Saturday, November 7, 2009

Rescued!

Friday is my day for treasure hunting around the neighbourhood. I live near a wealth of op/charity/thrift shops, and most weeks, during a little window of time I have without my boys, I like to wander through them, looking, imagining, finding inspiration and sometimes buying.

Mostly, I buy clothes. Yesterday, I rescued this:


A still life oil painting. The colours popped out at me and I couldn't leave it there. It's beautifully executed. I can't find out anything more about the artist, a Mr Paul de Steiger (full name and address on the back!) but he's a lovely oil painter and I'm so happy to have his painting brightening my kitchen. It's also fitting in with the general fruitiness going on in my head, (and I'm not the only one, see the lovely things Ellie is coming up with at Petalplum).

I don't usually take pictures of all my thrift finds, but I was particularly happy to rescue these bits and pieces on my travels yesterday too:

some lovely doilies and embroidered cushion covers. I am storing these up for a potential quilt idea that has been brewing away in my head for a little while now... a 2010 project I think;

this sweet little cross-stitched serviette, a bit stained but begging to be attached to a bag or something;



and this embroidered tablecloth for my (long-ago thrifted) chair, nicely hiding some of the grubby tapestry.




I don't know how all of this works in with the copious amounts of bold colour and pattern that I usually gather around me, particularly all the RED. But my aesthetic confusion is a topic for another post altogether...

What treasures have you unearthed lately? What's been catching your eye?

13 comments:

  1. Wow when I looked at the first photo, I thought you'd bought a cakestand. The fruit looks so real!

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  2. Me too! I've been obsessed with cake stands lately (no idea why!) and I thought that was what you'd found too :) Such thrifty loveliness you've discovered Gina. I would have picked up every one of them too. I haven't been to the shops for ages - hiding from expenditure of all kinds because I have much to unearth in my work room ;) Have a lovely weekend. K x

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  3. Great finds - the painting is wonderful - a real treasure.

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  4. awesome finds! i'm particularly obsessed with doilies at the moment, so i'm looking forward to seeing what you do with yours
    x isis

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  5. some very cool finds.
    I too LOVE thrift shopping, at the moment i am getting lovely wool coats to make some toys for charity.

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  6. Great painting... I'm loving the cake stand too!!!

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  7. What great finds! Love the colours on the painting. I'm also collecting and stashing away doilies and linens for a big project along the line! I have to say that garage sales have been pretty scarce around us these days but there are a couple of op shop that never fail to deliver a little something! x

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  8. You obviously have some set up/deal thing going with the Friday Oppy Fairy..

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  9. Wow, cool painting, so life like, it makes me feel like a nice crunchy green apple.

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  10. i do love that painting. its got great colour. my op-shopping day tends to be monday (when i get the chance)and all things going well - oi might be able to chance it tomorrow! oh the fun...

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  11. I too am very fruity.
    Picked the first cherries of the season of one of our trees today- yey, so real not only crafty fruitiness!- but hey, I guess 'Apple and Tangerine' is always going to be fruity!!

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  12. I love shopping at the local Thrift Museums here, lately I've found some really pretty Vintage looking lace and doilies, your painting is a real find with lovely coloring and textures.

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  13. I love the painting! Lovely colours. Yay for oppie art!

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“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
~Albert Einstein