Most people go antiquing to nab that one-of-a-kind chair or coffee table. But local artists Carol Panaro-Smith and Josie Cirincione go antiquing to find ephemera, or antique paper goods they can use in their next projects.
This Saturday, Panaro-Smith and Cirincione, both instructors at Gilbert's Art Intersection, hosted an Ephemera Crawl on Seventh Avenue. The two said they hoped to find creative inspiration and brainstorm with fellow ephemera lovers.
Check out their ephemera finds and inspirations after the jump ...
The crawl started at 9 a.m. at Copper Star Coffee, where Panaro-Smith, Cirincione and six other craft-minded women assembled for some pre-thrifting coffee and muffins.
The first stop on the walk was Zinnias at Melrose, where the group buzzed around two booths with vintage books.
Panaro-Smith reminded the group that symbolism is important in choosing ephemera for collage work.
"Remember, if something catches your eye, there's probably a reason for it," she said.
The crawl continued to Rust and Roses, the French countryside-inspired boutique with shabby-chic and endearingly quirky decor. (A bowl of $18 plastic fists, anyone?)
The crawlers lingered a bit longer at Melrose Vintage, that mecca of feminine decor and serious scrap-booking, before hitting Retro Ranch, Home Again Furnishings and Antiques, and, further down Seventh Avenue, Qcumberz and Charlie's House.
Here's what they found:
1. Oui/Non charms from Melrose Vintage - $1.25 each
Oui, we can picture these small coins on a bracelet, necklace or a homemade wind chime.
2. Vintage photographs from QCumberz - $1.95 each
Cirincione has a collection of these postage stamp-sized photographs at home. See what she does with them during Home Spun, her bi-monthly class at Art Intersection.
3. Book of Japanese art from Zinnias at Melrose - $2.99
An ephemera book is about more than just its pictures, said Panaro-Smith, who scored this huge book of Japanese illustrations. The paper's thickness, shine and overall quality is also essential.
