Sometimes it's just mean't to be yours ....

I posted last week about my op shop finds and mentioned that I had something very special that I would share in a later post. I visited my local op shop a few weeks ago and as always I went up to their locked glass cabinet where they tend to keep the more 'expensive' treasures like fine china, jewellery etc. They had a gorgeous cut glass, lidded candy dish but wanted $25 for it. (I'm not sure if it's glass or crystal...how do you tell the difference?) I briefly thought it was a little bit expensive but was very lovely. I looked at it longingly and walked away.

The next time I popped in the candy dish was still there but I still balked at paying $25 and I didn't have $25 to spare really so in the locked cabinet it stayed!

Last week when I went again the candy dish was still there and I mentioned to the saleslady that they still had 'my' candy dish. I said that I couldn't afford it and she said "Oh I'll just check, I think it has a purple tag on it today". Purple tags were half price for that day and lo and behold it was half price (imagine me squealing with delight inside my head at this stage) For a mere $12.50 I couldn't leave it there could I ? I decided it was mean't to be mine.  My photo doesn't do it justice. It stands about 11 inches tall to the top of the pointy thing on the lid and about 10 inches around. It has three feet. I'm making the assumption it's a candy dish, I can't imagine what else this type of container would have been used for.

wishing you sunshine in your shadows
Helen

Tuesday trinkets 6...

A few old earrings to share today. If my trinkets posts seem a bit random it's because they are! A lot of my vintage jewellery collection is packed away in boxes and I'm just sharing bits and pieces as I come across them. Apologies for the poor photographs today. The weather and the light were against me.

I believe these lovely aquamarine blue glass beauties to be from the early 1900s. My best guess would be around 1920. The glass is faceted all over and the claws holding the stones in place are beautifully decorative. Hard to see in the photograph but they suggest these were quality jewellery in their day. They are clip ons.

Earrings have come and gone in fashion depending on the clothing and hairstyles of the day. They were out of favour at times when women's ears were covered either by bonnets or their hair and came back into fashion when hairstyles changed and hair was pulled back off the face and neck.

These clip ons are probably from around the same era. It isn't clear in the photo but the centre's are surrounded by clear rhinestones.

This style made from plastic is likely from the 1950s and was probably made in Japan. Similar styles were found earlier than the 1950s and some were made by highly collectable designers. Cheap copies such as these abound. I have large numbers myself and whilst they may not have any monetary value I love having them for the pure joy of looking at them. They really are so very pretty!

A lovely example of Aurora Borealis coated rhinestones. 1950s clip ons.

A pretty pale green lucite pair of clip ons from the 1950s.(my best guess) This pair is marked Lisner. Lisner were a New York jewellery company and the Lisner mark was first used in the early 1930s. Lisner became very popular in the 1950s and their higher end of the market jewellery can be quite collectible. Lisner made some beautiful diamante pieces and a google image search will find you some of their better pieces if you are interested in taking a peep.

 I'm not sure when these pretty glass clip ons date from. The pastels suggest the 1950s but the clips on the back suggest they are much older. The glass is faceted and unadorned by the aurora borealis frequently added in the 1950s. They are claw set and well made.
Well that's all for today's trinkets.

wishing you sunshine in your shadows
Helen

Comfort shopping...

I'm not sure if it's the onset of Winter or just my current life challenges but I have been feeling the blues a little recently. I am sure it has been obvious from my recent blog posts. Given that I am trying not to succumb to the temptations of chocolate to chase the blues away I seem to have found a replacement by way of comfort shopping! I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing? Certainly better for my weight loss efforts but not so great for the budget!

I have been to the op shops three times this week and come home with plenty of treasures. I also had to leave some behind due to a lack of that awful stuff we call money. I comfort myself with the knowledge that there will always be new treasures to find. Anyway here are a few of my 'comfort' items.

I actually bought this teacup and sandwich plate a few weeks ago but had forgotten to photograph it. I adore the blue. Sadly it didn't have the saucer with it so I am hoping I might find an orphan that matches sometime. If anyone has one I'd love to buy it from you! It is a Royal Albert pattern.

I found this fabulous old glass jelly mould for $3.99. It's about 6 inches deep and 5 inches in diameter.

This is a pretty Paragon trio I found recently. Paragon make the most gorgeous designs. I wish I could afford some of their more ornate ones.

This is a little jam dish that I kept coming back to. The gilding is worn so it has been well loved. It was made in Australia and only $1.99 so home it came. I don't often see things that are made in Australia.

A Royal Vale trio. It's funny that I love teacup sets so much. I don't drink tea at all but I suppose there is no rule that says I can't drink coffee from a cup? Then again maybe there is!

This one was an ebay purchase. A lovely nylon? netting food cover/table throw with a crocheted crinoline lady in each corner. My photo doesn't do it justice. It's actually a lovely bright lemon colour.

A very practical purchase and such a bargain! I found this like new Burberry brand raincoat for just $10 at a local op shop. The sleeves are too long for me but otherwise it fits beautifully. It has two deep pockets, chunky buttons and sleeve detail as well as being fully lined with a nice check print. It's not my choice of colour but I really don't care for that price! My girlfriend and I went back to the same op shop a few days later and they had another one, exactly the same but a different size AND it was priced at $80 which we thought was outrageously expensive for an op shop EVEN if it was a Burberry! I assume mine must have been priced incorrectly or perhaps just by a different staff member.
I also bought some lovely children's books and another item which I'll share in another post as this one must be a mile long by now. Do you comfort shop or do you head for the fridge when feeling a little down?

wishing you sunshine in your shadows
Helen

Op shop delights...

After my dentist visit yesterday I decided to stop at two of my local op shops on the way home. I found some beautiful battenburg lace, a cutwork runner and the FIND of the month was a divine old sandwich plate.

This little gem was just $3. Can you believe it? I grabbed it up immediately and when I took it to the counter to pay the lady looked quite perturbed and showed the price sticker to the other serving lady. Much frowning ensued  and she told me she thought it had been marked incorrectly and that I had found myself quite a bargain. I just smiled politely and said oh yes I expected it to be more than that. Inside I was terrified they might refuse to sell it to me for that price.

It has printed on the back "Weatherby Hanley Royal Falconware". I have seen other pieces of theirs with the crinoline ladies on.
It is in beautiful condition, a little of the gilding is worn as you would expect of a vintage piece but there are no cracks or chips. I know next to nothing about china and just buy what I like but the pattern on the ends of this plate suggest it might be from the art deco period to me.

This is the cutwork runner I bought. Just $2. It measures approx 40 inches long by 14 inches wide.

A couple of close ups of the embroidery. It's machine done but still beautiful.

I found 4 of these lovely battenburg lace doileys. They are approx 10 inches long and 6 inches wide. $1 each

More battenburg for $1. I think this is a doiley or a tray cloth. The embroidery looks hand done. It measures approx 16 inches long and 10 and a half inches wide. (Folded in photo)

Two more pieces at $1 each. Not sure if these are doileys, tray mats or placemats. They have a slightly different embroidered pattern on them, again it looks hand done. 16 x 10 and half inches.
Needless to say I came home with a smile on my face.

wishing you sunshine in your shadows (try your local oppie)
Helen