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I had been pet sitting for my little brother this passed weekend and wow, what a menagerie! They have a dog, Shayna the Labradoodle, one large cat, Haji, two kittens, Graci and Emmit, and two hamsters Romeo and Pippie. Most of my time was spent with the cats and the dog. Shayna is one big baby dog! She thinks she is a lap dog and spent most of the time sharing the chair with me and blocking my view of the TV. She loved to be petted and to have her hair played with. The kittens came by every so often for a little bit then Shayna jumped up in my lap and they scattered. Haji finally came up to me on Friday. I rubbed his belly for a while and he loved it…then came Shayna and off he went. I had a lot of fun!
It felt good to get back home today at lunchtime and have no commitments or anyplace to be. It has been a while since that has happened. I was late for the November birthday swap cards, well technically not late until Tuesday. So I went for broke and while I was at it finished up the year’s worth. I decided to raid my scrap bin as when I was driving home I 
kept thinking of a crazy quilt. I am pleased with how it came out and even had some pieces left over so started working on another little project. Nothing planned, it just happened. More on that later.
I called the cards Scrap Bin Crazy Quilt. I like how the batiks came together and the water stained ric rac and the leaf shapes I cut out. I love the stitching, too’.
Fridays were all about sleeping off the tryptophan and NOT for shopping!
I hope you find the little bugger! 
Vicki likened yesterday’s post to a mystery and I like that. I like to find things and then try to find the story behind it. I have always been inquisitive and want to know the why, the where, the who, etc. The story makes all the difference. It makes an simple broccoli brooch become Presidential or you can learn about a tiny little medal that symbolizes a love story that you found stuck in a pincushion.
It doesn’t take a lot of work to do it at all. All you need is Google and some time. In most cases, I can get my answer in as little as an hour.
Well, I mentioned yesterday that I sent an email. Well, imagine my surprise when I received an e-mail from Corinne Weinberg, the sculptor herself, to let me know that it is indeed her work! If you click on her name it will take you to her company and you can see more of her flapper work. She has some lovely knobs that would be fabulous in a ladies’ boudoir.
Take a little time and research your treasures you might be amazed at the story it has to tell.
On Saturday, after I hit a rummage sale (that was a total waste of time) and the American Sewing Guild’s 2nd Annual craft show (totally worth the time), I happened upon a sign for an estate sale. Since it was on my way home I thought I would check it out. I don’t think it was truly an estate sale, but a dealer that brought some items into a house for sale to make it look that way.
There were far too many jewelry items (10-15 Rubbermaid totes of jewelry alone), some pricier items in cases and way too much stuff for an average person to have. Lots of the items were in cardboard boxes in the house and it was clear that the furniture that was in there was for staging by the realtor.
As I was digging through a tote I found this humongous brooch. It is 4 inches high by 3.5 inches wide. It is really, really heavy, too and would have to be put on a sturdy blazer or heavy coat. It is signed on the back Weinberg and dated 1986. The signature looks like it was put there by hand.
After using my trusty Google I found two possibilities. First, Weinberg was a jewelry store in New York that made better costume pieces (mostly known for the beauty and quality of their rhinestone pieces) and went out of business in 1988.
Secondly, and the one that intrigues me most, is a sculptor named Corinne Weinberg who is known for her flapper work, but I cannot find any reference to her making jewelry. The signature on the inside is similar to hers on her pottery, but not exact. I sent an e-mail to a site that she creates for to ask if she might have created it and sent along a pic of the front and back. I will have to keep you posted.
So thrifting is one part a love of things unique and the other part a little detective work.
WordPress Tags: jewelry, estate sale, brooch, flapper, weinberg, corinne weinberg, new york, sculptor, cindy is crafty
It IS getting to that time of year again, and Friday of this week starts its shopping season. Christmas is almost here. Seems like only yesterday it was Halloween! LOL, the year has flown by and what have I to show for it? A year of arts and crafts.
The MAD and GAS MAMMA groups have combined for a time into a new group Art & Soul. Some of the members have stepped forward to create group challenges and this one was brought to the group by Sherry. She created these lovely angels. They are quite easy to make so I made two.
It feels great to have my scissors, papers, lace bits and templates in my hands again. With the dog watching stint and the cold I caught after it seems like forever. I have really missed it. This was the perfect project to get my feet wet and my fingertips glued again.
P.S. Did you notice the new banner? What do you think of it?
WordPress Tags: angel, sherry, shell-shell, papercraft, collage, wings, lace, altered art, doll, cindy is crafty
I miss Will & Grace!
Cindy Is Crafty...and she makes things, too! 