Flowers and Pretties

Its been so long since I was able to find any yummy bargains in the local charity shops, they have put up their prices considerably lately and although I know its charity and am helping when I spend, I really want to keep the cost down, well this week I found 2 beautiful bargains, beautiful rose brooches, I have a few brooches, never wear them, just leave them looking pretty in a pretty bowl in my bedroom.

My love started about 5 years ago when my Step mom bought me a lovely Black brooch made by a Russian lady who lived local to her, and since then I have picked them up in car boot sales and charity shops and a couple from ebay that weren't to pricey too, and my darling sister bought me the green leaf one as part of my birthday charity shop box.

They are not all in this pic as I have used some on some crafting items too.

Well enough of the brooches, look at my orchid, my darling sister (again) bought this for me last year and not long after it came home most of the flowers dropped and I eneded up with a bare stalk, sis told me not to worry more would grow and showed me how to look after it and lo and behold, I have two new beautiful flowers, they are certainly cheering me up on these cold days.

So pretty especially since my indoor daffs and hyacinth have faded.

Trish xxx

Bargains and Knitting

I have bagged myself a fab bargain this week, well I think so anyway, a trip to the local charity shops proved fruitful this week. The local hospice shop is sometimes the best place in town for my bargains and thats where I got my lovely pinny, I am sure it is vintage fabric, but how long ago it was made I don't know as it feels like new and it was the grand total of £3.00

You can just see one of my new cushion covers peeking out from under it, I made two last week and they really do brighten up the sofa.

Now, onto my knitting, I am not the best knitter in the world but have wanted to have a go at knitted dishcloths for a while, well this week I ordered and recieved two balls of dishcloth cotton and a pair of knitting needles, so I got to work almost straight away and the result is these.....

Two dishcloths, I haven't used them yet but I have heard that people using handmade dishcloths like these never go back to mass produced ones, so we shall see how I get on with them.

Thanks for stopping by, take care

Trish xxx

A Few More Charity Shop Bargains

Recently I have been looking for Glass candlesticks all thanks to Kristy of Vintage Pleasure and have found these five at local Charity Shops, they look so pretty all stood together on my windowsill in the dining room with tiny pink gingham ribbon tied round each of them, I took the pic outside as its quite dark with this dreary weather indoors at the mo. They were all bargains the two pinky ones were 60p each, the tallest one was £1.25, the tiny one 59p and the pretty cut glass one was £1.
I also got this pretty china cake plate for £1.49 isn't it sweet? I have made a banana cake today so will be serving it on the plate later. I think my hubby is getting used to me buying what he might call tat!!! and just lets me get on with it now.

There is a car boot sale locally tomorrow morning so if I can get myself out of bed I will pop along to that, I might find some more lovely bargains if I am lucky.

Trish xxx

Painted Shelves

At last these shelves are finished and I love them, they are in my dining room above my computer, with 2 of my tea sets on, the top one is what I got from a car boot a couple of weeks ago for £2 (bargain) and the doily was 25p the other day from a local hospice charity shop.

We are hopefully going to finish the chest of drawers tomorrow, a few bits need gluing back on!!! I am happy with it though and it is the perfect size for putting the towels in, in the bathroom.

Recently on the Shabby Chic forum someone asked if anyone knew how to make stuffed boots, well yesterday I had a play and made one for me and one for Gracie for her bedroom, which she loves, I am really pleased with them and may make a few more for gifts for Christmas (yes I know its only June)

Anyway, thats enough from me for today

Trish xxx

Bargain Shopping Day

yesterday I had to pop to B&Q for some more paint and thought I would have a little look round the shops as well, it has to be done!!! Well I am so glad I did, I went in and out of a few charity shops and nothing to be had, so last, and certainly not least I popped to the local hospice shop and found the bargain of the week (possibly even the year really) A gorgeous embroidered tablecloth, its so pretty all floral and summery, for the grand price of........25p!!!!! what a bargain.

It has a tiny stain on it that doesn't seem to want to go, but its not very noticable, and I am sure once its been on the line in the sun a few more hours it will bleach out. I also got a pretty pink floral pillowcase for 25p and a crochet doily for........ yup.... 25p, the pillowcase will be used when I do gracies patchwork quilt and the doily is for my shelves which have been started, just waiting for coat 2 to dry to see if I need to do another one, pics will follow when finished.

Trish xxx

Something old

I haven't taken any pics of much the last few days, so thought I would show something I did about 18 months ago, I had taken part in a jigsaw swap on UKScrappers and really enjoyed playing, so thought I would do one on my own. I bought a set of four puzzles from a local £1 shop and used the nine piece one, I wanted something for Graces room, that would stand the test of time and that she wouldn't grow out of, I had an ATC pad of vintage children images so used that, along with lots of cream paint and some lace and this is the result.

Grace loves it and so do I, it has pride of place on a shelf in her bedroom.

Trish xxx

Show and Tell Sunday

Today I am playing for the first time in 'Show and Tell Sunday' hosted by Analise of Sugar Sugar, today its all about china, crystal and silver, well I don't have any silver or crystal but I do have china. I love tea sets, I have four that I would call complete or semi complete, then I have 1 trio. This is all my tea sets together including the trio.The first one I bought was this gorgeous Blue Roses one by Royal vale, I have had it about 15 years, it cost me much more than I would be prepared to pay today.

This beautiful yellow one I picked up from an Oxfam shop about 6 months ago, its a ridgeway design and so summery.

I also got this autumnal one from the same Oxfam shop about 2 weeks ago, its another Royal vale one, but only came with the plates, cups and saucers, no milk jug, sugar bowl or cake plate.

I think this one is my favourite at the moment though, I bought it yesterday from the Willow Wood Hospice shop, its our local hospice, it only cost £4.99 and came with the milk jug, sugar bowl and cake plate, another Royal Vale and its so pretty, the blue doesn't look as lovely in the pics but is a gorgeous perriwinkle blue.

And finally, my trio, I got this from (yet another) charity shop, I think it was Marie Curie about 2 weeks ago, when I had finished my shelves, I wanted something pretty and pink for them and it was only £1.99 too.

Charity Shop Finds

Yesterday I went shopping in a local largish town just to go shopping in various charity shops, there wasn't a great deal but I did manage to pick up a few bits and a couple of new things too.

The rosey vintage style tea towels are from Wilkinsons, a bit of a bargain at £1.99, much cheaper than some of the designer ones you can get, the glass dish was 50p and will sit on my dressing table with my brooches in, the enamel tin was £1 I was hoping to be able to use it for pies but am not so sure now as it is a little rusty, unless someone lovley knows how I can bring it back to a useable state :) and the crochet doily was also 50p and is to sit under my bowl of pot pourri in the front room. I am happy with what I found, I also bought a really pretty brooch too, but that will be for another day. Take care and have a good day

Trish xxx

Beans Beans good for your ART

I have been playing, I took inspiration from Jo on IACW and used an old baked bean tin to make this little pot for G's bedroom, to go on her new bedside cabinet actually, I also took some inspiration from some of the gorgeous vintage style blogs around, I love the vintage look and feel and thats what I tried to re create.

I used daisy Ds paper, a vintage image from The Vintage Workshop, some old lace, earing and a brooch, some organza ribbon, bead and wire. Hope you like it.

Trish xxx

A new beginning

Well, after blog hopping rather a lot this last couple of weeks, I have decided that the recycling I do just isn't enough, we already do all our card, bottles, cans, plastics, clothes etc and have a compost heap for our kitchen scraps etc but I now want to do more, so I have joined freecycle (at last) managed to pick up a lovely little bedside cupboard for Gracie yesterday. I also wnat to stop buying new as much as poss, so will be scouring charity shops for bits and bobs for the house and my crafting, we need new wardrobes (well Martin needs one full stop) so will be looking on freecycle and local second hand furniture shops for those.

These are some of the blogs I have found.


Fleamarketsudio
karlascottage
shabbyscraps
thevintagemagpie
gathering_dust
leesiebella

Have a look round, hope you like them as much as I do

Trish xxx