The Painted Piglet
A blog of thrifty vintage treasure, crafty makeovers, and romantic cottage decorating.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Still moved...
Friday, March 29, 2013
We've moved!
Monday, March 25, 2013
I'm moving!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Gathering mode
I must be in "gathering mode" - I've been shopping like crazy, hitting the thrift stores and hunting down bargains on Ebay, and having absolutely wonderful luck! (I consider myself lucky that in addition to having the "hording gene," I also seem to have the "purging gene." I can be brutal in getting rid of stuff - do NOT hire me to clean out your stash!) I'm so excited to show you some of my recent finds!
First, after last week's encounter with a local Ebay seller who had some beautiful Rose Chintz plates, I stumbled upon another auction for over 60 pieces of this lovely pattern - all with what I believe to be the original vintage backstamp. A few items were listed as chipped or cracked, but most of the lot was to be in good condition - so I held my breath and took the plunge as the first bidder, and won! A very large box arrived for me on Saturday, and it contained my Rose Chintz treasure:
Now all of this is not for me - I will be keeping a few pieces, and offering the rest for sale as soon as I can go through it all, touch each piece, look for chips, cracks, etc. - but by and large, it seems the auction description was spot-on with only a few pieces that are truly unusable. (But even those would make lovely props in a vintage vignette!) I am thrilled!
Also from Ebay were a large lot of colorful cloth napkins - some for crafting and some for the table:
And this pretty little original oil painting featuring a bold red teapot and dainty green cup. It's only 8 x 6 inches in size, and I'm now on the hunt for a suitable frame:
This auction was also a great deal: a bargain price for a set of 6 dinner plates in Homer Laughlin Eggshell Georgian "Countess," free shipping, and a motivated seller who accepted my "best offer" AND even sent me one extra plate! I am IN. LOVE. with this pretty, pretty pattern!
Next up are the thrift-store finds. I nabbed this sweet serving bowl for just 79 cents at the Goodwill:
And I paid just under $20 total for these three treasures at my favorite antique mall, the Brass Armadillo, where it was 15 percent off day!
Finally - this pretty table runner in Spring hues of pink, lavender and soft gray. I think this may find its way into the next vignette on Grandma's table!
Whew!! That's been my fun for the past week - oh! And, I have finally taken the plunge and put a few things into an Etsy shop! You can find it here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaintedPiglet All dishes for right now, but working on expanding as fast as I can!
I hope you have had some moments of thrifty joy this week - what have you found lately that you absolutely love??
More soon,
Here they are in closeup - first, a sweet little bust standing about 10 inches high. I had one of these years ago but it got broken and I've been looking almost 10 years for a replacement at a great price.
Next, a pair of white bread plates in mulberry transferware - and the most informative backstamp I've ever seen! I'm now on a mission to learn more about Miss Clarice Cliff - it seems she was more of an art deco designer for various English potteries, and did not like these formal "transferware" patterns. I, however, simply love them - especially in red or mulberry.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Taking time to turn the pages
I don't have (and didn't want) a lot of the traditional St. Paddy's decorations... I'll be honest, Leprechauns kind of give me the creeps ;) Shamrocks are pretty but I felt like a vintage version would be better suited for the look I wanted. So I decided to just go for a green-and-white theme.
Here is the little grouping just behind the book to the upper left in the picture:
I've used my two green fluted vases found on a recent thrifting adventure, along with some Dollar Store silk carnations:
And a tiny print courtesy of The Graphics Fairy in a diminutive silver-toned frame:
Under the whole setting is this pretty white crocheted table runner - yes, I kept the romantic pink tablecloth (I couldn't bear to put it away!) but decided to try to mask it for my green-and-white tribute to the Emerald Isle. The pretty hanky also picks up the green-and-white theme, while lending a touch of pink.
Around the other side of the table, we have the omni-present Mr. Duck...
In front of another pretty print from The Graphics Fairy. I thought this Irish girl was lovely!
The book I'm using for this display is a real treasure - I picked it up in the bargain section at Barnes & Noble recently: Castles of Britain and Ireland, by Rodney Castleden (no pun intended, I'm sure!).
It's hard to get a good shot of an open page because of the lighting, but it features beautiful photography and a bit of informational text about the centuries-old castles of England, Scotland, Wales, & Ireland. This spread shows Cashel Castle, a.k.a. The Rock of Cashel or The Rock of St. Patrick.
The book is a little more in proportion to the table when it's closed, but having it open encourages one to flip through the pages - which I otherwise might forget to do!
I'll be linking this happy little table to Marty's Tabletop Tuesday party over at A Stroll Thru Life!
More soon,
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Featured at Dollar Store Crafts!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Swooning over Johnson Brothers Rose Chintz
Squeeee indeed!
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