This week I am showing two very special pieces of antique porcelain: a sublimely made candy box with cover and a little vase, created by George Owen at Royal Worcester in the year 1909. George Owen was one of the greatest artists at Royal Worcester. He was a modeller with a truly unique skill of reticulating (piercing) extremely fine decorative pieces. While there were other modellers with this skill, no one was able to work to Owen's standard and his pieces stand out in perf

I have a special place in my heart for orphans - who doesn't? 💕 Orphaned cups keep finding their way to me; as left overs from larger sets, as part of mixed lots, or sometimes I come across one sitting there lonely and I can't resist. Usually these little cups have been part of a "trio" of a teacup and a coffee cup sharing one saucer. And even though they've lost their siblings, they are still wonderful both for use and display. Most little coffee cups hold just one double e

Do you feel this has been a very long year? And too fast at the same time? It is amazing how my sense of time has been confused by being at home so much, not travelling to see my loved ones, fretting about politics and the economy... but the holidays are coming up soon and whether we will be able to come together or not, we can certainly send each other some very special gifts. So to finish a Long Year in style, let's make the most of it and find a way to express our love and

Here in the UK we are back into lockdown and although this is not a surprise, we all feel a little depressed about it. We really didn't want to go into the winter with this dark cloud hanging over us... but then there is always beauty, and we can make our homes beautiful! I guess this is why so many of my followers and customers love early 19th Century plates. They are absolutely gorgeous, have been made with so much care, are great on display as well as for use, and they don