Fabric Remnant Banner

My store Piddlestixs, is almost 150 years old, its housed inside a former theater/playhouse, WWI weight station and General Store, so it has lots of character and history. The decor of my store Piddlestixs is unique and houses many eclectic themes from Wonderland, Circus, Kawaii, Tea and Steampunk/Apothecary. Piddlestixs has lots of re-cycled and up-cycled items and supplies for sale. In deciding on what kind of store banner I wanted in the front of the store, I opted for a vintage style banner to keep with the various themes and history of the store, the result was a banner using fabric remnants, chipboard lettering, seam binding and silver German glass glitter.
Materials

-2 sizes of fabric remnants, (found in fabric sample books or you can use fabric scraps)
-Black seam binding or silk ribbon
-Crushed velvet ribbon
-Decorative chipboard lettering
-German glass glitter, silver 
-Glue: hot glue, modge podge
-Tools: hot glue gun, scissors, pinking sheers and pain brush

Directions

1. Decide on the name for your banner, I chose Piddlestixs, which is 11 letters, so I counted 11 larger pieces of scrap fabric and lined on the floor. Repeat this step for the smaller set of scrap fabric pieces.


2. If your remnants aren't already pinked, use pinking sheers and trim 3 sides of each of the remnants both large and small.


3. Measure a long strip of black seam binding or silk ribbon,  place over the larger remnant's top edges, now hot glue to the large remnant.


4. Next hot glue the smaller remnant piece over the ribbon and the larger remnants.

5. Line the top of the smaller remnants with crushed velvet trim, for a more finished look.


6. Now add your chipboard lettering to each layered remnant, hot glue in place, coat with modge podge and german glass glitter.

Tips/Tricks
-Use Fabric tac in place of the hot glue.
-Use caution when using hot glue.
-Use wood letters in place of chipboard lettering
-Use scraps of fabric, sheets, bedding, curtains, table cloths or clothes in place of remnant books.

The possibilities are endless, this is a great recycle/upcycle project using items you might already have lying around  the house, studio or store!


Enjoy,
XOXO
Lisa!

Piddlestixs Covers Vol.1-Vol.5




Piddlestixs Vol.1, 2, 3, 4, 5 are all available at lulu.com

Antiquing in Andover!

In early summer I went to visit my friend Wanda's space at Made in the Shade in Andover, NJ, which is about 20 minutes from my store. Wanda has the sweetest and most vintage chic items, it was so much fun waltzing around her booth.
Notice the adorable ballet slippers, I have a ton of pairs from a friend, which I am waiting to adorn with jewels and millinery, after seeing these ballet shoes, Wanda inspired me to decorate mine.That day Wanda had given me a extremely large bag of vintage doilies, laces, trims, and cloths, which I have been using in my stitched projects and in some of the workshops I host at Piddlestixs, my store in Historic Lafayette, NJ.
After leaving her space, I decided to incorporate my visit into Piddlestixs Vol.5 which will be ready at the end of the month! To learn more about Wanda and to see more of her store pick of Piddlestixs Vol. 5 at the end of the month!

Magic and Joy,
Lisa!

New Vignette Area in my Studio at Piddlestixs!

Everyday I try to come up with enchanting ideas to enhance my store and my studio space at the store, which has become my creative sanctuary, the place where I create and get inspired in. My studio in case you didn't know yet is located on the former stage of a playhouse/theater from the turn of the century in a 150 year old building located in Historic Lafayette, NJ, in the back of my store at Piddlestixs.
I comb flea markets, auctions, rummage sales, yard/garage sales, salvage yards, and dumpsters (lol) to find pieces for my studio and the store, always on the hunt for a glass cabinet, shelving or prop to decorate my store with. I have a total obsession with vintage stamp trays, cigar boxes, old fruit crates and trunks. I love apothecary glass, rusty books and of course dolls, especially my beloved cupies, kewpies, celluloids and charlottes, with a love affair of anything circus, carnival or storybook.


If its wizards, witches, fairies, mermaids or odd, I'm going to love it, the mystery behind these icons and folklore legends has always fascinated me from a young age, the works I do revolve around them and anything of magical enchantment. I'm always on a mission to find things which can bring me to a magical world and allow for my imagination to soar. The hardest part is doing this on a budget as furniture can be pricey, that is why I comb thrifty locations for furniture, and have wonderful friends and customers who bestow goodies onto me, lol.
A few weeks ago I enjoyed the town clean up week, where I found a few amazing tables, shelves, hutch, stamper trays, cigar boxes and fun pieces to re-purpose in my store, plus a friend recently gave me a box of dolls, some broken parts and TLC dolls, which I fixed and added to my studio, especially loved my cupies I received, I see some new molds in the works, lol.
In this post today, I wanted to share with you some of the newest areas of my studio, hope it brings you some inspiration and some magic, it doesn't take a whole lot of money to create a magical workspace, just a bit of creativity and some imagination!

If you are in the area, come on my store for a visit!

xoxo
Lisa!

Art Bar and Steampunk at Piddlestixs!


I have been very busy at Piddlestixs, re-organzing and enhancing some of our latest sections such as the new Art Bar and Steampunk area's which are filled with the most unique artful oddities from supplies to vintage finds and handmade items.
In our steampunk area you will find handmade steampunk jewelry from Auroratique aka Joan Kettell, Top Hats, dress forms, journals, clock parts, vintage keys and everything steampunk.
The art bar section consists of everything from vintage keys, chess pieces, game boards and pieces, vintage sewing supplies such as zippers, patterns, buttons, notions, chandelier parts, hardware, ephemera, doll parts and supplies, glitter and more.
Search for vintage bottles, cigar boxes, crepe paper, craft kits, scrapbooking supplies and fabrics.

Piddlestixs is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, occasional Thursday's until middle of November. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday!

The Studio at Piddlestixs!

Many of you know I own a shoppe called Piddlestixs, located in Historic Lafayette, NJ. I have officially owned it for 1 year, and have worked hard to cultivate it into the magical world I want it to be, and share with you. Each day is a work in progress, finding props, furniture to create the displays and the ambiance to make it unique. The look for me this year is Coney Island Carnival meets Harry Potter Enchantment.

My store is located over the Millside Cafe in a former playhouse/theater, the stage portion of the store is where my studio is located, that's right my studio is located in the former stage performance section of the store, this is where I have been creating the past year, my labor of magic and love.
Piddlestixs is where my creativity happens, where I heal from the outside world and where I find the my inner magic. This week I begin working on the cupcake/sweet shoppe portion of the store, complete w/seer sucker carnival umbrella's and fun. Enjoy candy apples, chocolate apple sticks, cotton candy, gourmet cupcakes and more.

I'm also working on Piddlestixs vol.4 available in 2 weeks, which is both a print and digital independent artistic magazine I produce and is the basis of where the name of the store came from. Over the next few weeks you are going to see new merchandise, and handmade products from a variety of artists, including work from the amazing, Joan a Sugar loaf artist w/handmade children's apparel and fellow Sugar loaf artist and teacher, AmarettoGirl. Her faux sweet shoppe and cupcake pieces are fabulous.We will be teaming up to do some collaborations this summer and fall, stay tuned....

Next week I will be getting some more apothecary style pieces from a friend who believes my store should have them and I believe she is right, lol. So if you are in the area of Lafayette, come on by and say hi. For now enjoy some pictures of my studio located inside the magical Piddlestixs!

Magic and Joy,
Lisa!