Pine Needles, Paperweights & Redware

Hot, hot, hot & humid, humid, humid! Ah, the joys of living in the south in the summer...I worked at the Flea Market re-arranging my little "store" today. I so enjoy doing that...and this afternoon I decided to touch base with a non-descript post on the blog. Just some pretty pictures of things I collect..nothing fancy. No tutorials or anything of that nature.
My mother began a collection of paperweights for me many years ago. I have tried to keep the number down, concentrating on clear and green spheres. Here is the first one she bought for me. It's a beautiful "flower" of browns.

Then I got some Kerry Greens...beautiful glass work on these.



I popped in a blue one!

There is something very icy about the clears...pretty on a silver tray and compote.

I moved on to pine needle baskets a few years ago. I got this beauty at a garage sale...I love the neatly done stitches and patterns.

The basket below has no lid and in it are old wooden handled screwdrivers that belonged to my husband's grandfather.

I found this pine needle pitcher in the booth next to mine at the Flea Market. In it are my mother in law's hand carved crochet hooks. No telling how old they are.

Many, many years ago I fell in love with Redware plates. The hubster and I drove to PA in search of the plates of one artist, Ned Foltz. Look what I found...right in Paradise, PA...a Ned Foltz! Beautiful glazes...even though my taste has gone another direction, I can't give up displaying my redware.

I also visited the studio of Dave Eldreth...his salt glazed pottery is something to behold! I have collected numerous Eldreth pieces through the years...

I esp. like his Christmas plates and Santas.

The blue rippled redware plate below is by artisan Steve Nutt. I have several of his plates, one of which was the hubster's Valentine's gift to me many years ago...it has "You will always remain in my heart" written in yellow slip....gotta love the hubster! I also have his Merry Christmas plate that I dutifully drag out every holiday.

Funny little vignettes below & above are my attempts to use some of my silver! It was begging to be used... so why not?! Have you noticed nobody polishes it today? Just lets it sit there and tarnish...wow!!

Hope it's cooler in your neck of the woods than it is way down here in Mississippi!

Take time to smell the roses (and don't forget to water them!),