Bill wrote:
I've been thinking and reading about finishing my project.
Having one of those "homemade stucco" finishes on the ceiling, made
out of joint compound, I left about 4 inches of drywall at the top of
one wall and about 18 inches at the top of another when I removed it.

This leaves me facing almost wall-length "butt joints". I presume
that with some patience (layering) and appropriate drywall compounds
I can make it look decent. Please tell me if you would suggest
approaching it any differently, in particular, by removing the
wallboard to the ceiling. My intuition tells me to stick with my
original plan (the butt joints), but I think this is a good time to
ask.

I'd leave it as it is Bill. You can finish the butt joints in the normal
way, and you don't have to worry about affecting the finish at or near the
textured ceiling. A less than perfect butt joint that is 4" from the
ceiling isn't going to be all that visible.

--

-Mike-