Collecting .... Beads, Felt, Sequins

Beads, felt, sequins .... they just make me happy.  I love a winter white aesthetic too, but just can't seem to go that way in my own decorating.  I'd miss my child-like kitsch too much.  I'm a kid at heart I think. I love the wack-a-doodle world of over the top beaded ornaments, stockings, and wall hangings.  And I found out the hard way how long it actually takes to make a beaded ornament.  A couple of years back I thought I'd whip up a couple of "simple spheres" myself.  I gave up after 1 hour and only a third of an ornament done.  Plus it was kind of painful pushing in all of those pin heads.  Yes, I'm an impatient baby.  After that experience, I decided it was much simpler and definitely more fun to hunt them down at estate sales and church bizarres.  

I really love anything with the beaded felt or sequins.  The napkin rings above were a gift from my dear friend Sharon who knows all about my love of the merry kitsch!  I use them currently as a stacked tree topper on one of my tabletop sized trees.  I'd never actually use them as napkin rings as I'd be too afraid they would get smudged up with gravy or some such horror.  

The giant beaded ornaments directly behind the Noel angels were found by Mr. Moxie for me this summer while on a Michigan road trip.  I could tell he was super pleased to present them to me at the time.  He loves it when he finds something that will make me smile.  And I love that about him.   Any man who loves to make his wife happy with vintage treasures has to be a GOOD man!!! 

 When it comes to the ornaments I love finding the figurals the best as it seems they are the hardest to find.  Followed closely by simple round spheres.  I love how they look piled up in a bowl.  Someday when I find enough I might do a big tree in just beaded ornaments but for now I do a small white tabletop tree in them and they really pop off of the white nicely!

The chubby santa in the lower right corner was a thrilling find this year.  He is nicely detailed.  I rescued him out of a box of mostly non-interesting ornaments at a summer estate sale.  For a quarter!  Woo hoo.  I often see these ornaments for sale on ebay but just am not interested in procuring them via an online auction.  It is much more satisfying to dig around at sales and find a handful of new ones each year to add to my collection. 

We do up our big douglas fir real tree in all glass and celluloid ornaments.  I'll try to get some photos of it next.  Happy decorating to you!

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