Friday, February 4, 2011

Gone Thrifting

If I could some how make it my job to go to the thrift store every day, I would. I love it. Looking through row after row of ceramic mugs, books, and sweaters has a calming effect on me. It's also a place where I look for supplies for making my books, old encyclopedias and children's books being a favorite source for illustrations.

books in progress, with letterpress printed page

I'm on the hunt for new materials since I've been working on making more hardcover books with mixed pages, and I think they're looking lovely so far. Every batch is a little different, because the materials are unique and change depending on what I have on hand.

So I went to a couple thrift stores in my neighborhood and came home with these little treasures.

Alaska

A National Geographic book about Alaska bound with sage book cloth and printed cover, which I've been reading. When I'm done, I think I'm going to make a notebook using the cover, though. It's so simple and sweet.

McCoy Mug

I also bought this mug...because I have a weakness for vintage brown mugs.

2 comments:

  1. That's a really nice mug. I'm looking at the handle which is really the focal point of the design for me. I like the soft edged squareness of the handle and subtle color changes on the side from the cup being dipped in the brown glaze. It isn't the cup that I would make, but it doesn't keep me from appreciating it.

    I used to love going to the Goodwill but it's been a really long time! Once I found a box of mix tapes for a $! It remains the most interesting find yet. There's the usual albums and quirky 80's pop mixes, but there's one that seems to be a tape of people singing Karaoke songs. But it's not in English!

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  2. It's a really nice mug! The color is really beautiful. I found a website of McCoy pottery collectors who will identify any piece you have for free. I'm going to send them pictures because I'm curious when it was made.
    Thank you for reading, Michael!

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