A Few Little Claims to Fame and More Stuff for Lucketts

Sorry I missed last week. It has been a bit crazy around here. But I'm here today. And I have a few exciting tidbits to share.

Let's start with Thistlewood farms. You guys remember. This is the site that inspired this post about my messy house (here) where I shameless threw back the covers and showed my own disorder to the world. It's the site where Karianne's perfect, perfect pantry caused me to wail in despair of ever having even one place in my house be that organized and clean.

Well, exciting things happened. 

She asked for readers to suggest a name for her online shopping posts (my  suggestion is in the comments here)....and she chose MINE!!! Read all about her wonderful sponsors, etc here. She mentions me way at the bottom. So go show her some love and check out the cool stuff she's gathered for you guys. You can tell her Marian sent you, if you want. But you might have to clarify that I'm not Miss Mustard Seed. She's a way more famous Marian. It wouldn't be the first time we've been confused with each other.

My other bit of fame comes from the Old Luckett's Store blog. Branches: the Barn Sale Without a Barn was a featured vendor on their blog yesterday! Yay famous! Woot. Check it out here. We are the third vendor mentioned. That was super exciting to discover.

So I bet you've all been wondering what's been keeping me too busy to post. Well, that would be book lamps, garage sales, and collages. Great stuff, right? The garage sale gods have been super kind to me the last couple of weeks. I found some incredible things. Like this huge, vintage wooden trunk.

and some amazing old forged iron serving pieces

and this cool silver plate tray. Can you see the bunches of tiny grapes all around the edge? 

Who wouldn't want a silver tray with tiny grape clusters?

I almost had heart failure when I saw an entire table covered in vintage and antique copper pieces. I only had enough money with me for a fraction of what they had. Could you die?

And the vintage and antique spoons. You know you have to have at least one of these.

I especially like the happy meal book on the floor behind them.  We keep it pretty real at my place. 

Here's a little peak at what Sharon from Hand Picked Art is bring to our booth at the show:

Isn't it funny how different our taste is, even though we hang out all the time? That's why it's good to have a partner, folks. Then there's something for everyone. 

In the studio, I have been super busy making collages and refinishing frames like this one with vintage stamps and 100 % linen backing

And this

And this. 

 DK shot the picture for me because I love dandelions. I'm having a really hard time putting it in the show. I LOVE how the chalkboard frame turned out. You guys would forgive me if I kept it, right? You 'll just have to come to Lucketts to see what I decided.

Here's a closer shot of the frame.

As far as the book lamps go, they are all drilled and bolted together, but are still a work in progress. I will have them looking amazing for the show. Please pardon the mess. Neither one has any lamp parts attached yet. The picture with the shade and the big pipe sticking out is just to show you where they are going. 

 These detail shots are the two different ways I attached the casters to the book stacks. One goes all the way through the bottom book. I had to reinforce that stack with a board hidden inside the book. The other style caster is screwed into the base book's cover.

I have a couple more pieces I am working for this show, a box and another collage, of sorts. Neither is finished, but here's a peek:

This is that piece from 1888 that I found. Please pray that the conservation glass I ordered from California gets here in time for me to pull this one together for the show. I suppose I could have used regular glass, but if something has made to to me from 1888, I certainly am not going to be the one to let it get ruined. UV glass or bust baby!

This was an experiment with MMS milk paint. I love how it chips and cracks. I'll take better photos and tell you all about this project later. But the lining will be woven strips of book page. (A Tom Clancy novel, if you must know.) You can see how I've done it on the bottom already.

So that's where things stand for now. Thanks for hanging with me. 

I always miss you guys when I don't post.

Don't forget to come to the show. I'll be there all day Saturday.

Here's the link for directions etc.

The Lucketts Spring Market

MAY 18-19, 10-5 both days

$7 at the gate

The fields behind the Old Luckett's Store

42350 Lucketts Road  Leesburg, VA

Building a Barn Sale

It's Barn Sale Season!!!!

 Which means my regularly scheduled life has left the building. Sharon and I have been feverishly "Gathering Branches " here in Burke, to bring you our best show yet! We are also being featured in The Burke/Fairfax/Springfield Connector Newspaper! So look on your driveways, before you back over our cute little faces.

We have a gorgeous venue, a house in Springfield, VA with high ceilings, 3 spaces open to each other and decent parking. I am always amazed that someone would let us come take over their life for a week, so please make sure to say thanks to Lauren (she's the cute lady on the far right) and buy her bears and aprons, if they suit you.

I know you guys are thinking, "Come on Marian, just get to the pictures."

So without further delay, here's the info you need:

Branches: the Barn Sale Without a Barn

When: Friday, Nov 2, 10am-8pm

           Saturday, Nov 3, 10am-5pm

So you wanna see what's gonna be in the show?

We have some much really great stuff this year! I am super excited.

The soap smells like heaven and is hand made by a woman and her mother in Sterling. The wallets and purses are made buy a guy who goes and buys old leather jackets at thrift shops and up cycles them into the delightful bags you see before you. You're gonna buy 4 when you see how reasonable the prices are.

And the wreath above is made of hand twisted paper. Here's a closer pic, so you can see it better:

Don't you love how she singed the edges?

And I almost forgot...We have Kelly of Stylish Patina selling Annie Sloan Chalk Paint at the show!!!!!!

source

OK, that's all I have for you today, but I'll come back soon with more unseen pics of cool, amazing things we have been gathering for you. And I'll tell you some more about our fantastic artists.

So go on. Write it down on your calendar. Branches barn sale. Can't miss. Nov 2-3.

Success! And Gratitude

It is always amazing to me that this little show of mine actually works. My friends and I make the stuff, send out emails, put out the chalkboard door signs, and cross our fingers that people will actually show up. And they do. I am always surprised when the first customer walks in on the day of the show, especially if they aren't someone I know.

I was super thrilled that about a third of our customers were new to us. They were mostly people who saw the street signs and came by to check us out. It was also exciting that many were repeat customers. Thanks for coming back. And there will always be a special place in my heart for my friends who put up with listening to me talk ad nauseum about all this show and art stuff and then are sweet enough to come to the show and see it for real as well. Thank you all so much! You have no idea how validating your presence and interest is.

Thank you! thank you! thank you!

Here are some pics just before the show opened (You'll have to pardon the unattractive flash. It was overcast and I only have lamps for light in the first room:

So that should give you a feel for what we do here at Branches. Thanks for popping in!

Almost there.....

I have been shooting pictures all day. I know I was going to do a "before" and "after" picture post, but I am just too creatively depleted right now. You all will just have to wait until after the show to see how your stuff started out.

I just finished inventory and I actually made over 50 items for this show. No wonder I can't decide what to make for dinner.

Ok, enough chatting. I am a big fan of the "a picture is worth 100o words" theory, so here are a bunch of pictures from the show:

So......Are you gonna come see it for real? I promise it will be fun.