vintage lace

 I bought this gorgeous lace from the salvos today.  I think it is handmade but I don't know a lot about lace.  It is very fine and quite beautiful.

Vintage lace and recyclied glass

I have had a lovely day today: it has been cold and damp but the sun was out this afternoon.

Some weeks ago I bought this gorgeous vintage wedding gown from Vinnies.  Whenever I go op shopping I check out the wedding gowns and formal clothes in case I come across any special lace or beads.  In this case I admired this dress on the store manequin for weeks and didn't dare ask the price.  When I finally went back I found the price was reasonable and the veil and gloves were included.

I will offer it for sale on ebay I think.  It is too beautiful to cut up.

 The other thing that has occupied me today (instead of the washing and cleaning) has been a product my son-in-law has started to sell.  

It is recycled, coloured, tumbled glass.  This works for me on three levels: recycling is so important to our environment, the colours are so vibrant, and it is glass.  I have always loved glass; whether it is a stained glass window, an acid etched wine glass or the bowl of marbles on the dining table.  


 I thought it would be fun to see what this glass can be used for.

Because it is tumbled it does not have sharp edges so it is easy to work with.

In the little fish tank it looks wonderful under the water.

Next I decided to try out some candles (led battery operated candles are such fun to use) in a tumbler, a wine glass and a candle holder.  I do think they would look great on a party table. 

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The last idea was to fill the top of a pot of lavender: I think it looks fine.  I am going to use some in red on some pots outside to go with my red steps but I wanted to see how it looks in this small pot first.

This is a start up business for Brent and I am hoping it will be a success.  If you want to take a look he has a website here.

Op shopping

Today I visited a couple of our local op shops and was thrilled to find these gorgeous doilies that need to be finished off.  

I often wonder about who started the pieces that are in the op shops.  So many unfinished projects.

These pieces will be offered for sale on ebay and will be finished off and appreciated by someone else.

The question of buying from charity shops and selling on is one that troubles some people.  For me, the selling on provides me with a little cash to indulge my creative habit.
Many of the people who buy this kind of item live in remote areas and are happy to have the opportunity to buy on line and complete the stitching.

I do not buy clothes or shoes or bed linen to sell on.  These are the kind of items that people on limited income should be able to buy from the op shops at reasonable prices.

Apart from buying to sell on, I also buy birthday and Christmas presents for family and friends and of course clothing for myself.  I would rather buy secondhand goods whenever possible - it is kind to the budget and kind to  the planet and of course it provides income for the charities. Win Win Win