Red Hen Studios: February 2011

2.28.2011

Our last February snowstorm

We had another heavy snowfall last Friday night.

Made for some nice photos on Saturday morning.

Hoping it is the last big snowfall of the season though.

Bring on spring!!!

2.22.2011

Blue flowers by Waverly

So far I have photographed and listed

two big stacks of fabrics on Etsy

as part of my big supply destash.

It's been fun to pull fabrics out of the cabinet

and see my taste in prints right in front of me.

Apparently, I have had a thing for decorator fabrics --

specifically florals in blue and made by Waverly.

2.21.2011

BOGO Sale going on now!

Time to repeat a hugely successful sale I ran

last year in the Red Hen Studios Etsy store.

BUY ONE GET ONE FREE

until further notice!!!

Buy any one regularly priced item, get one free

from from my NOW HALF OFF section.

Make payment and I will issue refund on PayPal.

The more you buy, the more you get free.

Buy 2 items, get 2 free, buy 3, get 3, etc.

(NOTE: Free item must be of lower cost

than the full priced item to get it free and

you still pay for shipping of your free items.)

2.15.2011

My declutter is your lucky break

Here's another part of my attempt to declutter

my home, my life and my business --

vintage tablecloths I've been collecting for 20 years.

I added these to my Etsy shop this morning,
joining others that were already there.
Keep checking back as I still have lots more!

Red Carnations

Blue and Pink Flowers

Kitschy Kitchen

Harvest Gold and Olive

Purple and Turquoise Flowers

2.14.2011

Happy vintage Valentine's Day!

Hallmark doesn't have the market cornered this holiday.

I can't resist vintage Scottish-themed Valentine postcards,

My newest is the sweet little couple shown above.

I loved the bagpiping cupid I found a few years ago,

he now has a permanent place in my studio.

2.12.2011

A change of direction for Red Hen Studios

Five years after seriously crafting for income, I've come to the conclusion it isn't the best way to spend my time right now.

While I love creating, and will continue to do it more for fun, selling my wares both online and at craft shows wasn't very successful at generating income.

I do have something "to fall back on" so to speak -- buying and selling vintage goodies. Through Etsy, and a little bit on eBay, that has been lucrative, more so as time passes, as I have quite a following now and have gotten better at SEO (search engine optimization).

Over the past 10 years or so I have accumulated so much in the way of vintage materials, I will have plenty to fill my Etsy shop with for quite awhile. I have already sorted through the colorful trims and still have all the white and off-whites to do, including some very lovely antique laces.

It was like Christmas morning opening up the half-dozen plastic bins that line my workspace. They were filled with mostly vintage linens -- flowery 1970s sheets and pillowcases, piles of snowy white chenille bedspreads, brightly-colored tablecloths plus bits and bobs of small linens.

After all of these are coordinated and listed, I will move on to my fabric "cupboard," actually a china cabinet filled to the brim with stunning colors and textures from the 1940s to present.

Instead of being disheartening, this has actually been a lot of fun for me. I'm more interested in the hunt for treasures and love sharing them with others. It's so interesting in hearing what the buyer will do with these nearly-lost goodies.

Maybe, just maybe, this will get me closer to my goal of eventually having a local shop selling vintage goodies and locally handcrafted items, possibly financing my dream with my destash.

2.08.2011

Driving in the snow

I can't tell you how much I love having a job

with the freedom to budget my own time.

Woke to a winter wonderland again today,

so while the baby I care for slept in the van

I drove north into the mountains to look

for photo opportunities -- and found them.

(Click on each for a larger view.)

In my own backyard.

The neighborhood school.

Lake George, NY

Warrensburg. N.Y.

My sleepy little assistant.

2.07.2011

Silver on my birthday

My birthday present to myself was to spend Saturday

out of the house -- alone -- doing what I wanted to do.

All possible thanks to my loving husband,

I visited a gift shop that features local crafts,
a large thrift store and a small flea market.

My favorite finds, by far, were the two boxes
of mixed silverplate flatware from the thrift store.
I took a risk in buying them but after looking them up
on replacements.com, I saw that my hunch paid off.

Half of them are in Red Hen Studios Etsy shop already.
Marked "Harmony House Plate AA+," they date to 1944
and are all in the Serenade Pattern by Wallace Silver.