Book of Secrets

This latest Victorian album "book safe" has just been listed in my etsy shop. I'm having such a fabulous time making them, and I'm honored they are being so well received on Etsy!

This particular album had long ago lost its original clasp, so I remedied that with a length of vintage milliner's ribbon and an old pearl buckle!

What looks like a Victorian album on the outside, opens to reveal a secret storage space!

Now I'm off to help the little ones work on their Valentines for school, after I start a pot of homemade minestrone before the Super Bowl. Happy Sunday! =)

The French Dressmaker's Album

For my latest repurposed Victorian album, I took a little different course of action! I fashioned this one to resemble a French dressmaker's traveling book ~ didn't every society lady have her private seamstress make housecalls?!

I created this antique photo album (it has a fabulous velvet and celluloid cover!) to be somewhat of a sampler; antique linens and laces, and fabulous old illustrations taken from a very old French book were used to create this look.

Of all the Victorian albums I've repurposed so far, I think I had the most fun assembling this one! Each page was lined in ledger paper from an 1870's store ledger ~ the yellowing of the pages is genuine antique fading! ;)

Wouldn't it have been fun to have your clothes custom-made, with swatches of fabrics amd trims you chose yourself?

The page above is at the front of the album. I suppose we could consider her the original owner of this piece! It is currently listed in my Cape Cod Cupboard shop on etsy. Now what to do for my next one... I'm working on ideas for that! ;)

let's try this again...

I'd like to say a very special "thank you" to those who have purchased my repurposed Victorian albums in my etsy shop! They are a joy to create (though very time-consuming, especially when the old bindings have come undone), but the end result is fun to behold!

The antique velvet on this album was paired perfectly with this antique poppies linen! I love when I go through my stash and items just seem to belong together. ;)

When I transform these antique albums into jewelry boxes, I like to leave a few pages as is, so I can embellish them.

Antique ledger paper from the 1870's makes a charming addition to these albums (it's fun to read them and see the old names people once had... "Caleb" and "Old Man Angony" were a couple of the names I spotted in the old ledger book I pulled these pages from.

This latest "book safe" is now listed in my Cape Cod Cupboard shop on etsy.

Thank you for stopping by!

There's another teenager in the house!

Our new kitten is growing by leaps and bounds! She's just about four months old now, and she's at the "teenager" stage (either that or the "terrible two's," as she's quite the little wild rascal these days)!

I hope to post my latest projects soon ~ I've been busy in the craft room (which is a fancy phrase for a spot at my kitchen table). ;)

Book of Secrets

It's the year 1870, and "Ma" and "Pa" just received a gorgeous leather cdv album as an anniversary gift. They didn't have money for the fancy cabinet card photographs, but they did have several cdv's of the relatives, and a few tintypes of the family. Oh how they loved this book! Other than listening to the children sing, or hearing the piano at church, there wasn't much entertainment at home for the older folks. Apart from the local newspaper and scarce magazine, this was the entertainment! This book was well used!

Flash foward to 2010 ~ and this nearly 150 year old leather album (now sporting a broken spine and split at the seams) finds new life (with the help of antique linen and ephemera)!

And such a cherished book this was, too ~ she still has her double working brass clasps!

This elegant Civil War era lady feels right at home, as this was the very book she's lived in for nearly 150 years. She is now accompanied by a Victorian embossed roses postcard - tres elegant!

Just as surely this leather album must have its share of secrets attached to the photos it once contained, it now has a secret storage space!

A "book safe"! A jewelry box! A tresaure keeper!

(I really am having a fabulous time repurposing these antique albums! This one is currently listed in my etsy shop. )

Thank you for visiting today! =)

charming visions into the past

I recently purchased several groupings of some charming Victorian photographs which I have been putting into my Mercantile on etsy.

Such serious faces! (And why is the little boy holding onto a whip?!)

Love the flapper style hair!

Yes, back in the day even sweet little boys wore dresses!

Sweet and innocent child ~ hunting down these charming antique photos is quite thrilling!

revealed...

One empty (save for the snow) horseshoe crab shell. ;)

~See my post below for an explanation.~

Happy Thursday!