Finds of the Week #43: Metallic Love
The cold winter weather this past weekend put me in a bit of a project funk, so the only thing to do was leave my craft room alone for awhile, get out of the house with John, enjoy a nice breakfast at our favourite local restaurant, and do a little thrifting.
After breakfast we went to the local Salvation Army store, where they were having a silent auction.
I bid on this 4 piece vintage silver plate tea set before I realized that the auction was over in just 15 minutes and I paid $3 more than I had to, but it’s for a good cause and was still a great deal… so I wasn’t upset about that.
The pieces have a lovely etched design. They’re marked Civic, Made in Sheffield, England.
It was hard to take pictures because they’re very shiny with almost no patina. You can see my craft room’s pink ceiling in the reflection.
The lady at the thrift store told me the set was polished for the auction. I almost cried when she said that.. and she laughed in that are you crazy? kinda way when I told her I would have loved it unpolished even more.
Patina is not a big thing in my neck of the thrifting woods, but that’s OK. More for me. 🙂
Every tea set ages differently… with it own special beauty to share. I’ll probably keep this set to see how long it takes for the patina to show itself again. I’m patient. I can wait.
The large silver plate tray is marked Empress Plate and definitely not a match for the tea set, but it was included.
While we were waiting for the silent auction to end I found this vintage ‘Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread’ pewter tray. It’s marked Wilton, Mount Joy, PA, USA… and besides needing a little cleaning it’s in very good shape.
These wooden handled spoons with stainless steel bowls were just 10 cents each so I had to get them. I think they have great repurposing potential… as do the cheese slicer and tin grater.
This set of vintage 3D fruit copper wall plates caught my eye. One is pears and the other is strawberries. They’re quite large at just under 12″ across, and they both still have their Made in Italy tags on their backs.
I’m not sure why I love copper so much, but I really do.
It doesn’t seem to go with anything in my decor, but I can’t seem to resist it anyway.
After I enjoy them for a while these will probably be put in my etsy shop.
While I was wandering around the thrift shop John checked out one of our favourite booths in the flea market that’s in the same building and found this fabulous steel and aluminum angel sculpture for me.
He knows me well.
She’s about 13″ tall and is definitely going to find a new life as a wind chime. She might just be a keeper. 🙂
I also saw a brass wall planter, but brass is not a fave metal of mine… unless it’s really tarnished. But I think I covered all my metal loves this week… silver plate, pewter, copper, tin, and aluminum. If I had to pick a fave it would be silver plate, with aluminum as a very very close second.
Do you have a favourite metal?
Thanks so much for reading, and until next time… keep on keepin’ on.
XOX
You are not alone in your love of copper. It’s my favorite too 🙂
I can’t wait to see what you do with the wooden handled utensils…
Thanks very much! I think there’s something really quite magical about copper.
The silver tray serving set is wonderful
My Mom had a set of those wooden handle flatware LOL
I love all your finds
Thanks Janice! I’ve never seen any wooden handled flatware in the thrift stores here before so I had to snap it up. I’m looking forward to coming up with a project for them.
Great finds! I love that tea set and know what you mean about the polishing…aarrgh! We received the pewter bread plate for our wedding 20 years ago:) xoKathleen
Thanks Kathleen! It seems I haven’t yet met a tea set I didn’t love, but I only bring home the ones that are a great price. I love the pewter bread plate.
In love with the Angel 🙂 . Would love to have a chance to buy her if she goes up for sale when you are finished. My daughter’s name is Angela and wind chimes are her obsession! Perfect, no?
Thanks Brenda! The angel is pretty special and it sounds like it might be perfect for Angela. I’ll be sharing my finished angel chime here when I’m done along with others that I’ve already made and are waiting to get pictures outside. Can’t promise when that will be exactly because it’s still quite wintry here. When the warm weather arrives I start getting my wind chimes into my shop. Look for that post within the next couple of weeks.
You find such great things, Tuula…I can’t wait to see what you come with for the angel windchime.
Pick a favorite metal? Don’t think I can!
xoxo, T.
Thanks Tina! It’s hard for me to pick a favourite too. That angel is sweet. John did good.
Great finds Tuula! I think that pewter bread plate was THE wedding gift for a season, but I still love mine. I love combining different metals though I’m partial to silver. Can’t wait to see your angel project 😉
Thanks Cecilia! From the comments here it seems you’re right about the pewter bread plate, but I’ve never seen one before. I’m looking forward to working on the angel chime. She’s taken me out of my creative funk.
I also love old silver.
I LOVE the Angel!!! What a fabulous find!!!
Is there any chance she would be in your etsy shop?
We will be moving and she would be perfect in our new home! Please let me know.
I truly enjoy your blog and your “finds”!
Thanks so much Mimi! I really appreciate you reading along. The angel may eventually be available in my shop, but after she’s turned into a wind chime. I’ll be sharing her in a post in the future.
Thank you for your answer. I do think she would make a lovely wind chime. My neighbours are not fond of wind chimes. I cannot sleep with their melodies. I will have to pass. I think she I s lovely the way she is now.
Thanks Mimi. I know wind chimes are not for everyone. From spring to fall I have to have wind chimes outside, and I also make many for my etsy shop. I love the sounds, especially when I use silverware… which I most often do. The angel is lovely just as she is now, but for me she’ll be even lovelier as a wind chime.
I have the exact Wilton bread tray. Got is as a wedding present 40 years ago!!
Wow Betsey! You’re the third commenter who mentioned a wedding and the bread tray. I guess it was a popular wedding gift back in the day.
Another great week of finds! The tea pot in the set…..the graceful curve of the spout…..love it. The copper plates are beautiful….I don’t think I’ve ever seen plates like that, with fruit. But that angel! She’s the star of the show! So unique! Wow. This week’s treasures really has me wanting to get back into it!! Thanks for sharing! Dona
Thanks Dona! I’ve never seen the fruit copper plates before either, and the angel is really quite special. She’s a perfect chime candidate.
What a fun post and such awesome finds! The wind chime angel is so clever and it will be fun to see how it comes together! When it comes to metal, I have to choose zinc. The dusty patina and blue/grey tones…heaven.
JoanMarie
Thanks JoanMarie! Now that you mention it I love zinc too. I just don’t find it here very often. It is lovely.
Oh, no, not the dreaded silver polish! Years of patina lost. Great finds and I can’t wait to see them transformed!
I know, so sad about the patina. But I’m going to hang onto this set for awhile. Hopefully it won’t take years to get it back.
I would have been bidding against you for this gorgeous silver set. I prefer my silver with a bit of patina too, give it some time and it will come back. Thanks for sharing at Talk of the Town.
Between the two of us we would have ran the price up. lol. Thankfully I was the only one left bidding. I want to use them to make wind chimes, but they need some patina first. I hope it doesn’t take too long to come back.
My favorite metal, believe it or not, is brass! I just love the patina aged brass has. I think I have that Give Us This Day plate. I will have to dig it out. You found lots of great metal goodies!
Thanks AnnMarie! I love aged brass, but the only really shiny metal I like is copper, but I really prefer that aged too. Verdegris is lovely. That bread plate seems to have been very popular back in the day. I’d never seen one before.
Hi Tuula, Love the sp teaset! I am all about shiny, so I’m loving it as is but let me tell you none of my sp around here is shiny at the moment! Lazy on my part! lol
Thanks so much for the party and have a great day!
gina
That’s too funny Gina! Maybe that’s why I love patina so much. lol.
Oh like you I would be sad for the lost patina. You found a lot of beautiful things this week.
Thanks Sharon! I’m hoping it won’t take too long for the patina to return. We’ll see!
I really need to come thrifting with you. Love the etching on the teapots!!
Thanks Karen! It was just dumb luck that we were there as the auction was ending. The tea set was a great deal.
I love the silver plate tray! Beautiful. I guess I love silver… but gold is always nice, too. 🙂 Not that I’ve EVER seen a gold tray!
I’ve given you a feature tomorrow morning for Let’s Talk Vintage!
It is a lovely tray, and I’ve never seen a gold one either. Actually I don’t see much gold anything around here. Thanks so much for the feature Jill!