Christmas Tablescape with Masons Vista

Click to Enter my French Pillow GIVEAWAY

Bye bye Old Britain Castles.  Hello Vista. 

That was my first thought, over ten years ago, when I was an avid Johnson Brothers Old Britain Castles (OBC) collector and discovered Mason's Vista.

  

I like them both, but

    I love the deep, cranberry tones and the variations in shapes and hollow wares this line offers.   Plus, I like the deeper shade of pink/red.  Vista 

is one of those few transferware patterns I experienced love at first sight with.

I sure am glad I have to be faithful to one man and not just ONE set of dishes!   I don't think that would work out for me.

So, this week, here's another favorite pattern of mine set to a Christmas table. And...hooray, this tablescape was just featured in a local publication today in conjunction with an open house I'm having at the shop on December 11.  If you're in the Tulsa area, please come by.

About the Vista pattern:

Vista is widely popular amongst serious collectors and novices alike.  It is easily recognizable by it's castle and park like scenes with oak leaf borders.

The Vista pattern is by far the most popular that Masons ever produced.  It is attributable to Francis Morley who purchased from Charles Mason his business and factories in 1848.

Vista was largely made for export to the United States beginning in 1890, of which brown came first, followed by blue.  Pink/red is the most sought after, most common and most produced color.  Vista can also be found in green (dating to about 1900 with a short lived production) , purple, and multi-colored (dating between appx. 1918 and 1944), though they are harder to find in these colorways.

Vista was also produced in other variations such as Oak Vista where there is no oak leaf border but rather an embossed, non colored border. 

About my tablescape:

The centerpiece begins with a pretty runner of gold, olive, red and burgundy.  In the center is a Walmart angel I purchased some years back and added a little embellishment to.  I added ribbon, miniature ornaments, beads and wires to her dress.  I placed the angel on a wreath I decorated with glittered berry bunches, wire edged gold organza ribbon and lights with miniature pine-cone covers over them.  To either side are gold candelabras with votive candles and a few Christmas bulbs scattered around the base.

These Waterford Clarendon wine hocks have have been packed in a box for over four years.  They are all placed on hand beaded coasters that match the chargers. The thumbprint glasses are Kings Crown and I purchased them about 10 years ago in an antique shop.  I was so fortunate to find some with no, or very little, wear to the pink rims.  We have amber and olive thumbprint tumblers as our every day glasses.  They just feel right in your hand.

At each place setting, instead of placemats I used gold linen blend napkins with beading around the borders and placed them each at angles, corner to corner, allowing them to drape over the table.  Hand beaded chargers from Always Elegant were placed directly on the napkins...then came the Vista plates.

The pretty flatware is Barenthal which I sell for $67.50 for a 20 pc service for four in green or this burgundy color.  I think the marbleized handles are so striking.

I used two organza napkins, inside is a golden bronze and outside is an embroidered burgundy color.  The beaded napkin rings have long tassels.  The napkins and napkin rings both come from Always Elegant, a site I love, love, love for pretty table linens and accents.  I clipped glass bird ornaments to each napkin ring for an extra touch of Christmas.

The cups and saucers were each adorned with a trio of berries swathed in faux ice crystals.

Red and gold is a favorite color combination of mine.  

To each dining chair I tied gold organza garland with filled burlap and toile Christmas stockings to be taken home by the guests after dinner.  I just love all the burlap things being made now.  These darling stockings were hand made by DAnnAccessories, an Etsy shop specializing in Christmas stockings.  She's got various colors of toile combined with muslin and burlap. 

 I tucked floral picks into each stocking along with an all natural, hand made soap of goats milk, aloe vera and lavender essential oil in little organza bags. 

The little soaps make great stocking stuffers or small thank you gifts.  These also come from Always Elegant...where I get all my organza and beaded table linens.

 

This is the soap outside the bag...it comes sealed in a plastic wrap and embossed with a lovely design.

On the buffet table I scrunched up a runner and ran a simple garland of berries with sparkling, faux ice along with added Victorian pillar candles from Zest Candles Christmas candle line.  I also permanently display a large Vista soup tureen and two smaller Vista gravy tureens here.

Here are a couple of pictures taken at night.  Speaking of night, it's time for this gal to go night night.

Between Naps on the Porch
Southern Hospitality

Show and Tell Friday

Common Ground 

Freckled Laundry
Feathered Nest Friday

Under the table and Dreaming
Show off Your Cottage Monday