Swedish Vase and Notions from Garage Sale!

I was driving along this weekend to my regular thrift stops when a Garage Sale sign called out to me. I screeched to a halt as I saw a little old lady just setting up shop.

The first thing I spotted was this beautiful little vase with crackled glass. The label read: Stockholms Glasbruk - Karin Hamar - Skansen. The ribbon around its neck is in the distinctive Swedish colours of blue and yellow.

When I came home, I did a little research with the info from the label, and it turns out that Stockholms Glassworks is an old Swedish company that specializes in handblown glass. This model is called the Lilia Skolvasen and was the first design manufactured by the company in 1933. Karin Hammar is the current designer at the company, and she is in fact the grand-daughter of the company's founder.

The seller also had a tin of notions and some wool yarn pieces that were in such beautiful colours I couldn't resist. I wish I were more crafty and able to do something interesting with these. More than likely I'll be giving them to my sister in law, who's great at crochet.

I love the variety and hidden surprises available at Garage Sales. The lady bagged my goodies into an old Woodward's Christmas-themed shopping bag. The Woodward's department store was known for their Christmas window displays, which ended when the company closed its doors for the last time in 1993.

I think my favourite find of the day has to be this delicate little glass vase. It is really a timeless look and I feel a bit bad that she only charged me 50¢ for it! I tried to make up for it by purchasing a couple knicknacks that were priced for more than they were worth...

Linking up with ATG's Thrift Share Monday and Her Library Adventures' Flea Market Finds!

Dansk Wine Carafe with Teak Stopper

With the help of my friend Rebecca, I was able to score this awesome glass decanter made by Dansk in its original box for $4!

I often find that the cheap goodies go quick on Craigslist... unless they are located in a suburb. I figure since it's a long drive for most people to make, less buyers are willing or able to pounce on great items. This particular seller was located basically next door to my friend's place, and she was gracious enough to pick it up for me.

The best parts of this piece are the sweeping slopes of the delicate glass and the beautiful teak stopper. It's a real delight to hold the decanter at its slender neck.

The carafe was designed by Gunnar Cyren, a Swedish silversmith, and glass and industrial designer. Cyren began to work for Dansk International in 1970, designing this carafe for production in 1980.

Even though it is a wine carafe, I plan to use it to hold water at the dinner table. I think it'll look elegant and should get a lot of use.

Linking up to HLA's Flea Market Finds and ATG's Thrift Share Monday!