Alameda Flea Market :: August

The first Sunday of the month is the Alameda Flea Market.  The key is to get to this flea market early, so a six a.m. wake up call was in order.  Ouch.  I went with my good friend and neighbor and set out on an all day adventure of shopping, talking, eating and driving!  We lasted almost five hours at the market and found plenty of treasures to bring home.

The thing is, you find really bizarre stuff laying around the flea market.  The random things people sell are really great to photograph.  Last time I focused on religious statues, but this time dismembered baby dolls spoke to me.  Take a look... 

::  Crazy eyeless doll heads

::  Armless, as well as naked, ceramic dolls

:: Dental moldings?

:: Jill w/ Dancer & Prancer

I went with the intention of buying vintage letterpress letters and found some of the alphabet I needed.  

I also grabbed this really cool bullseye stamp and set about stamping butcher paper to make my own handmade wrapping paper.  This was really fun.  I taped the butcher paper to Steve's wall and used painter's tape to secure it and then went to town.  Using a roller and printing ink, I stamped the bullseye insignia all over the place.  I think the small rolls of paper will make great gifts, as well as using them for wrapping individual presents.  I am a big fan of plain butcher paper and a sumptuous ribbon, so the stamp will just liven the whole  presentation up a bit.

Here is my attempt at stationary with G's initial.  I used chartreuse card stock from Papersource and various color combinations.  I also stamped kraft hang tags and paint samples.  I love, love, love using paint samples as gift tags or to type a simple note on.  They are beautiful and let us not forget - absolutely FREE.  

After the Flea Market, we hit the Renegade Craft Fair at Ft. Mason in San Francisco.  There was so much to see and we felt a little visually overstimulated after walking the aisles.  I bought a few things and gathered business cards, but was ready to hit the road and find a gigantic, cold martini at Cavallo Point.

Upon leaving, I spied this t-shirt and thought my husband would like it.  Mr. Waits lives in our town, so my husband wouldn't want to be caught wearing said shirt because that would not be cool.  I just loved the tongue-in-cheek graphic and the question we all want to know:  What Would Tom Waits Do?