Kitchen Plate Wall

I've been planning for a while to put up a plate collection on my big blank kitchen wall. The problem was I didn't have a plate collection. I had a few cool plates that I picked up here and there, but nothing worth hanging up.  So I decided to really buckle-down (and by buckle-down I mean go to thrift stores as frequently as possible in the search of cool plates worthy of my wall). All of this laborious hard work paid off and now I have a pretty decent bunch. 

 I went with mostly a green/blue color scheme with some gold mixed in. One I found a couple of weeks ago says “Carmel By The Sea, Monterey, California.” I grew up in Monterey County, so I had to have that one. The little gold one is Japanese and has a cool landscape scene with Mt. Fuji in the background. There’s a tiny souvenir plate from Reno, a little Limoges saucer that I got for $1, a sweet starburst plate with a big, gold “50” that says “on your golden anniversary.” Here's the wall:

Wow. When I see it like this I wonder why it took me an entire year to put something on it. I think I just got distracted by the rest of the apartment. Yeah...that's what happened...

I started out by laying all of the plates out on the floor in different arrangements. I took pictures of each of them, so I could keep track of all the different combinations I had tried. It also made for a good reference when I was starting to hang the plates up - I could just check my camera and make sure they were all going in the right spot. I ended up choosing the bottom left arrangement. It is balanced, but not totally symmetrical, and is almost mirrored from one side to the other. I measured and marked the centerpoint of the wall with tape, and marked the top and bottom limits as well.  

I started with the dancing coffee plate in the middle and worked my way outwards. I used plate hangers on the large plates and 3M removable picture hangers for the rest, since they are pretty lightweight. Here's the finished product! I'm really happy with the way it came out. Maybe it will keep me from sticking emergency pieces of tape there while I'm screen printing.

Kitchen plate wall. Part 2

It’s hard to believe my boyfriend and I are in in our 5^th month of living in our new place! For the most part, we’ve got things set up the way we want them, but there are still adjustments being made and pieces being switched in and out. Our bedroom still needs to be painted (there’s WAY too much brown going on in this place – the entire living space, hall, and bedroom) and we are planning on switching out my 60’s wood table in the kitchen for my grandmother’s (also 60’s) laminate table once we get the table leg fixed. My boyfriend is welding us a side table for the living room to replace a little IKEA one that I’ve had forever. My studio is still a work in progress, but it gets better every week. One of the first things, however, that went up was my plate collection. I only had a couple of months to enjoy it in my old space, so I was sure I wanted to put it back up in the new kitchen. We had a perfect spot, too: right above the buffet behind the kitchen table. 

I put it up in the same arrangement and used my trusty 3M hooks and picture hangers that I used before. It was a little easier hanging them on this wall since the texturing wasn’t nearly as pronounced as it was on my old plaster walls. Just like before, I measured the center point of the space, decided on a height and put the large plate in the center. I worked outwards after that, mostly just eye-balling the spacing of the other plates. I didn't have to use any of the traditional plate hangers here, so they all appear to float on the wall! I think the blues and greens in the plates look really nice against the gray wall. 

There's an added bonus about this new set-up: I don't have to worry about the 4 washers and dryers above my apartment shaking the bejebus out of the walls and working the plates loose! I don't miss apartment living at all!

Vintage Etsy Finds.

I just stumbled across these bowls and plates on etsy. How great are these?

 

Vintage Peruvian plates and bowls with a llama pattern! People are always interested to learn that my family has llamas. Everyone always asks what you "do" with them. Well, if you're not hiking the hills and letting them carry your packs for you, or using their wool to spin yarn, they make really good mowers and can keep your rural hillside from becoming a jungle. Just don't look them in the eye or they will spit at you.

Plates available here, bowls here.

Vintage Plates.

My mom knows that I'm always on the hunt for cool vintage plates with retro patterns, especially since I amassed my collection for my plate wall. She discovered these in a thrift shop and grabbed them for me. I love the diamond pattern and blue, teal, and green are totally my colors.

The patterns is Carousel by Salem. I looked around on Etsy and Ebay and couldn't find any other pieces in this pattern, so it seems like it's pretty rare. I'll be on the lookout for other pieces to grow my new collection. Thanks, mom!

DIY Mini Easter Dome

There's just something about miniature nature scenes that just say "Easter!" to me. As a kid I was enthralled with my grandma's collection of sugar eggs. You know the ones, with hard as rock frosting decorations on the outside and a little viewing window. I loved looking at the little scenes inside those eggs. On one of my recent wandering trips around Michael's recently, I came across these little glass domed plates and thought they'd be perfect for a mini Easter display.

Here's what you'll need:

• Mini Display Dome found at Michael's
• Mini speckled eggs. I found a bunch of pink and green eggs at Michael's. Similar  
• Moss or lichen. I found mine on the ground after a windstorm, but you can buy bags of moss in the floral section at the craft store
• Sticks, twigs, and small pieces of bark. Again, foraged during an afternoon walk.
• Parchment colored paper
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors
• Pliers to trim wire

1. Optional: Paint a few of eggs with acrylic paint for more color variety (I painted the blue ones). Add some speckles with black or brown paint and a toothpick.
2. Break off a few small pieces of bark and glue them together to make a little raft-like shape. Make sure it's small enough to fit inside the lid of the dome.
3. Glue on a few small pieces of moss.
4. Clip the wires off of the mini eggs and hot glue them onto the raft.



To make the little flags, hand write, stamp, or print out your Easter messages. I typed out a few in a simple font and printed them on a natural toned speckled piece of paper. Cut messages to size, leaving an extra 1/2 inch on the left side. Add a little bit of glue to a piece of wire (just trimmed from the eggs) and fold the flag around it.



Once the flag is dry, trim the wire to size, about 1" tall. Experiment with placement in the arrangement. It is important to attach it to the left side of the raft so the entire paper fits inside the dome. Once you've found a good spot for it, add a dab of hot glue to the end and secure at an angle behind the eggs.

Glue the arrangement to the bottom of the plate with some hot glue. Add the dome over the top. Add a couple dots of hot glue to secure the lid to the base if you'd like.



How cute are these? You can add another layer of personalization by tying on a little flag with a name to the top of the lid. Wouldn't they make the sweetest little place cards for Easter dinner?

A day at the fair.

Last saturday was a beautiful day and I was so lucky to be able to spend it at the County Fair in my hometown! I spent all of my childhood volunteering at the fair every year, first as a 4-Her, then later as a volunteer for the Agriculture and Horticulture department. So I drove down and picked my mom up and we headed out to the fair together. We saw, collections, fine arts, a live glass blowing/fusing demo, racing pigs, lambs, baby mini goats the size of chihuahuas (eee, so cute!), horse racing, poultry, ag history, tractor parade with bagpipers, dog obedience and agility demo, and finally floriculture and bonsai. Phew! Not bad for an admission price that's about the same as a movie ticket. :) Here are some of my photos from the day.

Award-winning chickens in profile.

I enjoyed this sign in the Ag History department showing the distance to the local attractions.

Bonsai. How cool are the maple trees planted on the stone slab?

Stunning dahlias in all shapes and sizes. Some were as big as dinner plates.

All photos by Casey Starks | Vitamini Handmade

Recent Thrifty Finds

I've found some good things at the thrift shop on my last few trips! Here are some of my recent finds.



A set of two Temporama plates and bowls! Score! I've always loved this pattern. They are in near perfect condition and were around $1 each.



This great covered casserole dish was calling out to me! It's marked "Japan" on the bottom. It's a nice, functional piece that'll look good on the kitchen table. Now I just need to find that risotto recipe I brought back from Italy...



I couldn't resist this little bowl with its cool hand painted pattern. It was on sale for 70 cents. How could I pass it up?! I think I'll use it to catch loose change or earrings that I'm always taking off as soon as I walk through my front door.

Are you starting to see a trend here? Vintage ceramics are my main thrifting weakness. That and furniture, but those pieces are harder to find...



I also snagged the coolest little cut-out vase in a nice shade of green. I can't quite make out the maker's mark on the bottom, besides "PAT. PEND DESIGNS CARMEL". Bonus that it's a California-made piece. And I grew up around there, so, more points for that. I may have to do a little more research on this one.



It looks nice with my collection of other thrifty find vases! I paid around $1 each for these, besides the Heath bud vase that I bought on my trip to the factory. I found and picked those giant dandelions over a year ago and they're holding up great! I love how they look on my bookshelf.

Plate of Mystery

Over the past few years, I have been amassing a small collection of decorative plates. I always had the intention of hanging them on my big, blank, white kitchen wall, but didn't have a real focal piece to go with the rest of the bunch. Enter this bad boy:

It's a hand-painted wooden plate that my grandmother brought back from Sweden for my great aunt a long time ago.  She had it hanging on her brick fireplace for as long as I could remember.  It's about 16 inches in diameter and is going to look great in my kitchen.  So, I brought it home and, for the first time ever, I started wondering what the phrase meant. Here's a close-up.

I was REALLY hoping it wasn't some dated phrase about holy matrimony or "the woman must do the dishes at the end of every meal" sort of thing.  So, nervously, I turned to the internet. I typed in a few words, but didn't really find anything helpful.  The painted letters are pretty hard to figure out, too.  I looked around for a little bit and almost gave up. Then I figured out the first big letter is a K and that really helped. Turns out, it's a line from an old Swedish song and means "Coffee the best of all earthly potions is." Wha?! It's saying coffee is awesome?! Cool! I don't know why these people are frolicking around in a circle, but ok.

I guess coffee makes me want to dance sometimes. Why is this girl the only one facing forward? I guess I'll never know. This weekend I will be attempting to hang this plate and 11 others on my wall. And I will document the process for your entertainment. On an entirely unrelated subject, I got these sweet shoes last weekend.

Yay for Pumas!

So long, February.

Just like that, the first two months of 2014 are in the bag! I don't know about you, but time has been flying by as I've been busying myself with a bunch of projects. First off, I'm setting myself up to do freelance contract work in landscape architecture, so contracts, tax requirements, and technology needs have been on the brain lately. I'm also getting ready for Craftcation in April! I'm designing new business cards for the site and I'll be implementing a little blog re-design here once I get those things finalized. Additionally, I'm almost done with my new shop website. Wow, talk about spinning plates!



In between all of this business behind-the-scenes work I just had to do some drawing. Here's a little sneak peak at a new print I've been working on. As usual, it started with inked sketches in my sketchbook, then onto tracing paper, then scanned into Illustrator so I could assemble the repeat, and then printed tests at different sizes to determine the scale. I can't wait to show you the finished product in a couple weeks!

Have a creative weekend! 

Top Tips for Thrifting

I've been a thrift shopper my whole life. It started when I was a kid and I'd tag along with my mom or help her at church rummage sales. I inherited from her the thrill of the hunt and it's still one of my favorite activities. It's like modern treasure hunting. I think I've gotten fairly good at my thrifting and wanted to share some of my tips with you! Twelve to be precise!

When I go shopping I mainly look for housewares and furniture, but these tips can be applied to pretty much anything you can buy second hand!

I don't know if the sale was as impressive as the sign.

Be willing to stop in and take a look.
You never know when you'll come across a great store or yard sale.

Sometimes the packaging is better than the product!

Go shopping alone, or with someone else who enjoys browsing, too.
It's no fun when you get to a great store and the person you're with wants you to hurry up and leave. Some people just aren't suited for thrift shopping. That's ok, just don't go with them! Find some other friends and family members who like the thrill of the hunt and go with them. I like shopping with my mom because she's great at recognizing potential in an item, or a unique style, or just something that may be valuable. Plus I got my love of junk shopping from her, so we think alike in those terms. I've also found some of my favorite pieces when I was shopping alone. Plus you don't have to worry about that awkward moment when you and your friend want the same killer Pyrex bowl.

Lane coffee table I snagged for $35

Look once, look twice, look again.
I can't tell you how many times I've discovered a really cool item that I originally missed the first time around the store. Sometimes it's hard to see the good stuff when it's surrounded by junk, so take your time and look again.

Locally made ceramic vase

Find a label or maker's mark.
The best way to identify a piece (and its potential value) is by finding a label or a maker's mark. If you were looking at a set of dishes with a couple missing pieces you may be able to locate those pieces online to complete your set. Look for a label and learn about what you're looking at.

Cute set of toothpicks! Great for a party.

Take a smart phone for the on-the-fly research.
I recently purchased a cast iron enamel pan that had some stains in the bottom. When I was still in the store I did a quick search on my phone to see if the stains were bad damage or if I could live with them. I found out the stains were only cosmetic and picked up a new pan for $5! It's also fun to see what that item you're holding is currently going for on eBay. About $40 for that same pan!

Unique plate pattern.

Look for damage.
Is that beautiful glass beverage dispenser that you just put in your cart actually cracked and broken on one side? (Oops, that happened to me once! Thankfully the store accepted returns.) Take a really good look at the items your considering. Pass on it if the damage is beyond repair or makes it unusable.

The original finish on this jewelry box was drab and damaged. A little overhaul made it look brand new!

Look for potential.
Would it look 10 times better after a good cleaning? Could that chair's wobbily leg be fixed by just tightening a few screws? Can it use a fresh coat of spray paint? Take all of these things into consideration when looking around. Items tend to look worse than they really are under those harsh fluorescent lights.

Vintage folding chairs in great shape.

Is it useful?
You can typically find lots of useful well-made items at the thrift store for less than what they'd cost brand new. Go ahead and spend a couple bucks on that Springform pan. You'd never find one new for that price.

I love the graphics on vintage record covers. You can usually find these for just a couple bucks. Buy a few and frame them to make some unique wall art.

Do you love it?
If you love it, go for it. Life's too short to regret buying that wonderfully-terrible velvet painting or that insanely huge 70's lamp.

This set of gold cocktail glasses would be a great housewarming gift.

Would someone you know love it?
I've bought some great gifts at thrift stores over the years. Don't forget to think about the tastes of your friends and family while you're looking around. You may find that perfect, unique piece!

My entire collection of plates for my plate wall came from thrift shops.

Make friends with the sales people.
Sales people can give you the inside scoop on when new deliveries arrive, or when the next great sale is. Be nice to them. They may give you some useful insider info.
 

My $20 Elna works like a charm.

Keep your expectations low.
You really never know what you're going to find, so don't get your hopes up. I've left thrift stores empty handed many times. Sometimes there just isn't anything good. That's ok. Keep an open mind and stop in whenever you can. The more often you look, the better chances that you'll find a great deal.

Which brings us to the first image. Yes, people, I did it! I found the mythical Eames chair (I actually found 2)! Priced for $6 each! If I can do it, so can you. Just keep at it. You're bound to come across that incredible find that you'll brag about for years.

Speaking of which, have you made any great thrift scores lately? I'd love to hear about it!