Sunday, April 11, 2010

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!

21 comments:

Stefanie said...

Lustig - ich war heut auch auf dem Flohmarkt. Die Schätze zeige ich morgen mal. Und auf die Klemme bin ich neidisch:-)

LG Stefanie

P.S. Die Nähmaschine ist ein Traum

Doreen said...

Hi, Renate! As always, I love the Helleborus. I've got to get some for my garden to replace the ones my husband killed. I know, they are almost impossible to kill, but he did it :( It's cloudy and gray here in California. It's supposed to rain. I can't complain too much though, since we have had several days of sunny weather.

Anonymous said...

Hallo Renate, was für ein erfolgreicher Tag. Deine Schätze sind traumhaft. Ich bin schon gespannt, wann ich die Taschenuhr wieder bewundern kann. Die Nähmaschine ist ein Traum. Auch ich liebe Hellebores und habe einen kleinen Stock. Bei uns ist es jetzt auch sehr kalt und mal regnet es, mal scheint die Sonne. Also, das Wetter kann nur besser werden. Dir eine tolle Woche, Inge

Narrative jewelry said...

Lovely treasures found at the flea market, especially the sewing machine, my grandmother had one like this one when i was a child.
The photos of the garden are just so lovely, hard work in fact with the roof redone. And i loooove boxwood ! Hope the hail won't damage the gorgeous hellebores.

sharon said...

Ooooh Renate, I love your your pocket watch find and the sewing machine is a prize!!! Wow!!
I do enjoy garden work, and usually can't move afterwards, but feel soo good about doing it and working in dirt! Your helleborus are gorgeous...I have always wanted them, but heard they are poisonus to animals. My dogs get into everything, so I never got any.

romantic decay said...

Great finds at the flea market. Your flowers are lovely.

Wanda..... said...

I'm wondering why do you need roofing for the tomatoes. I need to build fencing completely around mine, to keep the squirrels from stealing them, which is something new they started last year!
♥...Wanda

mairedodd said...

what a wonderful collection of findings and activities! busy and filled with terrific finds... that certainly does look like mica... and the old sewing machine is fabulous!

The Joy of Nesting said...

Hermanita,

Wow a good day of junkin!! You will love your little vise!!! Was there a bent wood top for your little Singer??? It's perfect to sew leathers and heavy materials!!! You are still the reigning "Lucky Girl"!!!

Pattie ;)
Mazatlan Mx.

creativelenna said...

Renate,
I love your treasures and your garden photos! Beautiful, thank you for sharing these things! xo lenna

Barbara Lewis said...

What a perfect vise and anvil! I think the mineral is mica. If it can be separated into layers, it most certainly is. The landscaping and vegetable gardening are wonderful ... I wish I were so inclined. In all of my free time I just want to be in the studio. I'm not very well balanced! :-) But, I absolutely love the smell of boxwood! A lot of people don't. I was at someone's historic home once and I commented that I loved the smell of their boxwood and she said, "Oh, I thought it was cat pee I was smelling!"

Julie Pishny said...

Thank you for sharing your garden - I love the idea of raised beds so much easier on the back and a great way to ward off those pesky weeds.

It seems that most artists also love to garden... Spring is such a hopeful time of year, when we plant our gardens and imagine how lovely they will be a few months and the juicy tomatoes we will be eating....yum!

Thank you, I send along wishes for warm sunny days soon for you.

Hugs - Julie

Cindy said...

Renate...looks like you two found more wonderful gems at the flea market. That vise is wonderful and I'm sure you'll be putting it to good use soon!
I'm amazed at your talent in the garden....I do not have a "green thumb" as they say! It will be fun to watch your garden grow as the months get warmer... so sorry to hear it's still so cold there!

Riki Schumacher said...

Beautiful garden coming along. Since I have really got involved in jewelry making, my gardening has been put on the back burner. Seeing your makes me want to jump in again. The flea finds are yummy. Can't wait to see what you do with the sewing machine! Now if you can just get the snow to stop until next season! Take care, hugs, Riki

lilylovekin said...

Your flea market finds look great, the sewing machine will be wonderful I have an old one and I love it. Good job in the garden. I'm going to start garden work here but it is minor compared to what you have done. Enjoy it when the sun shines!

Lori Saul said...

Looks like some wonderful flea market finds and I am love your vegetable garden- we have a lot of wildlife around us and we would have to really fence an area off- but your work has inspired me to try and start a veggie patch!

Such a Wondrous Place this Faery Space said...

Thanks for the love and well-wishing! I appreciate your friendship so! Blessings.

Anonymous said...

Love the watch casing Renate - I am sure you will make something exquisite, as you do. The hard work in the garden will certainly pay off when you harvest your produce. The Hellebores are beautiful.

Diane said...

Yes, it looks like mica to me =)
I love the sewing machine...what a great find! And, I love that RED vice...I would like one like that.
What great garden pictures...raised beds are the best!
Sounds like your weather is like Texas weather....except the snow!
xoxox

Silke Powers said...

Oh, Renate, how did I miss this post!! So beautiful - I love seeing the pictures of your flea market finds. That sewing machine is stunning!!

And then your garden - the hellebores are amazing. I love that color red... Your vegetable patch will be great when it all starts growing.

I found the first tomatoes on our vines today - when it gets warm here, everything grows very quickly!!

Much love, Silke

Carla Trujillo said...

It doesn't matter if your flea markets is small or big, your finds are awesome!!! Love the garden too! I tried to start one a few years back and failed miserably and my girls just won't let me forget either! I will try this year with some pots on the deck and see how that goes! Thanks for sharing!