scrounging for old stuff

I love to yard sale, browse in old antique stores, scour Freecycle and eBay, all for the purpose of finding stuff to use in crafts and art. My specially exciting find is old paper and ephemera. So many old Christmas cards and Valentines are charming and cute, well-made and almost a shame to gesso over or cut up. But I do, figuring it gives them new life or new purpose.

In Paris we went to the old flea markets held on the fringes of the city, for the purpose of finding something to buy just so we could say we shopped at the Paris flea markets. Paris Perfect says, "The Puces covers 7 hectars and is the largest antiques market in the world, receiving between 120,000 to 180,000 visitors each weekend. The history of the flea market dates back over two centuries, when rag and bone men scoured through the garbage of Paris at night to find valuable junk to sell on. They were called ‘crocheteurs’ or pickers. The romantic term was ‘pêcheurs de lune’ or fishermen for the moon. Many set up their temporary stalls within the Paris walls, in sleazy neighborhoods but because these neighborhoods were full of pickpockets and thieves, they were chased out of the city walls to Clignancourt, Montreuil, Vanves, etc. The largest of these flea markets is the one at Clignancourt but the other two continue to this day."

Of course, anything we bought there had to be transported back home, so I reverted to my trusty fave, paper stuff. I found two vintage postcards, one entitled Les Tulipes and the other, La Lentille. Ooh la la! I have not used them yet but every time I am about to I gaze longingly at them, remembering the fun day at the Paris flea market. I am going yard sale-ing Saturday in Madison County and I'm sure I will find some cool stuff here too. The thrill of the hunt, it never fails...