Curiosity Corner

Several people have asked to see my entire utility china collection.  This has been basically impossible.  We're doing a lot of work on our house and are very short on furniture, therefore most of my stuff was being kept unappealingly in cabinets, or even in the loft! (I know, a real travesty)

We had some people hopping the pond and visiting us for a bit and I used their arrival as a way to get a few things, for the house you know.  One of my purchases was a bookcase!  This won't be a permanent home, eventually I will have a matching bookcase and welsh dresser, but for now this is spectacular!

Ta da!

Its a bit far away isn't it?

On the top two shelves I have my Woods Ware gravy boats, teapots and coffee pots.

Next shelf down is my Johnston Borthers and then Grindley collection (with some Woods Ware thrown in for good measure).

The next two shelves are a bit of a mixed bag as they also hold my vintage Pyrex.  Of course, there is a lot of Woods Ware jugs.  The bottom shelf here also has a Woods Ware mini teapot, some Johnson Bros, Grindley, Meakin and Ballerina Rosa.

 The bottom shelf is a bit of a cheat.  Just some Meakin jugs, my cookbooks, and my Apples to Apples game.

This still isn't all of it, the teacups, plates, bowls and some other bits are in cupboards in the kitchen.  Perhaps I'll get them all neatened up in the future for a little show and tell.

What do you think?  I'd love to see your collections as well!

Allota Thrift

My husband has once again begun to complain that he lives in a post office due to all the packages I receive.  Therefore I think its time to upload several pictures at once.  All of these were eBay finds.

The thing about eBay is that you don't always know what your going to get.  Part of this is because not all of the descriptions are accurate, and because I don't always read the description as well as I should.  Especially if I'm at work when bidding.  I won two sets of Woods Ware Jasmine fruit bowls.  I was hoping for pasta bowls, but these are proving to be very useful.  All together we have 8 now!

  

I can't tell you how many times I bid on egg cups and didn't win them.  The price just gets crazy high.  However, the seller set these to end at an odd time and I was able to score them for not much.  These are Woods Ware Iris and I have four!

 I thought that I should show you how I'm displaying them, and a bit of a sneak peak of my new shelves!

 I also got this tiny Johnson Brothers milk jug.  I love all my utility china equally, but there is something extra special about the really tiny pieces!  It goes well with the (not pictured) cutest teapot in all the land!

 

He's another peak up my upcoming shelf and the tiny milk jug with its  larger cousin!

 

Anyone else with good finds this week?

I’m going to link up with Her Library Adventures and Flea Market finds, Magpie Monday at Me and my Shadow, Thrift Share Monday at Apron Thrift Girl and Thrifty Love over at Cap Creations.

I Got a Present!

I was sitting at my desk as work a few weeks ago, just minding my own business, or well, do my companies business, when I got a package! Now, this happens with some regularity, but what doesn't happen often is getting a surprise package.

I opened it like a kid at Christmas, hence no opening photos.

I did manage to read the card first and my surprise package was from the lovely Madison, over at Madison Makes. 

When I opened the package I found an Art Pottery platter!

This is my utility china unicorn.  I've seen the Art Pottery name on other bloggers list, but I've never seen any out and about, on eBay, or even on another blog.  I had begun to think that it didn't exist.  I was astonished when I flipped over the plate.  In fact, I squealed at work.   Luckily my co workers already think I'm a nut!

It's been hard to get a picture of this because its been in constant use since it arrived.  It's the perfect platter for two!

Madison, thank you so much for such a wonderful surprise!

Mystery Thrift

I should really go to the gym more often. Not because of the whole health, weight loss thing, but to thrift.  Pretty much every Saturday after my morning work out I take a cheeky speed thrift around our little high street.  I quickly spotted a jug of appropriate color and grabbed it.  I found that I had a pretty jug.

Then I turned it over and none of the familiar names were there.  Instead it says Booths Blue Mist, Made in England.  Oh yea, and the number 174.  It was just £1.49 so I decided to take it home with me and research it later. 

I didn't have a huge amount of luck.  Booths was apparently in business from 1891-1948, but lived on as it was bought out on several occasions.  I found this website with Booths backstamps, but none of them matched mine, although the font looks similar. 

So this is the mystery thrift.  Is this utility china, I would have to guess not, maybe?  I don't know.  What do you think?

The jug isn't in the best condition.  On top of being pretty badly crazed, there are stains under the glaze and no matter how much I scrub, or even the trip thru the dishwasher, I can't get them out.  Even though I know its clean, I feel like I don't want to use it because of this. This little jug will just be standing tall on its shelf.

So what do you think?  Have I found something rare, have I found something made last week?  Its a mystery.

I’m going to link up with Her Library Adventures and Flea Market finds, Magpie Monday at Me and my Shadow, Thrift Share Monday at Apron Thrift Girl and Thrifty Love over at Cap Creations.

Utility China In Use!

I do have quite a lot of utility china so its hard to use it all all the time, but when we have a bbq I have the perfect excuse. The Diamond Jubilee was the perfect excuse.  Even though I'm not a Brit, I'm married to one and I decided to go all out!

Here's my set up in the morning before everyone showed up.  To the left I have a Pyrex bowl, in the back I have three Grindley jugs and one Johnson Brothers jug.  Don't miss the boot salt and pepper shakers!

 Here's the cake that I made, it was beautiful and will become my go to chocolate cake recipe.  Next time I make it I'll post about it.  To the left you can see my merangs, they were mean to be red, white and blue, but I didn't use enough food coloring. 

Somehow we ended up withe loads of cake, there's even one missing from this picture!

 I know its late, but I hope that everyone else had as much fun as I did!

Thrifty Love

I feel like I’ve been gone for months, but it’s only be a month.  I have still been collecting, but work, visitors and plain old laziness have kept me away.  I hope you can forgive me.  

This week I’ve had quite a bit of Johnson Brothers love.  First up is this Greendawn tea pot.   This was an eBay find and I didn’t expect it to be so tiny, but when I pulled it out of the box I soon realized that its demure stature made it the cutest little teapot in all the land!

Another eBay find this week was a Johnson Brothers Rosedawn coffee pot.  It goes beautifully with the rest of the Johnson Brothers coffee pot gang!

Anyone else have any good finds this week?  Is it normal to force my look alike pieces to hang out with one another?

I’m going to link up with Her Library Adventures and Flea Market finds, Magpie Monday at Me and my Shadow, Thrift Share Monday at Apron Thrift Girl and Thrifty Love over at Cap Creations.