Treasures from the Junkin' Junket

Hello Friends,

As promised, I have some pictures of some of the pretties I found while out "junkin".  OK, I wish I could say I got these at junk prices, but truthfully, most everything is from antique malls and shows, so no real bargains to be had, but it is fun stuff anyway.

These old Victorian picture albums always intrigue me, but they are usually in rough shape.  Not this beauty though.  The cover is perfect save a little wear on the corners.  And it is such a pretty design. The fabric is velvet and the picture in the center is on celluloid.  I don't know for sure how I want to use it, but I'll let you know if and when something brilliant comes to me.

The clasps are usually broken, but this one is in perfect shape and is so pretty, don't you think?

These little bobbins just intrigued me with their color and their obvious connection to sewing.  I grew up doing needlework with my mom and she always sewed all of our clothes and hers as well.  Every seam was perfect, every pattern lined up exactly.  My mom was an amazing seamstress, so anything  sewing related always kind of draws me in.

This bottle is very cool.  It is an old toilet water bottle.  It still has it's top although I think part of it may be missing.

The best part is it is from Paris.  Very cool, oui?

The little cafe au lait bowl was an Etsy find that arrived from France this week.  It is OLD and soooooo pretty with its little purple flowers.  It looks great on the French booklet I found at an antique mall.

These nifty pieces of celluloid are headed to my art stash.  They are Japanese and I am guessing they are maybe from a factory that never finished making them into their final product?  I've only seen this type of work in vintage jewelry, like pendants and bangles.

This is a bangle that I have in my own jewelry box that is made from this type of 3 dimensional celluloid.  It is so romantic and lovely.  I only wear it now and again for fear I will break it, but I love it anyway.

I found these little tiny cups at the thrift store.  They are very old English paste porcelain.  I can't tell you how to distinguish this type of porcelain, I can only tell you that once you get a feel for how it looks and feels, you will be able to recognize it too.  A lot of the old transferware pieces that I love were made this way.

After my lace organizing task, you'd think I'd have realized I have enough old lace, but I just can't resist it when I see it for a reasonable price.  Same with vintage millinery flowers.  I don't care if they're shabby, they will look great on an art journal or on something else.  Love the little appliques, pincushion, and glass buttons, too.

OK, as popular as religious items are now, thanks to the Jeanne d'Arc French Nordic phenomenon, how cool is it that I found an original 100 year old Madonna plaque???  The plaque is made with some type of plaster and the image almost looks like it is printed on metal.  It has a date of 1902 on it.  I'm thinking of replicating this one of these days.  I'll let you know if I have some luck with it.

And while we're on the subject of the Virgin Mary, look who whispered in my ear that she would very much like to live at my home?

She is chalkware, so she's chippy and her paint colors are muted, and she basically stole my heart.  I may sell her one day, but not today.  For now, she will bring peace and tranquility to my abode.

This tiny cast iron urn turned my head.  I think it may have a future in a vignette under a cloche; what do you think?

 

So, that is the majority of my tresors acquired over the last couple of weeks.  There are a few more, but this post is long enough as it is, so maybe another time.  Hope you all are finding your own treasures and inspiration as well as enjoying the beautiful spring weather.  Do tell, what's inspiring you today?

Until next time,

Linking up with:
What's It Wednesday
Vintage Inspiration Friday
Feathered Nest Friday
French Obsession Party