Love seashells! I am a beach girl. It is hard to go to the beach and there are no more  shells on the beaches in Southern California. One of my favorite memories is of my husband diving off the rocks at  El Morro Trailer park in Laguna Beach in the 1970′s for abalone. I loved the abalone and I loved the shells.

I started making seashell mirrors after a visit to my mom’s house in Kona, Hawaii. She gave me a large bucket of old seashells and each one was more beautiful than the other. It was so many shells and I wanted a fun way to display them. One day shopping in Kona we came upon an art gallery with wonderful seashell mirrors. They were gorgeous and very expensive.

When I got back to San Diego I started searching thrift stores  for old mirrors. I bought several different types of mirrors. Remember, I had no idea what I was doing or how to give my mirrors something different!

First thing I learned is about glue and adhesives. All are not created equal. Everything I learned the hard way. Unfortunately, no one shares their secrets about glue. Don’t use a glue gun. Disastrous results were to be had. Practice and test different glues. I have my formula now and it is now my secret.

Next, is the frame. Pick a flat surfaced frame. Make sure it is joined together tightly. Seashells are heavy. If it is wobbly, it probably needs to be re glued. This is not difficult. All you need is some great wood glue and some clamps. Make sure it drys thoroughly. Over night is best. Put the hanger on the back before putting the seashells on. If you try to put the hanger on after you finish the seashell frame, I promise you broken seashells. I like heavy duty wire and eye hooks that are sunk into the back of the frame with wood glue.

Layout the seashells first. I always use more than I think. I always use some kind of scallop shells in the back. I am very fond of using Mexican Flat Scallop shells.  They are very pretty red color and sturdy. I buy them online and they are cheap. I buy a lot of seashells at garage sales and at thrift stores. I love to intermingle starfish, coral and dried seahorses too.

I love to add sparkle to my mirrors by adding pearls and rhinestones. I use  old jewelry accent my mirrors. It gives me a chance to use that antique earring that does not have a match or the rhinestone brooch that is missing stones. I have always hated throwing away these beautiful old pieces. Now, I have given them a new life on a mirror. When sunlight or candlelight hits the mirror the jewels sparkle and add magic to the mirrors.

I  love to craft not only the beautiful mirrors but also seashell clocks, boxes and topiary trees on old glass candlesticks. Each shell tells a story. I have several books on seashells. Part of the fun is finding out where the shells came from and wondering how they got here. I have always thought of seashells as Mother Earth’s jewelry. So, between her jewelry and mine, we create something magical and I know you can too.

When  I think about all the mistakes I have made antiquing,  I get a kinda sick to my stomach feeling.  Then, it travels up to my head and causes it to hurt too.  What has lead me to make all the mistakes? Sometimes,  it has been being in a big hurry and not looking at the merchandise carefully.  Other times, it has been greed. What if someone else buys it and I miss the purchase of a lifetime?  Another common mistake for me is vanity. I refuse to put on my glasses because really should a person as vital as me have to be dependent on eyeglasses?  Usually, it  is because I have not done my homework and have bought a fake, reproduction or something that is not what I thought it was.  I feel a headache coming on.

“The Niihau Shell Necklace Disaster.”

My mom lived  on the Big Island of  Hawaii for many years and had a antique store on the Mamaloa Highway. It was in an old coffee shack and it was pretty terrific. It was my first exposure to Hawaiian antiques. The people who collect Hawaiiana are very particular and can spot a fake from 50 yards.  My mom got to be quite an expert on all things Hawaiian.  I thought it was genetic, apparently, I was wrong.  After one summer in Hawaii with Mom working with her in the antique store I felt I was ready to buy and sell Hawaiiana.  One afternoon poking around my favorite junk store (AmVets) I came across a mixed bag of seashell necklaces.  Everything is stapled close at AmVets so it was difficult to tell but I was sure I saw Niihau Shell Necklace.  I bought the bag of shells for 7.95.  I was so excited I opened the bag in the car.  I saw the tiny shells and went crazy.

Perhaps now would be good time to define a Niihau Shell Necklace. This is a necklace made from tiny seashells only found on the Niihau Island in Hawaii. If you are not Hawaiian you cannot even go to this island.  The necklaces are very expensive and highly prized by collectors. Some are multi-stranded, others are long (wedding leis) and others are colorful.  Look them up online, they are spectacular. At this point I had only seen them in the museum in Hawaii.  Hardly an expert  but I had the fever. My necklace had 12 strands and was very fragile. I called my mom in Hawaii and told her about my find. She told me she would look at it at the holidays.  I could not wait to sell it that long. Is she crazy?

I listed it on Ebay…  Did you know there is a Niihau police? These people are crazier than me.  I believe everyone of them contacted me. I listed it with an opening bid of $49.99.  By the end of the first day I had over 100 watchers, threatening emails and bids over $800.00. Now, I was getting a little alarmed. Are there people dumber than me? Or, am I a genius buyer? Yes, I sold it and shipped it back to a buyer in Hawaii. Awaiting feedback, I received an email from the buyer screaming fake, fraud and liar. The buyer had taken the necklace to a real expert and found out it was a fake. I returned her money and she returned the necklace in pieces. I found out that The Phillipines have been churning out fake Niihau necklaces since the end of World War II. All the servicemen brought them home to their sweethearts after the war. Who knew?  Well, I should of done my homework.  I ended up with egg on face. I had to beg forgiveness of my buyer or she would of left me bad feedback.  I have stayed away from those little shells and believe that they should stay in Hawaii where they belong.

Indian Blankets

Another thrift store purchase got me in trouble but this time it was on a larger stage of ” The Antique Roadshow”.  The travelling show came to San Diego and a group of my friends took our treasures to be appraised. One friend brought a chair she said was owned by Francis Parkinson Keyes. No provenance  though. Another person brought a Coney Island Hot Dog Cart. (wrong, 1950′s patio cart) Cute!  I was so smug because I was bringing my marvelous thrift store purchase of a Indian blanket. It was marvelous. It was a deep orange color with flying crows.  I loved it! I got mad at my husband because I caught him using it as a blanket watching  TV.  Foolish man, did he not know a valuable antique when he saw it?  We waited in line about 6 hours. I had to be careful to stay cool and collected as I was planning my appearance on TV with my Indian blanket. Well, you guessed it. The blanket was made in Mexico. My God, Mexico is right next to San Diego. I was so embarrassed. (My family and friends love this story) The appraiser was very nice and showed me about how to tell an Indian blanket from a Mexican blanket. Wishing does not make it so.  I have had  to learn the hard way, do my homework.   No one can know it all.  By the way, now that blanket we use for picnics at the beach.

Cake Plates Who Needs to Bake?

I collect cake plates. Why, I don’t really know. I have always wanted to bake but I don’t. I watch Martha Stewart bake. I buy all my cakes at the bakery. I love to set pretty tables. I want to be Martha but I am too busy. I have over 30 cake plates. All sizes and shapes. I have bought reproduction cake plates too. Sometimes, I meant to buy an antique cake plate and ended up buying a reproduction cake plate instead but I knew what I was buying because I had done my homework and was an informed shopper.  I really don’t care because I love them all.  I use the new ones more than the antiques. Probably, fear of breakage. I have point, really I do. To me, there is a big difference between fakes and reproductions. Fakes are meant to deceive. They are cheaters and liars. Lots of time sold as real when they are not. Reproductions are homages to the original. They have subtle changes or manufacturer tags that are new.  All of this is learned by doing homework.  So crack open those books and study. I know I am. I am reading right now how to tell the difference between bakelite and fakelite.  Happy Hunting.

Too Much Jewelry

I really try to stay away from vintage costume jewelry, really I do!  I have a lot of costume jewelry. They are old friends with the names of Trifari, Coro, Haskell, Hattie Carnegie, Nettie Rosenstein, Juliana, and many others. Like old friends they have lost some of their sparkle but they have lots of stories to tell. I wear a piece of jewelry everyday to work. It always cheers me up and ooh!! the comments I get.  It does not matter the age of the person, young or old they have some way to relate to the jewelry I am wearing. Maybe, their Mother had a brooch just like the one I am wearing or maybe they wore a necklace like mine to their first dance. I have women tell me all the time that they have inheirited jewelry from their mother or their grandmother just like mine.  I always encourage everyone to pull out their jewelry and wear it. Every women deserves to feel beautiful and that is exactly what jewelry does. We can define our style by the jewelry we wear. Don’t know your style? You won’t, if you don’t take a leap. Dare to be different.  I wear rhinestones when I grocery shop. It makes me feel more glamorous!  I used to wait for a formal occasion to wear my jewelry but I am not invited to enough events to ever take all my jewelry friends out, so I make even the smallest outting a jewelry event.  How did I start on this path?

I know I should not have favorites but I do. I love bug  jewelry. Especially, spiders.  I have Czech rhinestone spiders, Sterling Silver spiders, signed designer spiders, Mexican spiders and many others. My favorite way to wear my spiders are in groups.  Did you just jump? No, I am not crazy.  I love to wear several crawling up my shoulder and down my back. Yes, my mother thinks I am a nut. But, I am having fun. I have a lot of dragonflies, butterflies, flies,catterpillars, a marvelous praying mantis and lady bugs.  I have Trifari Jelly Bellys too.  I wear them all. Some are valuable, some are not, I really don’t care too much. I am very sentimental about my bug pins. I have few new ones too. My husband buys me new bug jewelry and I love them too.(I have tried to teach him but it is a no go situation)

My second best jewelry friends is a group called Juliana. They are not signed but they have  certain look that collectors just know. They are high class friends full of sparkle, rhinestones, crystals and the wow factor. I have to say I do keep these pieces for special occasions as I am afraid I might lose a stone.  In tough times I have had to sell some of my Juliana and it almost killed me. (I needed a root canal and a crown) I don’t buy Juliana any more because the prices has skyrocketed

What I am wearing these days a lot is Mexican silver jewelry. I love the designs, the whimsy and especially artistry. I live in San Diego so it still can be found in thrift stores. I have several good books on silver jewelry. If you decide to start to collect Mexican jewelry it is important to learn the silver marks. The older the jewelry,  the more it is worth. Sometimes it looks like silver but it is a low grade called Alpaca so be careful. I love most of the jewelry from Taxco.  They still make jewelry there and it is very beautiful. (I will write a blog about jewelry marks soon)

Back to my problem of trying to stay away from vintage costume has led me to my new internet jewelry business. I buy jewelry even when it is not perfect but it is still so beautiful.  I have decided to find the Cinderella in every piece by transforming it into a new necklace or a wearable piece of art. Right now I am working on a portrait brooch which has lost some paint but I am adding rhinestones and turning it in to beautiful pendant.  So, I guess in my own way I am like a plastic surgeon doing face lifts on jewelry. I will keep buying  jewelry and wearing it everywhere. I hope I have encouraged you to open your jewelry box and take a old jewelry  friend out to lunch or out to the grocery store. If you haven’t got any old jewelry  friends, go out and make some. You will be so happy that you did.

Note: If you are going to start collecting vintage jewelry start with a reliable dealer. Try an antique show. Ask lots of questions. When you are a collector, you love questions. There are many wonderful books on vintage costume jewelry. I buy my books from Barnes and Noble. (They have comfy chairs and don’t care how long I take) Happy Hunting and check out my web page www.cindyvaldezdesigns.com if you want to see some of my work.

Jewelry Topiaries Made With Thrift Store Finds

I  love my mom.  If she was not my mom, she would be still  my best friend .  She is everything that a best friend should be.  My mother always tells me the truth, even when I don’t want her too.  She is a lot of fun to hang out with and never comes between my husband and myself because she always sides with him! Some reason this all seems to work. My mom taught me everything I know about junk. To this day she uses every opportunity to be a teaching assignment. And, yes, there are pop quizzes all the time.(I fail all the time too!)

My mother gave birth to me when she was 17 years old.  My mom was an extremely bright student, (She is still the smartest person I know!) and had a great future ahead.  When she got pregnant with me her family wanted her to put me up for adoption. At that time, the late 1950′s, she was told that her grandmother in Minnesota was going to take care of her and arrange for the adoption of the baby. The story that was to be told was  my mom had “Mono” and had to have a long rest. Anyways, she balked at this and said she wanted me. So, in a lot of ways we grew up together. I did everything with her. She was not allowed to finish school because she was a bad influencebut  for me, the best influence. I started junking with her as a little kid. These are some of my most cherished memories.  I still have my first collection. I started with Victorian cosmetic jars with sterling silver lids. I now keep my collection in my guest bathroom.  She started my decorating career with my own room. When I was 13 and the height of the groovy era she let me decorate my room in mellow yellow, shocking pink, and lime green.  It was so cool. Mom let me paint my curly maple furniture yellow with white pin striping. We always decorate from garage sales and thrift stores. Her only prerequisite was whatever I do, I do it well. My mother gave me the values that I have today.  Most importantly, I still love her company.

Today, we went junking at the local AmVet Thrift Store. We go once a month. Mostly, trying to prove to ourselves that we are not addicted to this store.  This is of course, a big fat joke. We both love it here!  We are both looking for treasures. Even though we would never admit it, we are in a contest to find the treasures first. My first mistake was Mom was in the door first. She is taking the lead. Always a bad situation for me because I will be picking up her crumbs. Mom has an eagle eye and a appetite of a shark. I thought I would try a new approach and look at things I normally don’t look at. I thought it would put her off the track, confuse her but no such luck.

My first possible treasure was a pressed back oak chair with a cane seat (punched in).  I thought it has possibilities, maybe a new seat. I was not paying attention but she came up on me from behind and whispered in my ear “Don’t fall in love”. I asked “Why not?”  Mom responded with the legs had been cut off.  She was right, of course.

My second possible treasure was a beautiful bowl. It did not have any chips and had a lovely hand painted grape motiff. I held it up for Mom to see. She looked at me sympathetically and said “Cracked’ I never saw her pick it up. She was right, of course.

While I was playing with  the bowl, Mom snagged a L’il Orphan Annie electric stove with original paint. Where the heck was that? I can do better, I know I can.  I scanned the store for her location because when there is a shark in the area I knew I had to paying close attention. Fortunately, Mom was at the front of the store where they keep the “antiques” behind the counter. I rarely buy anything behind the counter. I am too cheap. Also, my feeling is if it is behind the counter it has already been discovered treasure and priced accordingly.  I jumped at my chance alone out in the store and I struck.

My third possible treasure was a Betty Boop leather bomber jacket. It was in great shape and vintage. It was marked 80 bucks but it was half price on blue tags which it  had stapled on it (Why do they have to use staples?). 40 bucks!! I am thrilled. It is a keeper. Mom came over for a look and gave a “good job”. I am never too old for a compliment from Mom.

In the end, Mom found some great stuff but so did I.  I ended up with the jacket, a depression glass cake plate,  2 Fitz and Floyd Kitten Mugs, and leather bound copy of Great Expectations. So, watch out for my mom, she will be the grey-haired lady trolling the store with best stuff in her cart and a twinkle in her eyes but remember she is The Antique Shark!!

Note: Possible future collectible is Fitz and Floyd ceramics. They closed their showroom in Atlanta, which is never a good sign.  Their holiday lines from the 1970′s thru 1990′s is fabulous and no one else’s comes close.  Especially, their Halloween collectibles including their cookie jars, tureens and candlesticks.  Happy Hunting.

Seashell Mantle Clock

I have just returned from the Gift Show in Atlanta.  It had a low attendance and there was plenty of time to talk to the vendors.  I am a buyer/designer for a large gift store in my real life.  I love my job.  I get to be creative, work with great people and have great customers. Also, one of the perks is going to the gift shows and finding out what is new, what is fake, and what is future collectibles.  Boy, do I have a lot of information to give.

China was an emerging nation, it has emerged! Vietnam is the new emerging nation. China has a developed a middle class.  They have cell phones, computers, and a lot electronics.  I was talking to the owner of a Christmas ornament company in Shanghai who was complaining that she could not find workers for her factory. All the skilled workers want to build electronics.  Those companies pay 3 times what  an average factory pays.  I had noticed that the quality of Christmas ornaments had gone down in the last few years and the cost had gone up.

I have a list of things I am always looking for at garage sales and thrift stores. I am on the look out for signed costume jewelry, vintage clothing, couture clothing, old kitchen things and artwork. I have now added new items to my list. All of them are “Made in China” items. First, are handmade quilts. Chinese quilts starting in the late 1970′s were hand quilted. Now, the quilts are machine stitched.  I am finding gorgeous quilts that are being over looked because they were made in China.  This craftsmanship will not be seen in a long while.  New fabric arts are being made in India now.  The quality is not what it needs to be. It is getting better but is slow going. The second addition to my list is holiday collectibles.  This includes Halloween, Christmas and Easter.  Especially, larger hand painted items such as Witches, Santa and Easter Bunnies. The new holiday collectibles are now being blown molded and accented with paint quickly. They are not the quality that they used to be.  The third thing I keep an eye out for is toys from this time period. Especially battery operated and mechanical toys. The last thing on my list is art.  The Chinese are very skilled artists. For years they copied in oil paints the Great Masters of Europe.  Now, most of the new art available is called glisee. It sounds French? No, it is a new computer generated art with paint over stroked to look like an oil painting but it is not what it used to be.

I am sure I will be adding on to this list. I wanted to give everyone the heads up.  It is great time to find some wonderful bargains at garage sales and thrift stores. You just have to know what to look for. Things are really changing.  It is kind of ironic but the Chinese are having to go to Vietnam and Thailand to find cheap labor to work in their factories. So, get up early on Saturday and hit some garage sales.  Maybe I will see you there!  Happy hunting.

Seashell Frame with Mermaid Watercolor

I love garage sales.  It is an activity shared with my husband that does not involve food or sports.  It  is really the last true treasure hunt.  Everyone knows the rules of the garage sale game. First you advertise in the paper or Craig’s List and you pick your day. Most garage sales are born out of some kind of desperation. Too much stuff in the garage? No closet space? A child moved home and wants his/her bedroom back? You need money fast? Someone died and left you a ton of stuff? I have had a garage sale for one or all these reasons.

But.. This Saturday I was a shopper, eager for the bargains to be had, treasures to be found and the thrill of it all.  I was equipped with all the neccesities for garage saling, dollar bills, small change, a hat, measuring tape, loupe, and one strong husband with a truck.

I  am in the antique business, such as it is. It is in my blood. My Mother is an antique dealer, my Grandmother was an antique dealer. I married a man who’s father who restored antique furniture. I spent my childhood always in the search for treasure. It is a lot of work. You have to love history, research, and the attention to detail. I  have a lot happy memories haunting thrift stores, garage sales and antique malls. My Mom and Grandma Bernice were my teachers, and they were the best. They taught silver marks, china patterns, the love of vintage costume jewelry and best of all the art of getting a good deal.

Which leads me to Saturday garage sale adventure. My husband and I set off  in the morning stopping first at a church rummage sale. They were raising money for a family to go teach in a Christian Mission in Rwanda, Africa.  Now, don’t go soft on me! You have to hang tough.  It is business not personal.  I found 2 antique chairs, hand-caned,  a shabby chic white chair, a old Wildemere  Robin Hood children’s book and a Mexican vase for 45.oo. It was worth a lot more.  I was going to break my “It is business not personal” rule when the woman running the sale exclaimed “Our best sale all day.”  See you never know. The chairs are nice but not good enough for The Antique Roadshow!   I know a lot about furniture too.

Our next stop was a garage sale way up on a hill, which my husband did not want to go up. Why do we own a truck?  I found an old bisque figurine lamp.  Of course, the people told me it was an antique and worth a lot of money.  They have a ” friend” who is an antique dealer and told them it was worth a lot of money.  I did not buy it.

The next  house was very organized. They had tents, tables and everything priced. All of this is of course, a very bad sign of getting good deals.  I found a nice Imari plate, a silver basket and a set of silver napkin rings.  I tried to negotiate the price. The lady said she saw a plate like hers on the Antique Roadshow and it was very valuable.  I saw that show  too. I see them all.  Her plate was nothing like the one on the show and it  had a flea bite (chip). I offered her 1 dollar. She refused. I looked more and made a pile of stuff to buy. This time I got the husband, I asked how much? He said 2 bucks. Don’t you love men!  My husband was thrilled because at the last minute he found a whisk. He loves to cook.

Everyone watches The Antique Roadshow and everyone is an expert now.  It makes it very difficult to make a quick sale. People are suspicious, they think you are trying to cheat them.  I cannot cheat anyone if they do their homework and that takes time.  Watching Antique Roadshow does not make you an antique expert.  I am looking for a good deal which I pass on to my customers.  I watch the Antique Roadshow with my Mom and when they appraise something at really high price, we shout at the TV “show me the money!”  Garage Saling is so much fun. Try it, you will like it.  Happy Hunting.

This is the first entry in my blog. I wasn't sure if anyone would be
interested in why I love junking. I believe it is the innate desire of man
to find treasure. And, believe me when I say there is treasure in junk. You
just need to know where to look.

My favorite places to look are thrift stores, second hand stores, antique
stores, garage sales and the internet.  You have to have some kind of goal
when junking. Are you decorating a room? Are you crafting? Are you trying
to find a lost treasure to sell?  There are many reasons to junk. I am
going to address the questions and you see how your answers compare to
mine.

First question, Are you decorating a room? I never understand why people
buy new furniture.  I always start at garage sales when I  need to decorate
a room. Find the biggest piece of furniture first or  the focal point.
Remember, You are going to be painting it or refinishing it or decorating
it. So what if you make a mistake, it was cheap.  I make lots of mistakes!
In fact, some of my favorite things I have made were mistakes. Have fun.
Use resources such as  flea market magazines for ideas. Be brave. The only
new thing I always buy are mattresses. Old mattresses are yucky!

The second question is about crafting, I  love to craft. My favorite
obsession is seashell art. I have been making seashell mirrors and seashell
boxes. I find the boxes and mirrors at the thrift stores and embellish
them. I even find a lot of the shells at the thrift stores too. I am
teaching a class on creating a seashell memory box in August. Check my
webpage at www.cindyvaldez.com  There are so many things people have
discarded that are treasures waiting to be uncovered and used in a whole
new way. You just have to open your mind to all the possibilities.

The third question is what I am most interested in, Are you trying to find
a lost treasure to sell?  I have a small antique booth in the Antique
Warehouse in Solana Beach, CA. This booth gives me the opportunity to
continue the hunt for junk. I supplement my income with the money I make in
my booth.  Also, I am always looking at vintage jewelry. I love to create
new jewelry using old pendants, vintage beads and marvelous bits of stuff
to make a unique piece of jewelry.  I sell what I make in my Etsy store. 

I am looking forward to using my blog to tell about my latest finds and
how I found new ways to uncover their beauty and share this with everyone.
I hope that you will share your latest finds with me. I am hoping for a
lively dialog on my blog.  Happy hunting. Cindy


Seashell and Mermaid Painted Wood Box