Mugs!

New mug available in my Etsy shop.

New ceramic sculptures made from vintage molds

New ceramic sculptures made from vintage plaster molds. Check out more at Desert Arts Pottery.

Recent Thrifty Finds

Italian mid-century vase $1.89

Lapid vase $2.99

Funky glasses $2.69

So I mentioned in a post last month that I rented out a space in a consignment shop. Well now that I've been really hitting up thrift stores I've been finding some really cool things. I adore the vases and these sunglasses are the bomb, I LOVE them!! I had planned on selling the vases but they are too darn cute... Oh dear...

Tips for finding treasures

I used to love hitting up the thrift stores but then every time I'd go it would just be junk. So I got discouraged, felt like it was a waste of time and stopped going. Then until recently I started going about 1- 2 times a week hitting about 2 or 3 stores at a time and I've been finding more things. You forget people are dropping off stuff everyday. Frequent visits will help you see how the store cycles out items. You learn how often the staff replenishes merchandise and on what days. 

Also if you plan on selling your finds buy things that you love. Cause if you love them so will someone else.

Today I found a vase marked Germany, a metal nail horse sculpture and a cute turtle rocker. I planned on selling all these items in my booth, but that vase and sculpture are looking really good on my sideboard. I think I will hoard them for now, hee hee.

Geometric tiles to die for!

Triangle glass tiles by heathceramics.com

Waveline glass tiles by besttile.com

Palms glass tiles by islandstone.com

So I wasn't going to put in a tile backsplash, if I did it wouldn't be for some time. Last night I started poking around and found some really interesting tiles and of course I saw a bunch of things I love!! I was really impressed with the tiles over at heathceramics.com, below are more drool worthy tiles from them to pick from.

Setting up a booth at a consignment shop

This is always something I've wanted to do, sell my stuff in an antique store!

About a week ago I was walking in downtown Manchester, NH. I was suppose to be working out at the gym but it was too nice out to be indoors, so I walked. I remembered an antique store I've always wanted to visit so that was my destination. I don't know what came over me but I had so much fun walking around and talking to the ladies that ran the store. I started asking questions about renting a space and well a week later I have booth set up.

It was pretty simple to get it started, all I needed to do was fill out an application and pay them the first month's rent, in this case i'm required to stick with them for 3 months. There is always the thought that no one will buy your stuff, but I was willing to take that chance, you never know until you try.

So you need to set up an inventory of your items. For now I have a notebook with descriptions and prices and discounts for people who pay with cash. I cleaned up and dusted off all my items and tagged them according to the store's requirements. Pretty simple.

I hope people will enjoy my 50's-70's items. If you are local please stop by, my booth number is 44 at Antiques on Elm. I think I will also stick in some of my fabrics by the end of the week, I still have so much I want to place in there, but for some reason every time I go I never bring enough with me.

If anyone has any questions about the process, don't hesitate to ask!

Had a really good day at HomeGoods yesterday!

I was starting to think I was going crazy by the number of treasures I was finding! Crazy! So I'm at the grocery store yesterday and across the street is a Homegoods, I hadn't been in there in awhile so I thought I'd go in and take a look around... Well, was I surprised!

The first thing I spotted was the ceramic bird that I guess is a knock off of Jonathan Adler's stuff. I felt bad buying a knock off but when I saw it was only $16.99 and the only one left I grabbed it! Then I walked through the lamp area and in the clearance aisle I found that really cool black cone lamp with the brassy base. My mouth dropped open, soo cool, I jumped up and down when I found it's mate! These were originally $50 each and I got them for $35 a piece.

Lastly I found a knockoff Kartell componibili unit for $99, I had no idea where it would go but I grabbed it! 

I just love finding treasures!!

One of these things is not like the other...

So a wonderful reader of mine from retroroadmap.com wanted to know if I would give her tea set a new home (pictured on left). I saw a picture, but didn't pay much attention, all I said was YESS! I assumed it was from my set that I had purchased on Etsy some time ago. Hooray right? Turns out the set she sent me was made in Germany and mine was made Japan. Interesting... Since Japan was heavy into making cheap ceramics in the 60's, I'm assuming the German Thomas set came first since it feels heavier and just overall better quality, but who knows.

New at West Elm

Ooo so pretty! Hive vases

A bright buzz. Hand-painted terracotta vases are patterned in textural honeycombs and gazed in brilliant hues—a perfect venue for fresh bouquets or flowering branches. $24.00 – $34.00

The Architectural Pottery Collection

San Diego native Michael Stephenson has a passion for modern industrial design, from Bauhaus architecture to 20th century classics. He founded Vessel USA Inc. in 1998 and he makes modern planters & containers, ceramic sculpture and garden accessories. Check out more on Etsy.

Adding to the collection!

I'm a sucker for vintage orange/red tea cups and serving sets, and when I saw the set above on Etsy I pounced! Last year I found two cups from this same collection and I'm so happy that I can add to it. Below are pictures of others I have collected.

Unloved, Thrown Out and Abandoned Creations by Angela

Etsy shop Beat Up Creations uses orphaned and unloved antique plates and transforms them into new Modern Portrait Plates.

I need a plate with a Floyd head!

All Modern Giveaway

All Modern wants to give one lucky reader the chance to win a notNeutral coffee serving set!

To enter this giveaway, simply send your contest entry email before March, 1 2010 to jennski_giveaway at yahoo dot com. Then leave a comment on this blog post saying which design you like the most. You have to both e-mail me and comment in order to enter! I will post the name of the randomly selected winner on Tuesday (3/2/10). *Please note that this giveaway is open only to United States & Canada residents.

Who will be the lucky winner? There are many designs to choose from, so head on over to All Modern now, to see which set you love the best!

Interview: Nina van de Goor

Name: Nina van de Goor
Occupation: student and designer
Location: the Netherlands
Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/ninainvorm

1. What kind of art do you make?
My favorite medium is ceramics/dinnerware, I make my own as well as redecorate beautiful vintage items with my screenprints. I really love screenprinting, and I also make collages and other kinds of prints. Photography is another thing I really love.

You can read all about it on my blog or see flickr for ceramics
and prints.


2. What do you enjoy most about working in this medium?
I really like the functionality of ceramics and dinnerware, I like to make something that's both useful and beautiful. Also, I like to work with bright colors and graphic shapes, screenprinting is a really good medium for that. In my ceramics, I like to combine beautiful vintage pieces with my own designs, I love how they combine and become something new.



3. What challenges have you found in your work?
Oh, many! ;) First of all there are all kinds of technical challenges: how to create what you have in mind? Making ceramics is pretty challenging, cause the firing process can always come with all kinds of unexpected surprises, and not always good ones! Of course there are also my own limitations: I'm self-taught in some of the things I do so I often have to find out how things work. I also find the business side of this all pretty challenging: how to generate a proper income, how to 'produce' without losing the fun and originality...



4. Where do you find inspiration?
Mainly in everyday life, in the streets, in all kinds of graphics and typography, in books and magazines and while reading blogs...



5. What are your favorite artists, designer or blogs.

Oh I have so many, I don't know where to start...
I love Elisabeth Dunker and Sandra Juto and their blogs... I like reading blogs such as Bloesem, Oh Joy, Door Sixteen and Decor8. When it comes to designers, I have a huge love for mid-century modern, so designers such as Arne Jacobsen, Stig Lindberg, Eva Zeisel, Finn Juhl and Charles and Ray Eames are still my favorites.

Etsy find of the day

Vintage Mid Century Modern Espresso Set $39.99

The perfect gift: Jonathan Adler Ceramics (under $50)

whale salt and pepper $48.00

muse votive holder $28.00

utopia williamsburg vase $38.00

vidalia bud vase $28.00

The perfect gift: Sara Paloma Pottery

So cute! This is the perfect gift for me, I would love one of these rotund stoneware bottles, I sooo need one :P (Hint hint Al!)
On sale! $25 each!

New Etsy Purchase

Feast your eyes on my new mod tea pot! It just came in the mail today, I already have it sitting in my collection. Today is an awesome day!

Plates

Have you ever collected so many plates that you don't know what to do with them all? Well, you just might want to try hanging them up on your walls.

I love, love, love Lisa Congdon's hanging plate display! (pictured above) The idea of hanging plates isn't a new one, but I love her fresh and colorful approach. I've been wanting to do something like this in my home with all the odd plates that I pick up at flea markets. I still need to go and find a bit more but I do have some cute ones that I can play around with for now.

For anyone who is interested I found a helpful page on ehow called how to hang plates and also some info at marthastewart.com. I can't wait to start this project, I love arranging things! Check out more plate arrangements below.

Image via Apartment TherapyFlickrFlickrAntique Plate DisplayFlickr