Wednesday, January 17, 2018

This Months Teacup and Saucer Rescues...



I feel like I should almost start this by saying my name is Karen and I have an addiction to teacups. But I am not a collector in the sense you would think. I only "rescue" teacups that I will used. I do use my china cups daily and a plate or two and I have turned a hobby of collecting beautiful once loved pieces of history into a passion and purpose.  This year I have started a group on Facebook with the soul purpose of using the good china on yourself. Don't have a good china teacup and saucer? Rescue one. Etsy, Ebay, Charity Shops, Thrift Stores, Yardsales, ask a mother, a grandmother or aunt but basically just get one and use it.

For me teacups are like potato chips and you just can't have one. This week I have been very fortunate to find 5 new sets and the week before that I found 4. I am in need of someone stopping me from entering a shop for a little while as my China cabinet runneth over...

In all seriousness though I love the thrill of the hunt and the idea that these small pieces of history could tell so much if only they could talk.
I rescued this hand painted Royal Albert cup and saucer from the local Salvation Army Thrift store and what drew me most to this $6.99 find was that it was very clearly used, colored by tea over the years and clearly treasured. A quick wash when I got it home and a beautiful addition to my collection it has made. I have used it three times since Friday and I figure if I had gone to the Starbucks, which is just beside the thrift store and ordered two teas, in cups I would have thrown away I would have paid more than I did for this beautiful piece of history.

I have a soft spot for mismatched cups and saucers too, often relegated to the back of the cupboard or tossed out I still find beauty in these discarded relics, I had a lot of fun  putting cups and saucers together at the thrift store and found the set above, which actually matched after going through 50 or so saucers and I brought the set home for another $6.99, a truly good find!
Possibly my most favorite mismatched find is this Balmoral Royal Albert cup, that I matched up with a burgundy saucer that matches almost perfectly and I actually like it far better than the saucer it would have come with, that and I paid $6.99 for the mis matched set, not the almost $80 I found it for online.
I don't just rescue vintage bone china, I found and loved these heart shaped cups and saucers and at $2.99 each, I could not resist. I can not wait to use them in February and with my nieces.

If you think you might like to join the Facebook Group called Karen's 2018 Teacup and Saucer Challenge, where you can share your love of tea, tea cups and a great find or two even if they come from your own cupboards we would love to have you join us. Click here to request to join. 

Thank you for joining me here to see this months rescues to date. I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

3 comments:

  1. Your teacups are beautiful. There is something to be said about making a pot of tea and pouring it into a pretty china cup. It's fun looking at your finds. Happy hunting! JJR

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  2. Karen, you are tempting me with all these beautiful cups. I am trying hard to resist them but I may have to look for just the perfect one. All your posts have inspired me to expand my book selections & now I want Tea Cups & Saucers! LOL

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  3. I love that you have found collecting tea cups and saucers so meaningful and that it brings you so much joy! I envision myself picking up one of your cups and having a cup of tea with you when I look at some of your collection. Really beautiful collection and the stories they could tell.

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