Friday, 15 April 2016

Decorating With Plates

Spring had come once more to Green Gables....the capricious, reluctant Canadian spring, lingering along through April and May in a succession of sweet, fresh, chilly days, with pink sunsets and miracles of resurrection and growth. ~ LM Montgomery - "Anne of Green Gables"


Hello friends! Do you love china? I certainly do and I have loved it since I was a little girl. My Auntie P always set her table with Johnson Bros. Rose Chintz and I became smitten with them very early on.



Just before I was married, I started collecting favourite dishes and housewares but because we moved around so often, most of it had been given away. When my children grew up and moved out, I started to collect again. 

I have a few sets of dishes, numerous teacups and a collection of teapots. I used to do a lot of entertaining so I acquired many pretties over the years. Some were gifted to me by family and friends. Some even came to me through some of my dear blogging friends.



If you were to visit me, you would discover that the majority of my teapots are displayed above my kitchen cabinets. I actually started to collect teapots before I collected anything else. I think there is a whole lot of charm wrapped up in a teapot. 

Decorating with china brings a touch of nostalgia into one's home. I realize some of the younger folks think china is too grandmotherly but I disagree. Each piece of china, especially a vintage piece, tells a story. 

Some of my china is housed in a couple cabinets and some is displayed on shelves. I also have a few plates hanging on the wall. It is the plates that I want to feature today.


I have decorated mostly with my pink and red. These plates are above the patio doors in the dining area. 



The two on each end are made in England. They are Romantic England made by Wedgwood. The backs of the plates read that Huddington Court Worchestershire was the home of Robert Thomas and John Winter who were hanged and quartered as traitors in the Gunpowder Plot 1605. The history is rather disturbing but the scene depicted on each plate is indeed very romantic. I like the floral and berry edge around the plates.


The larger plate in the center is Memory Lane made in the USA. This plate has acorns encircling the edge.



This Masons Vista hangs on the end of one of the cabinets. 



This isn't a plate per se but rather a porcelain tray with handles. It is called Valencia. It is large enough to hold a teapot and teacup or the teapot with a creamer.



These are of course a few of my Johnson Bros. Rose Chintz saucers which decorate the wall as you walk into the living room.



And these are on the wall above the sofa. The pattern is Briar Rose trimmed with 22 carat gold. Sorry about the glare.




This plate which hangs in the office was left to my hubby by my father. It is a special edition plate. My father and my hubby both cheered/cheer for the Detroit Red Wings and of course Gordie Howe was the big star back in the day. Funny, the colour of the wall looks off white when it is really powder blue.




I have other plates too but this is enough for today. Do you like to use plates in your decor?

If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. ~ William Morris

For my treat today I have tea biscuits or scones, as some of you would call them, and strawberry jam. It is a cream tea of sorts. No Devonshire cream because Hubby doesn't like it, unfortunately, so whipped cream will have to do. 



I am using my Johnson Bros Old Britain Castles teacup and plate with one of my favourite red transferware teapots. Would you like to join me?

A cup of tea warms the soul like a good friend. ~ unknown



The plate below with the biscuit and jam on it is Cream Lace by Skye McGhie. I love the lacy edge! I always like my scones and biscuits the Devon way, with cream on the bottom and then the jam on top.


I'm so happy you could join me today! Wouldn't it be lovely if we really could get together for tea and a chat? What a wonderful time we would have. Have a beautiful weekend, my sweet friends, and I hope you will come back and join me on Monday for No Place Like Home.

I am joining these lovely parties as well~

 Tuesday Cuppa Tea
 Bernideen's TTCG Blog Party
 Tea Cup Tuesday
The Art of Home-Making Mondays
 Share Your Cup Thursday
 Home Sweet Home


 Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

33 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful collection, Sandi! I adore the tray and cream lace, too, so pretty~! Thank you for sharing!

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  2. Beautiful china! You do have quite a large collection. Lovely tea time!

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  3. Oh my, Sandi, I loved seeing your plates! I adore the red transferware with the cottages and the berries around the edges. Why are we so smitten with dishes? I've always been, too, my friend. Now, having pretty teacups seems to satisfy me, which is much better than having whole sets of dishes.
    I could go for one of your cream biscuits, dripping with the jam, on the pretty plate! We'd have a wonderful time chatting the day away, wouldn't we? Happy weekend to you and your hubby.

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  4. Yes it would be so nice to actually have tea in person!
    Love your china, and I agree that teapots are so lovely to collect.
    Your Gordie Howe plate reminded me of the time my friend and I went out for coffee break at work, and Gordie was having his breakfast at the same coffee shop. I pretended I didn't notice as I am sure those celebrities don't appreciate being interrupted while eating.

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  5. Sandi, your plates are gorgeous. I have a few cottage themed ones that I really need to display. The Rose Chintz is my favorite pattern. And those biscuits..... oh my!

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  6. I love all your China,Sandi. I too have teacups,teapots and plates all around my home. I love the plate holder on your wall that holds the Masons Vista! I could sure eat a couple of those scones with a cuppa Tea right now!
    Have a blessed weekend!

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  7. You have some beautiful pieces in your collection. I do like the red & white. I have some old blue & white plates that I put on the wall of my dining room when I was first married in our first townhouse. I never had them on the walls again, but seeing your pretty plates makes me want to change that. I've always loved dishes too. I don't know if it's just a girl thing, or if I was always a little bit old-fashioned that way. Your tea time biscuits look delicious! It would be a real treat to enjoy a good ol' chin wag over tea and biscuits ;)
    Wendy

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  8. This gorgeous collection is so you my friend and now I see why, specially the ever so lovely Rose Chintz. Your plate holder is awesome.
    I have my stuff all over the house cause really, I don't care where I store it and don't think where when I acquire anything, either; I usually worry about that when I get home, lol!
    Love those biscuits, you always have the yummiest food for tea.
    I always adored china and collect them from my very first day of marriage.
    Enjoy your weekend.
    FABBY

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  9. Dear Sandi:
    Your kitchen looks so pretty. I love the pieces on top of your cupboards. I love your plates in the racks too. Your scones look so lovely and I need to try some soon now that I am no longer at 7,000 feet. I know when I baked cookies they were better. I always love your signature ROSE CHINTZ!!! I am everyone thinks of you when they see it - well, everyone in tea blogland anyway! Ha!

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  10. Hi Sandi..I've visited you before..some time ago..and decided to drop in again today. You and I love the same dishes. I have all the sets you have and there is something so nice about finding someone who loves the same patterns you love. The story of my extensive set of Rose Chintz is too long to tell..but every time I look at it I smile. It's a beautiful pattern. The red transferware is another favorite..I've been collecting that at Estate sales and yard sales. I think the way you have displayed yours is so charming. I've enjoyed my visit.
    Mona

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  11. I have my first pieces if rose chintz arriving on Wednesday and can hardly wait to open the box!! I live in Ottawa - where on earth do you get Devon cream over here? please tell. I am an expat and we love scones.

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    1. Hi Julie,
      So nice to have you visit. It's also lovely to 'meet' someone else who loves Rose Chintz. Regarding the Devonshire Cream, I have my own recipe so it's faux, but it's delicious just the same. Enjoy your weekend.

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  12. Thanks for sharing your pretty plate decorations, Sandi. I fell in love with the rose chintz pattern after seeing it on your blog. I also try to display/rotate my china collection (mostly teapots and teacups) so that I can enjoy them. I'm currently going through a turquoise phase and have been keeping an eye out for teawares in this colour.

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  13. Everything is so beautiful here Sandi. I love your Rose Chintz and the pretty way that you display your plates. I can just taste those yummy bisquits and jam. Yes, a real tea part would be wonderful.

    hugs
    Sissie

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  14. Sandi,
    Thanks so much for stopping by!! I love all of your china but I have to say that I adore your transfer Ware the most!! Beautiful!! Thanks so much for sharing!!

    Hugs,
    Debbie

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  15. Sandi, you not only have some pretty plates in your collections but unique plate racks and holders. I wish my cupboards had the area above for storage, teapots on display is what I'd do as well.

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  16. So lovely Sandi, I ejoyed reading about the plates and seeing them. I love China and I love the Red And white or Pink as some of it is called. I love Rose Chintz like you and Johnson Bros. Old Britain Castles. Thank you for sharing such a lovely post. Happy weekend with love Janice

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  17. I love how you displayed your pretty plates! I don't have any on my walls, but lots above my kitchen cabinets and on a shelf above the windows in the dining area. My daughter's boys all play hockey and the Detroit Red Wings are our favorite too! I wish some day I could join you for tea! Your red transferware tea today is so welcoming! We had our first warm day today and I've been out working in the garden all day. Hope I will be able to move tomorrow!
    Hoping you have warm weather soon!
    Nancy

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  18. So nice to see all your pretty plates and I love your display racks. A really lovely collection! I have always loved pretty china and I am a bit of a collector myself, but I have never had the chance to find any of the beautiful Johnson Bros Rose Chintz you have. Wishing you a beautiful Sunday. Patty/NS. p.s. Do you have a few or a lot of Skye Mcghie's Cream Lace?

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    1. Hi Patty,
      I have a few pieces of Cream Lace; a teapot, tea-for-one set, cup and saucer, a couple plates in that pattern. It really is pretty. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a lovely day.

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  19. I agree that decorating with plates is a pleasure, and I do the same thing, with some of the same plates. Your tea looks just delicious and I would love it if we could sit down together to sip and chat. I hope to be able to join your link on Monday, but life has been getting in the way of blogging again, and I can't say now if I'll make it. Fingers crossed!

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  20. Sweet collection. Nice thing about collecting plates is you can use them everywhere for almost everything. Saucers make great soap dishes, cups make planters, plates and platters adorn walls. Broken pottery can end up in mosaics or just sticking out of planting pots. You have a great selection, thanks for sharing, Sandi

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  21. Wonderful collection, Sandi! I love every one of them but I think the Rose Chintz saucer display is the cutest....Christine

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  22. Happy Monday, PEI special lady. Hope your week is amazing and everyday you breath in the beauty of spring.

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  23. Lovely Sandi. I just love red and white transfer ware, but have not kept a lot because of many moves. Yours look lovely . Perfect decor. Your tea biscuits look yummy! Have a wonderful week
    Ruth

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  24. Hi Sandi,
    Your plate collection is really a treasure and my hubby would love to have that hockey plate too. I also like to decorate with plates and your Rose Chintz and transferware are absolutely gorgeous. I would love to have tea with you and maybe that will be possible if you come to visit your dear son near where I am in Port Coquitlam. Let me know if you are coming and I will put the kettle on. You are a much better baker than I am though. Have a Wonderful Day! Karen

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  25. Hi Sandi,
    Your plate collection is really a treasure and my hubby would love to have that hockey plate too. I also like to decorate with plates and your Rose Chintz and transferware are absolutely gorgeous. I would love to have tea with you and maybe that will be possible if you come to visit your dear son near where I am in Port Coquitlam. Let me know if you are coming and I will put the kettle on. You are a much better baker than I am though. Have a Wonderful Day! Karen

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  26. So beautiful! I love the way you incorporated your collection of china throughout your home..looks so pretty! The Wedgwood china above your patio door looks absolutely gorgeous! Happy week! hugs, Poppy

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  27. Your plates are just lovely! I really appreciate the country red and white scenes! So glad to have you join in on the Art of Home-Making Mondays! You have such a lovely blog! I am happy to follow along :)

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  28. Your china is gorgeous! And you're putting it to good use.
    Amalia
    xo

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  29. You have a great collection of plates Sandi! I love that little lamb. Your biscuits look perfect. Such a pretty tea. Have a great week. I hope your warming up on the island! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!

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  30. I love all of your beautiful plates and I definitely need to find some red transfer ware.


    Thanks for sharing with SYC.

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I am delighted to have you visit me and I read every comment. Please forgive me for not being able to visit you all as there are so many of you lovely bloggy friends now. I will visit as much as possible. I wish you a day filled with JOY!

Also, due to the amount of spam I've been getting, I have had to set Comment Moderation. ~ Sandi

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