A sample pottery plate ...

Hi everyone

My regular visitors know that I have a fascination with china, glass & various pottery items.

I recently found this interesting sample plate by J.E. Heath Ltd - from the iconic Burslem potteries in Stoke on Trent.

What is fascinating is all the Southern African emblems which clearly shows the target market for it.

It shows how sales has changed over time & how far & wide the potteries of Stoke on Trent hawked their wares & how valued they were.

I know many of these places personally so this is a very interesting item. I can imagine a salesman hawking china with this as his sample item ... totally fascinating.

Thank you for stopping by & taking the time to read & comment. 

Dee ~♥~

A stunning new cake stand ....

Hi everyone

While doing the sideboard post, I realised that I had not shown you this lovely Oliver Bonas cake stand that I was gifted for my birthday by the girls & Andy.

I love cake stands because cakes always look more tempting when they are nicely displayed.

It is a solid marble top on a copper / metal base. I love the richness of metals because they offer warmth & reflection of light. It is a generous size too which is very useful ...

Visitors to our home are usually greeted by a homemade cake on the sideboard so this is such a welcome & thoughtful gift. Freshly baked Victoria Sponges are my favourite bake at home.

This one baked for the arrival of my cousins, with South African cake forks & lifter ....

Traditional South African milk tarts / melk tert on the cake stand this past weekend.

A perfect gift that will be well used & enjoyed.  I love cake stands & hope you use them too.

Dee ~♥~

An African inspired sideboard

Hi everyone

This is my busiest time of the year so unfortunately my blog has been neglected of late. However, I am always thankful for your company & for taking the time to read & leave a comment.

As mentioned in my previous post, I have had visiting cousins with our shared South African ancestry.

In anticipation of their arrival, I changed the conservatory sideboard to include some favourite African plates & art pieces.

I used a guinea fowl table cloth on the table - bought on my last trip to South Africa

 I love feathers & guinea fowls are my favourite bird. The cloth, a bowl & a very colourful tray cloth in the same theme ... 

These stunning plates are made by a South African ceramic artist & each are hand decorated with raised details & bright colour that I love ... 

 Mfuneko Dingiswayo has a distinct style of art which is very pleasing. He was born in the Cape Town township of Langa in 1979 and he has won several awards for his work. I am fortunate to have 3 different ones which are beautiful art works & I love looking at them. 

I love these two little dishes too - how could you not enjoy their vibrant colour? 

I bought these on a visit with my parents & they remind me of that visit.

A clay guinea fowl looks just right too ...

Candles & another South African ceramic bowl look right with the other bright items.

A bright & colourful bowl by Siti Creations that captures the vibrancy of Africa so well ....

My sister gifted this beautiful platter to me & it is a favourite with its beaded insert & traditional design. The 3 South African animals are frequently seen on my sideboard as I love them ... 

This platter comes from the same region & copies the beaded inset.

I  kept some of my Ralph Lauren pocket watch plates on the sideboard because they fit in so well. 

The completed sideboard with some favourite things 

The sideboard was perfect for the visit & I love looking at it & knowing that these items are all chosen by 'the same eye' (mine) so they reflect a part of my heritage & they are what makes my home special to me. 

Do you have a favourite item? What do you collect? Do you have somewhere to display them? 

Thank you for stopping by & taking the time to comment. 

Dee ~♥~