Tea Cup Tuesday-Summertime Tea

 Hello All

Welcome to Tea Cup Tuesday
It is summertime...
and I am still enjoying hot tea in the afternoon.

The daily (practically!) rains have kept our temps down,

and the ground too soggy for Bertha.

So indoors it is, for a relaxing, soothing, aromatic cup of herbal tea...

ahhhhh........

I have been using this elegant berry cup lately. 

Many of you have seen me share her in the past. 

I find her profusion of flowers and fruit 

delightful to include in my summer time tea.

I do love the berries!

And her high footed pedestal.

Lovely blossoms and berries inside this cup too.

Do you think the pink flowers are apple blossoms? 

Or could they be Rosa Rugosa?

Then there is plenty of power around here in Bloglandia,

You all inspire me so much!

She is manufactured by one of my all time favorite potteries,
Paragon China...

another Stoke on Trent, England pottery.

I find the shape of their tea cups just right for me.

I am always pleased with their artwork and attention to detail.

They often include fancy gold filigree trims...

something I really admire in a cup!

 I hope you enjoyed seeing my little tea today. 

I look forward to visiting each of you today as well.

MY ANNOUNCEMENT....

I am taking a computer break for ALL of August!

Yay!

And I am calling it...

You can read about my vacation from electronics

in my previous post HERE. if you are interested : )
I mention a few of the projects I hope to do.

Do  you think I can do it? 

Take an entire month away from the computer,

after 4 long years of not missing a beat???

Yikes!

I am going to keep a journal about what it feels like...

to not turn on my laptop first thing in the morning...

or all day long...

day after day.....

Hmmmm 

Wish me luck!

Martha has kindly offered to take care of T.T. each week,

so please visit her at her lovely newly beautified blog Martha's Favorites.
Thank you dear Martha
You know Martha is a good soul...
really, truly, really.
She is amazing. 

As I said in my previous post, 

I will miss you all very much.

I shall see you in September

with plenty to share!

Hugs,

Terri

Awe-Inspiring August! Computer Vacation!

Hello All!

 (copywrited by Smith & Anthony Stove Co. 1889, found repinned on Pinterest)

 This lovely lady is sitting in a garden enjoying a cup of  tea.

She wears a fresh rose and there is a hint of

summer foliage and flowers in the background.

July is almost over...

where did the time go?

When I think of summer, 

I think of doing things like this...

Tea outdoors...

visiting the seaside...

reading a good book in the morning...

visiting a museum I have not experienced before...

Also

playing in my art room...

(it has been neglected)

getting my hands all colored up

with dye from a happy afternoon of fabric magic.

I know I will be doing more of this in August....

  I did these pieces a few weeks ago.

 Delicate shades of blue....

Deeper with a touch of green...

Some rich purples...

And delicate pinks.

Lovely things to use for collage art.

I enjoy making banners, and I have a few more ready to hand sew.

And...

I hope to begin quilting on the quilt I began....oh

say a year and a half ago???

Lol!

Frieda at Frieda Quilter

has been inspiring me for ages and ages with her 

 beautiful and expressive quilts...

And recently while visiting her blog, I finally got a vision of how

I want to stitch my quilt together.

Thank you Frieda!

Wish me luck with this project,

I will share how far I get...

I have other hopeful project ideas.

I have more pins in Pinterest then I could ever do...

but I would like to try a few : )

Do you know what I mean? 

This August seems very special to me...

for various reasons,

And I don't want to miss a minute of it.

I need some rest too : )

So I am planning a lot more of that!

Lol!

So....

I have decided to take a computer vacation for August...

And I am calling it 

Awe-Inspiring August!

Yay!

It is my promise to myself to....

Turn my laptop off on July 31st...

and leave it off. 

And to allow the Inspiration and relaxation in!

I enjoy being with all of you here in Bloglandia, 

And I will miss connecting each week.

(you all have inspired me so much,

I want to go and play!)

I will miss Tea Cup Tuesday...oh my!

In fact, I am wondering if I can do it???

Gak!

Have any of you taken a month off?

(do any of you feel you need to?)

 

 6 days and counting....!

Do you have special August plans?

Hugs,

Terri

Tea Cup Tuesday-Christmas in July

 Hello All!

Welcome to Tea Cup Tuesday!

Today, I am joining in with Sandi's fun 

and sharing a little Christmas tea. 

 Is it ever too early to think about Christmas?

Even though it is hot and humid here,

a Christmas tea would cool me off I am sure : )

How about this lovely tea set today?
I think it suits the "holiday season" nicely.

Last year my kind MIL took me to a thrift shop near her home. 

I found four place settings of this lovely vintage thistle pattern! 

Thrilling  really : )

The luncheon plates are oval shaped with a silver rim.
I just recently noticed some matching bowls on eBay!

I found this Cranberry Orange scone at Whole Foods...

It looks delicious doesn't it?

Cranberries remind me of Christmas and my favorite cookie recipe.

Another favorite of mine through the holidays is spiced chai tea...

MMMMMmmmmm, yes it is soooo good!

This set was manufactured by the Johnson Bros, in England. 

It seems the pattern is White Thistle # JB517.

I have found it in two places on the net, both confirm each others pattern number.

Now that I am in the Christmas spirit

I am thinking of a new Jane Austen ornament 

for my Jane Austen Christmas tree.

Are you working on your Christmas list yet?

Thank you Sandi for hosting this festive tea hop!

If you would like to participate in Tea Cup Tuesday with dear Martha and myself,
just go and create a post with the tea cup in it you would like to share, or
share a tea party you had, or a favorite tea you love to drink. Anything to do with tea cups and tea.
Then come back here and link up below.
Yay!

 Have a great week! Hugs,

Terri

Listen To Your Own Dear Heart

Hello All!

This has been a lovely summer, despite the challenges. 

Each day is an opportunity.

I have been sharing some of my fun dying fabric in previous posts.... 

and today I would like to share my first attempt at
what  I call  Suzy Style fabric collage : )

Suzy from Suziques Threadworks.

She inspired me with her lovely gift.
(see my side bar for her giveaway!)

I dyed old linens, ribbon, and lace,
and enjoyed ironing them all afterwards....
I had an idea for the theme or thought,
about listening to ones own inner wisdom
 and I laid out my pieces.

******

And here is how it turned out once I finished sewing it all together

and added the final embellishments.
I found it challenging to try to keep everything where I initially wanted it to go,
and that the design changed somewhat.
And that is o.k. with me.

I made some spectacular mistakes along the way....
hopefully learning...

The first panel....
the hardest part for me was not being symmetrical
with all the odd shaped pieces of lace.
I used to be a very tidy crafter
and everything had to be lined up and straight!

And that is o.k. too,
but I wanted to let go... 

The middle one....
It is pretty wonky!
Each panel is backed, and this one is open
behind the heart...
so the light shines through when I hang it outdoors.

The third one...

Sewing each one was challenging,
I broke my first needle and then switched to a jeans needle.
Suzy very kindly has given me advice to do that,
and having her gorgeous art here with me to
use as a reference, I managed to finish my project.

I hope to hang it outdoors on my second floor balcony,
Where I had my tea two Tuesdays ago.

 Thank you Suzy for inspiring me!

How is your weekend?

Thank you so much for coming by to visit!
Hugs,
Terri

Hugs,
Terri

Tea Cup Tuesday

Happy Tea Cup Tuesday!

Richard E. Miller (1875-1943) Afternoon Tea 

Hello Every One
It is good to see you!
This past week we have had even more rain,
I may start to build an ark...

So with our soggy wetness,
Bertha continues to wait
until the day she can fulfill
her duty : )

I felt Inspired by the beautiful vibrant art of Mr. Miller,
He chose blue and white china tea cups for his tea table.
I chose this pale pink beauty, and think she may
look good on his table too.

Doesn't she just sing Summer?

I baked this cake inspired by images on Pinterest.

I had to improvise...

I used a gluten free cake mix base,

as well as pureed strawberries

and lemon juice for the liquid.

The cake reminded me of the healthy bread
my mother first brought home in the 70s.
yuk...lol!
But I must say, my strawberry buttercream frosting
was really something amazing.

The heat and humidity caused the cake to droop quickly,
so my tea on our back deck was swift.

I enjoyed a lovely cup of steeped herbs... chamomile, lavender, rose, mint....
Somehow I do not mind hot tea on a hot day.
Do you?

Delicious tea...but not so tasty cake!
lol!

Thank you for stopping by for tea.
The summer has been beautiful so far,
Even though the rain has been so persistent
I do not tire of it at all.

Hugs,

Terri

If you would like to join Martha and I in Tea Cup Tuesday, just create a post with the tea cup in it that you would like to share...then come back here and link that post up below.
We would enjoying coming to visit you : )

Annie Sloan Chalk Paints Part 3

*Before*

I confess,
I am addicted to painting chairs!
Oh my!

I found this rocker at a local antique shop. 

The style really pleases me, and it is very low to the ground...

like me...a good thing ; )

It took me a year to decide to pull the rockers off.

(first coat of Old White looks a bit rough!)

I had been so undecided as to what to do with it, I had some crazy ideas,

and some not so crazy ideas...lol!

Then when I started painting with ASCP, 

I realized it was perfect for this chair too.

Here she is with her first two coats of Old White. 

Already she is looking much better!

I love this part!

At this point I considered whether or not  to use a glaze,

or if I wanted to apply clear or dark wax.

You can kinda play around and test a little area to get an idea.

Deciding upon clear wax and no glaze for now,

I  distressed and then sealed with clear wax, 

her bows and boughs look quite different. 

I am still thinking of a little dark wax for depth.

This is something I love about ASCP,

You can always do more to your piece. 

 *After*

How do you like her?

With her new skirt she was all ready for our first tea outdoors.

I love how low she sits on the ground.

I think her blank oval back is begging for something?

...maybe a crown transfer, or an initial, or a vintage bee transfer? 

I am thinking.... Or maybe a special pillow for extra comfort? 

So many possibilities!

Yay!

I am thrilled with how she looks now.

She was lovely before, 

but as I worked on her I found she was in much worse shape than I thought,

so I didn't feel so sad about painting her wood surface.

Annie Sloan's chalk paints really were a pleasure to work with.

I have some more chairs to share with you soon...

in my favorite color....

Are you having some creative fun this summer?

And if it is heading into fall/winter where you are,

what are you doing creatively for your season?

 

Thank you so much for visiting!

I love knowing you were here. 

 : )

Hugs,

Terri

Tea Cup Tuesday-Porch Tea

Welcome to Tea Cup Tuesday Everyone!

Our summer storms have continued nearly every day.
(flash flood warnings just ended)

So Bertha, my tea tent, pines away...

and I dream of the day we can put her up again 

and enjoy a romantic setting for out door tea.

Who knew this summer was going to be so wet! lol!

I am thankful for the rain,

Though, as I know that it nourishes the Earth.

Today, I am having tea on the porch,

as it is covered and therefore dry : )

It is a lovely place to listen to the birds,

and read a good book. 

I found this cup  back in May in a little shop while visiting Greensboro.

I had not seen stripes with the gold filigree design before.

I was so surprised last week when Martha shared this cup in red for T.T.

Beautiful!

Martha's has a single beautiful rose in the bottom of the cup.
(I am wondering what other colors this series design was made in?)

This blue one has a posy of roses.
I chose this cup for it's coloring, and the eccentric gold filigree accents.

What a pretty color cup for summer!

English Breakfast from Tin Roof Teas,

is looking good in my cup right now....

This cup was manufactured by Royal Grafton, a fine china company in England.
I believe that is the pattern number in gold...9259? 9254?
I will have to research this one.

******************

As we head on in to July I find that I am spending more
time away from my computer...
and more time enjoying family, crafting and getting out doors
between raindrops. 

I am enjoying my new summer read...

Thoreau's Walden.
 

...and dyeing more textiles...

...and sewing a collage... 

This is what summer is to me : )

What does summer mean to you?

Thank you so much for stopping by Tea Cup Tuesday!
I know how precious your day is, and I value your visit and comments!

Hugs,
Terri

If you would like to join in Tea Cup Tuesday,
just go and create a post with your tea cup in it.
 It can be the highlight of your post...or just a part of it.
We love to see the backstamps if you are so inclined to photograph it.
Then come back here and link up that specific post below with Linky tools.
Martha and I love coming to visit you!
 

Tea Cup Tuesday-Friend's Gift Brightens Stormy Day

(tea message for you: "There is a beauty in your presence")

 

 Hello All!

Martha and I welcome to to yet another Tea Cup Tuesday!

Due to torrential rains her in NC, my garden teas have been postponed.

Boo hoo!

But that is o.k.  There is plenty to do indoors to bring joy!

In the picture above, I am sitting down with a cup of peppermint tea...

and a project....doesn't tea just go well with any project?

I was spurred on by a gift from a kind friend and mentor Suzy.

These little bundles were so delicious looking, I could hardly unwrapped them!

Suzy created this beautiful fabric collage hanging for me!

I remember ooohing and ahhhhing when I saw her post about it on her blog....

not knowing it was coming to me! Wow!

I love all the layers of fabric, doilies, lace, ribbon and paper...

and the lovely sentiment too. I love it!

Suzy lives in Australia so we do have "thoughts far away"
when we think of each other...

She is lovely!

(Suzy and the girl in the collage! lol!)

She sent me these wonderful pieces of fabric and other goodies..
Thank you so much Suzy for your heartfelt gifts!

Suzy creates the most gorgeous of fiber art...

I adore her lace books too!

It is always inspiring to visit her

 blog Suziqu's Threadworks.

So it was Suzy who got my muse going...(and my room messy!) lol!...

next thing I knew I was pulling out all my bits and pieces of natural and dyed lace,

cotton, linen, ribbon.... all kinds of fab vintage pieces I save in little piles...

all kinds of ideas coming to light as I put this and that together.
Finally I was going to give fabric collage a real good try.

 I needed more blue bits, so I pulled out the trusty Rit dye and vinegar and got to work.

 I love how everything comes out almost the same, but they are all different, some more blue,

and some more to the green. I love them all!

By my second cup of tea...

(Do you like my sweet tea cup?)

I had turned this white linen to this lovely aqua linen above!

 Yay!

and these fab bluesy greens....

Yummy to me, and no calories!

Now I have all I need to get going on my new creations.

First one is just about finished.
Suzy has been kind to give me help via e-mail...

The news says more rain, so I am thrilled to be happily stitching indoors.

Thank you Suzy for your inspiration.

Last Week was my first Garden Tea...and it was very enjoyable.

Soon, I will hold another tea in "Bertha".

Yay!

Thank you so much for coming over for a visit!

if you would like to join in and share tea with us,

just go and create your post with the tea cup or tea you would like to share,

and link that post below. That way we can always find your tea post.

Martha and I truly enjoy visiting you all each week!

Wasn't last week a blast???

Visit Martha's Favorites, Martha's beautiful blog!

Hugs,

Terri