Home

[Sooner]

@Oznell I have a bronzed-tin modern style owl that stands about 14 inches high and has amber glass eyes that I cherish.  My mom and I bought it in the 1960's and we loved it so much!  I'll never donate that!  

[Enufstuff]

@Oznell   When I had my little shop, I did not buy things for the shop. The things that I sold were all handmade things.

My life long love of making all kinds of arts and crafts was my inspiration.  My first husband bought a building for his printing business and attached was a tiny shop, perfect for my needs.

He did all my printing and I even had a little catalog that he printed for the dollhouse miniature accessories, that I made.

I did macrame wall hangings (one being an owl) and macrame jewelry. I made a lot of things with driftwood, seashells and dried flowers. People would bring in their containers for me to make floral arrangements for them. I sold tiny colorful glass bottles with dried fowers in them.

Miniature scenes in brandy snifters were one of the things that I made. For children, I sewed aprons with pockets, made from towels. I sold the aprons with little children's scissors, crayons and boxes of chalk in the pockets. I also made child size purses from denim jeans, decorated with colorful patches that were popular at the time.

One popular item was glass paperweights. Inside them, I put tiny seashells or tiny dried flowers. Another kind of paperweight that I sold was rocks that I collected at the beach and painted with various designs, some of them were little owls. There were other things that I also made.

One of my aunts sold her handmade stained glass ornaments in

my shop and another aunt sold pillows and baby bibs that she sewed.

One day, my grandmother said, " If you really want ot make money, sell antiques". At the time, I didn't know that much about antiques, but my grandmother, a long time collector, taugh me a lot. Then I took a course with the President of The Northshore Antiques Association and read everything I could

about what was popular to collect and their values.

There was a street in my city with a lot of antique shops. I visited them while my children were in school and became friendly with many of the shop owners. I learned a lot from them.

So, I started going to auctions and buying things for my shop and for my house. Eventually the antiques took over the handmade items. A shop owner from Rockport, MA, a beachy, artist colony, tourist attraction town, came in and bought all of my driftwood, seashell and dried flower items, to sell in his shop.

By 1982, I gave up the shop and went back to college full time to pursue my degree in Food Science, later working in a lab as a microbiologist and later in a city job took most of my time.

Now, retired, I still like to make things and I still like owls.

Your Italian alabaster owls sound lovely and your needlepoint

owl must be beautiful. I like your idea of painting a gilded owl,

matte white, to use in a summer vignette of driftwood in old doughbowls.

 In the 70s I was doing crewel embroidery and did one crewel owl that I framed. It hung in the kitchen of my first house. That is packed away also.

 In the mid 80's I got into everything Egyptian, so all my owl decor is packed away,save for the few owls on my bookshelf.

Maybe next Fall, I'll unpack some of my owls and display them on the mantel again.

[on the bay]

@Enufstuff,

I loved reading about all of your creations. Especially the driftwood, sea shell and dried flowers and little bottles with dried flowers.

I used to collect weeds and wild flowers, especially Queen Annes Lace. I had driftwood in my room on a little tree. And all kinds of shells.

My stepmother had beautiful antiques. She had me appreciate them where I never would have given them any notice before.

You have had a lot of such interesting creative art journeys!

And I am so looking forward to Toni's Christmas dress with little bells!

[Enufstuff]

@on the bay   Isn't Mother nature amazing?  The beauty of flowers, seashells, rocks and gems has always fascinated me. In 2011 I started collecting seaglass in Bermuda and made jewelry with it and sold that for a few years, at house parties. I still have more to sell at craft fairs or maybe on Etsy.

When I was a little girl, I always collected pretty rocks and seashells. My mother would clean my room and throw them all away. I have to admit, the still live tiny crab and starfish, did not have a pleasant odor, after a couple of days.

There is so much natural beauty out there if people would only take the time to look. What is more beautiful than flowers, living sacred geometry. Queen Anne's Lace is especially beautiful, as are so many wildflowers.

 My husband has been doing all our planting and buying plants and flowers for me for my birthday and Mother's Day.

 We now have five hanging Boston ferns on our porch, a gorgeous pink Hibiscus bush, coral color New Guinea Impatiens,  salmon color geraniums and all along a stone wall, light lavendar color Flox.

 The perennials that come up every year are Violets, white Lily of The Valley, pink Bleeding Hearts, French Lilacs and Azaleas in pink and in red.

With your name "on the bay" I imagine that you live near the ocean, collecting shells and driftwood. I have always lived near the ocean, too.

Like you, my children have an appreciation for antiques,

having grown up with them. They all have their collections , too.

Most things today, are not as well made or made to last as things were in the past. I'm talking about furniture and decor. Of course there are talented artisans that do make

high quality furniture and decor, but at high prices.

There will be a few more Toni Doll outfits before Christmas. I'm finishing an outfit now, for a larger Toni Doll. Then I plan to recreate a couple of my favorite childhood dresses.

I will also post a couple of the summer sundresses and a sailor dress, that I made years ago, when I was selling them.

 Amusement in my old age.

[QVCisFun]

---

@Oznell wrote:

For bird and owl fanciers.  I forgot to post this in the Amanda Nisbet New York apartment thread!!   And I LOVE owls.   This guy is so cute, has an inquiring look.   Love his chunkiness-- looks a little 'midcentury modern' to me.

---

I like birds and owls, and I like this owl.  He looks like he needs to cut back on his coffee, though. 

[QVCisFun]

Loved this book as a kid:  "Sam and the Firefly", by P. D. Eastman:

[QVCisFun]

Looked up owls on QVC and over 60 items came up, such as coffee/tea mugs, garden items such as stakes and planters, statues, ornaments, chime, rugs, pillow, kitchen potholder, puzzle boxes, books for children, jewelry, etcetera, . . .

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Ceramic Owl Mugs, $24.99, QVC #:  K89713: 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Jim Shore owl, $31.99, QVC #H265762:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Trinket Dish (metal), $20.99, QVC #H407449:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Bouncy Ornaments, $24, QVC #H237257:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Owl necklace, $35, QVC #J478139:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Black Hills necklace, sterling/12K, $127, QVC #J377474:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Black Hills Earrings, sterling/12K, $207, QVC #J377478

[Oznell]

Your metalllic owl sounds so interesting, @Sooner ,  and I love the size!

@Enufstuff ,  you are a dear to share those experiences in that whole retail world with us, and especially all the creative ways you produced your own exquisite merchandise.  Your ingenuity is boundless, and inspiring. 

And, @on the bay ,  fascinating to hear of your collecting experiences-- I didn't know that you were drawn to those particular items, shells and driftwood, etc.  It goes with your romantic personality... 

Ha, ha, @QVCisFun ,  that guy does look a little googly eyed, come to think of it!    That book of yours looks intriguing.  Thanks for digging up the wide-ranging owl items on the Q--  you have a way of contributing so much to the threads you visit.