Found Objects Insect House

As we all know, bugs will live just about anywhere!!

They are not choosy....any rotting stump will do!!!

Places you do NOT want them to live,  work well for insects also!!!

Recently, I came discover,  there are people out there, who like to create homes for insects.

Well, now, I am one of them..........................................!

After writing about Michelle's wonder-full bug houses, in a previous post, I decided to try one myself.

Mine is no where near as artsy, or symmetrical as Michelle's. I did not cut anything to fit exactly in the box. Her advice was to just  tightly pack (jam it in there) all the items, so that when you turn the box over, nothing falls out.

I did that - altho, I only very gingerly tipped the box over, to test it. It's tight, but, a few bugs will most likely be able to dislodge the objects after a time!!!

Sunday was a nice day, and I wanted to keep John company, while he was grazing out back. So, I gathered my pile of found objects and sat out back with him.

My bug house filler consisted of twigs, book pages, a piece of wool, rusty nails, bullet casings, old wood, bones and teeth found in the field, some bamboo, and a few other pieces of woodland detritus I have gathered.

 

This is the first box below, dug out of the old shed (seen behind John). After looking at it, I decided it was a bit too big, too heavy,  and too ambitious for my first insect home!!! So, I will save this one- to be cleaned up and rubbed with linseed oil for a future use.

The box below is a freebie - a Korbel Brandy box from the trash- I took the lid off - perfect size for a starter bug hotel!!!

  This is one of the many bones and animal parts discovered in the garden and woods.

 

The workbench, with a found jar and some of the gazillion English Walnuts on our property

                  Finished- with some lichen covered bark and weathered raffia as roofing

material

                                                         Closeup of the upper "levels"!

 

Final location - my old American Beauty red wagon, with another bug house (never made it to a tree to house a bird!)

**You can click on the photos for a closer look - I notice blogger has a new way of showing them when you click on one.

Found Objects Assemblage

Here is my first attempt at putting together found objects in what I hope is a somewhat artsy way!.

These boxes are vintage ammo boxes, and I filled them with all sorts of objects dug up around the farm, along with some swap and thrift store finds that just seemed to fit.

In addition, I used bamboo that I, er, uh, D/H cut,  to fit as a backround, and I also cut up some burlap coffee bags as backing.

The keys are from Michelle, a blogger from Poland who swaps "junque" with me!!!!

One river rock is adorned with a favorite quote of mine about art and friendship. 

And, for no apparent reason, I named the piece "Claro Que Si". It just seemed to fit, don't ask me why.............

It will probably end up on Etsy, when I get organized enough to put new inventory on Etsy!!!!

You can click on the photos for a closer look.

 

Below are vintage English shoe taps on the upper corners, an antique stove handle, and 2 old dog licenses.

The old white wire insulator has a tiny rusty crown - since the bottlecap states that dogs are the king of everything!!

 The 3 pronged antique fish hook was found in a thrift store teapot (!) and fit perfectly with the wooden fish, dangling in front of the sliced up bamboo fishing poles!

A river rock holds a tiny vintage lock, with one of the  keys from Poland hanging above, on a strip of  tea dyed lingerie hooks.

Small river rock shillelagh with CS Lewis quote, more Poland keys, on some rusty construction wire.

 

Shards of pottery, bullet casings, and rusty stuff, dug up around the farm

I was going to keep working with it, but after the glue gun attacked me three times, I decided I was DONE!! Tin snips, barbed wire, and hammer and awl, are no problem, but hot glue guns just have it in for me!!!

Tea on Tuesday

Sadly, my tea post today, will be photo free!!!

Since last night, I have been having issues with uploading pix on blogger. Hair pulling frustratingly aggravating - I have no clue what the problem is. I just know that a different looking page pops up when I click on the picture icon - and then it takes forever (literally) to load - and never does actually load.

Soooo- today I will talk about junque-ing - a pastime near and dear to my heart!!! Thrift shops, antiquing, yard sales, dumpster diving- you never know what treasures abound!!!

I saw an interesting article this morning on Etsy, that I must send  you all to!

It deals with the philosophy of object nihilism, the anatomy of a landfill, the historical culture of garbage or discarded "treasures" in our throwaway society.

Etsy has a partial interview with Robin Nagle, anthropologist in residence with NYC's Department of Sanitation- who knew a trash company would have an anthropologist on staff!!!! She is working on establishing a Museum of Sanitation in NY.

You can read the complete interview here - interesting website I have yet to fully investigate - www.believermag.com.
Since I believe one man's trash can be another's treasure - this article piqued my interest! The photos in the Etsy article were compelling - particularly the first one- of a dead baby albatross with his colorful yet completely indigestible stomach contents exposed.The others were less graphic, but very interesting from an artistic standpoint.

A book to be read (altho maybe not with that cup of tea or breakfast!) : Dirt: A Social History, by Terence McLaughlin


Please join us every Tuesday for Tea- visit Patty and Kimmie's blogs for a list of other T.O.T participants

Fantastic Artist

Just a quick note - I discovered this fantastic artist thru Art Propelled's blog

When you go to this artist's website - make sure you watch the little video - she creates amazing creatures!!!Susan Valyi uses vintage shoe lasts as the basis for all her creatures and soapstone, bones, glass, driftwood and all sorts of found objects! Unbelieveably cool!!!