Mute Monday

Sunday flea market and the labour of love

Today, we visited a few smaller flea markets, that aren't quite as consistantly interesting as the "big" flea market, that takes place once a month.

My husband found another tool for me; a small vise.

small vise

I also found this mineral. I am hoping it is mica - the seller didn't know what it was.

hopefully mica

This is the back of a pocket watch. Something I can turn into found object jewelry.

pocket watch back, silver

Our big treasure this week: an antique portable sewing machine. Such a beautiful piece of work! Still functional - just needs lots of cleaning and some oil, the woodwork needs some repairs though.

portable antique sewing machine

This past week, my husband, his dad and I have been doing alot of work in the garden. Hard work. Cleaning up. Cutting down. Rebuilding. A true labour of love.


Our vegetable "patch" in a raised bed. I share this with our landlady; we each use half. Siding used to be wood and was disintegrating. Now rebuilt. The roofing in back is for our tomatoes.

vegetable patch

Roofing redone. Now this is the templum solani - the temple of nightshade plants (which is the botanic family tomatoes belong to; Solanum lycopersicum).

vegetable patch with tomato temple

Finished trimming my boxwood hedge. Yes, I know is is freestyle. I trimmed it.

boxwood

My hellebores are blooming.

cream colored hellebores

red hellebores

The weather is truly April weather. I don't know how many times it has rained and snowed today. Then the sun will briefly come out and it starts over again. And it is cold!!!! Right now, it is hailing. The hail is the size of small peas and is quickly covering the ground.

I hope the sun is shining where you are - have a great Sunday!

Sunday already!

Well, most of you already know that I go to the flea market on Sundays. Today is an exception, I am in the flow of creating some earrings and didn't want to interfere with that process. But, so as not to disappoint anyone, I have some things to share that I found during earlier excursions (after all, I have been a flea market addict much longer that I have had a blog!!)

miscellaneous finds
Do you see that bracelet? Those are real bugs (not altered in any way, they are naturally that colour; I'm not quite sure exactly when this was the craze, possibly in the 40's. This isn't the first I have seen) !!

various pieces of amber
I am still trying to find more information about these pieces. I keep coming across them. Either the clover shape (these can either be in the form of a lapel pin or have the pictured fixture which I believe was worn on a leather watch band) oder the stylized flowers (which are often on this brown thread that looks like silk). I have no idea what they are about. Which only makes them all the more interesting.

Oh, and my garden still has blooms to share:

Poppy - papaver orientale, "Patty's Plum"

Wild rose
This is a wild rose with delightful tiny little white flowers, that is now trying to climb into the cherry tree. In the fall, this will be full of beautiful tiny little rose hips, which are fantastic for decorating.

Invasion of the wild strawberries

English Rose - I don't know the name of this one. I ordered Golden Celebration, a golden yellow rose, which this definitely is not. But it is a beautiful rose all the same.

Have a wonderful Sunday! I am going back to my earrings.

Sunday Secret Garden

I have been working on another Secret Garden, inspired by my painting.


I wanted to incorporate a lock and key theme. I etched copper sheet and a brass keyhole escutcheon and riveted the two together and finished it up with green glass beads, a tiny, very old key and brass flower.


I was playing around with props, trying to capture the idea of the secret garden in my photos.


I do like the way this turned out.


Iris

I was at a smaller flea market this morning, but I didn't find any treasures today. Well, that is just the way it is sometimes. So instead of vintage and antique buttons and things, some more garden pics; for those of you that haven't tired of them yet.

wild strawberry

These grow everywhere in my garden - all through the flower beds and even in some of the flower pots. I brought them with me when we moved in and they have just taken over. These are real wild strawberries, the tiny little ones that have that intensive taste. I also have wild raspberries, but they were already growing here.

Front garden

This is a view of the front garden. I really need to get out there and do some weeding.

BTW, Casanova is fine. He had one of his bottom fangs pulled, because it was loose. Thankfully, he could keep the rest of his teeth, they did need some cleaning, but that was all.

Catching up

Well, it doesn't look like I will have an internet connection for awhile, so I am learning how to cope. My provider has now stated that they cannot provide acceptable and sustained connection - duh! But when they sold us the contract, they said the connection was great ... I don't want to dwell on it, it is nothing but aggravation.

I pinched a nerve in my shoulder on the weekend and I haven't been able to do much of anything, because moving my arm was extremely painful. It is getting better now and I hope I will be able to complete some new jewellery this week (about time!).
That being said - I am going to show some pictures of my garden. Anyone who has seen enough of it should stop here.

Peony

Wisteria, behind Rose climber