Flow Blue, Opalescent Green, & Eiffel Tower Bling!

Just having a little fun with my blog titles...but I am excited about these latest vintage finds which are available on the website today:

A flow blue luncheon plate marked "ABBEY" and made in Holland. Unique and very striking!

I love the vibrant green of this elegant depression glass with the opalescent rim. Also unique are the three pedestals making up the neck of the stem.

Thank you, this has sold!

And who doesn't love a little Paris bling? Always keep your Eiffel Tower memories with you when you wear this sparkly necklace.

And for the shabby fans...a beautiful vintage creamer. I love the ornate handle.

All may be found under the "Just Listed" category.

And as always. . .

LuRay Gravy ~ In a RARE Sharon Pink!

It is always fun to find something you collect ... but it is even MORE fun to find something unusual or rare.



Here is the LuRay gravy with attached underplate in Persian Cream. This is the most common color you will find this piece in.

Now, here it is in a rare Sharon Pink! I found it recently in my travels, and yes, dear LuRay fan, I am offering it up for sale on the website!

(Thank you, this has sold!)

Click HERE if you are interested in purchasing it.



And as always,

Vintage Finds Being Added - Carnival Glass, Flower Frogs & More!

Here are some of the latest additions to Bella Rosa Antiques just in time for Labor Day weekend:



Pretty ruby toned carnival glass celery dish

(Thank you this has SOLD)

A petite and very ornate Italian wall mirror. Great for arranging in groups!

A set of three smaller gold framed mirrors to have fun with...
(Thank you, these have SOLD)

And for those of you who love flower frogs....a set of four in different sizes and shapes.

All available on the website by clicking here.

Cleaning Out ~ The Collectible Clutter

If you're an avid collector or even an antique dealer, you know how things can accumulate. You hunt for great vintage finds, keep some, and part with others right away.

Then there's the "why did I buy that" category and the "not sure what to do with it" shelf....and my husband's favorite..."it just needs to be repaired" bin.

Our church is having a fundraising yard sale this weekend and I think it's time to go through our "stuff."

What do you save, get rid of (trash) and what can you donate? This is definitely up to you but here are a few simple guidelines:

1) Is it sell able in any way other than your website or antique booth? Sometimes collectors are looking for pieces and parts to repair their own "broken treasures." Internet auctions are great for this purpose.

2) Would it make a great yard sale or flea market item? Try sorting into boxes labeled for it's next destination or for donation.

3) If you've had it for more than 3 years and it still doesn't have any appeal then put it in the donation bin. One woman's junk is... well, you know.

4) If you've tried making repairs to the item and it still isn't of good quality then you may want to trash it. Don't feel bad ...just get rid of it.

5) Have storage conditions made the piece fade, crumble, smell, or deteriorate in any way? Trash, unless it has usable parts as in guideline number 1.

6) Did you buy the item on impulse or while you were in a "phase" and don't collect it anymore? Pass it on.

One good thing about going through your stuff is you may find things you forgot about or things may have become more collectible since it has been in storage. Bonus!

To help in future searches for your items try organizing them on shelves or in labeled bins with similar items.

And to treat yourself for having done such a great job sorting and de-cluttering, go check out the latest sales or auctions!

As always,

Vintage Finds - Pink Retro Ice Crusher

(Pink Ice Crusher & Prism Lamp are SOLD, Thank you!)

Lots of fun finds this morning...on our hunt we came across lots of kitcheny type items. My favorite being the PINK SEARS Ice Crusher. Love the chrome!

Dear Hubby also delighted in his vintage soda bottles...an "A-Treat"...."Skipper" and a "Frostie." He also picked up a wooden Coca Cola crate or tray to display them inside.

And who doesn't love old green depression glass shakers? These would look great in an old hoosier cabinet.

The prism lamp is quite pretty so it really doesn't fit in with the other items for the retro kitchen but it was a neat find. We also came across some Wade Whimsies, sterling silver jewelry, pink hand crocheted baby blankets, and a drop leaf table.

Which goes in the antique booth and which shall go on the Bella Rosa Antiques website? Stay tuned....

A Peek at Our Antique Booth

(Wicker Coffee Table has SOLD)

The other day I was updating our antique booth and I decided to take pictures. I like to do this every now and then. Gives me an idea of what has sold and how I've displayed items.

I absolutely fell in love with these very delicate porcelain tea cups. The sweet colored pastel linings are of course what tickles my fancy! Remind you of anything? The LuRay pastel dinnerware I collect maybe?

(Vintage Trunk has SOLD)

We have an ecclectic mixture...

My hubby likes to sell toys so this is part of his display in the case.

And of course, right above them I have vintage jewelry. Someday I'd love to have separate cases but for now, we share. We'd need a bigger booth for that! Right now the antique biz just doesn't pay to have more booth space.

I tend to lean toward the rose covered porcelain items...must be the shabby chic gal in me!

Sometimes I bring items home to place on the Bella Rosa website and vice versa. It would be great if I could get all of the inventory listed online as well as for sale in the booth. This is a huge task and one I am going to put on hold for awhile.

LuRay Cream Soups - Rare & Hard to Find!

My hunt for LuRay dinnerware never ends...which is okay with me because I think it is half of the fun. Some of the pieces are harder to find than others. The cream soup is one of them. It has taken me about ten years to complete the above set of four, as of today.
My latest acquistion is the cream soup in persian cream. The hunt is over for this little gem! Oh how I've waited. I may just have to use it to celebrate the occasion.

Now my next question for myself is... do I want to try and go for a set of 8????

We'll see what I can find over the next decade!

If you're looking for more good reading on LuRay, I have posted several times about this dinnerware before on these posts below:

LuRay Pastels - Great Conversation Pieces
LuRay Pastels: Lovely Display Dishes
and
LuRay Pastels: Classic Dinnerware with Popular Appeal

I also have a few pieces left for sale on my website, Bella Rosa Antiques.

Happy collecting and as always,

The Bridal Shower - History

This weekend I attended my neice's bridal shower. The hostess of the shower did a fabulous job...keeping us all busy with games and lots of door prizes. The decorations were impressive and while keeping with the black and white theme picked out by the bride, she used colors of light and dark pinks to keep it upbeat.

One of the games we played was very creative. She had gathered a dozen antique kitchen utensils used by women from the late 1800's to the 1930's. Let me tell you, we were stumped! This was hard to figure out some of these gadgets! I did know many of them already from working with antiques, but, the answers some came up with were funny and probably better than what the real use was. Utensils like a cherry pitter, soap saver, biscuit cutter, etc. We all learned something new.

The day had me wondering about how bridal showers started. I found this on this website of wedding traditions:

"The Bridal Shower originated with the intent to strengthen friendships between the bride and her friends. In this gathering, the bride’s friends would give her moral support and help her prepare for her marriage. The idea to give gifts is fairly new; originating circa the 1890’s. At one shower, the bride’s friend placed small gifts inside a parasol and opened it over the bride’s head so that the presents would "shower" over her. When word of this hit the fashion pages, people were so taken with the idea that they decided to do the same at their showers."

While we did not open an umbrella over my neice's head, we certainly showered her with lots of adoration, gifts, and well wishes. I sincerely hope she enjoyed the day and will treasure it for years to come. It is a once in a lifetime event!

For more inspiration on weddings and showers...visit our "vintage wedding category" on Bella Rosa Antiques.

And of course, as always. . .

Vintage Ellen Clapsaddle John Winsch Christmas Postcards

(Sold!)

A few of the items I am listing this week for the Christmas in July Sale are a little more than just fun decorations for the holidays. Some of them, if you look closely, have a lot more than meets the eye.





Like some of the vintage postcards. They were artist drawn originally. Signed by popular names like Ellen Clapsaddle and John Winsch. Who were they and what made them famous?



For Ellen, was it the cute depictions like the one above that won the hearts over of many? How about John Winsch? This is probably why I am in this antique business. I wonder about many of these things as items like these pass through my hands on their way to a collector.



Join me this week as I celebrate Christmas in July at Bella Rosa Antiques! I've just listed all of our inventory with a 30 percent reduction in prices....to help you get a jump start on holiday collecting or decorating!



New today are the artist signed vintage postcards (and a few others) and these Christmas Song books. Stuff you just can't find anymore!

Vintage Ephemera ~ Christmas Postcards, Christmas Carol Song Books, Santas & Angels

Today I will be making last minute preparations for the Christmas in July sale here, at Bella Rosa. I found a few more items you may want to check out...a couple of vintage Christmas Carol song books and some of my favorites, vintage Christmas postcards.

Pictures of these latest pieces to follow, soon!




Then once I have these latest items listed...I'll begin marking down the Christmas inventory. The sale runs until July 20th. Ho ho ho!