Collecting is easy. Gather a group of objects. Amass a lot of things that are alike in some way. Assemble a library of similar works. No problem there. A bit of time, a bit of knowledge, a bit of this and that. Put it all together – bingo, you have a collection!

But the joy of it is something else entirely. There has to be love, passion, beauty, interest. Now that is much harder to find. The fun of gathering is to be found not so much in the things themselves or in each individual object, but in the serendipitous beauty of the whole creation. Whether it is small or large, the collection only takes on its true character of joy when all the pieces relate to each other and can be shared with others.

True collections should be seen and enjoyed by all, not just one. They need to be on display, to show themselves to the world, to be studied, oohed and aahed over, and given frequent applause.

My newest love and joy is ironstone  and I am madly collecting it. It is a very durable china that has neither iron nor stone in it. Go figure! I love the white opaque color and the practicality of the pieces. Let me share some little groupings of my new joy with you.

This is on my dining room table. Can you picture this huge bowl filled with rose petals for Valentine’s Day?

The covered bowl with one handle is a child sized chamber pot.

I hope you enjoyed sharing my small collection. I hope you enjoy your own collections. I hope you enjoy sharing your collections with the world.