This Thursday evening, FOUND is hosting a jewelry making workshop.  This is what we're making: But the beauty of this 3 hour class is that the techniques can easily be applied to other projects!  More info and registration in our foundgallery workshop tab.  Thursday, Oct. 18, 6:15. $38, includes all materials       Continue reading

Here's the recipe for the yummy pumpkin bars I made for our Autumn Open House.  My mom has been making this recipe for family gatherings for years.  thanks Mom! Beat together 1 c. oil, 4 eggs, 1  2/3 c. sugar, 1  15 oz can pumpkin until light and fluffy. Add 2 c. flour, 2 t. baking powder, 1 t. baking soda, 1 t. salt, 1  1/2 t. cinnamon.  Mix thoroughly.  Spread batter into greased 15x10x1 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Cool.  Frost with cream cheese icing. Cream Cheese icing:  Cream together 3 oz softened cream cheese, 1/2 c. softened butter.  Stir in 1 t. vanilla.  Add  2 c. powdered sugar, a little at a time, beating well, til mixture is smooth. A wonderful autumn treat! Continue reading

Come to FOUND on Sunday, October 7th for Cider & Pumpkin Treats!   At the Open House, you'll get a little Halloween ornament with purchase.  There will be special savings on all Fall decor.  And you can enter to win a gift basket filled with Halloween goodies!  As the autumn leaves begin to fall, FOUND is filled with whimsical halloween decorations, harvest colored wreaths, pumpkin & spiced apple scented candles and potpourri, felted wool jacket pins, owls of many varieties, Urban Ashes frames, art from antique tin, jewelry from Michigan artists and so much more!         Don't forget that our Annual Old Stuff Sale continues through Oct. 29th.  30% off all vintage and antique merchandise in stock.   Hope to see you soon!   . Continue reading

  I've been traveling a lot the last couple months -  the transportation options illustrated on the antique child's easel are sweet images, but I'm thankful for modern air travel and my trusty van.  Between trips, we changed things up at FOUND, filling the shop with Fall colors.  Though I love summer, the Autumn palette is probably my favorite. Just a simple touch of orange or yellow can add a happy note to a room.  Like these fun striped balls or the yarn wrapped "candy corn" trees above. Just in is the new collection of tagua nut jewelry in fabulous fall shades. The texture of burlap works well as an Autumn accent.  How do you like this doorknob flower with burlap petals?  Now there's an idea for a fun fall project.  We have nice burlap runners and ribbons in stock.  They transition well into the holidays with a rustic theme.  Check out our latest selection of the Burlap Boutique bags made from recycled coffee bags. These metal birds are a great accent year round: Need some old bailing wire for a project?  We have some - wrapped around the barrel above.  Gotta look closely to see what we have for sale! There is more that I wanted to show in this post, but I just realized I didn't take photos of the fall decorative candles or potpourri or Halloween things before I left town this time....  I'll need to get my camera out when I return to Ann Arbor later this week.  I'm bringing back some interesting vintage treasures, too.         . Continue reading

Faces and gears from old watches are great for collage/assemblage and upcycled jewelry projects.  Whenever I find them, they sell out almost immediately.   So I was pretty excited when I recently found a source in Chicago who can keep FOUND well stocked! Our watch faces are priced individually (mostly $2-$3), plus we have mixed gears and parts for $5 per bag.  These are the real deal salvaged from broken vintage watches, not the new (made to look old) ones that you can find at Hobby Lobby and craft stores... Not creative or skilled enough to make your own jewelry from these parts?  Well, we can help you out with that, too!  For some time, Detroit artist Rena Hopkins has been designing terrific steampunk pieces that incorporate antique bits and bobs from broken watches.  You may remember her work from the eco-funky show we hosted last Spring - her earrings and necklaces were so popular at that show that we brought her back! Rena, aka The Divine Iguana, also creates her own designs on game pieces.    Time keeps on tickin', tickin', tickin'....into the future. gonna fly like an eagle... do you remember that song???  I think I'll go google the lyrics Warm regards, Mary Continue reading

I can't take my mind off fairies lately. There are many kinds of fairies, including woodland fairies, flower fairies and tree fairies.  Probably the most famous fairy is Tinkerbell. What has intrigued me lately are Urban Fairies. I've been checking out the Urban Fairies website and consulting with Jonathan Wright, an expert fairyologist (located in Ann Arbor, but consulted by the media worldwide) hoping to understand some odd additions to the bay window at my shop. We're both puzzled.  It appears that fairies are creating what will be a workshop or garage or headquarters or something.... What is strange is that while there is a little door in front, this project is HUGE and has what look like BIG barn or garage doors on the end. Fairies usually don't like big or exposed areas, preferring to protect their privacy... I've been aware of the presence of fairies in Kerrytown since I opened seven years ago. Some live in the clock bell tower and can be seen  flittering around the clock face if I leave the building late at night. I've seen evidence that they like to explore  at FOUND when no one is there - so sometimes I leave little trinkets for them in a jar by my desk. Here are a few photos. Who knows what's next??? Above: looks like a fairy door.   Below: does NOT look like a fairy door...   Below below: some stuff they left in the window.     So, what's going on???  I'll keep you posted, but in the meantime, let me know if you have any ideas. p.s. there is one vehicle associated with an urban fairy that uses an alternative fuel - Vernors     Continue reading

  These 100 degree days call for refreshing drinks.  Add plenty of ice and stir things up with a vintage swizzle!  Very inexpensive - these are just 20 cents each at FOUND.  Mostly from hotels and resorts. Continue reading

  Stop by FOUND this week for our annual Hooray for the Red, White & Blue special, where any item with even a speck of red, white OR blue in it is 15% off.  We'll be closed on the 4th, but this sale will go through Saturday, July 7th. Here are a few vintage things we've brought into the shop lately. Just about everything fits that red, white OR blue criteria! This early 1900's First Aid box came with original emergency instructions. Old red paint on handmade case. Vintage metal horse. If you're in Ann Arbor this week, stop by FOUND!        Continue reading

Even though I know that Summer officially begins June 20 or 21st, I usually think of it being "summer" around Memorial Day, so decided take a peak at what The Old Farmer's Almanac had to say about it.  Nowdays, www.almanac.com is the quick way to check out what that age-old reference has to say.  The sun will reach its farthest point north of the equator at 7:09 p.m. on June 20, 2012 in our time zone (EDT).  According to the Old Farmer's Almanac: "the word solstice is from the Latin solstitium, from sol (sun) and stitium (to stop), reflecting the fact that the sun appears to stop at this time (and again at the winter solstice)."   On the day of summer solstice, the northern hemisphere has more sunlight that any other day.  On our calendars, the Summer Solstice is marked as the first day of summer, but some would argue that it is more correctly MID-summer.  And climatologists use "meterorological" seasons, with summer beginning on June 1st. No matter, it's summer on June 20th in Ann Arbor!  It's great to have the trees and flowers in bloom.  The Ann Arbor Summer Festival is in full swing.  The 4th of July and then Art Fairs can't be far behind! And in my yard, the geraniums and petunias are adding a burst of color.  I love to use traditional annuals for pops of color mixed in with my hostas and other perennials.  Later in the summer huge red canna flowers will tower over this scene - right now they are just greenery.  If you look closely, you can see the vintage stuff I use as planters. Old tins and wooden boxes make great planters!  And they look good next to standard clay pots.   An old truck drove into the flower bed. My daughter planted tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and zucchini in an old watering trough.  The zucchini is winning.... I got this trough and another one at a spring farm auction - the better one is at the shop right now.  It would be great to fill with ice and cold drinks for large gatherings! Another thing we have is a small selection of door mats.  This is one I took home with me - have a couple more like it at FOUND. I took these photos around 8:30 tonight and the light is a bit dusky, but I hope you enjoyed seeing MY front yard. Enjoy these long summer days!     Continue reading

It's fun to add vintage touches when decorating your home.  We really like pottery from the 1930's and 40's with simple shapes and glazes.  Numbers and letters from old signs are also great accents.  A bowl, wire basket or antique counter jar filled with crocquet or pool balls adds colorful interest to a room.  We usually add a quick coat of clear Briwax to clean them up and bring out the natural color of the wood and old paint. When I found it, this cast iron sundial was pretty rusty.  It's another piece that benefitted from a buffing with Briwax to bring out the patina (and seal the rust). This sundial is embossed with a wonderful old saying: Grow old along with me - the best is yet to be.  Set in the garden properly, it will do a good job of keeping time.  At FOUND, we're bringing in more vintage treasures every week this summer.  Stop by soon to see what we've found! .. Continue reading