This Weeks find at the Thrift Store

As you know, for the house I started collecting the Crazy Daisy pattern Pyrex/Corelle dishes.

While antiquing here, I discovered another pattern with flowers and butterflies that's called Butterfly Gold. I hope to get enough together and post it on eBay or the likes.

So far I have  some cups, plates and bowls

Which leads us to this weeks unexpected find at our favorite Savers on Dillingham. Roger was the one that saw them first, sitting on the bottom shelf.

You know what?

I really have to start scrounging those bottom shelves!

Anyway, these 4 little amber colored juice glasses were going for 99¢ each.

and they match the amber color of the pattern.

Cool!

I grabed'em

As I place them all together on the counter, for the lady to ring up, I notice that although they look the same, they aren't.

Hmmmm...

The general shape, height and diameter vary a bit and the thickness of the glass isn't the same.

At home I took an even closer look, and saw some inclusions in the glass

and when I lifted the price sticker on the bottom I noticed that there is a "belly button".

Which would be the spot where the glass was snipped off the pipe.

My Spidey senses tell me that these are mouth blown and although they might not be vintage or antique, they are definitely unique pieces of hand (mouth) crafted glass and surely more valuable than 99¢ each.

And here we go again

I really like them.

They feel good in your hand.

Pretty color.

Question is, keep or sell? lol.....

What did you find this week?

Aloha a Hui Hou!

Pyrex

On pinterest I've noticed that a lot of people collect pyrex. Seeing a cupboard filled with a rainbow of bowls...well, you just have to see it.

Photo Credit

Tone in tone looks great too

I remember my mother had a set of Pyrex bowls - yellow, green, blue and red. I loved those bowls.

You can never have enough bowls, so I though I might look around thrift stores, antique shops etc, if I might find a set.

 At the first vintage shop they had several sets, but they were priced pretty steep. Then I found this 3 piece set for $10 - that is more to my wallets liking.

Later at the thrift shop I found 4 matching coffee mugs for a steal.

Pyrex

Get ready for a surprise.

Last year my mother in law gave us several boxes of household items that a neighbor had given them. Now that the kitchen is done, it was time to go thru the boxes and see what we could use.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered a Pyrex bowl and a casserole dish with the matching pattern! What do you say to that???

At any rate I have officially been bitten by the pyrex bug and am looking around, to see if there is any more in our pattern to be had here.

I went to the Salvation Army, here in town, and didn't find anything.

I wound up at a little antique store and they had A LOT of Pyrex and the prices were astronomical! They had a cup, just like my cups and wanted $19.00! I don't know if that was a starting price for negotiations or if it is what they actually wanted...but I was in shock.

Maybe I should think a bit bigger?

Maybe this is something I could offer in my Etsy shop? 

I decided to looking.

A few days later we headed over to a Goodwill store in Pearl City. Hidden in a corner I've found a bowl with a teal amish design. 

The bowl was a bit dirty, but nothing that a little bit a elbow grease couldn't take care of.

I also found a set of 7 coffee mugs. Here and there the design is a bit smudged, but I'm not sure if that is a sign of age or a misprint. 

It's like a TREASURE HUNT! So much fun...and the thrill when you find something...soo cool! lol

To date my treasure contains 10 bowls and several pieces that match the cups.

For starters I think I'll post on craigslist, so I don't have to worry about shipping. Wish me luck!

Aloha a Hui Hou!

Driftwood Candle Holders

I've purchased a nice big clamp, pulled out the extension cord and went to work on a few pieces of driftwood in the backyard.

As promised - here are my results. From the first batch I drilled, I had six that turned out and one that split on me. Kind of bummed because of the one that split. it looked pretty interesting. But oh well....Here are the ones that did turn out:

One was even long enough for two candles.

In addition to drilling the holes I sanded them down a bit to give them a smoother finish. Some pieces, the wood is pretty solid, like regular wood. The others are light,  have lots of holes and chunks missing....lots of character, but a bit more fragile. But when it comes down to it, I can't say I have a favorite, as each one is unique - in its own very special way....ah the stories they could tell, about their life at sea...who knows where it came from, how long it drifted...ignored, till I found them, picked them up and took them home with me....

My lesson learned today are that:
     1)  I need a second clamp to make sure it stays put
     2) That there is a difference between it laying flat on the table and laying flat after I clamped it.
     3) That most of the wood I have it too small to do anything like this with.
     4)  I have to look for the bigger pieces.
     5) I have to think of things to do with the smaller pieces.
     6) That a drill press might be worth the investment.

All in all it was fun, to work with the wood, sit in the sun and "play" with my new tools.

I already have the pictures for Etsy!

Now to just come up with the fitting text to write them up on Etsy...

Aloha a Hui Hou!

Shameless Plug

Those that know me, know that I am an artsy person. Had a craft store, traveled the world to trade shows and seminars to teach the latest craft techniques to retailers and consumers....the travel and teaching was sooo much fun and I do miss that. I also miss the endless supply of art and craft supplies I had at the store - if I came up with something new - I would just make it.

ANYway...I don't have that creative outlet here so I have set up an Etsy shop called "With a little Aloha". Etsy is a site where you can post and sell items you make yourself or vintage items. Right now I am selling totes, clothes pin hangers and Teddy Bears that I have sewn with Aloha fabric and Rubber stamps that I have drawn with underwater critters you would see in Hawaii. I also can personalize the stamps or draw custom designs.

I am also selling photos an some of my drawings on T-shirts and such on Cafe' Press

Do you have an Etsy shop? Questions or suggestions? Feel free to ask or share your link here

Aloha Hui Hou!

Going, going, GONE

So, as I mentioned, I'm selling things on eBay, Craigslist, Etsy, ScubaBoard....basically anywhere I can sell - I'm selling.

I've learned:

• that being nice means that people can be mean
• that you can't write it plain enough for everyone to understand
• there is always going to be someone that thinks they're special and NO exceptions doesn't apply to them
• Weigh and measure two or three times to make sure you're not going to wind up paying someone to take your stuff.
• that if someone doesn't read your post right, it's your fault
• some people will pay a ton of money for something you think is worthless and no one will bid on your treasures

I've been buying and selling on eBay for 10 years now and I don't know what it is, but it seems that people aren't as nice as they used to be. They won't respond to messages and will wait for days and days till they pay (this is on ebay).