'you can't stay in your corner of the forest
waiting for others to come to you.
you have to go to them sometimes.'
~ a.a. milne
renate's postcards reminded me of these... my great-great-grandfather sometime in the late 1800s travelled abroad... to switzerland and to germany... from what we were told, these were nailed into a walking stick, mementos of towns visited... the detail on them is quite beautiful...
i think of people we know who make molds from old pieces - and how much fun it would be to use these...
and i wonder if renate has come by these in her flea market adventures... feel free to share any info or ideas you might have... i am coming up blank on google searches...
my daughter is hoping to travel abroad in college... i encourage her... it only gets harder as you get older and have more responsibilities... and i have that list of places i want to go... really need to make that happen somehow... but for now, i am so grateful to have met people from all over the world...
'we live in a wonderful world filled with beauty, charm, and adventure.
there is no end to the adventures that we can have
if only we seek them with our eyes open.'
~ jawaharlal nehru
early this morning, i came down to let the cat out... just like a highlights hidden pictures page, can you find something(s) in this picture? am guessing it was the work of emily last night - she loves to eat snow... but she is still sleeping and so i have to ask her later...
happy sunday!
My grandfather had several walking sticks with badges similar to these on them - your post was a blast to the past! You're so right, the details are exquisite and they would make wonderful molds. Google "walking sticks" "mount badges" or "badges" for old ones and new ones. There's a seller on eBay that has quite a few of them. As far as travel goes, my favorite quote comes from J.R.R. Tolkein: ““Remember what Bilbo used to say: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”” Here's to being swept off!!!
ReplyDeleteoh those badges are so interesting! What a collection. Hope your sunday is relaxing. :)
ReplyDeleteThose medalions remind me of modern ones that my son has been collecting from each national park he's hiked. They are a similar size I think and come with little holes to rivet or tack them onto something. The detail in yours are fascinating. What a special treasure you have.
ReplyDeleteTraveling can be such an adventure, a gift my mom gave me when I was 19, and you are correct, as we gather years we also gather responsibilities that can slow down our wanderings. ... Cute kitty prints in the snow.
ReplyDeleteLove those smiles in the snow!
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, I have come across many of these badges at the flea market! They are souvenirs, much like patches, or nowadays, car stickers. I am not sure where they originated. The idea of nailing them on the walking stick is that they show where you have been to, actually, have mountain hiked to - as many of them also have the altitude (above sea level) marked on them.
These are very cool! I've been looking for ideas for things to make molds from, too. Can't seem to get the Elasticlay that I need yet, though. I'll have to keep checking in at the craft stores.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a few seconds to make out what was in the snow...so cute!
Thank you for sharing your treasures! I've never come across anything like your walking stick badges. You've a ton of history in those, it would be most interesting to research them! Or make poly clay molds...I'm just sayin'!
ReplyDeletei think they would make awesome molds too. you must try my fren. what a lovely collection you have ... make molds then use it to make a base for say ... earring holders? that would be classy!
ReplyDeleteYour badges are wonderful...especially because they came from your grandfather.
ReplyDeleteOnce you made molds wouldn't they make beautiful pendants for necklaces or even a chunky bracelet?
I enjoy traveling...I would love to see the world but that isn't going to happen so I visit my blogging friends!
Cheers
Wow, I've never seen badges like those, what an interesting way to document your travels.
ReplyDeleteSo, what did Emily say?