junk turned into...prettier junk

My mind is constantly spinning with things to make.

And one of my favorite things to do is take something old and make it useful again. 

I love finding lost keys, old watches, vintage hankerchiefs, and of course, glittering jars and rusty tins full of buttons.  I guess you would now call me an 'upcycler', although I have been playing around with stuff like this for years, before it became rather chic to embrace old things.

The hunt can be even more fun than actually working with what I find.  I am just itching for the first yard sale ads to appear in the classified section.  But now I also have to scout Craigslist, and of course there is an app for that (may need to borrow Charlie's Itouch now and then).

Last fall my dear friend Joanne and I hit up a great sale at the State Fairgrounds, and our treasures almost didn't quite fit in the car. The security guard stood watching us, looking dubious, but we proved him wrong.

I stumbled across an old wire cart, hidden amongst discarded foot baths and plant pots.  I had been wanting one for a while, ever since I had seen one rescued and put to use again.

Of course, it has sat in the basement since that warm September day, forgotten.

But while getting ready for all of my shows this month, I realized I needed something with wheels to help me haul my goodies around.

So I pulled it out, dusted it off, and made it a pretty new dress.

Now, useful!  I even sewed a handy pocket on the inside.  I used oilcloth (the real stuff-a Grand Avenue fabric shop has a huge selection, it was so hard to decide).

Five dollars well spent.