Junkin' with a friend!

I haven't gotten a post ready about Birdsong yet (what fun!) but I wanted to share some recent junkin' finds....from guess where? Yep! The cattle barns flea again! I know y'all must get tired of hearing "I got this @ the cattle barns flea" or "this" or "this" or "that"; but the pickin's @ thrift stores have gotten so lean that I don't hardly shop anywhere else any more. Except garage sales...I still brake for garage sales. LOL

The cattle barns flea is dusty, hot & dirty...it's authentic junkin'! But it's a guaranteed $100 spent on great, old junk...at really good prices! So you get a lot of bang for your buck! My friend Jan had anxiety attacks at first; all she could think, was that she wanted to get out of that dirty, dusty place that sometimes houses cattle! Until she asked about some prices (hardly anything is marked). But the prices are good enough to win over even a neat-freak like her & now she is always twisting my arm to meet her there. *winking @ Jan* Just for the record, they clean up well the cows' mess, after the rodeo each year, before they reopen as a flea market.

This was my haul from our shopping trip a couple of weeks ago.

This was my favorite find of the day! A sweet, swwwweeeet , jointed charlotte w/ holes in the top of her head. The holes were meant for a ribbon to be strung through & a bow tied (or so the dealer said) but I'll hang a couple of jump rings from them & turn her into an adorable, shabby chic necklace. Can't you just see it?
Another tiny frozen charlotte.... the MOP mother pin I mentioned in a previous post ($3!!!!) & a wonderfully aged thimble.

I always pick up trinkets to use in my projects & lately, I've been snagging old watches & watch parts too. I bought the watch parts from Pam @ The Altered Muse (she had a booth at the cattle barns). She used to have a shop here in Ft Worth but it has closed. She is still having workshops out of her home though... I plan on taking her reliquary class sometime after Mother's Day.

25 pieces of beautifully tarnished flatware...lots of projects in store for them!

A gorgeous rhinestone belt ...wayyyy too tiny for my waist though! I'll use it as a necklace instead ....& a cheap pocket watch. The dealer charged me $2 extra for it cause it's still working. I don't care if it's working or not, I just want the case but I paid her $5 willingly.

rhinestone buckle (I'm like a magpie...I can't resist anything that sparkles!), lone earring ....

and I've been eyeing an old photograph album at the flea for a couple months. Being too cheap to pay $50 for it, I asked for his best price & was told $40. Still too cheap to buy it, Jan & I split it.

We took turns picking the cabinet cards. The subjects are good ones too...the first 5 picks were all premo. I wound up w/ 13 fabulous, large cabinet cards.

and 8 wonderful "frames" to use in my artwork. And I was too cheap to buy it. *shaking my head in wonder* Now I'm kicking myself for sharing it!!!

I shared a few of my finds from this junkin' excursion w/ swap partners...the MOP Mother pin, the french poodle pins & for a Birdsong swap, I shared the rhinestone "crown" piece above. The rhinestone necklace I kept for myself. ;)

I'll be back later w/ lots of pictures of the good times @ Birdsong. I think I'm gonna break it down into multiple posts though as I have a LOT to share!