The Valley Gals Are At It Again!!!

Once a month, several of us artsy gals taking turns meeting at each others' houses and do some creating!

The hostess picks the activity, whether it be an area of her own expertise, or a new talent we would like to add to our artsy resumes!!!

So far, we have tackled wool felting, card making, upcycled china pedestals, hypertufas, and crazy quilting.

Meeting at Bobbi's house today, we were creating autumn themed centerpieces.

It is fun to create, commiserate, share life stories, laugh, and just be together- with lunch afterwards, of course!!!! So much talent, creativity, wisdom, and life experience around a small table..........

From left-Vicki, Bobbi (hostess this month) and Julie

Bobbi, Julie, and Susan setting up

Judy, unpacking her supplies

Decisions, decisions, Susan- will this look good?

Hard at work

Judy's finished piece

Mine's done- for my daughter's new apartment

Vicki decided to add everyone's photo to her phone list, so our lovely faces will pop up when we call her- now, I just need her cell phone number!!!! Ooops!

Everyone's working hard - except for the photographer (me) and Vicki, trying to get Bobbi's photo just right for her cell phone!!!

Julie, mulling over her gorgeous creation in a vintage box

Back side of Julie's and no, she was NOT quite done!!!!

Susan's - the art of placing a ribbon takes careful thought

Judy's is done - TA-DA!!!!

Even the box of supplies looks festively autumnal just as it is!!

Vicki's unique piece of wood, unearthed  by her artistic cowboy son, and dug out of storage, just for the occasion, is gorgeous in person

Delicious eclairs and strawberries followed and equally yummy lunch.

Somehow, I managed to miss photographing Bobbi's masterpiece centerpiece- SORRY!!


                                                Another fun get together!!!

Next month, will be at my house, where I will teach the "fine art" of making chocolate, long stemmed roses!

Tea on Tuesday

                                New teas, new toys, new places to explore!!!!

Having my favorite Inkivaari Tee- ginger tea from Finland, in one of my favorite mugs- handmade by Richard Busch of Glenfiddich Farm Pottery in Leesburg, Va. I have several of his pieces, and love his work!!!

Atop the mug, is one of my new "tea toys"!!!  It's a solid cherry tea strainer/infuser, hand made in America (!) by Moon Spoon.

The other little tea toy I have is a teabag tweezer, made by Stan and Sue Jennings of Alleghany Treenware.

I found these at a wonder-full shop in Elkton, Va called SoLace Studios.

SoLace is owned by Barb Polin, and it is her working studio as well as her shop. Barb is a fiber artist, who creates beautiful hand marbled silk and leather clothing and accessories. This eye candy store carries all sorts of tantalizing, must -have creations by many talented artisans.

I must have one of these mirrors - very soon!! 

The old tin ceiling is to die for....!!!

.........sensory overload.....

a serene shopping/browsing experience

Some of Barb's fabulous silks......

So, if you are in Elkton, look up Barb's shop- she is also on FB!

Now, back to my tea - I started inside, using my "new" upcycled indoor coaster!

Now, I am heading out to the garden, and here is my perfect sweetheart of an outdoor coaster!

Here's who joined me for tea - her first appearance of the season, looking like she might have had a nest of babies somewhere earlier..

Who's joining you for tea today??

Drop by Kim and Patty, for a  list of other tea lovers!!

Tea on Tuesday

This Tuesday finds me using a gift- a lidded chintz tea mug that I LOVE!

A former neighbor gave me a pair of these before we moved, and I don't use them often enough.

So, it was time to pull one out, blow the dust off, and have my tea!

That's what happens, when you have TOO many teacups- some don't see the light of day, or the outside of the display cabinet- as often as I would like!!

Twinings Black Tea Lemon Twist is very delicious hot or cold!

My mug is sitting on a white eyelet thrift store find- a set of three, probably really meant for a dresser(  dresser scarves), or maybe for the back of the couch - kind of a modern day antimacassar, with two smaller ones for the arms of the couch.

I have repurposed the longer one as a table runner, and the two small ones as mini  or tea placemats.

Now, does anyone remember what "antimacassar" means?????

?

     ?

           ?

                  ?

                         ?

Correct me if I am wrong (altho I am pretty certain I am correct!!LOL)  - an antimacassar was a doily of sorts, placed on the back of the couch or sofa - anti meaning against - and macassar meaning oil. Against oil.

Macassar, I was told,  was a brand of hair product from the turn of the century-(century before last, that is) It was a kind of oily substance- and these doilies were placed on the sofas to prevent hair oil from getting on the back of the sofa and staining it. Doilies were easily removed and washed, or replaced.

When I was little, I remember my grandmothers having antimacassars on all their sofas. I remember my dad using hair oil when he was younger - altho I believe his was a more "modern" Brylcreem- remember that commercial- "a little dab'll do ya'!"

This white trio is just like new, very modern and summery, so it's now for the table - not bad for a thrift store cheapie!!


Please feel free to join us all for tea on Tuesdays - read, comment, or write your own blog post!! The more, the merrier!!
Visit Kim and Patty - for a list of all the tea fanciers.

                                                                                     OH

Speaking of Kim - look at the happy mail I received from her last week!!!!

A unique package of all sorts of "oddments", as she called them!! All packaged in a recycled plastic sour cream(?) container, much to the amusement of my Postmaster!!!

                                                                 Recycled wrapping

She made the little boxes out of remnant book covers, the little pin cushion upcycled from a large bottle cap (Sobe, maybe?), a fridge magnet of her own design on tin with a found bottlecap.

My favorite - and it is really hard to choose a favorite - is the little bird river rock!!! SOOOOOO simple, and SOOOOOOOO cute!!!
Altho' - this pin cushion has already been put to use!!!! And, the magnet is on my refrigerator!!!

Kim is definitely one of the masters of upcycling  art!!!!!

                                                                  Thank you Kim!!!!

An Upcycled Easter

Just thought I'd share some of the newest upcycling I've done. Some pieces are available at Julieanna's, some are staying right home with me!!! It is hard to part with things sometimes!!LOL

Close up below of the piece above- vintage silverware, an orphan blue lustreware saucer, and a jam jar. Real eggs and flowers can be substituted- faux eggs and greenery are easier for the shop!

The one above has some local Harry Lauder Walking Stick branches- they will last forever.

 

An ATC from a recent Bad Penny/Linen Shelf swap fits perfectly with the Easter theme.

                                      Vintage silver goblets and candlesticks have a new use.

                This is my favorite little thrift store bunny - he looks like a piece of molded chocolate.

                                                   This last one is waiting for the glue to dry!!



               Even tho it is POURING outside today (again!)- this is a sure sign that spring IS here!!!

Idle Hands...................

................are not to be found here today!!

While taking breaks from necessary chores, or while watching tv at night, I have been pulling out all the left over and thrift store yarns, and crocheting. (Thanks for the inspiration Gene !)

This first one was just a rectangle of leftover yarns, sort of matching, that I just crocheted, until I used it all up. I decided to turn it into a sewing/ needle/what have you/tea wallet of sorts.

I had a spare abalone heart button, and some left over lilac fabric for lining- and here it is. I had no pattern (as you can probably tell!)- was just winging it!

It may end up as a "gift" in my Pay It Forward, or.....?

The other crochet project is from an unlabeled, partial skein of what I think is alpaca blend (not sure)- turned into a 16" square pillow.

       I notice my down vest is peeking in the bottom of the picture as I leaned over to get the shot!!!

Anyway, that's what idle hands have been doing the last two days around here!

Now, off to finish the real chores( and find some more yarn!!)

On Sale Now!!!

I'm so excited!! My teacup bird feeders are in two shops in town, Turner Ham/Fulks Run Grocery and Julieanna's!! Hopefully, they will be in two more shops next week. If I can figure out an inexpensive way to mail the taller ones, they will be in my Etsy shop soon!

I have some "new" vintage finds, ready to be upcycled into bird feeders, pin cushions, and shabby chic cake pedestals! Orphaned teacups and saucers are matched with new mates, slightly chipped or worn china is given new life and new purpose.
No two pieces are the same.

The bird feeders come with a starter packet of bird seed, and the cups are easily removed from the stake for cleaning. This way, you don't have to pull the stake out of the ground each time you need to clean or refill the cup.

They will come in two or 3 sizes- the smaller flower pot size would also fit nicely within a bushy garden plant - with just the teacup peeking out. It could be filled with seed, a small plant, or water for the birds to drink!

Feel free if you want to order one, if you can't make it to either of the local shops, to just contact me directly, and we'll work it out!!! Think spring!!!!!