Indulge Your Shelf

Thrift shopping/hunting/picking has always been effective therapy for me -- how about you? The temporary job I'm working at now takes me close by two wonderful thrift stores in town; I try to only succumb to the urge once a week.  Here's what I've been finding:  Beautiful bunches of paper flowers, tagged made in Japan  Seasonal Vera scarves...  Including this one that says, Greetings, which I never even knew existed!  This crocheted and stitched vintage baby blanket, which melts my heart! Ball quilted jelly jars from the 1970's!  For Christmas crafting!  I'm a sucker for scrappy pink glass!  Someone hand crafted those feathers -- aren't they fun?  This tiny guy is going to star in a future Valentine art piece! I couldn't pass up the ampersands -- and the dollar sign will, I'm sure, come in handy!  I almost left his flower arrangement behind -- but then decided to bring it home an...

I belong to a group on Facebook called Vintage Crafter's Cafe ; it's a bunch of like-minded people who love to create with old stuff!  (If interested, I can ask to add you to the group -- just let me know via email!)  I showed you the pin cushion swap we recently did, and we just finished swapping ephemera with a partner.  Here's what I sent her:  All wrapped up in a vintage legal sized parchment sheet, wrapped with a wide fabric ribbon and closed with an old index holder from a file!  The thing wrapped in wax paper at the top is an old paper collar!  I included a sweet, handwritten letter from a girl to her dad who was away at war, and one from a man who was a stamp collector, along with his stamps! I really love that photo of the young man, probably from college, in its fancy folder. I put the items in separate bags and holders, for maximum "opening" fun! Swapping can really be a joy.