Little Things

Uncle Si & I like thrift shops and flea markets.
Last week we stopped in to Goodwill for a few
minutes.  Two inexpensive and convenient
finds - the cover fits a little pot my
mother had for many years then passed on to me
and the sturdy little rack
(half price, too)
will fit in most of my pots, pans,
slow cookers and casseroles!

I probably ought to cook something. :)

Gluing What I Have, Plus a Little

With the lights on:

I got out the good old Elmer's School
Glue, again.  I stopped at Dollar Tree
for a pack of tissue paper.  I may have
some tissue paper, but this was cute...
oh, dear.

I did have the footed bowl, though.
That was a thrift store find.
I don't remember how long ago
or what I paid for it...

By candlelight:

The candy striped votive holders
are empty Ball jars from my cellar.
The tissue was cut almost to size
for the jars.
For the bowl it was torn into small
pieces.

I spread glue over the glass with a
wet paintbrush.

The patchy paper was put on,
a piece at a time, overlapping.
To save cutting, I lined straight
edges up with the rim of the bowl.

For the jars I "painted" the
whole thing with glue and water.
Lining up the straight edge
with the rim of the jar, I
pressed the top into place.
The taper of the jar made for
wrinkles in the tissue.
I didn't mind, I just kind of
glued them over.

I also brushed gluey water
over the top of the paper.
This can tear the wet tissue,
so, it was an adventure.

Eat Violets!
(et voila)

I popped some tealights from my
supply and a over-half-burned
pillar candle from Christmas past
into my little vessels and lit them.

Total out of pocket cost: $1
AND I still have most of the tissue. :)

The Big Cheap Oval Plastic Frame

Why on Earth would I buy
this shiny gold plastic picture frame?

The picture is sweet,
but it doesn't have much to
do with our household.

The frame is a bit shabby,
but this shiny finish and shabby
just don't do it for me.

It may be why I only had to pay
two dollars and eighty-five cents.

Once I had taken it apart I could
see that someone had taken

care of it very carefully...
I mean, how many times had this
picture been dropped, banged
or scraped?
I'm not taking a guess.

So, there it was.

I wanted to try a transformation.
I did not want to spend much money
in case I decided to toss the whole mess.

I went to WalMart and got some supplies.
I used my sanding sponge to remove the
shiny finish on the frame.
I like it better, already.

Now, I can not tell you if this is the
layer of plastic primer I sprayed on there
or the first layer of flat grey.

Well, I love the way it came out!
It's not perfect, but I can live with it.

Now what to put in my grey oval frame...
Here's a piece of fabric I like.

Here is a hastily cut and glued
paper motto.

Any suggestions for stuff to frame? :)

Skirting an Issue

One of my favorite skirts had a hole.

I tried to mend it, but could not locate
the hole.
It was there.
Our door knob found it.
Riiiip!

I took off the waistband and saved
the fabric.

Today I basted it and put
it in the lower half of
our bathroom window
as a temporary curtain.

I'm not that impressed,
so I am glad I only basted!

.

Any ideas what to do with the top
of a nesting hen dish?
I had just got it home from goodwill.

Oh, well.

Dear Dollar Deer

I think, if I had tried hard enough,
I could have left this paper mache
deer right there at Goodwill.

I think visions of creative mantlepiece
decorating and beautiful blogging
as well as
I-never-would-have-thought-of-that
crafting
danced before my dazzled eyes.

What does it matter that I have no
mantel and no decorating blog.
or that my house is such a mess
that crafting has become
problematic? 

After all, how many dreams can be
bought at a thrift store
for one dollar? :)

A Little Thrifting Thrill

I am amazed at what I find
in thrift stores, sometimes.

I had just been thinking I would
like a T-square.  I learned to
use one in high school.  Every
once in a while, I really want one.
Lo!  and Behold!
Well used but still solid
and not nicked!  Well! 

I also picked up two doll making books.
I had passed them up, but this time they were
half price.  That put the one on the left at
ninety cents, plus tax, with my discount card.

I think I should have resisted
this doll, as I am trying to
cull mine out.
Another 90 cents plus tax.

Two mismatched shower curtain
liners, same price as the doll.
My son laughed, when he saw
them and volunteered a theory
as to why I would use two different
colors.  They won't show,
behind my blue checked curtain
and I didn't think I could beat
the price. :)

Two True Confessions of a Thrift-A-Holic

I've been at it, again!

For what did I need this bird?

Even if the price was
stunningly low,
did I really need to buy it?

I think this large crack is the reason
the price was 99 cents.

Even the bird seems to be
saying, "What have you done?"

On top of the bird,
I did not resist this
nice sized
apothecary jar
for $2.

Truth to tell,

I don't feel a bit guilty.

Does that mean I am

beyond hope? :)

Been A-Thriftin'

I've posted the dolls I got on my doll
blog.  There are other things...
Like this well used but not pitted
Revere Ware kettle.
It's heavier than the newer stuff.
It was about $4.

For $2 I got to try this
manual ice crusher.
It takes a little muscle
but it works!

OK, this Crayola kit was totally
unnecessary.  Doesn't it look like fun?
I'm interested in how that little T-square
works! :)

Also not a necessity, the print is pretty,
the frame is fun and the whole was under
$2.  Now, use it as it is, put another picture
in it, or put a paintable surface in it and
attempt one of those pictures that
overflows onto the frame?
(And for those of us who are old enough
to remember, try not to think of it
as a certain kind of seat. :P )

The bread cover was half price
and I think the fabric was, as well.
Total: $1

Cross stitch (stamped) that was framed.
I took it out and washed it.
In the frame it was $1.

I had a feeling this was
worth more than the $2
asking price.  This kit has
sold on eBay, recently, for
over twenty times that.
It has also sold for less,
but not less than $2!
I love it, but I will probably
sell it rather than stitch it.

April Cornell

Dad and I decided to stop
at Goodwill, yesterday.
I was looking at this tablecloth
and another woman
asked if it was April Cornell.
I wouldn't know,
but there was the label...
Sure enough -- April Cornell! 

I pulled out this blue
tablecloth.
It was labelled,
also.
I asked the other shopper
if I was stealing the tablecloths
from her.
She said,
"No, but you're stealing them
from Goodwill!"
That startled me for a tick, until
I realised what she meant.

I had not heard of April Cornell.
I came home and looked her up
 on the Internet.
She has some beautiful
things.
HERE

That lady was right.
Even though the
tablecloths
have stains on them,
I think I'll offer them
on eBay. 
If they sell at a good profit,
I've no business
keeping them! :)

BOOK SALE!

One of the highlights of my Summer
is the array of library book sales
that are near us.

Brunswick's sale is, perhaps,
the largest I ever went to.

Organised though it is,
it is overwhelming for sheer size.

Still, I do manage to look over
all the sections I think will
hold something of interest
to me.

Ooo! I Can Play, Too!

As a lover of clear glass (along
with a few colors of glass)
 I have been wishing for a cloche
or a dome -- something to
play with like some of the
other girls have on their blogs.

Not being just sure how
successful my attempts at
decorating under glass would
be or, for that matter, how
long I would really be
interested in this activity,
I decided not to invest 
much money in this
area.  I made a mental
note to keep an eye out
for a cheese dome, 
a vase that would do, 
or a domed clock 
whilst thrift shopping.

Lo!  and Behold!
Monday I came across 
a little, battery run
"anniversary clock."

The price was right.
(about $4 - less my 
discount)

The dome was glass.
(parts of the clock were plastic)

I had some cash!

I brought it home, pulled 
the clock out 
(no easy task)
and tried out my
first "vignette."

This is fun! 

"New" Project Case for $1

1. I bought a cassette case at Salvation Army for 99 cents plus tax.

2. I opened it.  (!)

3. I ripped out the molded plastic that held the cassette tapes in place.

4. I scraped and peeled the glue until it was fairly flat.

5. I cut a piece of adhesive backed plastic to fit and to cover the bottom of the edge of the loose - ish sheet of plastic stapled to the inside.

6. Peeling back just the front of said piece, I carefully aligned the front edge.  I then removed the rest of the backing, smoothing as I went and constantly reminding my perfectionist self that she was not wanted on this project!

(In another project I cut cardboard to fit, added batting on one side and glued fabric over it before I placed it in the case.  That case, due to my desire to do the job perfectly, is still not finished.)