Italian Marble Lampshade on vintage alabaster lamp
I'm tiptoeing back to my blog. Jeez it's been ages. We are on Spring break and I actually have time to see if I remember how to use my blog site! Oh ya, just like riding a bike, I think.
It's been 2 years since Covid hit and wow seems like it's been longer. I feel fortunate that I've had my little business to keep me mostly distracted and super busy with folks fixing up the homes and making life cozy. When we got back from spring break in 2020 I had absolutely no idea what the next year would bring. Anyone in a craft business knows it might not be busy now but sooner or later you'll need a good stock of inventory. I pushed on and started working and the orders poured in on my LAMPSHADELADY Etsy shop.
I was concerned that my little pink shop is small, has pretty darn poor circulation and musty being by the river. What to do. So I decided to sell outside on my shop porch unless it was pouring out. I put some shelving, a counter, ordered some cool bar stools from DWR on ebay and moved inventory each day out to the porch. A bit of work but it was fun and actually sold pretty good outside. I continued on thru last fall. Right now I'm keeping an eye on the next variant as to whether to do it again this spring. At this point I'm leaning towards YES, outside again at least on busier days. Of course everyone wanted to see what was inside....as my shop is pretty cute and colorful inside.
I've got older parents so we have tried like heck not to get sick. So far so good. Right now we are going into that gray area of the pandemic when everyone is sick of masking, me too but inside my shop it still feels like a sitting duck despite my new air filter and all. I'm still asking folks to mask up inside and you know how that conversation can go....most appreciate it but will always remember the lady from Ohio---oh we don't wear masks in Ohio....hello, you are in Vermont now.....oh well always a few. I'm sure all shops have some covid stories of the few rotten eggs.
This is the last little pair of candelabra shades I started before break. I just love them. They are not trimmed obviously, but love the unexpected stripe pattern. This is the tail end of this amazing antique french print and I used the fabric going the other way. I only had enough for one going the regular way and wanted a pair....so I switched it up and had a fun surprise. Some of these sweet small cottage print French fabrics are few and far between.
A couple of the end of antique French blue and white print lampshades. The top shade is a hex clip 6" high and 8" bottom. Only one available. The bottom shade is a hex clip top 5" top x 8" bottom x 6" high.There are two in stock at the time of writing, sure they won't last long. End of this sweet print.
The scallop frames is are hard to come by. Wish I could find more. We've all had supply issues over the past years. I've probably ranted about not finding decent grosgrain- corporate America at it's worst. Small grosgrain company bought up by big company drops the line of cotton /rayon grosgrain that most lampshade makers use. Such a bummer. I've been left searching ebay for new old inventory and using 1/2" cotton twill tape which if I had my druthers I would not be using. It goes on smooth but prefer grosgrain any day.
I've been waiting for weeks for a 50 yd roll of pressure sensitive styrene. Weeks. Ordered it back in Nov and only got 20 yds and on closer inspection it was all warped and odd. Bit of the scraps left over on the warehouse floor. It worked with some extra effort of lifting the backing and re-setting. Urgg. Hope it won't be too long a wait. I ordered a few yds from The Lampshop to tide me over; hope they had it in stock.
Before Ukraine was attacked I wanted to support a vendor on Etsy with a nice big sale and some get away money. If you are a follower of mine you know how much I adore vintage embroidery! So I shopped and shopped finding lots of beautiful vintage textiles from this one vendor in Ukraine. I think of her everyday and hope she is safe. I haven't heard anything lately but last time I reached out they were in hiding.
I look forward to using more of the textiles when I get back. This inverted cut corner rectangle is 6" across the top x 11" bottom and 8.5" high. There is embroidery in 4 of the panels. Most of the stash is cross stitch which I don't usually love but the Ukrainians and the Russians do amazing needlework with lots and lots of stitches chose together and almost looks like embroidery.
May peace come soon to the wonderful Ukrainians!
I've been having fun with some bold vintage Chinese block prints. This one has been very popular. I have one in stock right now and hoping to get more made. I've ordered this fabric 3 times and think I got the end of the lot. Very funky. Gives good light as it's got a light back ground. This one is 6" top x 8" bottom and 6" high, clip top. I also have it in a square bell and a size up hex 6x10x7 high clip, too.
Last but not least I am so excited and patiently waiting for a pair of kitties from my friend Sarah, Poppy and Pickles. I lost Molly my shop kitty and Bob my house kitty all in 10 days last October. I first wanted a big fluffy Maine Coon Cat but the more I talked with breeders and followed a FB page of Coon kittens the less I wanted one....I finally came around to wanting 2 sisters kitties for my house. Fortunately my shop neighbor Amy has an adorable kitty that comes to visit me at the shop when she works! Too hard to have a shop kitty.
Here is Pickles! Almost 5 weeks. Can't wait. Kittens! Sure to make us laugh.
Hope you and come up to Pawlet Village and visit the shop.
Hours are 10-5 usually, closed Wed and Sunday. A call is suggested, I have been trying to get a walk in after lunch 1:15-2:15 on sunny days.
Shop telephone 802-325-6308
Etsy Shop: Lampshadeladyhttps://www.etsy.com/shop/lampshadelady I'm always adding new shades or at least trying to.
Thanks for reading my rambles,
xo judy