The old inner spring mattress, A Great Thing!

Found this beauty in the free pile at the local thrift store. I was just thinking i needed another one and there it was! I have so many uses for these and they dissect so quickly and easily. All i need is a razor blade. What happens to all those razor blades and why are they hard to find when you need one?

First the ticking comes off. Every mattress I've found has differant colors and stripes. i love these, but this one is a little too stained to keep for sewing into pants. I put it to use in the ceiling, holding the recycled blue jean insulation in place.

Now the best part!. Inside the mattress is a layer of cotton batting. it's often backed with a strong netting materal, so you just roll the whole thing off.

big globs of the stuff! When building this is like gold for insulating. You can handle it, stuff it into cracks or bag it for later. Yeah, I hear some of you, "but what about the bed bugs?" Don't bring it to bed with you or stuff it in your bra! I personally haven't found a one.
it goes into cracks like magic!

The spring inside. Or sculpture! Ever since Prince's first album I've been infatuated with metal mattress springs. you older folks will understand that reference!
Sometimes the spring is mounted to wood, sometimes it's just a floppy spring. They both have their own astetic and purpose here at Broken Shovel.

The newest one will complete the garden fence. perfect for climbing vines, keeping bone burying dogs out and adding that beautiful rusty touch If you see any more of these mattresses lying around haul it home or give me a call. they have many uses or as permaculturists call it "stacking functions" I love that ,too

front door

this is the story of finding my new front door.
If you glance at the photo you'll see i'm adding a glassed in front porch. i wanted a front door  that said ,"welcome to a home with heart, style and light". The doors I had laying around the property weren't quite the door i was looking for. I glanced around second hand stores, prayed before going to the thrift stores, asked friends, and even looked at pricey antique shops without finding exactly what i was looking for. If you were to ask me what exactly i was looking for, i wouldn't be able to tell you. I always know when i find what I'm looking for, I get a little rush, almost like a drug rush, only better.
After framing two walls I deceided it was now time to get a door. I drove into Albuqueruque and started making my rounds again, revisiting doors I had seen in the past, and checking the back rooms of shops that allow me to do that. I made an offer on a pair of french doors, that was turned down(note, I did not whine, just thanked them and left). late in the day I asked a fellow vendor at Sole, he suggested Habitat For Humanity. hmmmm. I crossed the street and asked the mechandiser at another shop, he said "what about Habitat for humanity? And ,"what style is your house?" I had a little laugh about that and struggled to explain just what was happening here. I said a little of this a little of that, what ever is lying near by and fits is mostly the style of my home. But there was HFH again!
i literally jumped into my truck and swung over there. I followed a great vintage Dodge pickup truck into the parking lot and had to wait while a woman unloaded her truck at the donation's door. She off loaded a couple of aluminum framed windows and low and behold, a classic aluminum storm door and an exterior 1950's ranch style front door!
This was what I'd been looking for all along. oh, so excited! I can't wait to park the car and ask about those doors. I hurry inside the store, but play it cool, you know, look at bathroom sinks, kick the legs on some old dressers and mosey on over to the restricted employee only area where the doors are leaning against a pole.
"Excuse Me!
i couldn't help but notice those doors you just got in?
Would you be willing to sell them now?
Hmmm... how much for the storm door?
ok, 40.00 and therare screens that fit? oh, it slides up and down, great!
and the white door?
40 again? Is that hollow core?
Yes, it is very nice, very 50's, kind of suburban, kind of ... oh 25.00 then.
GrEAt!!!"
that is how i found my new front door. Stay tuned to see it painted and the fancy storm door hung.