Ok, I know I should probably be too upset about the earthquake in Japan to care about doing another totally self-indulgent blog post but I'm not. I mean, it's upsetting - along with a bunch of other upsetting stuff in the world - but that stuff is in a whole different brain-compartment than this.
Personally, I've had another interesting and fun day and I feel like playing Show N' Tell.
Sorry if that offends any sensitive types. I'll donate some money so stay off my back.
Oddly, many of the things I'm about to show here are from Japan. Japan is pretty much my "favourite place I've never been to" and I do hope to go there one day (and I'm not really into travel so that's saying a lot).
Anyway, crazy thing happened on my way to get something from my storage locker. I ran into Super again. I told him to wait right where he was because I wanted to show him something. I happened to own some Japanese Miss Cutie Pie ceramics that match a cookie jar he had in his room.
I've had them wrapped up in storage for years because I don't use them anymore but they were to cool to give away.
Once upon a time, when I was part of a group art show with a Day of the Dead theme, I even decorated a plastic skull to look like the dead version of Miss Cutie Pie. You can see that skull in the picture below.
Super was really into the ceramics and immediately offered to buy them but I had't been planning to sell them actually...
However, I DID have my eye on few cool things in that room...
(I knew having an antique store in the basement was going to be a weakness... I'm MOVING! Im supposed to be getting rid of stuff!! (In fairness to myself, I have brought a lot of things to various thrift stores the last few weeks.))
Then Super made me an offer I couldn't refuse, $30 plus a trade for the things I had my eyes on. Suddenly I wasn't really too attached to the Cutie Pies anymore! So off they went to join their kin and off I went with what I consider a major score. (I kept Dead Cutie.)
(I know these ceramics can sell for a bit on ebay but frankly, I'm way too lazy to consider doing that!)
Anyway, here is the whole Cutie Pie family together:
And here's what I got:
A neat old button with a cock on it
That lead Native American toy from yesterday's post (and a cowboy!), ironically both from England
A nice, slightly-broken-but-easily-fixable, Bass purse
And the MAIN event, a linked chain all whittled out of a single piece of wood - made by one of Super's friends whilst in the clink. My question is, how did a guy in jail have a knife for whittling? I'll have to ask Super that and see if the story holds up!! Anyway, it would be really neat even if it wasn't made by a jailbird - but that does make it a little more romantic doesn't it?!
It goes well with my "hobo art" star
Not a single link is broken. I checked them all. Patience of a saint he had!
Not a single link is broken. I checked them all. Patience of a saint he had!
But that's not even the end of my excitement!
As Super and I continue to bull-shit each other, he's showing me some piece of furniture he pulled out of the dumpster (a really nice chaise lounge but it needs a lot of work), he mentions this old industrial sewing machine that he never uses... and I basically freak out immediately.
He's had it for 4 years and never plugged it in. When he gets it pulled out from behind some cabinets and turns it on, it runs like a dream. It needs a presser foot but other than that I think it is going to work!
I have said to myself many times (while sewing through fabric far too thick for my household machine), "damn I wish I had an industrial machine!"
I won't say for how much I got it because honestly, I almost feel like I stole it...
Oh. And it's a "Juki". Made in Japan.
By the way, here is an article with a few ideas about how to donate to Japan:
No comments:
Post a Comment