"FLORAL TEA TIME "

Hurrah ...  My studio cottage  is just about ready to move into.... Many of my days,weeks,  months even years  have been spent  fussing with colours, painting, renovating and unpacking boxes in two, century old plus houses.  Often, I wondered if  all the demolition and work  would ever end. Now, as I  ponder the thoughts of moving  into  " Grace House ", while the, "  Grand Lady " , undergoes yet another  facelift, I'm dumb founded .... like, " What !!!!!!...  I get to live in a finished  house. ...AHHHHHH... Unbelievable !!!!

Today, I looked around and realized that I had painted the walls of the cottage, in  garden colours, particularly, those from the palette of my clematis.... pinks, mauves, purples greens and yellows.

Suddenly the mundane cardboard boxes ceased to be a toil of slave labor and drudgery( hee hee) ...  They  became a brilliant  gateway,  into a peaceful  floral palette  of memories, and of course, there was a pot of tea brewing.  Would you like to relax for awhile and join me for some refreshments? Please  do  come in and spend a little  time with me !!!

Today, I'm all about flowers, so tea is served in a delicate floral teaset, that my mother  bought me, for my birthday ... and I am, incidentally, getting younger from now on.( Ha ha)   ....  This is definitely a Springtime teaset. .... and one that will be perfect for  those outdoor tea parties...Don't you agree .....  Thanks Mom.

Two years ago, I had the most beautiful clematis and today, I am in earnest to replant and cultivate more of these beautiful vines. It's  amazing  how some plants intertwine themselves into your heart and sometimes, even  around your  teacups.( Ha ha)

Choosing a  Tuesday Teacup makes my day. It has  become a happy  ritual, that has become  part of who I am . ... a teacup sipping G' Ma with five grandsons and one grand-daughter on the way.  "What A Wonderful Life"... Have you ever watched that movie with Jimmy Steward and Donna Reed.. It's a classic!!! OK..I'll get back onto the subject ...Sorry ladies.

This pretty set is part of the, late  " Messrs.Thomas Forester and Sons Ltd, from, Longton, England, who were  manufacturers of Majolica and Art Ware. They were highly noted for their exquisite floral creations.

The intricate design here, reminded me of the ' Indian tree' pattern , but it is simply marked, as part of Phoenix China, with the emblematic bird stamp on the bottom. I suspect, it was manufactured in 1925 onwards, as the "Made in England", was often added under the pattern name at that time. I tried to get a picture of the stamp but it was too obscure, to get a clear shot.

Phoenix Works, as it was called, had a particular eye for beauty and detail in their pottery and china, drawing artistic inspiration from around the world.  They had agencies and showrooms in London, Paris, Berlin and Vienna as early as 1883.  The pottery won numerous awards in Calcutta, New Orleans, Belgium and Paris. Whatever way you look at it , right side up or upside down, it's a pretty  teaset.

 Artistically, only a few colours, were gleaned, to create such a remarkable example of interconnected artisty. How many colours do you count  on the colour spectrum of this set?

I see the Grecian, Asian, East Indian influences and even our supposedly,  new art form,  Zettie ( Ha Ha) in this design.... It  does seem to possesses an old world charm, that melds  exotically with the New Age ....  !!!!

 So Ladies... What cups have chosen today?   I can't wait to see them. What plants are you growing in your garden this year?  I shall have to make plans over another cup of tea with you, soon. Do you have any gardening secrets we can share during our teatimes together?  I do !!!!

Oh Oh .. My cup is empty...  I hear the newspapers  rustling  in the boxes and the unwrapped treasures are waiting to be re-discovered ...  Mercy.. There's no rest for  the Grand Lady.