Art and clothing made of repurposed and up cycled materials are available Happenstance in Marion. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Transforming trash — or at least old, used goods — into treasure is what Gae Sharp-Richardson is all about. It’s what she’s always been about.

“I’ve always been creative,” Sharp-Richardson said.  “My husband calls me a cre-artist.”

But all of Sharp-Richardson’s “creativity” was starting to overwhelm their Cedar Rapids home — things such as revamped dolls and recycled decorative masks were starting to stack up, she said.

“We decided it was time for me to have a storefront to sell my art pieces,” Sharp-Richardson recalled. “Having the store helped me to be able to give them up.  Before that, it was hard to create things and then sell them.”

Happenstance on 7^th opened at 1026 Seventh Ave. in Marion on Dec. 1. Sharp-Richardson calls the business an original art store with decor, clothing, jewelry and more — all repurposed, reconstructed, recycled and revamped.

“I work with a lot of found objects,” she said. “If I were going to describe the store, it would be Bohemian, in a way.”

Sharp-Richardson’s partner and co-creator is Pam Hyberger, who specializes in reconstructing clothing. The store’s Facebook page deems Hyberger as an expert in “giving outdated shirts, sweaters, skirts and dresses a new/one of a kind fresh look.”

A necklace made of repurposed watch parts, made by Kendra Boston for her jewelry line The Bent Alkenist, at Happenstance in Marion. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Photos on the page show cinched sweaters and midriff-bearing tops next to skirts created from scraps and sheer scarves.

“What I really think is her neatest thing is when she recycles T-shirts into jackets and skirts,” Sharp-Richardson said. “She’s taking typical dive T-shirts and turning them into something pretty.”

After opening the store last December, Sharp-Richardson and Hyberger have recruited about 10 more artists who contribute through décor, hats, bags and jewelry.

And the store itself is reused or recreated in a way. The location used to house a chocolate shop owned by Sharp-Richardson and her husband. The Chocolate Shop, the store’s name, now sits about two blocks down at1244 Seventh Ave., and Sharp-Richardson spends plenty of time at both.

“Most people see me walking back and forth from the chocolate shop,” she said.

Prices at Happenstance can range from under $10 for handmade cards and soaps to more than $100 for clothing and artwork.

“Everything is one of a kind,” she said. “It’s art.”

Sharp-Richardson boasts her business’s benefit for the environment, in that it keeps used material from ending up in landfills.

The store has struggled a bit this first year because of the weak economy, Sharp-Richardson said. In response, she’s adding artists and expanding the stock.

“I think that as we add more to the store, it’s becoming more attractive,” she said.

And, Sharp-Richardson said, the artists will do custom work to turn anyone’s found treasures into a keepsake. And, she said, they’ll open for special appointments if customers need clothes fitted or altered.

Happenstance on 7th owner Gae Sharp-Richardson of Cedar Rapids, left, sits with artist Pam Hyberger of Marion. Hyberger is an employee at the store and also sells her art there. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Owner: Gae Sharp-Richardson

Company: Happenstance on 7th

Address:  1026 Seventh Ave. Marion

Phone: (319) 377-7192

Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Happenstance-on-7th/196299277109625

Hours: Noon to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and by appointment

Favorite item you sell? “My very favorite thing in there are the dolls I make. They are the things that get me teary eyed when they go.”