festivals and temperatures

this past weekend, in 107 degree temps, i participated in The Revival - a Vintage Marketplace at The Goat Farm in atlanta. if you have never been to the goat farm, you must visit - it is them most amazing vintage space full of tons of architectural relics and it has a great vintage vibe. we set up on friday and sold saturday and sunday while sweating our booties off. literally.

the above vignette is my favorite! it includes everything i love - crystal lamps, furniture, fabric and a few sparkly things.

booths don't get pretty in an instant though. this is what our booth looked like about two hours after unloading. i shared a double booth with joya jewelry so we could mingle our items for more impact.

i added pillowcases made from vintage sheets this year by mixing different patterns into one pillowcase. the pillows are sitting on a vintage typewriter table painted a sunny yellow and embellished with the words "these are the days". next to that is a headboard/footboard combo that i LOVE, but sadly, no one wanted to take it home for their room.

these botanical prints all drawn by me are currently available in the shop.

another new addition this year is my scalloped bunting. i had originally planned to hang them all from the rafters in the booth, but after setting up, we decided that might be too busy. so i returned home friday night and whipped up some labels and packaged them up individually. there are times like these that i am so thankful i also work as a graphic designer and am able to do these things on the fly.

these pink alabaster lamps are so unique and will also be added to the shop shortly.

so i mentioned the 107 degree temperatures, right? well, these crazy things we are all wearing around out necks literally saved our lives. without them, i think i might have had to visit the ER. the are called frogg toggs and you stick them in ice water, wring them out and then lay them on your neck. they stay oh so cold and worked really well in keeping us from passing out.

left to right is reagan (my sweet friend who came down to help us out), jenni, me and joy. i honestly cannot imagine doing festival without these ladies. i can be a debbie downer at times when the crowds don't show or people aren't buying, but these ladies always know how to bring me out of my funk!
 

as a finale to this picture heavy post, i had to show you all my warm weather do for the weekend. LOVE!!!

love and tinsel

anyone out there need some love?

these vintage tinsel love wall hangings were another new addition to my booth last week.

i have been so delinquent in posting pics from the festival, but i promise they will show up sooner or later. really, i think i am still recovering from spending 3 days outside in 107 degree temps.

i found a TON of yummy vintage tinsel at an estate sale and couldn't resist! these are so sweet to hang on a door or on a dresser knob. for anyone out of state, don't fear - they will be in the shop soon!

a new blog and a giveaway

have you ever wished i would do another giveaway where my apron is the prize? if so, today is your lucky day.

a lovely woman, who i met through a blogging party she hosted, asked if i would like to join her in her blogiversary party. i am always up for meeting new people and being exposed to new things, so heck ya, i was interested. check out the vintage gwen blog here to read all the details. the winner will be able to chose from any of the aprons in my etsy shop. good luck...

papernstitch and exhibitors

silly me, i've failed to mention that i am an exhibitor on papernstitch for the month of march. my word for this year is strengthen. strengthen my home life, my body, my blog and my business, so i have set out on the mission to get linwood avenue out into new circles. papernstitch actually isn't new, i exhibited with them a year ago, and loved the experience, so i am back for round two. brittni runs the show and she is so great to work with. personal and quick responses, she makes you feel as you are her only artist. but the beauty is, you aren't, you are surrounded by other wonderful artists who all share your same aesthetic and feel.

thrifting and sheets

i might be reaching hoarding capacity with vintage sheets.

what? you say this stack doesn't look that large to you? well, it doesn't, but combined with the 8 other stacks not in the photo, i am overflowing! the thing is, i just can't pass them up. the patterns, the softness, the fact that you get about 4 yards of fabric for $2 - all this makes them irresistible to me.

the good news is i finally have a plan for them and i am so excited about the idea. once i make a prototype, i will share the goodness with everyone.

uniqueness and crowds

last week, i received this sweet comment from my new blogger friend, margie. it was written for one of my new mixed media posts.

"I love your new style too. Uniquely you and unlike any I've seen, which is always hard since there is so much out there."

first of all, it is no secret that i love comments, i adore them. for me, it isn't about praise, because i even like the not so nice comments. it's about the dialogue, and meeting new people, learning new things, the back and forth.

anyway, this comment struck a particular chord because uniqueness is what i strive for. when i see what other artists are doing, i do not say "that's beautiful, how can i remake it", i say "that's beautiful, strike another thing off the list that i can't touch." i have come to realize that it is a bit self-sabotaging to think this way, but that is how my brain has always worked. i shut the door on a lot of things before i even put one foot over the threshold. this causes a lot of artistic downtime for me and a lot of freezing up of thoughts.

my website and booth setup used to contain a lot of beautiful yellow and white chevron prints, but once chevrons became all the craze, i am now working on removing them because i don't want to seem like i jumped on the bandwagon. i LOVE all the somerset magazines, but you see a lot of art made from cremes and tans and a LOT of music note paper. don't get me wrong, the artwork showcased is very beautiful and i would cherish any piece should i own one, but you will rarely find music notes in my art because i am tone-deaf and they are not unique to ME.

having said that, i do believe the saying that there are no new ideas, but i am trying really, really, really hard to find them. so thank you margie, for recognizing my efforts to be unique :)

what are your thoughts on this? are you as self-sabotaging as i am?

aprons, hoops and lamps

last night i worked my tooshie off and did a HUGE update to my shop. so. very. excited that it is done. woohoo! you can now find tons of aprons in any color way you could imagine.

i have also listed a lot of hoop art. these would be a perfect valentines gift to plant in your man's ear if i do say so myself.

and lastly, i have some new lamps to share with you. i have about 7 more sitting on my desk waiting to receive wiring supplies to finish and then they will be posted as well. i have a push and pull relationship with making lamps, but right now, i am LOVING them. i love collaging individual pieces together and making one of a kind creations for you to add a little sparkle to your home!

labels and country living

i've been sewing up a flurry of aprons this past week. i shouldn't say this, but sometimes i get so burnt out on making them, the redundancy of it all, so there is a long time in between batches. but once i get going again, i love mixing together crazy patterns and seeing all the colorful fabric laying around my studio. the best part about this batch? they are the first ones that include my woven business label. i get very giddy over the professionalism of it all!!!

and...

they will be for sale at the atlanta country living fair this weekend at stone mountain along with my hoop art! i will be helping out the lovely kelly mccants in her "modern june" booth and she has graciously offered to sell my creations alongside of hers. i will be there all day long on saturday cutting up a storm of oilcloth and laminated cotton fabrics. and, who am i kidding, probably buying some as well. if you are in the atlanta area, swing by and say hello!

and...

did you know that kelly is the author of this new book? she is going to be doing a signing at whipstitch fabrics tonight if you can't wait for the weekend and want to swing by and pick up your very own copy :)

loveliest and beauty

this week has blissfully been filled with embroidery, sewing, and shipping etsy orders. all of which has put a huge smile on my face. i managed to photograph 2 of my new hoops and put them in the shop this morning. i just think they are the sweetest things ever! (no modesty here ;)

i love, love, love using the vintage hankies as a background for my embroidery. you also get great discoloration in the fabric since they are so old. tea-staining can't touch what nature does on its own!

lamps and creations

i uploaded a bunch of lamps to the shop this past weekend and am so excited to share my new creations. the one shown above is, hands down, my favorite! sometimes i have a hard time letting go of certain things i make and i imagine i will hold on extra tight before i ship this one out. although the though of it bringing beauty to someone's home makes the separation a bit easier :)

i love when i can find the skinny pipes of vintage lamp glass because they are so delicate that i am sure most have been broken through the years. luckily, this current upload contains 2 lamps with the skinny necks!

but the best part of this lamp is the beautiful floral base. i love the petal detail - it puts a smile on my face every time i look at it.

if you have been looking for the perfect lamp for a certain spot in your home, head over here to see what i have to offer. they are one of a kind creations lovingly put together by yours truly.

original loves and shop updates

festival season is upon us - are you ready? i love the weeks before a festival where it is a flurry of creating and planning, a whirlwind of excitement.

if you are in need of a vendor apron, check out my shop, i have lots of options available and always love custom orders!

listings and more listings

i have just logged 3.5 hours on my computer uploading to etsy. that's right, the store is fully stocked! i typically like to spread out my listings across a couple of weeks to get the most views, but truthfully, i haven't been able to find the time. my photos have been edited for weeks now, but well, it's summer and things move a lot slower for me :) the above is a pair of lamps that i am really having a hard time letting go - i love them so, but i really want to share the love by not hogging them for myself. the center band is wrapped with fabric from a vintage sheet which makes these lamps so very unique and cute, did i mention cute???

 

 of course, you can always find my botanical prints. i truly cannot wait till my days are free again and i can get started on some new floral options. they are all waiting patiently in my sketchbook, ready to be digitized.

and there are also plenty of aprons covering all colors and tastes.

if you have any questions about the items in the shop, don't hesitate to convo me :)

custom orders and creativity

i have been getting a lot of custom apron orders lately and this makes me so, so happy because it means that...

a. people like what i am doing
b. people understand the importance of what they wear as being part of their overall festival booth design.

katie, the proprietress of this sweet etsy shop ordered the above apron to wear at festivals. her first festival to be exact. we went back and forth a few times on fabric that best reflects her and i love the overall structured look. i think it represents her style perfectly.

if you had to design an apron for yourself, what fabric would best represent you? i myself am a big floppy floral kind of gal such as this new fabric i am totally gushing over :)

dreams and a give-away

i am over the moon to be able to share this news with you. i want to scream it from the rooftops - I AM PUBLISHED! beginning february 1st, you can find linwood avenue within the covers of the 3rd volume of apron•ology produced by the lovely people at stampington. a big thank you to beth livesay, apron•ology's editor, for pulling together a beautiful collaboration. i read this mag cover to cover the moment it arrived - it is filled with so many beautiful pieces, you won't be disappointed. one of my favorites is the farmhouse apron from sweet magnolias farm. check them out here. i also adore the apron merit badges on page 40, such a great idea!

to celebrate this little accomplishment of mine, i am running a giveaway - the winner will receive an apron of their choice from my shop. i will contact the winner and at that time, they can let me know which apron they choose. the contest will run for a week and close midnight EST february 7th. how do you enter? it's 2 simple steps...

1. add your name to my list of sweet followers by clicking the "follow" button in the right hand column.
2. leave me a comment letting me know what you would use your apron for. ie: crafting, gardening, teaching, you name it, i want to know!

*** as a bonus, if you tweet about this giveaway (and let me know in the comments), you gain an extra entry. woohoo!!!

roses are red and...

love and appreciation, what more could we hope for out of life?

new print in my botanical series which will hopefully be in the shop soon :)

forms and models

i have been photographing my lamps on an aqua table, so i figured that this vintage dress form was the perfect compliment to showcase my aprons on etsy. my friend, joy, graciously loaned her to me and she is such a lovely color and shape all around. plus, she is totally "linwood avenue" in style. i have 29 more aprons to photograph, then i will be grabbing some turkey leftovers!

notebooks and scribbles

are you a scribbler? a note taker? a list maker? these mini notebooks are the perfect stocking stuffer to brighten up a purse or book bag. hopefully these will fly off the shelves at my holiday show this saturday, but in case they don't, they will promptly be placed on esty the following week.

chaos and order

this is the chaos that happens when i take product shots for etsy. i have tried shooting in the back yard, in the garage with the doors open, and now i have moved into my front entry hallway. it seems that there is no place where i can get consistent light for an hour at a time, so i have resigned myself to the fact that color correcting will have to be. and if you have been reading this blog for a while now, you know how much that frustrates me.

i would love to pass this job on to someone, but the truth is that the quantity of shots i need are either too expensive to have someone else do it, or i have nothing to barter with. so for the time being, me as photographer = me being my own worst enemy.

luckily i do have some photoshop skills to clean up the horrible images i take which gives me an end result of this...

i am head over heals with this lamp. i think it would look great sitting on top of a big chunky vintage desk. head over to my shop to see more lamps. it feels really good to get my shop stocked. woo hoo!

september and december

it may be september outside, but it is december in my studio. i am debuting new stockings for the upcoming holiday season and here is a sneak peek. visit my shop to see the whole line of stockings that include stars, christmas trees, ornaments, bows and bells.

love and a shop update

woo hoo! i finally have my prints posted in the shop.

i love the idea that each flower has a specific meaning, and i love how men used to choose bouquets to give to their loved ones based on those meanings. sometimes i can't help but feel that the thought behind gifts these days is lacking. with my illustrations, which are a mix of colored pencils and digital processes, i have drawn on the old to create something new and vibrant. if there is a specific flower you would love to see in the shop, leave me a comment and i will move it to the top of my list!

8x10's currently listed, but i have 5x7's as well that will be posted throughout the following weeks.