Over the last few months, I’ve seen my crafting shift from card making to more 3D projects. I’ve also started using a variety of materials in combination with paper. I guess I’ve moved into the mixed media space.
I’ve always liked lumpy bumpy artwork. I’ve always been more attracted to sculpture, pottery, carvings, art quilts, etc. than I have paintings or drawings. This spring I worked on a shadowbox project that I hope gets published in December 2011 or June 2012.
From there I moved to a letterblock tray and after that, a steampunk inspired clock.
These types of projects beg for fun elements including found objects and ephemera. To me, found objects is the trendy label for things others would probably have thrown out or things you would find at a thrift store, garage sale or flea market. Ephemera is paper goodies too good to throw out—from tickets to old playbills and book pages.
We’ve been hitting thrift stores, flea markets and garage sales all summer, and I wanted to share some of our finds with you. Labor Day weekend we went to Swapper’s Day in Johnstown, Ohio. We got there at 7AM on Saturday (which meant we got up at 5:30!) and shopped until we were ready to pass out from the heat (about noon). Although we were on the verge of heat stroke, our finds were well worth it. Remember, no pain, no gain! LOL
Our haul from Swapper’s Day 2011 in Johnstown, Ohio practically fills our picnic table!
Small metal cigar tins, old time logs, fishing reel, rulers, corks, medals, thimbles, Monopoly hat playing piece, whistle, calipers, small light bulbs, a Western Union telegraph book…
A couple of clocks, two shadow boxes (one with shelves!), a box of radio tubes, door knobs and handles…
Tons of jewelry, a small compass, lots of keys, a small pulley, small wooden bowling pins, …
Lots of funky costume jewelry that I know we can repurpose.
A military medal, a small Deringer cap pistol, a tiny padlock and key, clock parts, …
A case of radio tubes, old bottles, lace, an Italian cigar box with a lid that opens from the center, …
Ephemera, including an account book, a monthly journal, letters, postcards, …
Rulers, knobs, clocks, an oil lamp wick fixture, …
A Matchbox car, wooden bobbers, a small silver spook with a griffin on top,…
Now we have TONS of cool stuff to play with! I can’t wait to start “upcycling” these items in to fun art!
