Birmingham Post - Business - Business News - Manufacturing & Skills - Fears for Wedgwood heritage if historic pieces are sold to fund pensions

Birmingham Post - Business - Business News - Manufacturing & Skills - Fears for Wedgwood heritage if historic pieces are sold to fund pensions

That's a big yikes. I have many fond memories of the Wedgwood museum on the Barlaston factory grounds. I can't fathom the collection being scattered to the four winds. What a mess! Although we have an inordinate number of Wedgwood Jasperware and Queensware in our inventory, I also consider the collection, beyond a resource for those who wish to add to their own personal collection, a good representation of 20th century achievements for the firm. I'm proud to have amassed it, and happy to be the guardian for future owners who recognize the history and beauty represented by the wares. There's NOTHING like Jasperware. Queensware was so named in honor of English royalty, for whom it was originally produced. It then became popular with us "common folk" and we each are able to have our hands on easily affordable pieces of history.

I hope that the Wedgwood museum has a fair and noble outcome.

eCrater still kicking!

Incredible, and a bit eerie, how when I stopped working in the store, sales online started to pick up. Not one to ignore a celestial dope slap to the forehead, I have been plodding along in adding items to the inventory there and padding out some of the categories.

Not to be outdone, our cat Psycho decided to get in on the action. Here's one of her special poses.

Activities

I've been using my down-time working on the paper jewelry, and just finished a large, bib-style necklace. I wore it out in public (I like to give each piece a trial run to see how it holds up to an entire day of wear, and whether it garners any reaction from peeps) and I think it scored a 10 out of 10. I have more to make before I would consider approaching any craft galleries or putting them online to sell.

I'm also slowing working through a pile of treasures to add to the website. I've had a couple of sales and it definitely helps, no question, to list several items a week to keep the Google attribute feeds current and fresh when the public does product searches.

The other rather major project I'm considering to learn is how to use a soldering iron in order to use my vast collection of real sea glass pieces, in order to incorporate them in to my jewelry pieces. It's more of an investment than I thought it would be, so I'm pondering. Me, commit to following through on an investment in myself? It's a tough one, and doesn't happen without a lot of angst!!

Packed up the last of it at Patty & Friends

It is worthy of a time for reflection, since it ALL came home with us. I'm now inspired to do some decoratin' at home with our treasures, since the start of the next season is so far away. (I've already started with more pictures on the walls, and I'm getting excited.)

The wheels turn in my itty bitty head.

To the season approaching and taking yet another new direction in how I set up the tables. One of my most favorite things to look at are home design magazines, with their varied color palettes and every changing themes. I know I can pull a few interesting tables together with the heaps and heaps of fascinating merchandise we'd amassed. And now I can see it ALL - no more of having the best stuff sitting in the store. I can get as creative as my brain allows.

Dinner out this evening, and on our paper tablecloth, I started a mini brainstorm of table display ideas. Then came home, did an internet search, and found a dearth of information. As rare as hens' teeth.

So I call that a challenge.