Memory Lane

 I posted this set of dishes awhile ago but I wanted to share again cause I really love it.  I always think of Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage when ever I see Red and White transfer-ware.  So this one is for you Sandi.

 The name of the pattern is Memory lane by Royal China, Inc. from Sebring Ohio.
Most transfer-ware I see is made in England so it is especially nice to see one made in the U.S.

I was lucky enough to have a pretty full set of it for sale in my shop.  But on Sunday of this past weekend someone came in and bought it.  Actually in the morning someone else had looked at it and said she might be back and then a couple hours later it was sold to someone else.  I guess when it is ready to go it is ready to go.
       Since I already had this post prepared I am going on ahead and showing it to you.     Here are a couple of the various pieces up close.  It is such a pretty set.

And while I am thinking of Sandi.....   She lives in Prince Edward Island, Canada.  It is a place I have been fortunate enough to travel to and loved every minute of it.  But that story is for another day.  Because I have family in New Brunswick we often go to Canada.... and while there I made a wonderful discovery of this special tea.  Now, we can purchase Tetley tea here in the US but NOT this special blend.......     Earl Gray Vanilla. (at least I can't find it in any grocery stores near me and believe me, I HAVE LOOKED.)    No doubt about it, it is my favorite tea.  When we go up to visit I ALWAYS purchase a couple of tins of it to bring home... and to savor on special occasions or even just because.  Here is the tin.  I am showing both sides since in a lot of Canada they put both French and English labels on their products. 

If you like Earl Grey and you like vanilla you should try this if you get a chance.  I personally think it is very special. If you can't find it in your store maybe you can add some of the vanilla flavoring to the tea bag and let it soak in before adding to the hot water.  This is "ONLY" a possible suggestion.  I have not needed to try it myself.

  Be sure to visit Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage the week of Jan. 26th for her special anniversary party when participants will be choosing and showing their favorite tea cup or teapot.  I am having a very hard time deciding at the moment.

Here are the tea parties I will be joining this week.  Hope you will visit them too.

Remember, these may not be available every week so check to be sure.

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

 Martha at Martha's Favorites *

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

Snickerdoodles and Tea

On this second Teacup Tuesday of the year  I am sharing another Tea Cup and saucer that was given to me by my friend.  I think is is soooooo pretty and delicate.

 And I am also including some Snickerdoodles.  This is the second week in a row I have made them for my family.  They all love them.  Check out my daughters blog"Cooking with Amanda" (the link is in the column to the right) and in a recent posts she talks about the Snickerdoodles she learned to make as a young girl and still makes to this day.  There is a recipe there for them too.

The tea cup I am sharing today is made by Anynsley and I do love the shape with the swirls on both the cup and saucer.  The yellow is bright and cheery on an otherwise cloudy day.  And again, like the cup I showed last week, has a pretty little bouquet inside for added cheer.

And here is the mark

The little heart plate I am using this week also came from my friend.  There was a set of 4 in different colors.  You will probably see me using them from time to time. They are pottery and not old but I do like them alot!

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

  These may not be available every week so check to be sure.

Hope you will visit them too.

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

 Martha at Martha's Favorites *

Bernideen's Tea-time Blog *
Ruth's Antiques  Teacups *
A Return to Lovelinesss

De-stash it is!!!

 (This is a post card made I for a January Challenge at the Jennibellie's Journal Workshops


 My word of the year is DE-STASH ..................    If you don't know what that means......
well, if you are a crafter of ANY kind, you are probably building up a "STASH" of supplies.  Sometimes you sort of hate to use something, thinking it might be better used later.... but apparently "later" never comes.  So why not "De-Stash" every so often.

This year I want to start combining   journaling, collage art and maybe even scrapbooking with recycling, and using up my art supplies that are sitting on a shelf, unused, seemingly unloved.......  I have made journals in the past like this but now I am getting busy to make a whole lot  since I have way too many supplies just "sitting around."   I can use them as travel journals, art journals, daily journals, what ever.

This may start out as a mish mash but so what.  I often spend an hour or so going through old magazines and ripping out pages that appeal to me, or that have an interesting color or design feature.  Then they go into a box.... and there they sit, waiting for "what?"

This year I signed up for a few journal workshop type things here on line.  There are a couple of Face book groups......   Journal 52 and Art Journaling and there is a blog site called Jennibellie's Journal Workshops (see link above).  I also signed up for a paid  workshop that is teaching MAKING the actual journals called the Journal Journey.  I have made one so far.

  I may not stick with all of them throughout the year but have to admit I have already done more in this short month than I did totally last year.  There are many more out there too.  Or you can just make up your own.

MY GOAL is to have FUN and if I use up some of my stash of supplies that is even better.

So this is a little of what I have accomplished so far...........

I made two little journals using supplies I had on hand in abundance.  The blue on on the left has a cover made from some handmade paper I found somewhere or other.   I cut watercolor paper in half to make the pages, cut some handmade paper for the cover and the back is from 1/2 of the back of the watercolor pad.  I stacked them and took them to staples to have the coil binding put on.

 The inside pages......... almost looks professionally made doesn't it.

 And this is the back.... this is definitely recycling!!!

The other little one is filled with bits and pieces of art paper, handmade paper, and bit of paper I made and even a couple of envelopes.  The real secret is that I gathered them up and took them to staples to have them bound with their coil binding.  Keeps them neater that way.
    Here are a couple of pictures of some of the inside pages.

            The green, yellow etc. partial page is a piece of paper I made when I was into making paper.



To start your own collage type journal grab any kind of paper that is reasonably strong... cover it with glued down images from magazines and cut to size......  your first attempts don't "Have" to be in a fancy or even "not fancy" journal.. You can mix in plain papers too...  I have seen some interesting things made of a fairly standard size page... stacked up, taken to a print shop or Staples and   bound with coil binding.  Or if you have a sewing machine....  add a "cover page", sew them together on one edge... voila.... a book.

I haven't done the collage type journal I mentioned above but maybe I will eventually.  I have taken classes over the years to learn to make various types of journals which in the past I have used as journals for some of our trips.

SO this is just the beginning of this new adventure...............  hope it last the year................

Shelley and Sausage, an unlikely sounding combo

As I continue to go through the many tea cups and saucers that were given to me by my friend I keep finding surprises!  Today I am sharing with you a Shelley that was included.

It is such a pretty dainty thing, not quite in the standard cup shape I have come to expect of Shelley but lovely still.

I like seeing the little bouquet inside the cup

And here is the mark.   Ruth from Antiques and Tea Cups can probably tell me more about this set.

I made up some little Sausage bites to have with brunch.  They are so simple to make.    Easy and SO GOOD,

   It is a recipe I found at the Just A Pinch website.    The are called Sausage Cream Cheese Crescents and are made easily because you will use Pillsbury Crescent rolls.  I sometimes use my grocery store's generic brand.  Which ever is the best price....  Pillsbury often gives coupons.
Click on the picture I got from the website to find the recipe.....

  
 While you are there you might even want to join the site.  I often find good recipes there.

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

  These may not be available every week so check to be sure.

Hope you will visit them too.

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

 Martha at Martha's Favorites *

Bernideen's Tea-time Blog *
Ruth's Antiques  Teacups *
A Return to Lovelinesss

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all my blogging friends.  I know I am a couple of days early but that is because of Tea Cup Tuesday of course.   This has been an interesting year but with health issues and other problems I am not sorry to say goodbye to it.  Looking forward to the New Year and better days.

I am starting off by showing you some special cookies I made and served along with my Earl Gray Vanilla tea (by Tetley, only available in Canada apparently).     The cookies are called Red Velvet Cookies and are made using a Red Velvet Cake Mix,  a tub of cool whip, an egg,  and Powdered Sugar.  You can check out the directions which are on  my daughters blog....  CookingWithAmanda for which their is a link in the right had column.  Everyone that has tasted one has liked them.

 The china I am showing you today is another of the gifts I received from my friend.   I don't know the name of the pattern but it is by Crown Staffordshire which you can see by the mark below.  It is the same company as the one I showed two weeks ago.

 While getting ready for the new year I also decided to make some fun bread.  It is called Buttery Onion Pull Apart Bread and can be found on the Rhodes Bake and Serv web site.   Recipe is HERE. 

                      Ready to Bake                                

 Baked

I loved it!!!!!  Especially toasted!

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

  These may not be available every week so check to be sure.

Hope you will visit them too.

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

 Martha at Martha's Favorites *

Bernideen's Tea-time Blog *
Ruth's Antiques  Teacups *
A Return to Lovelinesss

Christmas Miniatures

Even though it is now the day after Christmas I thought I would share some of my doll house miniatures with Christmas Scenes.

The first two pictures show my doll house living room.  Not too heavily decorated but none the less READY for Christmas.........

 The mirror over the mantle was made by my dear friend Sally Watson.  We share a love of all things mini!  And she does beautiful work!

The next few pictures are of a room box I made a number of years ago....  It is filled with items I received in a 24 days of Christmas swap with a group of ladies in a NY state Miniature group I belonged to.

                    The top and sides of the box come off to fully reveal what is inside.

As I look at this more closely I realize I should add some sort of decor to the top of the walls as they look rather bare.  Though I don't usually have it all the way open.

And finally here are a few more Christmas minis.  I made the tree at my local doll house club a few years ago.  I can't remember the source of the other items.  Perhaps a swap?

I hope you have enjoyed looking at these.  Miniatures are VERY addicting.  Even though I haven't done any in awhile due to other interests crowding in I am always thinking about what I should do next.

Be sure to come back next Tuesday for Teacup Tuesday!     

Merry Christmas to all my blogging friends

 With the hustle and bustle of the few days before Christmas I think it is time to take a break, have a cup of tea and contemplate the reason for the season.

 These two pictures are from a past Christmas post.

 And now for  a bit of whimsy, here are pictures of thwo "Christmas Children" from the book Flower Children by Elizabeth Gordon with pictures  drawn by M.T. Ross   The  book was published back in 1910 and I am fortunate enough to have a copy.  These particular graphics were taken from the Graphics fairy web site because they showed up clearer than anything I could scan from the old book.  I imagine they were from a later edition which is the colors are more intense than the book I have.

Here they are:

Poinsettia

 n

Holly and Berries

 The post cards in this post are also from The Graphics Fairy.  She is a wonderful free resource. 
You can find her site by clicking the link on the right side of this page.

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

        These may not be available every week so check to be sure.

Hope you will visit them too.

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *
 Sandi is having special  old fashioned Christmas Tea  this week and I am joining with her.......  Don't miss this one!!!

 Martha at Martha's Favorites *

Bernideen's Tea-time Blog *
Ruth's Antiques  Teacups *
A Return to Lovelinesss

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