More from Sparks...

Well, the time finally came when my overflowing crafting room had to be cleaned. (Thanks mom and Cathy!). I had a GIANT bunk bed in there and someone at work needed a bunk bed for a family so I gladly offered it up but it was barricaded in my craft room by all the treasures I hunted down this summer--including my recent Sparks excursion! Well now everything is stacked neatly. I am a little afraid I will not be able to find things but glad to have it more stacked then piled--a gatherer would understand the difference!

Here are more from our time in Sparks. I saw Cheryl today and she is trying to convince her husband to sell his wonderful, hand-made porch swings at Sparks next time around. She is thinking that her and I can sell some things too! We tend to gather so much that it would be nice to sift through it and sell some so we can get some more!

Here is Cheryl looking at some western stuff.








Sparks can be full of extremes from junk piles:

To gorgeous glass. I am not a collector of glass. I tend to be quite clumsy and break a lot of things so collectible glass ware is not something I seek out but thought this display was stunning:

Cheryl's friend Sally found this really awesome game board. It has metal tubes in the sides to store the marble for the Chinese Checkers board. Sally found some extra marbles to so now it is a complete set. There is another board on the other side but I am not sure what game it is. I thought this was very unique and I had never seen anything like it.

This vendor has some neat stuff but it is stored in a structure that has tarps for sides and it piled so high that you feel like you need to take a shower when you come out. I have found some interesting stuff in there but it tends to need a lot of TLC.

I love old patterns and thought this was a nice display. I did not purchase these but have some similar ones in my stash. This are has some really nice restored furniture.

Here is a typical street scene...

More stuff and things...




and finally...

My best treasure of the day!

I have wanted one of these step stool/seats for a long time. My grandma had something similar but with out the very cool steps that come out. I found one for $17 and was going to go back and get it but Cheryl spotted this for $10! It has just been marked down so I snatched it up. Fortunately, I had another awesome garage sale find with me...

My little red wagon! (plus several bungee cords!) This is a must have for any serious junker! It was so nice not to have to carry everything on our backs and in our hands. OR to leave it for pick up later and try to remember everything place we had to go!

This wagon was like my chariot! I was very pleased with it! ($5 at a local garage sale!)

So now the season of gathering is over and the fun begins. I have a table at a local event entitled Bizarre Bazaar the Saturday after Thanksgiving so have to get down to creating masterpieces that folks think will make great holiday gifts!

Cheryl and I are gearing up for the Maple Leaf Festival in Baldwin City, http://www.mapleleaffestival.com/about.htm

It is a really fun crafters show, along with other events in the town. They have a great little quilt shop that I enjoy visiting. Fall is coming and time to curl up with warm fuzzy things! I love fall, that and spring are my favorite seasons. It seems that we may have a nice one this year--not too short!

Spark-a-licious!

Well, yesterday was my semi-annual trip to the Sparks Flea Market in Sparks, Kansas http://www.sparksfleamarket.com/ . 500ish vendors of fine, quality junk, antiques, fair food, and anything a true junker would desire! My friend Cheryl and her friend Sally decended on Sparks about 10:00. There is tons of free parking and we have found that the August show is a better place for deals. I found many $1 tables and got to stuff a bag with VINTAGE fabric and linens for $2.00!!!! Let me tell you, I can stuff a bag. I came away with a vintage apron, 2 linen table cloths, a multitude of Irish and English linen kitchen towels and silk galore!

The displays run the full range from neatly arranged, air-conditioned trailers to dusty, dirty piles to dig through! The one thing that everyone has in common is the pursuit for the treasured item of the day. See Cheryl's saddle below...

At the first $1 table I encountered, I found a zinc lid mason jar filled with colorful rocks. I thought the rocks would make great charms. I cleaned it out this morning only to discover the rocks were actually antique candy! EEEWWWW! I got a lovely a Mason jar for a buck but no pretty rocks. Here is a pic of one similar to mine...perfect condition and no chips. Mine is not quite a blue but has the zinc lid.

Here is Cheryl with her prize saddle! She is decorating her living room in a western theme. She found this adorable child's saddle in great shape for $50! The other saddles were running about $150 and were not in as great of shape as this one.

Stay tuned for more images and stories from Sparks...And my treasured item of the trip! It is always such a good weekend and Cheryl and I look forward to it every May and August. Now Sally is on board and we are a trio of junkers in pursuit of the awesome deal, the diamond in the rough, the potential of old, broken and rusty things!