Preserve Cottage

Overlapping Pyrex Dishes and Letterpress

preservecottage — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 17:18:10 +0000

Letterpress Pyrex casserole

I’ve been sorting a huge collection of Letterpress blocks for months now. When I got the collection I had no idea that many of the pieces would overlap with so many other things that I love.

Pyrex Red Autumn Band

Parting with Buttons from Paris

preservecottage — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:55:36 +0000

Did I buy these buttons to use on something myself or did I buy them to sell? There are a bunch of sewing projects rumbling around in my brain, but I don’t think buttons figure much in them. Was I holding onto the memories through the buttons? But wouldn’t it be fabulous if someone actually used them in some way, even if it was in a sweet little vignette? I’ve added them to my Etsy Shop.

Don’t Forget A Valance for Your Retro Kitchen

preservecottage — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 21:36:05 +0000

The Last Bouquet

preservecottage — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:07:27 +0000

Last Bouquet

Marc put these together on Sunday. This will be the last Bouquet of the year. So I think my summer hiatus must officially be over.

Back with an AuctionReport

preservecottage — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:45:53 +0000

Yes, I’m still here. The Letterpress project continues. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been out there buying.

Last night there were loads of tools to sit through and I only bought a couple of things. There were two lots of hankies, about a hundred in each lot. But they were all folded up, or more accurately put, scrunched into tiny balls and tightly stuffed into plastic grocery bags. So I really could not tell too well what they would turn out to be like. A quick search has turned up a Nursery Rhyme, and astrology wheel and a scottie dog. Not to be greedy, but after they go through my little laundry I am hoping for more good ones.

There are also a number of mens’ hankies in there. I actually love a hanky with a nice plaid around the outside edge. In fact, that is the kind I like to take running with me. (Have a mentioned that I’ve taken up running again?) I was thinking that some clever person who loves a more retro look has probably come up with some fabulous way of using these. If someone has a picture of anything made with those I’d love to share it here.

And then I bought a mailbox. I am embarassed to say that my shop mailbox has been broken for about two months at least. The door came off. Last night for $5.00 I got a great one in white that just needs to be cleaned off a little. I’m also going to stencil a number on there too.

But now for the bad news. The auction was nowhere near over when the building started to flood. No kidding. I felt so badly. The water seemed to be pouring in as the water came down in sheets outside. The runoff was incredible. Most people started to help move things…but to where. Their building is always so chock full of stuff. I am afraid that today they have a terrible mess on their hands. Hopefully, their loses won’t be too great.

Sniffing Bakelite

preservecottage — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:06:31 +0000

Sometimes when discussing bakelite with people they have expressed their inability to distinguish the scent of it. For myself, after thirty years of looking at it and using it I’m not usually one of those people who stands in a public place feverishly rubbing the piece in question to work up some heat on it and then sniffs it. I’ve even seen folks licking the stuff.

Chartreuse Bakelite Tablespoon

A couple of weeks ago, before “Letterpress World,” I placed a handful of bakelite pieces into a plastic bin I’ve been using for years. It has a tight fitting lid to keep the dust off things that are waiting for their photos to be taken. Yesterday when I opened the bin the smell of bakelite, or the chemical phenol formaldehyde of which it is made, nearly knocked me over. So if you have a piece you could easily learn the smell by such a strategy. I’ve had other plastics in the bin and there was barely an odor at all when the bin was opened.

A mix of different color bakelite handles is a cheery site. So don’t be put off by the lack of complete matching sets available. But keep the handles out of direct sunlight as that will quickly change the colors.

Art Deco Bakelite Knives

It isn’t that vintage letterpress isn’t pretty…

preservecottage — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:53:16 +0000

…it definitely can be. The filigree-type pieces from the 30′s are lovely. It would make a lovely paperweight if you don’t print. So I don’t really want to say I started to miss pretty after nearly a month of working with so much printing stuff. It may be light and bright that I started to crave. So I did break down and list a couple of other things.

First, a Crown Staffordshire cup and saucer in the Blue Bow pattern. If you’ve never seen this pattern or any other china patterns that has raised enamel work on it, hunt for some. On this pattern the bows are enameled and feel embossed as you run a finger over them. Gorgeous!

And for a fabric fix I added a vintage, 36″ floral bouquet fabric to Etsy. This is a piece I bought thinking I would use it. Truth be told I can’t even remember what I thought I would use it for. That’s always a bad sign. And it is really too lovely for a life in a drawer. It is barkcloth era, but it is more of a flat broadcloth. There are no makers marks on the salvages.

Wondering what happened to the auction and flea market reports? A couple are on the way as soon as the sun shines for some major picture taking.

A Lovely Spring Shower

preservecottage — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 21:03:55 +0000

Some people just have a knack for pefect entertaining and my friend Linda has it in heaps. She also has years of practice too. Here are some photos for the Bridal Shower she just had for her future daughter-in-law, Kelly.

The food was a super assortment of finger foods.
She prepared it all herself, with the help of the bride’s mother.

The French Tulips in the Glass Pocketbook Vases here door prizes.

So this is a picture of the dessert bar. What the heck!
Ok. It is better that you can’t see all the desserts.
You would be so jealous.

If you haven’t been to Linda’s website, go to Lilli-Maeg Floral Specialties
to see what fabulous work she does.

World War II Posters and Cherry Ames

preservecottage — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:21:18 +0000

I’ve been so busy sorting and listing things we hauled back from Brooklyn twenty-five years ago. We’ve moved the stuff numerous times and we haven’t always stored it as properly as we should have. In fact, I no longer have the right to sit around at auctions complaining about how other folks have stored their things. Anyway, there are a number of original World War II posters that are still in very good condition.

The ones with illustrations of women are the most fascinating to me. The one above is a recruitment poster for the Army Nurses Corp. The artist is Steele Savage (1900-1970), who is best known today for his illustrations for science fiction book covers. The moment I saw this I immediately thought of Cherry Ames. I loved her. To this day I remember her saying that she never went to bed without washing her face. At about the same time my godfather told me never to go to the breakfast table without washing your face. They both stuck, having probably reinforced one another.

Cherry Ames also had dark hair, which was another reason for me to love her beyond her bravery and quick thinking. The first seven Cherry Ames books were published between 1943 and 1946. At least the first couple dust jackets were illustrated by Ralph Crosby Smith (1911-1965). If you would like to learn more about the history of Cherry Ames you must visit The Cherry Ames Page. It has loads of great information. Makes me want to reread one for old times sake.

There were also posters to incourage woman to fill jobs that were once held by men, Rosie Riveter type posters.

“I’ve found the job where I fit best!” The artist here is George Rapp. Are you getting a theme of the ideal beauty of the day? Even the one below that used a photograph has a very lovely young woman.

The more WOMEN at work the sooner we WIN! She is working on the bombardier nose section of a B-17F Navy Bomber…in case you were wondering. I think I need to pick out one of the women to keep before I sell them all.

Not too cottage you say. maybe I can make anything cottagey. These poster can conjur up images of cottages all over Britain where women sat wrapped in old wool shawls, knitting as they sat near the radio listening to Churchill.

Flea Market a Freezing Bust

preservecottage — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:18:22 +0000

Last Friday we did go to our favorite flea market for the first time this season. Usually the first good week is Good Friday. But my husband likes to push the boundaries. As we approached the site we could see from a good distance that there were very few dealers. We are always there very early. But usually there are already people carting things back to their vehicles. Last week the dealers were just pulling in. And these were mostly the old guy dealers who bring mostly old guy rusty tools and other assorted rusty men’s stuff. I can’t overemphaisze the old and rusty bits in that. No one seemed in any hurry to unpack either. It was a little like a stand off. What buyers there were milling around trucks piled high with rusty stuff while the owners of said trucks were just standing there shooting the breeze with other dealers.

My first purchase was a pink Shawnee bulb bowl. The man didn’t have change. He only brought one $20 bill and a couple of $100′s. Those are great for making change, especially if you don’t even have anything worth more that $20. He said he trusted me to take the bowl and come back when I could give him the exact amount.

At this point we went back to the truck for hot coffee and some bagel, hoping that there would be more unpacked when we were finished.

I swear to you that they were still out there shooting the breeze! There was a woman who was rather quickly throwing things out onto her tables. She did have two things I was interested in, a pink donkey and cart planter by Shawnee and a retro Androck sifter. First she told me to wait while she went and bought something so that she would have some change to give me for my purchases. Then she stood there and kept rooting through all her pockets and finally came up with the change. Ok.

Usually when I go to the flea market I do take a bunch of small bills. This was a spur of the moment decision on our part though. But…whenever I sell at markets I take even more small bills with me…so that I can make change for my customers. I was shaking my head when I left and that wasn’t just because my jaw was frozen it this point.

We went home. Last weeks auction reports forthcoming!