flea market finds: a blue, blue, blue Bitossi christmas

i am rubbing my hands as i write (if that's even possible!) ha! but i am soooo soooo high about my finds this week (the title is already a dead give-away!) that not even the impending "that-time-of-the-month" can dampen it :D i am, of course, referring to paying the bills :)

so first up are these turquoise teacups bought for .75p each. i just love their color! can you imagine yourself sipping hot chocolate on a rainy day with these cute-ness? and imagine my surprise when i looked inside them...

polka dots! *happy dance* they are sooo much fun! i am even totally forgetting the plain white ones i bought previously (ive been known to go back and forth from classic to kitschy, subdued to loud, designer to shabby chic from time to time, so do forgive me) these are made by Waechsterbach Spain (originally, West Germany), known for its vibrant colors, brilliant glaze work and contemporary designs since 1832.

moving on, i also snagged this lovely boho peacock purse yesterday as i was nonchalantly passing by my favorite shop :) the beading is pristine and there are no snags at all :)

another thing i spotted is this craft puncher with a cat design. another one i'll add to my crafts tools collection :) perfect for halloween or for little old cat ladies :D

and now for the serious part :) i found this magnificent 7x3 and a half-inch blue elephant under a pile of old and mingy plastic kitchen utensils. at first i was attracted to the color because they are so vivid (my photo does not do justice at the sharpness of it) so i decided to keep it. and then i spotted another one of the same color lying sideways and wasn't sure what it was. i was hoping it was another animal. but to my surprise...

its a beautiful 7 and a half-inch vase also with the same striking color! now, i have enough vases at home (flea market finds of course) that can last me a lifetime but this one sang to me, ladies and gents! it was calling my name. like the Sirens in Jason's voyage with the Argonauts, alas! i did'nt have my Orpheus with me to drown out the voices *sigh*

from reading too many flea market blogs, i've now acquired the habit of looking at the bottom to see who made these yumminess. when i saw the Bitossi name and the family's coat of arms, thats when i knew these two will be mine forever :D to be passed on to my family and to our family's future generations (such a drama queen and its not like i discovered a treasure chest of ancient Spanish gold and silver coins.... YET! watch this space my little monsters)

i did some research when i got home and found out that these two were made by an Italian family-owned ceramics company, Bitossi, based in Montelupo Fiorentino, a municipality in Florence, Italy since 1921. they belong to their Rimini Blu line "characterized by intricate hand-embossed patterns and layered blue and turquoise glazes, reminiscent of the sea. The pieces were designed by Aldo Londi for Bitossi, and many are still in production today. The pattern can be seen in vases, lamps, ash trays, bowls, platters, and animal figurines."

Designed in the 1950s, every piece of Bitossi's collection has been made by hand by master ceramists. also, decorations have been painted by hand, piece by piece, with precious glazes and firings. small imperfections that sometimes can be noticed witness the originality and the craft manufacturing process of the product.

bought these two for next to nothing and my hopes of finding Mid-Century Modern designs here in Gib are renewed :) now i know there are people out there who are about to dump the rest of their Bitossis to my beloved shops (subliminal message? yes!) so i can finally not worry about retirement :)

*linking to Flea Market Finds @Her Library Adventures!