Here's to the Slinky!

A couple weekends ago my little family went on a field trip to the annual rummage fair in the metropolis of Arlington Nebraska. This place is huge! There are seven enormous metal barns filled with stuff. Each barn is a category - women, men, children, toys, tupperware (yes, tupperware!), crafts, tools... I think you get the drift. 

Apparently I was feeling a little cheated, like the best thing I found was the double fudge brownies at the concession stand when BAM! out of know where - the OG appeared - the metal slinky.

Slinky's were first produced in the 1940s.

Coiled steel, what a classic! And I think my slinky is looking mighty fine for her age!

Thank goodness for pretty colors

Unable to pull my daughter out of the toy barn I took the liberty of getting a head start in the craft barn.

and more pretty colors

So many beautiful fabrics for SO ridiculously cheap! I walked with at least 8 yards of velvet and many more fabrics of all shades and textures.

wooden spool

While I was digging I found a box of old wooden spools. Initially I had passed them up because I had no ideas of what to do with them, but give me five minutes alone in a cardboard box filled with craft supplies and I'll there won't be enough spools to buy by the time I get to them!

I loved the texture and colors of this vintage embroidered ribbon..... score!

vintage pair of Ray-Ban aviators

I know the slinky is hard to beat, but I think we may have a close contendor. Ladies and Gentlemen, this is an old school vintage pair of Ray-Ban aviators! To add to this, we also scored an additional pair of rockabilly classic black Ray-Ban's and a new pair of Smith's for 25 cents a piece!

Now may I please have a drum-roll.....

$6.75

Boxes full of vintage frames, mirrors, christmas cards, velvet, wooden spools, miniature wire baskets, retro office decor, feathers... and a slinky ;)

Ayoni! This is the big number one. Thanks for joining me!

The idea of me having a blog came about because I am working towards the goal of having a successful online retail shop. A blog is essential – so they say! I've always been down with the idea of incorporating a blog into the grand scheme of things. I also knew it had to be a fusion of living responsibly and living in style, hence the title Karmic Living (um-hum, this also happens to be the clever name of my buddies shop ;)

With that being said, welcome!

Black Velvet - reLoved Vintage Original Art

I opened The Pink Tonka on Etsy two weeks ago. Preparing for the opening took a great deal of time - some taunting, some necessary, but mostly fun. My goal (of course) is to be successful and make an income doing something that I enjoy.

Bleu De France - reLoved Vintage Original Art

The other side of the coin is that the items I create are from reLoved vintage items. This means that almost all the elements that make my original art pieces are at least 20 years old. Every now and then I have to throw in some elements that are not quite as aged because they work too well not too. The Bleu De France is an example of this, but the teenaged elements of this piece have their own story to tell ;)

Mermaid Dreams - reLoved Vintage Original Art

My favorite material to work with is vintage costume jewelry (heavy on the BLING, please). There is something so glamorous about mid-century jewels. The sparkle of the glass rhinestones and crystal far surpass the plastic gems we see adorning jewelry these days. The detail, craftsmanship and the quality of materials left little to be desired. And let us not forget the women, yes the women, who rocked these jewels in all their glamour!

Summers Breeze - reLoved Vintage Original Art

For my backgrounds I like to pair delicate vintage lace's with a variety of fabrics - everything from velvet to corduroy.  It's fun to work with contrasting colors and watch the details of the lace pop. Soft backgrounds like a cream colored lace with white cashmere are lovely too.

Hot Pink Love - reLoved Vintage Original Art

There are plenty of people fascinated with old frames, and I see why. My personal favorites extend to old carved wooden frames and vintage Italian frames. Anything with detail makes the color enhancement that much better...and that much brighter! 

Purple Passion - reLoved Vintage Original Art

The Pink Tonka offers OOAK reLoved vintage original art for your home (or anyplace that you or someone you want to spoil occupies). I love color, texture, design and things that catch your eye and sparkle. I'm hopeful that others do too!! Please swing by the shop and get a burst of color therapy.

Collection placed on Karmic Living Neo-Victorian Shelves.

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