4th annual Where Bloggers Create party ~ New Boxwood Cottage studio shots!

 Having not blogged for 3 months quite frankly I wasn't sure with what and when to start blogging again and Karen Valentine's 4th annual WBC ~ "Where Bloggers Create party" just seems to be the perfect start back to blogging for me because I never missed it since the first party in 2009 so of course neither could I miss it this year.

So welcome back to Boxwood Cottage and my Vintage inspired studio dear readers and blogging friends!

I took lot's of pictures and hope you'll enjoy them and find some inspiration here and don't feel that your time here was wasted. I'm so glad that you're here I missed y'all and hope you'll leave me a message and let me know what's new. 

I did some rearrangements and new vignettes to inspire me and you and I'm sure you'll easily see my love for the contrast of black and white like the vignette on the blackboard above that I made from a kitchendoor that once belonged in front of a dishwasher. It now is a focal point and instant eyecatcher up here in my rooftop studio.

 The mirror in the black vintage frame seen below is hanging on the wall oposite of the little vignette with the crumpled and torn vintage top hat that I tucked on top of a vintage globe in the picture above.

Very much to the chagrin of my daughter I just love having vignettes to inspire me everywhere in my home and of course especially in my studio. My daughter (24, student) would prefer if I'd hide all my treasures in drawers and behind closed doors, because she likes it all clean and orderly, but that is just not me. I cannot stare on to bare walls, I need eye candy to get inspired. I'd really love to know your opinion on this issue.

 Like all collectors of old treasures I love to go to flea- and antique markets to find the things I love like old suitcases and vintage top hats which I both collect.

To solder is one of my favorite creative past times so you might discover little things that I soldered behind glass every where in my studio like the house shaped soldered glass with the cute boy in a top hat in the picture above. Below is a wider shot of that vignette above and I'll give you some even wider views in the following photos:

The vintage black sewing machine and the old brass trumpet are some more of my favorite vintage posessions. In the wire basket behind the sewing machine I store some of my raw paper maché boxes in all kind of shapes because embellishing these boxes is another favorite creative thing that I love to do so I always have to have some boxes close by.

And like you see in these pictures they aren't the only things I'd like to have in sight and handy lol

If you want to see bigger versions of my photos with more details you can always righ click on the pictures, then click of show graphic/photo and then double click on the picture again to see the original size.

In the next photo you can see 3 of my 4 studio tables:

Next is a close up of two of my tiny drawers chests to store tiny treasures like Dresden foil trims and borders and such goodness and you also see part of my studio chandelier with some soldered pendants I created and other sweet things hanging from it:

 You might also spot some of my studio dolls in these shots:

In the old cream painted  printers tray I store most of my tiny treasures:

 Two of my soldered trinket boxes are standing in front of the tiny drawers below as well as a sweet note from a dear friend tucked in the brush and more sweet gifts of blogging friends are displayed here.

On the oppsite side of my studio I have a couch to relax and here is also the stairway to go downstairs where I hung two of my old silk top hats on the wall:

as well as the huge wooden pair of scissors that I bought last Summer when I visited sweet Guá and her wonderful Mor Agustas garage as those of you who read my last post might remember:

Vintage inspired wall art I call this old lace children blouse and the big paper cone I made from vintage German sheet music paper, same lace pieces etc.pp:

 

Some more of my vintage sewing machines big and small that I collect. This is one of the collections I really have to stop collecting because I'm running out of space to display them:

 Now let's have a wider shot again and onto the area below my two big double roof top windows:

 I have a day bed over here and also my beloved vintage dress form and a few more top hats from my collection.

 A close up of the vignette under the window:

 

Love my vintage black typewriter

 as well as my latest flea market find from last Sunday the black vintage telephone. You had to turn that crank around to call an operator to connect you just imagine those times!

 

Below is a magnet board which I recently painted the frame white and some of my embellished bottles and a small aquarium I soldered and in the cream white wire basket some rolls of my favorite papers:

They look so pretty close up with the vintage angel scrap inbetween don't you think?

Some more close up shots of which I think they came out quite pretty:

another tiny chest of drawers that I painted white with an inspiration cork board on top which I also painted white and pinned on it another thing I love to collect: Black Silhouettes! If you also love some of the things I love and collect you might like to check out my pinterest boards where I collect pictures of things I love and collect that inspire me here: http://pinterest.com/boxwoodcottage/

 Old sewing supplies, wooden rulers and stamps also belong to the things that inspire me

 

and scissors, old tape measure, silver glitter and so much more and I think my love for top hats always shows

And lastly a pic of a cute old suitcase in which I collect happy little things for a swap that I owe a dear blogging friend for some time now:

Phew now I just hope to have broken my blogging blockade with this post and will be able to do another post soon. I have so may pictures to share that it is quite overwhelming.

Wishing you all a great Where bloggers create party this weekend and don't forget to visit Karen and all the other creative bloggers sharing the inspiring spaces where they create here:

http://www.mydesertcottage.com/ 

xoxo~ Carola

P.S.: If you are new here and like to see more photos of my studio space please visit my flickr photostream here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/boxwoodcottage/sets/72157603980980932/with/7563836318/
and if you also have a vintage inspired creative space I'd be delighted to welcome you in my flickr group here:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/vintage_inspired_studios/

My visit at Mor Agusta's garage in Sweden ~ Gúa's wonderful sanctuary

Welcome back to Boxwood Cottage dear readers and blog friends! 

Well I wanted to show you some beautiful and inspiring photos from my garden today, as promised in my last post, but sadly the weather is not cooperating with me. Since yesterday it's grey and rainy outside so I didn't get around to take pretty pictures of my cleaned & pruned Spring garden yet, but since it occured to me earlier today, that I never showed you pictures from our vacation in the South of Sweden last August I'll share these with you today instead and I promise you that' you'll not regret your visit because I'll show you my favorite place of all I've seen in Sweden and I know that many of you know it already from the beautiful blog Hvitur Lakkris (translated White Licorice), it is Gúa's Mor Agusta's garage and the next photo is the first thing you'll see of it when you arrive at Gúa's shop in Harlösa:

Öppet means open and so we stepped into Gúa's wonderful sanctuary named "Mor Agusta's Garage" because before Gúa and her husband transformed it into a beautiful shop it was a garage and Agusta is the name of Gúa's dear mom who sadly passed away early last year before the opening of the shop. She told me that she can feel her momma's spirit living in the shop and that she can even talk to her, isn't that beautiful?

 Gùa is a natural talented interior designer and she arranged her shop of vintage treasures and finds like a home with a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom and that is exactly how I felt in there right at home!

The table was laid as if she would just await her guests. Well kind of she did, because she knew I would come for a visit that day with my mum, daughter and sister because we emailed before so that I was sure that Gúa was home and the shop was open.

 Isn't it gorgeous how she filled the glasses behind the bathroom door with old lace?

I was so excited to be there in person that my camera was sometimes shaking a bit and not every photo came out crystal clear, but I had to share this idea in the picture above with you on how to hang a chandelier on a door if the ceiling is to high.

See everything get's really used in Gúa's shop like this kitchen sink and that is why you feel so homey there. Below is a picture of a lovely old wash stand in the bathroom.

 

To proof that I was really there and had not just dreamed it I took this photo of me in the bathroom mirror:

I had an instant crush on this huge pair of scissors:

 My sister cheking out something in the beautiful living room area:

 

I asked if it was okay to go outside and look at her gardenhouse which is right beside the shop and at her lovely garden and sweet Gúa said of course it is, so come along with me because if this is possible at all it get's even better outside:

 

Isn't this a wonderful paradise?

 I totally love Gúa's gorgeous garden house outside as well as inside:

There is a very cosy vintage living room like corner at the right side when you come in and a great outdoor kitchen corner at the left side and a daybed right in the middle:

Real grape wine is growing inside of it and you can litereally pick the grapes and eat them right from the gardenroom ceiling. The old transom windows and views are all spectacular. Notice how gorgeous the clear glass bottles in the window do look in the sunlight:

This is the view from inside out in Gúa's fantanstic white garden and we where so lucky that late August day that we had the most beautiful warm weather and sunshine:

Inviting isn't it? I could have stayed forever just sitting there and soaking in the serene and calm atmosphere and all the beautiful inspiration around me. It was also laundry day and of course Gúa had only the most beautiful white laundry hanging from the old fashioned white wooden drying racks:

 

My sister took this picture of  dear Gúa and me before it was time to leave. See how happy I look with lovely Gùa at my right side and my beautiful pair of huge wooden scissors in hand to take home with me?

 

I'll sure never forget this wonderful visit with Gúa. She is such a sweetheart inside and out and I was so utterly excited the whole time I was there and just wish that one day I can visit her and her sanctuary again. Gúa has plans to transform her shop into a holiday home if one still far away day she'll close her shop and I told her that I would love to be the first to rent it! She even gifted me with a large beautiful embellished papermaché egg which I'll always treasure.

Above is a last photo of the side garden of the shop with hollyhocks in bloom.

Just this last weekend Gúa celebrated her 1st year as a shop owner with a loppis which is the swedish word for flea market or brocante. My how I wish I could have been there *sigh*

If you should come to read this dear Gúa I'd like to thank you again for beeing so warmhearted and for all the love and inspiration you give and share and I wish you all the best and good luck for the years to come!

Well my dear readers what do you say, was this post worth your visit here today?

I hope that you are all enjoying a beautiful Spring or Autumn at the moment and I'll be back in May with a garden post. I'll be off  work (vacation) almost the whole month of May and I'm looking forward to spend most of my free time in the garden if the weather will allow it.

Happy Spring day's wishes you

Carola xoxo~

From Spring & Easter decorations, silhouettes and some new soldering

 

Welcome back to Boxwood Cottage dear blogging friends and readers! I can't believe it's already 5 weeks since my last post, the time is flying by too fast over here and Spring is always a busy time in the house and in the garden. Today I'd like to share some Spring and Easter decoration and inspiration with you.

Of couse the bunnies have to make an apperance at this time of the year. Above is my small collection of vintage candy box bunny containers and below again with some fresh Spring tulips arranged on an old silver tray:

 

Here you see them again but from a wider angle with more background of my parlor:

 

A close up of the glassbox of treasures decorated for Spring:

 

And another sweet bunny nesting in a white paper maché egg:

 

and one under a glass dome:

 

With the bunnies came out my vintage putz sheep like this cute pair with the red collars:

 

and more Spring tulips. From February on I treat myself to a bouquet of  fresh tulips every weekend until they'll start blooming in my garden pots and borders:

 

Soft and deep pink, purple and white are my favorite tulip colors inside and outside.

Another bunny resides under another glass cloche along with some quail eggs and an Easter flash card in the tarnishes silver bowl:

and here is another lamb between a pair of hand painted chicken eggs:

 

and this one stands in front of a mirror decorated with vintage Easter postcards and flash cards:

The transom room divider window is decorated with my silver glitter Happy Easter banner from my friend Madai - see how silver it still is against the Boxwood Cottage banner above it which is dark and tarnished from hanging there all year round. The big pink foil egg container is a vintage flea market find

and so are all the old Easter postcards in this garland:

 

My favorite piece to decorate for any season, so Easter is no exception, is my white mantle:

I'm deeply in love with my plaster bunnies made out of vintage tin chocolate molds. Two of them are made by my talented friend Anja of Matildas Design in Munich. 

This year I also had to decorate some white goose eggs with cut out black bunny silhouettes and I like them so much that I think I'll make some more, what do you think? 

In the middle is another pair of vintage putz sheep this time with blue collars:

I always find it more fun having a pair of each kind wether it's candle sticks, or flower pots, or eggs, or bunnies, birdies and sheep so you can decorate them parallel to each other like I did here on the mantle.

Close ups of my silhouette goose eggs left and right on the mantle

Talking about silhouettes I also rearranged my collection of black framed vintage cut out silhouettes (German Scherenschnitte) in my old transom door lately,

 

since I got send that pretty round silhouette picture with the beautiful domed glass, hanging in the middle, from my flickr friend Sue and because it had no frame I framed it in silver solder scallops. I find it very springy looking with the girls in dresses picking flowers from the meadow:

 

I also soldered a whole bunch of springy double bubble charms:

Since I'm not sure if I'll get around to post again before Easter ( the garden is calling me you kow and we have my mom's birthday coming up and a big family reunion which I organised on Easter Saturday) I'd like to wish you all very happy Easter days with my last picture for today:

 The weather is beautifully sunny here lately and my next April post will be a Spring garden themed one that's for sure! I hope you all have warm Spring weather to enjoy too!

xoxo~ Carola

Linking up with Angie @ Knick of Time Tuesday

Kathleen of Faded Charm @ White Wednesday

Pattie & Paula of Ivy & Elephants @ What's it Wednesday

Debra of Common Ground @ Vintage Inspiration Friday

Karen of the Graphics Fairy @ Brag Monday

❤ Will you be my Valentine? ❤

Sharing some Valentine's day Love with you today dear blogging friends and readers!

 These photos are from a friendship swap I recently did with my friend Anja of Matilda's Design in Munich Germany. Anja sent me her friendship swap parcel already last year, you can see a picture of it on my flickr photostream here. She made me a fabulous white plaster bunny which I will share with you as soon as I'll start my Spring/Easter decorations. She was so nice to leave me all the time I needed to finish her swap so I decided to make a Valentine swap parcel for her. Firstly I created her a trinket box which I filled with a tiny bouquet of pink vintage millinery bead flowers and some vintage German script from old sheet music paper. I soldered the box and gave it a coat of black patina for an antique /aged look.

 I love making pretty packages and wrapped all of her goodies in some of my favorite pink gift wrapping papers from Tilda and a waxed paper bag and embellished it with a sweet toile de jouy tag and a pair of tiny scissors since Anja is a talented seamstress. I also used a paper heart doily and a hand I made from vintage sheet music and the paper I once marbelized. You may remember from my last post that the tutorial for the woven heart Valentine came from dear Ulla over at her Ullabenulla blog.

I further sent her a vintage honeycomb paper bell in the colors of the Italian flag, which I forgot to photograph, since Anja has italian family and also a vintage velvet sewing box which I found on our local fleamarket and thought it should be for a seamstress. It's filled with old sewing supplies and I embellished it with a soldered charm:

 I had great fun painting one of my German paper maché heart boxes and embellishing it with old lace, a silver German Dresden border, vintage tinsel which I put into a heartshape and filled with a silver bird charm to hold the trinket box pendant I made her:

So what do you think, would you like to be my next Valentine? 

Today I'd like to wish all of you my dear readers a very

❤ ~ Happy Valentine's day 2012 ~ ❤

xoxo Carola

Linking up with:
Knick of time Tuesday
White Wednesday
What's it Wednesday 
Share the love Wednesday