PHOTO UPDATE: Small Black Shank Buttons for Summer Yellow Vintage 40s Dress for a More Sustainable Lifestyle: The Destiny of Things, Story 597

PHOTO UPDATE: Small Black Shank Buttons for Summer Yellow Vintage 40s Dress for a More Sustainable Lifestyle:  The Destiny of Things, Story 597

 Creativeness overload from Etsy buyers!  BEFORE:

10+ small vintage black facet shank acrylic domed buttons, available here.

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Here is the note and photo I received:

Perfect buttons to add this button less 1940s rayon dress! thank you! 

How she could eyeball these buttons to look so natural and proper on this button less dress amazes me! I am not a yellow dress or rayon person, but dare I say, WANT, WANT!

An amazing AFTER:  What a wonderful way to promote a more sustainable lifestyle!

Would you wear this dress too?  It's so cute!  I'd wear it with black boots!

It was listed at her shop, but I don't see it anymore!  Sold out?  Bummer!

Check out her catchy named shop,  vintage109online, here.  Every piece of clothing is so dang cute, it would be difficult to make a purchase of just one item!  How does she do it?

Photo via Etsy shop owner, vintage109online

 

I love that her shop supports a more sustainable lifestyle by bringing these vintage outfits back to life by cleaning and restoring them!  And if you support her shop, it goes to a great cause because she's renovating an old brick and mortar building in Madison, Wisconsin, which will eventually be a vintage store. This has been a dream of hers for a long time and she says it will be wonderful when/if it actually becomes a reality. 

 

I would love to see her shop and just wonder how she is restoring both!  I mean, restoring all those beautiful outfits and restoring a brick and mortar shop?  How does she do that?  I need some of her non stop energy!

 

Saying Goodbye:  My mom has been giving me buttons for years now!  I have boxes full of them!  I have so much sewing quilting hoard from her, it's going to take me years to list!  Did I just say that?  I only want to to do Etsy for 17 more months!  I'm going to have to list like crazy!

Here are some more buttons from my quilter mom!  I am so thankful they are selling!  She's given me enough buttons and neckties to open another shop!  Hoarder Rehab's button shop and Hoarder Rehab's necktie shop?  Don't get me started!  50 shank hunter green or dark purple acrylic plastic toggle one hole button sewing craft buttons, available here.  Photo via VintageToGoEasy.

What I Learned:

1.  I've stopped taking stuff from my Mom and family due to having just too much to list now and very little time because I'd rather be stitching!  First I have to organize all my crafting and fabric hoard of hoards!  And stop buying more!  I have been much better at not buying, but sometimes I see things I just can not pass up!  Like this beautiful fabric from kimonomomo!

 

I wish I knew why this piece of cloth speaks to me joyfully or should I say sings to me joyfully!  Either way I had to have it in this blue.  It only sells in half yard but my arm got twisted and I bought a full yard!  I'm thinking of making a halter top, a simple draw string one with this at the border and then make textile art patches and collages with the scraps!  I bought the last of the blue, but it's comes in cream and black, here.  Photo via kimonomomo, thank you!

2.  And I just didn't stop at the one above, I kept on going and bought a lot of skinny and fat quarters from this shop for my textile art.  Every time I go to her shop I find something new and some of my other favorites have already sold out!  Danger, danger for this recovering hoarder.

3.  I'm doing my best to life a more sustainable lifestyle too, but I fell of the wagon big time at kimonomomo.  At least I have some projects in mind for them, instead of just buying them because they are singing joyously to me!  

 

Most of everything I own is second hand or recycled from thrift stores or given to me.  We don't even buy our clothes or computers new, nor any of our cars.  I'm trying to think of the last thing I bought new and I guess it's fabrics from kimonomomo.  The last other thing I bought new were some non gmo and organic heirloom seeds for this year's spring garden, but next year I won't have to buy any because I'll just collect the seeds from this year.

How do you live a more sustainable lifestyle?  I am quickly losing the battle of the bulge and on the verge of having to buy clothes in a size medium, instead of extra small.  If I do, I'll buy recycled clothes, luckily I mainly wear jeans, shorts and t shirts, but wearing tight clothes has reminded me to walk more and eat less!

Here is one of the many skinny quarters I ordered from kimonomomo.  See that little piece of dark red in the middle, it has a single loud joyous voice of it's own and the rest are a beautifully conducted chorus!  Available from kimonomomo.  Photo from kimonomomo.

Here is the project I'm going to include them in!  I make these little tiny boro scrap books.  The pages are hand torn from a Japanese children's book and then I sew the spine together.  I gather some of my favorite boro scraps and assemble them in a collage on each page, so someone else can use them to make their own boro sew on patches!

These take a long time to make and are a labor of love.  I have two listed at Mending Ways here and am making more with less pages and will be listing those on Hoarder Rehab were they have sold out.  Photo via Mending Ways.

Thank you Etsy buyer for sending your inspiring note and especially for your photo update!  It's just amazing what 8 little black buttons will do for repurposing a vintage dress!  It's notes and photos like yours that make my day and keep me de hoaring!  I hope you continue with much success and I'd love to see your brick and mortar shop renovation too!  I bet it's going to be awesome! I am so thankful you and I can help others live a more sustainable lifestyle, while living it ourselves. BIG heartfelt thanks!

Here is a sample page of the boro scrap fabrics on every page of the book.  There is a video too, I just can't remember which book I videoed.  Available here.  Photo via Mending Ways.

Sales have been up and down with mainly crazy busy on the weekends and slow on the week days.  Etsy's Labor Day Sale wasn't as good as last year, I'm not sure what happened, but I do know that the discount wasn't showing on all the items or on all the shops, it was haphazard and random.  We tried re newing the sale several times with the same poor results, so we finally just left it.  We usually run a sale for a month, but since this one was messed up we ended it when Etsy did.

Etsy has also started a "Star Seller" badge or I don't know what to call it on shops that fit their criteria as successful.  Out of our 5 shops, two have the star seller badge and it's not the shops I thought would have them!  One shop, Mending Ways has 100% in their 3 main criteria, but needs 10 sales and a top dollar amount to sell monthly.  Mending Ways is one sale and 40 bucks to making "star seller" in October.  Another shop supposedly needs better star reviews, it shows up as having 5.0 star reviews, but according to Etsy's star seller criteria it's only at 83% star review so I'm not sure how they are calculating that.  

The last shop needs better star reviews too and faster email answering.  I stopped answering promo emails because I was getting too many and they would keep writing me back, but I guess that was an Etsy star seller no-no.  Now I'm not getting any emails, so I'm not sure how to raise that one.  That shop only has a 4.9 star review and it's because someone left us a one star review because they only looked at the photos and did not inquire about certain color pompoms before they ordered, instead of after they got delivered.  I just keep telling myself I don't have control over Etsy buyers who only look at the first few photos and do not read the listings and then leave one star reviews.  Rant done!

Here are some patches I made from the leftover scraps from the last batch of mini boro books I made.  These patches are available here, the mini scrap books are here.  Photo via Mending Ways.

My simple plan to have the 2nd room organized by next year is still on schedule!  Daily, I was setting a timer for 20 min to organize in that room, now it's up to 30 min!  I'm still clearing the two tables I dump on, but I can tell I'm making progress and feel so much better knowing it will be organized little by little.

I've started walking again daily too.  I started out with 10 min walks and I'm up to 30 minutes now.  I still get out of breath easily, but that will change for the better too and I feel like my clothes might be fitting a smidget better, so I won't have to buy size medium clothes!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 163 items, The Destiny of Things- 165 items, VintageToGoEasy - 163 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 173 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 82 items!  My new goal is to list 170 items on each shop and to keep a full 3 pages on Mending Ways.  I am immensely grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All pleasant lookieloos are appreciated!

 

Thank you readers for your visits and support from my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!

Mend & Patch Your Denim Jeans for a More Sustainable Lifestyle: The Destiny of Things Story #596

Mend & Patch Your Denim Jeans for a More Sustainable Lifestyle:  Mending Ways, Story #19

Don't throw away those old jeans because they ripped or you are tired of them!  Upcycle!

An Etsy buyer ordered patches #2 and #4 earlier this month and then I received an email about them!  There are two patches left in stock in this set, patches #1 and #3, available here.

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Instead upcycle your jeans and other clothes as they need mending or change the way they look by adding patches and stitching for a more sustainable lifestyle!  Here are some ideas!

Here is the kind email:

Hi Kennedy,
The boro patches are beautiful. I have a pair of jeans in mind to sew them on. You are so generous. I can't believe you sent me a 3rd patch and all those other little goodies.
Your work is really detailed and beautiful. I need to read your note more carefully and will respond to your request for input for your blog. Thanks so much again!  Best, Etsy buyer

I'd love to know if she is repairing her jeans or adding this patch as an embellishment to upcycle them!  Patches left in stock in this set, patches #1 and #3, available here.  

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

It's always so nice to get an email of appreciation from a kindred spirit!  Here is what I wrote back:

Hi! Thank you for your inspiring email and compliments! I appreciate every word. I am so happy you can use all 3 patches. I'd love to see how you use the patches on your jeans! Kindest regards, Kennedy

Of course, I'd want to be the fly on the wall and see what she did with this patch too!  Two patches left in stock in this set, patches #1 and #3, available here.  Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Saying Goodbye:  I don't mind letting these go because I know I can make another like it, if I wanted one for my own projects!  As a matter of fact, stitching is my alternative to hoarding!  Hoarding takes up a lot of time and once I slowed down and/or stopped buying so much, I have/had a lot of extra time on my hands.  Who knew?  

What I learned:   

1.  Who knew hoarding is also a time hoarder!  All that window shopping, price and quality comparing and zooming on photos and reading descriptions, etc was so time consuming!  Not only did I let go of all that but I gained blocks of time.  At first I didn't know what to do with myself, I watched a lot of shows, read a lot of books and started a backyard farm!

2.  Hoarding was also my stress valve reliever through retail therapy.  Any time I felt a bit stressed, I bought something, a little pick my up.  Until all those pick me ups turned into piles.  Now I know it's time to re think what I'm doing when when the little pick me ups go into a pile unopened!  If I don't put it away, it's my own inner alert letting me know.... sometimes I don't always know, but it's the alert to start digging.

On the other hand, my alternative to stop hoarding and buying little pick me ups went to comfort foods!  Instead of stuffing my house, I started to stuff my face, which isn't always kind to my ever growing love handles!  Anything fried, salty, creamy and crunchy will do!  I'm not talking healthy stuff... more like junkie junk foods!  Why doesn't hummus and carrot sticks take away stress like french fries and thousand island dip?

Okay, so I still have a ways to go to finding alternatives to hoarding, but so far, stitching, gardening and reading has worked, but I still need more alternatives because I'm ADD like that!  Hoarding and eating comfort foods are so instant.... Anyone know other healthy alternatives out there that are instant?

I think these would be good for hiding stains on clothing.  These take a long time to make due to the tiny stitches to make all the curves.  They were a request from an Etsy buyer and I ended up making around 20 of them to try and make the one she wanted that was on a t shirt I had sold.  My needles seem to have a mind of their own.  Frayed and tattered, available here.   

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Thank you Etsy buyer for sending your inspiring email  It's emails like yours that make my day and keep me stitching!  Wish I could see your up cycled patched up jeans!  I am so thankful I can help others live a more sustainable lifestyle.  Hope my patches helps save time, so you can spend your time making your clothes more aesthetic and last longer!

 

This patch I added to upcycle a t shirt sold long time ago and an Etsy buyer requested a custom order of this patch and it took me 20 patches to get one too look like this one! 
Frayed and tattered patches like the one above, available here.   

Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Sales have been up and down with mainly crazy busy on the weekends, but today we've had two sales, so here I am! I have been under the weather lately, actually for about a month.  I'm hoping I'll feel better soon and start new listing, stitching and organizing again.  I've been misplacing stuff and spending hours looking for them.  Yesterday it was a religious medal and some Spider Man toilet paper that sold and I could not find them.

The religious medal I hunted down, but it took me two days!  The Spider Man toilet paper was lost for a couple hours.  A great reminder for me to put things back where they are destined and can be found again and to organize and clean daily!

My simple plan is to have the 2nd room organized by next year!  Right now I'm just taking baby steps and working on the room for at least 20 min a day, yes I set a timer and usually go over 20 min, and to specifically organize and clear the two tables in there!  Sounds so easy!  Not so!  Those two table are my dumping grounds for everything else found around the house!  So keeping them clear is like hoping to see the bottom of the kitchen sink!  Wish me luck!

This was one of my favorite teaching and then gardening t shirts and I upcycled it with the abundance of patches I made to complete the custom order request.  It has six scribble doodle patches on it.  Five are on the front and one is on the back.  Available here.  Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 162 items, The Destiny of Things- 162 items, VintageToGoEasy - 153 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 170 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 80 items!  My new goal is to list 170 items on each shop and to keep a full 3 pages on Mending Ways.  I am immensely grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All pleasant lookieloos are appreciated!

 

 One of my favorite pair of jeans that I no longer wore because I only wear flat shoes now and I wore these with wedges when I was teaching.  They are now experiencing a more sustainable lifestyle with an Etsy buyer!  I am inspired by the embroidered flowers and did my own thing on another pair of jeans, they will be washed this weekend and hopefully listed next week!  So fun!

Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore, but will most likely be listed on Mending Ways.

"Although the word is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it." ---Helen Keller

Thank you readers for your visits and support from my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!

PHOTO UPDATES 2021 Library Mechanical Date Stamp USES by Etsy Buyers: The Destiny of Things, Stories 582-595

PHOTO UPDATES 2021 Library Mechanical Date Stamp USES by Etsy Buyers:  The Destiny of Things, Story 582-595

So many uses, let us count the ways.... I stopped counting at 13!  BEFORE:

Shipped so quick. All sorts of little kitschy surprises included and packaged with care! Put a smile on my face. Very kind and thoughtful.  I’m using this stamp for my creative journal notebook & beyond! Thank you.  Photo via Etsy buyer  

Retro Rotating Library Date stamp and/or in pad available here.

Here are some of my favorite Etsy buyer ideas!  AFTER:

 Back of Etsy buyer journal using the library date stamp.  Thank you Etsy buyer for the inspiration that leads to other ideas!  I love how she used different color inks to make it look authentic!  Very cool.  I love that idea, makes me want to start and art journal today!  And if I did, under borrower's name I'd either add the title to the art page or a short list of supplies used.

Photo via Etsy buyer

Save the date rotating library stamp available here.

 

Email from Etsy buyer:   

 

Thanks! It was just what I wanted and I left a 5-star review. I really appreciates the minimal packaging! And the extra gifts. I’m attaching photos of how I’m using the stamp right now, which you can feel free to share without my name attached. Someone sent me a vintage-style library-book pocket with card and I decided to putt he card in the back of my art journal and stamp it every time I play in the journal. (Photos attached.) I’ll also probably use the stamp in my regular journal at the beginning of each entry.   Thanks again! --Etsy buyer

 

I love the front of her art journal, it's very simple yet inviting!  I just want to turn to the first page and then the next, and the next...  Love that purpley ink, reminds me of old school library days!  Reminder, the mechanical library date stamp we sell, is a little different than the one on her art journal.  It starts with the numerical day, then the abbreviated month and lastly the year.  Save the date rotating library stamp and/or ink pad available here.

Here is another favorite use!  She said on her next batch, she's going to use the date stamp on these beauties! 

These look like a lot of fun to make!  Look at all the different stampers she must use!  Want, Want!!!  Must go looking for those tiny circular stamps, love the wreath one!  Thank you Etsy buyer for all the motivation and eye candy!

Unexpected Uses!  Who would have thought so many would use them to date their eggs!

Fantastic item! lots of little goodies and it made me so happy to open my simple purchase to a hand written note.  Photo via Etsy buyer.  

Retro Rotating Library Date stamp and/or ink pad available here.

 

Bought this stamp so I could start dating my eggs as I collect them. Came in a pack with a bunch of other little fun things. I loved the hand written personalized note as well.  VTG

Loved the rotating date stamp! It reminds me of working in my dad's office decades ago. It works great for stamping our fresh chicken eggs. Fast shipping too - thank you!  

All these date stamped eggs, makes me want to start raising my own chickens!  BTW, you can order a small ink pad as seen in the first photo with your order, all I know is it's not permanent ink.  I found this photo while looking for something else, not sure which Etsy buyer it's from yet.  The rest are from Etsy buyer from our shops, VintageToGoEasy and The Destiny of Things.  (Center alignment not working again)  Photo via Etsy buyer.  Retro Rotating Library Date stamp and/or in pad available here.

I haven’t used them yet but thEse look like they will work perfectly for stamping my egg cartons, salves, jams and more! Thank you so much for the note and extra goodies! Good luck on your cleansing journey! 

Thank you for all the extra goodies. I'm so thankful to be able to date eggs from my chickens.  

This is exactly what I needed to keep my eggs dated correctly! Love love love this! Works so well!                                                             Photo via Etsy buyer.

The above are all the five star reviews for using the date stamper on eggs, but not everyone thinks so, below is a four star review, so you can make your own decisions, if using this on your eggs.

This print is pretty tough to get right on an egg without a ton of smudging. I guess I'll need lots of practice. 

ALL TYPES of JOURNAL USES, even SNAIL MAIL:  from scrapbooks, Bible journals, etc.

The date stamp is easy to use, small enough to carry around and super cute. I am going to use the date stamp in my journals (one for books, one for brain dump, and one for podcasts). I love the "library aesthetic". Bonus! The best thing about my package was the unexpected bonus kit of junk stuff!! Super cute. Will be adding those in my journal as well!

I was looking for a date stamp to date my Bible journal pages. This was just perfect. Quick service and delivery. 

Can’t wait to use my date stamper on my scrapbook pages! Great quality! Fast shipping! Thank you 

i love this! came quickly, very adorably wrapped. i'm using it to date all my outgoing mail. thank you!

Seems fine. The stamper will hopefully last me a long time. In the package the shop owner asked what we were using them for, and I am using mine to keep track of the dates I draw. I know I could just write it on the page, but something about the act/ritual of stamping the date on the page after each drawing struck me as something I would more likely remember over adding more lines to the page in writing. We'll see if it works. I had stopped drawing for over a decade and am now trying to get back into it, so this was a very low cost "perk" to try to keep myself motivated.  

This date stamper will last many years!  At least 8 years, most of the date stamps can date from 2020 all the way to 2030.  See you again in 8 years!  Save the date rotating library stamp and/or ink pad available here.   This date stamp is on sale with more than 10% discount for the month of August 2021 or until they sell out,here .  Photo via The Destiny of Things.

GIFT GIVING USES:  According to Etsy buyers it also makes a great gift:

This is a gift for my stepdad that is always giving away farm fresh eggs from his small Nebraska farm! He writes the date on the egg carton, thought he’d like to put a date stamp on each egg instead!

 

Wrote back:

 

Hi! What a great story! Your stepdad sounds very down to earth and generous! Thank you for sharing it with me! I'll use it on my blog and leave you anonymous and see what kind of insight I get into my hoarding ways. Thanks again, Kennedy

 

Perfect for "just because" gifts, low cost perk me motivational gift for yourself and friends, stocking stuffers, artist and writers gift and care packages....

 

I loved it soooo much it’s for my sisters birthday I know she’ll treasure it forever!! 

 

OTHER USES besides snail mail, journals and library cards,

 

What a perfect stamp! We are using it to addend my wedding "crash cards" (guests can come drink and dance with us after all the formal wedding things) which somehow made it through multiple proofs with out our wedding date on them! This stamp is great! 

Not sure what category this goes under, except it was very disappointing for me, but I'm adding it for transparency:

This is our lowest review for this item, it's 3 stars, not sure what the person was expecting, but here goes!  So please don't order this unless you like the date format, we can't change it!

 

I am quite disappointed with the stamp because its in the European format. I know it was shown in the item pictures, but I somehow figured because we are in the US, it would be US format. My bad! However, the extra gifts that came a long with it made it a little less painful. I spent that whole day playing with the Fortune Telling Fish, when I should probably have been doing some work! Well packed and addressed. I would totally recommend seller again and will not hesitate to buy from again! 

  

I'm not sure what to think about that one!  I can't even explain it or say it's user error!  Here is one to hopefully counter it!

Super cute works like a charm.   Etsy buyer from The Destiny of Things.

 

REVIEWS from Etsy buyers about it's vintage library style:

 

Great vintage-style date stamp, and super-fast shipping!  

I was looking for a date stamp and found one that reminds me of the school library. Delivery was much faster than expected.

 

Wow, this turned out to be a long one!  And I have a lot more ideas and photo updates from two other shops!  Next time I hope I remember to add all my Etsy buyers thank yous at the beginning, but right now I'm quickly running out of time because I've gone into over time collecting all the inspiration, photos and ideas and don't have much time to comment on the ones I want!  Plus this is so long already!

Thank you Etsy buyers for all your help by sending emails, comments and photos of how you use this library style date stamp!  The hoarding insight you all helped me get today is that some hoard never dies!  or what I call re hoard!  Long story short I used to hoard these when I was teaching because it would save a lot of time with 30 students!  From grading papers, letting them use it for their daily journals and paperwork, like field trip slips!  What a time saver!  Hope it saves you time or makes your creations more aesthetic!

 

Like I said,  "Save the Date" rotating library stamp and/or ink pad available here.   This date stamp is on sale with more than 10% discount for the month of August 2021 or until they sell out,here.  Photo via The Destiny of Things. as an extra thank you for all those who will continue inspiring me in more ways than one and my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!

Stay tuned for more Etsy buyer inspiration!  I'm going to go look for those circle stamps to create the postal stamps!  BIG thanks to all those from around the world that support me and my Hoarder Rehab!

PHOTO UPDATE: Sugar Glider's Foraging Treat Box Toy Mini Treasure Chests: The Destiny of Things, Story 581

PHOTO UPDATE: Sugar Glider's Foraging Treat Box Toy Mini Treasure Chests:  The Destiny of Things, Story 581

What a creative way to use these mini treasure chest lockets!   BEFORE:

 I love it when Etsy buyer's let me know of new ways to use something!  Usually these 4-6 mini treasure chest lockets are ordered to hold a kids until they get home from school, available in 6 different colors here.  Photo via VintageToGoEasy

Here is the note I received:

Super fast and just what I was looking for.
Will buy again! I use these treasure chests to put treats in for my sugar gliders. They love opening them and getting goodies

Sugar Gliders?  Never heard of them, have you?  Googled!  They are a type of possum that can glide like a flying squirrel and known for their sweet tooth?  OH my!

Introducing a sugar glider with his little treasure!

That's the cutest little thing!  And look he/she has opened up it's mini treasure chest treat!  Wonder what kind of goodie that is, maybe a piece of hard sap or nectar?  Photo via Etsy buyer!  Thank you!

Saying Goodbye:  I'd love to say "Hello!" to a Sugar Glider!  Well, I'm not sure if I'm ready to have one as a pet, but I think I'd go for babysitting one!  As for the mini treasure chests, as a third grade teacher has to have a lot of these on hand for all the loose teeth that end up falling out during the school year and I ended up with a hoard of them!  Now they are one of our popular items and I see, not just for safe keeping teeth anymore!

These are simply made, so I check each one of them to make sure the hinges aren't broken and each one closes and opens properly.  These aren't made to last forever, just so long enough for a child to hold a tooth until they get home for safe keeping and get tired of playing with it, available here.  Photo via VintageToGoEasy

What I Learned:

1.   Again, I've learned something new today!  I know what a Sugar Glider is, looks like,  their foraging habits and penchant for sweets!  I've also learned, I'd rather house sit one, than have one.  Plus, I don't think you can have just one, they are very social and need at least a mate or they can get depressed in isolation.  I guess they aren't the only species!

2.  We have backyard full of critters.  Here is the list and the babies usually come in threes this year:  A family of possums, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, lizards, all kinds of birds and of course, the feral cats.  So far, they all get along with each other and the rest of the garden, except for the cats, they love the lizards, mice and gophers.  Occasionally we get visited by coyotes and falcons.

What did you learn today?  I hope whatever it was, it was awesome and eye opening!  And just as fun and meaningful as what I learned!

These tooth lockets may be good for Sugar Glider treats too and a little more challenging for them to open, since it doesn't have a tab.  Keep your critters curious!  Available here, photo via VintageToGoEasy

Thank you Etsy buyer for sharing your educational story and letting me know a new way to use the mini treasure chests!  I get the backyard squirrels would love them!  I wish I could be a fly on the wall and watch your Sugar Gliders forage!  I'd like to see them take the foraging challenge of all different kinds of lockets to open!  So fun!  Thanks again for the your thoughtfulness.

Sales were crazy during Memorial weekend and most weekends, but today we've had one sale, so here I am!  We had some set backs last weekend, so not much going on at the shops this week, but hopefully next week, things will get back to normal and I will power list again next week!  On to stitching today!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 166 items, The Destiny of Things- 158 items, VintageToGoEasy - 164 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 160 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 76 items!  My new goal is to list 170 items on each shop and to keep a full 3 pages on Mending Ways.  I am immensely grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All pleasant lookieloos are appreciated!

 

Here is a teeny tiny metal pumpkin locket with a hinged closure.  I wonder how long it would take for a SG to get into one of these!  This pumpkin locket is so tiny it only holds grains of rice!  Available here, photo via VintageToGoEasy

  

"Better to write for yourself and have no public than to write for the public and have no self."---Cyril Connelly

 

 And these!  I wonder if the SG's could open these!  A lot of treats will fit in there, maybe a whole meal or a live insect, which is their main nutrition! 10 or more, available here.  Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

 

Thank you readers for your visit and support from my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!

PHOTO UPDATE Silk Neckties for Crafting or Wearing: The Destiny of Things, Story 580

PHOTO UPDATE Silk Neckties for Crafting or Wearing:  The Destiny of Things, Story 580

The "after" photo is truly amazing!  BEFORE:

These ties have sold out, but I have another set for silk fabric crafting available here.  Photo via The Destiny of Things

BACK STORY on these silk neckties:

I'm selling these for less than a dollar each, right now they are about 50 cents each, because a couple decades ago my Quilter Mom made a hand paper pieced quilt (photos of it below) and earlier this year asked if I wanted the leftover ties.  Even though I'm a recovering hoarder, I said, "YES!"  And little did I know she sent me 10 or 20 pound box crammed full of all silk neckties.  Well, at least, the first 25 I've rummaged through were silk, although some are not labeled.

 

I remember when my mom first started that quilt, she was using my Dad's silk ties and eventually the rest of our family gave her other silk ties and soon friends did and later on tons of people, even my Dad's customers and my mom's quilter friends and then her Quilt Guild were giving her silk ties.  In the end, she had a great amount to choose from.  My Mom is a purest when it comes to quilting, I'm pretty sure she would throw out all the polyester or blended ties.

There are so many silk ties that it's quite overwhelming.  I think there's a life time supply of ties in there for many people!  I picked through the top of maybe 2 inches of the box and saved 3 for my own crafting needs and the rest I'm just listing for other creative souls.

Well, someone bought them to wear and it's quite impressive how he combined them to look so good!  Like GQ good, if you ask me!

 

Here is his note and photo:

 

Thank you so much the five handsome looking ties! The shipping was quick and packaged and wrapped so nicely! To show my appreciation, i have enclosed a photo of me wearing one of the ties! Thank you so much, take care and continue to stay safe!

AFTER:

Mr GQ in his Serica silk necktie!  Photo via Etsy buyer!  Thank you!

There are so many creative souls out there!  I would have never thought that brown tie would look so good with a navy shirt!  And in another email, he said he was going to wear all them!  I certainly would love to see how he matches them all up with which shirt and how it will look!  I can't even imagine!  As you can tell I am not a matching clothing diva!

Saying Goodbye:  Luckily there are so many pounds of these  silk neckties that there is no way I can use them all.  I've asked all my friends and none of them want any... for crafting or for wearing, so I'll be listing 5 at a time at each shop until they are all gone!  That might take years, but it's worth a try!  I'm hoping to retire from Etsy in two more years, actually it's now 19 months and counting and then move on to something else or just keep one shop.

4 all silk ties for crafting, you will receive all 5 but the first one isn't labeled silk, the rest are.  I guess I should take a photo of the fronts, will do that this weekend, available here.  

Photo via The Destiny of Things

What I Learned:

1.  There are creative souls everywhere!  Not just crafting ones but wearing ones!  I call these silk neckties, "crafting starter kits," for Easter eggs, rugs, origami butterfly brooches and more!  You can see all the crafting ideas in the listing!  There are tons, but I just added my favorites to the other photos.  If people want to wear them, then even better!  Nothing like eco friendly recycling at it's best!

2.  I would like to try the Easter egg silk necktie transfer, I've read the directions and they look and sound easy! And they look eggsceptional and unique!  I wonder if they'd still work with blown out eggs to make into ornaments, since everyone is into Easter tress now!  Next year!

How beautiful are these beauties?  Eggaxctly eggcellent, right?

3.  The weather here in Southern California is acting really weird and I'm thankful for it!  It's still gloomy a lot, been that way since April, but I guess it's normal for June gloom.  At least I don't have to water the garden as often or as much.  Growing edibles this year, the soil here is really bad, very clay and rocky, but we've been composting for years, so hopefully it will be enough to eat good stuffs!

What's your favorite summer past times?  This year mine are stitching, gardening and critter watching!  We have families of critters in our backyard, although the skunks and raccoons have left, the squirrel, possum, feral cats and all kinds of birds have stayed.  Which reminds me I need to plant more blooming flowers, so I can butterfly and bee watch too! 

 

Here is a photo of my Quilter Mom's hand paper pieced silk necktie quilt.  It used to be her most impressive quilt, until she made a mathematical infinity boro quilt.  I'm so thankful my mom made me a quilt similar to this one, it's all hand paper pieced too, with all our families clothes, curtains, aprons, childhood sheets, like our favorite Snoopy sheets, childhood clothes from baby to teens, etc.  Every time I look at it, there are so many good memories, especially my Grandmother's dresses and for this Father's day remembrances through my Dad's work shirts!  There are closeups of it on the silk necktie craft starter kit, here.

Thank you Etsy buyer for sharing your impressive GQ style and photo story!  It has motivated me to list more silk necktie bundles on all the shops!  I wish I could be a fly on the wall and see all your necktie combinations with shirts, maybe I'd learn how to do it myself!  Thanks again for the motivation and thoughtfulness.

Sales crazy on the weekends and very slow on the week days!  I power listed again this week and now I'm done with new listing too!  On to day dreaming!  And going through my new books!  I have Studio by Sally Coulthard and The Foraging Home.  Hope they inspire me to stop hoaring and to clean and organize instead!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 169 items, The Destiny of Things- 158 items, VintageToGoEasy - 164 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 162

items.   And now, Mending Ways with 77 items!  My new goal is to list 170 items on each shop and to keep 70 on Mending Ways.  I am immensely grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

I don't know what happened to the alignment up there, I've tried to fix it several times, but no go!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All pleasant lookieloos are appreciated!

 

Love the necktie rug, looks easy too and could be a quilt too!

Photo via google.

 

"Whatever you are be a good one"--- Abraham Lincoln

 

Happy Father's Day!  Thank you readers for your visit and support from my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!