Swap Meet Fun

Spent some fun time Sunday morning with my good friend Susan

 at the local swap meet in San Luis Obispo.

 Not as many vendors as usual, maybe due to the holiday -

but I did pick up this interesting stack of old linens and things

 for a mere $5.00!

Afterwards, we had a delicious breakfast and  time

 to catch up on each other's comings and goings - 

always a perfect start to a Sunday.

A Modest, but Tasty Score

A Sunday morning at the local swap meet,

yielded this amazing item, in its original packaging.

I had no idea what it was, but when I brought it home, 

Margot - who spent many years in a dark room -

informed me that it was used to make the "fuzzy edges" 

on those old oval pictures.  Sorta like an 

antique photo shop effect tool!

Also picked this up, soon it will find its way
 into a shrine or assemblage.

A fun morning for a total of $3.00!

Swap Meet Score!

Went to the local swap meet with daughter Jenny on Sunday.

 Not a big score - but a few choice items.

 Old military buttons,

foreign coins, 

vintage hankies, a cool key and check out

 those yummy steampunk goggles!

A Teeny-Tiny Score

 Usually when I go to the swap meet, whoever goes with me ends up helping me carry my finds - a type drawer, a vintage suitcase, an old wooden box that would be perfect for that assemblage I've been planning.

Well, this time daughter Jenny, who accompanied me didn't have to carry a thing.  I hardly had to carry a thing.  My Frida Kahlo mesh bag stayed folded under my arm and I carted away my "score" in a pocket of my jacket - and one of the smaller pockets at that!

To paraphrase Spencer Tracy in Pat & Mike -

 "...not much score at that swap meet, but what there was was cherce." 

And counting the $1.00 I paid to get in, I only spent $2.00!

Swap Meet Score

Went to the swap meet over the weekend and feel in love with the marble booth! I don't play marbles (back in the '50's at my grade school girls had to play jacks - the boys got to play marbles - too bad women's lib had hit yet!) but I was fascinated by all the boxes and trays of beautiful specimens.


The seller was enamored with his subject, so excited to talk about the different types and their history. He was surrounded by dads and their sons - I guess all the girls (except me) were over at the "jacks booth"!

Big ones,

Small ones

gorgeous blue ones with the photographer captured in every marble!

I also did a bit of shopping and scored a type drawer (can never have too many), a vintage suitcase (ditto), a fragile, lacy shawl, a decoupaged 3 drawer CD cabinet (get for stash storage), a small chest (assemblage-worthy) and a tiny wooden dutch figure (just for fun!).

Flea Market Here We Come

all photos courtesy of Snake Jake J

On vacation for a whole week and no flea market yet? Well, we're about to rectify that. Midgley's Country Flea Market just south of Sebastopol, Saturdays and Sundays 6:30-4:30.



I love flea markets! I have a running list of stuff I'm always looking for to use in my artwork, but am wide open to the surprises I inevitably find.

I'll post pix of my delicious score in a few days. Wish me luck!

Swap Meet Score!

Up early- extra early due to the time change - and off to the swap meet. Not a big haul, but as Spencer Tracy says regarding Katherine Hepburn in Pat and Mike "what there is is cherce!"
A vintage toffee tin, HO caboose, cherubic wall sconce and a wooden angel face. All now waiting to become part of various Altered by the Sea assemblages.
After the swap meet, had a lovely belated birthday brunch, with daughter Jenny and her guy Noah, at the delicious Bon Temps Creole Cafe in San Luis Obispo - chicory coffee, warm biscuits, and grits with hot sauce - Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Swap Meet Score

A fun, though foggy, morning at the San Luis Obispo Swap Meet yesterday. Picked up my daughter Jenny, and armed with coffee, lots of $1.00 bills and shopping bags, we hit the stalls.
She looks for old cameras, working or not. She has quite a collection and is a very good photographer with an unerring eye for the unique shot.

I had nothing in particular that I was looking for, but open to anything great or unusual. Like these heavy pewter corn-on-the-cob holders (don't they just scream "assemblage me!"). Old boxes and tins are always popular and loved the retro "wooden nickel" style campaign buttons.

This was the "find" of the day though. It measures about 10x6x4" and is a delightful little vintage train case, complete with lock and key. A section in the lid opens to reveal a mirror and storage for m'lady's cosmetics. The ideas are already fomenting for a vintage travel assemblage.

A delicious breakfast afterwards with more time to visit and home in time to get into the studio and play for the afternoon.

Happy Weekend!

A few miles up the coast near Cayucos

We've had a few days of sunshine here on the coast and hoping for more the next two days, now that my weekend has begun. Off early to the local swap meet with daughter Jenny and then buttermilk pancakes stuffed with Swiss cheese and strawberries at Big Sky in San Luis Obispo. Yum-yum. A great start to my weekend, enjoy yours!

$10.00 Score!

Up early and to the swap meet and brought home the goodies above for less than $10.00. A nicely worn little vintage suitcase, old ruler, pipe, 2 vintage fuse boxes(including fuses), a fishing lure, a "headless" George Washington figure (the silly seller seemed to think this made it less valuable!), a rusty hinge, a bottle opener, porcelain hot and cold handles, and a metal name plate.

And here's what I found on the street on the way in: rusty wire, worn piece of wood with white paint, cigar band, crumpled metal and a big heavy piece of industrial metal -all for free! Good haul.

On a note of ever-increasing consistency -the latest Somerset Studios has arrived - without my artwork inside. This issue did not feature my An Evening at the Opera Box #5. But hope springs eternal, I have three more entries already awaiting their decision for the next three issues. And I have until August to decide if I'm to going to go on doing this for a second year. It does get rather frustrating when people keep saying "Oh, what's your art been in - you should be published!" and then when you try ... The two things that keep this in perspective are; 1.) I know they get hundreds and hundreds of submissions for each issue and 2.) I know there are lots of people who are just as frustrated as I am.

Swap Meet Score!

On my own this weekend while Margot is up in Santa Clara for a Sassy Feet function. So I got up early and took myself to the San Luis Obispo Swap Meet - held at the Sunset Drive-In Theatre - one of the few remaining drive-ins in the country. I didn't find lots, but what I did was "cherce" (as Spencer Tracy said of Katherine Hepburn in Pat and Mike). 2 cigar boxes, an old metal Coca-Cola truck missing the back wheels (the seller apologized for this - not understanding that for an altered artist this is a plus!), 2 vintage wall hooks, an old ledger and Wild Kitty - gotta love that tile!

The ledger was a steal at $5.00 - have you priced them on e-Bay lately? Lucky me!!