I Love Your Blog Award

We were so happy to receive this award from Deb at Hummadeedledee. She is a force of nature in the blogging world, keeping oodles of blogs fresh, picture filled and brimming with good ideas!

Now we would like to nominate seven blogs that we enjoy and hope that you will visit as well. In no particular order, they are:

1. Lambsworld by Linda Freeman. Linda has received this honor before and passed it along to us as well. She is a customer friend of ours, trades ATCs and charms with us, and blogs about so many fun mail art swaps.
2. Luluz. We “met” Lulu through a mutual friend’s recommendation of her blog. Other friends seek her out at the Sand Point Antiques Market and Fremont on Sundays. I get a big kick out of her blog and hope to meet her in person one day soon.
3. Joyworks. Jana Johnson shares design ideas she is doing at the popular shop of the same name in Snohomish, and what she is creating for her own nest. She visits the studio when she can, and we enjoy seeing what catches her eye.
4. Elizabeth Holcombe – Words and Whimsies. We first heard of Beth through her Etsy shop – Beth’s Bagz. I ordered my first Christmas purse with a removable corsage last year. I adore her work. It’s always a treat to see what new treasures she has found.
5. Shed Style by Debra Prinzing. In our former gardening-obsessed lives, we met Debra, a freelance writer and author of numerous and gorgeous gardening books. She has been a fairy godmother to us, and opened many doors to spread the word about the salvage studio.
6. Present Past Collection by Heather Bullard. As a blog “stalker”, I faithfully read her blog and soak up all her stunning style ideas. I have been sort of shy about leaving a comment, but promise to introduce myself as a result of this post.
7. A Happy Miscellany by Lena Staggs. I met Lena years ago at an annual holiday craft show and loved what she created. She was the first one to share some of her favorite blogs with me, which still are my favorites.

It’s hard to list just seven blogs. I am a blog addict!

Beth

Bountiful Junk

While visiting us in Edmonds be sure to pop into town to visit the many other fun and funky shops. One of our favorites is Bountiful Home; owned and operated by Todd Waddell. He has reinvented the former 'Weed Lady' store with elegant and everchanging displays, panache and a touch of junk.





I am speaking of his delicious junk fence. Since he opened the store he has been scrounging, planning and building this junk fence that include a few items from the salvage studio.

Bottle edging

Metal lamp shade turned into planter...plus rusty thing that killed Todd's lawn mower


Hops on bedsprings...maybe that is where the beer bottle edging came from?




Mirrors are lovely in the garden

An incorporated window frame adds whimsy and sparkle

Mix up odds and ends of metal, wood and glass for a terrific look.
Love the fence, Todd! -- Lisa

Extra! Extra! Salvage Studio in the news

Thanks to the Seattle Times for the terrific article about us in the Northwest Home and Life section in Saturday's paper. The studio was hopping today with lots of new faces and plenty of the 'regulars'. Thanks for stopping by.

We love Edmonds!

Mary Kay of the Edmonds Bookshop asked us if we would like to create a window display and showcase our book. Yes, please!

Amy and I installed the 'cozy reading area' display this week and the three of us autographed all of their books. Some of the projects from the books are in the display if you want a closer look.

Thank you Mary Kay. -- Lisa

Garage Victory!

Garage today

This represents hope for junkers everywhere. Today my hubby Raoul was able to park his car in our garage!

Garage in May

Back in May, I challenged myself to get my messy garage dejunked enough to at least get my husband's car inside before late fall, when it starts freezing again. I pecked away at it all summer - working with some of the problem-children-pieces-of-furniture one at a time. Every week I would try to get at least one thing fixed and painted, so it could be ready for the studio. The REStore came in June and picked up some cabinets and doors. I gave some things away. And this morning, I realized with a little shoving around of this and that, I had room for his car. I called him at work and asked him to give me a call just as he was nearing our neighborhood on his way home.

After his call, I waited in the driveway and waved the garage remote opener to him as he drove up. Doesn't he look happy!

There he is pulling his car into the garage. He even stopped to give me a thumbs up.
Now I want to park my car inside too. Stay tuned. -- Beth

Charms, Charms, Charms

Our most popular workshop to date is Charms. Whenever we offer it, it fills quickly, and with really great people. Lisa and I start by showing same samples and offering some instructions. Then we let everyone loose to start collecting their components. We bring oodles of supplies, and are always surprised with the new combinations people create. I joke that we lure them into the studio with a few samples of things, and then gather all sorts of new ideas while we watch the energy escalate.

Here is Barbara flattening a bottle cap.

She had great success as she visualized some challenging people from her past on the top of each cap she smashed. Look at that grin on her face!
This workshop was still cooking at noon, after two hours. We had two Dremels going - one drilling and one sanding. Eventually the party ended. It was a good one! -- Beth

Happy Coincidences, Happy Customers

We love our customer friends, and get a big kick out of it when they start bringing in their friends, family and neighbors on future visits. Here is Val with her lovely mother. It was her mom’s first visit and she found her high school annual among the books for sale at the studio! Here they are with the page showing her picture. What a happy discovery! --Beth

Out and About

Doug and I were on a Sunday drive yesterday and I said, "Hey, let's stop by Barnes and Noble and see if our salvage studio book is on the shelves yet."

Look what we found! Well, we may not have found it exactly in that spot but that is where it ended up after we pulled it off the shelf and looked at it!

There was only one in the store. I hope that means they have been flying out the door.

We didn't have such luck at the other bookstore that begins with a 'B'. I will keep checking and write about them when the time comes. No pressure. -- Lisa

Organizing Event Highlights

We shared the before pictures of our annual organizing event. Here are some of the after shots.

Shelves working while standing up.

Sewing vignette.

Vintage iron stands are now standing message boards. A masher with a clip is now a picture holder.

Paper roll holders from mystery objects.

A wire brush holds pictures well, while a metal thingamajig dispenses twine.

Here's a striking collection from Amy's "black and white and read all over" display.

What a great combination.

We now have our book for sale at the studio! With all three of us at the studio today, we began autographing copies we sold. Our next autograph party will be Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. But of course, you can buy books any Friday or Saturday before then.

Thanks to all our customer friends who visited us today!

What we are up to...

We try to post tidbits on our blog more than once a week. We have a darn good reason why the week zipped by without a little something. Our annual Organizing Event & Sale is this coming Saturday, September 13 at the studio. So we've been busy preparing.

Here's Lisa working on an old window.

Amy is the mastermind of the wonderful displays in our studio.

Here's a shot of some of the new arrivals, with my "friend", the shop vac taking a rest in the middle of it.

Lots of new creations will be waiting for you. Hope to see you bright and early on the 13th! --Beth

Garden Art Galore!

We are always on the lookout for fun ways people decorate their gardens.

Labor Day found us at Colleen's house for an ice cream social. The inside of her house is always a treat for the eyes. She's a retired school teacher, and has a passion for different holidays. So far we've seen her arrays for Christmas, Valentine's, Easter and Halloween. Monday we felt completed, with the viewing of her 4th of July/patriotic displays. The sun came out, so we headed outside.

The white trellis and screen door look great as background props.

Lisa and I want to inherit these fab galvanized barrels.

Great white, chippy, peely columns

Her watering cans look so happy arrayed this way.

And nothing like a good, red toolbox for a planter.

Cheers! Beth & Lisa

Library Fun

We have a really fun relationship with the King County Library System (KCLS). We had a 5-city speaking tour this summer on Garden Art from Found Objects, Salvage and Really Good Junk. We went all over the place spreading the word about 'really good junk'. We recently learned of a KCLS blog post talking about our new book. Thank you to Zina for her kind words. And at the time of this posting there were 10 holds on the 12 ordered books and it isn't even on the shelves yet! Thanks!