If you wandered into the small town of Ridge Spring, South Carolina this past Saturday, you would know for an absolute fact that it is a happening place.
Olive from Olive Out and I met up at the annual Magnolia Ridge Antique and Art Gathering. (Read her post here.)
It is held at a horse farm located just on the edge of town in the middle of hundreds of acres of peach trees. It was a cloudy day with a slight threat of showers, but do you really think it would stop me from vintage shopping? No way!
This is one of the most photographed and painted mail boxes around this area. It welcomes you into the Gathering.
The main house, the guest cottage, and the outbuildings form the backdrop for the vendors.
I spy some ladders!
And birdhouses!
And Coke signs!
Judy was set up with all her primitive and vintage goodies.
A giant frog guards a vintage croquet set. Look at the bucket for storing your flip flops.
I do not know who she is, but she was very intent on deciding between two tables. This booth had beautifully painted furniture.
You know how I like (Obsessed!) with house parts and furniture parts?
A screen guard with my initial! Chair arms! Chair slats!
Did they make the cut and into my truck?
You will have to come back and see!
The Art Guild was displaying artwork from local artists in the barn.
I love the texture of the barn itself.
MORE HOUSE PARTS!!!
A cute potting bench.
A rolling cart of a soda crate with wagon wheels.
Farm tools.
What can you not love about this seller's vignette?
The black table had wonderful patina and I loved the antique faucets and the sugar mold.
The turquoise sewing drawer with the yellow flowers? So delightful!
Just take the time to read the side of the crate.
Unique? You know it!
I had to show the mailbox again.
You notice that the sky has darkened and there was a drop or two.
But Olive and I prevailed, and around the fair we went again.
I took this photo as we were packing up our purchases to show Chucks that I can leave great porch posts behind.
Though I will admit, if I had been in the pick-up, they might have come home with me!
Olive and I drove the five blocks into town where the annual tractor parade was starting. We hurried into Juniper to grab lunch and a table.
The parade passed by with an escort of firetrucks waving American flags with sirens blaring.
Then more shopping. This place is four stores long with the original facades. He has everything including quite a display of Ernest Lee paintings.
Down the main street to Ridge Antiques, a favorite of mine. It is filled with vendors selling all things primitive and vintage.
The simplicity of a display of farm baskets and boxes.
You would think this was enough activity for the rest of the year here in Ridge Spring, but no!
The first Saturday of June is the Peachtree 23 - a yard sale miles long from Modoc, South Carolina to Leesville, South Carolina. Now I will admit it is only about forty miles, but right in the middle is Ridge Spring. It will be packed with goodies.
And there is always lunch at Juniper!
I promise to show the items I bought in the next post. I have to leave you with a little suspense, don't I?
See y'all!
I lazily drifted from thrift shop to thrift shop to a couple of yard sales. I wasn't really looking to spend much and I certainly did not need another project.
I do love and was thrilled with my finds. Though I did not score any patio furniture or gates which are now very high on my wish list.
I saw this door and I hoped it had its partner, but alas he was a single man. I am looking for a pair to hang from either side of my front stoop. Chucks is not sure of this totally brilliant idea. Fortunately for him this door proved to be too tall.
The French door cleaned up very nicely and would look great leaning against the wall inside or hanging sideways on the wall. I put Chucks out of his misery by suggesting if he helped me take it to the store I would promise not to drag it back home.
Deal.
I loved the shape of the wire shade and envisioned it festooned with torn cotton ribbons so I grabbed it.
The small drawer I plan to make a junk drawer like Audrey at Timeless Treasures did. Audrey shows her drawers here!
The drum is a vintage one. The skins (is that what you call them?) are smashed through, but it is all wood and has the blue strap for carrying it. I thinking maybe a lamp base? Or put a bottom in it for a storage bin?
Is there such a thing as a junk drum?
I came upon a crime against furniture. A small white table with good curves and great legs which had been sponge-painted with baby blue paint.
I am guilty of this sponging crime, but I have done my time and now try to rehabilitate the victims.
Yes, I did purchase an entire collection of mens canes. Seventeen of them - bamboo, cherry, walnut, ash, and oak.
A few have silver bands on them - will have to find the silver polish to find out what is written there. Two are hand-carved, but I could not find signatures.
Wouldn't they look spectacular hanging as a group on a wall?
Ladders are on my list, but this is the only one I found. Not sure if it was a bunk ladder or a library ladder. The metal hooks were on this side - one is missing. It has that long piece across the top.
The ladder is all oak. This is definitely for hanging on the wall. The steps are straight, not angled and can be used as shelves.
The question is paint or polish?
The answer is don't know!
Several purchase points here:
It is a cage.
It has been painted a bright blue.
It came with a feeder.
It has a galvanized bottom.
It has a big door.
I am seeing bright red geraniums or a huge fern residing in here.
It says it is a Port-A-Crib.
I am seeing a garden trellis.
Those casters?
I am so stealing them for my caster collection.
Yes, oh, yes!
A pair of pink shutters with just the right slap-dash paint job with white peeking through.
Remember the Pink Panther and his shelf? Read post here.
These match perfectly.
I love it when a find needs nothing - they were already clean!
I was thrilled with my thrifty finds - especially since I did not have to exert a lot of energy finding them.
I have gotten muddled with my projects. It was rainy and chilly. Now it is hot and humid. I still have chairs and tables to paint plus the above items. I need to make out a lesson plan (that's the teacher in me) with clear-cut objectives and time schedules.
Really? Who am I kidding?
See y'all!
As for gifts, nothing pleases me more than to receive a box of old stamps, newspapers, bottle caps, rusty metal pieces, vintage photos, ...
Well, you get the idea - I love mixed media art boxes.
Crammed with all the goodies for an artist, a scrapbooker, or a vintage collector.
I selected two boxes from my diminishing craft stash (YAY!)
One a slatted box and the other a cigar box.
Yes, I know there is only one in the photo.
I forgot to take a pic of the other.
I used a mixture of gesso and black craft paint. It only took one coat.
A nice blue-gray color.
All of the images used in this project were selected from Karen at The Graphics Fairy.
One box has three Eiffel towers and the other a label for a condition powder for livestock.
Of course Mod Podge was involved here.
I did not put a top coat of MP.
I dry brushed with a linen craft paint. Next I applied two coats of satin varnish.
In the photo you can see the difference distressing ink makes on both the images and the painted surface.
The distressing ink went all over the outside of both boxes.
I chose five French images for the Eiffel Tower box and five farm animal images for the horse powder box.
Printed them out on antique ivory cardstock nine to a page and cut them into tags.
Three tags of each image.
I rummaged through Horror Monster, my craft stash, to gather up loose bits and pieces which would fit the two themes.
Carefully so no box felt the least bit slighted, I divided the loot between the two.
Small items were tied with ribbons.
Corsage pins were used to hold pieces together.
Small bundles of lace were added.
The tags were placed in glassine bags and tied with ribbon.
I lined each box with pink tissue paper so the contents would not be jostled.
I tied the boxes with twine with a tag with ART BOX printed on it.
I did write the theme on the back of the tag: French Theme and Farm Theme.
Just in case someone missed the hints.
So now you know if you have to come up with a present for me, it is the easiest thing in the world. Look in your junk drawers for some rusty things, some casters, some newspaper, or some old illustrations. I have been known to be ecstatic over a bunch of keys, buttons, or torn vintage fabric.
Just throw it in a box.
See y'all!
If you wandered into the small town of Ridge Spring, South Carolina this past Saturday, you would know for an absolute fact that it is a happening place. 
