John Derian~

I'm sure by now you've all heard about the collaboration between John Derian and Target. Well, I have been waiting on pins and needles to go to my local Target and see the pieces in person. I had been to my local Target a few times since the official release date on September 5 and didn't see anything, then yesterday as I ran into the store to pick up a few essentials for my invalid hubby, I ran across an endcap chock full of John Derian goodies.

My budget is next to nil right now, so I really didn't have much to spend. Luckily, the pieces are very well priced! Just a note: they are melamine...not ceramic...but that's okay by me.

I had my eye on these fun bug plates ever since the first press releases started popping up online. Now, I must tell you they are VERY small...almost like saucers, but that was just perfect for what I had in mind. I grabbed myself a cute dragonfly plate for $1.99 and a matching tumbler. They now have a home on my bathroom counter to hold a few essentials.

Then I ran across this cute little tray which I had NOT seen online. It too is quite small, but it more than makes up for in charm, what it lacks in size. It now has a home on my cooktop as a spoon rest.

Here are just a few of the other fun pieces that are available....

Like them? I thought you would. So hurry to your local Target and pick yourself up some John Derian goodies. You'll be glad you did.

Ironstone~

Photo from News-Antiques.com


I have had some readers asking about Ironstone China. Although I don't pretend to be an expert on Ironstone, I do love it. Especially White Ironstone.


Last year, I found this lovely White Ironstone soup tureen at my town tag sale for a steal at only $5. But did you know that White Ironstone is only one type of Ironstone?



A LITTLE HISTORY

Ironstone was first developed as a less expensive alternative to costly bone china and fine porcelain. The Ironstone that we are familiar with today was first patented by Charles James Mason in1813 in Staffordshire, England.


Photo from One of a Kind Antiques

Ironstone is made of white clay with pulverized flint or feldspar and slag left over from iron-smelting. These additives resulted in a strong and durable product that was difficult to chip. After 1827 when Mason's patent ended, many other potters began making Ironstone. The Ironstone was decorating with transfer patterns (especially the popular blue willow) or painted designs. The plain white pieces that we love so much were not common in England, as they were mostly produced for export. In the 1840's these plain pieces were exported to the US and Canada where they were valued for the fact that they were plain, unfussy, and durable.

Photo from Ruby Lane

Backstamps can help to identify the age and manufacturer of a given piece of Ironstone, which in turn help to attach a value. Value is also based on rarity and condition of a particular piece. A quick search of the internet yields many sources for collectors to help them identify the approximate age, manufacturers and value of various pieces.

Here are some links to interesting Ironstone information (try saying that three times fast.)

http://www.whiteironstonechina.com/

www.thepotteries.org/types/ironstone

www.marthastewart.com/article/white-ironstone

Have a great Tuesday~