Congratulations Michigan Grads!
It's graduation weekend at the University of Michigan. On a personal note, our daughter Laura is getting her MSW on Saturday and we couldn't be prouder! Here's a big congratulatory shout-out to Laura and to all those who are moving on - best wishes from all of us at FOUND.
It's been a popular week for cards and inspiration prints, with our manifesto cards from Holstee among the most popular.
An abridged version - This is your Life. Do what you love and do it often. If you don't like something change it. If you don't have enough time, stop watching TV. Start doing things you love. Stop over analyzing. Life is simple. Travel often. Life is about the people you meet and the things you create with them. Life is short. Live your dream and share your passion. A great message for grads and for the rest of us, too.
Over at the Hostee.com website, people are sharing their stories and folks are getting involved in all kinds of ways to make the world a better place. An article in the Refreshed section even includes a snippet about Urban Ashes.
It's a week for looking back and looking ahead. Embrace the transition.
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Continue reading
Over at the Hostee.com website, people are sharing their stories and folks are getting involved in all kinds of ways to make the world a better place. An article in the Refreshed section even includes a snippet about Urban Ashes.
It's a week for looking back and looking ahead. Embrace the transition.
.
Continue reading
Lots of little things have been added to the shop this month. Right now at FOUND, you can find about a dozen old compacts with mirrors tucked into one of the drawers. Little purses. Little jewelry findings and charms. And other little doodads for crafting. Some tiny baskets to hold tiny little things:
More game pieces for crafting, buttons, scrabble letters, tiny little doll parts, and watch parts, and magnets.
We even found small metal hooks shaped like little hands to hang your jewelry from - I forgot to take a photo of those, so I'll show you the new spool style wall hooks we got from the same Dallas-based company instead:
Back to small things - I found a couple little wooden houses, that perhaps some urban fairies would like to inhabit.
When you stop by, be sure to look for the little urban fairy door in our hallway. At night the fairies come and create wonderful things in their special urban fairy workshop....
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Color your Easter eggs with all natural dye this year. We have the kit to make it easy and fun! Non-toxic, child-safe botanicals combine to make pastel or brilliant colors. We're excited to now offer watercolor paint sets from this eco-friendly company, too.
Hop on over to FOUND in Ann Arbor's Kerrytown - find decorative bunnies and fun little things for your Easter baskets!
The package claims these Royalty vintage hair nets are "fit for a queen!". At FOUND, the latest editions to our charm and pendant collection are what we think a queen or your mother might want more. But, whether you have a use for a real hand-made human hair net or not, the packaging is classic vintage beauty shop kitsch. And so they are displayed right along-side some of our new jewelry collection.
From left to right are a few of the new pendants: an hourglass, Eiffel Tower, lucky shamrock, mini birdcage and teeny tiny magnifying glass (which really magnifies!). These pendants are only $14 each. They come with a well designed easy release clasp toggle. The miniature hourglass and magnifying glass might be just be perfect for our fairy-sized friends as well....
Other pieces from the same company include letters to form initials or special words. We spelled out LOVE on a charm bracelet.
We still have Nunn Design Patera findings to make your own customized charms and pendants. And found little word charms to add to your jewelry. The necklaces below are complete and ready to wear, but we also got the component tiny word charms for those of you who prefer to assemble your own.
As always, FOUND is open 7 days a week, in the historic Kerrytown Market & Shops. 407 N. 5th Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
P.S. broken watch parts are back in stock if you like to craft with them.
Went on a quick vintage buying trip for FOUND at the end of February. Then March came in like the proverbial lion - with plenty of snow and ice in Ann Arbor. Today was a sunshiny day, nice and cozy by the windows. Cozy like this furry little mohair cub at the shop.
We've been busy adding lots of older things to FOUND lately. Here are some of my favorite finds. The outfit on this vintage doll looks like she was a working girl or traveling in style - with her wool tweed jacket and felted hat, and red shoes to compliment the ensemble! But she got pretty dirty along the way - wonder what adventures she had and where she's been. Her owner clearly didn't leave her sitting on a shelf.
Here's a little purse she may have carried - or it could have been carried by the little girl that owned her. It's fun to hang little coin purses in a grouping on the wall - or incorporate them into artful assemblages. I don't mind that they are a bit rusty. Do you?
These antique baby dolls definitely have "condition problems" - peeling skin, crazed composition, crazy hair, discoloration - but there's something about seeing them up on the shelf that makes me smile, knowing each was once some little girl's special dolly.
I found this bright eyed bisque doll and a bunch of odd doll parts, like extra legs and arms that could be used in projects.
Some antique dolls have glass eyes that are haunting. This doll is composed of a variety of materials, with straw filled arms and legs that are disintegrating....
Tiddledy Winks? Tiddley Winks? Whatever you call it, the image on this box is wonderful. And it come with bakelite "winks".
Other children's finds include a few trucks, doll suitcase, lots of lead soldiers, a group of mohair puppets, some antique ABC blocks and more. Stop in soon to see what we've found!
Laurie from Stories & Divinations brought in a wonderful selection handcrafted valentine. We have a half dozen new styles of valentine cards from her this year. Love the one signing L-O-V-E!
I love it when we have little gifties that are made right here in Ann Arbor - like these hand-stitched hearts made with vintage felted blanket wool. Great to attach to a package with a little present for your sweetheart on February 14th!
I always look for old skeleton keys. They are getting harder to find these days.... but I found some! Just in time for Valentine's Day. Tie a key to your heart with a red ribbon to a handwritten love note....
A mother and daughter bought spoon rings at FOUND and texted this photo - what a great Valentine's gift idea!
Spell out messages with scrabble letters - who wouldn't love to be greeted by this at breakfast?
The last few weeks, we've been restocking the shop and have lots of great jewelry and gifts for your sweetie. Our fresh batch of cashmere scarves made from recycled sweaters will keep your valentine cozy and warm. Another thing I especially like are the stamp sets with hearts - great for making your own cards or decorating gift wrap any time of year. Our new order of red sealing wax and heart shaped stamps arrived in time for Valentines Day, too.
When I was in Illinois last month, the owner of the Fairbury Antique Mall gave me the valentine postcard above. She'd set it aside, knowing that I would appreciate it. I do! That sweet gesture reminded me that valentine's day is a great time to pass around the love with little unexpected surprises.
Happy Valentine's Day to all of you from FOUND!