Grumpy on a Gray Friday, and Some Thrifty Finds

Oh my gosh, I am so down in the dumps! We've had gray skies for a few days now, and it's damp and chilly, too.  This weather makes me very grumpy.  Instead of enjoying the outdoor plant show that comes just once a year, I stayed home this morning.  It was drizzly, and I wouldn't be able to put any plants out anyway because we're still having frosts and overnight freezes!  I spent some time, instead, researching this tea cup I found at Goodwill the other day:

It's interesting in that it has the "feel" of Jasperware - you know, rough.  But it's quite ornamental, too, with glazed "jewels" around the inserted cameos, and on the saucer.  I had a feeling it was something special.

There's a different cameo on each side of the cup.  And, interestingly, only the ornaments, the rim, the handle, and the inside of the cup have a shiny glaze.

I able to glean that it was made by Schafer & Vater in Germany, (1890-1962), whose wares began to be imported to the US by Sears in 1910.  Not all of their items were marked, but those that were match the mark on these pieces -- a crown design.  The factory closed in 1962 and was taken over by the East German government; subsequently, all molds and records were destroyed.

Similar pieces are selling $22 (for just the cup, without saucer) all the way up to $180 online; mine is in perfect vintage condition so I'm going to sell it on Etsy for probably around $30.

Okay, here are a few more pretty things to show you:

Isn't this little bird sweet?  I found this watercolor at a thrift store -- it was priced pretty low and the man who got it out for me told me it was a print.  I begged to differ.  When I got home and took it out of its frame...

I could clearly see it was original, and not only that -- it's identified as a male fairy wren.  It was painted in 1996 but, unfortunately, I could find no information on the artist, B. Ketteridge.  I did find there's a well know watercolor artist named Elizabeth Ketteridge, but the signature clearly shows a "B", not an "E".

I also found these two little Homer Laughlin violet plates...

for just 50 cents each...which made my day!

This is another one of those pieces that I passed up until the price was down to 75% off.  Then, after I bought it I noticed it was signed by the Japanese artist, so it is a bit better than I thought it was.

Still...

I can't for the life of me figure out what Little Bo Peep is feeding her sheep!

Oh well; they look happy enough to be getting it!