Summer Shop Feature ~ Hartford Avenue Quilts

It's time for another shop feature and GIVEAWAY!

Nancy Hovland is the talented quilter behind Hartford Avenue Quilts.

 Nancy opened her shop on Etsy in 2009 after discovering she had no more room in her house for all her quilts. She read an article in a quilting magazine about Etsy, was intrigued by the success other quilters were having, so she took the plunge!
Nancy caught the quilting bug after taking her first class in 1980 at a shop near her home. She says she enjoys taking classes at the various shops in her neighborhood and feels this has helped improve her skills.

                                           Starry Skies Placemats on Etsy

Quilting is a welcome break for Nancy from her full time job as a public school social worker.
She says "It's relaxing, challenging, and keeps me sane!" Nancy both hand quilts and machine quilts, and is always pushing herself to try new things.

                                           Fabric Rope Basket on Etsy

Nancy has a married son and has made him and his wife two queen size quilts and a Christmas tree skirt. She is now working on a third queen size quilt for them! (Very lucky kids! :-))
She said it feel so nice to have her work valued and be appreciated!

I appreciate you also Nancy and am glad you are a part of TTHB!

Nancy is generously donating this small framed quilt as a giveaway for her shop feature.

To enter the giveaway contest:

1.    Leave a comment on this post with your favorite item from Hartford Avenue Quilts. Etsy shop. The link: Hartford Avenue Quilts

2.    Like The Traveling Handmade Bazaar at: TTHB

3.    Follow Nostalgic Summer’s blog here.

Leave a comment for each of these you do…remember the more you do, the more chances you have to win!

The contest will end Monday July 2nd at midnight.

The winner will be chosen and announced on Tuesday, July 3^rd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introducing ~ Nostalgic Artifacts!

 Nostalgic Summer has a sister!

On my hunt and gather excursions to find fantastic one of a kind items to incorporate into my jewelry I always seem to find fun, unique, retro, vintage, interesting little pieces, that are not right for jewelry, but I just can't pass up! You know the crow in me LOVES small shiny trinkets!

Nostalgic Artifacts is my fun new Etsy shop. I will be filling this shop with all the wonderful items I pick up along the way at garage sales, flea markets, auctions, estate sales etc.....

We have just opened our "doors", but here is a little peak at what you will see.

                                          Mid Century Japanese Modern Trivets

                                         Mid Century French Souvenir Bracelet

                                                    Vintage Brass Cow Tags

                                          Japanese Porcelain Salts

                                          Celluloid Bulldogs

~And much, much more! Please stop by and have a look at Nostalgic Artifacts..... You know the crow in you wants to!!!!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle....A Pioneer

The project for this installment of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" is from a pioneer in junking style.

I've used my family cabin in many posts, and you all know it was built by my father in the early 60's.
And you also know he was an artisan who loved working with wood.

Well, he was also a pioneer in the field of junking! ............Who knew?

My dad was in sales and the small towns of the midwest were his territory. While on one of his trips through the beautiful countryside of Minnesota he spied an old, dirty, discarded wagon wheel in a farmers field. (I know my junking friends are now paying attention!)

He didn't see a dirty, old piece of junk,  but a fantastic rustic chandelier for the cabin he was building. He asked the farmer if he could purchase it, the farmer said "That piece of junk?....You can take it."

And our new re-purposed cabin chandelier was born!

Thanks dad for being ahead of your time, and for the re-purposing gene!

*On a side note, we are thinking of updating the wagon wheel chandelier, maybe change the lights to a more industrial look.....of course we will recycle the old lights.
What do you think? Is it time for an update, or do you like it the way it is?

And the Winner is.......

Armed with the "official" contest hat, Deeder the Beader (aka: Denise) and I drew the winner of Nostalgic Summer's "Summer Shop Feature Giveaway."

 I placed all the names in the hat.....

And Denise pulled out a winner!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE........................

                              The winner is

Congratulations Sheryl, I know you will love your paper bead jewelry!

Sheryl you can email Denise at:  deederthebeader@gmail.com with your shipping information and she will send you your prize.

Thank you to everyone who participated. Look for my next shop feature coming up in two weeks.

Happy Birthday....June

 

"Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June." ~ Al Bernstein

 

 

A little birthstone history, fact, lore and legend.

 

Ah June.... It could be the perfect month, spring rain is over, summer begins and the dreaded heat hasn't started!

The flowers of June are the rose and honeysuckle. 

In one Greek myth, the rose was created by the goddess of flowers, Chloris.
"One day, she found the lifeless body of a nymph in the woods and she turned her into a flower. She called upon Aphrodite, goddess of love, and Dionysus, the god of wine. Aphrodite gave the flower beauty as her gift and Dionysus added nectar to give it a sweet fragrance. Zephyrus, god of the West Wind, blew the clouds away so Apollo, the sun god, could shine and make the flower bloom. That is how the rose was created and crowned the "Queen of Flowers."

 

                                          Wild Roses

  

 June's traditional birthstone is alexandrite, the modern birthstones are pearl and moonstone.

Alexandrite is the rarest of all gems and was first discovered in Russia in 1831 during the reign of its namesake, Czar Alexander II. Alexandrite is chrysoberyl with chameleon-like qualities, its color is a lovely green in both daylight and fluorescent light; it changes color to a purplish red in incandescent light.

 June's modern birthstone the PEARL:
 LOVE.......... well you all know how I feel about vintage pearls!

 Indian legend has it that pearls were heavenly dew drops than fell to the sea. In India, ancient warriors attached the pearls to their weapons to symbolize the tears and sorrow of those slain by the weapons.

Pearls are unique as they are the only gems from living sea creatures and require no faceting or polishing to reveal their natural beauty. 

Wearing pearls brings wisdom through experience, quickens the "law of karma",  brings engagements and love relationships.
They are used for love charms, and healing charms, to protect against fire, to ward off evil.

                                          Pearl Bib Necklace

 
The Moonstone:
Moonstone in an alternative June birthstone and is also one of the mystical birthstones. Like pearls, moonstones can come in a variety of colors and have a particular shimmer called adularescence.


                                                   Moonstone by Amy Brown

In India it is said to bring good fortune and is regarded as a sacred stone. Legend also has it that the moonstone arouses tender passion and so is perfect for lovers. In asian philosophy the Moonstone balances the yin and the yang forces.


 "If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance. " ~ Bern Williams


Happy Birthday June ......and a special Happy Birthday to my "June Baby" husband John!