One thing I love to do when we’re traveling is explore the places most people don’t go. When I’m in PEI, I don’t go on a quest for everything Anne in Cavendish – I go to places like the Seafood Pie Restaurant…
…and drive down red dirt roads to see what’s at the end. And boy, we came across a doozy of a shop on a back road in Lauretta! It’s called Back Road Folk Art…
…home of the world’s biggest hand egg beater!
This place is so funky and quirky – from the buoys hanging in the trees…
To the owner Kerras Jeffery’s whimsical folk art…
Downstairs is a workshop and a store filled with loads of quirky pieces made by the owner, Kerras Jeffery. Upstairs is the ultimate playground for flea marketers and bargain hunters – all kinds of old & funky stuff, from barrels of buttons to dishes to tools to irons to… practically everything!
If it wasn’t sweltering hot and if I wasn’t with people who weren’t as excited as I was about junk, I could have spent hours exploring all the funky stuff in here! As it was, I nabbed a bunch of old wood fishing floats and a silver sugar bowl.
Some silver polish and elbow grease, and my tarnished $4.00 silver sugar bowl turned into this:
I originally planned to sand the wood floats and then give them a coat of clear varathane. But then I decided to make my life easier, and simply rubbed on some clear paste wax and buffed it till it gave the wood a soft sheen. I love how the wax enhanced the colour and grain on each float.
And everything came in the coolest bag ever – a potato sack!
Have you made any great back road finds on your travels?
Linking up to….
PEI is on my bucket list! Thanks for the great visual field trip! Now I want to go more than ever!
ReplyDeleteOoooo, I would've scoured the 'junk' shops with you! That's my idea of fun, and with great finds like your wooden floats to be had, I'd scour allday! Love your floats!
ReplyDeleteSo fun - love going off the beaten path when travelling. Love your finds!
ReplyDeleteThose floats are beautiful. What an eye you have!
ReplyDeleteI could have made a fair few purchases in that flea market bit, I'm sure !! I do love a bit of a fossick !!
ReplyDeleteThat place looks so neat!! Your sugar bowl turned out so beautiful!!! It's amazing what you can find at those little places tucked away :)
ReplyDeleteGreat finds, Kelly! I can't believe how much the floats changed!
ReplyDeleteOh I would have been in there for hours with you. I love looking at old junk and you're wooden floats have inspired me to use some clear paste wax on some old wooden croquet balls I have hanging around.
ReplyDeleteWe would make great travel partners. :) We love the off the beaten path, not intended for tourists types of spots. That shop is so cool.
ReplyDeleteLove the bowl you found. I saw one today at a thrift shop and didn't end up buying it b/c it was really tarnished. What kind of silver polish do you use for projects like this? So angry at myself for not buying it now! I had plans to use the brass bowl for floral arrangements :(
ReplyDeleteDid you go back to check if the bowl is still there? Maybe it is and you can nab it! If not, I'm sure you'll come across another bowl like it - maybe even better :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm not at home at the moment, so I can't check the bottle of cleaner. But I'm pretty sure it's Brasso. It works great - cleaning the bowl was pretty easy to do. You can also clean silver by putting your silver piece(s) on a piece of aluminium foil in a dish of hot water and adding baking soda.
Kelly
awesome thx for the tip!
DeleteI love to explore where the locals go and you sure found some great spots...love the floats!!
ReplyDeleteYou definitely made the right choice to wax them. The finish must be out of this world. I love going off the beaten path as well when I'm on holiday.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been on a holiday since I went to Hawaii a couple years ago but I do want to comment on the interesting places there must be to see in PEI. I've always wanted to go there and sure hope I get to one day. More importantly, I really love that you waxed those wonderful wood floats. They turned out perfect!
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