Late Winter Break, Projects, and Finds

I took a little blogging break to focus on finishing up data entry for my tax returns, get some eBay stuff listed, and work on the painting workroom organization. Finally, I can get back to painting. I finished up the little back end table I'd started in early February, painted a few shelves and some smalls and now I'm on to a tall, narrow chest of drawers with a dressing table waiting in the wings for its turn.

We've done a good bit of work in our booths this month, making a few changes in the arrangements to freshen things up. That lovely chest we moved in to Marietta a couple weeks ago was gone in a week.That was one of those easy finds--we bought it, rubbed it down with lemon oil, and put it in our booth that same day. A quick profit with little work.

Here's a look at a few of the other changes we've made at Marietta:

We moved in this desk or dressing table to replace the chest, another quick flip from thrift shop to booth. I love it when we find something that requires no work at all, just wipe down and move in!

We scored about a dozen old motorcycle license plates, along with a Daytona Beach Week Harley-Davidson beer bottle, from a picker. The bottle is rough but maybe someone will want it for their garage.
The little truck was so rusty! But a weeklong soak in vinegar cleaned up most of it.

I bought this shelf from the former vendor who rented this space. This was once our space; we gave it up and rented a bigger spot, but when she moved out, we added it back! The shelf needs a corner because it's pretty wobbly, but it has such a cool primitive look for display.

One of my recent small projects. A quick coat of read paint and some sealer really brightened up an outdated wood mug rack.

I've had this lamp for several months, with no sale. Thinking I might have to reduce the price, which really is reasonable enough, or bring it home and put it on eBay.

Vintage handbags have been selling well at Marietta. They do moderately well at Ravenswood too. The key is style and color. I have too many dark ones, so I pulled some from Ravenswood to take to Marietta. Ivory, navy and black textured in this photo.

A large Blenko sun ashtray I've also had for a few months might be another eBay candidate. I sure like it, though--it looks awesome in a window with the sun shining through it.

This clock was an eBay find and I sweated bullets waiting for it to arrive. It was packaged beautifully!Not a fancy one, but it has a nice style.

I need to take some new photos at Ravenswood--apparently I've been neglecting that duty the past few trips!

It's been an odd winter weather-wise, and has me wondering if we might have an early Spring this year. My mother always said that an early Easter meant early Spring and that has usually been true. It would be nice, I guess, although I have to admit I don't look forward to the grass starting to grow earlier than normal. Once that starts, the inside-the-house projects stop and there are still some things I want to get done before our work moves outside. This week we've have some pretty, tree-clinging snows.


Larry and I share the workroom where we re-do furniture and we needed to just stop and get the space more user-friendly. The back porch needed the same attention. It had become the catch-all for odd bits of lumber, unfinished projects, buckets of nuts, bolts, screws, and tools of all kinds. I'm pretty organized in my own work areas but my hubby, not so much so. He's happy working in a creative mess, and while I can do that for a while, it starts driving me crazy. Finally, it was getting to him too (hallelujah!). It's not perfect yet but surely a lot better.

Since storytelling work is slow for me in the winter--a situation I am completely happy with because I can stay here and look at the pretty snow rather than driving in it--I usually bump up my eBay listings to provide the extra dollars that make life fun.Sales have been pretty brisk and I've been packing boxes to ship out almost every day. We also sold a Sellers Hoosier-style cabinet on eBay! We'd had it in our Ravenswood booth for almost two years, and I listed it on eBay last year. We had lots of lookers, a few lowball offers, but finally a nice couple in Ohio, not too far from us, bought it online and came to pick it up this week. That one was a Local Pickup, because I don't think I could tape it into a box!

A few recent finds that are now listed on eBay:
Pretty Blue Onion plates. I have 4 salad, 2 dinner and 4 bowls in this pattern, made by Oxford China.

Then a 1966 Porky Pig glass--he was in a box lot from a picker friend.

I love these Harker Ware plates with their crowing rooster! Mid-century beautiful!

These aren't on ebay but in my Ravenswood booth. I am drawn to old metal canisters like a moth to a flame, and I wish I had the space to keep more of them.

A lot of Paden City dinnerware. Not in perfect condition but hard to find. These were made in Paden City, WV, not far from where I live:

 Sapphire Blue Philbe by Fire-King used to be a hot item but it seems the bottom dropped out of it. But look at this casserole set--the lid can double as a pie plate, and it comes with the prettiest stand for table service.

Hazel Atlas, one of my favorite oldtime glassware companies. These were probably made in Wheeling, WV, where Hazel Atlas was located for a long time.

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