My Invisible Muse: The Crafter's Anonymous Swap

This past Sunday my daughter Meghan and I headed up to Richmond to the Art Works gallery for the Crafter's Anonymous Swap. The weekend before I cleaned and reorganized my studio and put things I felt I wouldn't need or use into a shopping bag.

Here is how it works. People bring in bags of things that they no longer need or use. Paper, fabric, art supplies, jewelry making things, etc. The items get sorted out on to tables. Then you shop and anything you can fit in your bag is up for grabs. This is a great way to clean out AND stock up!

We got there just as it was starting, traded in my bag of stuff which gave me a $5 discount on the $6 fee. Meghan brought her own bag to shop with so she got a dollar off her total. So for both of us to get in was a total of $6 dollars. We meandered on over to the paper table and started digging through. I found some really cool stuff! Press board shapes that I could tangle on, great papers with lots of interest, some press board accordion things that will be great to put Zentangle tiles on to display them. We made several trips around the room picking up this and that. Sometimes we would pick up something and know right away what we would do with it. Other things were just weird or cool or whatever, those we put in our bags and decided we would figure out the why later.

Meghan shopping away!

This swap was such a great experience and an AWESOME idea. I always enjoy hanging out with my kids so this was a nice opportunity for Meghan and I to do something fun and artsy. You may want to check to see if you have a similar thing in your area.

Here is a list of some of the great things we got:
wooden balls and eggs
cardboard christmas trees, flowers and frames
a six plug wall adapter

Good Stuff!

fibered tissue papers

fabric

contact paper in clear and chalkboard

a cigar box of colored pencils

funky little snowmen heads

a measuring tape

papers
liquid flux
a box full of old buttons

a Mr Potato Head (just the head)

pipe cleaners

metallic crayons

ribbon
and so much more!

We also visited the gallery to see all the lovely work. I saw this studio space was for rent. For second I was moving to Richmond renting that space and becoming a full time artist. Reality called me back rather quickly...but really that floor was MEANT for a Zentangle studio!