Treasure Hunt

This weekend a couple of my friends and I went estate sale shopping. I know, I know big surprise. I woke up at 7am to go which is definitely not something I would usually do. The beauty is that we found some amazing things. I always go into every home with no expectations because you never know what you will end up finding.

The first sale we went to my sister and I found this amazing stool. Well not amazing right now but definitely has the potential to be amazing!

I am going to spray paint the base silver and recover it in an amazing purple hounds tooth fabric. (That is one of my projects for the end of the week!)




We went all over the metro area, past Oregon City, Beaverton, NW, NE and SE. Thankfully my friend Janice had a list of all the places that were having sales.

I found an amazing box of vintage thread, for a ridiculously cheap amount that I just could not pass up. Especially since thread is now $2-6 a piece. I love all the colors especially. So excited because I have so many different colors to work with now!

I also found some amazing vintage jewelry that I really wanted to keep but I have enough already. Here are the pics, you can also find them at my Whimsy blue shop at etsy!

Bag day

Do you have a place where you stash all your plastic bags, say a drawer a holder, etc? Well everyday I walk past ours as they sit there, and I say to myself what can I use those for?

Not only are they bad for the environment but they are not very pretty either. And how do you create something that doesn't look like it was a plastic bag?

I may have found a solution. I found this video on etsy (below) about using an iron to fuse/melt the plastic bags together to create a new textile.

After watching the tutorial, I went and ventured out on my own to see what I could make. I was trying to think of something, I have not seen on any other websites and what came to mind? Well I did need to mail a etsy sale out...and have yet to buy a packing envelope...so that is what I decided to created.

I first fused all the bags together and then used a paper cutter to take off all raw edges. After I finished my plastic squares, I sewed them all together.

The best part about my sewing machine is that it has a bunch of different stitches, so I experimented with the stitches to come up with a design.

In the tutorial, it tells you that you need to turn the bag inside out to keep the ink from bleeding, so I decided that maybe I would use a sharp on the inside as well and draw out some random quick sketches.

Keep in mind this is all experimental.

I stitched all the patches together and this is what I came out with. I think it is a fun and earth friendly way to pack something, plus it is free and all it requires is a little experimentation and time.

Book photo shoot for etsy update

Wow! It is just been over a month since I started blogging and I really feel like I am starting to get more and more addicted everyday. I find myself daydreaming about things I want to do, create and be and seems like Spring is fast arriving look what I found today.


First and foremost, I want to say Thank You! To all of my blog followers. I feel blessed that anyone would want to read my thought process because for most of you that know me I am all over the place.

I made a couple more sales on etsy this week. As with everything I make and create now, I take photos so here are couple for you to enjoy.

(Don't forget to keep strolling down, my sister and I went out on an adventure, and not thrifting)

First off how do you package a ring in something other than a box....this took some creativity....so I took some of my old journal page remnant rolled them up and put the ring on it.



Next I sewed the yellow paper on to this card stock. Tied on my signature etsy Thank You Card, and then tied the ring onto the card as well. I think it came out so darling!


This is one of my journals I sent out today. I try and make everything I send out a little different and unique.



Speaking of journals. I decided today that the photos of my remaining journals were...well to be a little blunt...they were sad :(

So in turn decided to take my journals for a photoshoot into the park nearest my house and here are some of my favorites. If you want to see more check out my etsy shop.

The faves

This last photo is so bizarre to me, because it looks edited, when all I did was hang it over a tree branch and lay down on the ground to photograph it. I love how it turned out though!

So check out my new journal photos, and maybe one of these journals will speak to you.

New adventures

It looks like new adventures are on the horizon for me, at least that is the dream.

I have come to a spot where I don't have any excuse not to be a fulltime crafter, because....

I work very part time and my mac just crashed, so I have more time on my hands so that I am not distracted by facebook or the internet, although most of the time I truly am using it for research. ;)

I grew up thrifting with my mom and grandma, before it was ever cool. We ate organic, bought in bulk, I always immersed myself in my art to create a world to escape to.

I have come to the conclusion that life is a masterpiece that we all paint. We can create something beautiful around us, or get overwhelmed with the troubles and things that can bog us down.

I think I heard a quote once that said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." For me this has helped take the pressure off myself. I want to do something in the world, something big, not for fame or celebrity. But to affect in my lifetime something.

I think the change I want to bring is through my art.

If I can bring a journal into someone's life that causes that person to write down their innermost feelings, thoughts, experiences and document them... then I have affected change.

If I can redo a piece of furniture, that makes a monochromatic home feel alive.. I can affect change.

If I create a piece of art, that makes someone smile...I can affect change.

If I give and put love into every piece I create or find, then that person will feel that love.

My friend Courtney said, "How a photographer sees you is how the picture will turn out." I believe that as an artist the emotion that you are connecting with what you are making is evoked.

Okay I just had to get that all that out there....it's late and thoughts swirling in my head like a carousel...

I decided to be a better artist, designer, creator, etc that there are a few things that I need to tackle.

First and foremost.

I am deathly afraid of zippers, have never known how to put one in correctly every time I have they came out bad. So that is a goal this year is to learn how to put one in. I think I may even have to create this amazing zipper flower I found.




I want to do three photo shoots a year, not wanting to model necessarily but create the setting and all the objects within the photoshoot.

Here is one of my past shoots, in another blog, you may have seen.


I absolutely know that I need to learn to screen print. I want to create my own textiles.

For now I am focusing, on working on creating, seeking and gathering things to make my etsy shop all that I hope it could be.

Here are some more fun finds:






Oh yes I am also working on creating my official logo right now, with my fabulous friend Courtney Jade. That should be finished by next week.

But for now check out some more packaging for the items I sell.

Vintage Jewels

So my sister (Jenna),and I decided collectively that maybe it would be a good idea to go to Michael's Craft store when they were having a giant sale....and on top of the sale we had a 20% coupon for our entire purchase. (Of course) We walk in and think that we will only be there for a half hour...low and behold they are locking the doors and my sister and I quickly dash out with our purchases.

(Here is what happened in between) We walk in and decide that after we get was on our list we will check out if there are any other sales or crafting objects.

Ribbon (check)

Thank You Stamp (check)

Polyfill (check)

Glue (Check)

Spray Paint (check)

I am pretty sure that is all we needed completing this in a pretty quick amount of time. We then go to the jewel making isle, where I personally have never ventured. I am not a beader, but I start seeing pendants, that caught my eye. ( I may have drooled a bit) Then my sister came over and just as we usually do. We started comparing ideas...figuring this could go with that...and almost walking out of there with another $50 dollars worth of stuff.

Long story short...we will be making jewelery in the near and decent future...my sister actually bought a pendant. She made a necklace tonight.

To keep with the topic of jewelery check out some of our finds from this weekend of estate sales. There are some really to die for things.

Girls get all the fun....check out my etsy shop to see all the pics, if they haven't sold yet.

Preliminary Whimsy Blue branding

I have so far sold a couple items in my etsy shop. If you have not checked it out yet, we just added some vintage housewares and will be adding more very soon! Especially after yesterdays adventure.

Anyways, back to the topic of the day. (I am an artist, so I get a little bit scattered at times...my mind is like a merry go round of ideas, the solution for this is to always have a sketchbook, pad of paper, napkin or journal)

Upon making my first sale, I had an idea of what to do with the remains of my vintage books that I used for the journals. This was all experimental as well. I really had no idea if this would work. So I took six pages from the journals original binding and sewed them together with some fun blue thread.

I then was deciding to wrap the book, and cut the edges so that the book provided a little peekaboo at the end. I found some stamps to create the words in what other then blue ink. (Soon we will have our own logo stamp!!!! So exciting!)) I then grabbed the dainty, blue ribbon that we have, and had my sister tie the ribbon because for whatever reason I have no idea how to do so!!

Here are some of the end result photos, I hope you all like. Maybe I will put a little DIY post documenting how I did it all for you!!! Let me know what you think!

Some of my favorite finds..thrifting!

Who knew thrifting could be so fun??? Seriously! Ben and I like to do it pretty frequently, and come up with some pretty cool stuff. I found one pair of awesome boots...black, knee-high equestrian boots by Donald J Pliner..his boots normally go for anywhere from $200-$500. My favorite part is that the stamp inside the boot says "made by the sea in Italy". The boots were at Stars Antique Mall in West Moreland. If you have never been, you should check it out! Amazing find at only $25!!! Because I don't wear heels anymore, I have decided to get the most awesome boot collection ever..I have a pretty good start on it so far :)

And, I found this ultra-cool brown "leather" jacket at Value Village..it comes from Madrid, so anything from Europe is automatically way-cooler than anything here..just under $20!!!! I have never seen anything like it, and I can even zip it up! Now, that is a plus!

Onto the housewares..I found these little nifties at the bins...the more proper name is the Goodwill outlet in Milwaukie, just off McLoughlin. I came upon a little casserole

baker, otherwise known as a Dutch oven, in this really cool orange-red color..on the bottom, "made in Belgium", and numbered. I also found this cool little butcher block. Now, I'm picky about what I get at the bins..but, if you can deal, they

have some amazing finds! Ben showcased his stuff he found on his post yesterday. The cool thing about the bins..you pay per pound, except for furniture, or other items as

marked. So, my Dutch oven cost me about $6..I checked online after I got home, and it turns out it is Descoware, a brand of enamel cookware made in Belgium until

about the 70's...pretty sweet! These little babies go for anywhere from $40-$75 online..I just had to share, because it's just so fun, and like treasure-hunting every day!

Adventures in thrifting. Again?

Today my sister and I looked out at the beautiful weather and decided that it was the perfect day to go thrifting. We stopped at two places, both of which had really great treasures. Some of which I will list on etsy, others which I will upcycle and recombinate to make a bit more modern.

Here is what we found at the first thrift store:



I couldn't say no to this amazing, intact book from the 1970's with an array of paper dolls and the outfits from the celebrities in the movies.



I know, I know everyone is probably like "owls are everywhere", but this one was so adorable I had to get it. It has so much character and vintage charm.



Teacups, teacups. Tea party? Hmmm...maybe, but I might have a crafty project in mind for these teacups. They are everywhere and have so much potential to be practical!

We moved on from the first thrift store and low and behold we ended up close to our home. I stumbled upon this small leather lunchbox....or at least what I thought was a lunchbox?



When I opened it I realized that it was a vintage 8 track carrier!!!! Amazing! I am going to stencil this object at a later date!






I found an amazing vintage print that I will upcycle for a pillow project. It is going to be fierce.

And last but not least...


I found more books, that I could make into journals!!!!! I was so stoked to stumble upon these amazing hardback children's books. I could in no way resist their charm.



In short I have a love for thrifting because to me it is like a fabulous treasure hunt. Or like a box of chocolates you never know what you gonna get.

Thrift me a deal!

(I love cheesy titles to my blogs that is all I have to say. Who wants a blog, that when dealing with the topic, it is just named the Subject, boring. I am not writing an essay, this is real life and not so formal)

Okay....so I got on a bit of a tangent.

Earlier this week my sister and I, decided that it would be a good time to go thrifting. Just woke up to the amazing sunshine outside, decided that this was our day to find a find. I think the best way to go thrifting, is to walk in without any expectations of finding something. The reason I say this...in my experience, (and I would say I would be rated platinum member, on the thrifting status.) it is a treasure hunt, so walking in with an open mind and editing eye. (Editing eye- go through all your potential purchases and ask yourself, are you buying this cus it's cheap? Or are you really going to use/wear it?)

Well I walked into the local Value Village, and look what I found!!!!

Only the most amazing pants ever. They were in the women's section of course, the reason being is that I always find more fun things on the women's side.

Think golf shoes, newsie cap with pom pom, sweater vest and polo.

The beauty is that I also found some tapestries and a couple of wonderful fabrics that will be used for future projects.

I think my favorite thing that I found this weekend though, was a, 1950's Light Pink Hostess Ice Crusher. My sister and I stared at the object at first and were confused as to what it was. We thought to ourselves this has to be wonderful relic from the past, so we snatched that up and went on our merry way.

Here are some pics of the ice cruser, hope you like them.

I love thrifting. I wish I could tell you the reasons. The biggest reason is that things are affordable, and the merchandise is always changing so you never get board of the same thing. As a creative person, I can look at something that appears lifeless and see what can be done or improved upon it to create something beautiful.

Finished ten more journals today, here is a sneak peek at one of my faves.


What I love about it is the inside.


You will be able to find this and more on my etsy shop.