"Things that make you smile" ~ handmade by Susan Schneider
The potters of the Mid 19th century experimented in the most amazing shapes and glazes.
Lucky for us so many examples survived the changing times.
I wonder what the artist’s of that time would think of how I transform them.
I could not resist this pair, perfect for this time of year. There shape, chunky and round,
just like the pumpkins we have been decorating our homes with.
I paired them with a great paper made with leaves running throughout.
Bring a bit of nature indoors to make you smile.
The editors at House Beautiful selected Shandell’s Matches as one the best gifts for under $25.00 this holiday season. Visit Shandell’s studio or online store for an amazing variety of matches to fulfill your holiday needs.
No holiday season will be more challenging than this one. How to afford a gift that’s really special, but doesn’t bust the budget? The handmade matchboxes from Shandell’s of Millerton, NY, will make gift giving personal and fun: a beautiful gift, but also useful—who doesn’t need matches, whether in the kitchen or for lighting candles or a fire? And just $14.
As a hostess gift, they will last longer than a bottle of wine or a box of cookies, and our large collection of styles—each drawn from our unrivaled 30-year collection of vintage imagery—would match any décor.
I am extremely honored to be selected. A friend and fellow blogger Anne Harwell’s note cards of her wonderful chairs were also included in this great list. Stay tuned to see what Anne and I have in store for the Holiday Season.
Susan
Recently, I was reading one of my favorite blogs The Sister Project.
Each month I start off reading Sheilaa Hite’s horoscope and find that she has an amazing ability to sum up my life(I am a true Capricorn). This months she talks about “The whirlwind swirling around you is real.” Well this is so true.
I was on a hunting trip a couple of weeks ago and found a large number of 19th century indoor shutters. Fell in love with them. Came back to my studio without them, pondering what can I do with all of these beautiful shutters.
I have been in my new studio space for a year and it needed a shake up. Perfect, these shutters carved out a much needed office space for me to create in, at the same time gave the front of the studio a wonderful back drop for my fabulous collections.
Here is a snap shot of the new studio space, I am still working at putting together the office. Curtains are being made, lamps being rearranged. I will keep you posted.
If you are in the area, stop by and see. If not browse my online shop.
Enjoy the change of season’s. I am having a blast. Have a great weekend.
Susan
This summer I was on a hunting trip in upstate New York, stumbled on a great organized junk/scrap yard. There was a section for everything. I could not contain myself, all I thought was how I was going to get all of my treasures home. There was a 19th century iron garden gate, I love these. They have a history, I use my imagination to wonder who were the people who walked through the gate. The center pieces was the only thing left to salvage, the iron scroll work was beautiful.
On my way home I stopped at my welders and dropped them off. These are the lamps, vintage industrial with style.
The fun part about what I do, is I get to find incredible hand made papers form all over the world new and old to make lampshades for the lamps that get created from my hunting trips. This paper I found this spring in New York. The paper is a light version of Kraft paper with scrolls of espresso and bronzes screened on it. A perfect match for these lamps.
If you are in the area stop by to see works in progress or visit my online shop.
Have a great weekend.
Susan
Recently I went on a hunting trip for vintage images. Not that I need more, but you can never have enough.
I stumbled upon a postcard album from the early 1900′s, that came from upstate New York. As I turned the pages this wonderful original water color appeared. I fell in love with it. For all the years of collecting I never found such a wonderful Halloween image. Not signed, I wonder who the artist was.
Perfect for Shandell’s matches. What a fabulous way to light your Halloween night.
Kate Parker from SimplyStated a blog from RealSimple.com, shared my work with her readers. I was honored to have her write about me. Grateful I am to be able to make things with my hands and make people smile.
Kate said “Handmade gifts have that extra special, personal touch – and it’s always nice to support independent artisans. At $14, these match boxes are an affordable and unique present – plus it’s something everyone needs.” The “Met Opera” matches were one of her favorites.
Thank you Kate for sharing my work.
Susan
These fabulous ginger jar shaped lamps, with gesso flowers came right from the Dorothy Draper era. They are classical and funky wrapped into one. The tone on tone feeling is soothing. I have found quite a few examples of gesso decorated lamp bases lately. This is the first of a series that I will be doing this fall. The gesso is normally white, but I have found a few lamp bases that the gesso has been colored. The imagination of the artists back then are amazing. Someone must have filled a pastry bag with gesso and decorated the lamp bases just like a wedding cake.
I topped them off with a great pair of cream colored sea grass hexagon lampshades. Bringing a twist to these bases. The sea grass has the wonderful warm tones of the lamps. These lamps would be a welcome addition to any home.
If you are in the area stop by and see or visit my online store.
Enjoy,
Susan
Pin Up Girls have been documented since the late 1890′s, but the girls from the 1920′s to the 1960′s are the most notable. Showing up on calenders, matchbook covers, in ad campaigns and more. These woman always had a smile, dressed in a little or a lot of clothing, they allowed your imagination to be free.
I have fallen in love with these. The first ones I ever came across was in 1990, I was on a house call for antiques and in the lot of goods that I purchased was an entire series of girls. I sold them all but two that I keep in my bedroom. I do look back and wished I keep the others, but since I am this mad collector I have found so many more for my collection.
Shandell’s match boxes seemed like a perfect “match” for these lovely ladies. I hope they get you to smile for a while.
The “Daily Tattler” is one of my favorites.
Enjoy,
Susan
I could not think of just one description for these lamps, so sleek, modern, simple and elegant it is.
A wonderful source I have that makes wood veneer pliable and sturdy for lampshades. Cherry wood is my favorite, the glow is so beautiful, amazing that it is real wood.
I was making a large pair of square shades, cutting the cherry wood from the sheets I get and there was scrap pieces left. I just cannot toss scrap of any kind, you never know what I can make with them. Then I was cutting a pair of tall slender lampshades for a customer and the pattern fit the cherry wood scrap perfectly.
If you are in the area stop by and see what I have created with the scraps I save or visit my online store.
Scrap yards, junk yards, the dump (some people call it the transfer station, so it sounds better), are great places. I have been a recycling for years. People throw away wonderful pieces of metal. The more industrial the better, I have a true love affair for it. Old fence pieces, iron findings, scrap metal, you never know what treasure is waiting to be made into a lamp.
Here is my problem, I guess not such a bad one, but I have lots of scrap metal parts and the hardest part of this is which one will be picked next. I am very grateful, that I have a welder that get’s me. He does not even flinch anymore, but in the beginning of our relationship, he rolled his eyes at me constantly. He is a true genius.
I call the lamps I create, Shandell’s version of Steampunk. A little industrial, mixed with style. The pair I have pictured here are made from cast iron andiron’s, from the 19th century. They have a look of a gentleman’s Handelbar Moustache. The orange parchment shades, brings out the color of the iron.
I have just started going through my pile, pieces have been sent to get welded and come back to be transformed.
If you are in the area stop by to see works in progress or visit my online shop.
Have a great weekend.
Susan
Shandell's is the creative home of me, Susan Schneider, a longtime collector of things vintage with a passion for recycling them into things that make you smile. Shandell's, a working lampshade and vintage lighting studio, has just relocated to 2976 Church Street, Pine Plains, NY 12567. I draw on a collection of thousands of unique handmade papers, antique wallpapers and other very special materials in my work. We will be open by chance or appointment. Sign up to receive new product updates as well as specials!
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WE ARE MUCH MORE THAN JUST readymade lamps and shades. Our list of custom services and products (including ideal ones for use in group fundraisers) goes way beyond just shade-making. We even make house calls!