Toy Pin Giveaway Winner + Special Announcments

A winner is chosen! Random.org has selected #26, Nancy! Congratulations Nancy, I will e-mail you about your prize!

I wanted to take this time to answer a frequently asked question: I'm always open to giveaway possibilities. Got something you want to giveaway on Thrift Core? Well please let me know!

Advertising for March: I still have advertising space available for March. I would love to help you promote your blog or online business. Send me an e-mail if you're interested.

When you advertise on Thrift Core you get full access to me, a  very experienced and responsive web marketer. Want proof? E-mail any of my sponsors to the right and ask about my services, they've got my back! ;)

Tomorrow I'm introducing you to some very special friends that support Thrift Core and are helping me in so many ways, I hope you'll come back and read all about them!

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Painting Vintage Finds: What Colors Would YOU choose?

I've been hard at work crafting and painting merchandise in the proverbial batcave these days. My business partner Rosaly painted the trio of owls above in colors she's found people gravitate towards. They turned out beautiful and they look gorgeous in her antique store booth at Southern Crossing!

These are the chalkware owls in their original colors; this type of item isn't as desirable as they used to be. Like I said in the last painting vintage post, sometimes when a vintage item won't sell, a coat of paint is what it needs to finally move off the shelves. I painted a large owl that wouldn't move white and it finally sold- and I have requests for more!

So here I am with a collection of cute critters waiting for paint. Should I paint them all white? Should I paint them in colors that match my brand or in colors I feel people will like?

What would you do? How do you feel about painting vintage items? Original or new colors? The debate continues!

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Thrift Haul: Rainbow Colors, President Day Sales, and Trades

I only hit up one thrift store this week, instead focusing on organizing the beast mess in my apartment and working on everything else I needed to get caught-up on! I scooped up a couple of things I'd been wanting for during the President's Day Sale. You'll remember the kitty tin from my first What I Didn't Buy (at the Thrift Store) post!

This adorable Jr. Miss Knitting Basket has all the original pieces intact! I love the very 50s illustrations. I did a vintage trade with my friend Nicole to obtain this one and the kitchen notebook below. I enjoyed using my dollar store magic eraser to clean it from beige to bright white!

I just love the color and whimsy of this vintage kitchen notebook, it's in great shape, too!

I've always liked vintage tv trays like this. I bought this one to add some levels to my antique store booth.

A perfect find for this embroidery and tea lover. Too damn cute.

This suitcase isn't technically a thrift find from the week. I "rediscovered" it while cleaning out my hallway closet. It's filled to the brim with copy paper. I knew that paper was around here somewhere!

And here we have the cute Sanrio tin I shouldn't have bought. But it was on clearance, how could I resist? 

This rainbow blanket with purple Fringe was a fun find, too. I love it as a backdrop for pictures.

It's another Yuko-approved blanket! Remember, everything pictured is for sale! Send me an e-mail if you'd like anything in this post. It would help me hit my organization goals for the week! ;)

What did you find this weekend?

Linked to: [Thrift Share Monday] [The Penny Worthy Project] [Flea Market Finds].

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Sunday Goals Week Nine: Time to Get Organized! (Like Batman!)

Last Week's Goals:  1. Finish Graphic Designs for my clients. 2. Finish hand-drawn button design project. 3. Complete 1 ebook rough draft  4. List at least 50 items on Etsy. Try for 100. 5. Progress on my children's illustration & pillow projects.

I'm reporting live from the Old Skool Junk art studio again! We got rained out of a second garage sale, so instead I shall make as much jewelry as possible, donate what I didn't sell, and hang with some old buddies that are in-town.

It was another busy and productive week, and I've trashed my home in the process. I'm going to focus on organizing every last supply and bit of merchandise I own. My apartment is going to be as sleek and effective as Batman's utility belt once I've finished!

Goals February 19 to February 26:

1.  Buy mini plastic storage bins, label, and store all supplies within.
2.  Go through remaining stock and deep purge for another yard sale.
3.  Spend two days hardcore apartment hunting.
4.  File taxes and file paperwork.
5.  Apartment deep-clean and streamlining.

Weeklies: ebook planning, brick & mortar business plan, grant search, DIYs, children's book line, jewelery making, blog refining, listing items for ebay and craigslist. (LOTS! I love being busy!)

Tell me your goals, join the party!



What have you got planned for the week? Let's share and keep each other on-track!

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Tip for Conquering Fear: Don't Let it Keep You From Your Dreams

I want to do what you do, but I'm afraid. I get this comment all the time in e-mails, blog comments, from friends and family. I hear that you're scared to start a blog, keep blogging, resell vintage online or offline, start selling in an antique store booth, quit the day job, or start your own brick and mortar shop.

None of that is scary! You know what's scary?

Yesterday I contemplated going back to the office life. There was a very unique web marketing job available, it was the kind of work I shine at. It was a prestigious position. But they were only offering the position full-time. I'd have to quit all my progress with my dreams just when it was building momentum. I didn't take the job.

Life's too short not to pursue your dreams. You're going to fail along the way. You might fail dozens of times along the way, but you can't let that scare you away. Stand up, brush yourself off, and try again. Keep trying and you will make it.

Go forth and work on accomplishing your dreams today.

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Thrift Core Giveaway: A Rainbow of Dinosaur and Bug Pins!

I've been hard at work crafting behind-the-scenes using one of my favorite things to thrift for: colorful toys. I'm creating a plethora of toy-themed accessories for antique store booths, future craft shows, and my upcoming new-and-improved Etsy shop. The first collections I'm happy to show off are my Dinosaur and Bug Pins!

They're like a tropical skittles bag of rainbow toy fun! They appeal to the kid in me who collected bugs and longed to be a Biologist...until my dreams were pulverized by soul-crushing Algebra class. Damn you, Algebra. For this giveaway I'm offering one winner their choice of one bug pin and one dinosaur pin.

Giveaway Rules:   In order to enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite craft! What do you enjoy creating the most? (Can include drawing, writing, anything creative.) Include your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

For Extra Entries: You know the drill! Leave a separate comment for each action you perform so they count as extra entries.

- Follow the Thrift Core blog (you are here!)
- Follow Thrift Core on Facebook
- Follow Thrift Core on Twitter
- Tweet About This Giveaway
- Stumble This Post

All of the pins pictured are For Sale. Drop me a line and let me know what critter you would like and I'll send it your way for a mere $5.00, free shipping in the USA! All pins pictured and many more fun toy accessories will be available on Etsy in the near future.

Good Luck! I'll announce the winner of the giveaway right here on the blog on Wednesday, February 29, 2012.

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Thrifty DIY: Chalkboard Organizing Jars- With Comics!

I love using jars to organize small office and craft supplies like buttons, paper clips, and my plethora of tiny toy and random crafting bits. These chalkboard jars make organizing even easier, and the comic book decoupaged lids blind your eyes with pleasing, retina searing color!

First, clean your jars. You may have to soak the jars in warm water to remove some of the stubborn adhesive from the labels. Not even goo gone could eradicate some of those stubborn bits of label glue!

Next, use tape to mark up where you're going to paint, then fill in your squares. You'll need to apply 3 to 4 coats on the glass for this to work, letting the paint dry completely between applications. I recommend using the roll-on chalkboard paint, not the spray paint type.

The plain lids needed flair, so I spray painted them with Krylon spray paint. Once dry,  I cut out pages from a spare comic I got from Free Comic Book Day and glued it to the lids with 3M Spray Mount adhesive.

I finished off the lids by spraying it with Krylon Kamar Varnish. You can use modpodge, glue, or any other adhesive you have around. Plain white elmer's glue would work perfectly to both glue the page down and seal the top.

Start saving your empty pasta sauce and salsa jars if you want a colorful collection of organizing jars of your own to play with. I'm going to try selling this set at my Treasure House and Southern Crossing antique mall booths. 

 

How do you keep your supplies organized? Do share your creative organization ideas! I have lots of craft bits to keep in order.

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Thrift Haul: Four Fleas, Three Thrifts, and Tons of Toys

Last week was a whirlwind of creating, thrifting, and making a damn big mess. That's the best kind of thrifting and crafting! I hit up three thrift stores and four flea markets to yield a beautiful array of toys, merchandise, and more. I found everything I was looking for and even some things that have been on my to-find list for months!

I'm collecting Made in Japan goodies for an Etsy shop I'm going to relaunch so scooped up the four pots. I've been hunting for alphabet blocks like these for a while and finally found a big pile of them. Couldn't resist Crazy Eye Squirrel either. He's trippin' out, man!

I'm staging a vintage barware scene at my Southern Crossing Antique Mall booth to celebrate St. Patrick's day, so I scooped all of these cups up for a good deal.  I especially love the vintage pitcher.

And who can resist a couple of pretty Samsonite train cases? They cleaned up nicely and the insides are in good shape.

I'm doing tons of toy crafting behind-the-scenes (I'll show you what I've been up to soon) and had to restock on toys .Here you'll see neon cowboys and Indians and tons of army men. Also pictured, a tiny suitcase, picnic basket, and trio of lovely old thermoses.

Speaking of toys, had to grab this in-the-package Power Rangers mini transforming tooth brush! Only fifty cents. I'm not sure if I should attempt to sell it or take it out of the package and use it for sleepovers! (You're never too old for sleepovers. Come on over, we'll make a blanket fort and watch cartoons!)

Yuko is investigating a made in Japan bear, cue little girl planter,  art prints by "Huppe", and a pretty 50s sewing box of jewelry box thing I found for a song.

And even more toys! The View Master here is loaded with a Super Mario Brother's (from the live action portion of the TV show) 3D slide! I'll have to try to scan them someday. I bought a couple of decks of cards for packaging things and the little metal basket pictured, too. I love to use them fro retail staging.

I also found a couple of adorable purses and a little bunny change bank. I'm a little tempted to keep the Swiss style purse and rabbit, I'm a big bunny fan.

I got this whole haul of Ugly Dolls from the flea market fro $3.00 total! I've drooled over the displays of these dolls in my favorite toy stores for years, never daring to buy one, but always lusting for one.

They match the living room perfectly and make a fun alternative to throw pillows on my mod couch.

This pretty vintage blanket isn't bad as a table cloth! It would also make a cozy picnic blanket. Yuko seems to like it, maybe it will be a Yuko blanket! She doesn't have one of her own yet.

That wasn't even single thing I found this weekend, but you'll be seeing more in before and after and crafting posts. I have tons planned this week, so it's time for me to get back to work!

Remember, everything pictured is for sale. Drop me a line if you're interested in anything pictured in these thrift haul posts. I'll give you a good deal.

What did you find this weekend?

Linked to: [Thrift Share Monday] [The Penny Worthy Project] [Flea Market Finds].

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Sunday Goals Week Eight: Gettin' that Money and Staying Busy!

Last Week's Goals: 1. Finish Graphic Designs for my clients. 2. Finish hand-drawn button design project. 3. Complete 1 ebook rough draft (any ebooks you'd like to see?) 4. Finish bagging small ticket merchandise & their displays. 5. Progress on my children's illustration & pillow projects. (You'll see soon enough! 

This Week I.... made hundreds of dollars worth of small ticket merchandise, made over 100 pieces of jewelry, refreshed my antique store booths, plotted and planned, and scored goodies worth more hundreds at the flea markets. Next week will be just as busy as I prepare to set up a booth at Art Walk next month and get this merchandise listed on Etsy and tagged and placed in my antique store booths!

Recognize the studio in the photo above? It's the Old Skool Junk art studio! We're working together to bring the world hundreds of colorful accessories!

Goals February 19 to February 26:

1. Finish Graphic Designs for my clients.
2. Finish hand-drawn button design project.
3. Complete 1 ebook rough draft
4. List at least 50 items on Etsy. Try for 100.
5. Progress on my children's illustration & pillow projects.

Weeklies: Apartment hunt, brick & mortar business plan, 1 DIY, refine blog, e-mail clear-out, general organization, 50 items listed

Share Your Goals for the Week:

We're getting close to the 10th week of the year already! How are you progressing on goals and resolutions?

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

What I Didn't Buy at the Flea Market: Celebrity Sighting

I usually do a What I Didn't Buy at the Thrift Store post, but I've been hitting up the flea market more lately. It's time to show some of the hilarious horrors I leave behind while flea hunting. But first, I do have to show off a Goodwill celebrity sighting!

I was innocently parousing the aisles when the bright glistening scintilla of 1,000 blinding suns scorched my eyes! I was held entranced by the magnitude of what I was witnessing! I saw the glittery beauty of...

Seen anything interesting at the flea markets and thrift stores lately? What do you have trouble leaving behind?

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.

Cleaning Your Thrifted Finds: Tools from the Dollar Store

The best thrift store bargains often come with dirt, grime, and stains. You have to dig to the bottom of decades-old boxes to find your sticky prize! A damp cloth or soak in warm water is usually sufficient, but sticky old tape glue, permanent marker, grease pins, and stubborn stains sometimes take extra effort.

I thought I'd try out some dollar store tools to clean up my vintage finds. They're pictured above and include a Quick Eraser (generic "Magic Eraser"), Goo Gone, and two cute nail brushes.

A lightly moistened Quick Eraser scrubs off annoying price stickers and residue with ease. It's perfect for cleaning up hard plastic vintage items, but be careful using them on painted glass and tin. It can scrub the paint right off the item! 

Goo Gone is good for cleaning up residue from very stubborn old tape and labels.You can use it to "polish" glass or plastic and get it nice and shiny like new. As a bonus, it leaves a clean citrus scent behind. Yum!

The cute little nail brushes are good for scrubbing dirt and crime that gets between grooves and general cleaning. I think I'll try using them on my nails next because they get filthy when I get down and dirty hunting fr good vintage!

You don't have to pay a lot for tools to clean your vintage finds. Just shell out 1 to 3 bucks at the dollar store. What do you use to clean up your vintage finds?

Daily thrifting updates, information, & Inspiration: Follow Thrift Core on Twitter and Facebook.