How to knit a shotgun from a crucifix and other useful skills.

                                A big week, a big weekend and an even bigger weekend next weekend.  I really don't know how I keep up.  The annual mouse cull is proceeding apace - it's them or me, they're really pushy. Luckily, I'm an experienced hunter.

Anzac Day on Wednesday, a day off on Thursday (puppy-sitting) and a day of op shop trawling on Friday.  After 3 op shops I had only a DVD to show - Constantine with Keanu Reeves. I'm not a huge fan of young Keanu,but any comic-based demon hunter who carries a shotgun made from a crucifix is worth a couple of hours of my time, and coming up to winter I can watch it while knitting.  Slightly ironic - knitting and demon hunting.  Who thought those two terms would be used in the same sentence? But I digress...

Things were looking pretty darn grim till, virtually empty handed, we got to the last oppie - where lots of goodies leapt into my $5-a-basket.  A lion's head (I already have a paw, it seemed appropriate), the cutest 50's/60's 'made in Japan' doll, a stack of good books, a Mela Purdie top - gotta love a good sale.

 

Saturday morning dawned cool and misty.  Well, actually it dawned quite clear but by garage sale time the drizzle had commenced.  That's not a bad thing, as it keeps the crowds down.  

At the first sale of the day I found something I've been looking everywhere for - a metal locker for the back veranda.  And this one is not only in really good condition, someone had already put nice shelves into it.  Those who have visited regularly may know that I am something of a packrat and I need to be able to stash some collections.  To celebrate the incoming, this morning I removed a very tatty old set of shelves, broke them up with the axe, and put them on the firewood pile (see above reference to oncoming winter.)

This a) made space for the locker and

     b) was kind of fun, in a violent recycling sort of way.

We proceeded to a fete at the Lions' Daycare Centre - where instead of designated parking for motor bikes, they have parking for mobility scooters, with the cutest little spray painted icons.

There were some brilliant recycled frames, lots of great books, all sorts of good stuff and the prices were great.  Note to fete goers:  it's NOT good manners to scrabble between other shoppers' feet as they are shopping.  You risk serious injury to your fingers and possible social embarrassment.  Note to fete givers: PLEASE don't put books on the floor, under tables.  People get crazy. 

In between, I've been busy preparing for the Mother's Day market at the Vancouver Arts Centre in Albany next weekend.  I've put jewellery on display boards, priced, packed, and even given some thought to stall setup.  Not many sleeps now.

A bit deco, a bit mid century, a bit retro.

A happy, happy weekend.  On Friday, I walked into the first opshop for the day and saw an adorable coffee table, needing minimal work.  A bit deco, a bit mid century, a bit retro.  Needs to lose the ghastly brittle varnish, and a gentle resurrection of the surface in a couple of spots, but a Nice Item.

Saturday's garage sales took us to a builder who was selling up excess stock, and among the plasterboard and other stuff we discovered some seriously good, but seriously BIG bits of timber. Some looked ex-railway (still with metal fittings), some would seem to be ex-jetty - is it wrong of me to pick something I'll need a forklift to move?  It's on till next weekend so I'm considering some mid-sized pieces. I know a man with a forklift.

Although I'm sad that Cull's House, on Middleton Road here in Albany has been sold, I'm happy that the contents sale was handled by a friend of mine, who knew what he was doing, and that I got some interesting little bits.  This is one of the oldest and probably most original house in Albany.  Many of the contents were original  and there were some great old quirky bits and pieces for sale.

I hope that someone thought to photograph the interior of the house before the contents were moved out.  It's so important to document this stuff. The house was built by Matthew Cull in 1872, and occupied by the family for 117 years.

For those who want to read more here is a link to the entry for the house on the State Heritage Register.

 

 

 Also gathered was a really nice box full of old PMG canvas post bags. (PMG was the Post Master General -  the post office or what we now call Australia Post) There is even a bag of sealing wax, used to seal the lock on the bag, and some of the little stamps and holders.  If anyone wants vintage sealing wax, I would appear to have cornered the market.

   I found a whole lot of old Public Works Department (PWD) maps of Albany, which make for interesting reading.  I love those old maps, some of these have annotations in pencil with the lot prices  and other little notations.  There's so much texture and feeling to these old documents, so much more soul than a computer generated map.

 

 

There were also some old galvanised  jugs, and old blue enamel pot, and a very old indeed religious picture in a sweet old frame, with the back of old boards held in with handmade nails.  

 

Not to mention a dear little handmade box, looks to have been made from a crate, with a glass top and a black velvet and lace cushion within.  Looks to be depression era or earlier, meant for display because the back was nailed on with the same very old handmade nails.  I don't know why I wanted it but I just did.

There was some confusion about a bench for a wringer - wet clothes on one side, eventually slightly less wet clothes on the other.  No wringer attached but a nice rustic piece.  I may have run out of money. And space.