RetroBabs Vintage

I joined a new team on Etsy, it is called Etsy Recyclers Guild Team. They are a group of eco-artist and vintage shop owners, they believe in recycling, reuse, re-create, and repurposing. I think our ReMix items will fit right into this Team and we are excited to part of the group. Thanks to Cindy from RetroChalet shop for encouraging us. Here are a pair of earrings made by Retro Chalet. This will give you an idea of the kind of items the team have available. visit: http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d473b58e1416d9179e2690b/feeling-funkyvalentines-gifts-think-out?ref=pr_treasury

I admit it, I have a love affair with linens and vintage fabric. I started the Etsy shop because Bec was always sending me there to buy things for her wedding (July 2010). I began looking around and noticed all the vintage shops and I wanted to buy everything! Bec and I were brainstorming about a project we could do together (besides her wedding preparations) and thus began the shop. We have all sorts of different linen items from bride hankies and aprons to kitchen towels and cafe curtains. We have a product we call REMIX, that is our word for me (Babs) buying the vintage fabric and she(Bec) sewing into another useful item. We love to remix, recycle, repurpose and re-create things. Vintage bride hankies with hand crocheted edges and butterfly. Bec's remix item tablerunner, hand quilted. Vintage strawberry napkins, set of two Vintage Pure Raw Linen Kitchen Towels Handmade crewel work abandoned at a thrift store, Bec remixed it into a child's pillow. ("Now I ...

I love shoes and I couldn't resist making a treasury with all of these vintage shoes!! Bec is partial to the Mary Jane type but I love heels. I think it is the color that draws me in first, then the texture (suede leather, satin, alligator) then the style (strappy, stiletto). If it is vintage then so much the better. ENJOY the eye candy!!

I owned these two wonderful pieces of history. A Viko Baumritter chair and ottoman, both were covered in mustard yellow, Naugehyde-type fabric. The fabric was original to each piece and had a nubby-nylon type feel to it. The chair and ottomnan were made a bit later than some of the standard mid-century modern "big whigs"(Eames, Wegner etc) but they were just as lovely and sturdy. Here is an ad that was taken from the MAY, 1957 ISSUE OF THE AMERICAN HOME MAGAZINE Baumritter furniture was a little less expensive and made for the common man, the suburbanite. I no longer own this chair and ottoman, the mustard color was not my style and I could not bear to change the original fabric. I have heard there is a matching coffee table to these pieces so let me know if you know anything about that. I would love to see a photo of it.

Here is a wonderful Treasury that my dear friend, Marie, from Wear the Heart Is shop on Etsy made to feature our great folk art Nautical Mirror. It is a lovely piece encrusted with shells and faux pearls that was handmade and mounted on a wooden board backing. The nicest thing is that we are in the first position of honor in this Treasury. This means it shows up on all Etsy Treasury searches. Thank you Marie!

Here is a Treasury I made because I love my vintage dishes, I use them every evening at dinner. I especially love Temporama, which is an Atomic pattern and they have survived 50 plus years. I actually own all these patterns, I have a few pieces of each. I hope you have enjoyment with this Treasury as much as I did while making it. I broke the rules and included my clock plate because it is made from the 50 year old pattern Swiss Chalet by Marcrest. I even found some Starburst pattern today at a resale shop. I feel like a treasure hunter. Wooo Hooo

These were supposed to print out with the last blog! 

TaxiDancer has included us in a new Treasury, Kodachrome Coffee Klatch. She featured our Kitchen trivets made out of iron. They have great woman lib funny sayings on them. They made me laugh when I first saw them in an antique store. I thought they were perfect for ETSY.

I would like to give a shout out to OceanSideCastle for putting us in her Treasury entitled Vintage Village Vacation. She included our lovely set of Dish towels, a floral and that special Lobster towel.  Hopefully, it will claw it's way to the top of the Etsy world and become a front page Treasury.

This is a new Treasury I made for the Vintage Etsy Society Street Team of which I am a member.  Every week they make a new theme and challenge for their members -to make a Treasury to match the theme.  This time they wanted us to use 8 new team members, theme Come for Coffee. I chose,  RetroReclaim, WaterBetweenStones, TaxiDancer, AntiqueElegance, A CollectibleCachet, VintageCountryGirls, ZinniaRidge, SilverMagpies, PortRepublic as my 8 shops to feature. http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d2dd834a9d68eef92d7e0f9/backdoor-friends-are-the-bestcome-for I think these are wonderful items from the Treasury and thanks to TaxiDancer for her lovely photo of the dessert plates, SilverMagpies for the serving dish photo and RetroReclaim for the photo of her Bakelite tableware. Go to the Treasury and click and comment and of course buy!

When is it gonna be spring????  Here is a photo of my house outside of Chicago.  I guess I need to shovel.   Good thing Etsy is an online entity so we don't have to go outside! I can't be the only one freezing.  Etsians in Canada must be used to this weather. That's probably why they make lovely scarves and warm winter wear. Check out this warm winter coat from Shoppeand Yore, they are from Buchanan, Michigan and it gets cold in that state!! http://www.etsy.com/listing/58616138/cinnamon-brown-faux-fur-coat-vintage?ref=sr_gallery_29&ga_search_query=vestiesteam&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_page=2&order=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title&filter[0]=vintage Vesties Team have tons of wonderful items for these winter months. How about this faux leopard from Scarletfury shop. It is from the 70s-80s a Tissavel Leopard, faux fur coat. Very nice! http://www.etsy.com/listing/62899169/70s-80s-tissavel-leopard-faux-fur-coat-m?ref=sr_gallery_39&...

My good friend Marie from Wear the Heart Is shop included us in a Treasury called Conversations.  I think it is a wonderful theme and title because she and I have had several conversations over the past few months. One thing I have discovered about Etsy is that it is a community of people helping people.  We want each other to succeed and everyone helps each other out.  Wonderful! http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d28bbbbf2236d91213bef14/conversations Here she featured our Fire King glass dishes, set for 4. Fire King was a contemporary of Pyrex and GlassBake, they all made tempered glass dishes.   Even though they are 50 years old they are still microwave, dishwasher and oven safe. Amazing! We also were included in a Treasury by a new friend -from doeyedchicken. She included our California note pad in her Treasury about Organization.  Thanks so much! http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d28bbbbf2236d91213bef14/conversations At RetroBabs I am trying to change...

NevermorePrimitive has taken a liking to my REMIX clock plate and used it in her Treasury called Replace your winter Blues with Vintage blues. Thanks for including us. http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d27270bf5268eef969c5115/replace-your-winter-blues-with-vintage Also, Lunapurpurie has included us in her Treasury called This  a Man's World..James Brown. She likes our three piece trophy set.  Thanks! http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d26f86b18d16d91a8bb08f9/this-a-mans-worldjames-brown Now I made a sweet Treasury about Valentines Day and my good friend Marie from Wear the Heart Is sold her valentines right away. Lovely! http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d23ab5e2ae38eef04e4541e/love-is-in-the-air-vintage-style?ref=pr_treasury We at RetroBabs hope your New Year is bright and that you Valentines Day is even better!!

Here is a new Treasury from TaxiDancer on Etsy.  She featured our lovely three piece Daisy Collection and everything in the list is only Ten Dollars!!!  Love it. http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d229591f52c8eef16aceda9/treat-yourself-for-a-ten-spot Check it out, comment, click, view, tweet, and then purchase your favorite item.

Here is a new Treasury I made for the New Year.  2001 will be a good year to keep your diet and work out resolutions.  All things vintage and Etsy can help you with your gym work out. How about this exercise equipment from Wear the Heart Is shop on Etsy.  http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d20005222e96d91a30ae7ef/lets-work-outjust-do-it-for-2011

Sometimes one collects what is beautiful, drawn to it like a moth to a flame.  Sometimes one collects because of value as a future investment. Sometimes these lines blur and a beautiful collection turns into a valuable investment. Here is an example of a mid-century modern and vintage glass collection. If you look carefully you will see Murano glass from Italy, Fenton glass, a vintage bowl of marbles and one Murano glass ash tray signed by Alfred Barbini.  Barbini was the premier Murano glass blower in the 1950's.  He made thick heavy objects of art such as ash trays and vases.