Thrifty finds & other bargains

I knew if I said the sun was out it would go in! But it was briefly out and it was nice to feel a bit of natural warmth in here before the predicted cold snap again at the weekend!
I decided to make the most of the sun & popped out on a mission, to find a big coffee cup.


Today is the northern heat of the UK Barista championships and people from the cafes I visit in York are taking part so good luck to them. 
I'm very much in awe at the latte art these people create and having had a bit of instruction at Spring Espresso last week I want to try some new techniques. This calls for a bigger cup to practise with, often the problem I have when swirling my milk into the espresso is the fact the cup fills up too quick before I finish off with the design on top.


So I went around all the charity shops in Driffield looking for a big cup, not exactly found what I wanted but I did find this.

It's a Ringtons thing and looks something like a drip through device that you could put either tea leaves or coffee in via a filter paper. I like drip through and pour over coffees so I thought I'd have it.

I also found this wonderful retro looking Norwegian ceramic in a charity shop. The reason it caught my eye, I'm currently working on some fabric designs featuring costume dolls.

Not having found the large cup, I resorted to shops like Boyes, Wilko & Yorkshire Trader. By the way the Yorkshire Trader in Driffield is closing down, I'm not sure if they all are in other towns but this one goes beginning of March and there are some bargains to be had in clothing and household stuff. Some wool is reduced and crafty things but they haven't reduced the fabric yet or other sewing stuff.


I bought these paper craft things which will be nice for making cards and festive things next Christmas.

Eventually I found a reasonable cup in Boyes sale, the one on the left, but then I went down the street to Wilko and found one of those disgustingly large, soup size coffee cups Costa & the like have so I succumbed to buying it as a practise cup only!