The Backwood's Marketplace - Fall 2016 Market

The Backwood's Marketplace, fall 2016 show is over, but I felt like I made new friends to last a lifetime. The spring show, we were the newbies to the market, rain delayed our setup time, and we felt rushed and didn't get to know many of the fellow artist and creators.

This time was different, in a good way. So much more laid back, we visited a lot with others and had a lot of fun this show.  Angea and I had almost a whole day to set up and decorate, so that was amazing, much more relaxing and creatively fulfilling. We have all these ideas floating around in our heads, that we discuss each week at our "board meetings" and we were able to bring some of them to life. Our board meetings involve our (almost) weekly junkin' trip, that usually ends with lunch at our favorite Mexican food restaurant. 

Some of these ideas are things like upside down Christmas trees and wreath chandeliers. 

On a side note - we got a postcard in the mail about safely Christmas decorating, from a local hospital. Let's just say we are rebels out here, because who has ever been able to have two feet and one hand on the ladder at all times and still be able to decorate???

We love the Backwood's Marketplace, because it's truly down the back roads from our house. With the exception of getting on the highway for just a couple minutes (less than 2 miles), it's blacktop road, 20 miles an hour pulling my camper and I still get there in 10 minutes! I also love that it's all about handmade, vintage, repurposed items with a focus on the artist, creator, and collector of fine junk! 

You might be a crafter, if your cell phone is splattered in multiple colors of paint (currently turquoise, pink, and white)! We may be in the country, but we love our technology and must show off what we are working on or answer emails, all while painting!

Of course, we couldn't do it all without our road crew! The roadies consist of Jeff  (in his tape measure suspenders - quite the conversation piece), Randy (Angea's husband) and our nephew Jake, who always just happens to show up in time and ask "need me to do anything?" Why yes we do, Jake!

These two are good at silly pictures too, and you have to work hard to keep them

on task at times, but gosh I love my guys! 

Saturday was gorgeous, but just a tad bit cold and windy.

I was pretty excited about the tin top that Jeff built for us! And for the record: Duck Dynasty is copying Jeff, with their beards! lol Everyone thinks he is trying to be like them, but seriously, we had never heard of that show (we don't have cable) and all of a sudden, these girls at the stores would start reaching out and trying to touch his beard and we discovered they thought he was like the Duck Commander crew. One clerk even thought he was Uncle Si (although I think he looks more like Jase) and about fell out star struck at the grocery store!

The roof top was a rustic entrance to one of our tents and was really all about hanging another chandelier that I thrifted. I can't pass up chandeliers, even if they are brassy, need to be wired, or only cost $4.00.

A couple coats of textured spray paint, some discount beads, and a new cord from my burnt up glue gun, and it was ready to shine bright! I go through 5-6 glue guns a year - after extended use, they will die and shoot a flame out and smoke in the process. Jeff cut the cord on the last one to die and put it on the chandy! In the words of my favorite t shirt "For the Love of Junk Repurpose ~ Reuse ~ Recycle." 

Oh and the tin for the roof was from my granddaddy's old hay barn, the wood board in the top is a scrap pallet board and one cedar limb. Roof top all made for $0.00! Read more about the inspiration for this piece, here. 

Have tools and glue gun, will work wherever the road takes me!

We changed up our booth design this time, so Miss Gussie could be more visible. We decided at our board meetings that we didn't want her hiding behind the doors this time.

Angea rescued this big frame from a dumpster, repaired it, and added the chalkboard for our sign. It's huge and often gets ask if it's for sale!

Angea and Randy built us each a mantle for our tents. She went more French country black and I went rustic, shabby chippy, farmhouse style. I love the new salt wash technique I used on the mantle to create that old chippy peely look. (Many of these items are now available in my etsy shop and I can ship to you.)

Saturday night got cold and we had our first frost of the season, but hey, I got to wear my new (to me) 25¢, long, leather coat! Seriously, this coat came from our favorite thrift store and came with loads of personality and sass with it!

The glow of all the lights was worth staying open late and it became a magical Winter Wonderland at dusk. 

A thrifted string of net lights, became my "fire" in my fireplace!

Miss Gussie fits the vintage criteria, since she's a 1959 model, but she still likes to sparkle and shine. 

Looking down the hill from our corner. 

Even the paint brushes, we forget to wash out in time, get repurposed into Santa Claus ornaments! Psst - there is a set  of these available in my shop.

Sunday at Blackstone Ridge - 

Yes that is Jeff, with a dust broom in his hand! Remember I said wind on Saturday? Well our furniture was a bit dusty and he volunteered to clean! Say what? 

 
 No one can ever be mad at a man that is cleaning!

We've neither one felt like we have ever been the "cool" ones, but others tells us we are the cool people at the shows we go to. It's like we've finally found ourselves in the backwoods, among the fields of junk, and along the back roads we travel. We've become collectors of memories, preservers of history, while rescueing the remnants of others.

As the Junk Gypsies call in the their new book, Designing a Life at the Crossroads of Wonder and Wander, Junk Karma "It's the righteous rescue of something that was bound for the burn pile, the spiritual renovation of that piece. and then the passing of that piece to another person's home. The salvation of one person's trash into another's treasure." 

Sunday mornin' porch sittin'.

Some of our new friends and fellow artist, shopped our repurposed flannel shirts, so we all had to get a picture together! 

If it wasn't for this sweet lady right here, the show wouldn't go on! Mrs. Carla does an amazing job organizing the show and bringing it all together! We certainly do appreciate her and Mr. Tommy for all they do and allowing us to be a part of their Backwood's group! 

And the winner is... 

Mr. Tommy's small engine shop donated a leaf blower for a door prize and all the vendors created a basket of goodies for another give away. 

We finally got a picture of Angea and Randy together!

And all of a sudden, the parties over and what goes up, must come down. 

Thankful for the extra help of my niece, nephews, and my brother and sister in law for helping take it all down and pack it up to hit the road again. Lisa was head of the 4-H concession stand, honey hush those desserts, beans and cornbread, and BBQ! I bought some leftover BBQ and we may still be eating it this week! Jeff works for desserts and bought a whole Spice Cake with Maple Spice Frosting, but it didn't last long. Mmmmm mmmm good and he's a happy camper!

Till we meet again in the spring, in the words of Garrison Keillor on Prairie Home Companion:
"Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."
Our houses and sheds will be busting at the seams and we will gather together once again to share our treasures and creations. Now, we must get back out on the junkin' road and find new goods to transform.