once again onto the verges....

My favourite time of year has begun.  I'm a bit pressed for time so I'll just give you the highlights from week one:

A nomination for second in 'best finds ever'* is this young gentleman.  He positively leapt into the vehicle, several thoughts about how he may end up.  I'd love to know why someone painted his face green, and set fire to one knee. 
*Best find ever: the church hymn board last year, in case you were wondering.

In the same pic, polo ...um... stick things.  I'm going to need 2 horses, and a 'Polo for Dummies' book, especially if my new armless friend wants to play.

50's metal chair, faux wrought iron folding chair, and circular stand in the style I call 'curly'. How could I leave them? TLC required, consider these the 'before' pics.

An electric base guitar, in case, with amp.  I'm putting the band back together.  The mannequin will have to play harmonica, for obvious reasons, probably not very well. 









A vase, English, 1890-ish. Classic Nouveau shape. Sir Christopher Dresser design.
Gotta love Google.

On the practical side, a new awning for the back veranda, to replace the ones blown to shreds this year, another easel, 2 working Dyson vacuums (for friends), a new trolley, and bits and bobs, various.  I like the unused chantilly cream maker, like a soda syphon, complete with a full box of gas cylinders. I never wanted to make chantilly cream till now.

Now, I have to put my stuff out, so that I can fit the new stuff in. Lucky I got the trolley...

I can't fit THAT in my vintage suitcase

This week was the first of the big winter gales and boy, has it been cold.  I've cried 'uncle' and ordered firewood delivered tomorrow morning, so I guess that means I get to spend tomorrow afternoon stacking it neatly. I was starting to eye off various bits of furniture for their warmth sustaining properties, so I gave in.

The roadtrip up the west coast is but a dim memory now, but did I  mention that we took in 21 opshops and 2 tipshops, as well as an above average antique/vintage shop and some garage sales?
  

There are things waiting for me on a veranda in Perth.  I managed to fit a number of picture frames in my suitcase, as well as some other trinkets, but the bigger stuff will have to wait for a trailer, or a substantially empty vehicle travelling south.

I'm very excited about the old church cupboard with the metal cross, the wooden bits of crayfish pots, and the large frame with the bevelled glass. But as we know, I'm easily excitable.















The Geraldton tipshop gets full marks for both useful and for quirky. The prices are reasonable, the stock plentiful and interesting, and the indications were that it was doing a roaring business. 





















I'm not even going to tell you where the antique and vintage shop is, just yet, because there are too many things there that I want to buy. I have a friend who lives nearby and she can be trusted to go forth and acquire desirable items for me. Sometimes, I'm selfish.

Among their eclectic stock were opera glasses (unfortunately no monocles), wooden cupboards, frames, toys, books...you name it, I was prepared to desire it.  In an unusual burst of rationality, I settled for a few smaller things which we shoe-horned into the car.

                                 

Unfortunately, there weren't any exciting old chairs, settees, love seats or other seating apparatus, but perhaps when I return there will be new things to explore.  In my 'if only I had a shed' dreams, these things loom large. Amongst other things.

And some new jewellery....

A rainy day, what's a girl to do?  I made some jewellery.

Thelma, Louise, and little boy Blue

On Friday afternoon, we scheduled a roadtrip.  Sort of like Thelma and Louise, but in a 4 wheel drive with a trailer.  We had an earlybird look at a friend's garage sale, the Denmark tipshop, and a visit to the fabulous South Coast Woodworking Gallery to complete, plus a visit to a friend's farm, to pick up some old fenceposts.

A fellow salvage fiend was home from his swing on the rigs and was coming with us, he had been trying to get to the tipshop for ages but never quite had the time.  Let's call him "Blue". 

Our babies are well grown up, but we decided that it was like taking our little boy out for a drive in the country.  He curled up in the back and went to sleep like a good little boy, virtually as soon as we got on the road.  At the tip shop, his eyes were like a kid in a toyshop. 

That tipshop is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so it was a positively seething mass of people dropping off and scanning the goods which had come in through the week. We picked up a solid pine single bed (for the timber - $5 instead of $100's at Bunnings), a slab of timber for cutting boards,  a metal frame, a galvanised thingy for making cement slabs (NOT for making cement slabs), and a bunch of other bits and pieces. 

My friend came out $2 up because a guy had bought a door, but didn't have a roof rack on his sedan. He got some pillows from the tipshop and my friend sold him some old rope (we travel prepared)and he tied it on the roof. Tying the doors closed caused some delay.


We filled the trailer with fenceposts on the way home, although we were disappointed that the lichen encrustation wasn't quite as hoped.  I suspect our friend the farmer took a dim view of my suggestion that he give the posts a quarter of a turn a day (each) to even them up.

On Saturday, we went to the local Albany tip shop,as always behind the play.  The game has been lifted somewhat of late, and more stuff is getting recycled, I suspect after a lot of ratepayer complaint.  The thinking, however, remains steadfastly inside the box, and a small box at that.

While we were there, someone came in with one of those pine folding cots with the canvas base.  He was told that they couldn't take it due to 'toddler issues'.  Unfortunately, no-one bothered to think that it could be turned upside down without the base and used as a puppy pen; or that the dowel and wood in it could be re-used.  Rather than sending it to landfill, my friend had a quiet word, it was transferred from car to car, and it will be repurposed for non-toddler applications. It was, for the record, absolutely mint.

While we were there, someone brought in a sail from a sailboard.  The functionary told someone that he was supposed to check e-bay and Gumtree to check current prices, but then straightaway sold it for $10 without checking.  It turned out that the person didn't even have $10 so he 'put it aside' till the man came back - in spite of the sign saying it isn't to happen.

The main problem at the Albany tipshop is that there is no real commitment to recycling. They just don't get it.  By 'they' I mean primarily Cleanaway, who run the shop and make the policies, but some of the staff they hire really just aren't interested. (Some are great.) The terms 'repurpose' and 'upcycle' do not seem to be in the vocabulary.  

The tipshop is under-resourced and some of the rules are silly.  If they can't accept upholstered furniture, what about the shoes?  What if I get a blister?  Why does vintage wooden furniture get sent to landfill, but damaged chipboard get put aside for sale?  We got some jarrah beams from the firewood pile.  They turned out to be the posts from the jarrah beds we got a couple of weeks ago.  About $150 worth of old, dressed, (nail free) jarrah.  For firewood. I hope I don't get a splinter.

Timber, dressed or otherwise, is considered not saleable and sent straight to landfill.  A tiny percentage is set aside for firewood.

The Denmark tip, for all the disorganisation, at least has the right idea and the support of the community. We rarely walk away empty handed at Denmark, whereas at Albany we frequently do.

Perhaps Greenskills should tender for the contract for the Albany tip.  There are art projects. Community education. They walk the talk on tipshop recycling. 

And I would hazard a guess that the stock, as well as the cash turnover at Denmark well outstrips that at Albany.

It's been a bit of a finishing week - the end of the Library exhibit (with excellent feedback), and finishing off a couple of projects.

I got this great vintage bicycle for The Girl last week at the tip shop which isn't really much of a tip shop.  I certainly hope I don't break a fingernail fixing it up, because then bikes would be one less thing it's safe to sell at a tip shop.  Of course, the day before I had ummed and arrred over whether to get a set of the perfect handlebars at the other tip shop, finally deciding against because it involved CRC and spanners and brute force.  Rats! Always stick with the plan, young apprentices, and get it whether you may need it or not.

The opshops during the week were all about coats.  I was out with two of my pals, browsing as you do when you have a spare minute.  Pal 1 saw this, tried it on, thought I would like it.  Pal 2 - same.  I saw it, tried it, loved it, bought it and wore it for the rest of the week. My friends have great taste AND generosity of spirit.  It also saved me having to beat them up and take the coat...

On Friday, trawling alone due to illness and sad work commitments from Pals 1 and 2 respectively, I snapped this one up at  Vinnies. Its a lovely vintage faux fur, needs a stitch or two to re-attach the lining on the bottom hem, otherwise perfect.

 Of course, when I got home there was an Ebay parcel waiting for me on the doorstep - gee, a coat I'd forgotten I'd bought.  Luckily, it's just gorgeous, fine NZ boiled wool, very light but beautifully cut.

It's a good thing I live in colder climes, and Winter has months to run here yet.  Of course, a good garment doesn't date and I'll wear them to death for years.  A few lesser garments may find their way to the oppie to make room for them, however.

I also found a pair of Fly shoes, the usual bag of books, and a few other trifles.  There is nothing like an op shop interlude to cheer up the working day.

Left to my own devices for a day this weekend I decided to tidy up the workspace - which means finish stuff in order to find the workspace under it.  These two have been waiting around for a while. 

The girl in the glass case needs something more but while I hash out the detail she has taken up residence where she is protected.  Dawn just swims on (or is she flying?).

I had to open the jewellery supplies to work on these - it was touch and go there for a while but I managed not to dive in there - I'm determined to re-organise that workspace!!! Eventually they will be pendants or brooches.

And to top off the weekend, the first strawberry of the year from the garden...

Spring bulbs, vintage fishing and antique cameras

The first of the spring bulbs have optimistically burst forth in the garden.  Just love the scent of jonquils.  Hopefully there will be lots in the next few weeks, having planted a humungous bag of bulbs bought at a garage sale for $1.

The weekend's garage sales, op shops, and tip shops were on the whole disappointing.  I guess the winter-cold-wet-dreariness of the time of year is impacting.  

I've been collecting vintage fishing gear for an upcoming exhibition and some very cool vintage lures arrived in the mail this week.  Getting back from the grand tour to a stack of parcels was just like Xmas, and almost made up for getting back from the grand tour.  I long ago gave up dragging stuff with me and post home - way cheaper than paying excess for baggage and way lighter for the bags.  The vintage cameras did manage to set off every airport xray security system between Tassie and Perth though.

I'm due back at the pit of despair this week, and I've got heaps of ideas for projects I want to finish before the (shortened) working week commences.  I've had a lovely day of paint and tools and mess, but now my little friend is having some serious snuggles.

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.

"I've seen better tennis playing in a tampon commercial." *

I spotted this while in Denmark today with a friend.  I like it a lot.

We were on a tip shop trawl on a sunny Sunday and as always the Denmark tip shop did not disappoint.  Being that it was also the art market day in that burgh it was quiet at the tip but there were bargains to be had.  My friend picked up a metal based, solid wood topped table to use as a workbench and a solid wood table top for the stash.  I snapped up some mint Doc Martens, a lovely old wooden box, and a book.





Pausing for a pie from the less-expensive-but-just-as-good-bakery at the other end of town, we observed the native wildlife navigating for parking spaces - an endangered habitat on market day - amongst the introduced species (tourists) who overrun the natives at this time of year.

With room in the car we came home via the Albany tip shop, a poor sad shadow of it's country cousin. There's no real spirit of adventure at the Albany tip shop, and it's sad that so much goes through to landfill.  Kudos, however, to the enterprising employee who was doing his bit for the economy by transferring stuff straight from the incoming line to his own vehicle.  Firm direct action to reduce landfill.  Pity about the PR.

There's an enormous space which could be better used there, and it's a retailing adage that the more you have to choose from, the more you sell.  If stuff sits around and doesn't move, cull and get new bits in.  There's no cost for the stock and it's not like they have to go far to get rid of the stuff that doesn't sell.

We did manage to snag some bargains though, real wrought iron veranda lace and standard lamp base,  a vintage atlas, and various other bits and pieces.  End of the day, I think we spent about $10 between us. I also snapped up the following from various trawling hotspots during the week:

*Girlchild, Facebook status, this week.  Who knew she watched tennis?