Free lamp and cheap finds.

I joined a local group pn Facebook where poeple posted items they wanted to get rid of. A woman was getting rid of a lamp and when I saw it I loved the look of it. I picked it up last weekend and it has sat in my lounge waiting for me to do something with it.

Here is the lamp as it looked when I got it.

You can just about make out a swans head on the right hand side near where the plug is tucked. The opposite side has been knocked off so when I got it home I carfeully sawed the head off to make it equal both sides.

I then put a bulb in it to check that it actually worked. Yippee, it does work :)

Yesterday I went into town with Tony to buy some spray paint and primer. I have wante to try spray painting for a while so thought this lamp would be a good starting project. I also bought a shade for it as it was missing it's hat.

Here is the finished lamp. I'm not sure about the shade, I think I need to get a shade with some fringing as it looks a bit short as it is. Either that or I will find or make some fringing to put at the base of the shade. The shade has clear beads sewn into it, so I could make a bead fringe to match. What do you think?

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The outside ends of the twisted parts is where the broken piece and the swans head was. I love the pattern on the body of the lamp.

This is the base of the lamp, I love the scrolls on the feet.

Anyway, for my first attempt at spray painting I think it has turned out ok. I used Plasticote antique cream and apart from the smell and the fact I had no mask, it was easy.

Other stuff I have got cheap at bootfairs, secondhand shops, or charity shops include 2 brand new low bookcases for £6, a large computer desk that I have been searching for for ages as the one I have my PC on is only big enough for the PC, not good as I am at uni and need space for books and note making. I got the desk at my local British Heart Foundation furniture shop for £25. I got it for that price as it had just turned up and was in 3 pieces and I said I would have it delivered like that ( I checked that all bits were there). I also got a cute chest of drawers that has already been painted white. The chest has 8 drawers, there are 4 wide down the left and down the right there are 4 narrow. I will get new handles for the drawers and may repaint it, but not sure yet. The chest of drawers is being delivered tomorrow and the desk is arriving Tuesday.

In other news, Tony is now off work for 2 weeks and after we have sorted out the desk area on Tuesday we plan to take the kids out, just for day trips, Hever Castle on Saturday for definite, but we still need to sort out where for other days. London is usually a good bet as we all enjoy going to London :)

School is now shut for the summer, so I have nearly 6 weeks to myself, so some crafting will take place here. I will definetely make Becky a tote bag as she keeps pinching the one I made for myself and I want to make some cards and do some scrapping; which I haven't done for ages.

Tony also wants me to make some coconut muffins, so they will get made this week sometime.

Anyway, time for a coffee, let me know what you think of the lamp and what I can do to the shade to make it look better, please!

Been shopping!

Today I thought I would go shopping, not for craft stuff though. I decided to have a wander around the local charity shops to see if there was anything I liked. I am so glad I did, I found quite a few bits to go on the dresser in the dining part of my lounge.

I bought 2 glass sugar bowls, a white porcelain chicken shaped gravy boat, a white porcelain basket, a small jug and bowl, a glass cake stand, a handpainted staffordshire mug with July on the inside (my birth month), a small porcelain bowl of cherries and a pin holder...


I also found this adorable little teddy, he is a Boyds Bear and his name is Billy Bob (on his label), I'm not sure if he is worth anything, but he is cute and only cost me 50p.

I have always wanted a jug and bowl, the sort that used to go on wash stands, but have never found a big one cheap enough, so when I saw this little set I couldn't resist. It only cost me £1.00, bargain.

This sweet little bowl of cherries cost me £1.00 as well.

Now this is my best find :-) The battery is there so you can see how small it is. I bought it as I have seen others use these to display their handmade cards. I searched all of ebay for one, but couldn't find one, I asked in florist shops, but they don't use them anymore, something about the fact the bases are made of lead!!!. Well, as Iwas paying for a couple of books for Craig in one shop I looked in a basket that was by the till and noticed the little box. It had a 50p sticker on it, so I grabbed it quick :)

I am really pleased with my finds and I am hoping to find more bargains at the bootfair that I am going to in the morning.

I also found 3 Virginia Andrews books to add to my collection. I have read her first series and have just got back in to her style of books. Sadly the secondhand book shop I go to doesn't have any of her books anymore, so I am constantly searching charity shops and bootfairs for any titles.

Craig came with me on my shopping trip and he found himself 5 books, he goes through books faster than me. I am dragging him to the bootfair tomorrow with a promise of buying him more books :-)

I'm not too sure if Becky will come with us, she's not happy about getting up at the crack of dawn to go trapsing around a bootfair! Tony will stay here as well, but then he has shelves to put up for me in the kitchen.

In other news...

We are getting new windows and a new kitchen fitten in August. What fun that will be. The dog will be going mad with all the strangers in the house and that also means that I will be stuck indoors during the summer holiday.

I handed my portfolio into university a couple of weeks ago and have had feedback from my tutor. He says that it will be in the 80+ range for marks, I am so pleased. The work I did for it was great and I am pleased that my write up portrayed that. I am on track for a first for this years work, yippee. I will be told formally in September.

My hand is healing ok, I am back at work on Monday after being unable to work for ages. I have fracture clinic in August to make sure the scaphoid fracture and the knuckle fracture are healing ok, but I am just so glad to be able to get back to work before the summer holidays.

It was my birthday on Monday and I got money! Mainly as no-one knows what to buy me... craft stuff? stuff for the house? handbags? shoes? books? etc, etc.

Tony bought me a lovely bracelet, but I can't wear it yet as I can only wear bracelets on my right wrist and at the moment I have a splint on that wrist! Can't wait till I don't have to wear that anymore I can tell you, hopefully Monday.

Anyway, I had better sign out now, early start tomorrow and all that! Have a fun weekend everyone. x x