Roseville pottery

Tuesday Stream of Consciousness

March 8, 2016 at 8:21 am by Claudia

3-8 sunset

• Another glorious sunset. Our house faces west, so as I sit in my chair or go about my business in the living room, this is what I see.

• Trip plans: We’re heading out tomorrow morning. Cannot wait. I’m currently plotting a route down to Florida that avoids the hell that is the Washington D.C. area and, instead, takes us through some beautiful country – courtesy of my Facebook friends. As I looked at the map today, I got those anticipatory butterflies that I get when I am about to explore and see something new.

When I was on the road more, especially when I worked for a theatrical touring company, I loved to explore whatever city I was in. I’m always up for getting out, walking around, exploring, and learning new things. Dallas; Cedar Falls, Iowa; Owensboro, KY; Gainesville, FL; Ft.Lauderdale, FL; Birmingham, AL; Charleston, SC – just a few of the places I was able to explore when I was on the road for a few days here and a few days there. Often, I had to pick up a car rental and drive many miles from the airport to the theater and I’d explore along the way.

Don loves car trips. It will be fun.

• Yesterday. This arrived….

3-8 doublebudvase1

I know. I succumbed again.

It’s a double bud vase in the Clematis pattern. Need I say that it was a great score on eBay? It was.

3-8 doublebudvase2

The other side. Isn’t it beautiful? Several Roseville patterns have their own version of this double bud vase. As crazy about Roseville as I am, I can see collecting all of them.

Stop me.

3-8 rosevilleonshelf

There it is on the shelf; though I’ve since changed it out with the basket that Barbara sent to me. The double bud vase is now in the china cabinet in the den. I can see it from my blogging chair.

I may change that. We’ll see.

Can one have too much vintage pottery? My short answer: No.

3-8 geranium

• My over-wintering geranium is blooming again! This little experiment was a complete success. I’ve been watering all the plants so they’ll be nice and moist while we’re gone. Even the succulents got a dash of water.

• Blogging Etiquette Question: Am I the only one who gets irritated when I see posts from bloggers where lots of photos are taken directly from a post on another site/blog? It seems wrong to me. Yes, they usually link back to the original source, but if they’re basically taking all the photos from the original post, who is going to click the link? (And often the name of the original blog is hidden – you have to click through to find out who it was.)

It seems a bit like cheating. The blogger gets a post out of it without doing any of the work. Not quite fair, I think. Though perhaps the photos get a wider audience? Still, it doesn’t sit right. Far better, in my humble opinion, to say something like, “You should see this wonderful home or apartment or miniature or whatever that I saw elsewhere – here’s the link.” And then the original poster gets the hits, which is the way it should be.

Just wondering. It’s been bugging me a lot lately.

Lots to do today.

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Collecting: A Wee Bit of Madness

March 1, 2016 at 9:30 am by Claudia

3-1 white rose 1

This is what happens when you’re completely and utterly enchanted by something…say, Roseville Pottery…and you’re sad most of the time and your back hurts and you’re stuck in your chair and you need something to cheer you up. And you figure that this particular something, which is on eBay and is a new pattern for you, might be a neat addition to your collection. And then you are the only bidder, so, come on ! It’s a no-brainer.

This pattern is White Rose. The vase is 7 inches high.

3-1 white rose 2

The other side. I really love the shape, which is different from any other piece in my collection.

3-1 shelf

On the shelf in my office.

It’s a wee bit of madness this infatuation I have with Roseville Pottery. And I fully recommend a little madness of this sort for everyone. It’s so much fun!

3-1 priceguide

Also in yesterday’s mail was the price guide for Roseville that I ordered through Amazon. It’s clearly self-published and simply lists prices by the numbers assigned to each style and pattern. For instance, this particular vase has “Roseville – U.S.A” and the numbers 983-7 in raised script on the bottom. 983 denotes a specific vase in the White Rose pattern and 7 indicates the height of the vase.

No photos. Just updated, and that’s the key, prices for every item in the Roseville Pottery line. The many reference books I already have are full of gorgeous and very helpful photos, but the prices are out of date. This particular little book is updated every year.

I couldn’t help but check out the pieces I’ve purchased and the amount I paid for them against the price range given in the pamphlet. I’m happy to say I’m doing extremely well! Always less than half the amount given, sometimes much less than that.

Check out the font used on the cover of the pamphlet. I must admit it makes me chuckle.

We’re most likely heading to Florida sometime next week for a visit with my family. We need a break. We need sun and sand and the smell of the ocean. We especially need my sister and her family, including Little Z and Max, her dog.

It will be nice to have a little vacation. That’s an understatement.

Happy Tuesday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Adding a Backdrop

February 25, 2016 at 8:37 am by Claudia

Rain, torrential rain, thunder, and lightning which seemed to go on for hours – we were part of that same devastating storm that has wreaked so much havoc. Fortunately, we are soggy – very soggy – but safe. I’m thinking of all those who were in harm’s way. This one was and is dangerous.

I’ve done something to my lower back and I’m hobbling around the house. I don’t know how it happened, but it just seems to get worse, so I’m sitting here in my blogging chair with a heating pad. Yesterday, I hung around upstairs in the office for quite some time and my desk chair, though charming, doesn’t offer the best back support for this kind of problem. In other words, it made it worse, though I didn’t realize it until too late in the game.

Crap.

I think I stayed upstairs because the downstairs reminds me too much of Scout and I was alone all day, missing her companionship. I didn’t break down until Don came in the door – then I lost it. But I got through the day. Small victories.

I browsed online, looked at the Top Secret Project, noodled around and then I actually did something. I decided the color inside my pink cabinet left something to be desired. No, I didn’t start painting, though that may happen in the future. I grabbed some scrapbook paper that I had on hand.

2-25 roseville

And I pieced it together (I only had a few sheets) to create a backdrop for the Roseville Pottery.

2-25 mccoy

And the McCoy Pottery.

It’s clearly pieced together and you can see the seams, but I don’t much care about that. This is for me. Now that I have the idea, if I see some wrapping paper that I like I may replace this with something seamless, but for now, I’m happy.

2-25 twoshelves

That pink candy box contains letters written to my grandmother from her younger sister, Rhoda. Rhoda died at the age of 15 during the flu epidemic of 1918. My grandmother’s sister, Maggie, also died. I can’t imagine how devastating that must have been. I’ve read many of the letters. Rhoda was full of life, charming and delightful. My grandmother never got over losing her sisters.

2-25 closeup

I think the pattern and color really help to frame the pottery – the paper functions as a backdrop.

2-25 cabinet

The bottom shelf has yet to be sorted through and arranged. I have to clean out the craft/crap closet first. And I don’t have any more scrapbook paper. So don’t look at that shelf, ignore it. Cast your eyes upward.

That’s better.

Doing something was nice. It was simple, but I made a little change that makes me happy.

Hold on a minute: there’s more McCoy on that second shelf than there is Roseville on the top shelf.

Hmmm. That is a problem that needs to be addressed ASAP.

Happy Thursday.

ClaudiaSignature140X93

Tuesday Stream of Consciousness

Collecting: A Wee Bit of Madness

Adding a Backdrop

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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