I Feel Sick

I just received my first, and I'm sure not last, customer complaint. Funny it was on one of my vintage handbags I had for sale and not any of my new items. I guess they expected it to be in excellent or new condition. Hard to find a 60's vintage purse in new condition especially a red patent one. I even described the condition as good for it's age....I would have carried it. But no this customer wanted to throw it in the trash as it wasn't good for anything else. I guess I'm a little miffed and offended, but I do have to realize that you can't please everybody. So, if she does send me the purse back, which I did offer to refund her purchase price...I'll have it up for sale again in my Artfire studio if you are interested. Please note though that this purse is a vintage 1960's red patent clutch in only good condition.

I'm sure tomorrow will be a better day.

Recipes, where do they come from?

My answer to that question is this old cookbook from my grandmother. My great-gran had one also, with lots of hand written notes, but my mom has that one. So, this is what I have to show you. Yes, the Banana Cake and the Cherry Blossom Dessert that I shared in an earlier post came from this book. If not typed in the book then on a scrap of paper as you can see.

The recipe that I'm going to be sharing today came from a friend of mine in Oklahoma. It's Olen's Pasta Salad and I only changed one thing. It calls for 1/4 tesp. of Accent which is MSG and I left that out. It's still good.

PASTA SALAD

Cook 1 lb macaroni and cool

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tesp garlic powder
1 tesp dry mustard
1 Tbls parsley
3/4 tesp pepper
1/2 tesp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Mix with Pasta - Set aside

Chop the following and add to the pasta mixture.

1 large cucumber
1 large tomato
1 bell pepper
1 red onion

This is a great salad to take to a picnic as it has no mayo to spoil and it gets better the second day of refridgeration.

Here are a few other pictures of the pages in my recipe book. Enjoy! The first is my grandmothers custard pie recipe...I really should re-type or scan this. The second is for Prune Cake....sounds interesting and it is from my Aunt Rachel. I didn't even know I had an Aunt Rachel...must be my grandmother's aunt due to the date of 1937. The third recipe is my favorite Banana Cake recipe and the fourth is the Cherry Blossom Dessert.

Crafty Monday - Reuse old Jewelry

The Better Homes and Gardens site has some great ideas for reusing some of that old jewelry you have lying around you aren't wearing or using items found at a flea market. I especially like the beaded napkin rings and the wall art using vintage colorful pins.

Using vintage pins and buttons to create wall art and simple frames.
Beads wrapped around a metal napkin ring for a one of a kind look.

I love these filigree frames that vintage earrings and brooches have been used as embellishments.

Colorful large pins used in a shadowbox frame to create art work...I'm sure I have some similar large pins laying around and wouldn't these look great in a bedroom above your dresser.

A necklace that has been taken apart has transformed a plain cake plate into something special. Find simple instructions on the BHG web site.

If you are in the mood for something different in the way of crafting, check out my crafty blog for the newest post on making a paper fan.

New Jewelry Item for the Week

One of the markets I belong to on 1000 Markets (Jewelry Artisans' Marketplace) is hosting a challenge this month on "Grandmothers Jewelry Box" where we create a piece of jewelry that our grandmother would have worn. My grandmother on my mom's side was a jewelry maven. I loved to play with all her trinkets, beads, bracelets and clip earrings. One of my favorite pieces she had when I was a teenager was a turquoise and heishi bead choker....not your typical grandmother piece of jewelry, but she wasn't your typical grandmother. I remember she bought me hot pink velvet hot pants (remember the 70's) when I was 12. I think my mom was horrified, but I loved them.


Here is a piece that I created in remembrance of her. This is a style typical of the 60's when Jackie O. was in the White House with her famous pearls. This piece is made of turquoise with sterling silver beads from a vintage necklace. With the way my grandmother loved beads, she would have worn this to church instead of pearls.