Charity shops offer a wide range of 'stuff' that is just waiting to be discovered! They sell jewellery, glass, clothes (some are made out of interesting fabrics), buttons (my favourite), pictures, books ect. There is really a lot in there, plus you would be helping those in need. Something I had to get used to was going there over and over again because I never found what I was looking for on the day of the visit and I found that continuously visiting the shop allowed me to discover a lot more interesting things. One day I saw a box with hundreds of buttons in it, I have this obsession about buttons...anyways they were on a shelf and when I got closer they were covered in dark residue and dust and most if not all were plastic. I picked my favourite, there was a couple of them. I went to buy them and guess what? I got them for free. It must have been the fact that I used to go there every couple of days and they treated me like a loyal customer.
I sometimes find interesting things on the ground :) This doesn't sound too appealing but it's fun. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? I once found a charm with a heart, but of course I pick leaves, flowers, branches, anything I know I could use later. Hay is a good one too. I used it for a decoration among dried lemon, orange and rose petals. Moss has a beautiful colour and texture (remember to consider that it could be a habitat to many organisms) These are also great for giftcards! Nature is a great inspiration and has plenty of natural materials available for you.
Newspapers. They are great to use as a base. You could also use an article that you like or cut out a sentence or even a word. This is a cheap choice. Some images from magazines are suprisingly good quality and you could use them too. Some flyers are made of a very good quality paper and it can be useful when making a giftcard, bookmark, colage, or a scrapbook page. You can change, cut, tear, draw or paint on it, you take it from here and let your creativity take you on a journey :)
Textured paper is great.. It can add elegance and sophistication if you go for the plain sparkly type or an old antique feel if you go for the 'worn out' vintage designs. Manipulate it to suit whatever you are making. It's a useful media to use in cardmaking as well as scrapbooking etc. It can be quite costly and I usually use pages from old books which leaves me looking with longing at the art store. In the previous house of mine I there was a little bit of burnt wallpaper under the stairs. It was creamy and golden and it looked really old. There were small flowers on it. I had to tear it out. Especially that the little space was really abandoned and the landlord used it for paint storage. I was so proud of this find...I also tend to keep the wrapping paper from Christmas :)
Fabrics. I do not tend to throw things out. I also use old clothes, ribbons, socks, scarfs, shirts and so on and so on... My friend used to do sowing so she had a lot of nice scraps like lace or red dotted fabric. Wool can be good to use when you know how to knit. Again, It can be used in jewellery, gift cards, soft toys, small gifts, scrapbooking or colage, but who am I to limit the creativity of others.
Anything has the potential for a second life. Recycling or reusing is a very efficient and an eco-friendly lifestyle. These materials add personality and history to art. It is really up to you what you find appealing or inspiring. I hope this helps and creates a few ideas :)
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