Tea on Tuesday

I am enjoying some ginger tea, all the way from Finland.

Pulling out a rarely used teacup- Foley English china from Cotswold....I do have some Finnish Arabia teacups, which might have been more appropos- oh, well!!!

I had a bag of this ginger loose leaf tea, sent to me by a friend (Teresa!), and my bag was almost empty, try as I might, to make it last forever!!

Another friend, who is Finnish, went home to Finland for a 3 week vacation. I was watching her baby lambs (100 lb babies!) - socializing them, being a lamb whisperer. All right ! I was playing with them- while she was gone.  LOL

From left:  CJ, Spiderman, and Gaga (red on CJ is from rubbing on the red gate)

I think they are Suffolk, altho Spidey may have a little of a fleece sheep mixed in

Spidey, wondering where his after lunch clover is

The fabulous freckles that are Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga foreground- she is a sweetie and quite a looker!

CJ (aka Calamity Jane) is the one with the best conformation and show quality, and of course, the one who was the least friendly of the three( and most camera shy)!! She has come around - and towards the end of the vacation, would come to me looking for her treats,and would permit full body rubs!! I understand she is now walking on a lead, in preparation for her County Fair debut! I told myself at the onset, NOT to get attached to them - but I think I failed......

I have to admit, my favorite is Spiderman (named that because he was caught eating spider webs)- he is a love, very affectionate, and would fall asleep in my hands while I was petting him. He would also ba-a-a-a when he realized it was my car that pulled up, and ba-a-a plaintively when I left. The lanolin in the sheep's wool is so good for your hands - and made the leather in my old work gloves so supple!!!LOL I can't think of anything worse than being a lamb in the hot humid weather of Va- but surprisingly, they fared far better than I did with the heat those 3 weeks!

Spidey napping

Back to the tea - I asked Jo, if she saw any, and had a chance while in Finland, to please bring me back a bag of that wonderful ginger tea.

Well!!! Look what I got, very unexpected - all for having fun with 3 lovely lambies!!!!

3 bags of ginger tea - obviously, one from each little lamb (!), and some lovely Marimekko goodies and chocolate!!! That purple suede Marimekko wallet with goblet design is wonderful!!!! Thank you Jo!!!

On a different "note" - please enjoy this group - called - appropriately enough for today's post - 

                                              THE TEACUPS!!!

Please join us each Tuesday for tea - drop by Patty and Kim for a list of other tea lovers!!!

Tea on Tuesday- Vintage Style

I am sipping a new sample tea I got in the mail (it's delicious with local wildflower honey!).

 Even tho' my Irish mug is definitely NOT vintage, while sipping a new Twinings Orange sample tea I got in the mail (it's delicious with local wildflower honey and the pictured Beekman lemon creamed honey!), I thought I would share some vintage black and white photos found on the internet, of teas gone by..........

My grandparents used to have a swing like this at their country home in Rhinebeck, NY

 

Tea for two, on two..........!!

Please join us every Tuesday for tea! Share on your blog what you're having and what fancy cup or mug you are using, or just peek at what we are sipping. 

Don't forget to  leave a comment, and visit Patty and Kim for a list of other tea fanciers!!!

Tea on Tuesday

                                                              it's that time again

Tea on Tuesday

What to write about? - TEA? Of course!
                      Maybe, happy mail that includes tea- of course!

                                              Spring flowers, of course!!!


                                      All of the above???????????????? OF COURSE!!!!!!!


I received 2 unexpected happy mails  this week - the fact that they are unexpected - makes them all the more happy!!!


First, was a delayed Xmas package - that was supposed to be delivered in person - but life got in the way....

Lovely set of tea towels, a teapot pendant, bird cage, and a hammered spoon.  I need to find that "font" for altered silverware I create!! Love it all!!! Thank you , Montte......


The next really unexpected happy mail came yesterday - just in time to be included in this tea post!!

From faerwillow of the lovely blog serendipity - a wonder-full package of goodies, from a tea swap, that I had long forgotten about. Sometimes, when life gets in the way of getting stuff in the mail (as it does with me on a regular basis!) - it makes it all the more sweeter, when the package arrives- totally unexpectedly!!!

 

Asian green tea w/brown rice -very yum! A tea book, 2 handmade cards, and a lovely bone china English cup and saucer

                                The tea cup is totally in synch with this post's SPRING theme!!!

                                                 Thank you so much, lady faerwillow

                             Be sure to visit her BEAUTIFUL blog- artful in both words and photos


                                               And.......................................now

                                                           

                                                            the flowers of spring

 

one of my favorites- forsythia

                                                             a white dilly

 

the Bradford pear, blossoms but a memory- trees now turning green....

                                                  a brilliant pink hued Easter cactus in full bloom

                                     ......not to be outdone by the phlox in my rock garden......

                                                 or my baby weeping cherry..............................

 

and let's not forget the distant redbud along the old road

in the distance, the vintage red quince still surrounds the rubble filled foundation of the old farmhouse

My prickly pear cactus has survived another winter, and is plumping up! I am NOT looking forward to weeding  this!!!

        The impossibly teeny wild violets await drying- to be preserved in some future art project

                And, finally, a true sign of spring - the hummingbird feeders are hung and waiting!!!

Enjoy your tea- thanks for visiting!! Be sure to drop by and visit Patty and Kim (who has a giveaway!!!), for a list of more tea loving bloggers!!! 

Tea on Tuesday

                                      Today's tea is a new Stash tea I discovered- Lavender Tulsi- definite scent of lavender, with the peppery tulsi flavor. I am not usually a big fan of Tulsi teas, but this one is nice.

                                               

I am using one of a thrift store set of black and white  English Alfred Meakin ironstone- Old Orchard pattern.
I bought these several years ago to resell, but, as you can see, they never left!!!


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 In keeping with the Tuesday tea theme, you must visit:  Milady Productions - Art Farm

 


 for

Tea Time - A Drawing Challenge.

It's a blog post full of inspiration- with links to other participating blogs. I think anyone can still "play along".

Make sure to click on the link, at the bottom of Art Farm's post - Ariane- where you can see a list of all tea related posts- very cool!!!

Please drop by anytime- and visit Patty and Kim for a list of other Tea on Tuesday bloggers!

Tea on Tuesday and Stacks

Today's tea photos were prompted by a project that Seth from The Altered Page will be featuring tomorrow on his blog.
Over 70 artists and artsy folks will be showing stacks of ephemera, paper, journals, and the like. Seth always thinks of these fun things to do!!

Who among us, does NOT have a stack of SOMETHING???
                  I DARE you to raise your hand!!! LOL


I have many stacks - so, I included a few- the last photo being the one to be included in Seth's post.
But, first- the tea: sideways, again, for reasons only blogger knows (altho hubby thinks he's got it figured, using photoshop- but I am tired, and don't want to mess with it right now- soooooooooo)

My oolong tea and mug are sitting on my 2nd mug rug from an Art4Mail online swap. The quilter did a fabulous job with fall colors.

Mine are almost done - but today was taken up by purging the basement and  making grape jam (the reason I am too tired to fool with photoshop and why this post is late today!)

                                                                             


                                                                        STACKS

 

Tea on Tuesday - teacups, of course!

                             Books that are yearning for their own book shelf- or a new home elsewhere
                                                        (see a title you like? Let me know!!!)

 

                                                    Stuff on the couch I am reading my way thru'

 

Guest bath

 

Spell check? Nah -stacks of ancient dictionaries 

(usually neatly shelved- just posing for the "stacks" photo shoot) 

                                  Journals, book covers, vintage pages, ephemera awaiting new life....

Please drop by every Tuesday for tea - see Kimmie and Patty for a list of other tea lovers.
Don't forget to visit Seth tomorrow to see many more stacks!! I know Patty and I are playing along, and maybe Kimmie too!!!

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!!!!