Antiques, artistry and adjectives abound at 'The Branch'

from Mary's fun and functional chalkboards....

 to Keren's captivating decor delights....

Debra's multi-media magic....

 and Tim's cleverly creative genius....

Debbie's delightful jewelry and gems.....

Dena's endless rusty relics.....

Shirley's alluring accessories....

John's enchantingly eclectic offerings....

and finally....Lourdes' affordable architectural wares.    I promise to abate abusing alliterated adjectives if you mark your calendar for the Flowery Branch Antiques Market coming up this weekend! (Fri/Sat/Sun) 

Lost in Elbert County......



......and loving every *backroad* mile of it!

 I never cease to be amazed at how scenic -- and historic-- rural Georgia is, and never tire of exploring (and hopefully pickin') areas I haven't traveled through yet.



Somewhere in Elbert County is the charming little town of Bowman - which has a half dozen antique stores and really friendly folks. (If you get out that way be sure to stop in Frog Hollow and visit my new friend Lera - she has very cool stuff!)



I truly was lost after leaving Bowman and was just following the setting sun home when I came across Jimmy Poss's place in Carlton (did a previous post on it)

  I've been trying to get back to his cool shop for a few years.....and there I was!

Had a great time catching up and looking through his vast treasure trove of architectural goodies again!



Found some great stuff on this trip (it's about time!) and even made it home before dark.

Vintage wooden shoe forms



With the addition of old clock springs and bits of hardware, wooden shoe forms become photo holders, book holders or business card holders in a few easy steps.



Brilliant transformation

Had any of those "wish I'd thought of that" moments lately? This was a mega one! I doubt I could have ever come up with the idea of taking this mid-century-modern "not exactly my taste" piece to the unique master-piece created by our own Keren Jackson, aka KJaxnDesigns - my very talented booth neighbor at Flowery Branch Antiques Market.

Although even I am growing to embrace retro furniture styles, this one totally beckons for a creative touch.

Vintage ceiling tin from Maine....deer antler handles....Annie Sloan chalk paint in Duck Egg Blue?

Brilliant!!  (BTW, it sold quickly!!)

Tidbits

Someday I'll finally run out of baking tins!



The chicken wire cloche was a simple addition to this tall metal stand - and I didn't even have to paint it

 

Found the perfect birdcage for adding a light kit 




Rusty junk stems in old bottle



Thrift store stand-out

This 100 year old beauty is currently docked at the Habitat Re-Store in Athens. Quite a surprise to come across -- she hails from the south Georgia coast, and has a killer aqua patina that the photos don't do justice. Maybe not so seaworthy anymore, but deserving of a place in someone's mansion, store, or restaurant -- she's much larger than it looks here. (with glass across the top, this would make a fabulous dining room table base....or hang with large ropes from overhead beams for an amazingly cool bed -- perfect for floating away into dreamland)

Current pickin' musings

As a dealer, long gone are the days of buying what might sell. Now, purchases have to meet a stricter criteria (mostly to do with price, condition, functionality and overall appeal) to even get considered, which eliminates most of the stuff I view in my travels (people still have the idea that their very average stuff is worth a fortune -- around here, anyway).

This meager group is an example of one day of hard ( but fun) work pickin' some thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets and antiques stores (a really long day). Is this the coolest stuff I saw? No. (except for the little case of plastic containers with chains) Is this the only stuff priced reasonable enough to make a profit on? Yup. (Since I  mainly sell on-line nowadays, I don't buy furniture or large items anymore)

One amazing observation was seeing several identical vintage items in both thrift stores and antique stores, and the thrift store prices were DOUBLE the prices of the same item in the antique stores! Really?

 I almost always pick antique stores more efficiently (picks per time invested) than thrifts, fleas and yard sales! (Of course you can't beat these for kids toys, household goods etc, and I love my Habitat Re-Sale shop for hardware!)

Anyway, pickin' times are tough, and the thrift stores have caught on and seem to be taking full advantage of it!