a simple tea

   

  A Simple Tea Today....................

                                                                                                                                                        

My tea party today is made up of things that you could put on a tray and take anywhere.  Out on the deck, out in the yard or just onto the dining room table.  To me it doesn't matter "where" you have tea. Just that you have it!

Sometimes it is nice to just have a simple tea, with a few tiny cupcakes to add some sweetness.

Today I have chosen a Royal Albert flower Cup and Saucer.  Don't know the name but it is so pretty.

And here is the mark

Next I used this pretty Paragon plate to hold the dainty little cupcakes....

 and the mark.....

To add to the tea table I have added this tea bag holder

 And some Earl Gray Tea........ Always my favorite...........

And I found this cute little trinket holder to add to the fun.  Although she was made to hold trinkets I don't see why she couldn't have a bit of sugar since this is really just a tea for one..........

Thanks for joining me for tea today and hope you visit all the other Tea Time blogs as well.

I have joined with the following Tea Cup Tuesday Tea Parties.

Hope you will visit them too.

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

Terri at Artful Affirmations *

Martha at Martha's Favorites *
Bernideen's Tea-time Blog *
Ruth's Antiques  Teacups *
A Return to Loveliness *

Be sure to come back next Tuesday for another Tea Party and join me on Thursdays or Fridays for my project updates.

Decoupaging with napkins

In my antique shop I occasionally sell vintage hats and need things to display them on.  While looking at Totally Tutorials I found a new tutorial on the idea of making a pretty mannequin head.     Here is a tutorial for making a "flower head".   Click on the link to see her tutorial.




I made a similar thing a while back to use in my shop.

I made mine in a bit easier fashion.

 I used a product called "naplique" and some pretty pansy paper napkins.  I am sure you can find napkins that feature your favorite flower or other thing... how about tea cups....  If they seem a bit pricey.  Check with friends about getting together and sharing.  Or just ask if they have any left from an event.  I have  saved some from showers, birthday parties etc. that I have attended.  One is often enough for some projects. Two is what I usually need.  You can also use pretty tissue paper, it just isn't as absorbent as the paper napkins.

  Here are some of the napkins I have accumulated....

The product from the Aleen's glue line called Naplique is, of course, no longer made.  .  I imagine you can use Mod Podge or another similar product.   I think Aleene's may make a new product for paper.  I will have to check it out.

HERE IS A NAPKIN LIKE THE ONE I USED

To do mine I just used the top layer of the napkin and "ripped" up pieces to place randomly on the head.  By tearing carefully instead of cutting they tend to blend into themselves.  "Painting" on the decoupage medium and adding a bit of the paper at a time you carefully cover the idea.   I did save   three of the bigger pansy centers to make her eyes and mouth.   I think she turned out pretty cute.



I also did a pretty vase using this technique with paper napkins featuring over all pattern of
 geraniums.   I had it out in my shop and SOLD it.  I could have sold this head a few times but so far I haven't been willing.

I need to make more of those vases.  They really are pretty easy.  Time consuming but easy. Actually you could also cover lamp bases and other solid things.  Let your imagination go crazy.

To make a vase just find old ones at yard sales, or in your closet....  and cover away.  Takes something from ordinary to extraordinary.

And of course I looked a bit more on the internet and found this tutorial on using this technique on other items.
http://www.craftideas.info/html/paper_napkin_applique.html


Let me know if you try it.

Tea in the Garden

It was a "fine day" for an outdoor tea party.  Well, it would have been if the temps weren't quite so cool!!!  It was sunny though so I decided to set it up anyway.  It is in front of a garden area that has just begun to do its thing with some daffodils.  You can see some Hostas coming up but they have a ways to go.

I chose a few things from my shop to use today.

 

 I have always loved this rose tea cup from  Canadian Classic.  Don't know about the company but they know how to make a pretty tea cup don't they!  It is definitely one of the cottage or wild roses.  I have a number of them at the end of this garden area but it will be while before they bloom.  They are still barely getting their leaves.

 The sugar and creamer are depression ware.  They are in the "cubist pattern." 

And the tea kettle is one I recently found.  It is copper... and was made in West Germany.

I dearly love this tablecloth.  All the cut work is beautifully done.  Perhaps by machine since it would have taken forever to have done it by hand.  But I do LOVE IT what ever.

Thanks for joining me for tea today and hope you visit all the other TeaTime blogs as well.

I have joined with the following Tea Cup Tuesday Tea Parties.

Hope you will visit them too.

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

Terri at Artful Affirmations *

Martha at Martha's Favorites *
Bernideen's Tea-time Blog *
Ruth's Antiques  Teacups *
A Return to Loveliness *

Be sure to come back next Tuesday for another Tea Party and join me on Thursdays or Fridays for my project updates.

Sewing Organization

Wow, a whole week raced by and I really never did any sewing or other crafting work.  Spring means I can work outside now, more yard sales and flea markets and other distractions.  I suppose that is why I don't mind winter months too much.

I did finish off a couple of organization projects.  A couple of weeks ago I talked about finding a way to clean up my bobbin collection.   Here is link to tutorial.

Bobbin Clips Tutorial

And here are my before and after shots.

BEFORE: 

 AFTER:

The next thing I discovered is a way to organize, make sense of and easily find my sewing presser feet of which I have MANY.

Here is the tutorial I found.....

PRESSER FEET STORAGE TUTORIAL

And here is MY result.  I am very pleased with it.  I had all my presser feet in a  little box, all jumbled up.  It always took extra time to find the one I wanted.  Although this new way takes a slightly bigger box it is so worth it.  And I can hide it in a drawer in my sewing area.  I doubled the little sections by gluing in an extra divider in several of the spaces so I could more easily store the feet and have space left over for things like sewing machine needles and other little things.

I didn't show before because things came from various places but this is the final product.  There are still a couple of empty spaces for presser feet I "know" are somewhere.....  LOL

 While out in the yard today I was enjoying seeing all my Hostas come up.  I put a pin wheel next to a group that the rabbits have used for a private salad garden for themselves.  So far, so good.

And I am still enjoying all the violets popping up everywhere.  I sort of hate for my husband to have to mow as most will disappear for another year.



   I hope to get crafting or sewing again in the coming week.  I have so many UFOs I MUST get to work on but have to admit being able to spend more time outside is quite tempting.

See you again on Tuesday for Tea Cup Tuesday and next Thursday or Friday to see if I really have accomplished anything!

Final April Tea Party

The winter seemed long but the year is marching along rather rapidly.  Hard for me to believe it is almost May.

If you look closely you can see all the pretty little violets in the grass.  Actually if you click on the picture you should be able to see it bigger too.  This is just a small section of a large area in my yard.  I always look forward to seeing them each spring!

So. in honor of my violets in the yard I thought I would share pictures of some of my violet tea cups.
I have always loved violets and over the years I have collected tea cups and other tea things.  Here is most of my present collection.

 

and here are pictures of the individual pieces.

The first is my absolute favorite....  The Royal Albert Provincial Flowers Violet.  I am pretty sure this is the flower of New Brunswick.... where my mother-in-law was from.

The next one I have had for a very long time.  My husband and I were on a trip to New Orleans and stopped in at a little antique shop where I found this next one....  As you can see I even saved the sticker on the bottom to remind me.  That was about 45 years ago!!!!!!

                  The next one is another Royal Albert set but I don't know the name..............

                                            Then here is one from Queen Anne China

                                                   And another from Royal Grafton

                                          In addition I have this small teapot from Adderly....  

and a pretty little handpainted pitcher that was made in Japan.

                                               I hope you enjoyed seeing all the violet sets!

      Next to violets I like Pansies.  Maybe I will show my collection of those another time. Perhaps when I have some growing in my garden.

Thanks for joining me for tea today and hope you visit all the other TeaTime blogs as well.

I have joined with the following Tea Cup Tuesday Tea Parties.

Hope you will visit them too.

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

Terri at Artful Affirmations *

Martha at Martha's Favorites *
Bernideen's Tea-time Blog *
Ruth's Antiques  Teacups *
A Return to Loveliness *

Be sure to come back next Tuesday for another Tea Party and join me on Thursdays or Fridays for my project updates.

A car show and crafting

I am a little late with my weekly update on crafting and travels and such because I wasn’t home soon enough  to put it on the blog early Friday morning.  But am home now so here it is.

This week we did something completely different.  We went to a CAR SHOW.  It was in Carlisle, Pa.  They have a LOT of shows every year and people come from all over.  Even Canada.  In our campground there were campers from several Canadian provinces, CA, Nevada, West Virginia, CT, NY and Ohio, New Mexico, Utah, NH, NJ and Mass.  They were just the ones I noticed!   I heard some folks come from overseas as well.  Recently a guy came from Sweden and took a car home with him.  Apparently this place is a "big deal."

 My husband is beginning to restore a 1929 Model A Ford truck.  SO..... we needed  to go to a car show so he could meet with like minded folks.  AND so he could spend MONEY on stuff he needs.

I didn't actually go into the car show after the first day.  I only did that so I could see what it was all about.  The rest of the time I actually sat out in our camper which we were able to set up just outside the gate.  I brought along a lot of little projects to work on.  I didn't bring my machine but did bring scissors, glue, rotary cutter, fabric and cutting mats.  Also a tiny miniature bed project for one of my 1:48 scale doll houses.  I managed to finish up the cutting out of pieces for a BOM I have been working on.  I cut out a lot of the wool for some of the future Fellowship of Flowers projects and I did a LOT of reading.  It was actually like a mini vacation for me since all I had to do was cook breakfasts.    I was never bored.  We went out to dinner each evening which was my treat for the day.  We ate at a diner one evening.  I love diners and this one was a good one.

I  took a couple of pictures to show you the various things that caught  my eye.  I didn't go up to see all the show cars. The pictures I took were in the selling area.

The first was a "cute" 1949 Dodge Truck.  Now I think I might have fun driving around in it, if someone else would restore it.  LOL  (NO my husband won't do it....)

The next picture is of a Model A truck, similar to the one my husband is doing.

And then I found this cute "Henry J,"  a car from long ago that wasn't exactly a "best seller."  Someone had fun painting this up.

People that sell at the show sometimes sell vintage stuff too.  How about this old washing machine.

So we have returned home and life is now back to more or less normal.  Be sure to check back next week to see what we are up to now.  And what craft or sewing project I am doing.

And of course come back for Teacup Tuesday.