Curiosities

Yesterday I attended the Alemeny Flea Market for the first time with my newfound friend, Danette (which, curiously enough, also happens to be my sister's uncommon name). Danette sells high-quality, French-influenced vintage jewelry supplies at her Etsy shoppe, Embellissez La Reine, and has begun her own line of assemblage jewelry as well. We began e-mailing several months ago when I purchased some rhinestone beads from her, and since we discovered that we live very nearby one another, decided to meet for a day of bargain hunting. This market is a lot 'grungier' than the ones I usually visit, but it was so much fun digging through tables and boxes of broken, tangled chains and dirty auto parts to find the gems in the rough, and I wanted to share my 'curious' finds with you here.

A girl can never have too many old rosaries. I especially love the black one with end caps on all the beads.





Rhinestone dress clips that I plan to use as a necklace clasp.


LOVE this Spanish enamel and brass fan that really opens and closes. I found a blue one once before that I used in a necklace and sold almost immediately to a woman in Australia. Where will this one end up, I wonder?


This bracelet is made entirely of Mexican coins from 1959, and was still perfectly intact (until I got a hold of it)!


Eighteenth century steel-cut shoe buckles made in France!


And a silver bullet-shaped lighter!


An old watch face and marquesite pins.



I'm imagining this pair of Victorian spectacles suspended from a delicate sterling chain. The dealer I bought these from insisted she find the 'cute' leather case that went with them. How sweet is that?


I also think this circa 1940s postal scale will make a great conversation piece hung around the neck.


I was exhausted after the day of flea marketing, but can't wait to get busy in my studio creating new designs with these pieces later this week. Until then, what has you curious?