June 19 is Father's Day - Great Handmade & Vintage Items for Dad!

What will you get for Dad this Father's Day? The same old tired bottle of after shave or tie that he will never wear? 

Why don't you surprise him this year with something truly unique - it is easy when you explore the world of awesome handmade and vintage items available on Etsy!

Washer Necklace Leather w/Recycled 

Button 'Life Savers'

ReClaimed Wooden Soap Dish

This is an inventive way to recycle buttons! These 'washers' were in a bunch of buttons that I acquired - they are buttons with the middles drilled out to form a circular life saver shape. I have arranged them on a 2mm black leather cord and it makes an awesome necklace for a guy or a girl!
The colors are neutral - black, tan, and shades of brown, so it can be worn with anything. The necklace is a short choker length.       

$18.00


Keep your handmade soaps from turning mushy by using one of these well draining soap dishes from PS Products.
Each soap dish is made out of reclaimed Cedar, finished with linseed oil and is cut to allow water to drain through the dish and away from your soap, so your soap will last longer.

$5.00

Vintage Hazel Atlas Gay Nineties Shot

Glasses-Set of 6

I love this fantastic set of shot glasses/small tumblers for that mid century vintage collector! Made by Hazel Atlas(marked on the bottom) in the 1940s-50s, they show a fabulous bar scene with a lady and her pooch, a man and the bartender.    
From InMyIgloo

$29.00

Hand Formed Copper Money Clip Favorite Guy

He's going to love the way this simple copper money clip helps him hold on to his bills or all those receipts that seem to accumulate in his pockets! More than that, he will love the fact that you were thinking of him! (And he will think of YOU every time he sees it!)

$9.50

Pair of Antique Folding Pocket Knifes -

Signed Richards Sheffield England

Pair of antique folding pocket knifes. Each knife features two different sized blades. These unique items from Grey Squirrel Antiques are sure to bring back many old memories for Dad!


 $19.50

Skeleton Key Boro Glass Beaded Keychain For Him

This lampwork glass beaded skeleton key will make a great Father's Day or anniversary gift for the man in your life. The brass tag can be customized to say the love note of your choice. The bead is dark purple and measures 3/4 inch in diameter and 8 mm. It was handmade in the flame of my torch from borosilicate or boro glass directly on the shaft of a vintage steel skeleton key that measures 2 3/4 inches in length.               $38.00

Hollow Book Safe - Contract Bridge 

Complete with Two Decks of Cards Cut-Out

These vintage book safes from Conduit Press are sure to please a collector of any kind! They can be used as they're intended (as safes hidden on a book shelf to hide your treasures, or your vices) or as a jewelry box on your dresser, or perhaps a conversation piece on your coffee table. 

$50.00 

Safari Print- illustration reproduction drawing artwork wall decor

5" x 7" Signed Reproduction of original artwork printed on professional photo paper. Striking, intense colors, and exceptional sharpness. This artwork by YuliyaArt is unique in that the artist does not use pencil or sketch at all - artwork is alive, developing in the moment I am drawing it and sometimes final result is surprise even for me.

Mid-Century Vintage Leather Jewelry Box

This mall square leather men's jewelry or nick-knack box from Restashable would be a perfect Father's Day gift! Smooth warm medium brown cowhide leather with tan suede interior. There are slots on the inside of the box lid for holding tie bars or something. Lid is attached and closes with a snap.

$18.00

There are way too many more excellent choices on Etsy for me to list them all here. Take a look for yourself and you will see what I mean!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Are you a Liberal or a Conservative?

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very Liberal Democrat, and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs, in other words
redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to "Be the Truth" and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends,  because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked , "How is your friend Audrey doing?"

She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over."

Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go to the Dean's Office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA,  and Certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA." The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That's a crazy idea, how would that be fair! I've worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!"

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, "Welcome to the Republican Party."

If anyone has a better explanation of the difference between Republican and Democrat I'm all ears.

If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test!

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat..
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.

Historic Gold Hill Strawberry Festival

Historic Gold Hill Strawberry Festival & Art & Crafts Walk

On Saturday, May 14 I will be at Gold Hill Village for the Annual Strawberry Festival!

I will have a selection of my jewelry available for sale, and will be accompanied by my mother, artist Barbara 'Jake' Carter of Watercolors by Jake!





Come on out and see us - we would love to meet you!
(And there will be locally grown strawberries for sale- YUM!)

My Office/Studio: A Work in Progress

I have been working on creating a space where I can do all my work. My husband moved his home office out to his shop behind our house, so I was left with a whole room for myself! I needed it, really - I had things scattered all over the house. When I had an order to send out I had to go back and forth between 3 rooms to put it all together. That is just crazy!

Now I have most everything in one room, but it still needs work. I am very obessive compulsive about organization (though you would never know it to see my house!) and it takes me forever to get things just the way I want them. In the meantime, this is what I have so far.

 

This (above) is my desk where I work on the computer, print invoices, etc. Below is my jewelry area where I make jewelry and keep all of my supplies.



There are some changes that I want to make. I would like to cover those cords up; I need to hag the cork board (when I decide where to put it...). I want to replace Steve's poster with something that speaks to ME and move those plants off of my work table. My storage containers are a hodge-podge, I know. I would welcome any suggestions for making this a more beautiful and functional space!

By the way, that is dog food in the container in the lower right corner. I don't actually have the room all to myself - I share it with our dog, Molly!