" DANCING LILY "

Welcome to the " Dancing Lily "  Cottage . The Green Fairy  greets everyone who visits the studio to browse  and enjoy a cup of tea.  It's been three years since the renovation began . Today, it is my pleasure to share Teatime here in the my Studio Cottage. 

"Oh , What a beautiful morning".... The little finches are frolicking at the  bird  feeders, where they gather for their morning, thistle seed treat. Chippee, the chipmunk is chattering away,  looking for his morning peanut....OOPS sorry I forgot little fellow.

My mother , Grace, thought  that a croissant with a heaping helping of rhubarb jelly and sharp cheddar  would be perfect for a casual  morning tea.  HMMMMM ..... She's getting quite creative with her old age ( Ha Ha) What do you put on your croissants? I prefer lemon curd  on mine !!!

Its so nice to have you joined us for our  morning tea in my newly renovated " Dancing Lily" Cottage.   I've chosen a  very pretty cup and saucer for you, called " Dogwood" by Royal Stafford.

Make yourself comfortable . Things are still alittle sparse in the living room, but I do have a few family pictures up, including my Great - Great Grandparents and my grandfather, Thomas Mitchell, who was a Cameron Highlander.

Here's a nice cup of tea for you. Royal Stafford is definitely a Victorian China ... Look at that elegant gold pedestal on the bottom of the cup. It's very regal indeed ... definately fit for a princess or the lady of the house . Many of these historical tea sets and tablewares can be seen in the  Victoria and Albert Museum in London. However today, it's mom and I rallying over who will drink from which cup. 

I do take , quite a lot of pleasure choosing  my morning teaset ... Don't you !!! Funnily enough, it does seems that most of my  teacups and saucers share a kindred spirit to the colour pink... as if you didn't already know that !!!( Ha Ha)

I just never realized  how many pink tea sets that I owned ... nor that I had painted two houses in mauves, pinks and  greens.

 Then there was my" Fairy Garden ", which was also in mauves, pinks and of course, green.

No matter, I feel calm and relaxed with these mellow auras.  How about you !!!! Looks like I'm a little bit off today, but really, it's the camera.( ha ha)... or is it the floor. One never knows when an old Victorian might be tipsy !!!

This pretty pattern boosts a merry ring of white dogwood blossoms for the tea sipper to admire. It also possesses that wonderful old world charm  that Royal Stafford is famous for. Historically, the company was originally known as Poole Pottery originally based at Cobden Works, Longton, Staffordshire, England.




It was founded in 1873 on Poole Quayside, where it continued to produce pottery by hand before moving it's factory operations away from the quay in 1990. Production continued on the new site in Sopers Lane until it's closure in 2006.

Recently the pottery production has reopened at it's new factory in Burslem, Staffordshire and the Poole Quay pottery studio and shop has also reopened, where new and exciting design teams offer limited editions and one-off pieces.

It's an exciting revival for this beautiful Victorian heritage based china... but truly, I am delighted that I possess some of the older pieces with their magnificent  floral artwork and generous gold gilding.

Thank You for joining me today. I hope you enjoyed your  peek into my 125 year old cottage studio space, the " Dancing Lily " . Come to visit me again soon, Dear Ladies.I'm off to work on some crazy quilting, which will be our teatime show and  tell next week.

 SWEET TEATIME DREAMS  TO YOU ALL

" CONSIDER THE LILIES "

" Have you seen  but a White lily grow, 

Before rude hands have touched it? 

Have you marked but the fall of snow

Before the soil hath smutched it?

Have you felt the wool of beaver,

Or swan's down ever?

Or have smelt o' the bud o' the brier

Or the nard in the fire?

Or have tasted the bag of the bee?

O so white , O so soft, O so sweet is she! "

...Benjamin Jonson

I have beautiful lilies growing in my garden this year ... I whisper  to myself, "Oh, my heart be still"  as each evening, their  sweet perfume permeates the air ... Can you smell the fragrance? It's  akin to  music  flowing in and out with each breath.  

Now Ladies ... Would you please join me in the music parlour for a little teatime concert while we ' consider the lilies "( Matt:6:28)  

The lilies have dictated that all cups and saucers must be in shades of pink and of course, they must  also be adorned by garden family members...which are of course flowers.  I couldn't find any sets with lilies so a  tender rose will have to do  !!!

 This dainty cuplet as I call it, is a little less than a cup full of tea and a little more pleasurable. The reason being, that it is an afternoon teaset that welcomes not one but two or three cups of tea while chatting , or should I say gossiping.( Ha ha) 

I do believe that ' Gossip " was a  favourite  Victorian teatime  pleasure  ...  for who knows ,what was talked about, behind all those  teapots, teacups,gloves and fans.

I did giggle, while noticing  the  snobby  little  handle,  which is just a tad higher, than the curvaceous cup, allowing the wrist to relax and linger whilst listening  tentatively to the latest chit chat.

Oops,  one could almost  miss the saucer while leaning over to hear the whispers  across the table. " and then what happened " could almost be heard. ( ha ha) If you have a big imagination like me !!!

 

The Victorian socialites masked their teatime conversations with pretty tea cups and tea parties  to enhance their social status while gathering the latest news .  Todays  tea set is probably  early 1930's  with it's bold flowers and strong gold accents, however it is very delicate porcelain that is characteristic of Adderley Bone China.

The medieval  name dates  the pottery date to the seventeenth century. There is very little information available, except that in the 1930's  Colclough China Limited was expanding into tea and dinnerware. They took over the original smaller companies called Booth and Adderley. Then, in 1950, Colclough merged with the Ridgeway company and eventually became part of the Royal Doulton Group in the early 1970's. Somewhere along the line the Adderley name was  retained , as a fine pottery, whose history  boasts the markings of fine old  English China. Any contributing knowledge about the Adderley Company would be greatly appreciated.

Goodness , It's getting late !!!  Half past teatime Tuesday!!!

Please  bring your tea to the garden ladies and linger alittle longer in  the intoxication of the lily scented air... 

Yes, a good teatime chin wag   is as mesmerizing as the scent of the garden lilies. It's good to the last drop of friendship  sipped from  the cup.

I'm so  glad that you joined me for this  lovely midsummer  teatime gathering. We must do this again and again ... since I do have more gossip to tell.

Next Tuesday, we'll take a teatime peek into my newly renovated " Dancing Lily " Cottage . 

ENJOY YOUR WEEK , LADIES !!!

" QUEEN ANNE'S LACE "

WILDFLOWERS excite me ... especially when there's a whole field of beautiful " Queen Anne's Lace,  basking in  the heat of a midsummer's day. I just had to try to capture the natural beauty of God's garden.

 

Well, I shall have  to ponder this lovely visual  gift over a cup of tea with you.lovely Ladies.  Won't you please make yourselves comfortable, pick your favourite tea set and help yourself to  some  tasty dainties.

I thought you might enjoy  some of the pictures I took yesterday ... Please do enjoy .....  This delicate wildflower goes by so many  different names, such as Wild Carrot, Bishop's Lace and my favorite Queen Anne's Lace.

Which name do you prefer?   For now, please allow me  to fill your cup with tea, while I share todays  teaset with you. ((below)

It's an Ansley duo, that has my captured my attention, especially, since viewing the wildflowers under the canopy of the blue sky... The artist's  colours are so calm and relaxing.

Ansley has created millions of   beautiful china patterns. I always marvel at the uniqueness of each  tea set. This cup has an unusual armature with a squared top, which makes it a very comfortable thumb rest. It's a very friendly little handle, isn't it !!!

( Ha Ha) 

The decorative motif is a simple rose, in gold lustre partnered with a periwinkle blue leaf in the background, which I thought was very artistically clever, since the predominate shade is a light teal/aqua on  the cup and saucer. Who knows what is seen through the artist's eye ... That tiny whisper  of  periwinkle greatly enhances the lyrical tone of this teaset.

I did have to smile, when I saw the meandering floral theme complimenting the inside and outside of the cup ...  Sweetness plus !!!! ( ha ha)

As in nature, it's the little things that really endear your heart to remember, isn't it !!! I've always felt  pleasure in wildflowers and often remember family trips to the lake, where we would wander through the fields in search of blueberries. Most often, it was the  tiger lilies and woodland flowers that captured my attention ... although my clothes were often mysteriously stained in a delicious blue, like my teeth 

( hee hee )

 Little memories bring little gifts and treasures of nature ... Have you ever seen Queen Anne 's lace forming  it's intricate seed nest. Here's a picture.

 All the seeds drop inside the cradle and then are dispersed into the wind as the cycle of plant ends. Doesn't it remind you of a teacup and saucer ( ha ha) ... Whoa ... my imagination is on the run again!!!

Incidently, "How are you enjoy the " Buckingham Palace tea"?  I'm savouring the  richness of it's flavour especially with the honey spoons... smooth( yum, yum).

 I found them at " Winner's department store. They come in all sorts of flavours, cinnamon, maple, lemon, pomegranate and of course, wildflower. You can have one as a teatime gift if you like, Ladies.

( sip sip)

I almost forgot to give you a peek at the pretty saucer that goes with todays teacup ... I love the way the Ansley Artisan has mimicked  nature by molding it with flower petals to rest your teacup on ... Don't you agree that the gold fluted edges ( Ping, Ping ) are the perfect finishing touch.

Some days, I am filled with gratitude for the joyous teatime moments that I spend with you... Today is such a day, in which I am pausing and remembering this relaxing feeling .... " It's a beautiful world " and I am grateful for your kind company.

May every sip of tea be filled with gentle love and the simple appreciation of teatime friendship. 

May you move through your day with this awareness of gratitude  

and grace.

TEA TIME  sharing with:

Sandi  at " Rose Chintz Cottage" ..Tea Time Tuesday (http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.ca)

Terri 's ,Tea Cup Tuesday (http://artfulaffirmation.blogspot.com )

Ruth  at Tuesday Cuppa Tea (http://antiquesandteapots.blogspot.com )