This and that

Hello folks!

I've been trying to complete the Hedgehog Info Page (the link is just below the header) over the last few days - I think I have now, but you never know what I may think of next ;o)  I'd love some constructive feedback please. 

So much going on in 'real life' I'm struggling sometimes to keep up with everyone, so forgive my lack of commenting.

I'd really like to welcome my latest followers, it's great to see you here :o)  I see I'm creeping up towards the magical 100, and will have to find a giveaway when I reach that number. 

I have been popping in the charity shops and have managed to find a 'few' things, hope you like them.

(At this point frustration hits - I'd finished the L O N G draft and just hopped off to check on some facts and the above was posted by its self, and lost all the rest :o((  I'm NOT a happy blogger)  Here goes again!  You may need to get a glass of wine or a cup of tea before reading any further though ;o)

I totally forgot to show you what dear Daughter had made me when she came to visit over the Jubilee weekend, yards and yards or beautiful bunting!  Enough to trim all around the conservatory.


Isn't it jolly?  I LOVE IT - thank you dear Vicky :o)
(Sorry about the reflection of the plate on the wall)

I hate to think of all those hours of love that is put into any needle worked item and it ends up in the charity shop, I feel the need to rescue them - am I alone ?  When I spotted this 3 foot long tapestry bell pull I had to have it..

and in close up

all that work for just £3.
On the same day this sweet little cross stitched red squirrel caught my eye
4" x 4" frame - 50p

Cute eh?

By now you  know I'm obsessed I'm in love with blue and white.  Oh, and cats.  So you just know I wasn't going to resist this wall plate ;o)

and the backstamp..

Whilst typing this I realise that I didn't show you a little jug I found about a month ago on a trip to Ironbridge (which is only about 16 miles from my home.) Inevitably I'm going to visit it's one and only charity shop while I'm there!  It's a National Trust souvenir piece from beautiful Lanhydrock in Cornwall.
 

It's just about 2.5" high

I wonder if they're made by the famous Emma Bridgewater?
It was only two quid anyway :o) (£2)

A few weeks ago I spotted this little old crystal inkwell, the stopper was welded in place by all the dried turquoise ink that remained in it.  It's 4.5" high x 2.5" wide.  I filled a jug with warm soapy water and plunged it in over night, and next morning hey-presto the stopper came out with ease.  It took another day to soak off the ink remnants though.

 

I took a chance for £1.50 and it worked :o)

I wonder how many times the nib dipped into it and what wonderful words is helped to write?

(Sorry folks - I did warn you earlier it's a L O N G post, there's still more.)

On another occasion on entering the shop this struck me as beautiful, and I'm not normally into cherubs.

The little bird is so quaint.  It's china and stands 6" high, just £3.

I'm definitely NOT a Kindle kind of person, there is in my opinion nothing like holding a real book and so not surprisingly I have hundreds of them that are often read and referred to.  You know I'm like a magpie with gold colours too, so when I spied these 7" high x 4.5" wide pineapple bookends...

the original price sticker said £21, they're in perfect condition and were priced at just £4.50 :o)

Guess who's books they're holding up right now?

For some time I have been buying any hedgehog themed item to donate to the hog rescue open day to help boost funds.  Obviously there are a few items I've decided I wish to re-home...

The largest being 5.5" long.  The three items added up to £2.50.

Incidentally, the largest ones spines feel just like the real thing when you stroke it - a relaxed one of course with spines down!

Then there's this little group which includes a field mouse, it's just like home;o)

around 4" long and 5" tall, 75p.

You know I'm a collector-holic, well another thing I collect is walking sticks - not the expensive silver topped variety, but things that catch my eye.  Last week I found the smaller of the two pictured at my 'suppliers' for £3.50

The handles are antler.

In close up, the taller one

Which I bought last year from the same shop - that cost £5

and the small one

this reminded me that I'd got something a month or so back I didn't 'show' you either.

I'd looked at it for a few days in the shop until the penny (finally) dropped that it's a pen holder!

The antler is glued into a heavy granite base, and the pen fits snugly in the hole pictured on the right hand 'branch' and all for a very reasonable 50p  It sits next to the phone.

Phew, nearly finished now, just two more to go.

On Wednesday when I just happened to be passing my supplier ;o)

there was a tall stack of various vintage suitcases, this smaller one caught my eye and with a little TLC I'm certain it'll look fabulous

It's 16" x 10.5" x 5" in real leather, and a leather interior too. 

I thought £8 was a bargain.  A man bought the other five that was there while I was still browsing - but he didn't get a lovely leather one...

And FINALLY (Yes, I CAN hear your cheers!)

Yesterday this little beauty needed to be re-homed, and I had a feeling it was something special too.

A vintage pyjama case in really good condition, and a happy surprise lurked underneath

Made by 'Merrythought'.  It was £4. 

This label was used from 1957 to 1991.  Looking at the condition I believe it was made in the sixties.  The lining is in pink silk.  He's quite at home in the guest room snoozing on the bed!

I know you're thinking than goodness this post is at an end - and thank you for sticking with it!

If you have the energy and will left I'd love to read your comments - even if it's telling me to do shorter posts in future!

My very best wishes to you all

Second part of my finds.

Hello all.

Welcome to my latest follower :o)

Here's the rest of my haul I promised to show.  I should explain display and photos were done in a hurry during the evening, so photos are taken in artificial lighting.

These have been haunting me in the shop for over a week.  I've looked and looked at them and kept thinking do I really NEED anymore crockery?  The answer has to be no I don't, but I just couldn't resist any longer ;o)  I'm just amazed that no-one else beat me to the bargain!

A set of six each dinner and salad plates, soup dishes.  one meat plate, one gravy boat and two lidded vegetable dishes in Washington Pottery Indian Tree design, all perfect except one salad plate has a tiny chip to the edge.

Don't they look good?  Not a sign of blue or white to be seen either!

Set on golden chargers, and using the padded runner I got last week for £2

Oh, and the napkin ties I showed in my last post, and covered vegetable dishes.

The lovely meat plate.

Gravy boat

Napkin tie

Soup dish

Salad plate

Dinner plate

One of my many sets of place markers - would you like to see more?

Showing the backstamp.

Presuming the '56' is the year of manufacture, as old as me ;o)

And the cost?  Fifteen pounds for the lot!  Yes £15 :o)  Would you have snapped them up?

I'm glad I did!  Just one teeny, tiny problem ...where to store them!  At the moment they're sitting on the dining table.

I also forgot to show my other bargain -

A lovely Wade trinket box about 4" long shown with two Wade Whimsey hedgehogs.  The one on the left was one if my original one purchased in the 1960's with pocket money, (always one of my favourites) and the one on the right was with the large one - both for £4.  In all the years I have collected whimseys I've never seen a large hedgehog.  Has anyone else seen them or got one?

Hope the rest of the week goes well for you all.

Best wishes

STOP PRESS

I've just had a phone call to say that Wilfred Prickles has reached the magic 600g weight, and so tomorrow will be returning 'home' for his Winter snooze, I'm just a little delighted!

Aaaah  :o)

I've found a few more 'things'.

Hi Everyone!

Thank you for 'sticking with me' over the last weeks of adversity with Blogger - I've a feeling that upgrading to Internet Explorer 9 has a LOT to do with it :o(

Welcome to my new followers :o)  So pleased you've joined in!  Sorry you've had to wait so long for a post.

I've been struggling to find any 'bargains' lately - dunno what's been happening at the local charity shops, but just nothing to tempt me.  Anyway, here's the items I have'found' over the last few weeks   :o)

Okay, so ignore the reflections!  This heavy, polished aluminium vase I spotted is bound for Nottingham (dear Daughters)  She loves silver coloured items.  It's in lovely 'as new' condition approx 10" tall and was only £1.75.

Sitting on top of the vase is (another) blue & white carpet bowl 3.25" diameter

£1.  Okay, we ALL know I love blue and white!

I had a 'charity shop' day out with my dear friend Sandy to visit Wellington (Shropshire) a couple of weeks ago...there's LOADS of charity shops there!  Here's a selection of lovely 'finds' from there.

From the first shop we visited I spotted this delightful jug.  It looks really old but is in fact a modern one 'made in China'.  Standing 6" tall, perfect condition and only £1.99.  I pictured it filled with blooms from the garden.....Ta-da!

I was right, it looks lovely - well that's my opinion ;o)

For those who'd like to know - the flowers are.

Blue, Nepeta (cat-nip, now WHY would I have that in my garden?!)

Pink, Saxifrage-urbium (London Pride, this grows profusly along my greenhouse)

Red Heuchera, (I've just one clump of this from my childhood home)

Green, Alchemilla Mollis (Lady's Mantle. This randy little plant seeds itself all over the place! I love the way rain settles on the leaves though)

A set of six golden beaded place mats for £1.99!

(Sorry, colours shown are a bit wishy washy)

This lovely 8"x6" oval plate 'Iuan' pattern by Wood & Sons England £1.50

Is now sitting on my dresser.

Back to the 'local' shops...

Well, this beauty cost £1.75!  Quite a 'squat' shape for a teapot, but still gorgeous!

5" High x 9.5" spout to handle.  Made by (Enoch & Ralph) Woods Ware England.

Pours beautifully too.  (Why do they manufacture teapots that 'dribble' tea everywhere?  Surely, they're 'not fit for purpose'?)

A delightful 'Teddies' hat box.  15" Diameter, £1.

Great storage :o)

(Now, in the background there is my pine dresser - I've toyed with the idea of painting it with a 'wash' but I'm put off by the thought of the knots 'bleeding' through.  I know lots of you paint furniture, so I'll pick your brains - If I decide to go ahead with it do I need to seal each knot?  Thanks for your assistance and advice)

Now, despite my love of blue and white I'm finding a few red pieces too.

Masons 'Vista' dish 6.5" x 5" with a VERY small chip underneath, £1.50

I also found 4 lovely deep red napkins for £1, but try as I may they will not photograph even near the real colour (?) so I decided top leave out the picture.

This set of (70's) stainless steel cake forks as you can see were £3.

I do have a lovely boxed set of silver plated ones, but hubby gets 'shocks' in his mouth if he uses silver flatware.  So when I saw these I thought 'why not?'

There was also this Trug, 14" long x 8" high x 7" wide

£1

(tilted view!)

Could YOU have left it there?

I'm sure it will find plenty of use :o)

These glass 'dragon's droppings' as we call them were bagged up at 50p a bag.

As you can see I got 9 bags!  I use them scattered between my dragons, and I've got so many (now) I've even sprinkled a few around my pots of plants outside :o)

(There will be a shipment to Nottingham too!)

Lastly, I love gold, (and pairs).  I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but - 

When I saw this Marks & Spencer trinket box I HAD to buy it!

£1.50, approx 8" Sq.  I already have an identical one in our guest room - now there's on on each bedside cabinet.  (This still had it's original £12 price tag on it too)

The lid.

Well, that concludes this post.  Hope you like some of my treasures :o)

See you all soon, have a great week!

Best wishes

P.S.

Here's a late addition I forgot to add to the post ...

Found this cute bird yesterday at our 'expensive' charity shop

(excuse the exposure being a little dark - taken at 1am this morning!)

£1.50

See you soon, Bye :o)