McCoy pottery — Page 2

It’s Monday

November 27, 2023 at 9:53 am by Claudia

Before I forget, my Etsy shop is back up and running. I’ve spent the last several days taking photos and writing and posting descriptions of each piece. I think I had 13 or 14 pieces of pottery and I’ve already sold 3. After I finish this post, I’m off to find some boxes for packing. I have boxes, but they’re not the right size for these 3 smaller pieces of pottery. I’ll be adding more items over the next couple of weeks. The problem with Etsy is that they charge fees and that takes a chunk out of any profit. But of course, they’re a business and they have to. The shop, by the way, is ScoutHarper. It’s the same shop that Mere and I used to run together when she was making things and and I was crocheting tons of scarves. My right wrist has never recovered.

Right now, the inventory is mostly McCoy pottery. There’s a piece of Hull there as well.

My Christmas present arrived last Friday and since I have no will power whatsoever, the package was opened immediately. As was Don’s banjo, so we’re even.

Meet Chloe.

She was customized by MissEdith Dolls. Edith lives in Canada – Quebec, I think.

Here’s the back story. I’ve long wanted one of her girls because she’s a very talented artist (she also does portraits) and I love what she does with eyebrows and lips and all the subtle shades in the face up. In the past few months, my friends Susannah and Catherine have adopted MissEdith Dolls, which, let’s face it, made them even more attractive to me because I really got to see them up close. Catherine got hers secondhand, and by that I mean not directly from the customizer but from the owner. I adopt most of my dolls this way because the price is usually less than it was originally. Not all the time, but often. All my Ferro dolls have been adopted by previous owners, for example.

Anyway, I was messaging Catherine (who adopted my doll Mei) recently, and I asked her to keep an eye out for any MissEdith Dolls that might be up for adoption. A week or so later, she wrote me saying that she had just adopted another MissEdith but one of her dream girls had just become available at the same time and now she would have to sell the MissEdith doll. Did I want her? It was a doll that I had been watching for several months and one that I loved. I asked her to give me 5 days to decide. I showed her to Don. Don went a bit gaga for her. Anyway, long story short, we decided she would be my Christmas present and the banjo would be Don’s. Catherine lives in Singapore, by the way, though she’s from Ireland. This doll was picked up at Catherine’s home in Singapore on my birthday. FedEx shipped her on the following day – Wednesday – and she arrived at my house on Friday morning, Pretty darned fast.

Anyway, Catherine has adopted a girl from me and I’ve adopted one from her.

Chloe’s base doll is “Simply Lilac.” As it happens, another of my girls is also Simply Lilac.

And here they are, meeting for the first time. Hi, Olivia and Chloe!

It’s fascinating how different customizers come up with completely different faces from the same base doll.

Both of these girls have chin clefts though Chloe’s is more pronounced.

New girls are now having to perch on the shelf in a sitting position. There’s no available space for standing. I have to brace them from behind with various items; a piece of pottery for Chloe, a candle in a ceramic holder for Pru.

I made a trip to Target yesterday to look for boxes and bubble wrap, etc. I found some neat little Christmas trees and some adorable deer. So now, the girls’ shelves are being decorated for Christmas. I also found some of those sweater ornaments that I used for the girls last Christmas as well as some ornament parkas. I’ll share them with you tomorrow.

Now I have to get off my tush and figure out the box/package situation and get them in the mail.

Stay safe.

Happy Monday.

Friday Thoughts

November 17, 2023 at 9:48 am by Claudia

This morning’s sunrise. This was the view out our back window. However, I went outside to shoot this, rather than shoot through the smudgy window. Isn’t it gorgeous? We do get the best views out this window and from the window in the upstairs half bath. Last night’s sunset was glorious, too, but that view is from the front of the house.

We are having unseasonably warm weather. That will change tomorrow. So I’m going to enjoy one more day of warmth and potted flowers in bloom on my porch. The cement job looks great. Don put the skim coat on yesterday. Finished!

During all my ongoing reading, I’ve also been rereading The Deptford Trilogy by one of my all-time favorite authors, Robertson Davies. I just finished the second book in the trilogy, The Manticore. Now, it’s on to the final book, World of Wonders. I first read these books well over 30 years ago. Maybe even 40 years ago? I haven’t read them since and I can’t tell you how wonderful it has been to revisit them. Davies was a brilliant writer. I’m also reading My Name is Barbra, Barbra Streisand’s autobiography. I’m not a regular reader of biographies; I much prefer fiction. But her style is very chatty and it’s like having a conversation with her – a very accessible and compelling read.

I’m contemplating selling my first dollhouse, Hummingbird Cottage. Should I? The dollhouses take up space here and though I love it, I’m not as invested in it these days. I would sell it without the furnishings, I think. But how do I price something like that? It took 6 years off and on to repair, refurbish, and decorate. I don’t know, maybe it’s a fruitless idea. It would have to be a local sale and I can’t imagine there are that many prospective buyers.

I won’t sell the vintage houses; even if I wanted to, Don would never let me! And I’ve got the Beacon Hill to work on. Plus, Dove Cottage is here and Don’s Mini Studio.

I’m also going to sell some of my McCoy pottery on Etsy. I have so much of it! There are pieces I’ll never sell, but there are plenty that I was happy to acquire at the time but am fine with selling. I’ve been washing them and thinking about how to photograph them. That will take up a great deal of time, but having done this in the past with the scarves I used to sell, I’m fairly sure I can handle it. I’ll let you know when they’re posted on Etsy.

Letting go of anything is hard for me, but as I grow older (another birthday next week) I realize I need to let go of those things that I can willingly release.

Stay safe.

Happy Friday.

A Shelf and the Hangout

June 11, 2023 at 9:38 am by Claudia

A favorite shelf. This one is in the pink cabinet in my office. I especially love that blue and green paper.

If you’re interested, from the left:

Back row: the very old candy box that is the home to all the letters my grandmother and her little sister exchanged when Gram was in nursing school. Rhoda died from the Spanish flu when she was 15, as did the oldest sister, Maggie. Two sisters gone within days of each other.

Next to that is a framed motto about friendship, given to me by Lori, the owner of Vignettes in San Diego.

Next row:

Several pieces of cream-colored McCoy pottery. Sticking out of the piece on the right, a beautiful handmade powder puff by one of my earliest blogging friends. And now, to my embarrassment, I can’t remember the name – wait, it was Lori who had a blog that I loved. She no longer blogs, but I got the initial inspiration about putz sheep from her, as well.

Front row:

A piece of McCoy. Inside is a little plate given to me by my friend Donna. It’s the Claudia pattern. I’m pretty sure it’s Spode.

A Vintage by Crystal girl who reminds me of my mom as a little girl.

A cream-colored McCoy flower pot.

A deer – not sure who made it, but I love it.

Another McCoy flower pot.

A little vintage Christmas elf playing a horn.

Two pieces by Vintage by Crystal.

Another McCoy piece that looks like a gravy boat, but is a planter.

The Smurf was a gift from Michael Ausiello, the author of Spoiler Alert. Those of you who have seen the movie know that Smurfs are a key plot point.

Two Swarovski bunnies from Barbara.

I’ve done this before, but it’s been a while, so I may highlight some other shelves in the near future.

The kids have decided that even though they have a new home, this is their hangout in the afternoon. And sometimes even earlier. Yesterday, I did a lot of chores around the house because Don was out getting an oil change (I always get more done when he’s not here.) I was outside and there was no sign of them, so I thought: Maybe they’re established in their new home!

Nope. A little later, one appeared.

And even later, there were three, just as there were the day before. I saw one go in the garden, but the other two were dining on the green things near the Funky Patio. I don’t mind that at all. That’s where the rabbit sometimes eats, as well.

Then they just sort of hung out, lazing away on the rocks.

The blue bin lids were my ‘wall’ which we foolishly took down right after mama moved the kids. I retrieved them and leaned them against things, but it was very windy yesterday afternoon and they fell over.

The kids appear unfazed.

By 5:30, they were gone, having headed back to their house. It’s funny to watch them leave, they walk along the side of the house, hugging the wall, hop on top of the door to the basement, go through the gate, then the secret garden, then up the stepping stones to the back forty.

I felt a bit more tolerant yesterday, because they’re so gosh darned cute.

In a month or two, they’ll leave home and establish their own residences. There are babies around here every year, but I’ve only seen them on the part of the property that is nearest to our house twice. The first time, they lived under the shed.

Anyway, all this is to say, that they’ve been here for decades and decades and usually we coexist with them rather nicely. This time, a bit too close for comfort, but we’re okay.

Stay safe.

Happy Sunday.

It’s Monday

Friday Thoughts

A Shelf and the Hangout

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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