Country Living Fair Finds

So, here are some of the items I took home with me from the Country Living Fair.  Above is a cast iron arrow from an old weather vane, $24, a funky necklace for $2 that has spun cotton beads, a wooden paddle from a French market, $8, a spool of silver thread on a wooden spool for $8 (?) and a couple of vintage photos for a dollar each.  

I have included the prices as I often wonder what folks actually pay for their wonderful finds.  When we left for the fair I didn't hold out much hope of finding much that I would be able to afford however there was something for everyone!  The price range ran from cheap finds to expensive stuff.  Marty was remarking on a very large, about eight feet long, enamel on cast iron sink with a drainboard on each side priced at $2000. Well, by the end of the first day that big ol' sink was gone!

 This assortment of tiny flower frogs was only $10 for the lot.  I love how some have their original price stickers on them.

 This original package of woven labels was $14.  What's not to love about that?

 Five dollars got me this fifty foot tape measure in its original box.

 This incomplete alphabet of brass stencils was $15.  A great deal as everywhere else I saw brass stencils, they were being sold by the piece for two to four dollars each.

 From Earth Angels Studios I picked up a few little treasures. The fun egg is by Nancy Wiley ($35). She even signed it for me!  The silver glitter is from Wendy Addison ($12). The pin cushion is by Sue Parker of Skippy Doodle Designs ($25).
The needle felted chickadee is by Lauren Decateur, ($25)from another part of the fair.

 I loved many of the pieces by Kathryn Kosto of Poetry Collage but this is  the one I settled on.  It was $85.

 It's got great elements all gathered together with the paper, fabric texture, buttons, and image transfer on mirror.  It is called, "Saturday Evening."

 This was a real splurge at $50 but it is such an unusual shape and will make a wonderful vessel for a wee assemblage.  It is no more than three inches tall at the most.

 I wonder what was inside and who "N.M." (or is it "A.M.")was?

 This was the very first thing I purchased, on our rainy Friday. Three bags of antique lace.  The woman was clearing out all her vintage stuff as she had moved from creating things to photography.  The large freezer bags of lace and trim were ten dollars each or $25 for three.  Who can refuse such good math?  I was sure this would be great to finally finish up my screen- when time allowed.

 Inside the bags were more than just scraps.  There were substantial lengths and yardage.
What fun!

There was even this antique silk souvenir pillow cover from France.  Even though the silk is melting the appliques and lace trim are fine.

As for what I would have liked to bring home but did not was a garden bust like this one (photo borrowed from here) which was for sale for $125 at the same spot I got the little leather jewellery casket above.  Elsewhere there was a large rectangular tin full of foreign handwritten papers but it was $140.  It was gone by the next day.  Marty would get the vapours every time I wanted to go look at it and peruse its contents.
 At the end of the second day, while we were cooling off in the car and watching folks go in and out of the fair, there were as many entering as there were leaving at 3 PM and those leaving were carrying all manner of neat finds.  If you have never been and have the opportunity to go, it is well worth the trip.  The extra cost of the early bird tickets is totally worth it too.  It's amazing how little you can see when there is a crush of people later on.