Pastiche Collage

 Pastiche, original collage on painted doily with hand stitching

My collection of vintage doilies continues to grow and (as with all my collections) has become fair game for collage. It's amazing what a bit of starch, paint 'n sandpaper will do to the surface of a doily. As for the objects...that's just me getting a little OCD again.

In other news...what's up with this view out my window?

Studio Tidbits

A delightful pile of treasures arrived this week from the studio of artist Elizabeth Rosen. Lizzie and I had great fun unwrapping all these wooden bits 'n cuckoo clock parts. We entertained ourselves for some time playing around with various arrangements and pausing to share on Instagram of course ;)

Elizabeth's shop is a wonderful mix of carefully selected goodies for the mixed media artist and her own magical assemblages, paintings and mixed media work. Be sure to browse her shop when you have a minute--you're certain to find inspiration!

And...here's a peek at my work table this past week. I got a hair brained idea one night and started "skinning" my pile of old book covers.

The "book skins" are currently being stitched up into a pair of small art quilts. Hope to have them finished up next week to share with you. If you're on Instagram, you can find me there as 'sushipot' (duh!). Then you can see these tidbits from the studio faster than I get around to blogging 'em.

Pencils & Rulers

These two old-school collections are new in the shop for the weekend. Grubby pencils 'n scruffy rulers....little things I can never resist when I'm out thrifting.

1950's Grocery Snippets

While I was out grocery shopping today I remembered a little stash of 1950's grocery snippets I had cut out months ago when in need of some therapy (hah!). I made a mental note to find the clippings when I got home. No idea what I'll do with these now that I've unearthed them but I sure do love them. Makes me wanna step back in time and browse the aisles in these grocery stores. Happy September to ya!

Jewelry Findings Catalog

This old catalog, circa 1920's, is chock-full of decorative jewelry findings and metal stampings for earrings, brooches, pins, buckles and much more.

Every page has been meticulously inscribed with the corresponding stock number of each item. Wouldn't that have been a tedious task?!

I searched around the inter-webs a bit for any information on the Rhode Island Stamping Company of Providence, RI but came up with nary a positive query.

The book was purchased via a winning bid on Ebay last winter but it's been sitting in my items-to-be-blogged-about-someday pile and guess what...today's the day!

Now it will most likely venture into the studio to be added to the cool-old-paper-to-be-snipped-up-for-collage pile.

And...since there is no way I'll use up all 40 pages of unique decorative paper-y bits I may post a few pages up in the vintage shop. Keep an eye out for 'em you jewelry fiends ;)

Spoons & Clothespins

Tin Spoons


Wooden Clothespins

A couple of old-school objects listed this week at Sushipot Parts. I picked up the tin spoons at a local antique shop and my Dad scored the clothespins at a yard sale in his neighborhood. Thanks Dad! Don't you just love their varied 'n weathered patinas?

Salesman Button Sampler

This old salesman sampler of buttons 'n buckles has been sitting in my studio for months and was finally placed in the shop. I kinda had to come to terms with letting it go to a true button collector. As you know, I love, love, love me some buttons but I'm more the sifting, sorting type of "collector" who loves to play with them and use them in my own projects. Of course, the OCDish side of me wants to just sit and admire the beautiful neatness of these pages! The Patent Button Company of Waterbury, Connecticut was founded way back in 1876. I found some interesting history on the company while surfing the interwebs but I just gotta say--they sure set their salesmen up for success--didn't they?

Thrifted Buttons

I thrifted another jar of buttons for $8.00. It is a weakness, I cannot resist them. Maybe I'll make another button board soon.

Tiny Drawings

Remember when I shared about how I could never toss any of Lizzie's artwork and it's starting to pile up? Well, everywhere I turn lately there are tiny little snippets of drawings. I'm thinkin' she's seen me snipping up collage bits and now it's influencing her artistic habits. Whenever her doll house needs a new item she 'draws' it for them. Well, these little bits are everywhere and we find our house need a good vacuum more often than not! Even though it's driving me a teeny bit crazy I'm lovin' it. Anyhow, I gathered a good sized pile of these tiny drawings and we made a little project of documenting them together. I considered titling each item but you can probably figure most of 'em out. My favorites are the shopping list and the pink "freedom" ticket. What's yours?

Happy Easter Weekend

Hopping back in to wish everyone a Happy Easter weekend! Not sure what these fellows are lookin' at--lined up like Peeps in a row--but I'm thinkin' their eying all those jellybeans and chocolate eggs. They may be trying to decide if they should run away 'cuz the New York Times has declared sugar as a toxic substance. I really shouldn't have read that article the week before the Easter bunny's arrival--it spoils all the fun.

Bits & Bobs

A lovely surprise package chock-full of these fun bits & bobs arrived in the mail earlier this week. The gift was bestowed by the talented Jo of Cart Before The Horse fame. She and her husband Dylan are the creators of some amazing, quirky folk art dolls. You are in for a treat--be sure to check out Jo's blog and Etsy shop. As for the bits & bobs--they have already been divvied up--Lizzie has claimed some for her doll house and I'm appropriating others to assemblage and to my collection of little things. Thank you so much for this mid-winter treat Jo!

Piles of Things

You know how when nothing is coming together right it helps to take a step back...(breathe)...and then CLEAN, clean, clean? Somehow the act of dusting, scrubbing, purging, organizing and general straightening up of things is good for the mind and body. Well at least it's that way for me! My studio received a bit of this cleaning action over the weekend as did our stove which was long past due. Our house is by no means "company ready" but it's been enough to make things start coming together again (ie, now I can find that particular book which I know has the perfect image of a certain pair of feet for the collage I'm working on without going crazy and throwing the entire bookcase across the room). **whew** Ok. Now that I'm feeling like myself again, I did remember to take some snapshots of the piles of things that I cleaned up around the studio. Boy am I glad it's a new week.

Collecting Color

Several new instant collections were added to the vintage shop last night...brown, green, black, yellow, white and blue. What's your favorite color?

UPDATE: My collections were featured over at Kickcan and Conkers and an interview with The RikRak Studio today!

One Fall Walk

Finally....the leaves are starting to turn here in Kansas. Lizzie and I found the above evidence on one of our recent Fall walks. Our routine 1.1 mile jaunt around the neighborhood always produces new things to document.

A bird flying south for winter? There were so many soaring overhead but the snapshot only caught one.

The destination during this time of year are some large jack-o'-lantern yard ornaments in a cul-de-sac we pass. As long as I promise that we'll "visit the pumpkins" I have a very willing walking partner.

Our crossroads.

Once home we empty our pockets and document the treasures on the front stoop. Polly Pocket always claims the acorn tops for use as hats and bowls.