JunkMama Journals Vol. 3

by kari ramstrom

I recently had a delightful morning with one of my favorite artists Jennifer Murphy . We discussed art, business, inspiration and life. I posted on my blog many pictures from her whimsical studio full of her original art work and vintage-inspired goodness. You can view them here. She clearly has a love for handmade quirky toys of yesteryear. We touched on her childhood with an artist mother, attending many antique shows and accompanying her mother to art shows. She began making her own bears at the age of 11. She loves all things handmade and the quirks that make it unique.

While I was in awe at every little thing in her studio, it was when she brought out an old elephant pin cushion that was beautifully weathered and worn that I was enthralled with its history. She told me that it's from the 1950's- Japan. She thinks it was her grandmothers, and while she never used it, it was always on a low shelf her mother’s sewing room. As a young girl, Jennifer would pick it up and play with it... it was her first "vintage" item that she became really attached to. I loved this story. Do you know where did your love of things that are “real” (in a Velveteen Rabbit sense) began? Do you remember a particular object with a history that you were drawn to?

I talked with Jennifer further about her love of vintage. I found her answers fun and thought provoking. When asked what types of items she prefers, she said, “I'm a sucker for old craft supplies. I'm a basement digger at estate sales. I'm always fighting that to find where the stuff that's been untouched and unsorted for years. I can't get enough of great vintage clothing, accessories, and funky weird objects for my house.”

I also asked if she had certain items she always look for when thrifting or does she just buy what she loves? Jennifer said, “I'm always looking for that thing... I think my aesthetic is really specific, but to anyone looking at what I get excited about, I might seem all over the place. I have so many little collections, and while they're not connected by color, medium, or decade... they all strike my fancy in some way. That said, a few of my favorite collections are: vintage lucky objects and charms, old flowers and millinery bits, fabric, odd nature items (like anything that would be in a natural history museum or science class room), pin cushions, hmmmm... old paintings and other weird "art" objects. Anything that's a mystery. If I don't know what it is... it's coming home!” I love her aesthetic and her deep connection to what she loves.

JunkMama journals vol.2

all images copywritten by kari ramstrom

It seems like using vintage supplies in arts and crafts is definitely in favor right now. I don’t want to say it’s a trend, because I hope that it doesn’t go away anytime soon. I sent a set of questions to a handful of artist blogger friends that I know love to thrift and use unique one-of-a-kind pieces in their art. I was interested in this connection of vintage objects/supplies specifically used in arts and crafts and why.

Colleen of freshvintage said, “in order to set your work apart, I think that you need to add something that you can’t find in the big box craft stores.” One of her reasons for this is to make it uniquely her own. “I don’t want anyone to potentially be able to make the same thing that I make. Using funky and hard-to-find vintage items ensures that my work is unique.” Andrea (velvetstrawberries.typepad.com) echoes this, saying “I like knowing that what I have found had a former life with someone else, and that I’m not likely to see too many people with the same item.” There’s a built in story in a sense when you use vintage items in your art.

There is also the pleasure of re-using something that may have just been thrown away otherwise. Heather says, “often the items you find are one-of-a-kind, which can be used to create a new one-of-a-kind piece.” Lori feels that using items with a history makes her art more interesting. She loves the fact that someone owned the items before her and wonders “who they were and if they loved the item as much as I do.”

Everyone I interviewed mentioned the joy of hunting for vintage items. “It’s entertainment” said Tina, “I love the hunt and anticipation of finding a new treasure” she added. Shae lives in a village by the sea in Australia. She says, “it’s the thrill of finding something wonderful that could be potentially the only one of it’s kind left in the world!” Cassondra loves the hunt of “finding just the right “thing” for just the right project.”

Sheila sums it all up, “ I relish and enjoy the thrill of the hunt, the challenge of finding that something to recreate into a piece of artwork, to tell a story that I’m trying to relay…Art with a history inspires me to see things not as they are, or once were but what they can become with a little creativity and imagination. I now look at things differently and find myself constantly thinking outside the box. It has allowed me to see the beauty in the slightly worn, gently and not so gently used treasures. I am drawn to the well loved items, for they tell a story of someone’s love.”

What do you feel makes your art or crafts unique and interesting? Do you create “art with a history” and why? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

by kari ramstrom, artsymama

junkmama journals vol.1

As I said in a quote recently published in Country Living magazine, “I love to go to estate sales for fabrics, trim and other treasures. They’re one-of-a-kind and there’s no right or wrong way to use them.” You just can’t beat found objects as craft materials. It seems that many people agree with me. I have been talking to some of my thrift-loving friends and words like “history”, “meaning” and “new life” were often used. I am excited to explore the personal meaning of thrifting, the thrill of the hunt and the process of incorporating used or “vintage” items into ones art and home. That is what this JunkMama Journals column is all about. Feel free to join in the conversation, share inspiration ideas or images in the comments section.

I was exposed to wonderful old memorabilia and household items as a child. My mother’s parents ran a historical museum in Mason City, Iowa and my sister and I would enjoy looking at all the relics of yesteryear (see picture). My father’s mother was very much into collecting antiques. She would refurbish them and sell the pieces for her enjoyment. I never had the pleasure of attending an estate sale or garage sale with her, but was very aware that her home was full of very nice old pieces. I don’t remember much in the way of going to garage sales as a child, but I do remember having garage sales. I would set up a lemonade stand at the end of the driveway on a warm spring weekend. It wasn’t until high school that I really got into thrifting for myself. Just as Jen said, when she was a teenager, it was cool to shop at Goodwill to buy shorts, vintage tops and dresses. When I started doing mixed media art is when I began going to estate sales with my mother. It was there that I would find boxes of sewing notions stashed away in a box or old hats bursting with gorgeous velvet millinery. That is when I became truly passionate about the thrill of the hunt and using these treasures in my art work.

When did YOU start thrifting? What was your reason? Were you a newlywed looking for unique pieces to furnish your home like Raised in Cotton co-owner, stylist and mixed media artist Carol. Maybe you were a teenager looking for hip vintage clothes to show off your unique individuality like myself and Mica of Garb-oodles Soup . Is thrifting in your family blood like Carol’s family owned auction business, or do you have fond memories of the thrill of hunting for treasures at garage sales with mom as a child? Gabreial of Vintage Indie remembers packing up the wagon and heading to the local antique show with her family as a child. Now she packs up her own children and does the same thing. I would love to hear what started this unique, inspiring passion for you.

by kari ramstrom, artsymama