Flea Market Jewelry: New Style from Old Treasures

Rating:
Summary: Making a wonderful something from nothing
Review: Binky is a native Texan living in Austin where, as of the book's publication, owns a shop called "Flashbacks." The book "celebrates the marriage of 3 great passions -- jewelry, shopping and making something yourself." As a frequent visitor to the Randolph Air Force Base's thrift shop myself, I can attest to the therapy provided by finding a true treasure at a pittance.

The montage on page 14 is an appropriate introduction to how to combine unlikely objects to enhance a corner of your home. The montage incorporates a religious picture, jeweled ornaments, and a hanging candleholder which, in a former life, was a coffee urn lid. Binky provides tips on how to bargain at estate and garage sales, such as paying in cash or using inclement weather to find a desperate seller.

Binky has a super idea for using those one or two beads you have leftover from other projects -- wire them together for a beaded curtain. She suggests that you look around for inspiration. On a recent shopping trip, I saw some very expensive beaded and embellished pillows. With some exotic fabric scraps, beads, and old brooches gathered from a rummage sale, you could quickly and easily make a similar project without spending much money.

She includes a gallery of the work of others who use found objects. Jo Packham and Chapelle Designers make holiday ornaments. Mary Jo Hiney's work has a distinctly Victorian influence. If you are a pack-rat, collecting bottle caps or used gift-wrap, this book will give you inspiration for their use.