Love, Love, Love : Cafeteria Trays

Back in the days of Western Elementary School, I can vividly remember waiting in line for lunch. For an impatient, hungry kid, the line leading to the cafeteria seemed to stretch on for days. You would be welcomed into the cafeteria by the "clack clack" of  trays being pulled off a tall pile by the lunch ladies. Our school had an endless supply of plastic, colorful lunch trays with confetti-like specks and swirls melded into them. Though I'm sure my mind was mostly set on scarfing down my food and chatting with my friends during our short lunch period, the patterned trays left a strong impression on my early memories.



linole-yum

 I recall most of them being a muted pea-green or pale pink-orange color. The flecks of yellows, blues, pinks, tans, and greens danced around the trays in a carnival-like display when not obscured by the Friday pizza or sloppy Joe spillage. Perhaps the colors were there to add a little life to our tan palette of food.

eat your greens

I hadn't thought about cafeteria trays in years until I started making jewelry. I had one pale green tray that I would pull out on occasion to sort out small mixed supplies or plan out materials for a necklace. As the tray got used more and more, I started looking for more at tag sales and thrift stores. As my collection grew, I branched out onto Ebay for more of a selection. When I did a search for cafeteria trays online, familiar images from my childhood flashed on the screen. Vintage speckled trays came up under searches for Fire King, Prolon, Melmac, Spatterware, and confetti. I found the identical trays I once used in elementary school plus a whole other world of color combinations. 

bling buffet

wild game for dinner

work lunch

Many auctions later, I have a happy collection of 7 confetti trays (and counting) that have been elevated to my "special occasion ware." I pull them out every once in a while for inspiration and when I need a little burst of color in my life. Lately, I have found myself drawn to confetti beads and using food charms in my thimblism necklaces. I can't help but think of lunch lady hairnets, half pints of milk, and my early "culinary experiences" when creating these pieces.  

a feast for the eyes

made from 100% recycled clown (or so I've heard)

Spring Carnival - with vintage Japanese confetti beads

thimbilism necklace from my very own craft-ateria

Though my prized confetti tray collection will not be used to sort materials like my other trays, their fanciful flecks will have a lasting impact on my design. You just never know what will serve up inspiration!

You can find me at these upcoming shows:

Sunday, May 29th - The Brooklyn Flea - Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY

Sunday, June 26th - Smith Street Sunday Fun Day - Brooklyn, NY

Saturday, July 9, August 6, August 13 - Greenway Open Markets - Boston, MA

A Work in Progress

So much has happened since my last post. I've been a busy bee and am so thankful that I have the time, energy, and endless support from others to keep doing what I'm doing! There have been new projects and exciting new opportunities to participate in shows. Between starting up my small business, working my day job, and creating, I feel like I'm constantly on the move. I have to remind myself every once in a while to stop, jot things down, and share. So where to begin? Well, let's start with the here and now. Today I went to Salvation Army with Thom. 

He was on a top secret mission that involved a cool sound coming from a meter in the basement of the store. To his great disappointment, there was tape across the entrance to the basement and from what we could see, all the housewares in the lower level were all emptied out. After some investigation and casual conversation with the staff, we discovered the disturbing reasoning behind the closing of the basement: someone had been using the housewares department as a private bathroom. Depending on who you asked, the evidence was found in coffee mugs and/or Tupperware containers. All the remaining uncontaminated items were relocated to the upper level, where the furniture is kept. Since the folks at Sal's cannot afford to keep a worker in the basement at all times, it looks like everyone will have to go upstairs for housewares from now on. 

We headed upstairs to check out the new setup and to be honest, it just wasn't the same. There were fewer items and the juxtaposition of the housewares and furniture felt "off". After years of exploring all 3 levels of the store, it was a little disappointing to be pared down to 2. At any rate, we poked around and Thom found just the piece of furniture I needed to organize my jewelry supplies. It was a two-shelved backless bookcase. There were lots of dings and funny stains on it, but we knew the dimensions were just right. It didn't have a price tag on it so we asked how much it was. The guy said they almost didn't put the shelf out on the floor because it was in such rough shape. He said, "ten bucks" and we said, "sold!"


We brought the case home, gave it a good scrub down, and I spent a good part of the afternoon stocking it with my supplies. All things are not in place yet, but I am very happy with the bookcase so far!  During the process, I even got over my disappointment about the changes to one of my favorite thrift stores and started two new pieces. 

Moments ago,I disassembled an old broken tin car (undercarriage and wheels removed) and fastened it to a vintage rhinestone belt. Then, I remembered acquiring a bag of pink plastic figurines and felt inspired to do something with them. While poking through the bag of toys, one of the pink girls reminded of the work of Henry Darger. I attached her to a vintage brass drawer pull and surrounded her with leaves from an old plastic floral candle arrangement. I hope to turn both into necklaces soon.

Though my life is currently filled with lots of loose ends, and nothing is 100% done, I am find comfort in constantly being surrounded by possibility! Back to work...

Hoard, Sort, Play, Create, Repeat - Step Two: Sorting

Out with the old. Rethink the new. That's how I started 2011. I just came back from a Goodwill and consignment store drop off and feel like I've both literally and figuratively shed some 2010 baggage. It's funny how much can build up around you when you're not paying attention.

Letting go can be difficult, especially for folks like me who love the thrill of the hunt and can fondly remember the circumstances and stories behind every found object. Since I make jewelry from old/used junk, I can always find an excuse to go out and get more. I'm quickly learning that less can mean more.

"Lucky You" upcycled necklace made from vintage child's magnet and old pendant.

Being a teacher, I had a good 10 day stretch off. Toward the end of my break, I went on a purge and organize mode. This doesn't happen very often. I said goodbye to many things, including:

• old clothes and housewares
• untouched craft supplies that I was keeping around "just in case".
• a teeth collection (medical models, dentures, plaster casts, etc.) - I am officially not creepy anymore.
• piles of old programs, maps, brochures, ticket stubs, and other vacation ephemera.

The last remaining pair of teeth from my dental collection.

Fear not - not much went in the trash. Most found a good new home or was consigned. The biggest relief for me was weeding out and organizing my jewelry supply collection. I think I touched every bead, little plastic bag, and component. I never thought in a million years that I would get rid of jewelry making supplies, but it happened!

I went to my local craft store and purchase a few more plastic organizing boxes. Items were sorted by material or purpose and labeled with masking tape. Everything was stacked up in crates on a table in my living room and TADA! Organization!

The biggest thing that came out of this process was inspiration and many "oh ya, I totally forgot I had that" moments. I feel like I've rediscovered my collection and can plan new pieces with a clearer head. For the year ahead, I must remember to stop and sort every once in a while. From this past purge and shuffle, I've learned:

There's a fine line between gathering inspiration from objects and gathering dust from objects.

What is your favorite tip for staying organized?