"Courage", c. 1516 (at the Chicago Art Institute)
Engraving by Marco Dente da Ravenna . . . after Giulio Pippi
I found this image googling "Pippi Longstocking, Thing Finder."
I never liked Pippi particularly, but I like that she is a Thing Finder, something I only recently found out.
I used to be a Thing Finder too, back when I picked things up all the time, especially looking to find paper for collage making.
( Does it involve Courage? Maybe a little, or a disregard for social norms anyway.)
Now "Thrift Herder" better describes what I do, but the attitude is the same---a delight in and intention to seek out the oddments of life.
From Chapter Two of Pippi Longstocking, "Pippi Is a Thing Finder" :
"The whole world is full of things, and somebody has to look for them. And that's just what a Thing-Finder does," [Pippi said].
"What kind of things?" asked Annika.
"Oh, all kinds," said Pippi. "Lumps of gold, ostrich feathers, dead rats, candy snapcrackers, little tiny screws, and things like that."
Little tiny screws.... I especially love that.
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I spent this afternoon at the Thrift Store. Our signs are boring (or nonexistent), and I finally got around to making my first fun one--for the Craft shelves, using the cover of a beat-up vintage knitting magazine, sort of like this one. > > >
Next I 'm going make a sign for the sewing notions using this quote:
There was [a] triumphant cry from Pippi, who was holding up an empty spool of thread.
"This seems to be my lucky day," she said. "Such a sweet, sweet little spool ... to hang around my neck for a necklace. I'll go home and make one this very minute."
