barn bits

One of my favorite things to do at my mother's barn is poke around the studio and peek into drawers. Most of them hold beautiful art supplies that she's collected as meticulously as her vintage treasures, but sometimes I stumble upon something else. This little drawer was totally intriguing, especially to that fix-it side of me. My mother loves when others appreciate her finds, so shall we peek together?

Look at all of those varied bits of wire! I love how some are wound on chunky spools, the top copper one on a scrap of wood, and there's even some on good ol' cardboard. I think what I enjoy most of all is the subtle palette of this group.

Most of the drawer was filled with little boxes. There were multiples of most them. When my mother goes to a garage sale of an elderly person, she heads directly to their tools and workshop supplies. I love the graphics on each box! Let's see what they hold...

Tacks, screws, safety pins... all common sites in most home repair/tool kits, but their age gives them a sense of mystique somehow, don' t you think? My favorite item of the entire drawer are those "Domes of Silence" in the top left corner. First of all, that name is fabulous... but what's even better (in my humble opinion)? That smiling woman with a hammer! Collections that may also be utilized hold a special place in my heart. I realized that most of my personal collections are focused on supplies and tools. I don't even think of them as collections because I use them, but they are still groupings of similar objects; be they fabric, yarn, or hammers (yes, I have a few!). What kinds of tools or supplies do you collect?