Vintage Suitcase Dog Bed

Looks like a vintage Samsonite suitcase....

And it was.  A big tall one.  Or extra long, I suppose.  Opens end to end, not on the side.

I forgot to have the family take pictures of me with my safety glasses on and saws-all in hand when I went to town on the hinges of this suitcase to get the two pieces to separate.  Oh well.  You can imagine it, right?!  It was easy work.  No one got hurt!

Here is a picture of what would have been the bottom on the suitcase.  It has all the latches and handles on the sides.  Instead of trying to pry or cut off all the latches, I kept this piece to use in an art project.  It will become a shadow box of sorts..... or more like a modern diorama, filled with interesting objects at varying degrees of depth and distance.  The result ends up being a sort of low-relief three-dimensionality.  But that's a whole 'nother project!!  Back to the repurposed vintage suitcase dog bed!

Here is the top half!  We had two old pillows that were going to the thrift store so instead I just relegated two older flannel pillow case to be the covers and now they belong to Shotzie!

I've been seeing these in magazines lately and online .  All the rage, upcycling suitcases, pampering your pet!  Lots of times the top is left opened and propped back against the wall, and holds doggie objects, like brush, toy, etc.  Or even a photo or piece of art!  Since this one opened end to end, I didn't have the room to leave the bottom on.  Shotzie's bed sits under a full size, old-school free standing chalk board that takes up a lot of space.  You cant really see it here, but it also limits the size and dimension of his dog bed.

Here is shaggy Shotzie, in all his glory, getting comfy in his new bed!  He needs his eyebrows trimmed!  But he loves his bed! 

I may make one more of these, with the top and bottom left intact, to use as a travel bed for him.  I found this particular case back in early summer when Jasper was going to Circus Camp in Georgetown.  Some girls pulled up in front of The Foundry, their car full of vintage cases, trying to sell them to the shop owner.  He didn't want them but my smart friend Natasha suggested that they let us take a look and they did!  They had some cool cases that looked like leather but when we opened one a dust cloud of mold and mildew spores plumed out so big and stinky it was all we could do to close it up and throw it back in the car!  It was gross!  And I deal with a lot of old gross stuff but some of the cases these girls had were nasty!  But not this one.  Not the blue Samsonite.  And it was an unusual size.  Long and tall, opening end to end.  I offered her $10 and it was mine.  You just never know what you'll find on the side of a road!

Off to pick paint colors for Ms. Fireball.

Have a lovely little day,

Jennette

The Owl and the Butterfly

So last week was spent mostly hanging around Georgetown, in Seattle Washington, while J. was at Circus Camp.  Natasha and I had many little adventures and one of a few of them included visiting, and revisiting, Pacific Galleries Antique Mall.  Oh, how I love this mall.  Its like a museum.  Almost every single thing in there is TO DIE FOR but it all has a steep price tag.  If I weren't from this area and was visiting Seattle and stumbled onto this place, I would think I had died and gone to heaven.  It's that kind of place.  Its the place I always look for when I travel.  The place that has ALL THE GOODS!

So it didn't take long for Natasha and I to find many an item to drool over.  On our second trip there we found two of these:

This is a Victorian hair clip.  And this photo does not do it justice.  I don't usually go for gold but this has the most wonderful rich, old patina that makes it just right.  So they came as a set.  there were two of them.  And we both loved them.  So I said lets buy them, each have one, and make them into necklaces.  Friendship necklaces!  Like embroidery floss friendship bracelets, but only better!  We had to think on it for a day or two, they weren't cheap!, and then we had to have them since they wouldn't leave our minds!  I had an idea to attach mine to old watch fob chain, of which I have a lot, to keep it looking vintage and lovely.  I will show you in the next few photos what the back of the "clip" looks like and you will see why we did not want to continue using them as intended, for hair decorations!

You see, the wings of the butterfly are on tiny springs so that the "legs" of the butterfly open when you pinch the wings together and then you stick it to your head and let the wings go, thus closing the feet and attaching it to your hair!  Genius, those Victorians!!  EXCEPT, those feet are pointy and super sharp!  Ouch!  My hair is not nearly as thick and gorgeous as Natasha's and I knew my hair wouldn't take to holding the weight of this little clip in it for long.  Also, we didn't want to chance loosing them if we did try to wear them in our hair and they fell out from not being secured enough.  So necklaces it is!

This is a close-up of the watch fob chain I am currently using to make my necklace.  I love the big over sized spring clasp and the original lobster type clasp.  And it has the perfect old gold patina that the clip has so they look good together but not super matchy-matchy, which I abhor.

Here it is on.  I like how it hangs off to the side a bit so its not too perfect looking.  I simply pinched the wings to open the legs, stuck them thru two links on the chain with one link in between. And voila!  Done!  I have been wearing it around the house and paying attention to whether its staying clasped on like this, just pinched on the chain, as if it were in hair, and so far so good.  It did come off once when I was changing shirts so it must have come unpinched in the switch.  I will figure out a more permanent attachment before I wear it out and about.  I would cry hard if  I lost it!

 
The next little treasure is THE OWL!  Oh, how I adore and treasure this treasure!  As soon as I saw it in the case at PG I had to see what it was and find out how much it cost.  It called to me.  It needed a new home.  I did leave it behind the first day, feeling like I needed to think on it and be certain.  But when we went back to get the clips, it was a done deal.  I couldn't bare to leave without it!

Not the best photo but he is kinda awesome!  It is sterling silver and it's a pin.  It is hollowed out so its not too heavy.  It has some markings on the back that I need to research.  I wanted him to become a necklace too.  His red stone eyes just wont let me be!

Trying to show you the markings.  Its a crown, above a shield/emblem that has F N Co across it, and then it says "trademark" under the shield.  Anyone know what it means or where its from?  Anyhow, I had some silver watch fob chain and the chain and clasp from an old wrist watch so attached these to the sides of the pin back and began making my necklace.

Above you can see the two different types of chain on each side.  What you cant see is the pretty little clasp in the middle of the wrist watch chain or the detail of the watch fob chain and the amethyst and silver piece that originally was on the watch fob and now hangs down the back.  Next photo:

Here you can see the original watch fob piece and the detail of its chain.  It hangs down the back.

There.  Now you can see each side of the chains.  But you cant really tell how wonderful the purple glass in the watch fob piece is.  It is wonderful!

I love my new necklaces and I Love altering, upcycling, and repurposing these beautiful items so they continue to get use and be worn years after they originated. 

Off to pick our raspberries, currants and huckleberries.
xoxox, Jennette

Long Time No See

Hello Friends!

Long time, no see!  What a fun but crazy week I have had.  J has been in circus camp all week at SANCA so I have enjoyed being in Georgetown, Washington.  So much to do, see and eat in Gtown!  If you are in the Gtown area check out the following:
Fruitcocktail for fun and funky treasures, Hangar Cafe for the BEST sweet and savory crepes around, Great Stuff and Susan Wheeler Home for TO DIE FOR art and collectibles.  I want every single thing in these stores!!! Plus Kirk and Susan are so friendly and helpful.  Check them out!
Also, go to the yellow falafal truck for the best Schwarma you have ever tasted.  It is served with pickled beets and tender meat on a bed of lettuce and pita with a wonderful garlicy but cooling tzatziki sauce.  Yummy!  And don't miss Maruta Shoten, "the working persons Uwajimaya," where you can stock up on noodles, sauces, toiletries, and snacks all while ordering a delicious lunch from the deli and take out counter. 
If you like to shop for antiques, head over to Pacific Galleries, a few blocks away, to walk into a wonderland of unusual and amazing curiosities.  There is much I love but can never afford here so I treat it as if it were a museum and just go visit all the cool stuff! I did, this time, however, get to splurge on two special treats which I will share in another post very soon!

Another place to eat is Iron Pig BBQ.  The best bbq in south Seattle!

The Foundry is another store in Georgetown that I love to search thru.  Its like a big rummage store but with only super cool stuff, crammed in here and there.  It reminds me of a New Orleans store so much, in that, its crammed with stuff, its never open the hours the sign says, its hot as Hades in there, many items aren't priced, and everything I pick out is the expensive stuff!If you go and its not open, go down to the corner coffee place and ask if the owner is there to let you in the Foundry.  He owns both and is often at one or the other.  Here are some photos from the Foundry:

slab-o-wood for a table top

galvanized vent/fan/finial thingy

Love this chair!  Turn of last century, old, perfect.

The blue on this lamp was amazing.  That's A. in the background, holding the long, large net I bought.

great green industrial(hot, hot, hot!) stool

yards and yards of ticking.  yummy!

great old toolbox.  natasha got the best one though, turquoise, perfect, and i will try to get a photo

industrial wood and metal shelving.  want, want, want

So, it's been a busy week folks.  Lots more to share but just wanted to get you one post, at least!  Typing on my new computer and loving how much faster it is.  And loving that its a lap top so I can take it along on some adventures this summer.  I will keep you posted!  Stay cool, be cool, you are cool!

Off to water my tomatoes,

jennette