Little Beach Designs

Earlier this week, on my quest for my beloved Singer Featherweight machine, I decided on a whim to check out some local antique malls.......my favorite being the Oregon Antique Mall which is downtown Eugene. I love Penny, the owner, and have known her and purchased many things from her over the years. They have a huge space and part of it many people don't even know about. You need to go down a long and twisty hallway and you end up in a huge warehouse type space with low lighting which makes you think..."Should I even be back here?" Nothing is priced, it's obviously "new" old stuff that has just come in but they haven't had time to price it yet. I found lots of cool things, but the one thing that I walked out with was this decrepit but beautifully shabby old seashell box that someone, sometime lovingly put together. The lid isn't even attached and the shells that had become loose were inside the box. I carefully picked it up and knew that whatever price Penny wanted for it I would gladly pay.

Amazing old Victorian era card encrusted with seashells....
"Remember Me"

A heart with some sort of sawdust material inside.....

The divided box inside.....

Penny saw me with the box in my hand and she said "Oh, you found a treasure! Are the shells still inside?" I said that they were and asked how much she wanted for it.......she said, "Oh, you can just have it."
It helps to get to know your local proprieters! Penny is one of the best and always bends over backwards to give me a great deal.
I have no idea if this box has any monetary value and I don't really care because I'll own it forever! It's a shabby thing of beauty that I'm always attracted to....I've since glued down the loose shells and gotten rid of a ton of dust and dirt in between the little shells. I'll probably use it as a business card holder in my studio so that I can look at it each and every day!
Thank you Penny!!!!!!
What treasures have you found lately?