www.paperartistsonline.com

More and more lately, I find myself shopping at consignment sales and thrift stores. I think there are very few things that I think I'd like to have in my life anymore that can't be had second-hand. So I'm trying to think of reusing and re-purposing whenever I can.

And today (through some web surfing about another event), I discovered that such a place exists that has CRAFT SUPPLIES! I need to go there. Maybe it's not anything, but it's now on my agenda of places I need to dedicate a Saturday to visiting. It's the Upcycle Exchange. There are probably places like this all over the place, but I don't get out much.

I can't go next weekend, due to my interest in another upcycling event that my sister alerted me to. It's the swap-o-rama-rama event at the history museum. I don't know how much I'll actually participate, but I want to see it. You bring in a bag of clothing to donate, and then you get to shop everyone else's donations. Then you can take the items you found and take them to seamstresses on site and have them altered/refashioned. They also have silk-screeners. I even saw tales about turning bras into purses. And given that we were taking the girl scout troop to the Art Museum next Saturday morning (and the two museums are right across Forest Park from each other), the timing will work out perfectly. It looks like a great way to get fun ideas - maybe just for refashioning things already in my own closet.

oh this place sounds cool!

When I actually get a chance to go there, I'll be sure to report back.

I think my brain is starting to think in terms of not spending money on things, because it wants me to quit my job and do things that make me happy (as well as have more time to organize my children's lives, but that's a whole other story). LOL. Sadly, my salary is nothing to really sneeze at, so that's a WHOLE lotta cutting back. But a person's gotta start somewhere. :-D

Definitely sounds intriguing!

We have the Scrap Exchange in Durham. Not exclusively craft supplies, but a very cool upcycling resource.

I picked up some wide green Mylar that a company would use to wrap product. It was 25 cents a yard and I used it to wrap Christmas gifts this past year.

You just never know what you'll find in such a place. My brain isn't creative like Rachelle and Sue, so I'm always thinking ... neat, but what could I do with that thingy?