Tonka toys for big boys

Tonka toys that are now lights to bring those childhood memories into anyone's life. 

                                    Road grader with hard hat lamp shade 

       front end loader with hard hat lamp shade 

 Mobile crane with Edison bulb hanging from crane

  Tonka mini dozer with custom lamp shade

 Snorkel firetruck with flicker flame bulb 

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Vintage Waring rocket blender lamp

1930's Waring rocket blender up-cycled into a cool lamp.

 The original switch is now used to control the light.

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The rise of the Candlestick phones

Sometimes you come across a story so good that it needs to be retold. Here is one of these stories. 

While we were at a show this spring, we were approached by a couple and asked if we would be able to refurbish a pair of lamps that their grandfather had done a very long time ago. To be honest people ask us these type of questions all the time, and that is usually is the end of it . 

So we were surprised when we were contacted about restoring a pair of early 1900's candlestick desk phones that her grandfather had converted into lamps. But there was more to the story, not only had her grandfather repurpose  these phones before it was a thing. The phone lamps had been stored in a house that was flooded in the 2005 hurricane Katrina and were underwater for an extended amount of time. They were in bad shape, and she wanted them redone for her mothers birthday. 

Here are some before pictures of the phones

And this is the one that was in better shape.

So we love a good story and a chance to bring peoples treasured memories back to life, so we took the challenge. 

All of the innards were in the phones and everything was rusted solid, so these had to be removed. One phone had a box that we were able to rescue and reuse all parts of it after much care and refinishing. The other box had to have the base and top sections replaced. Both phones had to be stripped of all the rust and repainted or polished. After a good amount of work and adding a little of our style, while still honoring the original artists vision, we were able to return these to the family.

Here is a picture of our customers mother after receiving one of the phone lamps that her father originally made, and she did not even know had been save from Katrina. I think she looks happy, and we were told a few tears were shed.   

This is what make what we do so magical, when we can reconnect people with memories. 

"bringing memories to light" 

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Bringing Memories to Light

We recently had the honor of being asked to turn a family's treasured items into lights, here is the story. 

At a local show that we were participating in, we had a woman approach us and said that see had some items that she would like to see if we could turn into lamps. She showed us a large box with a couple sets of football cleats and several football trophies from here husbands high school and college days. She also had an 8mm projector that was used by her family.   

Of course we were honored that she would entrust us with theses items. So now we had to come up with a design for them that made sense, but did not require the items to be permanently affixed ( our requirement, not the customers in case later on someone did not want these items in a lamp). Also the custom lamp shades needed to be created. 

We were able to deliver the Lopasky football lamps last week. It is a very humbling experience to be able to present a finished product that will allow a family to interact with items that have always been precious, but in a box in the garage before.  Now they can display them in a place of prominence and they become the conversation piece that allows the memories to live forever.

back of shade 

 back of shade

Custom projector shade


This is the text that we got from the customer
"Shannon & Myriam, I just wanted to tell you that my boys absolutely loved the lamps you made for them from their Dad’s trophies and cleats.  They loved your idea and the way it was all arranged.  Loved our name on the base and thought the shade was amazing.  This is such a special way for them to remember their Dad, and I can’t thank you enough for your creativity and how perfect it all turned out. They also thought the projector and shade was so cute, but I told them this was staying at My House!  Thank y’all again, your work is amazing!!!    Shirley" 

It is a great felling to be able to create ways for people to be able to interact with their memories.

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find out more about custom shades
click here

Vintage Chrome & Black Dominion Hair Blow Dryer Lamp

A blast from the past, this vintage chrome and black Dominion hair dryer was updated with a flicker flame bulb to help it relive the glory days.

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Guitar amp lamp

A Pair of practice amplifiers that have been turned into rock n roll lamps.

The shades have a different image on the front and back. We can customize the shades to the music style that you would like. 

For more information on custom shades click here lamp-shades

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Catchers mitt and ball lamp

This well used catchers mitt and ball have been turned into a lamp, with a custom lamp shade with baseball theme.

This baseball themed shade has the "bottom of the ninth bases loaded" on the front and vintage baseball card images on the other sides.

for more information on ordering our custom shades click here lamp-shades

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Baseball catcher mask lamp

Vintage baseball catcher mask lamp. 

The catchers mask is the star of this lamp, and the light is a Edison type bulb. The base is a home plate made from wood.

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Photospot Model V-31

National Instrument Company 1950's Photospot Model V-31.

Okay I know, this is not one of our vintage items that we turned into a light. But sometimes you run across something so cool that you have to give it a new life. This was produced by the National Instrument Company  in Houston Texas in the 1950's. The wiring and bulb socket were shot, so I took all that out and put in a LED to make it usable as accent lighting in someones home.

So, I made a light into a light. not to impressive, but the light does have the look and it needed to be saved. I hope you understand and enjoy.

 

Art Deco cocktail shaker lamp

Vintage Art Deco chrome cocktail shaker turned into a lamp with a custom designed shade.

This shaker form the 1950's is topped with an amazing custom designed cocktail themed shade. The shade is two sided as you can see from the pictures. the pattern on the back side is made from different cocktails that could have been made from the shaker. 

To find out more about ordering a custom shade click here lamp-shades

Click on the labels below to see our other creations.