Thrifting finds ... just what I was looking for ... and more.

We had a huge garage sale this week-end and after seeing how much stuff I have, I was not much in the mood to go thrift shopping for more ... but Wednesday is MY day to go to Fabulous Finds Thrift Store 25¢ Sale. I always find something I can use and 

Mr. Z. and I have a lunch date every week.

Today I found something that I really needed.

                                        

I am building a floor lamp chandelier out of recycled lamp parts which I had hoped to finish for the garage sale ... but NOT ... and I was looking for SIX chandelier shades for it. It also has the sixth light on the top which was added after this picture ... can see it in this picture with the shade. It will have lots of prisms. Beautiful, like new shades for $1.00 each. I may paint the red dots black. The metal parts are oil-rubbed bronze, but look black.

I hit a snag in finishing it, but will blog about it when finished.

 
 The small ironstone platter was 25¢ ... nice old green bottle, thick glass and lots of bubbles, was $2.00 and the large, solid terracotta pear was $1.00. 




 
The Wm. Adams & Sons platter was the only item I bought in the 25¢ sale ... the

rest was bought inside the store. 

These look great on my ladder shelf in front of my large Apple Cider sign that I have had for ages. Mr. S. had apple orchards for a while and this sign was where his apple cider was sold.
It is huge (cut from a 4'x8' piece of plywood)


Last week: $3.50 bought seven nice heavy ironstone bread or dessert plates and the little creamer was 25¢ ... and they look so pretty under the wire trash 
basket cloche.

Remember the 
wire trash basket cloche light 
I made?

... well I had another thrifted basket

 ... cut the bottom out of it, shaped the top, spray it silver and made another cloche with a lamp part piece for the finial ... 
it looks so pretty on the stand I made from spindles and a round wooden disc.

Happiness is when find just what you are looking for when you go 'thrifting' ...

Linking to:   Revi's Revisionay Thrifty Life Thursday 




Knick of Time Tuesday Vintage Decor  

Peach Blossoms & Bird Nest Cloche from Light Fixture

So thrilled that this was featured by DIY by Design
 
Do you like cloches ?  

Do you know that some light fixtures make really pretty cloches?


Enough questions ... let's take a look at this large cloche I made from a big light fixture.

 This is the kind of fixture that might have been in a room with a very high ceiling. It has six sides of beveled glass panes that are put together with brass metal strips. Inside is a long rod with six lights.
 Really TALL !!!  
Would you buy this?

It had been on the shelf at the Thrift store for two weeks that I know of, priced at $9.95. I ask if it was ready to be reduced and they priced it at $4.99, so that persuaded me to take it.

 We removed the bottom section by using the Dremel to saw through each corner where the two pieces were connected and removed the bottom section, giving it flat open bottom. I had planned to use the bottom section for a short cloche but it is pretty wrecked at this point. 

.  

Here it is, bottom removed, sitting on a temporary round base, but the door cannot be opened on this base. 

Please ignore the messy shop, but this is a real live workshop and stays messy most of the time.

We cut a wooden base for it, making it the same shape as the bottom of the cloche, only about one-inch larger. I wiped some green paint on the wood. Now here it is ... a majestic 27" tall and is pretty heavy with all the glass.

Inside I have displayed two of my natural bird nests. I cut a couple of branches for mounting the nests. Nests are very fragile once removed from their original home so if you can, remove the small branch too. One of the branches came from a peach tree that was beginning to bud, so I placed the branches in water in hopes of forcing blooms and now getting a few blooms.  I have moss grass inside for the base, a few moss rocks, a little plant, two real bird nests and a few birds.

This could be used outside in the garden and the brass would likely age nicely. I left the brass as was but may at some point tarnish it or make it a tarnish silver, pewter or rubbed bronze. I started to do that, but would have taken too long.

The bottom is open and it has a large hinged door. There are small  air holes in the top piece under the finial so a plant could grow in it.

 

Have an open mind when you see vintage light fixtures ...
one may just be perfect for a cloche. 

If you like, you can see another cloche I made from a light fixture. 
HERE

Hope this has inspired you to think outside the box. I have been doing that for a lot of years and even now I can look at something as it is and never imagine it ever being anything else. 

I keep practicing. 

    

Two days later, I am getting more peach blooms. I love forcing Spring by bringing budded limbs in the house. 

 Have you repurposed an old light fixture? 

Blessings. Audrey Z.

 

Linking up with: 
Knick of Time  Interiors
Mrs. Hinds Class Show and Tell
Wow Us Wednesday @ Savy Southern Style 
Inspiration Friday @ At the Picket Fence
 Redoux Friday
Fridays Unfolded @ Stuff and Nonsense
Pot Pourri Friday @ 2805

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Saturday Nite Special @ funky junk interiors
Spotlight Saturday @ Classy Clutter
Sunday's Best @ My 1929 Charmer
Rock 'N Share @ The Shady Porch
Debbiedoos Newbie Party @ Debbiedoos

What's It Wednesdays @ Ivy and Elephants
Blue Cricket Design Show & Tell 
Junkie Newbie Would You Buy it Wednesday  
DIY By Design White Blues Wednesday Party