Mama Squirrel

Zerolandfill '12: The Third Harvest

 At the third ZL harvest of the season the ZL Gallery was at its best.   The diversity of projects was truly impressive.   Jan, a Lakewood art teacher,  made all of the pieces on this display board ( AND the board itself) from ZL materials.  In addition to the pouches and the book, the small purple and green object on the left is a wrist cuff.  I believe the item directly below it is a belt.

ZL receives quite a few decorative trim samples.  When checking them in, I'm always drawn to the bright colors, beads and fringe, Although I am enamored with this eye candy, I've never taken any home with me.  What would I do with it?  What can anyone do with 50 different two inch samples of fringe--all featuring dramatically different colors?  

Jan used samples of fringe and upholstery trim to make the accessories displayed on this board (pictured below).  They are decorative belts meant to be worn while belly dancing.    When I asked, Jan said that these  belts would cost $100 if she bought them, but she is able to make them for free with ZL materials, a needle and thread.  

The most adorable object in the ZL Gallery this season was this little turtle made by Nikki, an art teacher who will begin a new teaching adventure in Columbus this fall.  Not only did Nikki use ZL upholstery fabric for the outside of this project, it is stuffed with ZL scraps as well.  Here she is with her creation.

This little guy is both sweet AND functional as a pin cushion.  Just lift his shell to reveal the pins.

The ZL Lab was  a busy place at yesterday's harvest.  Throughout the majority of our shift Laura had a steady stream of harvesters interested in watching her demonstrate different ways to use ZL materials.  

At one point I looked over and she had such a large crowd I thought she was putting on a magic show.  When I asked her about it, she said people were most interested in seeing how different tile and laminate materials could be used for printmaking.   As you can see here, these ZL Lab samples were used in several demonstrations this season.

  Since yesterday was exclusively a harvest (pollination is over for the season) the rest of the volunteers and I spent the better part of the afternoon tidying up and working with the carpet samples.  Most of the carpet samples donated to ZL arrive in cardboard books.  The carpet that is not picked up by harvesters at the end of the final harvest on the 24th will need to be recycled.  The carboard books will be recycled too, but cardboard is recycled by one company while carpet is recycled somewhere else. So, armed with pliers, several volunteers and I spent  half the afternoon separating the carpet from the cardboard.  Here are three smiling volunteers making a dent in the towers of cardboard carpet books.   

 If you have any need for small pieces of carpet, stop by the final ZL harvest of the season this Friday from 12-3 and help yourself.  If you are a pet lover of the feline persuasion (yes, pun intended) you can definitely find enough carpet samples to make a spectacular cat castle .  Or find some small colorful samples with a rubber backing and take home a ready-made set of coasters.  These are waiting for  anyone who wants them:

There is still quite a lot of stone, tile and brick.  All of this will be available at noon on Friday:

Once again, the FINAL harvest of the season is Friday August 24th from 12-3.  Since that is my first day of school I will not see you there, but if you go I would love to hear about your experience.  

Zerolandfill '12: More From the Second Harvest

In my last post I wrote about what went on at the August 10th harvest and a little bit about what to expect at the third harvest of the season on the 17th, but I didn't tell you about my own treasures from this Friday.  Between this summer and last I've attended a total of  four ZL pollinations.  During that time  I've processed a lot of materials, many of which look very similar.  This Friday reminded me that variety and surprise can come when I least expect it.

Now that Little Tiger and I are both growing out our bangs, Casa de Costello is in serious need of some headbands.  During one of my late nights trolling Etsy and Pinterest I was smitten by some headbands with stars on them.  I've been wondering how I could make my own.  On Friday I found the perfect star material when this fell into my hands:

The cards, especially the gold-colored ones, sparkle more in real life than they do in this picture.  The material is not quite as thick as I would like so, to prevent the star points from curling up after more than one wearing, I think I'll need to layer the glittery stuff on top of something slightly more sturdy.  

At this point in the season I feel like I've seen almost every fabric and wallpaper pattern in existence, but when I found this in the wallcovering section of the harvest area, I couldn't resist.

I've never seen anything like these before.  I can't figure out what they're samples of--wallcovering for the changing room near the swimming pool on a cruise ship?  I took these two pieces because I could make books with them, but Laura thought they were interesting so I gave them to her.  Laura has the best work ethic of anyone I know.  I like to think I'm a hard worker, but I've been known to be distracted by shiny things.  Laura works so hard when we're at ZL she rarely gives herself time to browse.  When she does, it's always to find materials for her students--never herself.   I'm sure she'll use these samples to create something amazing. 

This was another sample that interested me.  I can't help wondering how popular this was when it was being sold as wallpaper.  How lucrative can it be (no pun in---no...wait...I'm intending it) to sell wall covering that triggers a phobia for a significant portion of the population?  I'm a little leery of bees, but I have something in mind for this.

I'm not usually interested in carpet samples, but yesterday ZL received a whole bag full of these:

  

The bag was full of six or eight beautifully woven rug samples that were the size of table runners.  I  really loved the blues and purples in this piece, but I didn't know what to do with it.  It is awfully small for a rug and it only has fringe on one side.  While me and some fellow volunteers were puzzling over what we could do with something like this, Laura had a brilliant idea.  Folded into an envelope with a strap it will make the perfect "hippie bag."  It will be like the fabric envelopes I make with the kids at BAYarts, only bigger.  

All I need to do now is decide what to use for the strap.  Any suggestions?

While organizing the tile section of the harvest area, I found more of the small leaves I've been collecting from ZL throughout the summer.  This definitely needs some work, but here is my first baby step toward designing my table:

Then I found a small box of vinyl tile and tried this out too: 

They are two very different looks and both would need something to help with spacing and filling in the gaps.  Any suggestions?

Zerolandfill '12: Second Harvest

This was the scene at Zerolandfill when we arrived yesterday:

Joining Laura and I in our ZL carpool  was my friend and local artist Brandi Woodward.  Brandi makes up one half of the crafting duo known as The Lovely Wrecks.  If the name sounds familiar, it might be because you've seen her work in area craft shows or read about her in Cleveland magazine.  You can check out The Lovely Wrecks' Etsy shop here.  Her owl pellet necklaces are especially amazing.  Brandi was an enthusiastic volunteer who was ready and willing to jump into the fray.  I warned her that, depending on how many donations we received, it could be three hours of crazy hard work, but she was game.  She said that, since she benefitted from ZL in the past, she wanted to give back by donating her time, which is awesome.

If any of you feel the same way and would like to help out at one of the remaining harvests this season (August 17th and 24th) send an email to [email protected]  

Even though hundreds of pounds of materials were harvested at  the first harvest of the summer, many were donated that day as well.  One of the first things Brandi and I did when we arrived at ZL yesterday was work with other volunteers to weigh and sort the materials that arrived later on the afternoon of the 27th and put them in the harvest area.  

While we were working on that, Laura was hanging up  new signage at the ZL Gallery and ZL Lab.  The gallery and the lab have received a lot of attention from harvesters this season.  If you want more details about the ZL Gallery and Lab you can read about them here.  Both serve as  examples of how my amazing friend uses her creativity to make her corner of the world a better place.  I love that she made her signs from ZL harvest materials.  

 At the harvest on the 27th, it was difficult for some harvesters to see the difference between the materials available for harvest and those that still needed to be processed.  The folks at IDA solved that problem this week by fencing off an area that served as the processing station for new donations.  Here I am in what I referred to as my "pen":

My smile is 100% sincere.  I was pleased to have a clearly marked area in which to sort and weigh all incoming doantions.  The other volunteers and I were able to work very efficiently and there was no question about which items were available for harvest.

Although the crowd at noon was smaller than it was two weeks ago (I blame the rain), more people arrived throughout the harvest and I think Friday's overall number of harvesters was higher than the harvest on the 27th .  

The word got out about the donation of 480 binders from American Greetings and several were taken for use at school or in home offices.  Robin Neorr of The T Shirt Diaries picked up several binders for use with her local branch of Early Childhood PTA.  Here she is giving me two thumb's up:

Here is a close up of the binders from American Greetings in case you want to know what they look like:

In addition to dozens of binders from American Greetings, we also have all of these:

If you're all set for school and have already organized your home office you could pick up half a dozen and make this sweet dollhouse.  If the children in your life are mostly little boys, you could take the same basic idea from the dollhouse tutorial and adapt it to army guys or superheroes.  The possibilities are as limitless as your imagination.

For the first half of Friday's harvest we did not receive any donations so the other volunteers and I kept busy by organizing the harvest area and helping harvesters choose materials and carry them out to their cars.  At about one thirty a steady stream of donations began.  We processed all we could, but we didn't get through everything.  All of this is waiting for us next Friday:

Don't let the plain plastic bags and cardboard boxes fool you.  They are full of carpet squares (including floral and animal print), fabric and tile.  Here's a sneak preview of what has already been weighed and sorted and will be available to you at noon on Friday August 17th:

Foam core and mat board (which I've never seen before at ZL):

Fabric books galore:

This picture I took on my way out the door yesterday does not look that different from the one I took on the way in.  Although some of the specific items have changed, there is an exciting array of materials for you to search through.

The final two harvests of the season are on August 17th and August 24th from 12-3.  Zerolandfill Cleveland is located at  4750 East 131st Street in Garfield Heights.  Although this may seem like it is on the other side of the moon to my friends out in the western suburbs, it is really not that far and definitely worth the trip.  For best results, arrive a few minutes before noon so you can be one of the first people through the door.  Yesterday was the final pollination of the season so ZL Cleveland will not be receiving any new materials until 2013.  Don't miss out!

Zerolandfill '12 First Harvest: The Debriefing

When I arrived at the Zerolandfill (ZL) Cleveland site on Friday, I was pleased to walk into the biggest ZL harvest crowd I've ever seen.  There was a positive energy in the air as eager harvesters listened to an explanation from ZL's founder of what ZL was about and what to expect when they entered the warehouse.  

Meanwhile, volunteers inside the warehouse made sure everything was ready for the first harvest of the season.  Laura was busy setting up the ZL Gallery and ZL Lab for their inaugural use.  (You can read more about the ZL Gallery and the ZL Lab here.)  

One of the first entries in the ZL Gallery was this  mixed media collage piece made by a high school art student:

The ZL Gallery will be accepting donations at the next harvest on August 10th.  If you've made something wonderful from ZL materials, please consider temporarily donating it to the ZL Gallery.  You can donate it for the afternoon, or until the final harvest on 8/24.  Let your work serve as the inspiration for other artists, students and teachers!

At noon, eager harvesters descended on the warehouse floor searching through textiles, wood, glass, and stone.  Elementary teachers counted out class sets of carpet squares and crafters happily collected candy-colored glass tiles.  There were several children in attendance, many with their own little tote bags for choosing treasures.  I ran into my next door neighbor and her grade school-aged daughter who was excited to tell me about the quilt she was going to make from some fabric she found.

In my last post I wrote a caveat about bringing children to this event, but from where I was stationed on Friday,  all of the children  looked like they  were staying near their parents and following directions.  Here is a picture of the floor shortly after noon:

It was my intent to take more pictures throughout the afternoon, but several donations arrived and I was busy weighing and sorting.  I didn't take another picture until two o'clock when I stopped to take a break just as a man was bringing in this very generous donation from American Greetings:

The boxes in the foreground and the plastic wrapped boxes on the pallet in the background contain 480 binders.  ZL receives 100s of binders that are donated by designers, but most of those have the names and logos of various textile companies on them.  The binders from American Greetings that I saw were all 5  inches and plain black.  Since they arrived  toward the end of the afternoon, very few of them were taken by harvesters.  If you want to get your classroom or home office in order and need some organizational tools, get to ZL at noon on 8/10 and you should be able to help yourself to as many as you need.  

 Although I spent the overwhelming majority of my time volunteering, I did manage to find a few things, inlcuding more of this beautiful tile:

 When combined with tile from last week, it looks like the tile table I planned on making is going to have a decidedly floral/leafy theme:

My spatial relations are not the best.  Clearly, I need to spend more time with these in order to create something that shows them to advantage.  All of you expert Tetris players out there can probably see it right now and are cringing at my ineptitude.  By all means, I'm open to suggestions.

Some other volunteers beat me to the awning fabric, so there was not as much as I thought there would be, but I did pick up a few yards for The Milk Belly Princess' teacher.  She expressed interest in having more sewing projects for the children this year, which I'm really excited about.  Her methods for teaching little ones to sew amaze me ( she taught The Milk Belly Princess to sew a button and do basic cross stitch) and I want to support those efforts in any way I can.  Hopefully, she likes cool colors:

I'll admit, my nerdy English teacher instincts got the better of me when the font on the labels drew me to this box:

It is a collection of vinyl wallcovering samples, but I see great potential for mini books, hairclips and other crafty goodness.  Check out the intensity in the book titled "Vibrant Colors"

The final book of the collection is called "Walltalkers" and it is full of samples of dry-erasable wallcovering.  The possibilities for this are endless.  

The remaining ZL Cleveland harvests this summer are from noon until three on the following Fridays:

• August 10 Pollination and Harvest
• August 17 Harvest Only
• August 24th Harvest Only 

If You Go Part Two:  I wrote some basic guidelines here.  The following are some thoughts I want to share with you based on my most recent ZL experience.  I know that stern directives delivered in bold, capital letters can seem bossy and harsh, but it is not my intent to be off-putting.  Please understand that this message is being given with love and the best of intentions so ZL can be the best it can be.

1.  PLEASE CONSIDER VOLUNTEERING:  If you have benefitted from this organization in the past, ZL could really use your help during one of the remaining harvests this summer.  It would be especially helpful if you could volunteer on August 10th because it is both a pollination and a harvest.  While it is exciting to have the selection of materials replenished during harvest times, this means volunteers are needed to take in  donations AND organize the selection on the floor. On Friday we were a little short handed to start and really short on helpers at the end of the afternoon.  Volunteers  are allowed in early.  However,with this privilege comes the understanding that at noon you will stop your personal shopping and pitch in for the duration of your shift.  If you are interested in volunteering (truly helping, not "helping"--you know the difference--the way you want people to assist you when you move as opposed to what your toddler does for you in the kitchen) send an email to [email protected]

2.  RESPECT THE YELLOW LINE:  Like I said, the event on August 10th is both a pollination and a harvest.  This means that donors will be dropping off their samples at the same time harvesters are selecting their materials.  Designers will drop off their donations on the far side of a bright yellow line where they will be weighed and sorted before being put out for harvesters on the other side of the yellow line.  ZL takes pride in being able to share the number of pounds of material it keeps out of landfills, therefore,  ALL ZL DONATIONS MUST BE CHECKED IN AND WEIGHED BEFORE THEY CAN BE HARVESTED.    Items will be brought to the harvest area when they are ready.  Standing on the yellow line and asking about materials that still need to be weighed slows down the volunteers.  If you are truly worried about missing something and want to see everything that comes through the door, please see item #1.  

3.  YOUR STASH = YOUR BUSINESS:  Keep all of the items you plan to take with you by your side at all times in your own labeled reusable bags, boxes or a wagon (but remember, there are stairs).    If you find that you have too many items to carry or keep track of, take a load out to your car, then return and browse some more.  There is no guarantee that items you place "off to the side" will be there when you return.  Chances are, if you see something amazing, then walk away from it, someone else will think it's amazing too.  

4.  BYO-B(and-Aids):  I learned this the hard way last week when I was looking through the tile, slipped and fell.  Since I left  my kids at home, I did not have my "mom purse" with me and I was completely unprepared.  Fortunately, Kate, one of my fellow BAYarts teachers, was able to help me out, but next time I might not be so lucky.  

I know there are potential ZL harvesters out there reading this who still aren't sure about coming because they want to know more about what it's like.  Do any other volunteers or harvesters have any advice to share?  I'd love to read it.  

 

Zerolandfill '12: The First Pollination and a Primer For Friday's Harvest

Last year I volunteered at one of the August pollination shifts for Zerolandfill (ZL) and wrote about it here.  At that point in the season there were already stacks and stacks of donated materials in the warehouse.  During that shift, my primary job was sorting and stacking a very generous fabric donation from the daughter of an interior designer who recently passed away.  I did not see the dramatic difference in the contents of the warehouse before and after the first pollination.  Walking into an empty room and leaving when it was full of tons of materials like Laura and I did last  Friday was a very different experience

One after the other, cars and vans arrived full of donated materials.  They were sorted, weighed and  taken to different areas of the warehouse.  One of my first jobs was carrying stacks of weighed glass to the glass table.  As I write this, there are HUNDREDS of 12 x 12 inch pieces of glass in need of new homes.  Some of it is plain, but some is striped and even polka dotted.  I wish I could think of a use for the polka dotted glass but, alas, I cannot.  

Along with the expected swatches of upholstery fabric, yards of outdoor awning material were among Friday's donations.  I snagged a couple of pieces of this to reupholster  two tired looking patio chairs.  Here is a picture of the fabric--isn't it cheerful? 

I'm not sure about the polka dots, but I know there is more of the striped fabric, at least enough to cover the seats of a couple of cafe chairs, if any of you are interested.

We were really busy processing new donations at ZL last Friday so I did not have a lot of time to select my own materials.  My selections happened furtively in between running loads of fabric, wallpaper, glass and tile to their locations in the warehouse.  However, in addition to the awning fabric, I did grab a few more things that caught my eye.  Two large swatches of this fun fabric were already serged around the edges, so I grabbed  them to use as placemats for my girls:

In the hot summer months we are perpetually drinking glass after glass of ice water at Casa de Costello and our four coasters are forever missing from the living room after being taken for use on bedroom nightstands.  As I was sorting carpet samples, I found these industrial strength, rubber-backed discs, and decided they would be perfect.  

I'm not sure I'm exaggerating (at least not by much) when I say that TONS of tile was donated, including these:   

 

I thought long and hard about whether to take these because I wasn't sure what I would do with them. Then I decided that between the two tables I wanted to tile and the work I wanted to do on my (dare I call it a studio?  "supply pit" seems crass) work space, they would find a good home.  

While I spent my time last week lifting, carrying and sorting, Laura was hard at work on two new features of ZL:  the ZL Gallery and the ZL Lab.  The ZL Gallery is a place where anyone who has created something with ZL materials can show off their work or that of their students.  The purpose of the ZL Gallery is for creative people to share and inspire others with their creations.  Items can be brought to ZL during harvest times and left for the duration of your harvest experience or this summer's entire ZL season.  Items that are not picked up by 3PM on the final harvest date (8/24) will become the property of ZL.  All items submitted to the ZL Gallery must be accompanied by a complete entry form.  The form is quick and easy to fill out with a few questions about what the item is made of and how it was created.

The ZL Lab is a place to see how different ZL materials work with different tools and media so when you leave the site  you know they will work as anticipated with your personal or classroom tools and media.   The materials at the ZL Lab are divided into four categories containing the following items for you to experiment with:

Cutting:  school scissors, Exacto knife, coping saw, utility blade and drill

Gluing: paste, glue stick, white glue, duct tape, hot glue, rubber cement

Applying Color:  crayon, Crayola marker, Sharpie, acrylic paint, watercolor paint, tempera paint, colored pencils, ink pads.

Fiber Arts:  fabric shears, regular sewing needle and thread, tapestry needle and yarn, iron

Please understand that the ZL Lab is a work station manned by art teachers willing to offer their professional expertise about media and tools.  It is not free babysitting nor is it a place for you or your children to complete "make it and take it" crafts.  (In other words, you can visit the ZL Lab to see what kinds of cutting materials work well with laminate, but you cannot complete your entire bird house, picture frame etc, at the lab.  )  

 If you go:

1. ZL Cleveland is located at 4750 East 131st Street in Garfield Heights.  The harvest times this season are from 12-3 on the following Fridays:  7/27, 8/10, 8/17 and 8/24.  Arrive on time, but not early.  Last year the doors did not open until noon.  You will see people entering between 11:15 and noon, but those are volunteers.  If you are a few minutes early, form an orderly line at the door.
2. Be prepared to get dirty.  This event is held in a warehouse at what is essentially the county dump.  While the donated materials are clean, the space is not.  (After kneeling to sort fabric for about five minutes my knees were black.)  Wear old clothes and close-toed shoes.  Bring gardening or work gloves if you're interested in tile, stone, brick or glass.
3. Think carefully about whether or not you should bring your children.  I have nothing against children.  In fact,  I say this as the mother of two little kids, one of whom is a bit wily.  This event is held in a big, dirty warehouse full of potentially sharp and heavy materials.  There is no one available to watch your children except YOU (the ZL Lab is staffed by and for use by adults).  There are some children who have a great time at ZL.  They stay close to their parents, follow the rules and delight in choosing craft materials.  There are others who run amok and create potentially dangerous situations.  Please, know which kind of kid you have,  what kind of day they are having and make your decision accordingly.
4. Bring provisions.  There is A LOT to look at.  You don't want dehydration to bust up your good time, so bring a water bottle. If you decide to bring your children with you, bring some snacks (and wipes to use before handling the snacks--see item #2).  
5. Supply your own boxes and bags.  Most of the boxes we received last week are being used to store donations.  While there seemed to be several empty boxes at the end of last Friday's pollination, those will be needed by ZLF if more donations are received this week.  While you can bring some sort of wagon or dolly to take heavy items to your car, there is a small staircase from the entrance to the warehouse floor, so you will need to negotiate that.
6. Be courteous.  Materials are available for free on a first come, first serve (and self-serve) basis.  If you see something that you like or believe would be useful to you, take what you need, but don't hoard.  
7. Don't judge the other harvesters.  Saying "I teach" or "I need this for my business" as a means of talking someone out of something you want implies that you are somehow more important than they are.  Everyone believes they have a worthy purpose for the available materials--they wouldn't take them if they didn't.  
8. Be flexible.  This year the International Interior Design Association is in charge of Zerolandfill.  In other words, it is under new management and, consequently, you might notice some things that are different.  Remember what it was like when you were newly in charge of something?  Remember how unhelpful it was for oldtimers to tell you how "this wasn't how we did it last year"?   The group from IDA has done a phenomenal job organizing tons of donations in a short time.  Be supportive.  Introduce yourself and tell them what a great job they're doing.  

 

The Big Parade

Yesterday I woke up, dressed myself, dressed the girls, loaded us all in the car and headed off to Oberlin for The Big Parade.  Since 2002, Oberlin residents and students have lined College Street on the first Saturday in May to watch people proudly march with an eclectic array of costumes and floats.  I've known about this event for years now, but yesterday was the first time we were able to make it.  

When we arrived in Oberlin we were joined by my friend Laura who was there to watch her art students march in the parade.  While I thought I deserved a gold star just for getting myself and the girls there on time, Laura had a nice picnic blanket and chilled water bottles for everyone.  Her sense for detail is extraordinary.  She even thought to bring a permanent marker to put everyone's name on their water bottles so there was no confusion.  Here she is with Little Tiger and The Milk Belly Princess waiting for the festivities to begin.

After much anticipation, musicians, stilt walkers and a variety of floats began to make their way down College Street.  Here are some pictures of our favorites.

We would have loved this simply because we're big fans of Eric Carle and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  What made it even better was the people under the costume were moving up and down to make it look like the caterpillar was creeping along in a very caterpillar-ish sort of way.  

Little Tiger and The Milk Belly Princess were especially taken by James waving to the crowd from atop his giant peach.

Laura's students worked hard on their tribute to Edvard Munch.  It was difficult to get a good picture of the whole group, but here is a close up of the figure from The Scream.

Although I enjoyed the floats, my favorite entry had to be the residents of a nearby assisted living facility and their lawn chair drill team.  Their precision was impressive.  I hope I do stuff like this when I'm old.

Ingenuity went beyond the planned creativity of the entries.  When a float housing a group of drummers lost a wheel, some quick-thinkers saved the day with a skateboard:

I hope all of you are enjoying your weekend and taking time to savor that which amazes and amuses.

Laura and Audra's Excellent Adventure

In my post about the most recent Zerolandfill harvest, I promised to tell you more about the rest of the foraging Laura and I did that day.  We had what we thought were valid fifty percent off coupons to Value World so we headed there.  (Please note that if you're planning a trip to Value World, the clothing at the branch we visited was not quite as chic as what you see on their home page.)  Whether or not you're a fan of thrifting, you have to appreciate the aesthetics of Value World where all of the clothing is arranged by color.  This seems impractical for people who are shopping for garments in a  certain size, but if you're looking for raw material for a project like this amazing hula hoop rug this arrangement would make shopping easier.  

Unfortunately, I forgot about the rug project until several hours later when we were far away from Value World and the store was closed.   It turned out that half of our coupons expired and the other have weren't active for another week.  According to the article in Family Fun, the project requires a minimum of 12 large T shirts, so I'll wait to go back until the August coupons can be used.  

The stop wasn't a total bust.  For four dollars, I bought a pink wool hoodie that is  supposedly 100% cashmere.  I say "supposedly" because despite washing it in hot water and drying it twice,  it isn't felting half as nicely as other cashmere sweaters I've used.  Is there such a thing as shrink-resistant cashmere?

After Value World, I asked Laura to look and see if we were anywhere near Hollo's Papercraft.   If you live anywhere in northern Ohio and are interested in art, crafts or poking around in strange yet wonderful stores, you have to check this place out.  It's an emporium of all things made of paper.  You can buy anything  from wedding invitations to chocolate boxes from Higbees in mint condition and everything in between.  They also have a nice selection of beautiful handmade paper.   What Hollo's lacks in ambiance, they make up for in variety and sheer volume.  In addition to their regular stock, Hollo's  buys the stock of other stores that have gone out of business.  While some items are available every time I visit Hollo's, others change with each visit. 

It turned out that we were reasonably close to Hollo's, so that was our next stop.  It didn't disappoint, especially in the room that houses the close-out merchandise from other stores.  I've been wanting to have Little Tiger make this craft from Cluck, Cluck, Sew and I found a large, sturdy wooden cut out of her first initial for only a dollar.  I also bought a 4 and a 6 to paint for  future birthday decorations.

I found plastic red mesh Christmas stockings (you know, the kind that a grocery store might fill with fruit) for 20 cents each and I bought ten of them.  I've been meaning to make beach bags for the girls to store their beach treasures in when we visit the lake, but summer is almost over and I haven't done it yet.  My plan is to put a few of these bags in each of our cars and put the rest in the bag where we keep our towels and sun block.  The next time we visit the lake, the girls can use the mesh stockings to collect shells and sea glass.  The mesh is sized so that the sand will fall out, but even the smaller treasures will stay in until we can get them home to wash and display on our nature table.  If the bags work the way I think they will, I won't have to worry about beach glass falling out of pockets and wreaking havoc in my washing machine ever again.  

I have a lot of different ideas for art projects for the girls that involve canvases, but they can be kind of pricey.  Even Hollo's didn't have any great deals on plain white canvases, with the size I wanted in the neighborhood of ten dollars. Not terrible, but not great either.  Then we found these.

 

 

 

Paint by numbers canvases of an underwater scene, a fawn and a lion.  Many of the canvases were the size I was looking for and they ranged from one to two dollars each.  We bought them all.   Sorry Bambi, as soon as I get a free minute it's a Gesso bath for you.

After Hollo's, we headed to my favorite craft/antique show of the year The Summer Market at Veteran's Memorial Park in Avon Lake.  Six years ago, Erin Stack and Kristen Weeden decided to put together a show that featured all of their favorite things:  crafts, antiques and the beach.  The result is an event that the local arts community looks forward to every year on the last weekend in July.  

Laura and I spent a lot of time looking at the eye candy at Button Down Designs.  In 2006, after her son was deployed to Iraq, artist Emilie Illson began making bracelets out of vintage buttons from her collection to give herself something positive to focus on in his absence.  Her collection spans the decades of the past century and a half with buttons made from a variety of materials including bone, shell, Bakelite and even cardboard (these were incredibly well preserved on a darling red and blue bracelet that was for sale).  Her bracelets all have a hang tag on them that gives the history of the buttons that make up the bracelet.  Laura found a striking earth toned bracelet and I decided to help The Mister out by buying myself a bracelet made of etched shell buttons from the "Grace Kelly Collection."  

It was a really fun day.  I love my children dearly, but having a huge chunk of time to devote to my own brand of fun is really something special.