Have you ever heard of fordite, or as it’s more commonly known, motor agate? I hadn’t until I stumbled upon an artist who’s dedicated to celebrating this “accidental,” man-made material.
fordite earrings via fordite.com
Back in the day when cars were hand-painted on assembly lines, the tracks and skids that held them became thick with layers and layers of paint. These layers were sent into the ovens to cure along with the cars over and over again, essentially becoming baked enamel, and eventually had to be removed so as not to hamper production. Some creative soul realized the potential of these beautiful layers as a salvage opportunity—the painted layers could easily be cut and polished into a myriad of faux rocks. Rock hounds soon began offering their services to factories to remove these colorful nuggets.
fordite necklace via fordite.com
Fordite is the brainchild of designer and artist Cindy Dempsey (who says she was inspired by the pet-rock phenomenon of the 1970s) and a family friend who worked at one of the factories and brought pieces home to her. She fell in love with the colorful bits and began using them in place of gemstones in her jewelry designs. Her website offers a historical perspective of motor agate, classification types, a cabochon gallery, and a humorous 12-step program called Fordite Addicts Anonymous, where users can determine whether they are experiencing any of the seven signs of fordite addiction. Cindy went on to form Urban Relic Design, a group of artists dedicated to making unique jewelry with this fantastic by-product.
fordite ring via fordite.com
You can visit their UrbanRelicDesign.com shop or head over to Fordite.com for a link to all things fordite. Now, pieces of fordite really are collectors’ items because they no longer exist; the automotive industry has moved to mechanized painting, which leaves little to no overspray on the assembly line.
Did you collect Breyer horses as a youngster?
Photo by Appaloosa via Flickr
Maybe you still do? (I purchased some Breyer cows on eBay for my grandgirls.)
Either way, you’re in the company of thousands of collectors worldwide who absolutely adore these lifelike lovelies and their marvelous miniature accessories—saddles, stables, and grooming implements galore.
Photo by Appaloosa via Flickr
Photo by Appaloosa via Flickr
What you may not know, though, is that model-horse enthusiasts make a pilgrimage each July to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington for—oh, yes—the Breyerfest Horse Fair and Model Horse Festival.
Photo by Lisa Andres via Wikimedia Commons
Fans flock to the park for “three fabulous days of horse play” in which the model horse hobby meets the real horses that inspire it.
“BreyerFest is Breyer’s annual flagship event with tons of fun for horse lovers of all ages! The weekend celebration is the intersection of the real horse world and the model horse hobby with spectacular equine entertainment, the largest model horse shows in the country, the horses that inspired our models, and thousands of families and fans for three fabulous days of horse play. A truly unique experience, BreyerFest offers workshops, free seminars, and many Hands-On-Hobby demos that bring together all areas of the model horse world,” explains Breyer Animal Creations. “And don’t forget about the endless shopping in The Marketplace, the Artisans’ Gallery, and the Swap Meet! BreyerFest is the perfect family festival. Spend the day meeting horses, taking pony rides, painting your very own model, and more.”
This year, the theme of Breyerfest is “Vive la France!”, which was inspired by a rare French breed of horse called the Ardennes.
“Each year, we select a very special guest to be our Celebration Horse, much like a homecoming king or queen. This year, BreyerFest guests will meet a rare French breed, including our Celebration Horse, Simba du Pont de Tournay. He is one of only 15 known full-blooded Ardennes Horses in the United States,” boasts Breyer.
Here’s a glimpse of the guest of honor in action:
If you’re bustin’ your britches to get to Breyerfiest this year, it will be held from July 17 to 19, so saddle up and set off for Lexington, or learn more here.
In the Aug/Sept issue of MaryJanesFarm, “The Experiment” (on newsstands July 14), we led you here to my daily journal for a chance to win a free copy of Glamping with MaryJane, featured in our “Camp Like a Girl” article.
In our article, we give you lots of ideas to glam up your camping experience. For a chance to win a copy of Glamping with MaryJane, tell me one of your glamping ideas or tips in the comments below. (If you haven’t picked up a copy of Glamping with MaryJane yet, order your autographed copy here.) We’ll toss your name in a hat and draw one lucky winner in mid-September, when the Aug/Sept issue expires on newsstands. Stay tuned for more magazine-related giveaways!
If you’re not yet a subscriber to MaryJanesFarm, subscribe here for only $19.95/year.
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Jennifer Follestad!!!
Jennifer Follestad (#6468) has received a certificate of achievement in Make it Easy for earning a Beginner Level In the Garden Merit Badge!
“I used saplings we had to cut down from under our power lines and bamboo that I had on hand and twine to build the trellis. I shoved some longer and thicker sapling trunks into the ground and used the bamboo as cross beams and then wove twine through out the trellis. For the bean teepees, I used more bamboo and twine.
I think it turned out pretty well. All structures are sturdy and stable. The trellis will be used for cucumbers, and since I usually grow bush beans, I’m using the bean teepees for peas to climb on.”
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
