Vintage Pins

First, I have super exciting news!

I got my acceptance letter on Friday to IUPUI (Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis)!!!!

I will officially be a Interior Design student in the fall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WOW!!! 

That is a dream I've held onto my entire adult life!!  And it's finally going to be a reality!

Thank you to all of you that have sent me so many well wishes!  They really do mean the world to me. :)

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Ok....onto today's real post.

I could not wait to show you this project.  And you are not going to believe the price!!

Not too long ago, I found a vendor at my favorite antique mall (Southport Antique Mall here in Indianapolis), that has shelves full of plastic boxes, stuffed to the brim with what she calls "Bits and Baubles". 

Bits and Baubles are basically costume jewelry, alot of which are vintage pieces, some are broken, some are missing one jewel piece, some miscellaneous little pretties and small oddities...and then some gorgeous vintage costume jewelry completely in tact still.

I have fallen in love with all her vintage costume jewelry!!

And the best part, her prices!!  1 piece for $2 or 3 pieces for $5!!! 

I mean, heellloooo!!  Most vendors charge double that for one piece!!

Sure some of it is pretty cheesy stuff....but alot of it looks like this beauty!  You just have to take the time to pick through it all and find the jewels. :)

I pretty much find a spot to sit in the floor and just dig through each box looking for pieces like this.  I mean, at basically $1.50 a pin....how can I go wrong??

I had a bunch of these Dollar Tree frames leftover from my craft show during the holidays that I never did anything with. 

I took them apart and painted the wood frames, black for the larger, and white for the smaller one inside. 

I covered the mat with scrapbook paper that I got on sale at Hobby Lobby the other day for less than $.50 each.  The frame took less than half a sheet.  I heavily distressed the paper with black ink.

I bought a 1/4 yard of gorgeous black velvet at JoAnn's (with a coupon) for about $3.50). Velvet is e.x.p.e.n.s.i.v.e. people!!  But luckily I only needed a small amount, so I have plenty leftover for future projects.

I also used a small amount of quilt batting that I had to create a 'puffed' look under the velvet.  I just used the glass from the picture frame as my backing, and taped everything down.

Put it all back together and you get this!!!!

I am SOOOO flippin' tickled, I can't even describe it!  :)

I will absolutely be selling these at my upcoming craft show next month!!  And Miss 'Bits and Baubles' dealer has plenty more for me to pick through still. :)

At what is better?  Have you been doing the math with me?

This cost me less than $3.50 to make!!       

Visit my link at the top of the page to see what parties I like to attend. :)