Raiding Grandma's attic

I spent last weekend at my in-laws', and in addition to eating my own bodyweight in ginger creams and helping myself to books from their extensive collection, I was able to make the car heavier on the way home for another reason as well.  My mother in law Carole had been sorting out their attic, and found a load of crafting supplies belonging to my father in law's late mum. Would I like to take a look? Obviously I didn't need asking twice, and clambered eagerly up the wooden ladder to the loft (they live in the most gorgeous art deco house) where I found these.

Ooh, tins!

Grandma had been a keen maker of mosaic pictures and was obviously quite the magpie. In addition to  pieces of tile and broken pottery, the tins (and some less attractive dusty tupperware) were full to the brim with buttons, millefiore glass, shells, coloured fish tank type pebbles, broken jewellery, pieces of smashed headlight...basically anything pretty or sparkly.

Buttons, earrings and...shards of broken glass. Yay!

My husband found me an hour later, happily stirring through the contents with a stick. I don't know when I'm likely to make a mosaic (although I do love Parc Güell in Barcelona. Why think small eh?) one of the broken turquoise and silver clip-on earrings in the photo above has already become a ring. And look at the tins! Aren't they lovely?  

Quality Street tins like what they used to be

Under sea biscuit tin

One of my best friends lives in Moscow, I miss her

Broken earring re-purposed

Carole also has an extensive wardrobe, and very kindly gave me her favourite skirt from back in the 80s. I'll blog that later on, but suffice to say zebra print and lace feature prominently. [Yes, it looks better than it sounds].

Lakota x

PS. Have you seen my Facebook page? Or come and see me try - and usually fail - to condense my wittering into 140 characters on Twitter. I'd love it if you said hello.

Linking up to Flea Market Finds
Magpie Monday
Thrift Share Monday