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Sunday, April 22, 2012

Be Inspired-Get Inspired-Be Inspiring

                                         What inspires you as you go thru life?

Of course being an Antique Dealer I have to mention that I am inspired by being an Antique Aholic. Hunting for or finding that something special for myself or a customer is my all time high!! I also enjoy the research and the never ending learning that I feel compelled to do, so I can share with others. I am also inspired by the stories others tell when they have antiqued and the thrill they feel when successful.

Also spring is my favorite time of year so of course that always inspires me anew every year. A rebirth from nature to remind us things are always changing and growing as the seasons past.



                                The first breezy day with sunshine and you have the urge
                                                to walk barefoot in the grass maybe?


                                How about working in your flower beds and then reaping?
                                                 This one definately inspires me.






                                        Or maybe do some project outdoors in the yard that
                                               you were not motivated to do before.



Or how about that laundry hanging on the line blowing in the breezes?



                                And those Roses, my oh my what a sight, and the aroma!!

    
                                       Have you noticed or thanked your neighbors for their
                                                        hard work in landscaping?
                                   Let them inspire you and inspire them with what you do!!


                              Always be inspired by your friends, family, and loved ones!!



                                       Please don't forget to look for that hidden gem
                                       hiding or appearing in the most unusual place!!


                                                       This photo is a perfect example.
                            This clematis is growing amongst the weeds on an abandoned lot.
                                         So should I dig it up today and give it a good home?
                                          Or should I leave it as an inspiration that beauty
                                                           can be found anywhere?
                                                        I am still pondering on this!!

                      Whatever you do Be Inspired- Get Inspired-Be Inspiring


photos provided by the yard and neighbors.


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

A Light Bulb Moment!!


Have you ever had a true Light Bulb moment?
 A moment where you can see and understand something clearly after researching the subject or having someone discuss the subject with you. Or maybe something happens around you and all of a sudden a Light Bulb comes on and it becomes obvious to you what it all means and what the ramifications will be. After having this Light Bulb moment you can't wait to share with someone, maybe everyone, but they don't always comprehend or have the Light Bulb moment in return. With a truly Light Bulb moment thou you can't and don't stop sharing because you need to share to the benefit of others. You want to see the gears turn in their head and see that instant when they grasp it and have a Light Bulb moment also.


So what am I leading to here? Some of the same ole same ole stuff I have shared before about Buy Local and what that means to a community. I know some of you are thinking, will she ever shut up,move on,get over it? (Sorry No) I had a Light Bulb moment and believe strongly, the urge to share will not go away!! So today I'm sharing Ten Reasons for Buying Local from The New Rules Project. Here we go!!


              Top 10 Reasons to Support Locally Owned Businesses
 
1. Local Character and Prosperity
In an increasingly homogenized world, communities that preserve their one-­‐of-­‐a-­‐kind businesses and distinctive character have an economic advantage.

2. Community Well-­‐Being
Locally owned businesses build strong communities by sustaining vibrant town centers, linking neighbors in a web of economic and social relationships, and contributing to local causes.

3. Local Decision-­‐Making  
Local ownership ensures that important decisions are made locally by people who live in the community and who will feel the impacts of those decisions.

4. Keeping Dollars in the Local Economy
Compared to chain stores, locally owned businesses recycle a much larger share of their revenue back into the local economy, enriching the whole community.

5. Job and Wages
Locally owned businesses create more jobs locally and, in some sectors, provide better wages and benefits than chains do.  

6. Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship fuels America's economic innovation and prosperity, and serves as a key means for families to move out of low-­‐wage jobs and into the middle class.

7. Public Benefits and Costs
Local stores in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure and make more efficient use of public services relative to big box stores and strip shopping malls.

8. Environmental Sustainability
Local stores help to sustain vibrant, compact, walkable town centers-­‐which in turn are essential to reducing sprawl, automobile use, habitat loss, and air and water pollution.

9. Competition
A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-­‐term.

10. Product Diversity
A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based, not on a national sales plan, but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

New Rules Project   www.ilsr.org


Have any questions ?  You can contact us with those questions here locally,  New Albany First an Independent Business Alliance that shares Buy Local information. Or visit us on our facebook page or our website.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG-S11leG-Y

                   
                                                http://www.na1st.org/       

Monday, April 2, 2012

Transferware China

Just what is transferware?

Transferware is any pottery with decorative elements applied by transferring a pattern from a copper plate to paper and then to the pottery itself. Transfer prints are found on china, ironstone, and porcelain. There are tens of thousands of transferware patterns.

One of the most recognizable and most common is Blue Willow.


While blue is the color most commonly associated with transferware, it was produced in other colors. Some of these include red, pink, purple, cranberry, brown, black, green, yellow, gray and various shades and combinations of these colors.


Transferware was originally a cheap alternative to expensive imported pieces from China. It first appeared in the late 18th century, but became extremely popular in the 1820s and 1830s. Transferware has been made continuously since that time. Most of the transferware found today was produced in the last 50 years, but earlier pieces are out there.

Alot of people are familiar with the Blue Willow pattern,some do not know it is transferware. The pattern is the most widely recognized and probably the most common as well. Many are attracted to its deep blue color and attractive pattern. The beauty of Blue Willow is that old and new can be easily mixed. The Blue Willow pattern tells its own story.

As the tale goes, long ago, a Chinese Mandarin, lived in a wonderful pagoda under an apple tree on the right side of the bridge seen in the pattern. He was the father of a beautiful girl, who was the promised bride of an old but wealthy merchant. The girl, however, fell in love with her father’s clerk. The lovers eloped across the sea to the cottage on the island. Her father pursued and caught the lovers and was about to have them killed when the gods transformed them into a pair of turtle doves, seen at the top of the design.

The Blue Willow story is a nice tale, but it has no real basis in fact. The pattern was not created to tell the story, instead the story was told after the pattern was designed. According to different sources the tale was made up by either the British or American manufacturers. A wonderful 19th Century merchandising scheme.

Blue Willow is only the beginning, however.
Dating transferware can be difficult. Many of the early pieces are unsigned. Many patterns made in Great Britain between 1842 and 1883, however, were registered with the Patent Office in London. The registration marks on the reverse of these pieces can be dated. British transferware made between 1890 and 1920 usually has “England” printed on the back. After 1920, the mark became “Made In England,” older transferware often has richer and more plentiful color than later pieces.

Values for transferware vary greatly. Early or rare pieces can run into the thousands of dollars. Price tags in the hundreds are not uncommon, but there is a great variety of transferware available in the under $30.00 price range.

Transferware to some is the most beautiful china available. Single plates and serving pieces are great for display. Partial sets are attractive on plate racks and in china cabinets. Many also like to mix and match pieces on their table or add with solid colored china. .

Another highly collected transferware is what is known as Historical transferware. Made between 1818 and 1830, these dark blue printed wares are highly regarded because they illustrate important places and commemorate historical events of the early republic. These are usually the highest priced and prized. Photo example

—This 17-inch long historical blue transferware platter was sold at auction April 23, 2007, for $12,000. The platter is from Thomas Mayer, Stoke, circa 1830.






All photos except for the Historical Platter (photo #3) shown are available in our shop plus many more to choose from.