Some Recent Finds

Pickings from charity shops are often thin on the ground these days but I have found a few things recently in Devon. There are plenty of charity shops in Totnes, known as a 'bohemian' epicentre in these parts; look past the hippie stuff and it's great for healthy food shopping and eating, vintage and loads more. Transition Town Totnes initiated the Totnes pound to promote local economic sustainability, Brixton followed and others evolve inspired by the originators. 

In Animals in Distress I found this bean slicer.  I'd never seen one before, you screw it to the table like a mincer. I just loved it, especially the fact that it's green bean coloured. I haven't tried it with beans yet - my finds are usually destined for a life outside the kitchen - but I'll give it a scrub and have a go. 

In Tavistock I found 3 eye baths in one lot. Odd I thought. In my junk collection I have some glass ventouses from a Paris flea market and a box of test tubes, so maybe enough to consider a medical themed chandelier......

Also from Animals in Distress are these mini master-pieces; sewing machine parts for 50 pence each. Beautiful tiny sculptures, much bigger and they could be in the Tate Modern Gallery. In this shop I also got the box of spoons in top photo background (I use these in my Jelly Bowl Lanterns), a large Jaeger mohair scarf and a gents dapper paisley fringed scarf - so rich pickings there - just like the good old days.

And just because I haven't posted a cat photo for a while....spot an assistant stylist for the above shots.

Practical Jokers

I love useful implements that look comical. I bought quite a few old kitchen utensils over the years - I never knew when I started making chandeliers that all this stuff would become collectible kitchenalia. I have used some of these in wall lights, but funnily enough the spoon above made it's way into my kitchen and I use it alot - usually kitchen things migrate the other way - to the studio.

I love the simple mechanism of this spatula thing, that widens it - I presume its for turning something like an omelette over, but I'm not entirely sure.
LOOPY IDEAS

I got this whisk at a street market, it's ridiculous how much I love the tiny loop it has to hang it on the wall, genius, similarly I love the way the finger holding bit is made on this curvy slicer. I'm always looking for technical solutions in my work - the simple ideas are always the best!

Mash It Up

This looked like a familiar friend when I bought it in a Paris flea market recently.
Familiar because.......

I knew I had another somewhere. They make picturesque workmates. You'd think I'd be happy with that, but No, I now want a blue one and a green one for no better reason than to see what they look like in a row.

Child's Play

Looking at my work area at the end of yesterday it struck me how it resembles a child's play area, just transpose plastic bricks for my lovely rusty collection. In fact my work technique of seeing how things look together is probably no different. It reminded me of my early days of selling my work when a lovely customer put her hand on my elbow looked in to my eyes and said earnestly "aren't you clever", really sweet and flattering and I felt about 7 or 8 years old again. A deep feeling went through me as I realised I'd recreated my childhood and made a career out of it.  It felt quite shocking at the time, but, well it's not bad as a lifestyle is it!?

Parcel of Goodies

Otis surveys just some of the lovely old tins my friend and dealer from Found in Tokyo sent me.

Look who made himself a heavenly bed with all the bubble wrap too.

They're European but I've never seen these hexagonal moulds before and I have the whole set of sizes here. They have the proportions of a big nut without a bolt. They're all beautifully tarnished and if you remember my post about the home workshop books - some of these look hand soldered. I have to find time (how?) to make some special new lamps (not cakes!) with these.