Thrift Store Decor #3--Ceramic Fruits and Vegetables!

My favorite thrift store collection, hands down, is my ceramic fruits and vegetables--they make me very happy! I have them displayed all around my kitchen, and lately they seem to be making small inroads into the hall and the living room--but I think I can live with that.

It all started with the yellow pear teapot on the top left shelf--I saw it at Thrift Town years ago and was hooked! The collection has all come from thrift stores and yard sales, except for a few exceptions, mostly gifts--Chris fought hard to win the watermelon bowl (center shelf right) for me in a white elephant game (who could possibly have thought such a lovely item could be a white elephant?)

Of course, now that the collection has grown, I can be a bit more particular! I try to stay with items that are ceramic, are figural, and have a function--they are also at least somewhat realistic and have pleasing color and finish. I generally don't pay more than about a dollar, but I've paid up to $5.00 for some of the larger pieces that I really love.

I keep my small appliances and bulk foods behind the green curtain, which really is a more delightful color than it seems in the picture. And you can check out my Christmas cactus, the only plant that has managed to survive here--you can't tell, but it's about to bloom!

Wool Owlets!

I've been amassing a collection of wool fabric, both new and used, for years now--so when Linds showed me these charming little owls on line, I knew I had to make them for her birthday.

If you visit the above site, you will find an excellent tutowlrial for making these guys--the little ones, whoo are about 2-1/2" high, are made according to the pattern. I enlarged the pattern to make the parents, whoo are about 5" high. Note the squidgy-looking one--I thought I would try him as a little rice hand-warmer to heat in the microwave.

The grandkids had big fun helping me go through the button box to choose and place the eyes--I love their expressions!

Happy birthday to Linds!

Thrift Store Decor #2--Bamboo Tray Arrangement!

Hmm. . .I think I may have posted this tray and figurine before, but I've been having fun re-arranging things since I painted, so here they are in their new incarnation.

I found the large bamboo tray (24" in diameter) at the thrift store for $3.00. I love this tray! The color and texture make me happy. The plate (9-1/2" in diameter) was $1.50 at the thrift store, and I like the way the color of the robin echoes the color of the tray--the same color is in other places in the room.

I'm enjoying the way the cat and the bird seem to be ignoring each other--the cat figurine (11" tall) was $1.50 at the thrift store, and is marked 'San Pacific International'. My friend Pam says I should put Swedish Fish in his little dish.

Or maybe KitKat bars.

Thrift Store Decor, #1!

I do believe I will feature some of my thrift-store decor for the next little while--welcome to Thrift Store Decor, #1!

While out and about on thrift store outings I generally have several ideas in the back of my mind--things to look for and think about. They're often ideas for small collections or arrangements, and it's fun to see how the different ideas work out over the course of time.

I was captivated last year by a picture in a magazine of an arrangement of three brightly-colored (and quite expensive) glass vases of different sizes and shapes, and (naturally) asked myself what the thrift-store equivalent might be. I added 'colored glass vases' to my mental thrift store list and, with a little seeking over the course of several months, found three I quite like!

I think they work together in several ways--first, there is a pleasing contrast in the shape, the color, and the size, and second, there is a pleasing continuity in the material and the intensity of color. Note how I did raise the green one slightly with a little old thrift-store copy of 'The Prophet' by Kahlil Gibran.

The vases range from 8" to 10" high, and although they are more interesting than most, I suppose they must be florists' vases. I must admit that the inspiration vases in the magazine were somewhat bigger--and so was the price!

Mine averaged $1.00 each, and they look great on my piano!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Chocolate being a classic Valentine's Day gift, Ibu made me these fabulous crochet chocolates to celebrate the day--and they go so very nicely with my fabric Valentine strawberries, seen here with Care's tiny quilt.

Check out the candy's delightful details--you can just see the edge of the white chocolate-covered pretzel. The white chocolate has a pale pink flower on top, and they're all displayed in valentine papers--I'll try to post a link to the pattern Ibu used.

The two ceramic baking dishes were thrift store finds, found in different stores and months apart--I love it when that happens!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Uphostery Sample Heart--a Question!

My husband and daughter Lol once came home from a yard-sale outing with a gift for me--a BIG box, full of good-sized upholstery samples! I'm still having fun pulling them out occasionally for use in my scrap projects.

Last Valentine's day I saw a fun heart-shaped fabric door decoration--a slightly irregular-shaped, lightly padded heart. This year I decided to make my own version from scraps, so I pulled out my box of samples.

I love this floral--very romantic! I sketched a heart on a scrap of dollar-store foam core (mine is about 16" tall by 14" wide), and cut it out, then cut a couple of layers of scrap quilt batting in the same shape, plus one somewhat smaller to go underneath and make it more puffy. I cut out the heart shape from my fabric and added 1" all around to allow me to glue it to the back of the foam core.

I made 1/2" snips all around the fabric piece , about 1" apart, to help the back to lie smooth, layered it all together, and glued the edges of the fabric to the back of the foam core with my glue gun, then I hot-glued the whole thing to a heart cut from mat board to make it more sturdy and add dimension.

And now I'm a little stuck--it certainly needs some embellishment. I'm thinking fat cording around the edges? Green? A sheer bow at the center top? Tufting. . .?

Thrift Thursday--Recycle Frame!

Just inside our back door are two rows of hooks which have captured jackets, hats, and school bags for many years now. There is a lack of such items around here these days, so I guess I'll consider it an opportunity to change things up a bit!

This lovely, matted apple watercolor came from a yard sale some time ago, and has been needing a frame. I finally found a green-framed, burlap-covered bulletin board at the thrift store for $1.00--the height was exactly right, but the width was much too long. (Sorry I got so excited and forgot the 'before' picture!)

I disassembled the bulletin board, used my trusty miter box to cut the top and bottom to the right size, then tacked it back together--fits the painting just right! I love it!

The step ladder was $2.00 at the thrift store, perfect for reaching in the upper cabinets. The apple hanger was a gift--and you can read about my dollar store picnic bag here.