Tea on Tuesday

Well, my yerba mate gourd arrived just in time!! Yesterday was a happy mail day- the gourd came, some fabric for a baby quilt from Fabric Artist, and some silverware from Nathalie. All in all, a great day to go to the post office!!!

This cute little gourd came from ma-tea.com  The cane straw is very neat - open at the end you sip out of, closed at the other end, with tiny holes up the sides of the "straw" for the tea to come thru, without the tea leaves. 

My first try with this (no, I haven't tried it yet) will be to put the leaves in a tea bag, and try it.The loose  or chopped leaves are supposed to be put in the gourd without a back. this came with instructions for use!

My daughter looked askance at me - the inside of the gourd really isn't finished or sealed in any way - she thought it was gross that I would actually drink out of it!!LOL

 The little leather "coaster" the gourd is sitting on, is an embroidered leather thrift store find. (More about that in another post)

The fabric came from  Jerre at Fabric Artist - it's so cute - and she sent along 3 of her new iron on appliques - a heart, dragonfly, and butterfly - be sure to check out her Etsy shop! Thanks, Pat, for the lead!!!

The last happy mail was from Nathalie's Etsy shop, Ruby Floy

I love the little card she made (along with the orphan saucers she sent for my orphan teacups!) - photo from a 1959 Kansas City Star- ladies having a proper tea!!! Reminds me of Aunt Bea from Mayberry and the Andy Griffith Show!!!

My purchase from Ruby Floy was this group of vintage silverplate silverware- for altering- very cool!! My supply was running low!!! So carefully packed with egg cartons for cushioning and some more of the Kansas City Star lining the bottom.

Please feel free to join us every Tuesday for tea- drop by to see Kimmie  for a list of all who come to tea!

Swaps, and Happy Mail, and New Creations.......................

I was in a altered matchbox swap with Penny, and just received a lovely package in the mail- from WAY east of Va Beach, as my postmaster told me!!! LOL From way across the pond- these lovely creations came!!! I guess I should have filled my matchbox with something other than air- all of these came with a goodie or two inside!!

A paper swap from LaWendula's blog garnered me this wonderful batch of  colorful papers! My swap partner outdid herself- and sent along a card she made too!!!

The other happy mail came from Nathalie of Ruby Floy- she advertised a Castaway bottle in her online shop - and I just couldn't resist!!! It is wonder-FULL!!!! I think you should all order one, when she has them in stock!!! If my creative self was lost on a desert island- this would be the thing to have - after water, fruit,  and chocolate, of course!!!

Next is a lovely bracelet I ordered from Mary Ellen's Etsy shop-Art Kissed- it is beautiful - and she even sent an extra goodie along!!!!The sentiment on the bracelet fits me exactly!!!

The last set of photos- these are two of the recent recycled, upcycled items I've made. They can be found in Julieanna's shop in Broadway, Va.  Vintage teapots are now wind chimes with altered and stamped silverware, and crystal prism "water droplets". The smaller hammered teapot can be a planter- it has sphagnum moss in it right now - but I can just picture it with some pansies or overflowing with ivy or portulaca.(UPDATE- the hammered teapot just sold!!!!- the other is still available! More to come!) Also a little 2 tier pedestal made from vintage English ironstone. I hope to get some of these in my Etsy shop soon!

I know this is probably sensory overload - but I am behind on blogging and figured I might as well post it all at once!!! I know I am missing writing about something else I recently got in the mail - but when I figure out what it is, I'll just write another post!!!

Swaps Make Happy Mail!!!!

A couple of online swaps I participated in hit my mail box all around the same time!!!
That makes my mailbox and I do a happy dance!!!!I think even my postmaster enjoys the interesting envelopes I receive!!!
The first swap was a yo-yo brooch- I wrote a post on the one I did for Nathalie - and here is the one I received from her!! It is sooo cute, and the packaging was too. Nathalie has an Etsy shop called Ruby Floy- you've got to check it out!!!The cancelled check with the package was stamped and decorated (with a sentiment that just cracked me up!), and the brooch was attached to an old library card. I wore it that same day - it fit nicely on my lime green down vest!!! I also WON one of her giveaways- a little package of HOPE- little sewing machine bobbins stamped with the word "hope"- Everyone needs a little hope.... Thanks, Nathalie!!!

The other swap was from Post Card Travel Around the World to Liverpool-featuring the Fab Four!!!! I love receiving these cards and studying everyone's technique. Thank you Marion in Germany!!!

I think I have one more swap to expect in my mailbox - the tea bag swap- so I guess I will be doing another happy dance at the post office very soon!!!