Flea Market Finds, Etc.

I'm anxious to share my day at the Hillsville Flea Market ... but I have to begin with this ~~ my SKETCHBOOK arrived!  I can't wait to get started working in it, but admittedly the thin paper doesn't appear too "user friendly" for my purposes, and I will take the suggestion of so many whom have "gone before me" and rip this little book apart to replace the paper with something more "workable" ... with fewer pages than the 81 included in the original.  I've got several ideas running through my brain that take an unusual trail to my theme (and I need to begin writing them down ... before they disappear).  My theme is "Make Mine A Double."  I'll be posting my progression, as it occurs.  Thank you to Eden, Rebecca, as well as many other participants I've found  in blogland, whom encouraged me to participate ~~ I'm gonna do it!

One more thing, before my Flea Market recap.  I'm so excited to have discovered what I'm going to do with my Breast Cancer Benefit Piece to complete it.  I shared it with a friend whom suggested I Zentangle it!  What a fabulous idea!  I'm so "anal retentive" when it comes to trying something new on a "real" piece; so, instead of working on the original piece, I first resketched the corset image on a scratch piece of paper and tried Zentangling it, and here is my first attempt:

I'm loving this idea!  But, before moving forward and committing to any particular tangles, I've ordered two more Zentangle books, Totally Tangled and Zentangle 2.  I would like to try a few more "tangles" before choosing specific designs for each section, especially the lace-y, frilly portions of the corset.

Now, moving onto to the Hillsville Flea Market!  Upon arrival, DH and I were saddened to see that it quickly appeared there would be fewer vendors this year.  The upper lot, seen in this picture, is typically filled with vendors (as well as the lower lot and the entire town).  While we could quickly see there were a few vendors in the upper lot, we saw that it had been dedicated to RV parking for the most part ... with lots of unused space.  Additionally, the parking lot for attendees was not nearly as full as is typical.

However, once we entered the gate into the lower lot, we were happy to see that it was full, with many old-timers present and expressing that, during the first three days of the show, they had done well; not as good as in previous years, but well enough to justify their participation this year.  So, off DH and I went, on the hunt for the unusual items, and a few things that I had on my "wanted list."

Following are a few of the "unusual items" we discovered, all that we left behind, but admired with desiring eyes, just the same:

The above are two "Merchants Cabinets" were from an old general store.  The cabinets were both spinners, with lots of really cool drawers.  Can you IMAGINE having one of these in your studio, filled with all kinds of neat supplies and gadgets to use in mixed media art?  My heart beat was frantic while viewing these beauties and imagining the possibilities ... the price tags were a bit too steep for my consideration.  So we moved on.

I found this piece very intriguing, as I am currently in need of too much dental work.  This was a vintage set of dental crowns.  With a price tag of $275, it was tempting, but then I determined that all of the "teeth" I needed would most likely be the ones that are missing from this set!

This chastity belt just totally amazed me.  My first thought was, "okay, I've heard of these, but is THIS what they actually were ... years ago???"  Surely NOT, lol!  Can you imagine how uncomfortable this would have been?  The heart-shaped emblem says, "Guaranteed Virginity.  Dr. Polasky's Approved Chastity Belt."  The price was $75, but I would think the wearer of such an item would pay you much more to remove it and provide their freedom from it!

I found this piece too humorous not to include.  How many of us would like to have had this (with a "dead" grenade, no doubt!), at some point in our lives, when dealing with clients whom cannot be pleased, no matter our efforts?  I would have loved to have had this piece on my desk during many years of working for difficult attorneys, (-;.

I love this piece, and could not imagine anyone riding in it other than a Real Santa!  Wouldn't we love to know the history of this piece?

And perhaps I've saved the best for last ... at least in my humble opinion.

This is Kenny "The Tin Man" Hoff with a collaborative piece of artwork by Fleetwood Covington, framed by Kenny in a style only he can execute.  My workplace carries Kenny's work ~~ reclaimed ceiling tiles that he and his wife paint, refinish and incorporate into awesome art pieces that can be hung on walls, used as ceiling medallions, or table tops, huge molding pieces that he turns into shelving pieces, tiles that have been incorporated in many clients' homes as back splashes in their kitchens, etc.   He mounts the tiles on boards, and typically will include notes on the backer board entailing where the building was in which the tile(s) were reclaimed, and the date of the building's erection.  So they truly are art AND history, all in the same piece.  Yesterday was the first time I had seen a collaborative piece of work from Kenny and Fleetwood, and what a terrific piece of art they produce together.  Fleetwood Covington uses carbon pencil to execute his awesomely detailed drawings on reclaimed barn roof tins, incorporating all of the holes and aged areas into each piece.  Fleetwood's speciality is portraits of great older blues musicians, and he is great at it, just as Kenny is great at his art of working with the old tiles.  Together they make an awesome pair of artists, and I hope you will check out their websites; it's well worth the time, to see some awesome talent.  We hope to have an exhibit with these two artists at our shop one day soon.

I have much more to show you ... including the finds I purchased ... but perhaps this is enough for today.  Stay tuned for some great uses for old windows, and the pieces I returned home with.  For now, I'm off to get some things done around the house, and hopefully find time to begin rebinding my Sketchbook!  Happy Day of Creativity and Pleasure to each of you! xoxo ~~ Jeanne