An Amaryllis that needs no water.

Amaryllis, a native South African plant, Latin amarysso meaning “to sparkle. What a perfect meaning for this time of year. I love these plants, every year I search for a new, variety to bloom in my house.

Over the years I have collected 19th century botanicals  of these amazing plants, the detail in the drawings is what I love the most about them.  In the day with no cameras, the fine detail all done with the naked eye.

I have put some of the prints on Tissue Boxes and Matches, they make a wonderful  presents, with absolutely no care they will bloom for years.

Susan

Making your list and checking it twice. Great gifts for under $50.00

1-Vintage Wallpaper Ornaments, each ornament is papered with wonderful vintage wallpaper and edged with 19th century glass glitter.

2-Matchboxes made with vintage imagery and more…  House Beautiful , Eddie Ross and

Hudson Valley Magazine put these in their Holiday Gift Guides.

3- Tissue Boxes, to hide those ugly paper boxes we all have around the house.  There is one for that will fit anyone on your list.

4- A night light to guide you or someone on your list through the night.  This group of night lights that are waiting to be packaged are made from Paste Papers, the papers are hand made in Upstate New York by this amazing artist named Claire Maziarczyk.  I fell in love with her papers years ago, they make beautiful night lights and lampshades.

Hope this list helps you with yours.  Have a fabulous time checking it twice.

Susan

Chairs + Ginger Jars = A fun project with Anne Harwell

I have met the most amazing, talented people this year.  The blogosphere is a world all to itself.   Anne Harwell from Annechovie is one of these people.  Visit her blog and see what I am talking about.  She is an artist and  paints all different types of things, but her chairs are one my favorites.  I sent a tissue box with her chairs on it as a thank you for a wonderful post she did on me.

I was in the shower thinking (I do my best thinking there) about projects for the fall and winter.  Anne’s artwork popped in my head, I thought how wonderful to collaborate with her.  Put her art on my art.  A new twist.  I work mostly with vintage images and I am finding that there are so many artists work that would look great on what I do.

So, here is the first of what I hope to be many fun projects.  The tissue box and matches will be done in limited quantities.

Enjoy.

Susan

Horsing around, jump start the season.

It seems like Halloween just finished, most of the leaves are gone and the Holiday season is knocking on our doors.  The elves at Shandell’s have been working over time getting lots of things ready to make you smile.

Tissue boxes have been on the list lately, as the weather has changed, cold and flu season is here.  As I was going through all of my vintage images I came across this wonderful Steeplechase image.  The detail is wonderful as well as the color. I immediately made a tissue box with this image.

As you are getting to know me, horses , dogs and animals are a big part of my life and work.  I love the 18th and 19th century images of them and put them on just about everything I make. I started putting some of my favorite quotes on matchboxes, along with some of the most beautiful vintage horse images.  What wonderful gifts these will make this holiday season.

So if you are in the area, stop by or visit my online shop.

House Beautiful, 250 Gifts under $25.00

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

Good Witches or Bad Witches

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.

Sexy, Retro & Irresistible

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

Horoscopes, Sun Signs, Zodiac, Moon and Stars

I grew up with a mom who had Linda Goodman’s books on her night stand.  I paid some attention to what my mom would say, it was the late 60′s early 70′s the age of the hippie.

I am a Capricorn and pretty true to all of what I have read about them.  I do believe that the sun, moon and stars had an impact on us all.  Recently I have been introduced to Sheilaa Hite who is one of the sisters from The Sister Project, her horoscopes have been dead on for me in the last couple of month’s.

In my vast collection of stuff, I came across 2 series of Tobacco Cards from the early 1900, that had Zodiac signs and Horoscopes on them.

I remember buying them about ten years ago, tucking them away not knowing what I was going to do with them. I was going through my collections, saw them and thought how great they would be on my matches.  So I made them up and WOW.  What a great present, someones very one Horoscope from way back when.

Enjoy finding out what the sun, moon and stars have in store for you.

Bring the Ocean Indoors

I do not get to the ocean much any more, July 4th weekend was always an ocean trip when I was a kid.  My Mom loves the beach, there is something about the healing qualities of the ocean.

The way walking along the beach and listening to the waves seems to lower ones heart rate.  When I do get a chance to go, one of my favorite things to do is collect shells. There are so many different types, in the 19th century they were documented in amazing detail.

I have put together a group of seashell inspired hand made  items for the home, a lamp, tissue box, night light and a box of matches so no matter where you live, the ocean can be with you.  If you have a friend in need of a ocean fix, one of these will surely make them smile.

Have a safe and happy 4th.

Father’s Day a day to celebrate Dad

I have this connection to deer, they have come into my life at different times.  In Indian medicine the Deer represent gentleness, they are here to teach us to touch the hearts and minds of wounded beings who are in our way.  Sheds are the antler’s that naturally fall off of deer.  I collect them and  love that I pair together steel and horn, to create this wonderful lamp.

I have a fabulous person who comes into my studio every Saturday and straightens out my workshop, she said “Susan, it is Father’s day soon, get this wired, make a shade and take a picture of it”, so I did.
Here is a perfect grouping for the Dad in your life.  Hope you enjoy looking, I enjoyed making it.  I have put it together with matches and a tissue box cover all to honor the Deer.

If you are in the area stop by and see it or visit my online store.

Susan

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