Willlow Tree Treasures & Antiques is open for business!

I just wanted to inform my readers that our booth is now set in the Red Rose Antique Co-Op located in Mansfield, Pa 16933 and we invite all of you to checkout the facebook page I had made for the proprietor of this shop....Rodger Rose. Just put Red Rose Antique Co-op in your search for facebook. Take a look at the pictures of the front of the store and how things are set up, "Like" my page, and see how coming to this shop will be an experience you that you will remember for a very long time! The package of attractiveness in arrangements and displays, cleanliness, roominess, helpfulness and friendliness is beyond what you will see in most antique shops... making this visit far and beyond what you will experience elsewhere.

Enter facebook, on your left, and see what Red Rose Antiquing is all about!

Here are a few shots of our booth so you can see what we have to offer.











Now view the rest of the shop.....

Expanding the Business......

Good morning readers! How have all of your enjoyed your spring and summer? I hope you got those gardens, flowers and newly planted trees well on their way and have fully enjoyed them this year! As always I am complaining about how fast time flies and this year has been no different! It seems that the summer is a time for nothing but running to get everything done before the cold weather hits again and we are in a foot of snow! We have a while longer so keep enjoying the warm, sunny, beautiful weather for it never lasts all that long!

As fall is about to be upon us in no time.... I always am rethinking , and evaluating my business and looking into how to expand or make changes to my business to make it more interesting, reach out in different forums for accessibility , and make your journey with me interesting and pleasant! I'm always searching for options to allow for growth as a person and as an artist! My latest adventure has been something that I have mulled over many times and have finally am making the plunge! I will be reentering an antique store which I have done business with many years ago ...but now is under a new management. The name of the shop is "Red Rose Antique Co-op", formally known as the "Yellow Orchid", and is located in downtown Mansfield, Pennsylvania. Don't worry about what I am offering in my Etsy shop. I will continue my online sales and will be adding this extra selling forum to my list.


Having spent many years refinishing furniture, buying and selling antiques and having appreciation for anything and everything that is a product of times gone past...I have to admit that this is one job that I truly do miss! The process of making a handmade creation ended up being something that ended up coming naturally after spending so much time in co-ops where antiquing furniture is very much the same process and is the part of making primitive dolls "primitive!" My husband and I have entered into the antiquing process together and have a love for big, heavy, challenging furniture projects and have been the best of companions when collaborating on how to go about getting a great finished product when working with wood! My husband enjoys this activity as much as I do and is eager to return to the antiquing business. It certainly has proven to be a favorite past time that we have both enjoyed and could see ourselves doing as a retirement activity!


Now how does this effect my primitive business online with Etsy? Basically it won't change anything. I do plan to add my creations to my booth when I begin and have taken a few things out of my shop to get started. You will see when investigating what I had in my online shop are gone and this is where they will be destined to be in the near future. If there was something there that you wanted to purchase....just contact me and I will make another to put back in Etsy. I have made up to half a dozen of the same dolls in the past and only a few have I only made one of. These "one and onlys" are the creations that I plan to display in my "Red Rose" booth. I have also taken the tags to use with my dolls and will make more for Etsy. (Am I confusing you yet?LOL Hopefully my new tags will be bigger, better and I can offer better pictures when I re-add them to my online shop.) Now it is just time to get more shopping done to fill our booth and I will be adding pictures of the shop. You may want to make a trip to Mansfield should its contents, from all of its dealers, interest you.)


The "Red Rose Antique Co-op" can be located on facebook, by putting its name in your search, and has contact information and location to visit and any other information you may find helpful! I will be beginning my new journey August 1st and will be taking on a new name when I get there..." Willowtreetreasures and Antiques"...online it will be staying the same. Time to get new business cards! LOL Once we are settled I will be adding information, giving updates, and sharing pictures. For readers that not only love primitive to vintage art creations...but antiques as well this may interest you! I hope you will enjoy this journey with me! Take care and until next post....have a wonderful day!

New items just listed in my Etsy shop! Check it out!

EXTREME PRIMITIVE BLACK SANDY WITH PANCAKES AND RAG BALL

EXTREME PRIMITIVE VALENTINE'S DAY ANNIE

PRIMITIVE VALENTINE'S DAY HEART AND CROW DOOR HANGER

EXTREME PRIMITIVE BEAR AND TREASURES LAMP


Hello everyone! How was your Christmas holiday? I hope all of you got what you have been wanting! Well New Years is next! Are you ready for 2009? What is your New Years resolutions? Mine , as usual, is to take off some pounds and to hit my business hard. Actually, I have started part of my resolution today by adding some new items to my shop and would like to take this time to share with you what is new! I have four new items I have just listed. A few are for Valentine's Day and a couple are just for anytime of the year. Not necessarily in order...I have a Valentine's Day extreme Annie doll, a Valentine's Day door hanger from a Tennessee Ridge Primitives pattern, an extreme primitive bear lamp, and an extreme black doll that I have designed myself that comes with a stack of pancakes and a rag ball. Please come in today and read about my items and I will be working on adding more Valentine's Day items. There is a set of rabbits that I posted when I first opened my shop and welcome you to take a look at them also. They would be a great set to give your lover of extreme primitives this Valentine's Day!

Enjoy and I hope you find something that you can't live without!


MY ETSY LINK:

http://www.willowtreetreasures.etsy.com

The Power of Family!

It is a winter storm here in Pa. I have alot of creations to be working on. Days like today seem to be days of reflection and deep thoughts. My son just called me yesterday and said how he is watching what I have been doing on the internet. He ended up the conversation with, " Haven't you Googled yourself?" and " You are looking so professional with all that you have done!" I thought that was a funny way to put it but it is true. I have never Googled myself and "What is considered professional?"! It just struck me funny because my son now is living in Indiana, Pennsylvania and is working for an Intermediate Unit and I would have thought he would be busy going to his assignments and finding fun things to do...not sitting around thinking of his old mom and dad! Suprisingly he is in Indiana looking me up!LOL I was so touched it was almost surreal! His inspiration and interest had touched my heart and the distance between us can be very painful! We know as parents that to make it in this world it takes sending your children to other areas to find their way...and that is exactly what we had to do with him. Many times he calls us when he is heading home from his assignments and just wants to "chat." You really don't realize the impact our kids have on us when they become young adults until times such as these! The worrying about where they were at night, who they were with, and what they were doing has turned as we have passed the torch on to them. Soon comes that phone call from them saying, "So what's up?" , "What are you and dad doing this weekend?" , and "How is dad doing?" has been quoted from so recent phone calls! I guess we did a good job! He has picked a lovely girl to spend the rest of his life with and are in the process of making plans for a wedding! He has made some wonderful decisions that we rarely worry about. (As parents I don't feel that you are fully free from some worry!) We also have a wonderful grandpuppy, Hendrix, that is now part of the family through Brandon. We hold him very dear to our hearts!

Another strong support system has been from my sister. We also are close and I truly admire Amy and her talents. Amy has been a crafter for many years and started in doll creations and just recently moved to Altered Art. Everything she does is picture perfect! We are each other's biggest cheerleaders, (without the jumps), and give each other support and encouragement in the artistic roads we have chosen. I wanted to make sure to give my sister a part here in encouraging me to venture into the creation world. She can be found at ...http://winterberrycreek.etsy.com where you can see her works of art! If it wasn't for her ...I may not have tried an artistic future. We have been together in many journeys to find where we felt comfortable from an antique store, ebay and now etsy. Or interests are so simular and many times overlap it would be a wonder that we are sisters. She is one person that is my greatest confidant, friend, and am lucky enough to say she holds a very important role in my life....she is my sister! I love you Amy!

My husband has also been a strong force in keeping me going with crafts. Scott stays by my side when I go for hours to Joann's to pick through fabric. (What man in there right mind would want to do that?) He has created a beautiful new sewing room and continued it's construction until it was done. This is the most amazing fact...is Scott has sat with me and helped me stuff dolls when I've gotten overloaded with doll parts strewn throughout the room. He encourages me to pick up and go again if I hit a brick wall, to stick with it at times when I could throw in the towel, and gives me the room needed to complete a lengthy project! He is beyond amazing with his patience and is that little person on my shoulder that is saying," Comeon you can do it! Just a little longer!" He is more than a husband...he is my best work associate and friend. (Don't tell me they are one of the same!) We have refinished furniture together, sold antiques together and now craft together and I could never be more blessed in my life than to have him! I am one lucky woman!

Lastly, my parents are supporters in many ways. They stand by me with all of the health problems I have had and have read and looked at things I have made and encouraged me to continue! They have also taken a large interest in my blog and always have something encouraging to say about its content. (Although dealing with primitives, who understands primitives?) They are wonderful in their own right. They have helped me get through all the rest of life that would probably just be too much! I love them also and have been blessed with them encouraging individuality in my work with love, support, and encouragement! What would I do without them?

As you can see... there is alot more than fabric, thread and embroidery floss that goes into doing crafts and trying to make it into a business. It takes the love and support from others. I'm lucky..my "others" involves family. To do it alone is a long hard climb by yourself!

Just a closing note...I love you all and thank you from the deepest depths of my heart for being there for me and being my strong hold! This couldn't have been possible without all of you! For the rest of my wonderful readers , and customers, remember to keep smiling. At this point it may bring the temperatures up and get rid of that pesky snow!LOL