black and white

our old farm....

Needless to say there are a lot of rustic and worn surfaces to photograph here on our farm.  We live in Yamhill County.  It just sounds old.  My husbands grandparents bought the farm in the 40's. They had been farming about 45 mins south until WWII and the US Government wanted their parcel of land and many others to create an army training facilities.  So they packed up and moved.  Everything.  Even some buildings. 

 See the Adair Military history here

Although there are endless supplies of chippy paint to scrounge....I do long for some organization and someone to say.."hey, let's do some clean-up!"  I keep telling myself the scrap is like a savings account that the government can't tax. Saving up for the day when we really need the money....so until then it sits......

and I take photos.  If you'd like to

 see my photos - click here.

another try

This one is my favorite.  I salvaged so many square nails and thought I could never use them all...Now maybe I can. This creation is based in a tiny drawer, collaged with vintage papers and some divine paint.  I picked up some divine paint samples at Goodwill....amazing find.  The center wood piece is from a pipe organ salvaged after a flood.  I wonder if anyone can guess what the center black item is?

vintage is best

I love this photo.  I acquired it in Northern Indiana at an Amish Auction house about 7 years ago.  I bought a suitcase of old photos and then sold most of them on ebay when I got home to pay for the rest of the stuff we bought that day.  Kinda kicking myself now that these type of photos are so sought after.  Should of scanned them and sold the copies.  Oh well.  This photo speaks to me though.  I do sometimes wonder who it is.  The history of that day is lost forever.  It's sad to me to think of that loss.  That sadness is similar to the feeling I have when I see a old home being torn down.  Seeing that big pile of wood ready to be burned.....Or when a home is neglected and it's rotting away.  Giving wood that has been salvaged a second life is inspiring.  Creating new heirlooms with that wood gives it a new history.  People love to know the history of the wood I create with.  I salvaged from a big red barn down the road one year.  Relaying the history of the barn and that it was still being used as a barn was like candy to the customers that bought the items.  It also gives them a connection to a life they've never appreciated or experienced.