Vendor Profile: Lisa Souers Designs

Lisa Souers of Lisa Souers Designs wants everyone to know it doesn't rain all the time in Yakima, Wash. The jewelry artist is a newbie vendor. Some fun facts:

Blogs at: www.LisaSouers.typepad.com

An avid junker: "I end up in the filty garages fighting for the industrial, metal, scrappy pieces with the best of the men folk."

Loves: Waking up super early.

Hates: Being second in line at estate sales.

Her other day job: Clinical mental health therapist.

Bringing to the Bonanza: Soldered metal and paper pieces.

Best junking find: A pre-WWII pair of Red Line Levi's, never worn, for $5 bucks. Sold to a dealer for $1,800 who sold them to a dealer in Japan for $3,200. Found them in a "hoarder" estate sale "that I dug in for eight straight hours with a flashlight as there wasn't any power."

No one would guess: I can be quite shy and reserved.

Can't work without: Sharpie and roll of masking tape for marking items "sold."

With more than 130 fabulous vendors, we expect a lot of "sold" stickers before the Bonanza ends!

Kim

Oronoco Junk Bonanza tickets winner!

We have a winner!

Congratulations to Danielle Herold of Apple Valley, Minn., the lucky winner of the drawing at the Bonanza booth at the Oronoco Gold Rush!

Danielle won two VIP tickets to the Junk Bonanza Sept. 15-17, a junking hat and tote plus a copy of the fresh-from-the-printer fall issue of Flea Market Style magazine!

Thanks to all who participated, and do not despair!

You can purchase Early Bird tickets to the Bonanza here, regular tickets at the door, and the new FMS mag is starting to appear on newsstands and in stores near you now!

See you at the Bonanza!

Kim

Vendor Profile: Vintage Home Accents

Todd Krueger is bringing Vintage Home Accents from Appleton, Wis., to the Bonanza for his first vendor visit. Some fun facts about our neighbor to the East:

His slice of the junking pie: Collects rare and unusual antiques.

This is his day job: "I was fortunate to quit my 'day job' in November 2010 and I now do this full time."

Bringing to the Bonanza: Unique home decor products made from architectural salvaged materials.

Best find ever: "Two rooms full of antique tin walls and ceiling. That first find started the process of our creations."

No one would guess: "My daughters can talk me into anything!"

Can't work without: Tin shears.

We are suffused with sheer pleasure as the Junk Bonanza draws nigh! Have you filed your flight plan yet?

Kim

Vendor Profile: Nancy Polacek Design

Nancy Polacek of Nancy Polacek Design sews from several areas of her Southwest Minneapolis home. Some scraps of info about this third-time vendor:

Her first name: "I used to swap the Y with an I and then draw a little heart over it but then I graduated from sixth grade. Also, I caught my parents smirking."

That's not hoarding: "I have three sewing machines in use at any one time and six vintage machines waiting in the wings in case one breaks down and can't be fixed that very day."

20-year evolution: From fixing up finds to sewing furniture accessories to sewing with old fabrics.

The bonus: "Now my junking quarry can be carried home in my suitcase. I've been known to leave some of my clothes behind so I can fit newly purchased vintage fabric in my carry-on.''

Learned to thread a sewing machine: In junior high, but never listened to the beleaguered Home Ec teacher.

But in college: "I borrowed my Mom's Kenmore and went to town. She actually had to buy me a machine for Christmas so she could get hers back."

Had four children: As an "excuse to sew more cute outfits, I suspect."

Bringing to the Bonanza: Funky, odd pillows and accessories made from vintage and laser-jet printed fabrics. Among them: pot holders, featured in the fall issue of Flea Market Style mag.

Find her wares: in her Etsy shop.

Junk Bonanza is: "a rolling stone of inspiration for me every year and I can't wait to see what all the other vendors have gathered. 'Bring it!' takes on a whole new meaning!"

By all means, bring on the Bonanza! It's 17 days and counting!

Kim

Vendor Profile: Knick Knack Report

The mother-daughter duo behind the Knick Knack Report, Pat and Kindra Murphy, are first-time Bonanza vendors! Here's the 411 on the two, who live in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Minneapolis, respectively:

Specialty of the house: Vintage textiles, buttons, millinery, signage, ephemera.

Their other jobs: Textile artist and graphic designer.

Got their start: In the 1970s. Pat would drag Kindra along. "It didn't take long for it to become a family affair."

Best find ever: A box of calico buttons from old store stock. So rare!

Can't junk without: Good shoes.

So right. Be sure you are sensibly shod for your foray through miles of aisles at the Junk Bonanza!

Kim

Vendor Profile: Donna's Daughters

Things to know about Karla Lewison and Ann Stakston, making their second vendor appearance at the Junk Bonanza!

Karla's store: Donna's Daughters, Coon Valley, Wis., specializing in vintage upcycled and crafts.

Ann's annual sale: The Barnyard Sale in Cashton, Wis., specializing in chippy painted furniture, architectural pieces, pottery.

Their other lives: Ann: Newly retired from 41 yrs of nursing. Karla: Works part time in a floral shop.

Karla makes: Note holders from unusual items.

Ann's favorite junking accessory: Her husband, because he can repair anything!

Their best Bonanza memory: "All the creative back drops that the vendors had. And our funniest memory had to be almost taking out a fire hydrant with our trailer!"

We can promise you excitement at the Junk Bonanza, and we can't rule out whether any near-misses will be involved!

Kim

Vendor Profile: Good Junk Garage

Third-year vendor Tom Meidl of the Good Junk Garage, an occasional shop in Carver, Minn., said he got his start junking "on a bicycle, about 40 years ago." Some Meidl musings:

Besides the bike, he: Hauled treasures home with his mother's "taxi" service.

His niche: "I'm kind of a raw materials guy, and much more rust than ruffles."

Best Bonanza piece: "The first year I had a cool metal dental cabinet painted turquoise. Last year I brought a 100-year-old pharmacist’s pill-labeling cabinet, still filled with rolls of labels. The same customer bought both pieces for her craft room."

Funniest Bonanza moment: "Well, it took me all day [Lucky] Friday to figure out whythere was a Leprechaun walking around giving out Lucky Charms last year.''

Best find: "Back at the dump, 40 years ago, on my bicycle, I found a bunch of building materials. My mom had to drive me back there and we filled her trunk. Then she needed a platform for the dryer to keep it from getting wet when the washer tubs overflowed. I built the platform out of my scrap lumber and that was my first 'justification' for my newfound hobby. Many of you out there know what I’m talking about."

No one would guess: "I was once a musician in a Keystone Kop band at Valleyfair theme park."

Find him: on Facebook.

Can't junk without: my truck and my imagination!

You don't have to be too imaginative to think about all the fun you'll have once you get to the Junk Bonanza! Have you put your Googlemap together yet?!!

Kim

Vendor Profile: XO Handworks

Fourth-year vendor Tam Helmin creates her XO Handworks goods from a home studio in Osseo, Minn. The junking gospel according to Tam:

Her metier: Employs vintage maps, dictionaries, game pieces and other ephemera to make jewelry and accessories.

She loves: To make stuff, to be her own boss and set her own schedule.

Best piece she brings to the Bonanza: Something, usually a map pendant or keychain, that speaks to the memories of a special time. "I love to hear people tell about how their heart is connected to a specific place and share the enjoyment of having a piece that is so satisfying to them."

Bringing this year: More Nancy Drew pendants.

Best junking find: "My wedding ring, at an antique show 24 years ago."

Funniest Bonanza memory: Ki and Jane passing out candles when power was lost in Medina.

Indispensible tool: Fiskars scissors.

No one would guess: "I used to help on my Dad's car racing crew and once drove 100 mph down an empty Texas road. Now I almost always use cruise control to make sure I don't drive too fast."

We hope you obey all pertinent traffic laws in your sprint to get to the Junk Bonanza!

Kim

Vendor Profile: Gracie's Cottage/Down Lilac Lane

Wisconsinites Jan Groen of Gracie's Cottage in Waterford and Kathy Gill of Down Lilac Lane in Milwaukee are returning vendors, year two. Some things to know about this vintage-loving duo:

Their slice of the junking pie: Jan: Letters, numbers, ephemera, "schnibbles and bits."Kathy: The funky, offbeat and eclectic.

Find them: Kathy's and Jan's etsy shops; Gracie's Cottage blog and Facebook page.

Best piece they brought last year: Jan's large ice cream cone sign and Kathy's vintage pharmacy prescription storage boxes.

Best Bonanza memory: Meeting Tamarah from Australia last year, after having "met" her in the blogosphere.

They can't work without: Jan: "Wet wipes. I don't mind getting my hands dirty, but I can't stand having them dirty for long! Kathy surprised me with a 'junking kit' for my birthday. It's a small tote loaded with everything a girl might possibly need while in search of great junk!" Kathy: Agrees with wipes, would "have to rank work gloves, flashlight and GPS right up there."

Also indispensable? The Junk Bonanza! Have you decided what bag is best for tucking away all of those tiny treasures you are sure to find?

Kim

Vendor Profile: Haupt Antiek Market

The ever-humorous Deb Haupt of Haupt Antiek Market in Apple Valley, Minn., likes to call this "getting a leg up on sales." More fun facts:

Her slice of the junking pie: "My husband and I travel to Europe to shop the flea markets of France, Italy, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands and ship home one-of-a-kind finds."

Related sidelight: They take groups of shoppers along for European shopping trips. Next up: Oct. 10-19, to Provence, France.

Best piece she's hauled to the Bonanza: Metal washstands from Europe.

Best junking find: An iron piece that covered a window in an old barn in Germany.

Been with the Bonanza: "Since the beginning! I was involved when it was just 18 extra vendors at the Long Lake Junk Market."

She loves: The camaraderie among vendors.

Funniest Bonanza memory: "When the lights went off in Medina and we had to scramble around in the dark."

Can't junk without: GPS.

No one would guess: She would love to get her Christmas cards out on time.

We're all about being on time! For your planning purposes, it is only 23 days until the Junk Bonanza!

Kim

Vendor Profile: Mimi-Toria's Jewelry Designs

Gretchen Schaumann of Mimi-Toria's Jewelry Designs creates vintage redesigned one-of-a-kind jewelry using antique and unusual found elements. More about her and the work she does in her Champlin, Minn., studio:

Vintage elements: Compasses, watch fobs, bus tokens, hardware, keys, glass beads and jewelry, brass tags, tiny porcelain dolls, pocket watch parts and silverware, among others.

Got her start: With vintage found elements from childhood. "These pieces were family items found in our attic as a kid, and were from my Grandmother's stashes." Started 17 years ago and established it as a business in 1995 "and I've never looked back."

Best junking find: "A large stash of awesome hardware elements with wonderful patina at a fabulous price. That is a rare occurrence."

Grateful for: A few fabulous pickers.

Vendor for: 3 years.

Best Bonanza memory: Picking one doesn't work! Too many to pick, "but the awesome customers, shoppers and vendors are always wrapped into the incredible memories I treasure each and every year."

No one would guess: I used to hide behind my parents out of shyness.

Indispensible tool: Round nose plier. A jewelry designer's details would look quite shabby and shoddy without this tool.

The only shabby you'll find at the Junk Bonanza is the chic and the desirable! Have you made your travel plans yet?! See you there!

Kim

Bonanza goes to Oronoco: The Stuff!

The Oronoco Gold Rush is big!

So are a lot of the items vendors haul to the three-day event in southern Minnesota (today is the last day!) Tom Meidl wasn't sure this bad boy ice chest was going to make it off the flatbed!

The entire town of Oronoco helps make this a wonderful flea market experience, and no one leaves hungry (or bored!)

Wisconsinites Kathy of Green Bay and Pam from Milwaukee told us these monkeys are their "flea marketing guardian angels" and go everywhere their shopping cart does, to bring them good shopping mojo!

Here's what we saw at the Gold Rush:

Patina galore! ...

Bovine beauty! ...

Iron and wood to make one swoon...

Primatives and everything else!

Dave the ice cream sandwich vendor took a few minutes to check out the Junk Bonanza booth (where the staff provided a large part of his revenue stream! If you haven't yet checked out those pieces of frozen perfection, don't forget to stop next year!)

Want to see more Oronoco pix? Check out the Flea Market Style magazine blog here!

We enjoyed Oronoco! We're warming up for the Junk Bonanza Sept. 15-17!

We can't wait to see you there!

Kim

Vendor Profile: Iris & Ivy

Meet Iowans Michelle Leistad of Underwood and Cindy Cochran of Minden, aka Iris & Ivy, longtime friends and six-time vendors!

They specialize in: An ever-changing collection of down home country.

Started peddling antiques: After they retired from running a clothing store for 18 years.

Best piece they brought to the Bonanza: Two great pillars from a Masonic Lodge.

What they're bringing this year: "More!

They love: Opening day. "It puts us in awe every year. We keep saying how in the heck could it get any better. Then the next year, it does!"

Funniest Bonanza moment: First time coming to the Bonanza. "Neither one of us could back up our truck with the trailer attached so we had to come hours early so we could pull in straight without people seeing us. I'm sure we went around that tent 10 times before we had it where we needed it. Funny thing is, we haven't gotten any better. It's just that now we ask for help!"

Most indispensible junking staples: Continuing friendship and a truck.

Find friendship and more than a few interesting parking jobs by attendees on a run to get inside at the Junk Bonanza!

Kim