Friday, November 4, 2011

Tin Cup


We've been going through our treasure bus reducing our possessions and making a few dollars selling at local flea markets, every little bit helps. Some things I'm re purposing to current needs, like my previous studio sign. I painted it with turquoise acrylic; I think this color is eye catching. I wish it said Pottery instead of Ceramics, someone else made it for me so it is what it is.


Some things I still can't part with like this soap dish I got more then twenty years ago. My initial thought was to have an outdoor plant potting station with an old sink and this soap dish. Somedays I think it will look great above one of those big porcelain cast iron farm sinks in a mountain cabin. Or perhaps in a warehouse-size pottery studio above one of those stainless steel sink and drainboards seen in commercial kitchens. Somedays are what dreams are made of.


Gary unpacked some of his father's things and found this bronze war merit cross from the German army. It has a swastika and swords on the front and the date 1939 on the back. I read the swastika symbol was used hundreds of years before it became notorious as used by Hitler and the Nazis.


Gary's father was in the US Army Air Corp from 1939 to 1945 during World War II. Gary also discovered this insignia. He was stationed at Morrison Field in West Palm Beach, Florida.


Meanwhile I made two more mugs, a giant tankard size without a handle and with thick applications of colorful texture, almost a carnival mug. This would be a good milkshake size tumbler.


The next one I was inspired from a memory of a tin cup, the kind which were issued to soldiers in a mess kit carried in the battle field. I should probably roll the rim out, to make it appear as if it's made of tin. Today this size mug, which is only about two inches tall, might be considered an espresso cup.


I'm quite enamored with this little cup; I might make a group of these. I like it's simplicity. I think I should reverse the top attachment of the handle and perhaps make it a little taller. Gary said I should put raised letters saying "U.S." I might make a few like that too. I could also make a mold of the insignia and then use it as a sprig on some 'tin' cups. This post is part of Show and Tell Saturday, Artist's in Blogland. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

21 comments:

  1. Hello Linda:
    A very eclectic mix for the weekend. We can readily understand your attachment to the soap dish which, if it were ours, we should place over the bath and use.

    We agree with Gary's idea of including US on any future 'tin' mugs to show from where the inspiration comes.

    Jó hétvégét.

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  2. Hi Jane and Lance, thanks, isn't that soap dish cool, I love the pattern on it, it allows the soap to dry out, so well made. I'll be adding some US to the tin cups in the future.

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  3. Love the soap dish... and, turquoise is a good color for the sign. Always fun to read your posts.

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  4. Wonderful to hear that others hang on to "someday" items, too. I have several things I've kept for years, thinking they would work perfectly in my "someday" little log retirement home with a huge front porch. I may never get that little log home, but I hang on to the dream and to the collected trappings, and that keeps life interesting!

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  5. Kind of envy your "somedays". I moved enough times that my treasures have fallen by the wayside. Perhaps they are now someone elses,"somedays." That is a nice thought.

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  6. Love that soap dish...think I would want it out somewhere if it were mine.

    Carnival Mug indeed. I would love the have my frozen chai lattes in it on hot summer days.

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  7. I get so sick of blogger sometimes I had a response to everyone and it lost it and came back saying memecache is inactive. every day it's something new.

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  8. Hi Turquoisemoon, thanks, glad you enjoy my posts, thanks, I do like turquoise, maybe you do too. Ha. I am not sure what the soap dish is made of, but I do like the pattern on it and it's good and sturdy.

    Hi Sharon, thanks, yeah a cabin with a big porch to put lots of homey furniture on would be wonderful, maybe someday, but at least the dream is kept alive with a few items.

    Hi Patti, thanks, well I've collected a lot of this stuff for over 40 years and if we hadn't of had a bus it would all have been given to goodwill for a write off we couldn't use, so luckily I can sell a few items for some money needed now and dream of the items I keep. Ha.

    Hi Smartcat, thanks, I wish I had a good place to put that soap dish now, but maybe some day soon. I have never tried any of those frozen drinks, perhaps one day next summer I'll give a couple a try.

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  9. If I remember correctly the swastika or a symbol just like it was used by some Native American's long before Hitler ruined it and that style of mustache.
    I have dreams of the outdoor sink too. I don't have the soap dish but I have everything else...well, except water.

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  10. I was going to say the same as Lori, my mom has an old Native American basket with the swastika woven into it. I have a tin cup like the one you mentioned, I use it for glazing in my studio

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  11. First...your mugs are wonderful. I especially like the 'tin' cup. Here in Colombia...where coffee is king...those little cups are very popular. Secondly, I love you sharing your old 'stuff' with us. My house if full of it. Treasures that I searched far and wide for to get a deal on - and then paid a fortune to have them shipped by container to Colombia! Go figure. And last...thanks so very much for the lovely compliment on my blog. Here's the reply I printed there...
    Thank you, thank you Linda. I'm so glad that others are receiving inspiration from ME!!! I tend to get preachy so hold a lot of "it" in...but this Story just had to be told.

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  12. Blogger tried to do it again to me, but this time I fooled it and copied my comments and saved them. Take that blogger.

    Hi Lori, thanks, that'w what I read too in the link, too bad it now has such negative connotations. Lori the outdoor sink sounds so wonderful, kind of like a summer kitchen I guess, sort of old but sort of new too.

    Hi Tracey, thanks, yes a similar basket was show on the link and I had no idea about that and apparently the ancient Greeks also used this symbold so many years ago. I know I have seen a tin cup like the one I made but can't remember exactly what they look like, but I googled it and there they were, a good part of Americana for sure.

    Hi Bohemiannie, thanks so much, I get inspiration from every other blogger I visit I think I have an active imagination I guess. Glad to know that this size cup is popular as I am planning on making a few more. I also think this size cup could be good for a child size too.

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  13. wow, you have been busy! I love the last cup...it is wonderful!!!
    Have a great weekend!! and thanks for coming by my blog:)

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  14. I noticed over on WHYNOT POTTERY that you are looking for a recipe for gluten free corn bread. Try Bob's Red Mill http://www.bobsredmil.com/ they have a wonderful selection of gluten free products, mixes, and recipes. I had a client who needed a gluten free diet; we found that Bob's products were excellent. She said the chocolate cake and brownies were the best. Sometimes they can be expensive to order from as they often only sell cases. If you can find someone to share an order it becomes more reasonable. We are fortunate in that our local Job Lot carries a large selection of products and is willing to order products when asked. There are also some excellent gluten free cook books around. We got masses of them out of the library so we could decide what would be best for our client's needs.

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  15. Hi Cynthia, thanks so much, love the feedback so I know what to make more of.

    Hi Smartcat, thanks ever so much for taking the time to tell me about these products I have only been gluten free for less than a year so it is all new to me and I am learning as I go along. At first it was a challenge just to totally switch my diet and now I am slowly branching out into more things that I am able to eat now that I am more regulated. Thanks again I will check the products out and will look at the library too, I don't know why I didn't even think of that. Duh, thanks.

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  16. Your work is quite lovely Linda, I love your fox plaque and you dream one as well. thanks for visiting and hope to visit again and see you in Artists in Blogland. xox Corrine

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  17. Both of these are my favorites so far..but I think I need a handle, so...that one wins it for me.

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  18. OOOOOOooooh that is why I am a horder, I can not let go of anything and would buy all yours too. Love the mug and the soap dish very much!!!!
    ManonX

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  19. That bottom mug is really lovely... perfect espresso size!!! I love that soap dish and amazed at how much you are getting done... great post xx

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  20. you have been a busy bee! very creative.

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  21. Hi Corrine, thanks so much for the feedback, loved visiting your blog too.

    Hi Mary, thanks, I saw a movie on TV last night and the guy had a mug just like that in his hand, Gary said it's too small but they must be popular. Ha.

    Hi Manon, thanks, we have both been horders for much too long.

    Hi Tracey, thanks, everyone seems to like that small mug so I am making more of them. Ha.

    Hi Molly, thanks, yes no rest for the wicked.

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