Colonial Williamsburg's Annual Antiques Forum

When Colonial Williamsburg presents its 60th annual Antiques Forum, more than 20 of the nation's top antiques experts will share their latest discoveries between Feb. 3-7. Titled "From North to South: Regional Diversity in American Decorative Arts," the program features a comprehensive schedule of illustrated lectures and video-assisted workshops designed to survey the rich and varied heritage of early American regional antique styles before 1830. The talks will explore the period's unique ceramics, silver, textiles and paintings as well as its buildings.
The keynote speaker is cultural historian and educator Barbara Carson, who will present The Chipstone Lecture on "Cultural Diversity in Early America." Other visiting scholars include Carrie Rebora Barrett, curator of American paintings and sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, who will discuss "Regional Rules and Provincial Politics: How American Painters Dodged the System." Dean Failey of Christie's New York auction house will explore "Regionalism in American Decorative Arts."The program also will include several presentations by Colonial Williamsburg curators. Ronald Hurst, who is the Carlisle H. Humelsine Chief Curator and vice president of collections and museums, will profile "Regional Traits of Urban American Furniture, 1750-1800" and detail "What's New in the Colonial Williamsburg Collection."
Advance registration and payment is required. The registration fee of $550 includes admission to program presentations, an opening reception, daily continental breakfasts, coffee breaks and afternoon refreshments as well as a closing reception and dinner. For more information, consult the original article by Mark St. John Erickson here.

Selling on Ebay with iTaggit

Did you know that iTaggit has a fabulous feature that allows you to sell an item on ebay with just a few clicks? I have been using the feature for a few weeks - and am proud to say I've sold my first few items on ebay!

I decided to clean out my massive fabric stash (I sew a lot!) and kept a few really great pieces to try and sell online. After creating a collection on iTaggit, I added my items using our spreadsheet importer. I thought since they were all similar items, it would be fastest to do it this way.

Once my items were created, I chose two to sell first. In your item view, you just click on the Sell this item on Ebay button. The process is pretty simple, and I think iTaggit makes it even easier to use.

iTaggit's specific category fields make posting items with detailed information a snap. My fabric for sale is listed very clearly, and I think it helps people when shopping to see such a clear layout. If you want, you can embed a FREE picture in your item! When you are modifying it for ebay, click on the little TREE icon, and insert the picture's hyperlink. This really adds to the selling appeal.

Try selling on ebay today - it's fun and easy! Oh, and don't forget to see what other's are selling or trading!

DIY Project - Painted Pots!

Ok friends - this is my very first attempt at writing a DIY Project blog! I have been crafting for almost all of my 28 years - and I am ready to start sharing some of my fun projects with you.

This Spring & Summer have been all about the pots and plants. I decided to start container gardening, and being the crafty gal I am - I just had to have handpainted pots! So here we go on the tutorial:

Supplies:

• Terra Cotta Pot(s)


• Acrylic Paints - Basic white for base coat & pretty colors for fun


• Brushes - Sponge Brushes are easy and cheap


• Polyurethane for sealing


• Drop Cloth or Newspaper to protect your work surface


• Wax paper or something to squirt out your paint on

The Process:

Step One: Start with a clean, dry pot - mine were all new - but it doesn't hurt to rinse them off. Paint the pot with two base coats - I used Acrylic Gesso - but you can use Spray Paint too.

Step Two: Paint the pot a pretty color! Acrylic paints are inexpensive and readily availbe at Craft and Hobby Stores. You can judge if you need one or two coats depending on the quality of paint.

Step Three: Paint designs! I tried to keep things simple and just painted freehand. If you're a beginner, try drawing your designs on the pot with a pencil and then painting over them. A Q-Tip works great for little dots...

Optional: Try Decoupage! Such a fancy word for an easy technique - cut out shapes from Fashion Magazines and glue them on with White Glue or ModgePodge. After many months of rain - my Decoupaged pots aren't holding up as well - but they're still cute!

Step Four: After the paint is all dry - spray the pots with 2 coats of Polyurethane Spray. Do this OUTSIDE and follow the instructions on the product. It helps to coat the inside of the pot too, as terra cotta is very pourous.

Enjoy your Pots! Check out more of my crafts and additional pot pictures in my iTaggit Crafts Collection. I would love to see your crafty projects posted on iTaggit for all to see!

I'll Trade You My Apple For A Nutty Buddy

My three favorite times as a child, in this order, were:

1. Last day of school

2. One day of year when it snowed

3. Back-to-school shopping

Back-to-school shopping was probably the only thing that got me stoked about the approaching school year. It wasn't that I didn't like school, but summers were just so unbelievably freeing. I disdained all the apple imagery that began popping up all the ads, reminding me of the inevitable early mornings, homework, and teasing. But once I got the school shopping list, my dread turned to eager anticipation. Maybe it was the smell of school supplies or the satisfaction of having a bunch of untouched objects at my disposal, but whatever the reason, I loved the careful choosing of supplies.

That's why I collect vintage lunch boxes. Because besides backpacks, lunch boxes were the single supply that insisted on personal expression.

I don't think I meant to collect lunch boxes. Something about that boxy, metal tote just triggered a memory one day when I was browsing a flea market. I opened up the lid and saw a Thermos. Oh yeah...Thermoses. I remember these...

And so the love affair began and has been rekindled since I've put them all on iTaggit. It's so much fun to stand back and look at these things that may not be worth much, but have always been a part of what makes me different.

How do your collections make you different?