Tea on Tuesday

One
                   more
                                                                 day,

                                                                     and

August is over - where HAS the summer gone.............I am not ready for summer and veggies from the garden to be over and done with!!!

For today's tea, I have pulled out my "August" Czech made mug, from the back of the cupboard. Maybe, that means I have too many mugs and teacups- since I forgot to use this mug any time during my birthday month!!!


                              But, the day before August is truly over, is better late, than NEVER!!

Whilst I sip my Lady Grey tea, I thought I would share with you some photos of recent swaps, gifts and finds.....

First, tho', I must INSIST that you all get up, and do
                                                                           THE 
                                                                          HAPPY
                                                                       DANCE!!!!!

 

(Blogger still not recognizing my corrected, rotated, sized and saved version-aaagh!) 

Anyway, when you buy something online from Target - they enclose these directions for a happy dance, upon receipt of your package!!LOL I must confess, I did it!!!

Anyway- this was a wonder-full purchase from an artist on discovered on Seth Apter's The Altered Page

I was so taken by her beautiful illustrations- and when I saw this little notebook available in her Etsy shop, I had to buy it!!! I just love the little badger (she has a notebook with a dog also!)

Gillian McMurray, self described artist and craftsperson - creates beautiful things!!!

She has a blog also - please be sure to check her out!

 

I told her, it's so pretty, I don't even want to use it - but she said to use it, and then just remove the pages and put new blank ones in- good idea!! It was made to be used!!! Has a tiny little pocket in the inside back cover - I slipped her cute little moo card inside.

An online group I belong to, Art4Mail, was hosting a rug mug swap. One of my swap partners was very on the ball, and already mailed one to me!! She said this was her first rug mug ever - can't believe it - it's beautiful!! The theme was autumn, since her country does not have autumn- she guessed- not a bad job - love the little pumpkins, and purple is one of my favorite colors!!!

Thank you , thank you!!

 

For the uninitiated (and I was one) a mug rug is a 7"  x10" quilt, used as a placemat for a mug of whatever and a snack . Still working on mine - good thing they are not due for another month!!!

Judy, from Apron Strings , and I, did a one on one needlecase swap. I posted about mine in an earlier post.

This is the lovely one I received from Judy!!

 

With a cross stitched insert that she did 20 years ago- in a quilt pattern, no less!!

                                              Cute little ball button, with a hair elastic loop.

 

The little pin cushion pillow was made from a piece of her dad's old sweater :>)

 

The eyelet pocket was stuffed with a needle threader, and a packet of Tazo tea. The wool needle catcher has a red embroidered darning needle/dragonfly.

I'm already using it- I love it - and will tuck her email describing how it was made into the pocket!!

Thank you, Judy!!!

Last, is a thrift store purchase - why I keep buying quilt blocks, (or anything for that matter,) I'll never know - I am so far behind in quilting stuff!!!

But, these were a must have!!

 30 Feed/flour sack hexagons- with a couple of "newer" fabrics mixed in.

Have to decide how to put these together -but I put them out on the floor for the pic.

 

Not bad for $2.75!!

So, please, join us every Tuesday for tea

You'll never know what the topic will be!

A different tea on every blog post

We love visitors and comments the most!

If you love tea, and want to partake-

Join us next Tuesday, for goodness sake!!!

Please stop by Kimmie and Patty for a list of other tea fanciers!!

Tea on Tuesday- Tea Tasting at Julieanna's

This post will be mostly a pictorial........attended a wonderful tea tasting on Saturday, at Julieanna's shop in Broadway, Va. A peachy ice tea, and little peach scones, with a free neck massage , and the opportunity to make a necklace. An order of some hand dyed scarves came in, and they were being tried on and purchased as fast as they came out of the box!!

So, as I sip my hot mug of yerba mate, on this beautiful, brisk August morn, enjoy your own cuppa and the tour.................( click on pics for a closer look)

                                                                    A peachy iced tea

                                              Peachy mini scones and traditional mini scones

         Color coordinated displays of mouth watering, gotta have 'em teapots, teacups, and jewelry

                           Above is a glimpse of my D/H awaiting his complimentary neck massage (I had one too)

                                  Need a vintage chapeau to wear to tea? - Julieanna's has them!!!

                                                      Sea glass beads and colors

                                                     The glorious scarves................

                                                           The models and buyers!!

                                               One of the necklace samples above and below

                                        Colorful array of supplies to make your own creation

My favorites - the birds - a wool bird perched in a tree branch with paper flowers crafted by Julie's daughter

 

                                                              Tea, tea, and more tea.......................







                                   Some vintage Godey's fashion prints, vintage and new teacups

 

 

My personal favorite and on my wish list - Lily of the Valley!And, oh, I just realized, the teapot is perched on one of my own hand crafted upcycled vintage Wedgwood pedestals

Julie and Susan know how to throw a party!! We can't wait for the tea room to be finished and open! In the meantime, shopping at Julieanna's and going to the monthly tea tastings and fall tea classes are not to be missed!
Also not to be missed - Kimmie's and Patty's blogs- to see what they are having for tea today - and to find a list of other tea fanciers!
Please feel free to join us for tea every Tuesday!!

Playing With Wool

Recently I joined an online group - Art4Mail- recommended by blogger friend Judy.

I have already mailed out a "spoolie" bird pin cushion- winging its way across the big pond!
I think I can safely post pics here - don't think my swap partner reads my blog!
I free hand cut a pattern using a coupon flyer from the Sunday paper - recycle, recyle!!!

Then, I dug out some of the hand dyed wool I have been hoarding (purchased from and created by Patty, years ago)
I had some wool strips left over from a rug hooking project,  knotted them together, and "wove" a bird's nest.

Then, took a vintage wooden spool, attached the bird in the nest (with some glue, and a wool strip attached to the nest and threaded thru the spool.)

The only thing I would have done differently, is to have sewn the bird closed on the bottom, instead of the top seam - brain wasn't fully operational at that exact point in time -for some reason!!
The little blue  bird has yellow wool wings, a cream colored breast, and vintage black snaps for eyes.

Now, how to ship the little twitter to arrive unscathed in England?

I just happened to have come upon a thrift store bird themed box - that was a perfect fit!!! That sturdy box, within another packing box should have made his trip comfy!!!

 

The other swap, was a one on one with Judy- a needle case.

She has already received hers, so I can post a pic!

Also made with some of Patty's hand dyed wool, and vintage thrift store cutter quilts, I fashioned this after one I have. 

Years ago, when I belonged to a wool group, called the Woolie Nuts(!) with Patty, Lennie, and Pat Sloan, we did several round robins.

One of them, was a wool needle case, which I LOVE, and use to this day!!!

Judy's is blanket stitched, with cotton batting sandwiched in between, a wool pocket, a quilt pocket, and a quilt pin cushion. There is a wool black eyed susan(one of my favorite flowers) inside and a red heart on the outside, with a strip of vintage tatting edging the cover. It folds wallet style.

 

Still having the issues, where blogger refuses to acknowledge that these pics were rotated, resized and saved. My new camera and blogger refuse to play nicely.. Oh, if only I were more computer literate.......

 

So, even tho they are upside down, you get the idea.

So, as summer winds down, sigh..........I'm dragging out the wool  to play again....

Barn Swallow Migration

Early Friday morning, as I sat at the computer, I heard a racket by the window.
Peering out - all I could see were barn swallows, swooping and swarming and chittering- above the porch roof and right past my window..

All thru the day, I saw hordes of them - which is unusual.
I typically see several pairs, at their nest boxes around the property, or in the early evening, zipping around the barn , catching an evening meal on the fly.

I can only assume, they are gathering together for an annual migration- sad to see them go.

I got a few photos of them, en masse, lining the electrical wires at the edge of my property. Even when it started to rain, they were there. The pix are not that clear, the wires are a distance away. Click on photos for a possibly better view!!!

 

Next to leave, will be "my" hummers - will be very sad to see them go!!!!

Art House Co-op Sketchbook Tour 2011

The tour is over, the thousands of artist sketchbooks are back in Brooklyn!

The amazing folks at the Art House Co-op are in the process of digitizing ALL the books,
                                                                            so, 

if you didn't get to go see the books at any of the tour stops around the US- you can now view them                                                                online!!!

                                                   Mine is now digitized!! Woohoo!!!

The only thing that could NOT be shown is my little hummingbird watercolor flip book tucked in a pocket at the end of the book (sigh). And, pictures put in the book sideways, are digitized sideways, (*note to self for next year!)
So, except for having to turn your head to see some of the pages, it's pretty cool!!!

Here's the link


I had no clue what I was doing when I started this. Now I have a better idea, and am hooked!
I have already ordered and received  my new sketchbook for the 2012 tour.

You can order one also, just go to the first link at the top of this post, and follow the path to ordering a sketchbook. There is a VAST array of talent on all levels- from virtual beginners (like me) to  extreme illustrators,  funky artists, moms and their kids, quilters, doodlers, watercolorists.

The tour will also go to Canada this year.

And, for participants in London and Melbourne- there will be tour stops there!!!

You have 'til October 31st to sign up!!!

DO it!!!!!

Makin' Moo's........................

I have always loved little "moos"- A moo is a tiny 1"  x  3" business card, that you can slip in with your art, or in a swap of ACEO's or ATC, or just about anything.
I have received some beautiful teeny professionally printed works of art.There is an online company where you can have ones made up.

After reading Kimmie's  tutorial a while back, on making a MOO- I thought I would give it a try.

Altho' Kimmie suggested using cardstock for the backing, I used a cereal box!

Gathered together some of my vintage papers, ephemera, and artsy papers received in many online swaps, I cut the front off a Rice Krispies box.

 

A little Modge Podge and a Martha Stewart version of the same.

Ripped and cut assortment of papers artistically (!) placed and glued..

Since I used cereal box cardboard, instead of card stock, the back side was gray. To save time, instead of hand painting it- I spray painted it green and purple.

When dry, I marked it off in 1"  x3" sections. There were a couple of tiny Moo's and a couple of larger ones left over. I still used them - there I go, tweaking the size of Moo's!!

Cut them up, and put preprinted address labels on the backs.
I accidentally picked up labels that were 1/2"  x 1  3/4"-very tiny- and they were a royal pain for my DH to print with. The words would just NOT match up, no matter what. As a result, I could not have everything on there that I wanted.
I did manage to salvage enough of them to use. Next time, I must remember to read the fine print on the package!!

Silly me, I thought address labels came in a standard size.................

Here are a few of them hanging on a cute little thrift store wire clip mobile- which is going to be a great little gadget for displaying photos or ATC's!!

Like Kimmie did, I edged the rough edges with a colored gel marker, and used the Modge Podge to tack down some loose pieces.
And, voila- I have little MOO art cards to include in swaps.
Thanks, Kimmie, for continuing to inspire!!!!