Decluttering. and Art Journals.

        Decluttering

Another week, another decluttering list.

This week I worked in one of our upstairs bedrooms where we "store" stuff.  Sort of an "attic" in waiting.
I managed to get rid of a bedspread with two shams, a set of sheets, two lamps, a computer monitor  a CPU for the computer and a box of computer "junk.:  So that means 7 items added to the list.  It doesn't sound like much after last week but it was a LOT of volume!   The computer stuff is going to be recycled. The rest is going to the Salvation Army.  I am beginning to feel better and better about all this.

Up to last week my total was up to 48 items and I am adding 7 things this week.  So I am now at 55.  Which leaves 311 remaining.  I feel good about the fact that 55 items are gone for this month. I hope I can do as well in February.

ART SWAPS

As you know, if you follow my blog, I participate in a lot of swaps.  The current one is from the Blog called Speckled Eggs.  In the past we have done swaps using large match boxes filled with things for a specific theme.  This is a bit different this time as we are making journals for our swap partners.  They are supposed to be vintage  in Style and use the "composition books" as a base.  I have started mine and moving along.

The covers are done with some great upholstery fabric. 

 This inside cover is some handmade paper.

 And this is some scrapbook paper.

 Be sure to click on each picture to see them larger and more detail.

Now I have to work on the embellishments for the front covers. And some prompts and such for the inside  I have been playing with a few ideas but haven't decided anything for sure.  I hope to work on it this weekend.  I will show more as I move along.

Tea Cup Tuesday, Fourth Tuesday in January

Welcome again to my Offering on Tea Cup Tuesday.

 

After you visit my site be sure to visit the others at

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

or http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

ALSO: Rose Chintz Cottage

It is a good thing there are 5 Tuesdays this month because even though I have a lot of Tea Books to show you this week I still have MORE!!!

Be sure to click on each picture to see it larger for more detail.

These first two books are small in size and the kind you would find in a tea shop or gift shop.
The Little Tea Book is in blue and white print.  It is loaded with history and some recipes.
The English Book of Teas has a lot of tea dessert recipes AND is beautifully illustrated.

This next batch includes two pamphlets and a folder.  The first one... Invitation to Tea is from 1963.  There is a letter inside from Saga Food Services in California.  They must have made tea.  The book contains recipes and inside the back cover is a chart listing tea supplies you would need for an event of 50 people!!!!

The next booklet was put out by Lipton Tea Company in 1991.It calls itself a guide from Lipton to the Pleasures of Tea. No recipes but ideas on types of tea.

The third item in this picture is a little folder called Herb Tea  It includes instruction on how to grow, harvest and blend herbs for tea plus a bag of herb tea to try.  Haven't done it and probably won't.  I  want to keep it all intact.

 The next two are very nice books.  The first one was produced by the Republic of Tea,  It talks about all the types of  fine tea and herbs.  I received it as a gift one year from my son along with some packages of tea from The Republic of Tea.  It was sold by a friend who had a lovely gift shop.

The second book here was co-written by a friend of mine, Barbara Kincaid along with a friend of hers.
Barbara used to do vintage fashion shows in California and held Victorian Teas.

I saved one of my favorite tea books until the last one today. 
This book, by Maryjo Koch is beautifully illustrated including some very whimsical tea pots down by her, I assume.  Lot of history.  She talks about the various kinds of teapots, illustrates them and talks about their different qualities.  This little book is just filled with all the information you would need. It does not include a lot of recipes like other books do but if you were limiting your self to just a few books, this would be one I highly recommend.   In the back of the book she has pages for you to add your favorite recipes for each season, your favorite places for tea.

That is it for this week.  Be sure to visit all the other tea time Tuesday blogs today and come back again next week when I may finish off the listings of all the tea books I own.  (Or not!)

Another week of decluttering......

I am entering my third week of my decluttering campaign.  I have heard it said that if you do something for at least three weeks it will become a habit.

Here is my newest report....
       I got rid of 7 t-shirts that no longer fit.  They were from Nascar Races and Blue grass festivals so I hope someone will like them.  They went to the Salvation Army.  I also got rid of a Yankee candle that is almost new... but I never liked the smell.  And I sent off three figurines that are just collecting dust in this house.
That is 11 individual items.  Besides the 10 dolls I put on e-bay in last weeks list I also include some Avon Miniature Doll House furniture that really doesn't go in the doll houses I have now.  So I can count them as  2 cause they were two room settings.

And in the throw away line I filled two of the Tall Kitchen Bags with junk from my studio clean out.  I will just count them as two even though there were a lot of things in each bag.  I am already starting on another bag!

So my total for this week is:
7-t shirts
1 yankee candle
3 figurines
2 doll house rooms of furniture
and 2 tall kitchen bags of junk from my craft room

So I am counting a total of 15 items.

and up to date.. 33 from the past and 15 more means I am up to 48.  Not too bad considering the month is only a little over half over.  So with 366 items promised and 48 gone I am now at just 318 to go.

Working on  more goodies next week,  I am half way through filling another of those tall trash bags and am making a pile of craft supplies to donate to a local children's museum.

How are you doing in your decluttering?

Tea Cup Tuesday, Third Tuesday in January

Welcome again to my Offering on Tea Cup Tuesday.

 

After you visit my site be sure to visit the others at

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

or http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

ALSO: Rose Chintz Cottage


For the past couple of weeks I have been showing you some of my collection of tea books.  I suddenly realized I had better do more than just 2 a week or I will still be doing it until  next January.

So this week I have 6 books to show you.  These are rather small ones that I have picked up here and there, often at little gift shops.  


This first group of three are a bit different.  The first one (on the left) is actually a book of postcards.  Each postcard features a lovely tea service and on the back there is the recipe of the item pictured on the front.    The second one (in the middle) is called Tea Temptations.  It has loads of recipes easy teas, tea drinks and punches, even tea icecream.  According to the price tag of the back I bought it at Gloria Jean's Coffee Bean which I think is a little shop in malls.    The third book on the right doesn't have any recipes however I had to add it to my collection.  It is the illustrated song.... I'M A LITTLE TEA CUP."  Cute for a young child but oh so wonderful for a grown up who remembers singing that song as a child.  On the back of the book there are directions for how to do the movements when you sing the song! and the best part is that it is the shape of a teapot!!!!


If you click on these pictures I think you can see them better

The next group features a book (on the right) shows examples of many different kinds of teas and tisanes (herb teas), The one in the middle is a mini gourmet cookbook (or so it says) called Afternoon Tea.  And the third one, on the left is a little booklet also called Afternoon Tea which features several recipes just right for afternoon tea.

I am not sure that these are still available but be sure to check at any teashop you may visit, gift shops often carry them and even a coffee shop like I mentioned in the first section.  I noticed they are all older, copyrights back to the '80s so if you want one you may have to do a bit of a search.


The one thing I have discovered is that you really only need a couple if you are planning a tea party.  BUT if you are like me and "NEED" all the books you can find... go for it!

Decluttering.

Decluttering is constantly in my thoughts these days.   This week I went through my fabric and made up a box to donate to a local church group that sews for their missions.  Then, since I am starting to clean out my studio to find space for my sewing machine I found lots of other things.  Also, as I clean each room I try to find something to go.

So here is my list: this week!
1. a panini maker, I gave it away.
2-4 The box of fabric which I will count as 3 although there were probably 50 pieces of fabric of various sizes.  This is the box.  I probably should have spread them out but the lady who was taking them was coming by so this is the pic I took quickly.

5. a favorite little watering can that had been repaired one too many times. (Trash)
6.  A printer I no longer use...  passing it on, on free cycle I think
7- 16 dolls I am posting on Ebay.  The first group are Hawaiian Souvenir Dolls.

 And this group are little dolls dressed in Polish Regional Costumes.

17. A spice holder that I bought to use for beads and obviously never will.  (off to Salvation Army)
18.  A plastic paper holder for a desk.  I don't have room for it so it is taking up space. (Off to Salvation Army)

So that is 18 this week....  Added to the 15 last week brings the total so far to 33.

Lets see now.....  366 minus 33 equals  333 to go.  AND it is only Jan. 12!  Sure hope I can keep it up.  I imagine it will slow down as time goes as but if the habit is made then it should be possible.

See you with another list next Thursday! I will be adding to it today as I organize another room.

Machine Embroidery will not get the best of me.,

My saga of trying to learn Machine Embroidery is moving along VERY SLOWLY.   The problem I seem to be having is with the tension and everything I have read indicates that is a very common problem.  I have been trying different things and so far it is getting a little better.  By that I mean I have actually completed two  designs, simple ones, that look good.  But there are the problem ones too.
This first picture shows part of a butterfly design and a heart design that was WRONG....  You can see the white thread.  That was the bottom thread showing, not the right one.  After some adjustments I was able to do the heart properly.... a red color.....  You can click on it to see better detail.

The second picture shows the Butterfly coming out properly.  I have a long road but with persistance I hope it will get better.

At the moment I have the machine on  my dining room table but with all the work I have been doing up in my studio I now have room to put it up where it belongs.  So that is my project today.  And by tomorrow I should be ready to try again......................

Tea Cup Tuesday, second tuesday in January

Tea Cup Tuesday for the second Tuesday in 2012!

 

After you visit my site be sure to visit the others at

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

or http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

ALSO: Rose Chintz Cottage

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As I promised last Tea Cup Tuesday I will continue talking about some of the tea books I own.

Here is a beautiful book called Tea Time At the Inn, a Country Inn Cookbook by Gail Greco.  I have found several, now favorite recipes, in this book. Such as  Fruit Jewels and Carrot Walnut cake on page 40.  And there is a recipe for Whoopie Pie on p. 150.  Pennsylvania and Maine both claim to be the birthplace of the Whoopie pie.  But, which ever, it is an interesting treat. I have lived in both places and had them in each place.  I haven't figured out which is really better.

                   

And the second book I am talking about about is called   Taking Tea by Andrea Israel.     Called the Essential Guide to Brewing Serving and Entertaining with Teas from Around the World.'

Once again it is loaded with recipes, also beautiful pictures and a lot of history.   And plenty of themed tea parties.  The recipe for  Lemon Curd Bars on p.66 is yummy.     I have also made them using Orange Curd. 

    It is available on Amazon but they didn't have a picture of the cover so I scanned it.  

 Here is the link for Amazon..................

I hope you enjoy hearing about these books.  I will be sure to have more next Tuesday.    And check my blog out on Thursday to see how I am doing on my major decluttering project!