The Hardware Store is my new craft shop

We live in a vast wasteland when it comes to shopping....  no craft shops, no Kohl's or Target. no book stores. You would think we live way out in the country.  Not so.  Just no decent stores......  Wal-mart pretty much is it.
We usually have to shop for things when we travel, or I go on line.

But we have SEVERAL  hardware stores AND Lowes and Home Depot.  So..........  I am learning to shop in those places for some of my crafting supplies. I guess the powers that be think we need those stores since we have so many.  But we aren't intellectual enough to need a bookstore...or creative enough to need craft stores,  we are after all only a small college town........  hmmmmm!!!!!!!

Yesterday, thanks to an "enabler" on my Full Tilt Boogie group I headed off to Lowe's to buy some interesting tape that I will be using in the art journals I am making by the Full Tilt Boogie method and the Remains of the Day method.  The tape, called EASY JOINT TAPE looks like the ribbon called "sequin waste".  It is made up of a LOT of holes.  It is self adhesive which is good....... And not to be wasteful, the backing will also be used for something as well. I can picture painting it and pasting it down. Or using it as a stencil.

My husband said he tried to use the stuff a number of years ago for its real purpose when he was putting up new drywall  in our home in Maine.  He said it didn't work for that at all...  LOL..... but it will work for what I am planning!  Too bad he didn't save it.  That was only about 20 years ago......

I won't be around here for a few days but I hope to have something to show, eventually, concerning the way I use it.

I also bought some twine while at Lowe's to use to crochet a European style string shopping bag.
Here is a pic of one I found on line so you will know what I mean.

Here are the directions I found on line:  Directions For String Bag.  I got them from a blog called
Crochet: the Extraordinary Realm.     So if you decide you need to make one, here are some directions AND you know you can find the twine at Lowe's or Wal-Mart for that matter.  Also the pattern called for Ace Brand Parcel Post Twice that you could get at an Ace Hardware Store.

I got a comment from someone about this post concerning shopping in local hardware stores and how much better they are.  Well my husband and I do shop at the locals as much as possible but sometimes they don't have what you need...........  or they cost way too much.   My husband went to the local hardware store and they had a 1/2 pint of lacquer for 9.98.  He bought a full pint for 12.00 at Home Depot.  Now I am all for supporting local stores and do a lot however reality says that sometimes you just can't. 

I generally shop the local one first but if they don't have what I want or I know it is WAY too much off the others I go.  Enough said!

Oh yes, before I forget......  click on this graphic for a great giveaway.

So, that is it today.  Got to get on with my day!!!!

Tea Cup Tuesday

Another Tea Cup Tuesday has arrived. 
After you visit my site be sure to visit the others at
http://www.marthasfavorites.com/
or
http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com 


When I was visiting the flea market recently I saw a lot of cups and saucers and bought three.  I will be showing one set this week and save the other two for the next two weeks.
 The tea cup and saucer I am sharing with you today is a sweet hand painted set by Colclough.
I didn't know much about the Colclough China company so I looked it up.  Here is the website telling about it's history.
http://www.focusoncolclough.co.uk/colclough_history.htm 

Hope you like the set I have chosen for today.

A yummy dinner and my Full Tilt Boogie Journal

I did finally put my first Full Tilt Boogie journal today but before I show that I will show a quick picture of our dinner last night.

We lived in Puerto Rico for three years and learned to like several of the more typical fare.  One thing we learned to enjoy was Plantain...  a type of banana unlike the ones we are used to here in the US.  There are recipes for using it when it is not yet ripe... and when it is VERY ripe.  That is our favorite.  You wait until it is nearly black.... then slice like french fries and deep fry it.  Very sweet.  So we had that for dinner last night along with deep fried Tilapia and a pepper, onion and kidney bean melange....  Puerto Rican's eat a LOT of beans!

Here is the picture of the dinner.

But now on to the Full Tilt Boogie Journal I am making.  I started working on it a few weeks ago and remarked on it here............  Click here to read that blog entry if you want.

So by working a bit yesterday and today, in between customers in my antique shop, I managed to put the book together and am pleased.  I would not win any awards for the stitching but it fine... I will get better. After gluing and such today I will be letting it sit and dry well before I go ahead and work on it. It may not be for another week but now that the book is finished it will call out to me I am sure!!!

A couple of weeks ago I went through my digital photos and arranged to have print copies made at out local CVS drugstore.  I will use some of those pics in the journal.  I will include pictures of the garden in winter and summer and the birds and animals that visit as well as some pictures of our cats.  It will just fill up as I feel inspired.

The book I ended up using was not one I showed in the first blog entry.  This was an old business journal I found at a local flea market for $1.00.  I added a piece of scrapbook paper to the cover, to cover up some messiness.

So here are the pictures.

 The next three pictures show some of the pages.  Some are full pages, some are just strips to which I will attach pictures.  Others are blank for journaling.  Or what ever. I used mostly scrapbooking paper, some journal pages and some blank water color paper.

 And after I was almost finished I found these nifty buttons in a vintage button box from my shop.  The little flowers in the middle are mother of pearl.  I really liked them and think they are perfect for my book.

Here is to Mary Ann Moss for another great and inspiring class!

Tea Cup Tuesday Again

  

Here I am again on Tea Cup Tuesday.  Be sure to visit the other sites after you visit me.

(Just click here...  to go to the site that has the list of those participating.)

   This week I am showing a little teacup I found at the flea market.  I didn't buy it but did take a picture of it to show this week.  I thought it was pretty.  I learned after checking it out on line that this is one of 6 motifs in the Woodland Series.  Each had a different bird on them.  Wish I had known when I saw it, I probably would have bought it and looked for the others.
This one is the Baltimore Oriole.  Other ones include Blue Jay, Goldfinch, Hummingbird, Red Wing, and Robin.  Click here to see all of the teacups in the series.

 

If you click on the pictures you can see a larger size.  Hope you enjoy my entry today.

A revisit to the flea market

While at the flea market this past week I also took a lot of pictures of the tea items that were available.  I admit I bought a cup and saucer or two or three...........   But mostly I just took pictures to show the variety of things available.  If you want to buy teacups to start a collection or to add to a collection a flea market may be just the place.

 The dark roses on the above set at lovely.

 I think this little sugar and creamer set is Royal Albert because of the shape and style but I admit I forgot to check.  I have a couple of sets with different patterns that are the same style.

 This tea pot and sugar and creamer is by Sadler which makes my favorite kind of tea pots. 

Nice to have the matching sugar and creamer as well.

 This tea set has the moss rose pattern.  Again didn't get the maker name.

And here is one more grouping of cups and saucers that were available.  I love the variety of patterns and cup styles.  You can click on any of the pictures to see a bigger picture.

Be sure to check back here on Tuesday for my Tea Cup Tuesday entry and the links to check out other ones.

All the stuff you may or may not "need"

We went to our favorite flea market a couple of days ago.  We bought a few things for the antique shop,  had some good food to eat and bought a lot of produce.  I took quite a few pictures to share with you all.  These aren't things we bought, just stuff that I thought was interesting for one reason or another.  I also saw a lot of tea things.  I will do a blog just about them tomorrow. 
        Here are the pictures I have chosen to show you this week.
This first picture shows a table that was overflowing with clocks.  I have a feeling the guy was a clock repair
guy since there were not only clocks but repair items as well.

 I needed a few geraniums for a new flower cart I bought at the market.

  I found this group for sale and ended up buying one of each type. 

 There are always a LOT of tables of jewelry available.  This is one such table, Kind of messy looking. 

You would need to really look hard to find any treasures. There are two views of it.

At this table they took a bit more care and made a nice display for the upcoming 4th of July holiday.

 Keys were for sale everywhere.  They must be highly collectible right now.  And pricey.

  They were selling for $1.00 and $2.00 a piece.  Wow.

 Here is a pretty lamp from the Depression Era.

 Here is a souvenir from Florida I imagine.  Lots of shells. And the ubiquitous flamingo.

 And some tins.

This is only a small look at what was there.  You never know from week to week what you will find.

weekly flea market report

Yesterday we went to our favorite flea market, in Leesport, PA.It is a bit of a drive but oh so worth it!. You can buy old stuff, new stuff, food, plants and pretty much anything you need.  Tomorrow I plan to show some pictures of what I saw there.  But for the moment I will do something a bit different.

At this particular flea market there is a wonderful store set up, selling many great decorative accessories.  I love to stop in to see what great things they are showing.  Today was a particularly good enjoyable visit for me. Stuff I love.  The name of the shop is Cocalico Creek.  They have a website if you want to see more, or even buy from them. Just click on their name.
   When I walked up to the shop I was greeted by this beautiful wreath and a couple of floral arrangements.  As I went inside I found several more displays featuring floral arrangements and in country settings.  You can take a tour now and if you love what you see check out their website. If you click on each picture you can see them bigger.

 I think the thing I like best about the little shop here at the flea market is that it is loaded with inspiration!!!!
Can't wait to go back again.  Hope you enjoyed the visit.