Old Soul Studios

Love is in the Air...

2012-01-19T07:09:00.000-08:00

and all over the front porch, the back yard, the dining table, down the hall, the kitchen counter... ok you get it! January around here is all about getting hearts and all our love related creations out to our customers. Valentine's Day is just around the bend...

Our new 24" sheet metal letters make it clear... there is "LOVE" in the house! We always use reclaimed metal from old barns and buildings so the patina is just right.

This pile of our "famous" barrel ring hearts is one of my favorite pictures. One is great, but a pile, that's lots of love!

For those more adventurous romantics we added an arrow. Cupids heart coming right at you! The hearts are zinc colored and the arrow is made from rusty iron... we like the contrast in colors.

With a large set of sheet metal letters we are reminded of that little arrow toting culprit... a little quirky and fun because love makes you think a little out of the box!

Rustic little sheet metal signs with endearing sentiments wishing you all love in your hearts, your homes and your lives... now go out there and get all sappy! Thanks for coming along ~ Jacque

2012 is right around the corner...

2011-12-26T08:28:00.000-08:00

New beginnings~ a new day, the first day of a new week, the start of a new month, the change of a new season and especially the coming of a New Year! I love new beginnings, I get excited about making change, adding inspiration, and living on my dreams. The line drawn by a new beginning motivates me and organizes my time. We have one week to prepare for my favorite new beginning... no resolutions, just excited for life's possibilities!

Merry Christmas and a Beautiful Season to All

2011-12-18T13:34:00.000-08:00

From our home to yours we want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Beautiful Season of love and peace. We have had a wonderful year and are so grateful for all the wonderful people who have shared with us along the way. Thank you for all your support your friendships and your love. Jacque & James Ferreira

a few pictures of us at the show...

2011-10-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

This is going to be FUN!

2011-10-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, want to take a minute and tell you about where you can come see us next. This Saturday October 22nd we will be joining several of our favorite vendors at a new show! Gathering, presents Vintage Country Flea Market.

Show is from 8am ~ 4pm at 1769 County Road FF Willows CA 95988 Hosted by Richard & Janet Simmons.

From 8 - 12 there is an early buying admission charge of $5, from 12 -4 free admission.

This is not going to be your ordinary flea, we personally know many of the venders and we will be selling amongst some of the best in the business.

We will have our new pumpkins in small, medium, large and you know it, extra large! Along with all new holiday merchandise to get you started on your home decorating and gift shopping for the season. Grab your eco friendly shopping bags, your best buddies and hop in the car for a drive to the country. This is the show they will be talking about, don't miss it! Pumpkin Patch... Food & Fun! *This is a Rain or Shine and Cash and Carry Event, one day only!

Thank You!

2011-10-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

We want to thank Roses and Rust for the opportunity to participate in such a well ran show. We had a wonderful weekend meeting all the staff, vendors and A LOT of wonderful customers... where did they all come from? This was our first time to be up north so it was a new area for us and people were so kind with their compliments and enthusiasm toward our presentation.

We had three spaces so we were able to display several different looks. I love the primitive farm house style and enjoyed working with the chalkboard top table. Iron stone softens all the hardness of raw wood and primitive finishes. We added touches of fresh lavender from the garden.

We put up our tent to house all the Gothic Halloween items we had collected all year long. I enjoy working with just black and white and took the opportunity to be a little humorous. The Halloween area was a great hit!

It was fun to ask customers what their plans were for certain items they were purchasing... our customers can be very creative! This next picture was taken during set up so things are oddly out of place but you get the general idea...

French laundry is my other favorite look to collect things for. It is a warm and inviting look and very popular with out customers as well. We found that the big rusty spring bed makes a good back drop.

A lot of fun vintage items fit well into this style. It is a look I like in my own home so it can be difficult to part with some items.

We didn't take many pictures of our space or any of the rest of the show, I was disappointed about that, but we really had no time, it was soooo busy and I certainly can't be disappointed about that! Thank you again to everyone involved and we hope all of you will come out next spring and join us at this great show again ~ Jacque & James

Roses & Rust or Bust!

2011-09-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

Old Soul Studios is excited to announce we will be participating at the Roses & Rust Vintage Home and Garden Show! We are grateful for these kinds of events where we are able to do what we love and very grateful for the hardworking promoters and their teams that bring shows like these to the public.

Roses & Rust

Vintage Home and Garden Market

Saturday October 8, 2011

9am - 5pm

******NEW LOCATION******

Gover Ranch Events Garden

3774 Gover Road Anderson California

This show was voted in the top 10 of the Best Flea Markets in the country by Romantic Homes Magazine. The show has moved to a new location which will be filled with over 100 amazing vendors. This will be the perfect place to spend the day. Something for everyone, from French Chic, Barn Chic, Shabby Chic, Garden, Antiques & Collectables, Jewelry and the Unique and so much more, and there will be Food & Music... sounds like a party to me!

Old Soul Studios has 3 booths bringing you our best selection of Iron Creations, our Original Spoon Tags and silver plate art, Danish Farm House Accessories, French Laundry Items, Garden Decor, Old World Library, Industrial Warehouse Style, Gothic Halloween, Vintage Christmas and a few other surprises!

This is our first time at this show so we do not have photographs of it but we thought you might enjoy seeing a few photos of the kind of things we will have... most of these pics are of our Gothic Halloween. To see more of our work visit us on Face Book at Old Soul Studios.

We like doing a lot of black & white for halloween and find that there are many vintage items that can become Halloween decor with just little added touches. An old typewriter with a script from "The Birds" is watched over by a black crow...

We really are nice people... we just sometimes like to do things that get the customers to do a double take! Just having fun...

Our iron spiders come in three sizes and are a big hit this time of year, this is the medium size... I promise they are harmless... unless you drop them on your toe!

Our French Laundry theme is one of my favorite things to collect vintage items for. Everything in this look just feels good... like you have come home.

Nice garden pieces are popular all year long and you will find a great selection of garden items at this show... we love to mix vintage garden with our iron creations.

Well thanks so much for coming along and we sure hope you come join us at Roses & Rust. This will be a great show to get a jump start on your holiday shopping and find wonderful things to bring the spirit of the new season into your home. For more info you can go to RosesAndRustVintageMarket.Blogspot.com

This is Fun For Us

2011-09-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone and welcome back! As you know from my previous post we have been very busy getting ready for a show. Well we are two days away and have had a lot of fun getting ready. This all started about 5 months ago at the end of the spring show season. We begin the hunt for the next season. Never knowing what you can find or what will catch your eye the treasure hunt for vintage finds is on. I have been doing this for twenty five plus years and I have certain loyal customers in mind as I hunt and I am always looking for that new thing that will attract a new customer as well. This past week I have been gathering up all those finds and preparing them to take to the show Saturday. Mes Amis is the show... one post back you can get all the details.

I love authentic primitives and with the popular French country farm house look many of the things I found will look perfect with that style.

This displays well with some of our most popular creations.

Chickens are becoming a household word, so I think vintage chicken related items should be a hit!

Our many iron garden art creations attract a lot of gardeners so I always try to find a variety of vintage garden related goods... this year the picking was good!

James has been busy building nest, one of our most popular items for the holidays. We have four different sizes of nest that he creates.

Iron stone has always been a great seller, it is getting harder to find but as you can see I did alright. This is about a third of the collection that will be available at the show.

Fun things hanging on a chain seem to get just about every shoppers attention.

We can't do a show without a good stock of our spoon tags and stamped keys! I put together a few other little shiny things just for fun to add to the rack. Just wanted to give you a little idea of some of the things you will see on Saturday. We sure hope you can drop by. If you read our blog please let us know, we love meeting new friends ~ Jacque & James

First Show of The Season

2011-09-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, want to take a minute and invite you to our first show of the season. This coming Saturday September 17th we will be participating in the Mes Amis Vintage Antique Show. Mes Amis means "my friends" and the show is presented by our good friend Sandy Bryan of The Olive and Rose. Show times are from 8am to 4pm and is located right in the heart of downtown Roseville on Oak Street. This is a wonderful show with very special vendors, the kind of business people that give their all and then some. We are honored to be part of this event and join so many creative inspiring people.

I just want to show you a few of things you can expect to see in our booth along with all of our iron and handmade creations. We will be debuting some of our latest creations at this show!

Over the past 5 months since the spring shows we have gathered a lot of vintage and antique items to offer to our customers. I love the hunt and the opportunity to offer something special.

I have begun sorting and putting items into totes according to the themes I have created to display our finds. The above picture shows one of the totes of things to be displayed in "French Laundry". I love collecting things for this theme and our customers seem to love it too.

We are busy making a lot of your all time favorites too. There are certain pieces that we make that we have been selling for years and they are still going strong. We enjoy recycling the old wine barrel hoops and our stars shown above are a favorite for this time of year.

Of course we will have rust for all our rust loving customers... when I was a kid I use to tell my dad my favorite color was chrome, now he probably thinks it is rust! We have gathered up some fun unique pieces useable for creative projects in the garden and even some homes. We have very creative customers! Well I hope you can join us and check back soon because if you can't make it to this event we do have a few others that you will like to know about ~ Jacque & James... a sincere thank you for your support.

Surfacing for Air...

2011-08-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

I know they say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but in the case of blogging I think people just forget about you! I have decided to surface for air and post a little something so you don't forget about me... With four wonderful shows in our near future we are busier then ever. We are creating, hunting, planning and prepping to make sure to bring our customers the best of what we do. I am so excited to debut some of our newest creations and the flea market gods have been very kind to us this summer and we have accumulated a large amount of wonderful vintage treasures to share at these shows.

I haven't taken the time to snap many pictures but today when we returned from our hunting adventure I grabbed the camera and captured a few of the things we had found. The old books above are a set of sixteen. The patina of the leather is just beautiful. They are in German so I am not entirely sure what they are but who cares when they really are so beautiful.

Several beakers in different shapes and styles are going to be fun to display with some Halloween spookies, every year I do a little mad scientist display and it is always a hit at the shows.

Not a great picture but a really great box! It is labeled from a chick hatchery and will make a great farm house decor piece. It is divided in the middle and in very clean condition. I love finding interesting boxes and crates to work with.

A bundle of aqua bottles look so pretty together. I am never sure how much I should clean them, this time I just removed the surface dirt and left the patina of time.

As I clean and sort through our treasures they accumulate on our farm table. Iron stone, little German books, sparkly fun jewels, little pie tins and silver trim are just a few of the smalls we found today.

A few things after they were unloaded from the truck... now the fun begins as we work our magic to get all of the things we have accumulated all summer long along with all our new creations ready to take to market. Our first show is Sept. 17th The Mes Amis Vintage Antique Show in Roseville Ca this show is presented by The Olive and Rose. For more show details visit TheOliveAndRose.blogspot.com Check back for details about all our Fall shows, they are all must not miss events!

Studio ~ Office

2011-07-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

I am grateful to have a room available in our home to use as a studio and office. I like to accumulate things around me that inspire creativity and if nothing else I am good at accumulating! I thought I would share some photos I have taken at different times of things in this room, I have made them black & white to make them more comfortable to look at... this is a very busy room.

I installed an entire wall of shelves many years ago. I keep a lot of small collections of like items that I use in a mixture of different jars that I have collected at thrift stores and tag sales.

I think I have around 55 jars of different things and I still need more jars... should I admit that?

Old file boxes are also something I look for to organize and store paper collections in. I have a wonderful collection of vintage papers and photos.

I like to find unusual things to use in here, like the spinning hardware holder that sits on my drafting table. It holds little things like charms and little parts to everything, I can spin and find what ever I need.

Of course I have an inspiration board, it needs to be refreshed at the moment, but I still enjoy looking at it. It says a little bit about what is important to me and what I like.

I collect fives... and here are a few of them.

I like watches and clocks and things with numbers.

I have a great piece that I enjoy having in this room. It is a mail sorter from the post office. I use it to stick all my favorite things in for future creating. The first picture shows it when I first got it, the second picture shows it now. You can see I put it to good use!

I showed you about half of the room, I started thinking I better not reveal to much or my friends might call that "Hoarders" show or something. Thanks for dropping in, I have linked up this post with "Feather your Nest Fridays" over at "French Country Cottag e" be sure to visit Courtney and all her linkers. ~ Jacque

Sharing With New Friends

2011-07-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

Recently at the Romantic Prairie Style book signing I was introduce to a fellow blogger and admirer of beautiful things. She sweetly invited me to join in her weekly link "Feathered Nest Fridays". It looks like a fun group of fellow bloggers and I had recently taken some photos around the house so why not! French Country Cottage by Courtney is the place to go to find all those great links!

I rarely have time to spend on decorating in my home, things just sort of find a place. I have accumulated several of the Swedish enamel pieces over the years and have them throughout my home. I recently picked up bunches of fresh beautiful local Lavender and some of them landed in one of my favorite pitchers. They smell wonderful and I always like to have fresh flowers around the house. I rarely pick from my own garden, farmers markets are great place to get reasonable bunches so it is affordable to have that luxury every week.

These things have found their current place on a little table in the back room of my house, my husband referred to it as the "stock room" the other day, hmmm, I guess the business has taken over the house a little bit... Oh well that lets me enjoy it before it gets loved by someone else! The little metal crown is the metal art of my friend Nancy, I love having fellow artist work around our home.

These great old door plates have accumulated over time, somehow they are symbolic to me for all the wonderful, beautiful doors that have opened in my life... I know a little sappy, but that's me sometimes.

I don't know where all these cherubs and angels came from, they just seemed to of accumulated around the house. Our home is pretty rustic so I think they add a little sweetness. Most have broken wings and repaired parts... they fit right in!

I collect bird nest and vintage things bird related. We have a wonderful old cabinet in the "stock room" Ha! that contains my collection of vintage bird and garden items, it is one of my favorite places.

Most of our home is ocean beach related, we love the sea and enjoy having things around us that take us there while we live. I will show you more of that at a later time. Thanks for coming along and seeing some little parts of how we Feather our Nest. Have a great week ~ Jacque

Our Little Cottage Inside Summer Cottage Antiques

2011-07-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

We joined the team at Summer Cottage Antiques a little under a year ago and have had a wonderful time being part of such a beautiful and fun antique store. Having owned my own store for many years I never really considered having a space and doing business in that way. I've always kind of liked being off on my own, my own little corner of the world. I told Michelle, owner of Summer Cottage that if the little room upstairs, formerly known as the closet ever came open I may be interested. I believe I manifested it because shortly I received a call telling me the good news and Michelle offered us the space. First thing was to change the image that it was a closet, because nobody puts Old Soul Studios in the closet Ha! We decided it was "the little cottage" and have been trying to convince everyone since. We started by painting and then covering one wall with our trademark look of old weathered and rusty barn tin.

weathered, rusty tin wall is under all that stuff

"the little cottage" has a nice old window so the sunlight comes pouring in. You can hear pigeons cooing outside the window most of the time

As you know we create a lot of iron art so of course we include that in our space, but I love vintage and salvaged items and have been in the business of selling them for 26 years so that is also a big part of the inventory we place in our little cottage. I love mixing hard and soft and mostly have a monochromatic look of whites, grays and rust.

Our small orbs cover the ceiling, I like using every bit of space to display. There is nothing sparse or simplified about our look.

It is fun being in the little cottage especially when people discover who we are, it makes it easy for them to remember us, we are grateful to have so many loyal customers and fans of our space. Being in Summer Cottage Antiques has been a very positive experience for us. We live about two hours away from the store so keeping the space tidy can be a challenge, we stock it full with new things about every two weeks and that seems to keep our customers very happy.

We always look forward to our trips over to stock our little cottage, we enjoy shopping around the store and Petaluma is a wonderful community. We especially appreciate how dog friendly the community is and Summer Cottage is very dog friendly as well. We travel with our little mascot dog Scout and he loves to come help in the little cottage too!

photograph by Michelle McCauley of James, Jacque and Scout in "the little cottage" at Summer Cottage Antiques

Summer Cottage Antiques is located at 153 Kentucky Street in Petaluma California. You can read more about the store on their blog here Summer Cottage Antiques

Being a part of great things...

2011-07-13T07:36:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone is having a great week so far and welcome back! We have been busy in all directions and the past few days have been so much fun. Being a part of Summer Cottage Antiques is a great addition to our Old Soul Studios adventure. We spent the last few days enjoying the special event of Fifi O'Neill visiting the store for a book signing for her new book Romantic Prairie Style. Our very good friend and owner of Summer Cottage Antiques, Michelle McCauley has her cabin featured in this wonderful book. So about the book signing...

The store was just beautiful, even more then usual and as guest began to arrive it was so much fun to see and meet fellow lovers of all the beauty that this book inspires.

One of the front windows of the store was decorated with a perfect prairie style scene with kites overhead! The other window repeats a photograph that appears in the book of a very inviting bed that sits on the patio outside Michelle's cabin in the Sierra Mountains.

Everything was so charming and beautiful for the event, I would love to share it all with you... but I can't and I won't, Ha! This is because you will have to go to the Summer Cottage Antique's Blog to see more. I assist Michelle with the store blog and want to save some of the surprises for over there. Fifi O'Neill and Mark Lohman, the books photographer were such a pleasure to met, we had a great time getting to visit with them. They shared their stores and we shared ours.

We were honored that Michelle chose the crowns we create to decorate the table where Fifi sat to sign, she is quite the princess. Here she was signing my book and we were discussing my French/not so French name and how I spell it... It was a wonderful day and very inspiring experience. For some Fifi inspiration and more about the book visit her blog at Chez Fifi. Thanks for dropping by and come back soon I will be photographing some of our newest creations this week and showing them for the first time! ~ Jacque

Learning as I go...

2011-07-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

Well Hello there, yes this is still me, looks a little different... and the truth is I am learning as I go. I wanted to make some changes to our blog, changes to get me back on track toward my original intent. My original intent for this blog was to keep you informed and hopefully inspired about what we create and how this little business is evolving. I got so excited about our lives and all we do that I just started telling about it all Ha!. I will continue to do that over at my other blog (The Creative Gardener), can't guarantee I won't slip in a little life here and there, but overall I intend to keep this focused on our Old Soul Studios business.

We work a lot with metal. We create with metal and salvage and collect and resale vintage items. I enjoy taking pictures of all the texture that shows up in our items.

Thank you for visiting while I clean house and restyle this blog. Blogger has made some changes since I started blogging which was about 4 years ago and I feel the need to update my knowledge.

I would love to hear what you think so far... I am open to any feedback, I like good constructive guidance and would enjoy reading your comments. Thanks for dropping by ~ Jacque

Crowns!

2011-06-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

We have been very busy making crowns As they are completed they accumulate in the back garden until sent off to our customers. I thought the pile looked really neat as it grew.
Our crowns, another Old Soul Studios original come in three sizes, easier to see that here... but the pile is pretty fun!
So I left them that way... we have a small dry creek in the garden that is currently full of them. To me this picture is perfect chaos! May you all get to be Queens ~ Jacque & James

Go Go Go!

2011-06-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, almost a month has past since I was last here, that is not like me at all! Where have I been you ask? Well this little business of ours has been keeping us very busy. We spend half of our time out hunting for vintage and wonderfully old patina items... above are a few things that gathered on the kitchen table to be evaluated before put out for sell.
The rest of our time we are creating, creating, creating! Here are a few of our most popular items... we have created most of our things from recycled materials... we use wine barrel stays for many of our products.
These letters and numbers are popular for creating words and our customers like the freedom to get creative with them in their own way. It is fun to see what they do with them.
Our "Keyute Pendents" are old salvaged keys that we stamp words on, add a few fun charms and walla! a fun and unique vintage style accessory.
These rusty stars are made from old recycled barn roof tin, not all of it comes from barns, but it is all off of old buildings of some kind. Just thought I would show you a little of what has been keeping us busy. We make over 75 different products for the home and garden and have note books full of new ideas to get started on. Thank you for dropping by and I will do my best to get back here more often ~ Jacque

What is a Flamingohead?

2011-05-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

We are often asked what is a Flamingohead? So I thought I would share a little bit of this crazy fun we have. About 4 years ago we started following Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours, and when I say follow I mean follow. We have attended over 60 concerts, collected a vast amount of useless (ha! sorry Ants) memorabilia, and have built a family of fellow fans that are some of the best people we know. Antsy travels out here to the West Coast on a regular basis and brings us all joy, good music and fellowship that I think even surprises him. So what is with the Flamingos?
That is me and Antsy a few years back, both of us younger, ha! This was taken back when I was star struck, now we are friends... well I guess I am still a little star struck but he should be too ha!. Antsy writes his own music and his inspiration was from his experience growing up in a trailer park... yep, that is where the flamingos come in... His music is funny, inspiring, thought provoking, habit forming and he plays with one of the finest group of musicians around.

This is Antsy and the Troubadours, they dress in bowling shirts and polyester slacks. The fans like to join in with the theme of the music, you never know what you may see at a concert or event... there is always a lot of pink, some polyester and just crazy fun... James and I join in, we as well as many other fans have clothes we wear just to concerts, like my hot pink Doc Martin knock offs and our vintage Hawaiian Flamingo shirts. Dressing up like hippies for a Halloween concert was a lot of fun!
The people we have meet along the way have enriched our lives, that is the kind of people this man and his music attract. The lyrics to some of his songs encourage discussions about what is important in life as well as reminding us to laugh, not only at life but at ourselves. Antsy is also a graphic artist and has created many humorous and beautiful pieces of art. I have the pleasure of owning one of the few hand painted guitars that he has created. Our dog Scout and I enjoying the guitar when on a road trip... yes I am wearing flamingo pajamas! What can I say, we love the fun that following Antsy has brought to our lives and yes we are Flamingoheads!
If you would like to learn more about Antsy and his music and art you can go here www.unhitched.com. He will help you live life by the Aluminum Rule "Thou Shall Enjoy The Ride".

Progress...

2011-05-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

Not a beautiful picture, but the truth... we are moving along nicely on our new house on the Oregon coast. There is a lot of work to be done and a lot of ideas to be put into action. We are journaling the process of turning this wonderful place into a home, not just any home a home where our creative spirits can grow and a home that speaks of our ideals. We are working very hard...
The gardens are wonderful, full and plush, and equipped with surprises but first you have to find them under the berry vines! The property was left unattended for some time and we are slowly finding the gardens underneath.
The wood deck that extends around two sides of the house was very slippery from all the rain and time. A little pressure washing and the wood looks beautiful again... I am bringing a couple garden motel chairs on our next visit, we need to sit and enjoy it every now and then.
We are replacing all the windows with these... the old original windows were already replaced at one time with poor quality ones, so they have to go. We are putting in some windows that open outward so we can hear the roar of the ocean. In some places we are putting windows where there was none and in other places taking windows out and covering the walls. We have not started doing any trim work yet, I love trim and molding and want to design something really great that makes all the windows look great.
This is right around the corner... and this is why we work so hard. The beaches are so beautiful, the trees are so beautiful and the house will be beautiful someday too. There is something very gratifying about taking on a project like this, we could have purchased a house that someone else did, but then it wouldn't have our spirit like this one will.

A garden show to know about...

2011-04-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

I want to share with you a little garden show that has been going on for years. This show takes place in a beautiful country garden, though there are only a handful of selected vendors the show is grand! Many of its visitors spend hours shopping through all the wonderful treasures that are presented and then often returning for the second day!
Heart-n-Home presents the 2011 Spring Home and Garden Show
As you walk through the country garden you will encounter handcrafted creations, garden decor, home accents, artfully planted flowers and plants, fine antiques, and awesome junk! It is not uncommon to see a group of friends spending the day shopping and then having a cool drink and a visit on the patio.
The show dates and times are Sat. Apr. 30th & Sun May 1st from 10a.m. until 3p.m.
This is Grace, beautiful Grace inside & out! Her and her family are the makers of this fine show. Grace has a lot of talent when it comes to quilting and antiques, one of the high lites of this shows is she will let you into her shop on the property to see and purchase from the antiques she has found and items she has created.

If you would like to attend this wonderful show let me know and I will give you directions... we would love to have you join us ~ Old Soul Studios is a participant in this show, we only do two shows a year and this is one we choose!

* the photos do not represent the shows full content.

2011-04-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

GO CONFIDENTLY IN THE DIRECTION OF YOUR DREAMS! LIVE THE LIFE YOU'VE IMAGINED. Thoreau

Who's the Queen?

2011-04-18T06:51:00.001-07:00

We would like to tell you about our crowns, we always have a story about the way our creations came about and we would like to share some of those stories with you. James and I pride ourselves on trying to produce only original creations that we thought up ourselves and most of these ideas come from everyday life experiences and in this case a problem with one creation leads to an all new one! Now you all know we didn't invent the crown... they have been around for many many years, I think some butter company was the first Ha!, no seriously, we have seen crowns come into style over the past few years, showing up in many shapes and on many different things so of course we know people are wanting them.
This is a photograph of our crowns in Sweet Magnolia in Danville California, Jill & Clay Cox own this store and have done a wonderful job displaying the crowns.
James was busy one day early in the year making our very popular hearts for the Valentine's Day rush, a couple of the straps he bends to create the heart snapped in half breaking the heart in to two pieces, he threw them to the side, later noticing how they had fallen to shape the top of the crown, he then was inspired to continue breaking hearts (ha!). The hearts are big, the crowns are grand. I love the size, the grandness, never before have we seen a grand crown. Deciding what would go on the top was fun... we didn't want our new crown to look like any others we had seen so we searched for an item that would make them fun and unique... a big iron ball was perfect!
Each crown is hand made by James, we now have them in three sizes. They are fun for the garden or the table. We have had customers purchase them to create chandeliers, tea cup holders, or a garden topiary. I have one in the house on a little white stool and another sits on top of our fire pit in the back garden. We love creating things out of the unexpected and we are always looking for interesting materials to recycle into something new. Thank you for following along and I will soon tell you more stories about how some of our creations came to be. ~ Jacque

In Its Place...

2011-03-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

This creation was made for me by James several years ago. He cut out the shape of a Grey Whale and attached it to an old bee box lid I had. I have loved the whales my entire life. I have taken vacations around getting to see them, been in the ocean with them, and now have a home a little bit closer to them. When James gave me this I said someday we will have a house by the ocean and that is where this will hang. I kept it in the closet for many years. It now hangs on the entry wall of our house on the Oregon coast. We have no furniture yet and the house looks like a construction zone but my whale art is a symbol of how dreams come true. We just have to live as though they have already happened, I believe they call that active faith.

Sea my Inspiration

2011-03-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

Items from the sea have always found their way into home decor, even homes far from the shore. The love affair with the ocean continues to be strong, it's beauty is one of the earth's most precious gifts.
Old Soul Studios, our creating business often looks to nature for inspiration. The sun, flowers, birds, branches and nest can all be found amongst our creations. We love the sea, it inspires us. We are currently working on a new group of creations inspired by the sea. These items will be for home and garden as well as personal accessories. Many artist have been inspired by the sea for hundreds of years so the challenge to create something wonderfully new is at hand.
Our collections inspire me, the colors are my favorites... soft sands, iridescent blues, powdery grays, muted greens, washed woods and rust.
When I was a young child I told my father when I grow up I am going to glue shells to drift wood and sell them by the side of the road to visitors to the beach ( I believe I probably saw this going on, it was 1968!), my father laughed. Many years later he reminded me of this and laughed again, saying that I was pretty close with my future prediction.
When you hold them to your ear you can hear the roar of the sea... I can only hope that our creations will take you there too, no mater how far from shore you may be ~ Jacque

She is Magical

2011-03-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

If you hold the shell up to your ear you can hear the roar of the ocean...

She is magical... she belongs near the ocean... I can tell she yurns to be back by the sea.

She is old and has the patina of age that only time can produce...

Her scars of time add to her beauty, her face shows peace and a passion for the sea...
She is very unique, in that she has two tails, each leg tucked under her becomes a tail. Her details are unlike any I have ever seen.
My wonderful James has given her to me for our first Wedding Anniversary. She will be taken to our new house by the sea... she says she can hardly wait~

Oregon Beach House Update

2011-02-19T13:03:00.000-08:00

We spent a week in Oregon painting and continuing to work on the beach house. Oregon can be pretty wet so we were very grateful for some nice dry weather to get a few outside things completed. The house which was built in 1908 has been neglected for a few years and really needs our loving care. James and I are doing all the work ourselves (so far) and it is a lot of hard work. We are both pretty skilled in many areas, but we are also learning as we go. This is a big house and we are making it bigger for some reason Ha! Anyway that is a lot of painting! We have chosen to brush paint it for that way we can be very hands on and fully aware of the details and needs of it as we go.
We are replacing all the windows, adding and taking out walls, restoring the original wood floors, moving the kitchen and bathes to other places and over all redoing the entire house while still trying to restore or maintain its history. By the way I do not like climbing on ladders, by the time the house is painted I will probably have no fear(s) Ha!
James is pretty good at knowing what we need to do to weatherize the house, I think he went through a case of caulking already. We can't see the ocean from the house but we sure can hear it, WoW! this is such a dream come true...
Yes that is me and by the end of the week my coveralls were the same color as the house. The house looks really good now, it is amazing what a little paint and finishing touches can do. It is a very high two story so we haven't painted the top yet... need a bigger ladder... and no I won't be climbing it!

It's in the mail!

2011-02-17T17:30:00.000-08:00

I love this! I took this picture along the California Coast on one of our many adventures. I still love getting mail, even in this day of mostly electronic communication it is such a joy to receive a hand written card or letter in the mail. We have to ask ourselves as we gain in technology are we losing the personal touches of true communication? How many of you still pen out a letter or note to family or friends? I would love to see a come back in the art of letter writing. I received a beautiful hand made hand written Valentine in the mail this past week from a friend and it made my day!

Paper Whites for Winter

2011-02-04T14:44:00.000-08:00

Enjoying the Paper White bulbs I planted back in December

Freedoms

2011-01-19T07:36:00.000-08:00

Recently on one of my many walks on a beach, I stopped to notice some beautiful homes placed right along the shore line. Thinking what a wonderful view they have of the beautiful pacific it crossed my my mine how this beach I am on is like their front yard and how grateful I was that our beaches are for all of us. It would be sad to me if only a few of us were allowed the pleasure of walking our beaches and enjoying our oceans. I have always taken this freedom for granite, never really giving it a second thought. I am aware that there are some places where "private" beaches exist because the access is limited by the land owners, but overall we have access to most of the coast line across the country. Next time you are enjoying the freedom and beauty of one of our many beaches bend down and pick up some trash, be kind and gentle to the sea life and respect the freedom that we all get to experience our beaches. I love leaving my footprints behind and that being the only evidence that I have been there. ~ Jacque

Something

2011-01-06T20:37:00.000-08:00

Well I decided I have to write something, anything! I just can't have my last post be from clear back before Christmas. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of fun and adventure. We have started the new year with our hands and feet into everything. Having so much fun making product for the business, promoting Heart Season items and just keeping busy with life... the days are flying by and 2011 seems to be starting off with a bang. We have been planning lots of activities for the new year and plan to share our schedule in the next few weeks. We will be participating in the same shows we have in the past, wholesaling, having home Creative Gardener events as well as some exciting new opportunities. Thanks for sticking by with us, here is wishing you a great new year full of wonder and all the beauty life offers.~ Jacque & James Old Soul Studios

Christmas Green

2010-12-13T10:16:00.001-08:00

Just enJOYing some Christmas green around the house...

It's the Little Things...

2010-12-02T18:08:00.000-08:00

It's the little things that make it a time to cherish. The process of what we choose to do to celebrate our lives is more important then the end results. For the holiday season and all the other seasons of my life I choose comfort & joy. May all the things big and little that you choose to do this season bring you joy!

The Things We See On The Road...

2010-11-13T17:01:00.000-08:00

When we travel around in our motor home we are not strangers to being pointed at, smiled (not laughed) at and even photographed, it seems our flamingoes on the roof top which are housed in a crab pot receive a lot of attention. They are there for good reason but that is another story. Recently on a road trip up north we noticed in our rear view something coming along side us that was worthy of a photograph, yes it seems we have some competition in the decorated motor home department! As this baby rolled up along side there was a lot to see & read... the driver was a young man, glasses, short hair, kind of a studious look about him and the visible passenger a female of similar style. As always in life you may not know the story behind all that you witness and judgement is never of any value. We decided they were simply out sharing their thoughts while enjoying the ride. As for now we are happy with our little pink flock on top... I really couldn't handle any more attention :) Here's to enjoying the ride whoever you are!

This is our motor home with our conservative little flock... Ha!

stop... it's raining

2010-11-07T06:07:00.000-08:00

for some reason the arrival of today's rain storm has made me stop. i wanted to think about why this storm has been so welcomed by me, almost a feeling of anticipation a desire for the current energy in my life to be cleansed. just symbolic of course, but sometimes that is all we need, sort of like a placebo for our lives. recently in the middle of another whirlwind day i felt the need to recap the past year and all that we had done through out it. our lives are full, exciting and very blessed. today... i can't help but think about balance, the balance between ambition and meaning. so often in all the "to do" in life we lose site of the meaning, what really matters, those things that make our hearts sing. as the rain falls and cleanses i will reflect on what makes my heart sing and i will find that balance. i know the sun is shining, just not here today ~ Jacque

When I was seven...

2010-10-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

When I was seven years old I saw the ocean for the very first time. Standing on the beach, clam beach in Eureka California, I told my dad, "someday I am going to live at the ocean". James and I just purchased a wonderful old house on the Southern Oregon Coast, a life long dream. The house was built in 1908, sits on an acre+ of land full of plants and trees of many kinds. A very large majestic redwood towers over the land. The house needs work, lots of work, and we are happy to take on the challenge of making it a wonderful home. We have many plans to recreate the place, yet trying to maintain the historical character of it is important to us. Some of my favorite things about the house are little details, like the wood slat ceilings, the old flowered linoleum floors, the narrow and charming stair case and awesome wood plank floors, not to mention the fact that you can hear the ocean waves. No we can't see the ocean from our house, and the back yard isn't sand, but it is less then 10 minutes away to a day of beach combing and that was always my dream! We will be journaling this adventure and share the before and afters as we turn this "old house" into a home.

Chiming!

2010-10-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

The pretty sound of the silver plate moving in the breeze is relaxing and very peaceful! Our latest creation is a hit! The spoons are stamped each with a large letter spelling out a word of thought, like PEACE or DREAM. We have them with butterflies, dragonflies and stars and I am sure there will be more ideas to come. For information on where to purchase our creations either from us or from the shops who carry them stop over at our Face Book page Old Soul Studios for more information. EnJOY your garden, enJOY the breeze, enJOY peace and be sure to dream a little... ~ Jacque

Roseville Fall Antique Market

2010-09-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone that came out and joined us on Sunday at the Roseville Fall Antique Market, we had another successful and fun filled day. Special thanks to Sandy and Erika of the Tattered House, you ladies put on a well organized event, we appreciate the opportunity to be a part of it. It was a beautiful day, I wish we had more pictures to share but we were just to busy to have the chance to take them. If you would like to see more pictures of the event go over to www.thevintagehusband.blogspot.com, Brett has shared some of his with us all. We have a few more shows coming up so drop back by and we hope to see you again real soon. Thank you for your loyal patronage ~ Jacque & James

It's Time

2010-09-15T06:40:00.000-07:00

September 19th is the Roseville Fall Antique Market! We are really working hard this year to bring you our best in found treasures and our created art. Trying to come up with something new in this industry is a challenge and fun! We hope when you come to visit us you find inspiration to bring your home and garden beautifully into the Fall season. We look forward to this show, it is one of our favorite things to participate in, we know you will enJOY it too. For more information be sure to visit The Tattered House web site, they are the host of this wonderful show. http/www.thetatteredhouse.com

Summer Cottage Antiques

2010-09-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Our latest adventure is underway! We have moved into the Summer Cottage Antiques in Petaluma California. This charming shop is located on Kentucky Street right in the heart of downtown Petaluma, nestled among many shops and restaurants with something for every taste. The shop houses several dealers, each with their own flair for the latest in home decor, antiques, and handmade items. Old Soul Studios is located upstairs in a private little cottage. You will find our usual wares along with a few surprises! We hope you will take a day to visit. The community of Petaluma supports a lot of special events through out the year and we will do our best to keep you informed of them so you will have many reasons to visit Summer Cottage Antiques. Summer Cottage Antiques is owned and operated by Michelle Mccauly and can be seen at www.summercottageantiques.com

heavenly...

2010-07-15T18:36:00.000-07:00

Our popular spoon tags with the word heavenly adorn our vintage angel... if you are very very careful, you can touch her wings ~ Jacque of Old Soul Studios

Another Mans Perception

2010-07-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

I spent a lovely weekend enjoying the beautiful California coast line. I like to show my gratitude by taking the time to clean one of our beaches before heading back home. This morning, the day after the fourth of July, the beach in Pacifica was in need of some help. I proceeded out with my big trash bag to walk the beach, there were a lot of people out early enjoying the morning, walking dogs, jogging, fishing and playing. Several people in passing said "thank you" to me, not necessary but nice to hear, others seemed almost uncomfortable with my activity, while a couple actually picked up a few things and added to my bag. Then came the man with four young boys, probably ranging in age from 6 to 12. The tallest and probably oldest of the boys looking at me says "it would suck to have that job" and the man says back "it is ok, there are lots of kinds of jobs" knowing I could probably hear them. Then he proceeds to tell the boys, see that is why you should do good in school so you can go to college and that way you could get a good job! Soooo, a little part of me that still functions from ego twinged! I wanted to inform him of my college degree and gloat about my impressive GPA, and also inform him that I was doing this because I believe in giving back, I believe in taking care of our earth, I believe.... any way, but I decided it was unnecessary and that wasn't the reason I was there. I learned at a very young age that things are not always as they seem. The man was trying to teach the boys a lesson, the one about how important it is to get an education, good lesson, but there was so much more opportunity there to teach that was missed because it was assumed I was picking up trash because someone was paying me to do so. We see the world with what is inside of us, we see what we are, we don't get in life what we want, we get what we are...

collections

2010-06-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

There are a number of things which I collect. These collections started many years ago when I was quite young and have become the things I decorate our home with. I have 13 of these beautiful lucite abalone trivets. They were very popular in the late 60's early 70's. Each piece is uniquely different in size, shape and color and of coarse the shell is always different in each one. They have become less available in the places I used to find them... most of them I have paid $1 or less for... I don't need them so I just wait until a beauty shows up at a great price.

Group Fun...

2010-06-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

We recently had the opportunity to gather with a few special friends on a camping trip. Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours (www. unhitched .com) put on for us.

"Wood Flock" was a weekend full of music and friendships. The above picture is of a small group of us with guitars in hand, sharing and playing around with what we know, in my case what I don't know. I can't play but I sure have a good looking guitar! My sister Pam joined us, that was a special treat, she is just learning to play and doing really well... I am a little jealous of her devotion to it. It was a great weekend, I can't wait until the second annual... maybe by then I will learn a few more chords.

Flowers

2010-06-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

Our iron flowers with colorful faucet turn centers all lined up along the fence for a photo shoot!

Birds

2010-06-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

I am going to start journaling all the different birds I spot in the garden. Our garden has a lot more birds and many different kinds then I have ever spotted before. We have a bird identifying book and a pair of binoculars sitting by the back porch, you have to be fast to catch a sighting of some of the more rare birds. We attempt to get pictures, but our cameras don't have the necessary lenses to get up close shots. The birds in the picture above are one of the items we make. I think putting them in the garden has inspired the other birds to come around!

Tide Pools

2010-06-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

We spend as much time as possible enjoying our coast line. This picture was taken by James, he spotted this little eel swimming in a tide pool. We see amazing things when we slow down and enjoy the beauty of nature. This small world of life is one of the reasons we encourage taking care of our of oceans and coast line. Do your part next time you visit and take the time to pick up a bag of trash off the beach, don't support companies that pollute the oceans and teach as often as you can. If you are feeling frustrated with the problems caused by the oil spill in the Gulf, like we all are, do what ever you can where ever you are ~ every little bit counts!

Where I've been lately...

2010-05-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

I am my happiest here. I spend hours walking the beaches. I want to do this every day.

Black & White Stillness

2010-05-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

Metal structures around the garden, still and quite.

Caught ya!

2010-05-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

We keep a small can of peanuts and critter mix on the back porch to give our little friends a treat now and then. The lid is usually on! Somehow they figured out how to remove the lid and this little guy decided to just move in and enjoy! Now we keep the can just inside the back door. May all God's creatures be happy, safe and have plenty of treats today~Jacque

We Love What We Do...

2010-04-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Just want to take a moment to thank everyone of you that support us on this adventure. We love what we do and we are always inspired and motivated by your enthusiasm and support of our creations. Thank You So Much, we are very grateful~Jacque & James

Here we go again!

2010-04-20T20:29:00.000-07:00

Last weekends show was such a success we can't wait to get back out there so.... here we go again! We love this show Heart-N-Home 2010 Spring Home, Antiques & Garden Show. We have been participating in this charming show for several years, the setting is wonderful. We spend two days in the sunshine under the shade trees with good friends and fun displays of wonderful merchandise. The show is Sat, April 24th and Sun. April 25th from 10 am until 3 pm both days. Location is in the country at 9282 Gerber Road in Sacramento. The show is packed with multi-talented people, each with a unique talent that will for sure make you happy that you came. There will be the country look, primitive, shabby chic, shaker,vintage and cottage to choose from. Garden accents are the focus of this Spring affair. We are bringing all kinds of new things to this show, so if you saw us last weekend you will see a new bunch of treasures this weekend. We hope you can come out and join us, and plan to have enough time to sit and enjoy a wonderful home made lunch on the patio or some fabulous desserts. Until then~Jacque

Pieces from the Sea

2010-04-11T18:02:00.000-07:00

Homemade Love

2010-04-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

Roberta Ferreira, my new mom made this adorable crab quilt for James and I. She makes beautiful quilts and gives them to all her children for special occasions. It is an honor to have her give us such a great quilt. She knows our passion for the ocean and anything ocean-ish! The colors are warm and the background looks like sand, the crabs are crab colors and have little yoyo eyes... it will be cherished forever ♥

Repurposed Journals

2010-04-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

I purchased these three old journals at a local flea market. They contain pages filled with wonderful classroom notes about plants and nature, science and chemistry. The front of the journals had been unattractively marked on, probably the reason I was able to one find them and two at such a good purchase price... these guys have become rare and pretty pricey. I covered the front with authentic old used french post cards of historical landmarks and buildings. Wouldn't these make great travel journals or at least the notes of dreaming about travel... I am glad I found away to give them a second life. They will be up for sale at our first show of the year... The Tattered House Market April 18th in Roseville California. Now what to do with those old ......

Colored Eggs

2010-03-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

I was thinking about this interesting tradition today.... we take an egg an color it....

then hide it.... then "hopefully" find it.... then eat it? When I was a kid hunting for colored eggs was a big deal. We would color many many eggs, we had chickens, and we had lots of relatives that would come to our house in the country where the grass grew tall and the uncles would all go out and hide the eggs. I personally preferred chocolate ones, but the chickens didn't make those, so there were very few of them. All us kids, cousins, would run crazy all over the fields searching for colored eggs... it was fun! I especially remember when the dogs would find an egg three weeks later that had not been found by us! Interesting tradition... yes it is ~ Jacque

March 20 2010

2010-03-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

loved having the dogs with us at our ceremony, Scout & Sister our babies...
Sierra our all grown up baby joined us too...

stepping out and ready to marry my bestest friend...

Aunt Alice married us, very special lady for a very special day...

we love the ocean and embraced it and thanked it for letting us celebrate our love there...

Favors

2010-03-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

James and I got married this past weekend on the beach in Half Moon Bay, California. It was a beautiful weekend, the weather was warm, sunny and just perfect. We had a wonderful group of friends and family, a nice little mix of people from all the different aspects of our lives. We chose March 20 2010, for it was the Spring Equinox, and symbolic of new beginnings. We both love the ocean, spend as much time there as possible and daily we work on our dream to relocate to a coastal community sometime soon. The pictures above are of the little favors I created for our guest... shells and sea glass collected from our beach combing adventures, pearls from and old vintage necklace, and little sea scrolls dating the occasion. It was a beautiful weekend and a dream come true, I married my best friend and a wonderful person to share all the joys of life with.~Jacque

Beautiful Chaos

2010-03-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

I love this piece of art James created, it is beautiful chaos...

Girly Glam Goods

2010-03-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

Getting my vintage clothing collection ready for a our first show of the season, April 18 in Roseville California. We work mostly with rusty, crusty, primitive items so for me a little girly glam is a nice contrast! I have acquired some nice 1940's prom dresses, pink, cream and blue over violet, beautiful full tulle skirts, lacy blouses, and pretty pink bed jackets. I love to add fun funky belts and pretty little vintage hand bags, and you can't beat a softly worn pair of Converse or cowgirl boots to finish it off... Hope you can make it to the show, it is a great way to celebrate Spring!

JUNK!

2010-03-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

When you are in the business, the business is everywhere! Does anyone else have the challenge of keeping all the JUNK under control? Is there such a thing as organized JUNK? I love what we do and enjoy handling and selling really great things but sometimes it can all get a little... well lets say JUNKY! Before a show, after a show and while getting ready for a show... well basically all the time, I am dealing with an abundance of things in my path... When you sell all this great stuff you have to get it when you see it, it doesn't matter if your back yard, storage, and living room are already full! And there are all the "projects" you know the things that need a little this or that, oh yeah I have projects... where is James anyway?

Gardening Begins!

2010-03-08T07:03:00.000-08:00

Digging in the dirt is good for the soul!

The garden season has begun! It is time for us to head out doors into the gardens. When this time of year starts our use of time changes. Many the things we were doing take a backseat to gardening. We come in later, we eat later, we head to bed later and we use the computer a lot less! Gardening is a healthy activity... so here is to good health and hands in the dirt!

Spring Shows

2010-03-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

Thinking about and preparing for Spring shows! We only do a few shows a year these days, two in the Spring, two in the Fall and our random Creative Gardener Gatherings at our home. Save these dates April 18th we will be at the Tattered House Roseville Spring Antique Market and April 24th & 25th at the Heart & Home Spring Garden Show on Gerber Road in Sacramento. Check back for more details and sneak peeks at this years latest creations and finds. First Creative Gardeners Gathering still to be announced...

Growing Pains

2010-03-04T15:03:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been experiencing what I will call growing pains, not the kind you may have experienced during childhood when your body was growing so quickly it hurt, but the kind that move you to a new place in your life. I hesitate to use the word "pain" because it can be thought of as negative, though not comfortable, these pains I am experiencing are by no means negative. My life is nothing short of amazing as I write this, I am healthy, have everything I need, have an abundance of love in my life and see each day with inspiration and opportunity. I am very happy. The things I have viewed and the encounters I have had recently have shown me such a big contrast in the world, there are amazing, beautiful, caring, compassionate, soulful people in this world that I encounter everyday and then there is the opposite. I have come to believe that we attract things into our lives, good and not so good. I would be sadden to believe I am attracting these not so wonderful things into my life for anything other then to grow from them, to teach me something I must need to learn, to come out of the experience a little closer to living on purpose. Though painful at times I am thankful for these things that are helping me grow, I believe with all my heart that everything here on God's world is in perfect order, I may not always understand it, but I have faith that it is...

Thrifting Success

2010-02-21T17:01:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been having a lot of success thrifting. I use to call it junking, but I have been finding some great stuff this year so I believe treasure hunting is my new lingo for sure. Today I scored a wonderful old wood rocking chair, with large spring cushions and no covers, very cool and comfortable too! The ledger is over sized and full of wonderful records of a business from long ago... electric bill for one month was $3.80! The pink vanity stool couldn't be any cuter, the frilly slip skirt, mother of pearl opera glasses and old art deco style alarm clock have me tickled pink, I know I have a customer for those. A wonderful book for teaching French and a concrete fish, the fish may stay by my pond for a while... One of the things I love most about this part of my business is I never know what will show up from day to day, always evolving, always interesting. I found several other thing this weekend but I don't want to be a show off, just wanted to share a little and maybe make the phone ring from some of my customers... hope you all had a treasured filled weekend as well~Jacque

Sweet Time...

2010-02-14T18:53:00.000-08:00

One of the best parts of loving a creative man is I always get wonderful creative gifts.

The clock above was given to me today as part of my Valentines. When we re- decorated the front room to look like our beach cottage the old wood wall clock just didn't fit in. I had been looking around for a clock that I liked, without success. We had seen a large rusty mechanical looking clock at Potterybarn a few weeks back, I commented on how I liked the size and roughness of it, yet it wasn't our look. I love my new clock! it is rustic in all the right ways and even better it is a one of a kind and made with love... The foundation is a galvanized barrel lid and the letters are hand cut from old recycled sheets of iron, the clock parts are from a clock he purchased at a thrift store and disassembled. Our lives do not run around the clock, but I sure enjoy looking at it and it reminds of what a GREAT TIME I am having! Happy Valentine's everyone, I hope yours was as sweet~ Jacque

Inspiration Board

2010-02-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

A little glimps at my current inspiration board! I really need a bigger one because it has become three layers thick, I suppose the thing to do is clean it off and make room for the new, but I sort of think it is a work of art that has evolved. I find it difficult to remove any of the items that have become a part it. Not only have I accumulated things to bring me inspiration but also artifacts of many inspiring moments in my life. Because of this it has become an "art journal" on my wall. At some point I will have to change it and make room for the new, but for now I think I will just continue adding to it and living this inspired life...

James

2010-01-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

This is James. He used to spend a lot of his time playing in the dirt. He owns a company that rents out water trucks for construction and fire. When I first meet James he was always very busy with his trucks... not so much right now. This is a big blessing for you and me! Because since his trucks are not as busy we get the pleasure of all the wonderful things he creates. See when you have water trucks, you have welding equipment and when you are with me you get inspired to do creative things, the results are many wonderful welded iron creations! In the beginning of our new adventure together I would ask James if he could make me this or that, always very happy with the results, I would ask for more, after a while I would just make a suggestion, like could you make me a sun? Next thing you know I would have a wonderful sun! James has become a true artist, he has made me and many others beautiful things for their homes and gardens. He still has the water trucks and still likes to play in the dirt but I really like his new enthusiasm about being a part of Old Soul Studios. (for more information & pictures on our products you can view us & become a fan on our face book page click here) I feel very blessed to not only have James as my life partner but also as my business partner, we make a great team and anyone that knows us agrees! ~Jacque

2010-01-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

Rusty Love...

2010-01-17T15:46:00.000-08:00

One of the many items we create here at Old Soul Studios is our Rusty Love Hearts. They are a very popular item all year long and now especially with the approach of the biggest heart day of the year they are a big hit! We have them in several nice shops and now also some florist. If you are interested in our hearts either for yourself or for your shop you are welcome to e-mail us at beachjunquie@gmail.com for more information on pricing and availability. We can also inform you of places to purchase our items in your area. We have been busy dreaming up new ideas for the spring garden season which will be quickly approaching. Keep in touch and drop by again for some highlites of what's to come, here is wishing you have a wonderful heart day~Jacque

Free Instruction Manual

2010-01-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

NATURE... the gift of nature that surrounds us is a free instruction manual. We can learn so much about how to live life by observing all of nature around us. Not only do I spend time in places where nature is abundant I also try to attract it into my life. Our garden is a flurry of activity year round. We provide food for the birds, the squirrels and I am sure a few night active creatures. There is always something blooming to attract the bees and butterflies as well as other creatures. Growing the garden as organic as possible allows for an abundance of good bugs and safe food and haven for many forms of nature. I would far rather watch the comedy of the squirrels playing then a television sitcom. I can't tell you the exact lesson you could learn from this free instruction manual, I am sure it is different for each of us, but if you ever find yourself looking for answers, or just inner peace, don't overlook the power of NATURE...

A New Year Wish

2009-12-27T10:58:00.000-08:00

I wish for all of you and myself a New Year of Hope, Health, Happiness and above all Peace! thank you for a wonderful 2009, the love, the friendships and the inspiration have all added to my personal growth and I am grateful for it all~Jacque

2009-12-19T19:22:00.000-08:00

We had a great time and great success at the show we participated in today. The venue was just beautiful and the other vendors and customer were all so friendly and happy. Live music played all day and the sent of the wood burning fire warm the air. Thank you to everyone that came out to see us. This was our last event until we see you in the Spring. We returned home to be greeted by our decorated front porch that says to us the holidays are here! We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope, health & happiness in the coming New Year.

2009-12-15T08:45:00.001-08:00

Vintage Christmas Faire
in the
Red Horse Barn!

We invite you to join us on Saturday December 19thfrom 11am to 4pm for our first Vintage Christmas Faire in the Red Horse Barn! Located at 950 Taylor Rd. in Newcastle. Truly unique gifts & the true spirit of Christmas! Wine Tasting by Casque Wines, Live Music by Billy Bensing & Kellie Garmire, Delicious Cuisine by Chef Chris of Tré Events, Mini chair massages by Rejuvenate Day Spa, Fresh cut Christmas trees & sweet Newcastle mandarins & gifts by Foothill Feed & Gift, Wearable art from the heart by Queen Bead, Fresh wreaths & lovely gifts with an English flair by Visual Impact Floral Design, Exquisitely handfelted wool hats by Felted Fleury, Gemstone, crystal & silver jewelry by Harvey Issac Design, Repurposed treasures by Old Soul Studios, Artsy jewelry by Holden Hands, Vintage appeal santas to snowmen by Gourdian Art & Sparkling earrings & necklaces by Dawn's Design!

What?

2009-12-14T06:53:00.000-08:00

On a recent trip through a very nice part of California where on every block there are specialty shops all brimming with the latest trends we spotted this small "quick type" food market. My first thought when I read the sign was just because a word is popular doesn't mean it is appropriate. Vintage food? the thought of it not to appealing! The building wasn't even old! What were they thinking? I'm just glad the "Twinkies" didn't have a "patina"! Hee Hee

A Place to Think

2009-12-10T09:21:00.001-08:00

This was last weekend, doing what I do best~Jacque

Favorite Things

2009-12-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

Notice the date on this wonderful old calendar? Last summer when we went to So Cal to visit Aunt Alice we went into her old garage, there was all kinds of wonderful things hanging on the walls. I noticed this calender hanging far up in the rafters, untouched for many years. I commented on how I love old paper things so we got it down and she said I could have it. I was very excited to see the date of the last page turned! A new decoration to add to my vintage Christmas! This is a very fragile piece and I protect it carefully so it will hopefully last way past my lifetime so someone after me can enjoy it as well. I am pleased that my family has taught me to find joy in simple things...

I am so grateful!

2009-11-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

In celebration of the day that reminds us of all we have to be thankful for everyday of the year, I will gather beautiful leaves from around my neighborhood and throw them all over my porch! Happy Thanksgiving to you all... and if at this time you are facing challenges may you find the blessings in them.~Jacque

The beauty of now...

2009-11-24T07:21:00.000-08:00

Each season's results have their own beauty. Take the time to observe your world and see the beauty in everything, you will be a much healthier and happier person. So often within our fast paced world the silent still beauty gets unnoticed and the truth is it may be all you need.~Jacque

Keeping warm...

2009-11-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

My kitties snuggle together to keep warm on a chilly morning.... make sure to make time for some warm snuggling this week.~Jacque

Meeting Rachel Ashwell

2009-11-17T21:24:00.000-08:00

Last week I attended a Rachel Ashwell book signing, she has been traveling around the country representing her latest book and doing book signings in wonderful shops. Her latest book in my opinion is by far her best. It is full of heart and soul and her usual design ideas. She is a soft spoken, inspirational women, it was a pleasure meeting her and I was very impressed with how she gave each visitor her undivided attention. There was close to 200 people and she gave each as much time as they wanted to chat and have all their books signed. I have never been one to adhere to any one style but I love the influence Rachel has had on home decor , the soft colors and "not so perfect" look of her trademark style Shabby Chic.

Welcome Sparkle Season!

2009-11-09T07:11:00.000-08:00

Sparkle, sparkle, sparkle! The season has begun and I love it! Everywhere you go things sparkle and say celebration. I over hear people grumbling about the upcoming holidays and I think how sad for them. Everyday should be celebrated and when we add sparkle it is that much better! I like to see everyday objects transformed as though they are dressed for a fancy party. Just about any item in your home or garden can be transformed into a part of the celebration. Little touches here and there that will remind and inspire you to stop and celebrate just because the day "is". I wish you all to have JOY in all you do and that you and your homes and gardens sparkle, sparkle, sparkle!~Jacque

Vintage Trees

2009-11-06T06:53:00.000-08:00

These vintage bottle brush trees inspire me to begin enjoying all the little things that make winter and the holidays a JOY!

Catherine's Garden

2009-10-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

Today James installed the iron art sculpture that our friend Catherine requested for her garden. She had a very special tree that held a lot of fond memories for her die in her garden. Instead of having the entire tree removed she had it trimmed down leaving a large trunk. She and James designed this wonderful large iron sculpture to bring the tree back to life so she could continue to enjoy it and all her memories. It was difficult to photograph the project when complete because the sun was right in the direct spot above it. I thought this picture with the sun was beautiful. Catherine's garden is full of memories and she has areas decorated with art to dedicate those who she loves that have passed on. We are honored that she has many pieces of our art in her garden and hope she will enjoy this new tree sculpture for a very long time. Thank you dear Catherine and Peace to You~Jacque

2009-10-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

HOPE YOUR WEEKEND IS SWEET!

Autumn Bliss!

2009-10-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

I am enjoying the new fall season. It comes with a crisp coolness to the air, all the garden is changing before my eyes. I notice change in the behaviors of the creatures that share my garden. The squirrels and birds are very busy working and playing, and the frogs are singing more then usual. We have been spending extra time in the garden doing all the necessary chores to prepare for the winter. We planted winter vegetables, trimmed the smaller trees, raked leaves, which will need to be done over and over for the next three months, and prepared the green house for winter weather. Spending time with nature keeps me balanced, as humans we can learn a lot about ourselves by paying attention to how we feel while doing certain activities and while in certain environments. For me I feel "right" while interacting with nature and at the oceans edge. Pay attention to where you feel "right" and that is where you should focus your attention and time. May your transition into this new season give you inspiration to find where you feel "right".~Jacque

Autumn Bliss!

2009-10-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

I enjoy the simple things... I see beauty in the simple things... I appreciate the simple things... I desire the simple things... have a simply fabulous week~Jacque

Halloween Fun

2009-10-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

I have very few items that I display for Halloween, but I do enjoy putting out these fun paper meche' guys.

Rusty Crusty World

2009-10-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my rusty crusty world up close! The above pictures were taken by my good friend Lani during one of her many visits to my house. She shares her pictures with me and I really enjoy how she captures certain things around my house I would have probably not noticed other wise. Lani is our "Rust Queen" and I love the way she appreciates the beauty in rough, crusty, tattered things. For more of Lani's view stop by her blog at creeksiderummager.blogspot.com. Thanks Lani!

Old Dogs & Guitars

2009-10-06T06:27:00.000-07:00

Our friend Antsy McClain wrote and recorded a song called Old Dogs & Guitars. As fans we had the opportunity to adopt one of Antsys' songs, a once in a life time opportunity to share in this man's talent. We chose this song not only because of how we in our life style relate so much to its' story and not only because of how it makes us feel, but because of how it makes everyone feel. This is an all around feel good song, though it could bring a tear to your eye, not only because it may remind you of a past canine friend but also of a time when people had their priorities in order, like the Good Ol' Days, But that's another song.... Anyway what I wanted to share was the very special gift Antsy gave us as part of adopting this song. When the song was released on his latest CD "The Beige Album" he included a very special dedication to each adoptee. Ours reads: This is dedicated to my friends James and Jacque Ferreira, whose ever-present, front row smiles have been remarkable to me over the last few years. This song (and in particular, my own dog Charlie's presence in it), is done in memory of Jacque's beloved Molly, who has gone ahead to pick out a nice soft grassy spot for a big family picnic somewhere in the distant future. Now don't you love the song even more? This man writes music from the soul, for the soul, from his funny lyrics to his heart felt story telling, if you haven't already checked out Antsys' music give yourself a gift today and drop by his web site at www.unhitched.com. His band the Trailer Park Troubadours will get your toes tappin!

the picture is of some of my old dogs, I have almost 200 old dog antiques

What can they tell us?

2009-10-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome to October! I love the changing of the seasons and all the freshness that comes with them. I become inspired, energized, and aware. I reposted the picture above of the Screech Owl from my yard. They nested here last Spring, they are back! This morning I can hear them outside my window calling from the big cottonwood tree. It got me thinking about all the activity I witnessed in my back yard the past few days. Birds of many kinds everywhere, many more then my yard normally attracts and squirrels everywhere, very busy tearing up all my flower beds and the lawn to hide their acorns and other finds. At night there is something coming around that digs everywhere looking for worms perhaps. I like to read about how the Native Americans watch the animals to learn all they need to know about their environment and what was to come. They were able to tell many things about their world by watching nature. I believe we could still benefit from this knowledge, or at least be intrigued by it. My mother lives a little further up north from us and she recently asked me to research why the geese were already flying south, much earlier then they have observed living their over the past 40 years. She said they are flying very high and in very large groups. I will spend some time today trying to discover what that may tell us. I love this world and respecting a caring about it is a priority in my life, I suggest we all take the time to notice it and be aware of what a gift it is! Happy Autumn~Jacque

2009-09-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

Very calm for Pacifica.... @Beach.Calm

A Moment

2009-09-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

I like this picture. James took this picture of me when I was walking a labyrinth created along the shore at the beach. I was lost in my own thoughts, or maybe no thoughts at all. I love the way this creation, made from rocks of the area has been left undisturbed for quiet some time. Each time we pass this trail to the beach we get to see others enjoying this creation. Do you happen to know where this is? Have you walked it yourself? Just a hint, it is located in Northern California in a popular coastal community.

A Little Dark...

2009-09-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we participated in the Tattered House Antique Market. This time of year I can't resist putting a little Halloween in our space. I like to gather black items, sprinkle with a little orange and add a touch of whimsy! Halloween decorating has gained in popularity over the years. Do you do anything fun and unusual to decorate your home for this time of year? We sold a lot of the items pictured above but if you see something you like contact us, it just might still be around~Jacque

Spoon Tags

2009-09-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

I love creating and creating something new that allows for self expression is really fun. We have over 100 words that we are putting on our new silver spoon tags and we are adding more everyday. These tags can be used in a number of different ways and they have a beautiful jewelry quality about them because they are silver plate. For information on stores that carry our tags e-mail us at beachjunquie@gmail.com

I'm A Great Aunt!

2009-09-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

My niece Nicole and nephew in-law Dustin just had a baby boy at 5:28 this morning! This new baby is very exciting for my family, we are a small family and it has been a long time since there were any babies.... His name is Ryder Andrew and mom and baby are doing great! I am anxiously waiting for pictures, but I understand the new grandma and grandpa are very busy and exhausted... you would have thought they had the baby, hee hee! Why are babies so much fun? Especially, for me, all I have to do is love him and play with him. I didn't have children so I just enjoyed my nieces and now I get to enjoy the next generation.... this is going to be fun! I am busy getting ready for a show right now, but next week I'll be at "Babies R Us" being the "great aunt" that I am... Can you tell I am smiling!

Left Behind

2009-08-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the job of removing every last piece of James's belongings from the house he sold was completed. I walked around the entire place, checking to make sure there was nothing forgotten and left behind. I had never seen this cute work of art he and his daughter (who was nine at the time) had created. It was located in a small slab of concrete at the back of the house. I would have liked to dig it up and take it with us and then I thought about how we each leave a little bit of ourselves every where we go. We can move from place to place as life takes us on our journey but somehow I believe we leave a little imprint from our spirit every where we have been .... and sometimes it is in concrete.

Jurrasic Park!

2009-08-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

Actually it was Patrick's Point State Park! We love the way the camp sites are so secluded, you feel like you are in the jungle. I have been going there since I was a child, I know all the trails and beaches like I know my own home. When I was young and with my family we would camp with a tent, now James and I have a motor home, both ways are fun, though I have to say I like the conveniences of the motor home, and you don't have to protect your camp from the raccoons and bears! Where do you like to camp?

Shells

2009-08-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

Things made out of shells..... a shelf full of my collection of tacky things made out of shells.... a few of my vintage shell boxes. I have been collecting these things since I was a young child. My love for the ocean goes way back since the first time I saw it.~Jacque

Vintage

2009-08-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

My sister showed up to our camping trip in this awesome vintage motor home! It was so cute! Every little detail is fun. It is a Palm Beach GMC. The inside is as cute as the outside, all original upholstery and details. I think the only thing that could have made it better was an old wood surf board strapped to the top.

Special Gift

2009-08-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday and I was given a very special gift. You see we are part of a group of people, people with big hearts, and great views on life. Antsy McClain is a musician that we follow and the friends we have made along the way have enriched our lives. One of these friends along with the help of my sweetie produced a video to my favorite song that was written by Antsy. My fur babies are very special to me and anyone that knows me knows that right away. My dear Dalmatian Mollie has passed on but she touched many lives while she was here and she still does. Thank you to our dear friend Troy for his kind heart and video album talent. I will cherish this gift. He posted it on YouTube so if you would like to see my gift go here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0PDDOqmc7U ... It is very personal and I know there are things about it only I would get, but I hope you enjoy it too. ~Jacque