Autena Vintage: April 2012

Friday, April 27, 2012

Pie? Oh My!

Recently I was lucky enough to appear in this Etsy treasury that is so dear to my heart I wanted to share it.

I began collecting tin and aluminum pie pans in 1985 after seeing a photo in a Martha Stewart cookbook.

Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts, 1985, page 22.

Now Martha is controversial, a kind of love her or hate her kind of gal. But this book came out at a time when my mother, sister, and I were heading to outdoor flea markets nearly every weekend. I was getting a bit bored (hard to believe, isn't it? My, how I've changed!).

In Burlington, Kentucky

At the time, I was working in a pastry shop, as a baker and decorator, an avocation that became my vocation. Pies were not particularly my specialty. Be that as it may, the picture resonated with me and I thought how fun it would be to collect pie pans! So I did.

By the way, these are pans with the name of either the bakery or the restaurant embossed into the bottom. When a pie was purchased, a small deposit (between 5 and 10 cents) was left and was given back when the pan was returned.

Little did I know how many are out there. Along the collection trail, I started to hang them up on my kitchen walls; eventually they were on all four and heading into the pantry. True dust-catchers, I must say!

After many more years, I finally realized I had enough and resisted the temptation whenever I saw one I didn't have.

I got married and when I moved in with my hubby, the pans went into three large boxes, ...

...now down to two because I have sold about 18 of them in my shop.

I sell them with a bit of reluctance but also with joy
because I know those who are buying them may have
the same passion for them as I do --three people
bought two each and two bought three each!

“Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness” ~Jane Austen

Wordless Wednesday...Benign Neglect

...in the backyard.

Paper

Lately, my eyes seem to be caught by objects, sites, DIY lessons, all with paper as the common theme.

These have been stuck in my mind for two days, ever since I saw them on a blog that I follow, A Collective Journal, who found them on another blog, A Storybook Life.

Recycled Newspaper Beads

Aren't the colors wonderful?

The process sounded like fun, until I read that each one has to be sanded....

Here is a site that sells lovely decorative papers, for creating or wrapping, Papers!
These are some of their offerings.

Bamboo

Map of Rome

Asian Calligraphy

Pretty cool, huh?

Speaking of cool, check these out.

All Things Paper
Yep, made of paper. It is a technique called quilling.
Also known as paper filigree,
quilling is an art form that involves the use of strips of paper
that are rolled, shaped, and glued together
to create decorative designs. (Modified quote from Wikipedia)

Oh So Beautiful Paper

"I think I did pretty well, considering I started out with nothing but a bunch of blank paper."

Steve Martin

Wordless Wednesday... Pixie Shower

Autena Handcrafted

A few years ago, I started to create jewelry, more specifically bracelets, using vintage and new buttons, along with old charms and bits and bobs (love that expression!) of other oddments. I've started listing some in my Etsy vintage shop and decided to show them off. They are not technically vintage, but all have some antique and vintage (read, old) parts, so I think that counts!

Watch Face Bracelet in Silvertone

I've developed a fascination for antique ladies' wristwatches and really like disengaging them from their bands and cleaning them up a bit. This is my silver version (actually stainless steel).

My gold version, with decorative connectors, which are actually pieces from an old bracelet.

Watch Face Bracelet in Goldtone

The sort of vintage watches I look for are becoming more difficult to find at a reasonable price. I don't care if they work, although I prefer to place a working one in the center position, in case someone wants a real timepiece. Either they are too expensive or someone has taken them completely apart to sell the workings.

This is a talisman bracelet, made from copper wire and embellished with broken earrings, another watch face, beads, and who knows what else.

Talisman Charm Bracelet

I'm looking forward to making another, perhaps out of silver wire. It's a great way to use up things that have been sitting around. One is supposed to imbue the piece with good karma while working on it, which I guess I've tried to do. It brings me a smile when I look at it because it is rather quirky.

A MOP (mother of pearl) bangle, made with memory wire. The buttons are flat shanks, placed on both sides, so it is reversible.

Mother of Pearl Bangle Bracelet

I had to put a clasp on it because the buttons caused the wire to "lose" it's memory, so to speak. I think it would be perfect for a wedding, if the bride is an adventurous sort.

I have been branching out into necklaces and have also done some earrings, none of which are yet in my vintage shop. Maybe I'll show them off soon.