Vintage Skeleton Key Necklaces

Like most things I love, 
all of these vintage skeleton keys were found in a tucked-away antique shop.
 This large lot was found in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. 
These keys range in size from small (1 inch) to extra large (3 inches).

Some retain their original rusty exterior, 
while others have been hand-painted and varnished by me.

 All the keys are attached to cotton fabric, which is set  in a twisted braid, 
and attached to a 19mm antiqued jump ring. 

Length of braids for all skeleton key necklaces are approximately between 25 and 30 inches. Age of keys is unknown, but an approximate age would date their production to early 1900s. 

Check Olive Owl Art's shop on Etsy for more options on skeleton key shapes, colors, and braided fabric choices.

A Mismatched Kitchen

Since I live in the UK but only temporarily, its not feasible for me to order heavy ceramic items from the US. Not only would they be quite expensive to ship over, but I have to remember that everything I accumulate while here will have to be hauled back across the pond with me when I move back home...eventually.

So, that being said, I would typically not tell the world about a good bargain find until after I've purchased it, but in this case I'll give you all the chance to go and pick up some absolutely wonderful kitchen items in an Etsy shop called Luncheonette, full of vintage finds.


My ideal kitchen is a white base with colored items that pop.  I love mismatched dishes and items from every decade with the only similarity being their bold colors.

Favorite Item #1: 1940s Turquoise Teapot

Bold & beautiful #2:  Yellow sugar canister from 1930s. 

And for camping: 1980s Blue Spatterware metal coffee pot. 

A tasty homemade casserole always needs a beautiful dish:
1930s gold accent Baking Dish
(My absolute favorite from the shop!!)

And of course one needs to be wearing something cute and/or vintage

while in their brightly colored kitchen:

(It may seem old-lady now, but put it with a brightly colored headband,

push back the sleeves, and a good pair of skinny jeans- you're set.)

Front Page News

Drum roll please.....

My 1800s Silhouette Pillow Set is featured on Etsy's Front Page today!

Upon learning the news, 
a short bout of celebratory dancing ensued.

Olive Owl Art's First ReFound PopUp Shop Event

A few months ago I attended the first ever Home Souk, sister of The Fashion Souk, and met Jill O'Neill. She asked if I would like to participate in her eco-friendly, artist-advertising, furniture revamping business, ReFound, by refurbishing a furniture piece.

My first official ReFound piece is on display all week at  ReFound's June Pop-Up Shop at 8 Castle Lane, Belfast BT1!   I also have a few bird silhouette pillows on display, as well as the Russian Doll magazine rack from my last blog post.  

See more ReFound pieces, learn more about the company, and find my piece listed on their website. 


Before:

After:

Inspiration for this particular piece:  During the second hour in an antique store in Germany, I ran across a lovely old lamp shade that had a similar design as the flower pattern used on this furniture piece. The solid white pattern on top of the solid sea green reflects my fondness of the simple silhouette style. 

Revamped Magazine Rack

Before:

After:

This magazine rack is hand painted, 

each side featuring 4 unique Russian Nesting Doll silhouette designs.

Designs and painting done by Cassie Binkley of Olive Owl Art.

Turquoise, Green, and Cream 1829 period themed paint.

Sealed to protect.  Signed on bottom. 

This item is currently for sale

 and displayed at ReFound's June Pop-Up Shop at

8 Castle Lane, Belfast BT1. 

This pop up shop lasts 6 days only!

Hours:

Tuesday 7-9pm

Wednesday 10 am - 6 pm
Thursday 10 am - 9 pm
Friday & Saturday 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday 1 pm - 6 pm

ReFound: Established by  Jill O'Neill in Belfast, Northern Ireland, ReFound gives past-its-prime furniture a new lease of life.  Items including chairs, tables, chest of drawers and mirrors are used as the canvas by the ReFound Artist Collective to transform into functional pieces of art for the home. Each artist brings their own individual style which means that the range of furniture from ReFound is varied and distinctive. Profits from sales are shared between ReFound and the artist and upcycling furniture is of course a great example of eco in action.

 Find more info, directions, and other revamped furniture on ReFound's Website!

Patterned Pillows

Olive Owl's shop now has a handful of new pillows listed. 

Some fabrics are new, others vintage. 

Some are 100% cotton, others are linen mixes, and a few are mysteries. 

See details on individual links. 

Circular floral design. 

Brown and Cream.

 Folk Design. Vintage German. 

 Red, Blue, Orange, Cream.

    

  Snow White. 

  Colorful Folk Art on Black Back.

 Bird & Floral Folk Art Cushion. 

 Duck Egg Color.

 
   

Venice Silhouette. 

Black and White.

And, as always, more coming soon! 

New Paper Items

Recent additions to Olive Owl's shop include
a new line of hand-cut-with-care paper wall art items.

Set of three

Vintage Chair Silhouettes. 

Colorful, simple, antique inspired.  

Belfast Crest

Just a little bit of history to nerd-up your walls. 

Belfast Buildings
For your architect's eye.
(Only one listed currently, but more to follow soon.)  

The Royal Wedding

Thankfully, since I'm living in the UK, I didn't have to wake up at 4 am to watch the royal wedding preparations.  Instead, I had a brunch tea party in my living room while I watched the proceedings.

Number one thought:  I love the hats and hair accessories.  Here is a brief article hat summarizes my feelings.  I'd love to wear hats as a part of daily fashion. Just yesterday I tried on at hat while shopping in Dublin and my husband said "I didn't know you liked hats" and I responded with "I love hats, but society doesn't!"  ...I might find one I love and buy it nonetheless. 

  

In other Kate & Wills news, I completed my Etsy special-ordered royal wedding pillows that featured images softly and classically resembling Kate Middleton and Prince William.


Here is the final listing on Olive Owl's shop, which show some quick snap shots.  The pillow set will be photographed professionally this May for Etsy in Berlin, then will return back to the UK for a special Etsy Wedding event, which will likely be held in Autumn 2011or Spring 2012.

While in Germany....

Hot sand, beach umbrellas, and warm water are first to pop into my head when I think 'vacation'.  But when you're on holiday in Germany during March, the above items are not readily at hand. So- who am I kidding? My ideal vacation could be anywhere in the world- as long as I find a few good antique stores to scour.

I went to a little town called Dessau, where I met a friendly man who owned the most beautiful antique store. Huge, well organized, and room after room of art, furniture, war metals, jewelry, dishes, games, fabric, car parts, dolls, lamps, and on and on.  

First Find:
Vintage Apron. Powerful popping colors surrounded by a navy blue border.
Its the type of thing my Granny would own, 

and I'll be more than happy to wear this while baking my next batch of cinnamon rolls. 

Find #2:

Great blue & white table cloth, complete with a quirky, silhouette-style design. 

Find #3:

Fabric. Wonderful, vintage, like-new fabric.

Finding unique fabric is hard, finding affordable unique fabric is even harder. So when I found this lovely little collection (multiple meters of each) of truly vintage and unique fabric, I literally did a dance while the German shop owner wasn't looking.

Fourth & Fifth Finds:

A great little pillow- needed a two inch portion of the seam repaired. 

I love the array of colors and the lace-like design.

A very German-esque decor plate.  The detail on it is lovely!  

(This one is a gift for my delightful mom for Mother's Day)

Those are the highlights. I also found a stack of post cards (with handwritten notes in German on the back- which I hope to convince my brother to translate for me), two great maps of Berlin from the1800s, four beautiful books, and a few other small items.

Antiques and coffee have a similar effect on me: sweaty hands and an excited-nervousness that makes it difficult for me to decide what to do next.  An antique store that meets my high expectations is hard to find- but this marvelous shop was a true delight.  I spent several hours there and left wishing that it was nestled away some where in Northern Ireland so I'd have easier access to all its treasures (like the furniture that was stacked to the rafters). 

Etsy Treasury- Rose So Pretty

One of my Olive Owl items, 

a pair of earrings with a vintage rose cabochons, 

were recently listed in an Etsy treasury. 

Its a great little summer romance treasury full of roses and lady like softness. 

Surprising for someone who isn't really a fan of pink, 

but I really love this treasury. 

Favorite Item #1: 

A great embroidered pillow that makes me feel like I'm bringing roses in from the garden. 

Favorite Item #2: A truly unique, oil painted dress. 

See all the Rose So Pretty treasury items here.