Emma Bridgewater's Farmhouse Oxfordshire UK

Matthew Rice, Emma's husband, working in the garden.

The exterior of Ham Court, circa 1320.

Emma and Matthew with one of the resident hens who inspire some of the pottery designs and decorations and a black lab.

A Welsh cupboard full of Emma Bridgewater pottery produced in her factory nearby.

Emma Bridgewater's Oxfordshire farmhouse 

is as lovely as her pottery click link to read

For Emma Bridgewater and her husband Matthew Rice, a shared desire to preserve skills and traditions has influenced their booming ceramics business, as well as the restoration of their farmhouse and barn in Oxfordshire. I thoroughly enjoyed the article in House & Garden UK magazine with more photos for you to enjoy too. xo

UPDATE: I found a wonderful youtube video featuring Matthew Rice, Emma's husband, and his artwork. View it HERE and enjoy. He is a great talent in his own right. xo

Frog Mug

Yet another find from last weekend's estate sale. I have always wanted a frog mug since seeing my first one at a neighbor's house around 1976.

I am a very patient person, aren't I? My patience paid off and I got three frogs instead of a single one in the bottom like my neighbor had and two handles instead of one as well! I posted these photos on my Instagram yesterday so this will be a repeat for some but not all of you.

Open Shelves, Framed Botanicals, White Ironstone

This collection of ironstone and glass would not be very interesting were it not for the framed botanical prints in the background. I love the shape of the shelf supports and the wonderfully arranged collections. via Click photo to enlarge.

Blue and White on a Kitchen Wall

Just my style! I love this kitchen wall and the artful arrangement of the owner's collection of blue and white Staffordshire serving pieces. The artwork is perfect and the Staffordshire figures add a bit of color and interest. The decorative shelf supports are lovely but don't compete with the wall arrangement thanks to the white paint. You have to look very carefully to see the subway tile backsplash. There is so much to absorb in this single photo found in Victoria Magazine. Enjoy looking and have a great weekend. xo

White Kitchen w/ White Antique Pottery Collection

Stunning. Show me more, please. Lovely creamware collection. via

Pair of Antique Staffordshire Lamps in My Cottage

I had to make a quick run to look at a house for a customer yesterday and there was a thrift shop nearby. Look what I scored. A fabulous PAIR of antique staffordshire figures converted to lamps without being drilled with wonderful shades.

I took a photo of my new arrangement last night by lamp light.

This is the Jockey on Horseback facing right. I have the identical one facing left but I won't take a photo of it.

I adore the handmade shades. The pattern goes perfectly with the green checked sofa they are behind. 

As you can see, I haven't lost my touch for spotting great antiques that double as interior design elements. xo

A New Little Pitcher for My Pantry

Today's thrift shop find: Stoneware creamer $3.50

Tiny little chip on rim.

Love the dogs.

Now this little pitcher is hanging out with all the other items with handles in my pantry. The white teapot has a small chip on the underside of the spout. I usually don't buy damaged things but these two were meant to be together.

A House Wren in My Bird Bottle

I have several of these handmade redware pottery bird bottles from Colonial Williamsburg hanging on my house. This one is on the back of my cottage so I can see and enjoy it from my balcony. It was fun watching the nest building earlier in the spring. Want one? Order here while they have free shipping. The two centuries old HISTORY behind these authentic bird bottles can be read here. Enjoy!

I got as close as I could with my iPhone in hand before Jenny Wren flew away. I promise not to bother her again while she hatches her babies. If you want to see an old blog post of mine with a photo of a bird nest I removed from one of these bottles on the front of my house, click here. I had to remove it when I had my cottage painted two years ago.

PS--I woke up earlier than ever this morning. Sigh. 

Lovely Spring Things

via

My snowdrops are up but the grape hyacinths haven't popped yet. I don't think I've ever seen a blue and white platter with this spring bulb in the pattern. It looks hand painted rather than transferware. 

A Peek into My Pantry

My pantry was once a screened-in porch.

Now it's one of my favorite "rooms" in the cottage.

A Found Bird's Nest with Eggs

This nest with two unhatched eggs was inside one of my Williamsburg Pottery Bird Bottles that I recently took down and cleaned out prior to having my cottage painted. It's like a little work of art, isn't it? I don't know why this nest was abandoned before the eggs hatched. The tiny birds used it constantly over the summer.

This photo is from Colonial Williamsburg where these bird bottles are still being sold. Order here. The house wrens love them. I put two on the front of my house on either end under the eaves. I still have one to hang on the back of the house near my bedroom window so I can wake up to their delightful singing from early spring and all summer long. Listen to them sing here. They raise multiple families and the parents are tireless workers. They love to perch on the wisteria and sing their little hearts out as they dart in and out of the bottle looking for insects to feed their young.

Radishes

This beautiful photograph of fresh radishes in an antique yellowware bowl looks like a painting. by raewillow on Flickr.

Antique Delft Tile with Cow

This is an 18th century hand painted Delft Tile from my collection that was converted to a 'dot' image with an app called SnapDot. I'm having fun playing with it. I took the photo with my iPhone and worked on it with my iPad.

The tile is damaged but I love this $2.50 tag sale purchase just the same.

Antique Patina

Antiques show their age in so many ways. The stains on this pitcher can be removed but then it would look brand new. I prefer the stained version showing the patina obtained from use. How about you? I love that antique hanging letter clip a lot!

Art Nouveau Bookplate Ex Libris Louis Rhead

© Nancy Ellis ex libris Louis Rhead I adore this art nouveau bookplate.

Louis John Rhead (November 6, 1857 – July 29, 1926) was an English-born American artist, illustrator, author and angler who was born in Etruria, Staffordshire, England. He emigrated to the United States at the age of twenty-four. The Rhead family had operated and worked in the Staffordshire Potteries for at least three generations. Louis’s father George W. Rhead worked in the pottery industry and was highly respected gilder and ceramic artist. In the 1870s, George Rhead taught art and design in Staffordshire schools. He founded Fenton School of Art. Read more ... 

Antique Dog Head Stirrup Cup

A stirrup cup is a "parting cup" given to guests, especially when they are leaving on horseback and have their feet in the stirrups. It is also the traditional drink (usually port or sherry) served at the meet, prior to a traditional foxhunt. The term can describe the cup that such a drink is served in.

The wonderful English hound-head cup circa 1820 pictured in the first photo is available here. Do want!

Antique Leeds Pottery Jug Advertising The Otley Market

I'd love to have this great pitcher in my pantry. I'd also like to be in Leeds England to attend the Otley Market. Documented history for the market begins in 1222 when King Henry III granted the first Royal Charter. The town had two cattle markets; market days are Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, and there is a Farmers' Market on the last Sunday of every month.

I'd prefer to have this jug filled with beer rather than milk since that would go better with The Best Beef. I wonder if a butcher commissioned this fabulous decoration? I'd love to see the front and other side too, wouldn't you? 

Vintage Marmalade Jars Decorate Pantry

I have two of these old Dundee Marmalade jars on my desk to hold pencils. They have all but disappeared from the market place. I used to find them at garage sales and flea markets on a regular basis. They look nice along with the other transferware pots in this pantry cupboard, don't they? Have a great weekend.




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Sampson and Horne Antiques Inventory To Be Auctioned

Sampson and Horne Antiques

Very sadly due to Jonathan Horne’s illness it has been decided to close the business and auction the entire stock at Bonhams, Bond Street on 28th April 2010. Make sure you click on the link above to see a wonderful slideshow of extremely rare items.

Auction House Note: After 40 years of trading at the top end of the business, legendary English antique dealership, Sampson and Horne, are to sell their entire stock, comprising nearly 800 lots, and attracting a pre-sale estimate of £1,000,000. Read entire press release.

Years ago, I sold a magnificent extra-large pair of salt glazed stoneware Staffordshire spaniels to the late business partner Alistair Sampson and I have always been sorry. He bought them from me right on the floor of a Sotheby's Arcade Sale, having arrived too late to bid. I had no idea how rare they were...I just liked them. I still think about them from time to time. Oh well.

We don't ever actually own antiques, we are just caretakers.

"Take care of your antiques and they will take care of you."




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