Elkhorn Antique Flea Market

For non-locals (or for locals not in the know), Elkhorn Antique Flea Market is a HUGE antiques market held four times a year in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. This past Sunday was the second show of the year (with two more held in August and September).

It's a reasonable day trip from Milwaukee or Chicago and absolutely worth the trek. They're not kidding when they say 500+ dealers. Get there early when the gates open and wear comfortable shoes, because you're in for a LOT of walking. I've never managed to see the whole market by the end of day because there's so much to cover.

While I brought my camera, I was too distracted to take many pictures, but here are a couple from the market (as well as a few shots of some of our finds):


I'm not sure precisely what this is and the vendor was busy with actual buyers, so I didn't want to interupt him to ask. I'm calling it the Malevolent Professor Eddingsworth's Amazing Death Ray.



Whatever that is in the previous picture, someone seems a bit worried about it.




I had initially looked at this Mah Jongg set wondering if (in the case that it was incomplete) it might be a good prospect to be repurposed for jewelry components. It was A) not incomplete (and I wouldn't want to break up a complete set) B) from 1923 and C) quickly snagged by my partner for actual play.



I nabbed this vintage tea tin for buck. It's destined to be a part of my display at shows...likely filled with rice and used to contain hair sticks.





Speaking of display doo-dads...check this rotating condiment rack out (Wheel! Of! Olives!). It'll make an interesting fixture for exhibiting trays of earring cards at shows.



I used to have this edition of the Ouija board, but it...er...went elsewhere, so I was happy to snag this one for $2. (I've seen enough horror movies to know the folly of purchasing previously owned devices such as this, but I did it anyway). The lass to the left isn't from this shopping trip. She was found in a shop in Waukesha, but she was already in the space where I wanted to take the picture, so I let her stay in the shot.

--------------------------------------------------
There are several more wonderous finds from Sunday, but most are bits and bobs for projects and you'll see those soon enough!

Fun Shopping!

I've been chosen as one of the Fun Shops of The Day for today.

Here are some nifty items from the other fun shops chosen today:



From Naama Taubenfeld Designs



From Adornments by Amber



From Hypnoteyezed



From 1000 Miles

...and even MORE treasuries!

Once again, I have been remiss. Customarily, I post "thank-yous" to everyone who puts my work in a treasury and links to same on my Facebook fan page, but I've had a busy week and...WOW! they mounted up before I noticed. Instead of posting my gratitude on FB, I decided to post here, where I have more space to do so.

Many-many thanks for inclusion in the following Etsy treasuries this week!

-Dark and Unusual by HumanWreck234
-Me You Him Her All Of Us by The Cycling Artist
-Faith Hope Love by Marlene Vergara
-CARNIVAL! by Ephemere
-A Study In Charcoal and Cream by WalrusTusk
-Eclectic Finds of The Anything and Everything Team by Jeannie Richard
-I Got A Bad Owie In My Head! by Emmett53
-Smokey Day by TrueReverie
-EETeam Awesomeness by RosesVintageFinds
-Gift Guide for Shakespeare Fans by ElephantBeads
-Etsy Buddies Pieces by Mingulay
-Black and White (and Green) All Over by CuteAsASilverButton
-Blue Green Bliss by MishaGirl
-This Black Gold by MyGlitterQueen
-You Appeal To My Dark Side by From The Heart By Eva
-A Shaded Place by GarnettJewelry
-I Believe You Can Get Me Through The Night by IndigoObjects
-Some Fun Stuff by RosesVintageFinds
-Beauty in Every Form by YouEnchanced
-What To Wear To Your TrueBlood Premiere Party by TheDollBizarre

Con artists?

I had been planning on starting an Etsy team for those of us who vend/do art show/participate in the artist alleys at fandom conventions, but the other day, I discovered that PoniesOfDooom had already done so!

Feel free to join us at Convention Artists Team for networking and SMOFing from an art folk bent!

Holy treasuries, Batman!

Lately I've been posting a link to every Etsy treasury I'm included in (along with a "thank you" to the curator, with a link to their Etsy shop) on my Facebook fan page. I've also been tweeting these. In the last three days though, I'd been so busy with Bead and Button, plus that whole "real job" thing, I hadn't checked to see if I was in any new treasuries.

Well...I was. In several. Several enough to make it awkward to post that many FB entries. In lieu of multiple FB posts, I decided to post one big post here. I know that it's not the same as individual posts and I hope that this mention makes up a bit for my lapse.

-Random Favorites by Capturing Essence
-Some of My Favorites by Kindred Scents
-For The Gemini by Vintage Clothing Store
-Things That Crkdhalo0827 Thinks Are Rad by Crkdhalo0827
-True Colors by Virvatuli
-The Future is Bright by Fibremom
-Life in Black and Brown by Lmadary2
-Science! by Irvingplace
-Hoot A Toot Toot! The Owls Nightly Barn Dance by Rainadelmagick
-Purple Royale by Millesstones
-Gold and Glam by Jordani Sarreal
-I Heart Gray by FriedaSophie
-Black and White by Unnerving Nightmare
-Summer Fashion Finds by Kaitlin and Kylies
-Dark Side Delights by Gypsy Eye
-Great Finds by Poiriers

A HUGE thank you everyone who included my items in treasuries!

MKOTOBOS

I’m sure that the title of this piece confused a few folks at WisCon’s art show over Memorial Day weekend, with people wondering what the word meant and what language it was. Actually…it’s an acronym. I live with a big Danny Elfman fan and his compositions influenced this piece. Hence, the necklace was dubbed “Mystic Knights of The Oingo Boingo Outragous Shiny” or MKOTOBOS (no official affiliation or endorsement implied, obviously). This piece did sell at the convention.

Five turquoise dyed howlite skulls are combined with black and white swirl lampwork glass coin beads and scarlet resin roses, all linked in a rosary style chain. The piece closes with a silver plate toggle clasp that echoes the raised dot borders of the glass beads.

Mother (Of The Invention)

Sure...Frankenstein's bride gets all of the attention, but what about his "mother"?

Since Mary Shelley could easily be considered one of the originators of the literary genre of science fiction…and likely the first woman sci-fi writer at that, I thought it was more than fitting to create a jewelry tribute to her to send to WisCon. The piece sold in the convention art show this past weekend.

Mary’s portrait was printed on shrink polymer and fused to sheet copper to create a focal. This pendant was then suspended on a rosary style strand of freshwater pearls and faceted crystal beads and hand linked copper chain. I created a accent piece on one side of the strand using antiqued copper bracket findings and a trio of fuses. The necklace closes with a toggle clasp created from an antique skeleton key and filigree copper ring.

*Squeee!*

Just a few more days until Bead and Button Show! I've been a-saving my nickels for this!!! This year I'll be able to go to the registrants only shopping hours on Thursday.