Folk Art & Fancies

Last, but not least, here is a small selection of folk art spotted at the Old Summit Country Antique Show. The naive bird above is either a pencil or watercolor illustration, I couldn't tell, but either way, it was quite charming.  Below are some whimsical pieces crafted from walnut shells ~ a wonderful start for a collection.

Antique dealer and friend, Phil Hoover, created these wonderful sculptural assemblages from found items ~ the base of which are ladder frames.  These pieces are pieced together with amazing craftsmanship and would make a great statement in a room.  I especially love the drill bit detail on the smaller piece.

Simple Treasures

 {Beautiful autumn vignette}

Ah, simple treasures are the best . . . just like that Van Camp's Pork & Beans ad from long ago.  Well, maybe a few of these aren't so simple, but they are beautiful to admire.  Here are a few more lovely objects from last week's autumn Old Summit Country Antiques Show.

 

 {Lovely book cover and mirror}

 

 

 {Printed tobacco tin box}

  {Box of spice tins & grater}

  {Tin of spice tins with handwritten paper labels}

 The most impressive spice containers of all ~ these must have been used in a store as they are so large I cannot imagine anyone needing or wanting as much mustard or pepper as they could hold!
(Guess I could have included them in the previous post ~ did you notice the horses?!) 

{Collection of paperboard boxes & quilt stencil}

  {Gorgeous crochet & linen textile}

  {Duck heads in a basket & lovely log cabin quilt}

  {Great graphics on a 1939 World's Fair coloring book cover}

 One of my favorites ~ a page from a McCaskey register.  I wish I had enough wall space to cover a whole wall with a grouping of these. Folk art from the show tomorrow!

Old Summit Country Antique Show

Tomorrow is the fall 2012 Old Summit Country Antique Show, so what better time to share with you some photos from some previous shows? This is one of my favorite shows ~ lucky for me, it is held three times a year here in the Kansas City area. If you happen to be here for the weekend, make sure to put it on your list of "must dos" as it is a wonderful show, filled with unique and beautiful antiques, vintage finds & an vast array of fabulous dealers. See you there!

{gorgeous set of antique optical lenses ~ love the labels}

{tin quilt templates and lovely handwritten letter}

{tasty signage on inside of box}

{Ready to Wear Fabric Shop sign}

{Giant metal Barkers sign}

{rustic painted metal chest of drawers}

{trio of terriers ~ I'm guessing they are Hubley}

{hand stitched ribbon flowers on red velvet pillow}

{yo yo pillows}

{entire set of old lodge ribbons ~ love that metal bullion fringe!}

{charming melange of objects}

Walnut 2012 ~ Adieu

Good bye to another wonderful year at the Walnut Antique show ~ I am still having buyers remorse for not snapping up this cute leather scottie dog ~ this is the sort of thing that keeps me up at night! We had seen him our first day, but decided to pass him by ~ he was gone by the time we went back for him the next day. Just supports that whole "buy it when you see it" motto when it comes to antiques and vintage finds!

{Grrrrr ~ I wish he were mine!}

At least I did go home with some other treasures ~ like this piece from a McCaskey register. I was lucky that it was still there on Day 2 as I had seen it on Day 1 and was indecisive.

As you can see, we were prepared this year with both a cart and raingear ~ we needed both! Despite the rain on Day 1, 2012 was one of the most pleasant weatherwise ~ not too hot and no tornadoes! Ask Sammy, the basset hound ~ he came prepared as well . . .

{Suave Sammy decked out in his slicker}

Walnut 2012 ~ Part 4

{tempting offering from West End Architectural Salvage}

If you've been following along for the last several posts, it is easy to see why the Walnut Antique Show is one of my favorites ~ there really is something for everyone. There is also a wide variety of dealers who display their wares in many different ways ~ from lovely vignettes like the one above, to items hastily scattered on a table top. You never really know where a treasure might turn up.

{vintage intercom/radio type system}

{beautifully designed speaker housing}

{antique cast iron book press ~ would love one of these!}

{painted cast iron squirrel doorstop}

{step used on a train that would be great in my kitchen!}

{unique baby swing that converts to a child's rocker ~ complete with dangerous pinchy springs!}

{wonderful folk art box made from matchsticks}

{lovely scales face}

{unique & beautifully designed clock face}

As I never leave an antique show without a few photos of graphics I like, Walnut is no exception ~ those below are some of my favorites. I especially love some of the most likely unintentional humorous names of products ~ one can tell they didn't use focus groups or worried about insulting anyone.

{wonder if this is what inspired Simon & Garfunkel?}

{Naturally, all bachelors are he men!}

{conveying all product info on a beautifully decorative label}

{Particular people DO care that their snaps are dependable}

Walnut 2012 ~ Part 3

I've dubbed Part 3 of our trip to Walnut this year Paper, Pins & Tins ~ a nice selection of antique paper pieces (ie. albums), sewing related items and printed tins. Year after year, the AMVETS antique show in Walnut, Iowa doesn't disappoint ~ tons of interesting and beautiful objects to admire.

{unique Victorian velvet covered album on a stand}

Here are some very old and unusual Victorian photo displays ~ the album above was filled with a huge array of wonderful photographs. When unlatched, the album opened flat so that the photos could be viewed easily, when closed, the photos were protected and the album served a more decorative purpose. The blue velvet frame below also had interesting details: unusual "doors", dimensional designs, and beautiful hardware ~ even the hinges are beautifully, yet simply designed. I also admired the back of the frame ~ a handcrafted wire stand was attached to a lovely embossed pattern.

{hand cut floral design on matte around photo}

{charming book cover design}

While the bank above was actually metal, its cover has the look of embossed paper, so I thought I would include it with this group of items. Below are two antique colored prints ~ a book cover design and a box label for a map of the United States puzzle ~ as you can see, the colors and designs on these are pretty wonderful ~ then, the typography . . . . . . !

Other items that always catch my eye are thread displays and color or swatch cards of just about any era. Don't know if it is just the pretty colors or just the satisfaction of seeing all of the pieces neatly organized ~ kind of similar to my feeling as a kid when I got a new box of 64 crayons.

{Embroidery thread store display ~ 1940's?}

{Older swatch book for crochet cotton}

This year I kept noticing lots of antique printed tin containers ~ all different sizes, shapes and prices. Even when rusty or damaged, they still have a charm that makes me want to buy one of each. It's a shame that in today's world beautifully designed packaging is usually only found on very expensive items and ignored on everyday items.

{rustic Quezal coffee tin}

{loved the symmetry and design of this tin ~ great shape too!}

{color palette on the flour tin is one of my favorites}

{great embossed lid on Maxwell House Coffee}

This is a good example of details that have just gone by the wayside ~ compare the design above to today's Maxwell House Coffee packaging ~ which do you prefer?

Last, but not least, a tin bucket containing Kettle Rendered Lard ~ complete with an illustration of pigs doing the rendering! Wondering if they ran that idea by the marketing department or a focus group? The packaging is so charming, it almost makes me think I might be able to make use of some lard, just so I could have the tin.