inspiration from here and there.

my fascination with old things is rapidly expanding. i know this does not make me unique, as it seems like everyone these days is into old things... making jewelry from old metal bits and bobs, "flea market chic," reviving old clothes into new (or just wearing the old)... all of which gets lumped under the umbrella term vintage. so it feels odd and a bit like buying into the mainstream supertrends when i say that i do like old things, but i do. i like the feeling of history behind an object, and like it may have a story to tell. i like flea markets and old portraits where nobody smiles, skeleton keys separated from the things they open, and books whose paper pages darken and flake with age.

so, all that considered, when i saw the aged and floaty effect that a photo taken with a holga camera has, i found the effect that i had been trying to make my black and white pictures have since i began taking photos at about 16 years old (not that that has been all that long ago). i first saw holga pictures from a blog called abbytryagain, which was one of the first craft blogs i ever came across. she had experimented with some shots in black and white, and i really loved the dark edges and aged quality that is apparently characteristic of the holgas. they were actually chinese (i also read russian somewhere) toy cameras that are technically really cheap and junky, but give off a really cool quality, if you're not too much of a perfectionist about that sort of thing. i also like that the shots are usually square.

***(photo borrowed from amazon.com... thank you amazon! please don't sue me)***

well, after reading a really interesting critique that echoed some of my own curiosity, and also happily finding out that this experimentation would only cost me about $25 on amazon, i think i'm going to have to try it out. my head is swimming with all the possibilities for some really cool prints for postcards or notecards!

(ps- i've also loved polaroids as long as i can remember).

on the old things note, i also have been thrifting a little bit back in november. i got a really great bag of amazing stuff all for about $30 at an estate sale, and one unusually good trip to goodwill.

goodwill had this cool cream-colored leafy candlestick holder, a pair of linen pants (to be cut up and used for napkins or a table runner, probably) and my favorite, a big, soft, stretchy pink flat sheet with swirly brown and red flowers to be made into pajama pants via an amy butler pattern. soulemama made the great point that if your pj pants are made of soft old sheets it's like never leaving bed when you wear them!

the real stash came from the estate sale. i went to two in one morning with my mother in law, and saw some really amazing stuff! i think the trick is finding the balance between appreciating someone's really cool old junk without it necessarily having to become your cool old junk... which is definitely hard when the junk is cool and the prices are cheap. i did stock up on some tools and practical sewing tools.

a box of 50's era christmas cards for 50 cents. recipe cards with a matching box for $1. embroidery hoops, also 50 cents each. christmas holly leaf print and plain trims (including mini rick rack!), and the best part... and entire ziplock bag full of teeny tiny for 2 bucks. why is this my favorite? what would you ever do with a whole bag full of microscopically small crochet hooks?

well. make intricately crocheted snowflake ornaments, of course! i also got this set of 5 ornate and beautiful snowflakes, pre-stiffened, glittered, and ready for hanging on the tree or window next year.


obviously, the ladies of these estate sales were both very skilled
crafters and their families have no idea how much time and effort it
must have taken to make something like these. the lady that made these also made the tiny sequined stockings i wrote about yesterday. to be honest, i don't know if i'll ever invest the true time, effort, and patience to crochet something so incredibly intricate, but i do have the hooks to experiment with! for now they'll live safe and snug with my other crochet hooks in a roll up case made from the blue printed martha stewart pillowcases in the stash picture.

ps- don't forget to go enter to win some free goodies... all you have to do is say hello!