Vintage Micratex Catrina cups

You don’t come across these everyday, so we thought that they were definitely worth featuring in a blog post. We are, of course, referring to the cups and not the chocolate digestives!

This range of crockery is very hard to find – in fact we’ve been waiting for about 10 years to find a piece. The pattern will be very familiar to vintage fans – the unmistakable Lotus pattern designed by Arne Clausen – and famously used on Cathrineholm enamelware – kettles, coffee pots, saucepans et al – shapes designed by Greta Prytz Kittelsen. Here it’s being used in this range of vintage crockery made in England.

It was produced by Adams Pottery – a member of the Wedgewood group. Their range is called Micratex Catrina, but there’s no doubting it’s identical to Lotus. It was being produced way back in the 1960s. Did Arne Clausen give Adams permission to use it – or did Adams copy it? We’re not sure – it’s a rare oddity.

We’ll enjoy drinking our coffee out of them whilst we investigate further!

Cactus cups

We’ve got a box full of random pieces of vintage crockery – kept in store just in case we need them to make up sets. To be honest, this doesn’t happen that often so we decided to give them a new life in a different way.

Amongst the selection are a whole host of lovely cups – the perfect home for small plants. We did something similar with colourful tins some time ago.

So it was off to our local garden centre where we bought small cacti, succulent compost and fine gravel.

As there are no drainage holes, start with a good layer of gravel to prevent water-logging. You’ll still need to avoid over-watering though – especially in the winter.

Certain cacti seem to suit certain cups – whether it’s the size, shape, form or colour.

Surround with the succulent compost and firm in.

Finish with an attractive top layer – we chose this crushed shell mix that they had in the aquarium section of the garden centre.

And voilà – cactus in a cup!

We think they look gorgeous – especially in a small grouping. We kept a few for ourselves and took some to our antiques centre space, where they’ve found a nice home on a window sill.

Creative Collections: Vintage cups

We’ve chosen vintage cups for this week’s Creative Collections post.

We often come across odd cups or part sets when we’re out & about. There’s certainly no need to leave them behind because it’s not a complete service. A cupboard full of mismatched crockery for day to day use looks great – or can form a fabulous shelf or wall display.

The amazing range of designs & colours makes cups the perfect choice for collection. You could concentrate on a particular subject – say flowers. Or a similar colour way. Or certain date era. Or a mad mix!

We have the perfect display piece for our little cup collection in the form of this rustic 19th century kitchen rack. It’s got unusual diagonal slats, studded with little iron hooks – and a shelf for overspill! We just love the patina & crackle of the old paint.

You’ll never run out of collecting material – the number of eye-catching cups is almost limitless – and they’re usually very affordable. Some collecting is about obtaining every single one of something that’s ever been made. That’s not the case here – pick up what you like the look of. There’s no rush – just enjoy the hunt. You could even enter into the dark, murky, mysterious world of mugs!

Charity Vintage: Hornsea mug collection

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At the moment we have 1,300 images uploaded to our Flickr photo stream. Currently holding at #6 in popularity is our photo of a Hornsea mug collection.

When we saw this collection of Hornsea mugs being sold by and in support of British Heart Foundation* we knew we had to share it with you. The lot is currently at £68, which we think is still a very good price for 8 mugs. There isn’t much time left to bid – just over a day – so if you’re interested you’d better hop to it!

*British Heart Foundation is the nation’s heart charity. They help save lives with information, patient care and pioneering research. With your support, they’re beating heart disease for good.

H is for Home Harbinger

Tag: mugs

Vintage Micratex Catrina cups

Cactus cups

Creative Collections: Vintage cups

Charity Vintage: Hornsea mug collection