Vintage

I should title this post, “. . . Another man’s (woman’s) treasure?”

If you have been following our art journey then you know that over the past year we have been . . .

Cleaning up,

expanding,

and setting up SHOP! Our latest,

JOY STUDIO VINTAGE on Etsy.

All summer (and a bit longer) we have been diligently sorting, cataloging, and prying out of my tight grip, the many collectibles in the studio. Some are very difficult to part with however, it’s time. I suppose many artists are also collectors and I cannot deny, that I am a passionate one. I acquired my first antique furniture piece at age 16, my grandmother’s dresser and have admired vintage items and antiques ever since. Not sure why, perhaps it is the detail of the workmanship? Or maybe the history of a piece that I find intriguing.

H o w e v . .

. . . my great weakness of all time, is vintage (& antique) illustration!

Yes, OLD paper. Not sure why but I get lost in an illustrated image, sigh.

I have always been fascinated by illustrations, especially pre-1960s, ever since pouring over my dad’s childhood books as a kid.

Yes, I would say fascinated!

verb (used with object), fascinated, fascinating.

1.

to attract and hold attentively by a unique power, personal charm, unusual nature, or some other special quality; enthrall:

&

I am certain, that being exposed to these interesting and sometimes charming images has inspired, shaped and contributed to my illustrative endeavors.

Anyway . . .

My collections have now become somewhat vast, I hate to admit.

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Much of the ephemera I have collected was solely for inspiration and reference so, truly it has served it’s purpose,

although I still adore and never tire of viewing it.

So.

I am opening the file drawers and am in the beginning stages, of offering some of my favorite pieces to be shared with other collector’s and admirers who share my passion. We have a long way to go so there is sure to be (LOTS) more in the coming months so please check back often. To date, we have a variety of vintage post cards and antique trade cards in the old paper category. Still listing and haven’t even started on the children’s books yet! Those will be tough.

So, I invite interested parties to take a look at

Our Shop.

There are also vintage art supplies, paperdolls, pincushions and prints.

As well as sewing related trade cards!

Surprisingly, many of these treasures are selling as soon as we list, and before we could get anywhere close to completing this daunting process. For instance, we started with approx. twenty rocking chair sewing caddies which were intended for a She Who Sews (Rocks) challenge. Before we could organize it, the cute rockers began to disappear. Four are left.

We thought it might be a good time to share with our like minded/kindred spirits.

If you can find something you like, please enjoy.

Thanks for the visit!

Also,

Our Fabric Shop

Our Handmaids Shop

Letter Stitch Stool

So many projects and events over the last six months has been beyond challenging. All were wonderful opportunities but most likely, we (I) took on too much, given the time frame. However, I’m happy to say the end is close at hand and we can re-adjust our (my) focus.  We’ll post the work, the fun and some exciting news, throughout the remainder of the year.

One small project I wanted to share now is, our Letter Stitch Stool. We used this in our display at Spring Quilt Market last month and it received much attention. The large antique typography, which I love, is the pattern we chose.

Quilting Treasures offers this print in three soft colors, ecru, lime and orange.

Letters are a generous 4 – 4.5 inches, perfect for any celebration bunting, personalization in a child’s room or studio/office space!

The vintage footstool was purchased from a yard sale many years ago and was shelved. One of those good intentions projects that we all have, right? I thought it was a small upholstered item that even I could tackle. It was quickly discovered, that having all of the necessary tools and supplies, would have been helpful. I did own a magnetic tack hammer and tacks but also opted to use a staple gun.

The photos may appear that this was a nice neat job but I want to warn any of you re-upholstery novices like me. Within the layers of the little old stool, lurked at least a pound (seemingly) of fine dust and icky dirt! Oh my. I wanted to reuse the horsehair stuffing so I took the piece outside to pull the rusted tacks/nails, disassemble, shake out and clean. Blacht!

Since this was my first attempt at a stuffed item, I am not the one to offer an adequate how to although, if pictures truly are worth a thousand words, then perhaps these visual steps will help. I simply tried to put it back together, the same way it came apart. I had to replace the batting and some stiff cardboard used on the frame. I used mat board scraps and quilt batting supplies that I already had on hand.

Not a bad first attempt, and not my last. Lots more stools and numerous seats, still to cover.

And I plan to use Letter Stitch!

Available in quilt shops July, 2015

JOYous New Year

So . . . 2015, anyone have BIG plans in the new year? We would enjoy hearing about them.

What is inspiring you? What creative goals? What you can’t wait to get your hands on?

Stitching, painting, cutting, pasting, drawing, quilting, collaging?

All of the above? Sounds good to me too.

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We wrapped up the year with . . .

A little dress up in the new office

Two updated sites

TidingsOfGreatJoy.com for Licensing

and Handmaids.com for some creative fun and inspiration!

Two new Etsy Shops

Joy Studio Vintage – Although not very well stocked yet, we’re working on it. Lots more to uncover and unravel. Some really cool art supplies featured in our Draw Near fabric collection from Quilting Treasures!

And Joy Studio Handmaids – Also, just getting started so visit soon to see Handmaids® product updates.

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To explain the She Who Rocks products in our vintage store – We had plans for another Handmaids Challenge to kick off the new year. It was inspired by a vintage sewing caddy project submitted by Karen Torres in January’s 2014, She Who Sews Blog Hop. We named, searched, purchased and posted charming vintage rocking chair sewing caddy’s, specifically for the event. However, once Joy Studio Vintage opened, half of the chairs began to disappear, quickly. So, the She Who Rocks challenge, will need to be renamed and modified.

Please, stay tuned to

JOY STUDIO

for future projects, collections and art news in 2015.

God bless you, in the new year.

Turkey-lurkey

This week is dedicated to family and home arts. Lots of gathering, pie baking, table setting, crafting & stuffing!Some of our typical Thanksgiving holiday traditions . . .

S – O   •   T – H – A – N – K – F – U – L – L !Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Henny-penny, Cockylocky, Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey, Turkey-lurkey, and Foxy-woxy!

So Much Life

The ‘so much life’ I mention in the last post was certainly felt the second week of our mini art camp. Besides Independence Day falling smack dab in the middle, I began the week by stepping on a sliver of glass going for my first cup of coffee Monday morning. Unable to retrieve it on my own after soaking and searching with magnifiers, I bandaged and hobbled through the best I could.

The second surprise was a phone call from my aunt Lois who was just in from Texas. Although aware of her trip, she phoned to let me know that she had decided on this visit, to bring my grandmothers photos, collected over at least three lifetimes! This, at my periodical requests to document (some day) the rarely seen (Tuesday’s) treasures, with hi res scans (on my equipment) and hopefully gather the accompanying family stories/history. How could I pass on this opportunity, right? Naturally, I could not . . .

Making time for everything was more than challenging but recognizing the rewards in all, I wore myself out trying to keep up. Did I mention, all took place during a period of record breaking heat and drought not felt in Missouri since the dust bowl years? Ten days straight, over one hundred degrees. Whew, brutal!

After most of the work was complete and a major clean up, I saw a podiatrist the following Monday. He successfully removed the obstacle of the pain in my foot. Ah, relief. Staying off my feet for a few days . . . doctor’s orders! ;-D

A Father’s Tribute

Tribute – A tribute (from Latin tributum, contribution) is wealth, often in kind, that one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often the case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance.   ~Wikipedia

trib·ute

noun \ˈtri-(ˌ)byüt, -byət\

a : something given or contributed voluntarily as due or deserved; especially : a gift or service showing respect, gratitude, or affection <a floral tribute> b : something (as material evidence or a formal attestation) that indicates the worth, virtue, or effectiveness of the one in question <the design is a tribute to his ingenuity>   ~Webster

For the ‘Holy Week’ 2012, I am posting images of my father’s art, depicting the Crucifixion of Christ, John F. Wecker, created in the mid 1960’s. As I remember, he did a series of sketches and color studies on the subject. He completed one final painting in oil but began two others much larger, from which these fragments of the preliminary sketches were taken.

A most dear, Treasured Tuesday feature.

All Is Calm,

…all is bright. Now that the powdered sugar dust has settled, following the very messy, very tiring cookie caper, it is a silent night. Ahhh, peace on earth. Christmas eve upon us, but for now, feet are propped and snow is expected.

The images featured below are from my personal collection of Christmas ephemera. I thought you might enjoy seeing some of my favorites from the stash.

Origin:

1670–80; < Gk ephḗmera, neut. pl. of ephḗmeros, taken as sing.;

ephemera (ɪˈfɛmərə)
— n , pl -eras , -erae
1.	a mayfly, esp one of the genus Ephemera
2.	something transitory or short-lived
3.	( functioning as plural ) a class of collectable items not originally intended to last for more than a short time, such as tickets, posters, postcards, or labels

ephemera

late 14c., originally a medical term, from M.L. ephemera (febris)  “(fever) lasting a day,” from fem. of ephemerus , from Gk. ephemeros  “lasting only one day,” from epi  “on” + hemerai , dat. of hemera  “day,” from PIE *amer-  “day.” Sense extended to short-lived insects and flowers; general sense of “transitory” is first attested 1630s.

I have collected some really nice pieces, such as these Leyendecker covers above. However, this Christmas, baby Jesus post card, out shines them all. I love it!

Throughout the year and now at this holiday season, I’m feeling very blessed with an overflowing cup. My prayer is that you are too.

Now, time for “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Merry Christmas everyone!

Feather Tree Fences

Treasured Tuesday – My friend Melissa made a recent comment about one of my feather tree, Christmas fences so, I’m sharing them all today. I have three that I like to incorporate into the holiday decorations. They’re too nice to pack away afterward so, I try to keep them displayed all year long in a variety of ways.

I found one article that offered this bit of information:

Antique Christmas Tree Fences

Fences for the Christmas tree were made of a variety of materials. Some of the earliest were made of wood or cast iron, then later versions introduced sheet metal and plastic. The cast iron fences mimiced the elaborate detail of the Victorian fences surrounding people’s homes. Wood fences were constructed of twigs, feature tree branches, or the more common wood planks. One can also find fences that were pre-wired and contain sockets for lights on the fence posts.

Some fences came in sections allowing the consumer to create any lenght of fencing that they desired. Many fences had one section that contained a gate for “entrance” into the enclosure. Inside the fences people included small cardboard houses, composition animals, Erzgebirge pieces, dolls, toys, or any other items that they wished to use as decoration. Some built elaborate putz scenes or Christmas gardens, with the fence enclosing these wonderful creations.

The one above needed a lot of restoration when I discovered it. My brother-in-law Paul helped out in the putting back together process.

Thanks Melissa, I really like them too.

This one landed here and doubles as wall art in the guest bedroom, off season.

Snowy Impresions

Woke up to snow today, both outside and in, that is, on the Christmas tree. I decided yesterday afternoon, to go with the cut paper snowflakes for the decorations once again. Notice, it resembles the tree in my illustration of the 2000 Theme Tree –  “500 Years of the Christmas Tree” program.

Still snowing (12:00pm), although only three inches are expected. Enough to inspire me to finish unpacking the last of the holiday trimmings, the snowmen.

In keeping with the week’s cookie theme, pictured above is a feature I clipped out of the magazine surplus, on traditional springerle German Christmas cookies. Included in the photo is my snowman ice cream mold and an unusual bottle that I stumbled upon in a a local antique shop quite a few years ago. The same is the case for these two sets of vintage snowmen salt & pepper shakers.

Snow, snow beautiful snow.

Cutting Clay

I still haven’t found the right time for trimming our main tree. Maybe today! I’m not altogether sure, how I want to decorate it this year. For someone who was formerly dubbed “the ornament lady,” surprisingly I always lean toward our simple paper snowflakes, the kids and I cut when they were little.

The alternate choice of course, is none other than, the original, hand painted, made in America, signed by the artist, glazed and fired ceramic ornaments!  Chuckle. Here are some of the last produced that I managed to hold on to before Tidings of Great Joy moved into art licensing. You can see how the cookie cutters were utilized to make them and why I began collecting the cutters.

With all of the cookie cutter collection talk on Tuesday, I was reminded of my treasured time and handiwork of years gone by. I unpacked them today. Maybe this year they will make it on to the tree. I’m still trying to find a way to get them back into production. I’ll keep everyone posted.

On each of the Tidings of Great Joy ornament hang tags it reads:

…for unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

It was the Christmas story read by Linus in Charles M. Schulz’s ” A Charlie Brown Christmas,” that inspired the (then holiday ornament producing) company’s name. Est. early 1980’s.