggy was left behind at a recent estate sale, and my heart had to have him in my home. He was terribly inexpensive, and that made it even sadder. I love this baby. He is a boy to me, even though on a cold night, I put this little pink covering on his head. I even brought back from the mall, my buggy for him to have a bed, and those little toys around him are what I call "leavings" from estate sales. I go in on the last day when often everything is half price, and I buy what I think is wonderfully old and good and ignored completely by other shoppers. It amazes me! But face it, the little girl in me, the little "mommy" loves the dollies. I've named this little boy Gregory after my dear little grandson, Gregory.



Sarah, a Currier & Ives print, is the real mother in this room.



Hannah, my dear first Greiner, sitting in the very same chair I painted her in for my little book Eliza Sewie  affords much love to all of the dolls. She now has a little bevy of twentieth century dolls who were "leavings" at estate sales. My most recent acquisition of these dollies is the little Holly Hobby there to the left. Holly Hobby cost me a whopping $1.00.



My dear little Lily sits in the center of friends. Of course Lily, like Gregory, is not for sale. Lily is named after my beautiful little granddaughter of the same name. Lily-doll's eyes move from side-to-side.

Look at that delightful little rubber girl doll in blue. Another $1.00 purchase last week. She is the sweetest baby, and is so happy that I cleaned her up, clothed her and gave her a place in which to live in love and joy.


There is my Marie Antoinette on a box residing on my dresser among many of my old creations as well as little things I've picked up here in there. Robert Louis Stevenson was so right-on when he said:


"The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings."



Prue, AKA, Prudence Jane Plumb, is my first carved penny wooden, and she basically runs the spare room with as much love as can possibly be felt.



Robin is my doll from childhood. She has always gone wherever I have. She sits among past creations that no one wanted, as well as more "leavings" that I have grown to love even more for their having been rejected at sales and such. Robin takes good care of them.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Oregon Antique Mall - Closing

As many of you know, I have enjoyed from August through now, my involvement with The Oregon Antique Mall. Alas, the mall is finally having to close due to a tremendous hike in the rent.


Trish and Scott have done a beautiful job of creating an ecologically sustainable and pristine building, but this latest development is now beyond their control.


Last day of business will be May 27th.


If any of you live in the area and wish to shop there, business will resume on the 10th of the month  Thurs - Sun., 10-6, until the last day of the 27th.


I will now return to my art room full swing and create more dolls and fancy work items than I have in the past few months. My desire to rent from any mall space is now nil, for I only loved being a part of that which was virtually a block from my home.


As for my selling old things, I will have to rely on my Old & Good online shop, as well as having an occasional sale right here in my home. And those of you who know me, know that if the items on Old & Good aren't actual antiques, they are sill good, and reflect homes of olden days.


One journey down and more to come.
Christine

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Laura Roberts Dolls


These are five dolls that I recently created based on a class by Laura Roberts via Paper Whimsey. It was such fun learning the wonderful techniques that Laura utilizes in her block, whimsical dolls that she calls Lover-Lees Bead and Wood Art Dolls.

Top Row from left to right are Isabella, Kirsten and Isadora
Bottom Row sitting are May and Sophie.

I will be posting them for sale on my Dolls and Fancyworks, where one can get a closer picture of each one.

Thank you for visiting.

~~~~~

Monday, April 9, 2012

Dolly Heads from Friend Susy


On Thursday I was visited by a dear old friend from elementary school. Her sweet Mother recently passed  and so, the family did not know what to do with two old doll heads, but Susy remembered that I love dolls and so she visited me and totally surprised me with the lovely blonde dolly head and the smaller and equally lovely brunette head. Thank you so much Susy!


 Above, see a closer view of the pretty blonde whom I now call Susy, since Susy is a pretty blonde too.

And below is a view of a corner of our living room where you can get the full feel of where "Susy" now resides.



Below, in the dining room is the small, pretty, brunette dolly head. She is too hard to see from this fuller view, but look below into the next picture down and you will see her!



Saturday, April 7, 2012

HAPPY EASTER!




Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Gay Groff Gillespie, My Dear Old Friend, Has Passed



This morning, Gay passed away into that dimension we are all destined to one day. My heart is heavy, for she was a very dear friend in grade school, and we continued to be friends throughout our lives.

Pictured above is Gay at one of our annual Christmas luncheons with many of our mutual chums. Pictured below is sweet, Gay at my house one recent Christmas.

I'm sorry I have no pictures of her when she was a gorgeous model for both Jantzen and White Stag. Of course, she remained gorgeous for the duration. She was a mere 63.

My heart goes out to her dear husband, their two sons and of course the rest of their extended families.

Here's to you, dear one, cheers!

Love,

"Chris"



Thursday, March 15, 2012

FINALLY!



At last I finished creating my Netty LaCroix elephant! I'm sure you all know what it's like to have numerous projects just hanging around. Well, this elephant has been on a back burner for a long time, and at last I finished him. Of course, I did have to do my own rendition of Netty's design. And I so love hers, but I don't copy other people; just borrow for inspiration and truly credit the originator. Not patting myself on the back much, am I? Well, it's just that I'm scrupulous and have to give credit where credit's due. Just have to.

Enjoy seeing my elephant who has no name, yet.


Thursday, March 1, 2012

March



"The March wind roars
Like a lion in the sky,
And makes us shiver
As he passes by.
When winds are soft,
And the days are warm and clear,
Just like a gentle lamb,
Then spring is here."
- Author Unknown



Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day with Tim Holz and Honeycomb Papers

I love Tim Holz and am on his emailing list for his You Tube sharing. This one is a great one for Valentine's Day.

Click Below on the words:
Honeycomb Papers

Friday, February 3, 2012

My Recent Trip To Southern, Ohio

I was at my Mother's home in Leesburg, Ohio the past few days. One of my sisters and I shared a lovely room while we stayed there. My iPhone pictures did not all turn out, and so, I can only share what I have below. My Mother is my number one fan when it comes to some of my art work. She bought the painting of the little girl with purse from me many years ago. Below it is also one that I painted of the baby in high chair. My primitive paintings are all copies of genuine old ones.





Below is my copy of the girl in the red dress with dog and cat by Ammi Phillips. I have done this painting many times.




Below is yet another painting that I copied. The original was done by William Matthew Prior. My copy is not quite up to par when looking at the original, but Mother likes it.



The little Valentine pillow below is one I made from a pattern, and I no longer have the pattern, nor do I recall whose it was.


Some of Mother's Pewter.



The lift top blanket chest below is from sometime between the late 1700's/early 1800's. It still has its original old red paint. It was being stored in the house in Leesburg. One of my brothers was living there at the time, while Mother lived in another of her wonderful old houses. Said brother didn't think the chest was of any value, so he put it out onto the lawn for the garbage collector. Luckily the man from whom Mother bought the chest recognized it as he happened to be passing through town. He picked it up and saved it for Mother.


Below is the baby in the high chair that I copied from a book. I honestly forgot who the original painter was, but I know it is a very popular painting. I have painted it several times.



I like that little poem, and so I created it in embroidery. Naturally when I was offering it for sale, Mother bought it. The  poem says:

The bunnies are a feeble folk
Whose weakness is their strength.
To shun a gun a Bun will run
To almost any length.

Oliver Herford



Another painting that Mother bought from me.

The remote on the counter has nothing to do with the painting, ahem. I just grabbed the picture without posing it.



Many rug hookers have seen this wonderful old design and have copied it. Of course, Mother bought it from me.



I did not make this bandbox, because it is a genuine antique and I love it and had to share a picture of it.




This painting I did, and again, Mother bought it. It is a very large one. Again, cannot recall the original artist.



Water color theorem that I did.


Below is simply a sweet little rocking chair in Mother's beautiful upstairs hallway.



Below is the bed I slept in. My youngest sister, Sally, slept in a four poster across the room.



There it is!



I painted this box to look like the old tole country tin pieces. I also made the yellow chalkware cat. Sally made the blue one.



A view from our room to across the hall where there is another wonderful room, but alas, my pictures all failed.


This is down in the great room. I love that the door is hiding a darling little staircase, the hind leg style that takes one upstairs the back way. I'm so sorry that the gorgeous entry hall with the beautiful winding staircase did not get photographed properly.



Across from the great room is the darling little kitchen. It is so cozy and Mother's antiques are all wonderful! Of course, the sink is on the side you can't see, and there is a charming window off to the side that lets lots of light in.


I love to paint lids of new jars that once held food, and that most people recycle or throw out. This one is of an old-fashioned house with the sun rising, borrowed from the style of the great Betty Caithness.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

My New Blog About The Oregon Antique Mall


I just created a blog about our wonderful Oregon Antique Mall here in beautiful Oregon City, Oregon. Please visit it often to see what's going on there!